Human Rights Watch says a Saudi man who was convicted following a “grossly unfair trial” for crimes committed when he was a minor risks being executed although the Saudi authorities have said they have scrapped the death penalty for juveniles. Abdullah al-Huwaiti was convicted by a criminal court in October …
Read More »Sanctions war between West and China over Xinjiang
The United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada imposed sanctions on Chinese officials on Monday for human rights abuses in Xinjiang, the first such coordinated Western action against Beijing under new U.S. President Joe Biden. Chinese territory of Xinjiang, Beijing hit back immediately with punitive measures against the EU …
Read More »Buddhist monk supporters of Mynmar military break ranks
Myanmar’s most powerful Buddhist monks’ association called on the junta to end violence against protesters and accused an “armed minority” of torture and killing innocent civilians since last month’s coup, media said on Wednesday. In its most forthright condemnation of the military’s bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations, the government-appointed organisation …
Read More »French tourist in Iran charged with espionage
Iranian authorities have charged French tourist Benjamin Briere, arrested 10 months ago, with espionage and “propaganda against the system”, one of his lawyers told Reuters on Monday. The news comes as the United States and European parties to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal, including France, are trying to restore the pact …
Read More »NGOS file landmark lawsuit against Russian mercenaries
Three NGOs on Monday announced a landmark legal case in Moscow against Russian mercenary group Wagner over the torture of a detainee in Syria, aiming to hold to account a murky fighting force with Kremlin links. “This litigation is a first-ever attempt by the family of a Syrian victim to …
Read More »Bahrain targeted for criticism by European human rights report
Bahrain has rejected the European Parliament (EP) resolution on the human rights situation in the Kingdom, affirming its lack of evidence, state news agency BNA reported. Bahrain has always exerted efforts to promote human rights and the resolution does not reflect that, Defence and National Security Committee Deputy Chairman Isa …
Read More »Saudi reafirms sentence against Loujain al-Hathloul
A Saudi court on Wednesday upheld the original sentence of women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul, who had championed women’s right to drive and for an end to Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship system. Hathloul was sentenced in December to nearly six years in prison under broad cybercrime and counterterrorism laws after …
Read More »Iran cracks down on internet as UN publishes damning woman rights report
After Iran last month imposed an Internet shutdown lasting several days in a southeastern region during a rare upsurge of unrest, activists say the government is now using the tactic repeatedly when protests erupt. Rights groups say at least 10 people were killed when security forces opened fire on fuel …
Read More »China forces husbands to pay for wives’ household services
A Chinese court has ordered a man to pay his former wife 50,000 yuan ($7,700) as compensation for housework she did during their five-year marriage, state media reported on Wednesday. Under a landmark civil code that seeks to better protect the rights of individuals, spouses can seek compensation from their …
Read More »Gantz wants to shelter Israelis from ICC war crimes probes
Israel estimates that hundreds of its citizens might be subject to war crimes probes by the International Criminal Court, whose jurisdiction it rejects, and is working on how to protect them, the Defence Minister said on Tuesday. Including himself among Israelis who could be threatened with arrest, Benny Gantz told …
Read More »UN investigators want US to sanction MBS over Khashoggi report
A U.N. human rights investigator said on Monday that it was “extremely dangerous” for the United States to have named Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler as having approved an operation to capture or kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi but not to have taken action against him. Agnes Callamard, special rapporteur on …
Read More »Biden poised to make pronouncement on Saudi after Khashoggi report
President Joe Biden on Saturday said his administration would make an announcement on Saudi Arabia on Monday, following a U.S. intelligence report that found Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had approved the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Biden administration has faced some criticism, notably an editorial in the Washington …
Read More »Fallout of Khashoggi report going global
The world reacted to the release on Friday of a U.S. intelligence assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved an operation to capture or kill dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi: OFFICE OF U.S. DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE REPORT: “We assess that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved …
Read More »In wake of Khashoggi report, US sanctions certain Saudi officials and contemplates halting arms sales
The Biden administration announced sanctions and visa bans on Friday targeting Saudi Arabian citizens over the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but stopped short of imposing sanctions on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself. U.S. President Joe Biden’s actions in the first weeks of his administration appear aimed at …
Read More »Holland condemns China for Uighur Muslim genocide
The Dutch parliament on Thursday passed a non-binding motion saying the treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority in China amounts to genocide, the first such move by a European country. Activists and UN rights experts say at least one million Muslims are being detained in camps in the remote western …
Read More »Biden in talks with King Salman on ‘transparent’ relations
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday told Saudi King Salman he would work for bilateral ties “as strong and transparent as possible,” the White House said, ahead of the expected release of a sensitive U.S. intelligence report on the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The report is a …
Read More »US in talks with Iran over detained American citizens
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday the United States had begun to communicate with Iran over the country’s detention of American citizens, calling the matter a “complete and utter outrage”. Iran has arrested dozens of dual nationals, including several Americans, in recent years, mostly on espionage …
Read More »Biden White House to rely on King Salman not MBS
President Joe Biden plans to shift U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia and will conduct diplomacy through Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz rather than his powerful son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the White House said on Tuesday. The announcement by White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki was an abrupt reversal in …
Read More »Biden wants to continue Obama dream and shut down Gitmo
President Joe Biden’s aides have launched a formal review of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, reviving the Obama-era goal of closing the controversial facility with the aim of doing so before he leaves office, the White House said on Friday. Aides involved in internal discussions are …
Read More »Saudi courts won’t admit to woman activist’s torture claims
The sisters of prominent Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul said on Thursday they wanted real justice for her, and the lifting of a travel ban, the day after she was released from prison on a suspended sentence. Hathloul, 31, has campaigned for women’s right to drive and to end …
Read More »In goodwill gesture, Saudi releases female activist
Prominent women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul was released from a Saudi prison after nearly three years behind bars, her family said on Wednesday, a case that has drawn international condemnation. Hathloul, 31, was detained in May 2018 and sentenced in December to nearly six years in prison on charges that …
Read More »US envoy reaffirms commitment to Saudi Arabia
The US commitment to Saudi Arabia remains clear and unshakeable, the country’s charge d’affaires, Martina Strong, has said. “Our commitment to Saudi Arabia just as we have over decades remains unshakeable and remains clear,” she told Arab News. “We are very clear-eyed about the threats that Saudi Arabia faces and …
Read More »Saudi Shiite dissedents on death row have sentences commuted
Saudi Arabia’s state-backed Human Rights Commission said on Sunday that three young Shi’ite Muslims sentenced to death when they were minors have had the penalty reduced to 10 years in prison. Ali Al-Nimr, the nephew of prominent Shi’ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr whose 2016 execution sparked demonstrations in Saudi Arabia and …
Read More »Iran cracks down on journalists, internationally condemned
Human rights groups and media watchdogs have condemned the separate arrests of two journalists in Iran on vague charges. The journalists are Reza Taleshian Jelodarzadeh, editor in chief of Tehran-based magazine Nour-e Azadi, and Mahmoud Mahmoudi, editor of the Kurdish Aigrin Roj Weekly. Jelodarzadeh used Instagram to post a photo …
Read More »BREAKING NEWS – Biden says no to Saudi war in Yemen
President Joe Biden on Thursday declared a halt to U.S. support for a Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen, demanding that the more than six-year war, widely seen as a proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, “has to end.” Biden also named veteran U.S. diplomat Timothy Lenderking as the …
Read More »Biden worried about Mynmar coup, gets expert advice from Australia
US President Joe Biden on a call with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison discussed how they can work together to address global and regional challenges, including dealing with China. They also talked about beating the COVID-19 pandemic, combating climate change and working together to hold those responsible for the coup …
Read More »Biden lashes out at Turkish-Chinese geopolitical axis
A tough new line in Washington against the Erdogan regime in Turkey has raised alarm bells in Ankara, analysts have told Arab News. Turkey has embarked on a charm offensive toward the Western world, but US decision-makers are increasingly questioning the state of the “strategic partnership” between the traditional allies. …
Read More »Iran hangs Baluch rebel for killing Revolutionary Guards
Iran executed on Saturday an ethnic Baluch militant convicted of killing Revolutionary Guards members, the judiciary’s official website reported, a day after the United Nations urged Iranian authorities to spare his life. The Mizan site said Javid Dehghan, who it said was a leader of the Sunni militant group Jaish …
Read More »Israelis confident Biden won’t stop arms sales to UAE
Israeli leaders played down on Thursday a possible Biden administration review of U.S. arms sales to the United Arab Emirates that girded the Gulf power’s rapprochement with Israel. Washington said on Wednesday it had temporarily paused some pending arms sales to U.S. allies. The Trump administration, having brokered formal Israel-UAE …
Read More »Saudi decides to embrace Biden with open arms
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Saturday the kingdom was optimistic that it would have “excellent relations” with the new U.S. administration of President Joe Biden and that it would continue to talk with Washington regarding the Iran nuclear deal. “I am optimistic. Saudi Arabia has built solid, historical relations …
Read More »Twitter censorship now reaches US embassy in China
Twitter has locked the account of China’s U.S. embassy for a tweet that defended China’s policy towards Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, which the U.S. social media platform said violated its stand against “dehumanizing” people. China’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it was confused by the move and that it …
Read More »BREAKING NEWS – UK courts say no to extradition of Assange
A British judge ruled on Monday that WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange should not be extradited to the United States to face charges of breaking a spying law and conspiring to obtain secret U.S. documents by hacking government computers. U.S. authorities accuse Australian-born Assange, 49, of 18 counts relating to Wikileaks’ …
Read More »Egypt investigating murder of expat teacher in Saudi
Egypt’s Minister of Emigration and Expatriates Affairs Nabila Makram said the Egyptian authorities will follow up on investigations into the murder of an Egyptian teacher in Saudi Arabia in coordination with the Egyptian embassy in Riyadh, according to a statement from the ministry. Hany Abdel-Tawwab, 35, died of injuries in …
Read More »In new outrage Trump pardons Blackwater war criminals
US president Donald Trump’s pardoning of four Blackwater mercenaries for the killing of 14 Iraqis at a crowded traffic intersection in Baghdad in 2007 has deepened popular Iraqi resentment against the presence of US forces in the country. This has increased pressure on Iraqi prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to reiterate …
Read More »Prominent women’s rights activist sentenced in Saudi court
A Saudi court on Monday sentenced prominent women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul to five years and eight months in prison, local media reported, in a trial that has drawn international condemnation and as Riyadh faces new U.S. scrutiny. Hathloul, 31, has been held since 2018 following her arrest along with …
Read More »Turkish NGOs want reforms to presidential system
Turkey’s highly contentious executive presidential system is again under the spotlight following a new report released by the Checks and Balances Network, a prestigious umbrella organization gathering 294 non-governmental organizations. Turkey’s presidential system was launched in July 2018, sparking widespread debate because of the powers it put in the president’s …
Read More »Biden outlining more nuanced approach to Mideast sanctions
Joe Biden will not shy away from using President Donald Trump’s weapon of choice – sanctions – as he seeks to reshape America’s foreign policy, according to people familiar with his thinking. But when Biden takes office on Jan. 20, he is expected to quickly begin recalibrating Trump’s blunt-force approach …
Read More »Israelis clear themselves of charges over assaulted 9 year old Palestinian boy
Israeli authorities have cleared police of any wrongdoing in the case of a nine-year-old boy who lost an eye after apparently being shot in the face by an Israeli officer earlier this year. Malik Eissa was struck by what appeared to be a sponge-tipped munition last February and lost vision …
Read More »US finds new excuses to slap sanctions on Iran
The United States on Wednesday imposed broad sanctions targeting Iran, blacklisting a foundation controlled by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and taking aim at what Washington called Iran’s human rights abuses a year after a deadly crackdown on anti-government demonstrators. The sanctions announced by the U.S. Treasury Department, which also …
Read More »Israel Syria raids escalate, targets civilians
Israel launched air raids against what it called a wide range of Syrian and Iranian targets in Syria on Wednesday, sending a signal that it will pursue its policy of striking across the border despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s election defeat. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, …
Read More »Saudis want buffer zone in exchange for peace with Yemen
Saudi Arabia has told Yemen’s Houthis in high-level back channel talks it would sign a UN proposal for a nationwide ceasefire if the Iran-aligned group agrees to a buffer zone along the kingdom’s borders, three sources familiar with the matter said. If a deal is struck, it would mark the …
Read More »Iran releases human rights activist on eve of Biden victory
Iran has temporarily released Nasrin Sotoudeh, an internationally renowned human rights lawyer who was jailed two years ago on spying and propaganda charges, the judiciary’s news agency reported on Saturday. Sotoudeh’s release followed warnings last month by human rights groups that her health had severely deteriorated after she staged a …
Read More »Saudi women’s activist on new hunger strike
Prominent Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul, held in Saudi Arabia since 2018, began a new hunger strike on Monday over the conditions of her detention, her family said. Hathloul’s sister Lina told Reuters that the main demand was to be allowed regular contact with her family. In late August …
Read More »Biden a threat to cordial US-Saudi relations
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince enjoyed a near free pass under his personal relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, but the kingdom’s brazen young leader will have to tread more carefully should Democrats take the White House and reset strategic ties. Riyadh’s human rights record, with the brutal 2018 murder of …
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