Tag: international

Iran: UN accuses authorities of "state-sponsored murders" of demonstrators

The execution of demonstrators is a weapon used by the Iranian regime. This is the accusation made by the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The UN considers that the four executions of Iranian demonstrators in recent weeks amount to "state-sponsored murders". High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk accused the Islamic regime in Geneva on Tuesday of using the death penalty as "a weapon".

The unfair trials failed to meet international human rights standards, he says. In his view, the government would do better to listen to people's grievances and guarantee fundamental freedoms. The High Commissioner reiterated his call for an "immediate moratorium" on executions.

In particular, OHCHR condemns the application of vague criminal provisions, the denial of access to a freely chosen lawyer and confessions coerced under torture. The absence of the presumption of innocence and the lack of opportunities to appeal are also targeted. Similarly, the death penalty has been imposed for crimes that do not justify it, insists Mr Türk. It should only be applied to extremely serious offences such as intentional homicide.

The four people executed were executed in secret, without their families being informed. This approach violates international law, according to the UN. Nearly twenty more demonstrators are believed to have been sentenced to this punishment, including at least one woman and two people who could be executed soon, and more than a hundred could face execution.

System applied by the authorities

Iran, for its part, threatened on Tuesday to "firmly" punish those who violate the strict law on the wearing of headscarves in its crackdown on demonstrations, and is planning major measures against them, according to a deputy public prosecutor. The country's judiciary has announced a new death sentence. The High Commissioner is due to hold a meeting shortly in Geneva with the Iranian authorities.

Text by KEYSTONE - ATS / le nouvelliste.ch

More than 1,200 people arrested since protests began

The protest movement continues unabated and has already claimed the lives of 41 people. It began on 16 September, after the death of a young woman for "wearing inappropriate clothing".

The authorities have arrested 450 new demonstrators in northern Iran, where more than 700 people have already been arrested for taking part in protests against the death of a young woman detained by the morality police, official media reported on Monday.

Protest movement

"During the unrest of recent days, 450 rioters have been arrested in Mazandaran," said the province's attorney general, Mohammad Karimi, quoted by the official Irna agency. On Saturday, the authorities reported that 739 demonstrators had been arrested, including 60 women in Guilan, Mazandaran's neighbouring province in the north of the country.

 

The demonstrations began on 16 September, the date of the death of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested three days earlier in Tehran for "wearing inappropriate clothing" in the Islamic Republic, where the dress code for women is strict, in particular the wearing of the Islamic veil.

The protest movement spread to several cities in the country, where demonstrators shouted anti-government slogans, according to local media. "Over the past few days, rioters have attacked government buildings and damaged public property in some parts of Mazandaran under the direction of foreign agents", he said.

No leniency

On Sunday, the head of the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejeï, threatened to show "no leniency" towards the demonstrators and called on the security forces to act "firmly" against "those who undermine security".

According to a non-detailed official report, including demonstrators and police, 41 people have been killed in ten days of protests. But the toll could be higher, with the Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) reporting that at least 57 demonstrators have been killed.

On Monday, the Tasnim news agency published around 20 photos of demonstrators, including women, in various streets of Qom, an important Shiite holy city around 150 km south of the capital. The military and security institutions published these images of the "riot leaders" and called on residents to "identify them and inform the authorities", the agency added.

The Taliban ask television channels to stop broadcasting series with women in them

The Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has issued "religious directives" to television channels and journalists.

The Taliban Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has called on Afghan television stations to stop broadcasting series featuring women, as part of new "religious directives" broadcast on Sunday. "Television stations must avoid showing soap operas and soap operas in which women have appeared", says a document issued by the ministry to the media.

It also asks them to ensure that female journalists wear "the Islamic veil" on screen, without specifying whether this means a simple headscarf, already usually worn on Afghan television, or a more covering veil. "These are not rules, but religious directives", ministry spokesman Hakif Mohajir told AFP. Afghan television stations are also being urged to avoid programmes "opposed to Islamic and Afghan values", as well as those that insult religion or "show the prophet and his companions". This is the first time the ministry has attempted to regulate Afghan television since the Taliban seized power in mid-August.

Respect for "Islamic values

During their first reign, from 1996 to 2001, the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, responsible for ensuring that the population respected "Islamic values" on a daily basis, was feared for its fundamentalism and the punishments it entailed. The Taliban had banned television, cinema and all forms of entertainment deemed immoral. People caught watching television were punished and their equipment destroyed; possession of a video recorder was punishable by public flogging. For a time, television sets could even be seen hanging from lampposts.

Overthrown in 2001, the Taliban returned to power last August in a country with a transformed media landscape after 20 years of Western-backed government. Over these two decades, the media sector has exploded, with dozens of private radio stations and television channels springing up. They offered new opportunities to women, who were not allowed to work or study under the Taliban in the 1990s. Today, although the Taliban are showing a more moderate face, they have still not allowed many women to return to work in the public services.

Classes for girls in secondary schools and public universities have not yet reopened in most of the country. At private universities, the Taliban have demanded that female students wear veils. Taliban fighters have also on several occasions beaten up journalists accused of covering "unauthorised" demonstrations by women.

Text Le Matin.ch (AFP)

#Striketober, "big resignation": 5 minutes to understand the unprecedented social unrest in the United States

From factories to hospitals and restaurants, a wave of strikes is sweeping the United States, demanding better pay and status. It's a movement that is boosting local unions and putting the issue of quality of work back at the heart of the debate.

The start of the new school year swept away by a historic strike in the United States. Battered by the pandemic and frustrated by their employers' profits, tens of thousands of American workers have taken strike action this autumn, demanding better working conditions. From factories to film sets, hospitals and the catering industry, these "Great Resignation" movements, supported by a fringe of the Democratic camp, are affecting all sectors. And they could well inspire neighbouring countries. We take a closer look.

What happened?

Strikes have been piling up in the United States for several weeks now. Since Thursday, 10,000 employees of tractor manufacturer John Deere have left their factories to take to the streets. This action joins those of 1,500 workers employed by cereal giant Kellogg's in Pennsylvania and 2,000 nurses at Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, New York, who are demanding better working conditions.

Other sectors could in turn swell the ranks of strikers. Some 31,000 employees of the Kaiser Permanente healthcare group are preparing to stop work shortly in California. Anger is also spreading to Hollywood studios, where some crews were preparing to leave filming before a last-minute agreement was reached on working conditions.

As disparate as they are, these strikes, supported by the left wing of the Democrats behind the hashtag #Striketober, are demanding, depending on the sector, new recruitment, higher wages or, for some, "a guarantee that their jobs will not be relocated", explains Marie-Christine Bonzom, political scientist, journalist and specialist on the United States.

In what context?

Strikes may have intensified in recent weeks, but employees' frustrations are nothing new. "The pandemic was the trigger, but the dissatisfaction goes back a long way. It concerns low wages, company profits and the complicated access to social security, which depends on the employer", notes Nicole Bacharan, a historian specialising in the United States and author of "The Great Days that Changed America".

The end of the health crisis has seen an unprecedented wave of resignations. 4.3 million Americans have quit their jobs since August, according to data from the Department of Labour quoted by the Washington Post. This figure rises to more than 20 million if we count those who have left since April. For the most part, these departures have been in the sales and hospitality sectors, in jobs that are hard-working and often poorly paid.

All in all, the pandemic has reshuffled the deck for many workers. In all, 10 million jobs are thought to be unfilled across the country. A considerable lever for those about to hang up their boots. "Since employers can't find anyone to take on, employees are in a good position to negotiate pay rises or better status", Marie-Christine Bonzom points out.

What role for trade unions?

In decline since the late 1960s, trade unions now seem to be making a comeback in the country. President Joe Biden has made it one of his priorities to ensure that their rights are respected and to give them back their power. To date, the country has 11 % union members among its workers. A rate that is "low, but no higher than in France", notes Nicole Bacharan. Proof that the social struggle is gaining ground, employees of major firms such as Starbucks and Amazon have even tried to set up their own union in recent months. Sometimes in vain.

After all, trade union rights are radically different from those in France. "In France, union negotiations take place mainly on a sector-by-sector basis via collective agreements. Over there, everything is decided at company level, unit by unit. The right to join a union depends on a vote within the company", Marie-Christine Bonzom sums up.

While few Americans campaign for their rights, many do support the movement. "In the collective imagination, it's hard to associate the United States with the trade union struggle. But the unions have become much more popular in recent years. This support is now helping them to negotiate", points out Nicole Bacharan.

A domino effect?

Multiple strikes, a wave of resignations, a series of renegotiations... The movement of social anger and the labour shortage now extend beyond American borders. Germany is short of 400,000 skilled workers, according to Bloomberg. Similarly, China is reportedly facing mass resignations, with the emergence of a new generation of workers "disenchanted by prospects and put off by relatively low wages", notes the Washington Post.

For its part, France has been struggling for several months to recruit in the catering sector. Without talking about a worldwide strike, these successive observations testify to a "strong aspiration for better working conditions", according to Nicole Bacharan, for whom these mobilisations could lead to others. However, there is a nuance on the other side of the Atlantic: "For Americans, personal fulfilment cannot be detached from the value of work and professional success. In other words, strikes can happen on the spot, and the 35-hour week is not for tomorrow..." breathes Nicole Bacharan.

Text by le parisien.fr By Marie Campistron

Lebanon suffers power cuts since Saturday

Once the sun goes down, Lebanon is completely in the dark.

The country was plunged into a total blackout on Saturday after two major power stations were shut down for lack of fuel.

" After the Deir Ammar power station was forced to stop producing electricity yesterday morning due to the exhaustion of its diesel reserves, the Zahrani power station also stopped this afternoon for the same reason." said the EDL in a statement. 

A source at the Ministry of Energy told AFP that efforts were being made to " to find a solution to the problem" . In its press release, the EDL stated thatA tanker was due to arrive on Saturday evening and be unloaded early next week.

These power cuts are paralysing people's lives and several vital sectors, while private generator operators are also rationing shops, hospitals and homes as fuel becomes scarcer.

Towards new reforms?

Mired in an unprecedented crisis, the country has been experiencing draconian power rationing for months now, and is struggling to import fuel, against a backdrop of a historic plunge in the national currency and a drying up of foreign exchange reserves.

Formed in September after 13 months of political wrangling, thehe new government has pledged to initiate reforms in the electricity sector and gradually restore public power.

Lebanon is negotiating with Egypt and Jordan to supply gas and electricity via Syria, while the Shiite movement Hezbollah has announced several deliveries of Iranian fuel oil in recent weeks to alleviate the serious shortages of electricity and fuel.

An agreement has also been reached between the authorities and Iraq for the distribution of Iraqi oil to Lebanon in return for medical services.

Volcanic eruption in La Palma still ongoing, island covered in ash

The Cumbre Vieja volcano continues to wreak havoc on the Spanish island of La Palma.

In the municipality of Todoque, a bell tower that had been spared until now finally succumbed to the burning lava.

A week after the eruption began, a large plume of smoke continues to rise from the volcano, even though the pressure inside has dropped in recent hours, according to the Canary Islands Volcanological Institute.

The volcanic ash fallout does not pose a risk to public health, according to the local authorities. Areas at risk have been evacuated. No casualties have been reported at this stage.

On the other hand, the lava destroyed almost 500 buildings and hundreds of hectares of vegetationThese include banana plantations, the island's main economic activity.

La Palma airport reopened on Sunday after 24 hours of closure due to ash accumulation. But flights remain suspended until conditions improve.

La Palma, in the Canary archipelago, has not seen a volcanic eruption since 1971.

Text By Euronews with AFP

Covid-19: A serene return to life in Denmark

On Friday, Denmark turned the page on restrictions aimed at combating the pandemic.

COVID-19 - No more masks or health passes, the offices have come back to life and tens of thousands of fans are attending concerts: on Friday 10 September, Denmark turned the page on the restrictions aimed at combating Covid-19, as you can see in the video at the top of this article.

Iceland lifted all its restrictions in June, but had to reintroduce them a few weeks later due to a resurgence of the epidemic. According to AFP's European bureaux, Denmark is currently the only country on the continent to have returned to "life as it was before".

"We're definitely in the vanguard in Denmark because we no longer have any restrictions, we've moved to the other side of the pandemic thanks to the roll-out of vaccination", explained Ulrik Ørum-Petersen, promoter at Live Nation.

On Saturday, the show organiser is organising a sold-out concert for 50,000 people, a first in Europe, which is still weighed down by restrictions. On 4 September, Live Nation had already organised its first festival, aptly named "Back to Life", which drew 15,000 people to Copenhagen.

"Being in the crowd, singing like we used to, it almost made me forget Covid-19 and everything we've been through over the last few months", said Emilie Bendix, a 26-year-old woman who went to the concert.

Introduced in March as a corollary to the reopening, the 'coronapas' was only compulsory in nightclubs from 1 September, a requirement that was lifted on Friday.

73% fully vaccinated Danes

"Our objective is free circulation (...), so what will happen is that the virus will also circulate and will find those who have not been vaccinated", epidemiologist Lone Simonsen, a professor at Roskilde University, warned AFP.

"If the virus is no longer a threat to society, it's only thanks to the vaccine", insisted Lone Simonsen.

Denmark has had no trouble convincing its population of the benefits of vaccination. As a result, 73% of the 5.8 million Danes are now fully vaccinated, and 96% of those aged 65 and over.

With around 500 new cases every day and a virus reproduction rate of 0.7, the Danish authorities believe that the epidemic is under control, although this return to life as before must be coupled with strict compliance with hygiene measures and the isolation of patients.

 

"Everyday life is broadly the same again, but that doesn't mean that there is no longer any danger on the horizon", stressed Health Minister Magnus Heunicke on Friday morning.

"If you look at the last 18 months, the virus has mutated several times, so I can't guarantee anything (...) But with so many people vaccinated, we're in a good position," he told TV2.

130 hospital admissions only

The only restriction on entry to the Nordic country is that a health passport and/or a negative test must be presented, and a mask must be worn at airports. 

"It's been a tough two years, I have three children and with home schooling it's been a lot of hard days, so it's really nice," said Klaus Sylvester, one of the Danes interviewed by AFP in Copenhagen on Friday.

"It's fantastic because the sun is shining, you can go and watch a match or a concert at the stadium, it's really liberating," says the 41-year-old journalist.

For WHO Europe, Denmark stands out for the relationship of trust between the authorities and the public regarding the strategy deployed.

Even so, "each country must remain vigilant if and when the epidemiological situation changes", according to Catherine Smallwood, who is in charge of emergency situations. 

Denmark plans to closely monitor the number of hospital admissions - just 130 so far - and to carry out meticulous sequencing of tests, one of its great strengths in recent months in monitoring the evolution of the virus. A third dose has also been offered to the most vulnerable since Thursday.

"Of course if something happens and we need restrictions, I'd have no problem following them again, but I'm pretty confident that won't be necessary, I hope not anyway," explained Mikael Weiling, a 39-year-old architect.

Text by Le HuffPost with AFP

Endless traffic jams at open petrol stations in Lebanon

The price of petrol in Lebanon has almost tripled in the space of two months.

LEBANON - Lebanon, in the throes of economic collapse, increased fuel prices by almost 70% on Sunday 22 August, marking a further reduction in subsidies in a country deprived of foreign currency and plagued by shortages. With this latest increase, fuel prices have almost tripled in the two months since the Central Bank began cutting import subsidies in June.

The increase will have repercussions throughout the economy, driving up prices in a country hit by hyperinflation. With the crisis, prices in supermarkets are rising almost week by week, due to a depreciation of the Lebanese pound that nothing seems to be stopping. According to the new price list published on Sunday by the National Information Agency (ANI), the price of unleaded 98 and 95 petrol has risen by 67% and 66% compared with the last prices announced on 11 August. The price of household gas has risen by 50%.

Because of the shortages, many petrol stations are not opening and long queues are forming in front of those that are accepting customers, as you can see in the video above. To clear their name, the authorities are pointing the finger at smuggling into neighbouring Syria, where fuel is sold at a much higher price than on the Lebanese market. The army launched searches and seized tonnes of fuel from service stations and suppliers accused of stockpiling it for speculative purposes. On 15 August, before dawn, a petrol tanker exploded in the Akkar region (north), killing around thirty people, according to a new report from the Ministry of Health, with some of the injured dying from their injuries.

One of the worst economic crises

Since autumn 2019, Lebanon has been going through one of the worst economic crises in the world since the middle of the 19th century, according to the World Bank. A Central Bank (BDL) mechanism used to provide importers with dollars at the official rate of 1,507 Lebanese pounds, which was cheaper than the market rate, thereby curbing the price of certain products. But short of foreign currency, the BDL began gradually rationing its dollars. At the end of June, it announced the adoption of a rate of 3900 pounds to the dollar for fuel imports.

On Saturday, at a meeting between the President, the outgoing Prime Minister and the Governor of the Central Bank, a new rate of 8,000 pounds was adopted. The Central Bank had first announced on August 11 that it would no longer finance fuel subsidies, causing panic.

For several weeks, the exhausted population has been living for long hours without electricity, and even hospitals are threatened by the energy crisis. Some 78% of the Lebanese population now live below the poverty line, according to the UN.

text by Le HuffPost with AFP

Faced with the Taliban, Afghan women are torn between fear and resignation

As a sad symbol, burqa sellers achieved record sales in Kabul on Tuesday, where women are anticipating restrictions on their freedoms.

AFGHANISTAN - Women were in short supply on the streets of Afghanistan on Tuesday 17 August, the day after the Taliban took power.

Women fear a return to the same type of fundamentalist regime that they experienced under the Taliban from 1996 to 2001. At that time, women were forbidden to go out without a male chaperone and to work, while girls were forbidden to go to school.

Women accused of crimes such as adultery were whipped and stoned to death. Games, music, photography and television were banned. Thieves had their hands cut off, murderers were publicly executed and homosexuals were killed.

As a sad symbol, burqa vendors in Kabul on Tuesday posted record sales, as CNN journalist Clarissa Ward saw for herself. Women are already anticipating the new restrictions on their freedom.

Yet on Tuesday, there was no sign that the Taliban had reintroduced or intended to impose the same ultra-rigorist version of Islamic law as twenty years ago. But no one seemed willing to take the risk. "People are afraid of the unknown", said one shopkeeper, who wished to remain anonymous. "The Taliban patrol the town in small convoys. They don't bother anyone, but of course people are afraid", he added.

A brief demonstration in Kabul

In the Afghan capital, a handful of women demonstrated their opposition to the new regime on Tuesday. Images posted on social networks showed a brief gathering outside the entrance to the Green Zone to demand the right to return to work there as cooks or cleaners. Taliban in lorries tried in vain to disperse them before they were persuaded by civilians to leave.

In Herat, women also fear for their freedoms. In the country's third largest city, a school for women has been able to reopen, but all the pupils now wear the hijab and wonder how much longer they will be able to continue studying. 

The Taliban have tried to reassure the population through various media appearances. On Sky News, insurgent spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Monday evening that women need not fear any threats.

"Their right to education is also protected", he said. However, the Taliban remain vague about how they intend to govern Afghanistan.

Text by Le HuffPost with AFP

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