Spain must compensate the radical Basque separatist leader Arnaldo Otegi after wrongly sentencing him to jail for insulting King Juan Carlos, the European court of human rights has decided. See The Guardian’s report here . The court in Strasbourg ruled that Spain must pay €23,000 in compensation to Otegi for breaching his right to freedom of expression after he accused the Spanish monarch of protecting police torturers. Otegi's remarks were "made in his capacity as elected member of and spokesperson for a parliamentary group …in the context of the recent closure of the Egunkaria newspaper and...
The United Nations has warned Bahrain that its violent crackdown on anti-government protesters might be breaking international law. See Al-Jazeera’s report here . Bahrain’s security forces have fired on pro-democracy protestors and are reported to be preventing doctors from treating the injured. UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon called King Hamad on Thursday to express his "deepest concern" about Bahrain's use of force, On Wednesday US President Obama called King Hamad and Saudi King to also express “deep concern” and urge “maximum restraint.” UN rights chief Navi Pillay said any takeover by...
France has recognised the Libyan National Council, a rebel body fighting to oust Muammar Gaddafi, as the legitimate representative of Libya's people. "France recognises the National Council as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people. There will be an exchange of ambassadors between Paris and Benghazi," an official told reporters. A French diplomatic source told Reuters: "It's a political signal of encouragement and we hope that the European Union will follow suit." See Reuters’ report here .
A Libyan rebel fighter scrambles from a ditch to reach the battle against forces loyal to leader Muammar Gaddafi, a few kilometers outside the oil town of Ras Lanuf on March 9, 2011. The rebel leadership is calling on the international community to back its armed struggle against Gaddafi with arms supplies and a no-fly zone. Photo Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images. The newly formed National Libyan Council (NLC), the apex organisation of the Libyan uprising has called on the international community to help their people "to continue their armed struggle against Gaddafi." Meeting with EU foreign...
An often raised objection to secession as self-determination is what about people on the wrong side of border between two new states. The answer is blindingly simple, if the two new states behave responsibly. This is what US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson had to say about today's post-referendum Sudan : “Controversy over the status of as many as two million southerners in the North and smaller but significant numbers of northerners in the south is another major potential flashpoint that could be greatly diminished if both governments reached agreement on...
“The language of R2P refers to state inability or unwillingness as the catalyst for the international responsibility to protect being activated. But often the state itself is the perpetrator of atrocity crimes when security forces, meant to protect people, are instead let loose in a killing spree .” - Ramesh Thakur , Professor of Political Science, University of Waterloo, was an R2P commissioner and a principal author of its report . See his comment on the Libyan situation here .
"I felt that the IRA, in the context of Irish history, and Sinn Fein were a legitimate force that had to be recognized and you wouldn't have peace without them ... I [wanted] a peace agreement, a working agreement, where [Northern Ireland’s] nationalist community would feel their rights would be respected. …” - Peter T. King , chairman of the powerful Committee on Homeland Security of the US Congress, on his long-standing support for the Northern Irish Republican cause. See The Washington Post’s report here .
“ They have no mercy on civilians; the regime is attacking everything indiscriminately. “ There is a very tragic situation in the city. We were expecting the world to intervene but they have let us down .” - Ahmed , a resident of Az Zawiyah. See Al Jazeera’s report here .
“The unfolding transformations [in the Middle East] have been less of a surprise for us at Al Jazeera. Since our launch nearly 15 years ago, we have chosen to keep close to the Arab street, gauging its pulse and reflecting its aspirations . “ We refused to compromise on our editorial policy, which gives priority to the grievances and aspirations of ordinary people . Neither threats of punishment nor promises of rewards from information ministers, intelligence agencies or royal courts persuaded us to ignore or betray the oppressed and persecuted who demand nothing but freedom, dignity and...
Following the unanimous UN Security Council resolution on Saturday, referring Libya to the International Criminal Court, British Foreign Secretary William Hague Monday warned other abusers of human rights: “The international community has come together in way it has not done before, setting aside differences … We have signalled that crimes will not be condoned, will not go unpunished and will not be forgotten. “This is a warning to anyone contemplating the abuse of human rights in Libya or any other country: Stay your hand. There will be a day of reckoning and the reach of international...