2 activists arrested in Bicol in a week
Both are being charged with double murder in relation to an alleged ambush by the New People’s Army which resulted in the killing of two soldiers in Ragay, Camarines Sur on May 13, 2018. According to Karapatan-Bicol, both have filed their respective counter-affidavits denying their participation in the alleged ambush in December 2019. By ANNE… The post 2 activists arrested in Bicol in a week appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
2 Bicol activists arrested
A pastor and a youth leader were arrested in early morning raids in Camarines Sur and Albay. The post 2 Bicol activists arrested appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
2 activists arrested in Bicol in a week
Both are being charged with double murder in relation to an alleged ambush by the New People’s Army which resulted in the killing of two soldiers in Ragay, Camarines Sur on May 13, 2018. According to Karapatan-Bicol, both have filed their respective counter-affidavits denying their participation in the alleged ambush in December 2019. By ANNE… The post 2 activists arrested in Bicol in a week appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Remembering EDSA in Bicol | PNP opts for ‘police power’ in freedom parks
During the People Power commemoration, the Philippine National Police (PNP) occupied all parks in Camarines Sur for their supposed “outreach” program. Still, it did not stop more than 300 activists here to stage a protest action in the afternoon of Feb. 25. The post Remembering EDSA in Bicol | PNP opts for ‘police power’ in freedom parks appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Iran women’s activist Narges Mohammadi wins peace Nobel
The Nobel Peace Prize was on Friday awarded to imprisoned rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi, honored for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran. Mohammadi's award comes after a wave of protests that swept Iran after the death in custody a year ago of a young Iranian Kurd, Mahsa Amini, arrested for violating Iran's strict dress rules for women. Mohammadi, a 51-year-old journalist and activist, has spent much of the past two decades in and out of jail for her campaign against the mandatory hijab for women and the death penalty. She is the vice-president of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre founded by Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi, herself a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2003. Mohammadi was honored "for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all," said Berit Reiss-Andersen, the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo. "Her brave struggle has come with tremendous personal costs. Altogether, the regime has arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes," Reiss-Andersen said in the jury's citation. Speaking to reporters after the announcement, she called for Mohammadi's release. "If the Iranian authorities make the right decision, they will release her. So she can be present to receive this honor, which is what we primarily hope for," she said. The recent protests in Iran "accelerated the process of realizing democracy, freedom, and equality in Iran," a process that is now "irreversible", Mohammadi told AFP last month in a letter written from her prison cell. She and three other women held with her at Tehran's Evin prison burned their hijabs to mark the anniversary of Amini's death on 16 September. Iran is ranked 143rd out of 146 countries on the World Economic Forum's gender equality ranking. Iranian authorities cracked down harshly on last year's "Woman, Life, Freedom" uprising. A total of 551 protesters, including 68 children and 49 women, were killed by security forces, according to Iran Human Rights, and thousands of others were arrested. The movement has since continued in other forms. In what would have been unthinkable a year ago, women now go out in public without the headscarf, in particular in Tehran and other big cities, despite the risks. Wearing the hijab is one of the pillars of the Islamic Republic. Authorities have stepped up controls, using surveillance cameras among other things, and have arrested actresses who post pictures of themselves on social media without the hijab. No prospect of freedom In September, Iran's conservative-dominated parliament announced heavier penalties for women who refuse to wear it. "This year's Peace Prize also recognizes the hundreds of thousands of people who in the preceding year have demonstrated against the theocratic regimes policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women," Reiss-Andersen said. Offenders will face heavy prison sentences if the "Hijab and Chastity" bill is approved by Iran's Guardian Council. Incarcerated this time since November 2021, Mohammadi has not seen her children, who live in France with her husband, for eight years. Considered a "prisoner of conscience" by Amnesty International, she told AFP in her letter that she had "almost no prospect of freedom." The prize comes on the 20th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Ebadi, who was honored "for her efforts for democracy and human rights", especially those of women and children. This year's prize also symbolically coincides with the 75th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 2003, Ebadi defied conservative Iranians by refusing to wear the hijab when she received her prize in Oslo. If she remains behind bars, Mohammadi will not be able to make the trip to Oslo to receive her award, consisting of a diploma, a gold medal, and $1 million, at the annual prize ceremony on December 10. The Peace Prize has on several occasions honored jailed activists, including last year when it went to Ales Bialiatski of Belarus, whose prize was accepted by his wife, and Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo in 2010, whose chair remained empty. The post Iran women’s activist Narges Mohammadi wins peace Nobel appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mexico says ex-diplomat accused of sex crimes arrested in Israel
Mexican writer and former diplomat Andres Roemer, who faces multiple accusations of sex crimes, has been arrested in Israel, Mexico's president said Monday. Roemer "will be extradited," Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said at his regular morning press conference. The allegations against Roemer, which number about 60 according to activists, began in February 2021 when the Mexican dancer Itzel Schnaas accused him of sexual assault. The 60-year-old former Mexican consul in San Francisco and goodwill ambassador to UNESCO "categorically" denied the first accusation. But he withdrew from social media in the face of mounting allegations that he had touched women inappropriately after meeting them on a work pretext. Mexico requested Roemer's extradition in June 2021. Its foreign ministry confirmed in a statement that Israeli police detained Roemer on Sunday "for extradition purposes, at the request of the Mexican Government." "Although there are no extradition treaties with the State of Israel, the arrest... was carried out based on the principle of reciprocity and international cooperation, based on the good bilateral relationship that exists in all areas between both countries," it said. The post Mexico says ex-diplomat accused of sex crimes arrested in Israel appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Protesters burn mayor’s office over mining
Anti-mining protesters have set fire to a mayor’s office on an Indonesian island and damaged the local parliament building, according to police. Some 2,500 protesters demanding compensation from a gold mining company marched Thursday to the local mayor’s office in Pohuwato regency in Gorontalo province, Sulawesi Island. When no official met them, they set it on fire, local media reported. The protesters then headed to the local parliament to stage another demonstration, and damaged it, according to reports. The demonstrations are now under investigation, Gorantalo police spokesperson Desmont Harjendro said. “Several protesters” were detained and that police were guarding the sites, he added. Harjendro warned other protesters they would be arrested if they engaged in violent attacks or damaged public property. Activists are demanding compensation from PT Puncak Emas Tani Sejahtera, a subsidiary of PT Merdeka Copper Gold which oversees the Pani Gold Project mine in the area. Boyke Poerbaya Abidin, president director of Merdeka Copper Gold and PT Puncak Emas Tani Sejahtera, criticized the demonstrators. “We deeply regret the incident and we condemn the violent acts by the irresponsible protesters that has caused damages,” Abidin said in a statement Thursday. He said the mining project was operating on a government-approved license. WITH AFP The post Protesters burn mayor’s office over mining appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Red-tagged individuals have only themselves to blame
These human rights groups and activists have been haranguing the government for every perceived action that threatens their democratic space or their existence as an organization. They are always at the forefront, slamming the government and its officials who do not conform to their progressive and radical views. They rev up people into a frenzy and rally them against certain policies and programs that will neutralize the revolutionary activities of the armed left and its front organizations. They organize protest marches and rallies and call on the people to reject government initiatives to eradicate the more than 50-year-old communist urgency, like the establishment of the NTF-ELCAC, which has successfully stopped the resurrection of the communist rebels. The NTF-ELCAC is an ingenious program commenced in the previous Duterte administration, institutionalizing the government’s “whole of nation” approach in confronting the ongoing communist rebellion and against groups that are front organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines or CPP. The socio-economic program of the NTF-ELCAC at the barangay level succeeded in dismantling the communist hold on the depressed and neglected barangays. It led to hundreds of NPAs surrendering and returning to the law’s fold. These left-leaning individuals and aggregations exhibit their nationalist pretensions by embroiling themselves with national issues related to the people’s needs and sufferings, picturing themselves as victims of human rights violations committed allegedly by the government against them. They use social media to whip up support for them and use compelling political propaganda subjects like alleged summary killings, unlawful arrests, tortures, and harassment of political activists and progressive groups. Their comrades in Congress who managed to be elected have become effective political mouthpieces against the government. They are good at using the mass media, which is just too happy to accommodate them to boost their sales. Some have infiltrated the government bureaucracy and used their positions and offices to advance their political ideologies in the guise of good government. They have been successful, too, in recruiting young students of impressionable minds to embrace their causes, who end up either young NPA rebels, leading student activists, or dead resulting from government clashes with government troops. These self-proclaimed nationalists have peppered the air with accusations of extrajudicial killings against the government and have defended suspected terrorists and subversives when arrested and prosecuted. They readily proclaim their innocence. They have taken the cudgels of citizens murdered by common criminals or political warlords — but they are deathly silent when the communist armed rebels waylay, ambush, and murderously assault military men and women as well as civilians engaged in humanitarian missions during the occurrence of natural disasters. Even when they are confronted with this telling inconsistency and dared to condemn these terrorist atrocities, these leftists remain tight-lipped. They have never condemned the New People’s Army for its terroristic and undemocratic activities. Given this implied but glaring support to the enemies of the state by their deafening silence, can we reasonably accuse the government officials of classifying or describing them as supporters of the NPA or closeted members of the armed rebellion? Certainly not. They have only themselves to blame for being tagged as red supporters. Why should they be afraid, ashamed, or embarrassed to be called communists or communist supporters? The Anti-Subversion Law, where being a member of the CPP is a crime, has long been repealed. So why the fear or shame of being called a communist advocate or supporter? These democratic pretenders must unclothe themselves of their camouflage and join the parliamentary struggle. They should publicly articulate the virtues of communism against democracy and seek elective posts based on their true ideological selves. They should not use the Bill of Rights to undermine the authority of the constituted authorities, remaining as secret enemies of democracy while masquerading as its champions. It is about time they unmask themselves and be proud of their ideological beliefs. They should put an end to their pretense. They should be principled enough to present themselves as ideologues of communism — own to their loyalty to such ideology — and profess it publicly. Let the people judge who — and what they are — and not what they pretend to be. The post Red-tagged individuals have only themselves to blame appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Climate activists spray Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate
Activists from climate group "Last Generation" spray-painted Berlin's famous Brandenburg Gate on Sunday, calling for the abandonment of fossil fuels and more action on climate change. Six pillars of the monument at the heart of the German capital were sprayed with orange warning paint, the group said in a statement. The paint spread to the Pariser Platz, the square at the foot of the monument, with bright footprints extending along the roadway. Fourteen people were arrested at the site, police told AFP, without any indication of acts of violence. The demonstrators wanted to send the message that it is "time for political change" in order to "move away from fossil fuels", according to the statement. "We must get out of petrol, gas and coal no later than 2030. It is high time that (German Chancellor) Olaf Scholz speaks clearly," Last Generation spokesperson Marion Fabian said in the statement. Thousands of climate protestors, led by young people, demonstrated Friday in Berlin and across Germany calling on Scholz's government to take more action to achieve the country's climate goals. Germany wants to reach net zero targets by 2045. jpl/ylf/giv/lcm The post Climate activists spray Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Red-tagged individuals create their own classification (1)
It is amusing to read about individuals or groups protesting about being tagged as New People’s Army or NPA supporters, or even communists themselves. At least one of them filed a civil suit for damages against two anchors of a program in SMNI for allegedly tagging him as a communist sympathizer and his mother as a closeted communist. Red-tagging has become a whipping boy of leftist organizations and their sympathizers. The dwindling number of left-leaning party-list representatives who survived the electoral debacle of their comrades have become the mouthpiece. They have been regularly and constantly attacking the government officials who described them as supporters of the communist rebels. This protesting sector of our society has described red-tagging as “the act of labeling individuals or groups as “communist fronts,” “communist terrorists,” or communist sympathizers.” They have likened such acts to “McCarthyism” in the 1950s in the United States. The American Heritage Dictionary defines McCarthyism as “1. The political practice of publicizing accusations of disloyalty or subversion with insufficient regard to evidence; and 2. The use of methods of investigation and accusation regarded as unfair, to suppress opposition.” McCarthyism is known as the “second Ref Scare” in the United States. It was an era of “political repression and persecution of left-wing individuals and a campaign spreading fear of alleged communist and Soviet influence on American institutions and Soviet espionage in the United States during the late 1940s through the 1950s.” Joseph McCarthy, a Wisconsin Senator, started what appeared to become a national witch-hunt in the United States in the late forties and early fifties. He rose to national prominence in the US after an alleged three-year undistinguishable stay in the US Senate, after delivering a speech in Congress where he claimed to have a list of “members of the communist party and members of a spy ring employed in the US State Department.” As a result of McCarty’s speech, congressional hearings were conducted by the U.S. House Committee on Un-American Activities that led to the imprisonment of 10 Hollywood screenwriters and directors. Likewise, hundreds of their colleagues in the movie industry were placed on the “blacklist.” The so-called human rights groups in the Philippines claim that red-tagging is often done without evidence. A human rights alliance group, Karapatan, slammed the NTF-ELCAC for gaining “notoriety in the red-tagging, harassing and intimidating political activists and other government critics and for instigating mass surrenders of civilians alleged to be supporters of the revolutionary movement.” Karapatan alleged, “Many of the victims of NTF-ELCAC’s red-tagging campaigns had ended up arrested and detained on trump-up charges, while others have been killed by vigilante groups or in armed encounters staged by the military.” There is a whale of a difference between the red-baiting in the United States during the McCarthyism period and the so called red-tagging in the Philippines. For one, those who have been red-tagged, if they feel they have been unjustly classified as communist supporters or secret members of the NPA, can always resort to civil suits for damages, just like one of them did. Unlike the late Senator McCarty, the perceived violators of their human rights are not immune from lawsuits. McCarty was immune from being sued when he red-tagged suspected members of the communist party because he enjoyed parliamentary immunity when he delivered the red-tagging speech. The claim that those red-tagged by government officials led to their deaths is just a claim. The human rights groups have not produced any proof of that. As to those arrested and jailed, it only means there was probable cause for the crimes they have been charged with — hence, the courts issued warrants for their arrest. As to the claim of trump-up charges, there have been instances where the courts have dismissed those criminal cases filed against them because the prosecution failed to produce the quantum of proof required by law in court. They can seek judicial redress by filing malicious criminal prosecution against those who made up the false charges plus damages. (To be continued) The post Red-tagged individuals create their own classification (1) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Clampdown and grief as Iranians remember Mahsa Amini
Iranians at home and abroad marked the first anniversary Saturday of the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, with activists speaking of a renewed crackdown to prevent any resurgence of the protests which rocked major cities last year. Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died a few days after her arrest by religious police for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women in force since shortly after the 1979 revolution. Her family says she died from a blow to the head but this is disputed by Iranian authorities. Anger over her death rapidly expanded into weeks of taboo-breaking protests which saw women tearing off their mandatory headscarves in an open challenge to the Islamic republic's system of government under supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But after several months, they lost momentum in the face of a crackdown that saw security forces kill 551 protesters, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), and arrest more than 22,000, according to Amnesty International. Iranian authorities say dozens of security personnel were also killed in what they describe as "riots" incited by foreign governments and hostile media. Seven men have been executed after being convicted in protest-related cases. Campaigners say the authorities have renewed their crackdown in the runup to the anniversary, putting pressure on relatives of those killed in the protests in a bid to stop them speaking out. New York-based Human Rights Watch said family members of at least 36 people killed or executed in the crackdown had been interrogated, arrested, prosecuted or sentenced to prison over the past month. "Iranian authorities are trying to impose a chokehold on dissent to prevent public commemoration of Mahsa Jina Amini's death in custody, which has become the symbol of the government's systematic oppression of women, injustice and impunity," said HRW's senior Iran researcher, Tara Sepehri Far. 'Repressive forces' deployed The two journalists who did the most to publicize the Amini case –- Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi who respectively reported from her hospital and funeral –- have been held in prison for almost a year. Another reporter, Nazila Maroufian who interviewed Amini's father Amjad, has been arrested repeatedly. Amjad Amini has told Persian media based outside Iran that he plans to hold a commemoration for his daughter in their hometown of Saqez in Kurdish-populated western Iran later Saturday. Outlets, including Prague-based Radio Farda, said he was summoned by intelligence officials after his announcement. He was not arrested but one of Amini's uncles, Safa Aeli, was detained in Saqez on 5 September. According to Kurdish-focused news outlet Hengaw, the government has sent additional security forces to Saqez and other towns in western Iran that could become flashpoints. On Saturday, Hengaw said, "repressive forces" were deployed around the Amini family residence in Saqez. It posted photos on X, formerly Twitter, showing armed men in fatigues on the streets of Saqez, as well as video of shops shuttered and on strike to mark the anniversary in Saqez, Sanandaj and other cities of Kurdistan province. 'Doubling down' While some women are still seen walking in public without headscarves, particularly in wealthy, traditionally liberal areas of north Tehran, the conservative-dominated parliament is currently considering a draft law that would impose far stiffer penalties for non-compliance. "The Islamic republic is doubling down on repression and reprisals against its citizens and seeking to introduce new and more draconian laws that severely restrict further the rights of women and girls," said Sara Hossain, the chair of the UN fact-finding mission set up to investigate the crackdown. Under the slogan "Say her name!", Iranian emigres are expected to hold commemorative rallies, with large demonstrations expected in Paris and Toronto. Amnesty International accused Iran's authorities of committing a "litany of crimes under international law to eradicate any challenge to their iron grip on power" and lamented that not a single official had been even investigated over Amini's death or the crackdown. "The anniversary offers a stark reminder for countries around the world of the need to initiate criminal investigations into the heinous crimes committed by the Iranian authorities under universal jurisdiction," said Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa deputy director, Diana Eltahawy. On the eve of the anniversary, Iran's arch-foe the United States and its Western allies including Britain and the European Union imposed new sanctions on the Islamic republic over its protest crackdown. Announcing the measures, US President Joe Biden led international calls in solidarity with Iranians on the anniversary of Amini's death. "Iranians alone will determine the fate of their country, but the United States remains committed to standing with them," he said. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani slammed the Western countries' "illegal and undiplomatic actions" in a statement late Friday. The post Clampdown and grief as Iranians remember Mahsa Amini appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Egypt activist Ahmed Douma freed after presidential pardon
Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma, a leading figure in the country's 2011 uprising who has spent the past decade behind bars, walked free from prison Saturday following a presidential pardon. Douma, now 37, was a leading activist in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime president Hosni Mubarak. He was arrested in the sweeping crackdown that followed the army's 2013 ouster of Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist president elected after the uprising. "After 10 years in prison, I wish I could say that I am happy after being released, but I postpone any celebrations till all get freedom," Douma said after leaving Badr prison on Cairo's outskirts -- a facility that has been repeatedly criticized for its poor conditions. "I wish we can celebrate soon." Douma was originally sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2015 for clashing with security forces, but this was cut to 15 years in 2019. Later that year, Egypt's top appeals court upheld the reduced sentence, as well as a fine of six million Egyptian pounds ($372,000 at the time). In 2021, Douma published a collection of poems entitled "Curly", written while he was held in solitary confinement. The collection was displayed at that year's Cairo International Book Fair before being quickly pulled for "security reasons". In one of his poems from prison, Douma writes: "There's no time for depression, no opportunity for sadness, the flood is raging." Rising frustration Key activists from the revolution remain behind bars, including British-Egyptian pro-democracy blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah, who has spent the better part of the past decade in jail. After Morsi's overthrow, the authorities rounded up thousands of pro-democracy campaigners as well as Islamists in mass arrests that drew international condemnation. Rights activist Hossam Bahgat welcomed the pardon for Douma, but said the decision was made "without any transparency or understanding of why some people were selected and others ignored". Fellow activist Ziad el-Elaimi, who was released ahead of Egypt's hosting of the COP-27 climate summit last year, welcomed the news that Douma was finally free after having "nine and a half years of his life stolen". "The problem remains, however. Someone is using free men as hostages... People are frightened of expressing their opinions freely," he said. The president has pardoned numerous prominent figures over the past year, but critics have noted that more people have been arrested in the meantime. "President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi... has used his constitutional powers" to pardon several prisoners including Douma, said lawyer Tarek Elawady, a member of the presidential pardons committee. Since April last year, authorities have released 1,000 political prisoners, but detained almost 3,000 more, according to Egyptian rights monitors. In July, Sisi pardoned researcher Patrick Zaki a day after he received a three-year sentence, as well as rights lawyer Mohamed al-Baqer, who was arrested in 2019 while attending an interrogation of Abdel Fattah, his client at the time. According to Bahgat, founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, the authorities have "become well aware of rising frustration both domestically and internationally". But "the regime is showing no indication of moving towards ending the crisis of political prisoners in Egypt", Bahgat told AFP. The pardons come as Egypt conducts a so-called "national dialogue" meant to bring in an opposition that has been decimated during the decade of repression since Sisi came to power. The president announced on Wednesday he had received the first recommendations of this "dialogue", saying he had "passed them on to the competent authorities so that they can be applied within the framework granted by the legal and constitutional provisions". Next year, Egypt goes to the polls for a presidential election in which Sisi is widely expected to seek a new term. The post Egypt activist Ahmed Douma freed after presidential pardon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Iran re-arrests reporter who interviewed Amini father
Iranian authorities have re-arrested a journalist who interviewed the father of the woman whose custody death sparked months of protests, just two days after her release from jail, activists said on Tuesday. Nazila Maroufian walked out of Tehran's Evin prison on Sunday, posting on social media a picture of herself without a headscarf in defiance of the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women. "Don't accept slavery, you deserve the best!" she wrote in her posts. But she has now been detained again and moved outside of Tehran to Qarchak women's prison, whose conditions are repeatedly criticized by rights groups, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said. The group, which collates information from activists, said it had confirmed her re-arrest with a source close to the family. Maroufian, whose age is given by Persian media outside Iran as 23, in October published an interview on the Mostaghel Online news site with Amjad Amini. He is the father of Mahsa Amini, 22. Her death in custody last 16 September after she allegedly violated the dress rules sparked months of protests. In the interview, Amjad Amini accused authorities of lying about the circumstances of his daughter's death. Iranian authorities have indicated she died because of a health problem, but the family and activists have said she suffered a blow to the head while in custody. Echoes of another case Maroufian, a Tehran-based journalist from Amini's hometown of Saqez in Kurdistan province, was first arrested in November. She was later released but in January said she had been sentenced to two years in jail, suspended for five years, on charges of propaganda against the system and spreading false news. According to rights groups, Maroufian was again ordered back to Evin prison in early July. Her rapid return to prison after posting defiant images upon her release on Sunday recalls the case of labor activist Sepideh Gholian. In March, Gholian was re-arrested hours after she walked free from jail bare-headed and chanting slogans against Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Gholian, one of the most prominent female activists detained in Iran, remains in prison. Iran has reacted harshly to reporting inside the country on the Amini case. The two women journalists who helped bring the story to the world's attention have now spent almost a year in Evin prison after their arrest in September. Niloufar Hamedi reported for Iran's Shargh newspaper from the hospital where Amini languished in a coma for three days before she died, and Elahe Mohammadi, a reporter for the Ham Mihan newspaper, went to Saqez to report on Amini's funeral. Both are now on trial on charges of violating national security, which they vehemently deny. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, 95 reporters were arrested in the crackdown on the Amini protests, although most have now been released on bail. The crackdown left hundreds dead, mainly demonstrators but also security personnel. The post Iran re-arrests reporter who interviewed Amini father appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Iran reporter who interviewed Amini father says freed from jail
An Iranian journalist handed a two-year jail sentence after interviewing the father of the woman whose custody death sparked months of protests said Sunday she had been released from prison. After her release from Tehran's Evin prison, Nazila Maroufian defiantly posted a picture of herself on social media without a headscarf, flouting the Islamic Republic's strict dress code for women. "Don't accept slavery, you deserve the best," she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram. The picture showed her clutching flowers in one hand with her other hand raised in a victory sign. Maroufian, whose age is given by Persian media outside Iran as 23, in October published an interview on the Mostaghel Online news site with Amjad Amini. He is the father of Mahsa Amini, whose death in custody last September after she allegedly violated the dress rules sparked months of protests. In the interview, Amjad Amini accused authorities of lying about the circumstances of his daughter's death. Iranian authorities have indicated she died because of a health problem, but the family and activists have said she suffered a blow to the head while in custody. Maroufian, a Tehran-based journalist but from Amini's hometown of Saqez in Kurdistan province, was first arrested in November. Health scare She was later released but in January said she had been sentenced to two years in jail, suspended for five years, on charges of propaganda against the system and spreading false news. According to rights groups, Maroufian was again ordered back to Evin prison in early July. There was major concern over her health earlier this month when supporters said she had been taken from prison to hospital. But in her social media post, Maroufian denied having had a heart attack and said she had suffered "shortness of breath and heart palpitations" and was now "fine". Iran has reacted harshly to reporting inside the country on the Amini case. The two women journalists who helped to bring the story to the world's attention have now spent almost a year in Evin after being arrested in September. Niloufar Hamedi reported for Iran's Shargh newspaper from the hospital where Amini languished in a coma for three days before she died, and Elahe Mohammadi, a reporter for the Ham Mihan newspaper, went to Saqez to report on Amini's funeral. Both are now on trial on charges of violating national security, which they vehemently deny. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, 95 reporters were arrested in the crackdown on the Amini protests, although most have now been released on bail. Last week the Iranian authorities summoned the British ambassador, Simon Shercliff, after he called on Tehran to release detained journalists, in social media post to mark National Journalists' Day in Iran. The post Iran reporter who interviewed Amini father says freed from jail appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
QC police nab 16 druggies; net P595K worth of shabu
A total of 16 drug addicts were netted by operatives of the Quezon City Police District in separate sting operations over the weekend, in which they also seized P595,000 worth of shabu. P/Lt. Col. Ferdinand Casiano, Station Commander of Anonas Police Station (PS 9) reported the arrest of Teresita Bayle; Noemi Uy; Androl Makabenta; and Tess Bayle at 4:00 a.m., 12 August 2023, at Area Zigzag, Kaingin 2, Brgy. Pansol, Quezon City. Casiano said a concerned citizen tipped off the illegal activities of the suspects which resulted in their immediate arrest. Confiscated from their possessions were 70 grams of shabu valued at P476,000, a cellular phone, one unit of NMAX motorcycle, and the buy-bust money. Also, the Masambong Police Station (PS 2) under P/Lt.Col. Resty Damaso arrested Andrew Victa at 7:10 p.m. in front of No. 17 Ilagan St., Brgy. Paltok, Quezon City. Confiscated from his possession was one gram of shabu valued at P6,800. At 8:00 p.m. at Block 2, Lot 6, Grecio St., Francis Village, Brgy. San Bartolome, Novaliches, Quezon City, the Novaliches Police Station (PS 4) under P/Lt.Col.Jerry Castillo arrested Benjamin Bautista and Dennis Franco. Confiscated from their possessions were five grams of shabu valued at P34,000, a cellular phone, and the buy-bust money. Subsequently, the Fairview Police Station (PS 5) under P/Lt.Col. Elizabeth Jasmin arrested Joseph Antonio; Jerome Layson; and John Mark Arthur Mendoza at 11:40 p.m. along Commonwealth Ave., Brgy. Greater Fairview, Quezon City. Confiscated from their possessions were three grams of shabu valued at P20,400 and the buy-bust money. The Batasan Police Station (PS 6) under P/Lt.Col. Paterno Domondon Jr. arrested Joel Felix Gado; Jeralyn Hoyoa; Crisanti Oreto; and Marry Ann Barbacena at 4:00 PM at No. 45 Laura St., Brgy. Matandang Balara, Quezon City. Confiscated from their possessions were 3.5 grams of shabu valued at Php23,800.00, a cellular phone, and the buy-bust money. While the Payatas Bagong Silangan Police Station (PS 13) under P/Lt.Col. Leonie Ann Dela Cruz arrested Angelo Abellana and Arthuro Lobedese at 12:50 a.m. on 12 August 2023 inside the unnumbered house along Bicol St., Group 3, Lupang Pangako, Brgy. Payatas B, Quezon City. Confiscated from their possessions were five grams of shabu valued at P34,000, a cellular phone, and the buy-bust money. QCPD Director P/Brig. Gen. Nicolas D Torre III said the suspects will be charged for violation of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office. “Asahan po ninyo na hindi kami magsasawa at mas lalo pa naming paiigtingin ang aming kampanya kontra iligal na droga at wanted persons,” Torre said while commending the men and women of QCPD. The post QC police nab 16 druggies; net P595K worth of shabu appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Indian ‘debt slaves’ rescued
Eleven shackled workers in India digging wells for 12 hours a day without wages have been rescued from a chain gang, a government rights body said Monday. The rescue of the laborers from Maharashtra state was launched on 17 June after one of them slipped his chains and reported their torture to the police, the National Human Rights Commission said. It shone new light on the long-outlawed practice of bonded labor, dubbed “debt slavery” by rights campaigners, in which debtors are forced to work to pay back borrowed cash while interest keeps mounting. NHRC said in a statement that the workers were chained to prevent them from escaping, were fed once a day and forced to defecate where they worked. Police had arrested four people but the NHRC said more had to be done than the “mere rescue by the police and arrest of some of the accused.” The NHRC said the case “grossly violated” the 1976 abolition of the bonded labor system. Rules against bonded labor are regularly flouted to maximize profits with little fear of prosecution, with activists saying there are some 10 million bonded laborers in India. The NHRC said the employers in this case were “habitual” in engaging laborers and then using such brutal conditions that, when the workers were released after three or four months, “they preferred running away without asking for wages to escape more torture.” The post Indian ‘debt slaves’ rescued appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Environment activists smear paint on Monet work in Stockholm
Environment activists on Wednesday smeared red paint and glued their hands to the protective glass on a Monet painting at Stockholm's National Museum, police and the museum said. "Two women around the ages of 25 and 30 were arrested," police said, as the organization Aterstall Vatmarker (Restore Wetlands) claimed responsibility in an interview with AFP. The museum told AFP it was "not yet known" if the painting itself had been damaged. The artwork was "The Artist's Garden at Giverny", painted by French impressionist Claude Monet in 1900. The painting "is being examined by the museum's curators to see if there has been any damage", the museum said in a statement, while spokeswoman Hanna Tottmar said they hoped to "have more information" on Thursday. Aterstall Vatmarker posted a video on Facebook where the two women, one a nurse and the other a nursing student, could be seen smearing the paint and gluing their hands to the glass. The two then shout: "The (climate) situation is acute" and "our health is threatened". In an interview with AFP, Aterstall Vatmarker spokesperson Helen Wahlgren said a climate catastrophe "is also a health crisis" with "millions of people already dying from the climate disaster". The organization said "gorgeous gardens like those in Monet's painting will soon be a distant memory." Wahlgren accused the Swedish government of not respecting its international climate commitments. "We should lower our emissions by 31 percent. But our emissions are still increasing. It's outrageous." The museum said it was "naturally" opposed to actions that risk damaging works of art. "Cultural heritage has great symbolic value and it is unacceptable to attack or destroy it, regardless of the purpose," acting chief curator Per Hedstrom said. po-vk/lcm © Agence France-Presse The post Environment activists smear paint on Monet work in Stockholm appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hong Kong police detain more than 20 on Tiananmen anniversary
Hong Kong police on Sunday detained more than 20 people, including key pro-democracy figures trying to commemorate the anniversary of the bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown, as hundreds in Taiwan mourned the dead with a vigil. For years, tens of thousands of Hong Kongers would converge on the city's Victoria Park and its surrounding neighborhood to commemorate the events of June 4, 1989 -- taking part in candlelight vigils. But since Beijing's imposition of a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 to quell dissent, the annual vigil has been banned and its organizers charged under the law. This weekend, scores of police were deployed in the area, stopping people for searches and questioning. Some found with a candle -- regarded as a symbol of the Victoria Park vigil -- were questioned and detained. More than 700 kilometers (430 miles) away on the self-ruled island of Taiwan, hundreds gathered at Taipei's Liberty Square to chant "fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong" as night fell. They lit candles in the shape of "8964" -- numerals forbidden in mainland China because it references the events of June 4, 1989. "We need to cherish the freedom and democracy we have in Taiwan," Perry Wu, 31, told AFP. "I feel really sad to see the news of people getting arrested today in Hong Kong." Hong Kong police said late Sunday they had detained 23 people between the ages of 20 to 74 who were suspected of "breaching the peace". One woman, 53, was arrested for obstructing police officers. Among the most prominent activists AFP saw bundled into police vans was Chan Po-ying, the leader of the League of Social Democrats, one of the few remaining opposition parties. The veteran activist, who was released hours later, held a small LED candle and two flowers before she was seized by police. Other recognizable figures taken were Alexandra Wong, a well-known activist nicknamed "Grandma Wong" and Leo Tang, a former leader of the now-disbanded Confederation of Trade Unions. On Saturday, Hong Kong police arrested four people for "seditious" acts and "disorderly conduct". Another four were detained on suspicion of breaching the peace. The office of UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a tweet late Sunday it was "alarmed by reports of detentions" in Hong Kong and called for the "release of anyone detained for exercising freedom of expression & peaceful assembly." 'Let the world know' Discussion of the Tiananmen crackdown is highly sensitive for China's communist leadership and commemoration is forbidden on the mainland. The government sent troops and tanks to Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989 to break up peaceful protests, brutally crushing a weeks-long wave of demonstrations calling for political change. Hundreds -- by some estimates, more than 1,000 -- were killed. Hong Kong was for decades the only Chinese city with a large-scale commemoration -- a key index of the liberties and political pluralism afforded by its semi-autonomous status. This year, Victoria Park was transformed for a "hometown carnival fair" organized by pro-Beijing groups. Erase memories Beijing has gone to exhaustive lengths to erase the 1989 event from public memory in the mainland. All mention of the crackdown is scrubbed from China's internet. Over the weekend, sites of more recent protests -- a bridge in Beijing where a "freedom" banner was unfurled, and Wulumuqi Street in Shanghai where demonstrations happened in November -- also saw heightened security. Hong Kong authorities were vigilant in the weeks before June 4, with police seizing a commemorative "Pillar of Shame" statue for a security trial and removing books on the Tiananmen crackdown from public libraries. But there were still pockets of defiance on Sunday around Hong Kong -- a shop gave away candles, while a bookstore displayed Tiananmen Square archival material. At the US consulate in the evening, dozens of candles could be seen shimmering in the large complex's windows. 'Face the consequences' Sidestepping questions about whether public mourning was allowed, Hong Kong's leader John Lee had repeatedly maintained that the public must act according to the law or "be ready to face the consequences". Vigils planned around the world, from Japan to Australia, saw people standing with candles next to images of the brutal crackdown. In London, protesters staged a re-enactment featuring a blow-up tank and women dressed in white, emulating a statue to liberty set up on Tiananmen Square in 1989. A 59-year-old poet from China's Sichuan province, told AFP at the Trafalgar Square rally that his family fled soon after brutal crackdown. "Chinese people in my generation know what happened, but the younger ones, not really," said the man, who declined to be named for fear of Chinese reprisals. "Their parents, their grandparents, need to keep up the knowledge, and we all need to remember at events overseas like this." The post Hong Kong police detain more than 20 on Tiananmen anniversary appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Saudi charges women’s activist with spreading ‘propaganda’
Saudi Arabia has charged a women's rights activist detained since November over her social media posts with launching a "propaganda campaign", according to court documents seen by AFP on Wednesday. Manahel al-Otaibi was arrested for social media posts challenging the country's male guardianship laws and requirements for women to wear the customary body-shrouding abaya. Public prosecutors accused her of leading a "campaign to incite Saudi girls to denounce religious principles and rebel against the customs and traditions of Saudi society," according to the documents. She appeared in front of judges in January and was then referred to the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) which was established in 2008 to handle terrorism-related cases but has been widely used to try political dissidents and human rights activists. Otaibi has not yet been convicted or sentenced and no date has been announced for her hearing which could result in a lengthy prison sentence. Otaibi's sister -- Fouz -- who has left Saudi Arabia, was hit with similar charges and risks imprisonment if she returns to the kingdom. Speaking to AFP, Fouz criticized authorities for "targeting influential women demanding women's rights in Saudi Arabia." "There is a contradiction... as if there are two states," she told AFP. "A state with Vision 2030, and a state that still applies the old strict rules." Vision 2030 is the kingdom's economic and social reform agenda which has, in the last seven years, led to dramatic changes in the deeply conservative kingdom, including women's right to drive and the promotion of sports for women. Still, Saudi Arabia is often criticized for not tolerating dissent and has been in the spotlight in recent months for decades-long prison sentences handed down to two women who tweeted and retweeted posts critical of the government. London-based rights group ALQST denounced the charges against the al-Otaibi sisters as "yet another example of Saudi Arabia's empty promises when it comes to reforms". "Saudi women still get imprisoned and face sham trials for demanding their rights," said Lina al-Hathloul, ALQST's head of monitoring and communications. The post Saudi charges women’s activist with spreading ‘propaganda’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Anti-monarchists among UK protesters arrested before king’s coronation
UK police on Saturday arrested leading members of the anti-monarchy group Republic as they prepared to protest along the route of a procession for the coronation of King Charles III, the organization said. "They've arrested six of our organizers and seized hundreds of placards, they won't tell us why they've arrested them or where they're being held," a Republic activist told AFP in London's Trafalgar Square. Republic chief executive Graham Smith was one of those arrested before the group had a chance to wave placards declaring: "Not My King." Some onlookers nearby shouted "free Graham Smith" but others shouted "God save the king" and waved UK flags. A camera crew from the group Alliance of European Republican Movements was at the scene and asked a senior police officer why the group had been detained. "They're under arrest. End of," the officer told them, walking off, according to footage posted by the group on Twitter. UK police forces were controversially granted new anti-protest powers by the government under a new law rushed through this week. On its Twitter feed, Republic confirmed the arrests and seizure of placards. "Is this democracy?" it demanded. Smith told reporters last week: "We certainly have no plans to disrupt the actual procession." Waving placards and shouting would show "in front of the world's press that we are not a country of loyalists, that there is a growing opposition", the Republic founder said. The new law was enacted after months of disruptive tactics around Britain by groups opposed to fossil fuels. It entails stiffer jail terms against activists gluing and padlocking themselves to immovable objects. Separately Saturday, 13 members of the group Just Stop Oil were arrested and handcuffed by police on The Mall between Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace, an AFP reporter saw. In a statement, the Metropolitan police confirmed only seven arrests early Saturday "on suspicion of offenses including breaching the peace and conspiracy to cause public nuisance close to the coronation". Officers seized "lock-on devices" from one group next to Trafalgar Square, it said. The post Anti-monarchists among UK protesters arrested before king’s coronation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Charles III crowned king at first UK coronation in 70 years
Charles III on Saturday finally met his date with destiny after a lifetime as heir to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II, as he was officially crowned king in the first coronation in Britain since 1953. At exactly 12:02 pm (1102 GMT), the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby placed the solid gold St Edward's Crown on Charles's head as a sacred and ancient symbol of the monarch's authority. Cries of "God Save the King" rang out from the 2,300-member congregation at Westminster Abbey and trumpet fanfares sounded at the climax of the solemn religious confirmation of his accession. Outside, ceremonial gun salutes blasted out across land and sea while bells pealed in celebration at churches. Charles, 74, will wear the St Edward's Crown only once during his reign. His wife, Camilla, 75, was crowned queen in a simpler ceremony soon afterwards. The build-up to the Christian ceremony of prayer and praise -- steeped in 1,000 years of British history and tradition, with sumptuous robes and priceless regalia -- has been mostly celebratory. But even before Charles and Camilla left Buckingham Palace for a rainy procession to the abbey, police arrested dozens of protesters using new powers rushed onto the statute book to crack down on direct action groups. The anti-monarchy movement Republic -- which wants an elected head of state -- said six of its organisers were detained, while climate activists Just Stop Oil said 19 of its number were held. Nevertheless, dozens of Republic activists held aloft banners on the route of the procession route, declaring: "Not My King." Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International voiced concern at the arrests. "This is something you would expect to see in Moscow, not London," HRW said. London's Metropolitan Police has some 11,500 officers on the streets in one of its biggest-ever security operations. It has warned that it has an "extremely low threshold" for protests. As well as being the first coronation in 70 years, it was the first of a king since 1937. It was only the second to be televised and the first in colour and streamed online. Changes Much of the two-hour Anglican service, in which Charles pledged "I come not to be served but to serve", would have been recognisable to the 39 other monarchs crowned at Westminster Abbey since 1066. But while many of the intricate rituals and ceremonies to recognise Charles as his people's "undoubted king" remained, the king sought to bring other aspects of the service up to date. Female bishops and choristers participated for the first time, as did leaders of Britain's non-Christian faiths, while its Celtic languages -- Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic -- featured prominently. A gospel choir sang for the first time at a coronation while a Greek choir intoned a psalm in tribute to Charles's late father, Prince Philip, who was born on the island of Corfu. As king, Charles is the supreme governor of the Church of England and has described himself as a "committed Anglican Christian". But he heads a more religiously and ethnically diverse country than the one his mother inherited in the shadow of World War II. As such, he sought to make the congregation more reflective of British society, inviting ordinary members of the public to sit alongside heads of state and global royalty. In another change, the coronation themes mirrored his lifelong interest in biodiversity and sustainability. Seasonal flowers and foliage were brought from the wind-battered Isle of Skye in northwest Scotland to Cornwall at the tip of England's southwest coast to fill the abbey. Ceremonial vestments from previous coronations were reused, and the anointing oil -- created from olives on groves on the Mount of Olives and perfumed with essential oils -- was vegan. Charles was anointed out of sight of the congregation behind a three-sided screen in front of the High Altar, to the strains of Handel's soaring anthem "Zadok the Priest", sung at every coronation since 1727. Opposition Rishi Sunak -- Britain's first prime minister of colour, who gave a reading from the Bible at the service -- has described the coronation as "a proud expression of our history, culture and traditions". But not everyone is convinced: polling indicates waning support for the monarchy, particularly among younger people. Charles's eldest brother Prince Andrew -- sidelined due to his friendship with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein -- was booed as he headed to the abbey. Another royal exile, Prince Harry, who has criticised the family since leaving for the United States in 2020, attended the coronation on his own. Overseas, Charles's position as the hereditary monarch and head of state of 14 Commonwealth countries looks increasingly fragile. Jamaica and Belize both signalled this week that they are moving toward becoming republics, while Australia, Canada and others may eventually follow suit. Britons struggling with the soaring cost of living have meanwhile questioned why taxpayers should stump up for the coronation, with the bill estimated to be over £100 million ($126 million). Support Yet the huge crowds of royal fans that have been building all week on The Mall outside Buckingham Palace indicate that the royals still have a central role in British culture and history. Many of those camping out to watch have flown in from abroad, underlining the royal family's untouched position as Britain's leading global brand. Christine Wilen travelled from Niagara Falls in Canada for the event. "I'm very excited to be here, to be part of this history," said Wilen, wearing a visor and sweatshirt in Canadian colours. "It's just too good an opportunity to miss," said Nick Demont, 60, outside the abbey. "There's a good chance I won't see another one." The post Charles III crowned king at first UK coronation in 70 years appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»