The Bahraini government has revoked the citizenships of 31 human rights activists. A statement, published by the interoior ministry, said that the activists have “undermined state security” and under Article 10 of Citizenship Law, the “re-evaluation of nationality” was permitted. The UN criticised the move, saying it "could aggravate the situation in the country" and urged the government "to lift them without delay". See more here .
The UN Security Council extended the non-African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia for another four months, following Uganda’s threats to pull out its peacekeeping troops . The peacekeeping mission was expected to be prolonged for another 12 months, but a shorter term as been allocated to allow for a review of the necessity of a peacekeeping mandate. The move follows an appeal by the African Union (AU) to repeal the current arms embargo. Commenting on the political environment in Somalia, British UN Ambassador, Mark Lyall, said , “The situation in Somalia is changing rapidly. We have a more...
Published 06:21 GMT Barack Obama has won another four years at the White House, after securing 303 votes to Mitt Romney's 203, in an election that was till the last moment too close to call. Although the margin of victory is unclear as results are still coming through, as soon as Democrats won the key state of Ohio Obama proclaimed victory, having safely secured the needed 270 majority. Seconds after Ohio was called he tweeted to his followers, “This has happened because of you. Thank you. Four more years.” His victory message was retweeted over 300,000 times within minutes, making it the...
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has called upon the Libyan government not to grant amnesty to those accused of war crimes during last year’s uprising against Colonel Gaddafi , regardless of who the perpetrators were. Addressing the UN Security Council, Fatou Bensouda, acknowledged a Libyan law that granted amnesty for ‘acts made necessary by the 17 February revolution’, saying , "I encourage the new Libyan government, scheduled to be sworn in tomorrow, on 8 November, to ensure that there is no amnesty for international crimes and no impunity for crimes, regardless of...
Britain will review the current EU embargo on Syria in order to aid rebels, reported The Guardian on Wednesday. With the US elections completed, Prime Minister David Cameron wants to push President Obama to prioritise Syria. Cameron met Syrian refugees in Jordan on Wednesday, and a source claimed the visit persuaded him that a change in strategy is needed. "I think what I have seen and heard today is truly appalling," said the Prime Minister. "I think [with] a re-elected president [Obama] with a new mandate … it's really important to discuss what more we can do to help resolve the situation...
The Turkish government is to submit a reform to parliament allowing defendants to speak in languages other than Turkish in court. The ruling has significant implications on Kurdish militants, who have been on hunger strike for 56 days so far, with one of their key demands being the right to speak in Kurdish at trial. Almost 700 Kurdish inmates have been refusing solid food protesting for greater Kurdish minority rights. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said , "A person will be able to defend themselves in court in the language in which they can best express themselves," "The prime minister...
The Haqqani network has been placed on the UN Security Council’s Taliban sanctions list. The Pakistani network, close to the Taliban and other militant organisations, has been blamed for many high profile attacks, including last year’s attack on the US embassy in Kabul, which killed sixteen Afghans. The sanctions include arms embargos, the freezing of assets and travel bans for members of the network. The US added the Haqqani network to its list of terrorist groups in September.
A preliminary hearing has begun for US soldier Sgt Robert Bales for the murder of 16 Afghan villagers, mostly women and children, in the Afghan province of Kandahar in March earlier this year. Sgt Robert Bales faces 16 counts of murder with premeditation, six counts of premeditated attempted murder, six counts of assault, as well as charges of impeding the investigation, use and possession of steroids and the consumption of alcohol, forbidden to US soldiers in Afghanistan, reported the New York Times . Nine of the dead were children, with 11 of the victims coming from the same family. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. With live video witness testimony from Afghanistan reported to be used during the trial, the Spiegel spoke to one of the deceased’s father Mohammed Wazir, who lost 6 children in the massacre. He was quoted as saying, "I do not cry. I have 10 fingers on my hands. Such was my pain that day, as if someone had cut off all 10 of my fingers. I had seven children. Now I am left with one son. It doesn't bring the dead to life if I cry." "Why didn't the murderer wait for me... Why did he kill my children but not wait for me?" We want to see this man hang,... I won't speak his name, I don't want to dirty my mouth. I would like to hang him myself. I'll go to America to the Mahkama [court], to the great court, to see him hang. Then my heart will be calm."
A UN human rights investigator, who was investigating alleged violations in South Sudan, has been expelled, after being accused of publishing “unethical” reports. The report is thought to be a publication from August, which accuses the country’s army of torture, rapes, killings and abductions. The UN condemned the move, saying it was a breach of South Sudan’s legal obligations. "Human rights monitoring, investigation and reporting, and building capacity, is a core element of the mandate of UNMISS which must be protected," said Hilde Johnson, head of the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and...
A Rwandan man has been charged with taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide and now faces trial in Sweden, the first case of its kind in the Nordic country. The man, now a Swedish citizen, is alleged to have shot, stabbed and thrown hand grenades at ethnic Tutsis, during the 100-day massacre that saw around 800,000 dead. Special prosecutor Magnus Elvin told Reuters , "Genocide is the most serious crime that there is and it can bring a sentence of up to life in prison . " He went on to tell a local publication, “We have a responsibility to ensure that Sweden is not a haven for suspected war...