Nabeel Rajab, an opposition activist and head of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, has been sentenced for three years in prison for taking part in an illegal protest against the ruling family on Thursday. As the sentence was read out in court, Rajab was heard to shout , " three years or 30, you cannot stop me ". He is also due to face charges of defamation for Twitter posts calling for the resignation of Bahrain's prime minister, Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa. The hearing has been condemned by Amnesty International who described it as " a dark day for justice in Bahrain ".
Former Algerian foreign minister Lakhdar Brahimi has been appointed the new UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, an appointment that has been hailed internationally. Brahimi, who is on the Advisory Council for the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace & Justice , succeeds Kofi Annan who resigned earlier this month from the role. The appointment of the 78-year-old Nobel Peace laureate was welcomed by the UK, US, Russia and China, who stated that they will, “support and cooperate positively with Mr Brahimi's efforts at political mediation,"
US President, Barack Obama, has signed a new piece of legislation that intends to encourage the observation of human rights in North Korea. The law, that extends until 2017, is aimed at putting pressure on North Korea to respect the issues of human rights, democracy refugee protection and freedom of information. It provides legal ground for the US government to financially support radio stations broadcasting into North Korea and the appointment of a special envoy regarding the North’s human rights issues. The act also urges the US government to demand that China halts its forcible repatriation of North Koreans, who it describes as “genuine refugees” that “face severe punishments upon their forcible return”.
According to the UN peacekeeping chief, the Syrian government and rebels have “chosen the path of war”. The recent rise in all out conflict has left military observers on the ground with no peace to monitor on the ground. As a result of the transition of the situation into a full blown war, UN officials have stated that the last of the few dozen remaining team members would quit Damascus by 24th August. Explaining the UN official’s decision, deputy UN peacekeeping chief, Edmond Mulet, said, “It is clear that both sides have chosen the path of war, open conflict and the space for political...
After 12 hours of silence, the police force minister Nathi Mthethwa confirmed that 30 miners had been killed after police tried to move 3000 striking drill operators, with the use of automatic weapons, reported Reuters. Speaking to Talk Radio 702, Mthethwa said, "A lot of people were injured and the number keeps on going up." The incident, which occurred 60 miles northwest of Johannesburg, has caused shock and outrage, with many likening it to the 1960 Sharpeville massacre.
A dispute has erupted in Italy, after a memorial was built to honour the fascist military leader Field Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, a convicted war criminal. The €130,000 memorial, which includes a park and mausoleum, was built in the town of Affile, south of Rome, at the taxpayer’s expense, igniting outcry from opponents. Graziani was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment in 1948 after being convicted of crimes against humanity, following gas attacks on soldiers in Libya and Ethiopia. Esterino Montino, head of the Democratic Party in the Lazio region, questioned the decision, asking , "Is it...
Despite UN calls for an investigation, Burma’s human rights commission says that an investigation into communal violence between Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya is not needed. The refusal comes after the United Special rapporteur to Burma requested for a comprehensive and transparent investigation following his visit to the Rakhine state. The chairman of the Burma Human rights commission went on to defend their refusal , claiming that “the observations of U.N Human Rights Special Envoy Toma Ojea Quintana were biased.”
After weeks of the Wikileaks founder Julian Assange taking refuge on sovereign Ecuadorian soil at the embassy in London, the British government has announced that the embassy may not be so immune from the Metropolitian police after all. The Foreign Office spokesperson said on Wednesday: "Under British law we can give them a week's notice before entering the premises and the embassy will no longer have diplomatic protection." "But that decision has not yet been taken. We are not going to do this overnight. We want to stress that we want a diplomatically agreeable solution." "The UK has a legal...
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been granted political asylum by the Ecuadorian government. Assange has been stuck in the embassy of Ecuador in London, since he took refuge there two months ago, to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where he faces trial for sexual assault. A foreign office spokesperson warned on Wednesday that they may be forced to lift diplomatic immunity on the premises and enter the embassy to arrest Assange. The foreign minister Ricardo Patiño announced the decision to applause at a press conference in Quito.
A prominent Bahraini human rights activist has been sentenced to three years in prison for attending “illegal demonstrations”, sparking outcry across the world. Nabeel Rajab, an activist who heads the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, was already serving a prison sentence for posting anti-government comments on Twitter (see his account here ). Rajab’s sentencing comes as US Congress members wrote to Bahrain’s King Hamad al-Khalifa, requesting that he “unconditionally and immediately release all Bahrainis being held for crimes related to freedom of expression.” See the full letter here . Maryam Khawaja, acting president of the BCHR, said , “The Bahraini judicial system has been used as a tool to harass democracy activists”.