From Russia to North Korea to Zimbabwe, the impact of diplomatic&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;has long been questioned. But Bangladeshi&nbsp;activists&nbsp;have no doubts: extrajudicial&nbsp;killings&nbsp;have suddenly&nbsp;stopped&nbsp;since punitive US measures were imposed two months ago, they say.

Around 2,500 Bangladeshis have allegedly been killed by security forces since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power in 2009, according to&nbsp;rights&nbsp;group Odhikar, which maintains detailed records, with hundreds more enforced disappearances.

It has tallied nearly 1,200 such deaths in the last four years, or an average of 25 per month.

But since Washington on December 10 imposed sweeping Magnitsky Act&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;against the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) elite security force including seven of its top officers,&nbsp;killings&nbsp;have totalled zero, it says.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/australia-to-open-mission-in-maldives-invest-in-bangladesh-452325">Australia to open mission in Maldives; invest in Bangladesh</a>

"I wish this sanction was slapped a lot earlier," said Afroza Islam Akhi, whose brother vanished eight years ago. "A lot of lives would have been saved."

Akhi is now a coordinator for Mayer Daak, which represents hundreds of families of victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial&nbsp;killings.

The RAB was set up in 2004 to tackle Marxist insurgents and Islamist extremism as well as curb human trafficking -- goals it pursued mercilessly and officials say effectively.

More recently its targets have largely been alleged criminals and drug dealers, with authorities insisting that deaths have only occurred during exchanges of fire in legitimate law enforcement operations.

But critics say political opponents have also died at the hands of security forces and that gunfights are staged to deny the victims due legal process.

Akhi's brother Sajedul Islam Suman was among at least 18&nbsp;activists&nbsp;with the main opposition&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;Nationalist Party (BNP) allegedly picked up by RAB officers in December 2013 in the run-up to national elections.

"My mother went to the RAB headquarters every day for more than a year as we heard RAB officers detained him," Akhi told AFP. "But he never returned."

&nbsp;'Every bone broken'&nbsp;

Nur Khan Liton, head of&nbsp;Bangladesh's top&nbsp;rights&nbsp;group Ain O Salish Kendra, said the US&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;have directly improved the country's&nbsp;rights&nbsp;situation.

"People are happy with it and many have started speaking out," he said.&nbsp;

According to&nbsp;activists, almost all victims of extrajudicial&nbsp;killings&nbsp;are detained and then shot dead.

Rita Begum last saw her 14-year-old son Rakib Howlader handcuffed and detained at a police station in old Dhaka in 2018.&nbsp;

The next day her father told her the boy -- accused of peddling drugs -- had been beaten to death and then shot to make it appear he had died in an exchange of fire.

"Every bone in his body was broken and then he was shot," she told AFP. "I didn't get&nbsp;justice."

When she tried to file a complaint, she said, "police came to my house. They held a pistol to my head and made me sign a lot of papers. They even threatened to rape my daughter.&nbsp;

"I want the American&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;to prevail," she added.

"I don't want to see any more mothers losing their children. I don't want anybody else to suffer my fate. I lost my gem of a boy."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bangladesh-rope-in-jamie-siddons-as-new-batting-coach-452017">Bangladesh rope in Jamie Siddons as new batting coach</a>

'Nervous about the future'&nbsp;

In some cases RAB officers have been prosecuted, with at least 26 people including an RAB commander sentenced to death for seven murders in the central city of Narayanganj in April 2014.

Dhaka and Washington normally have warm relations, co-operating on security issues and with&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;often voting alongside the United States at the United Nations.

The&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;include asset freezes and visa bans and were imposed on the RAB and current or former RAB officials, including its ex-head Benazir Ahmed, now the national chief of police.

The move -- at a time when China is pouring investment into one of Asia's poorest countries -- stunned Dhaka, with the foreign secretary summoning the US ambassador to convey "discontent".

But the&nbsp;sanctions&nbsp;constitute a "tactical strike" on the understanding between the security forces and ruling party and "put the whole security establishment under renewed international scrutiny", said Sydney-based&nbsp;Bangladesh&nbsp;researcher Mubashar Hasan.

They have also raised anxiety among Bangladeshi officials for whom the West is a popular retirement and training destination, he added.

He pointed out that the Biden administration has begun to target businesses connected to governments that it says suppress&nbsp;human rights, such as China.

"Many Bangladeshi businessmen tied with the ruling party are nervous about the future," he said.

Watch |&nbsp;The Rohingya in Bangladesh's Bhasan Char island get access to education

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/the-rohingya-in-bangladeshs-bhasan-char-island-get-access-to-education-451353/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

There was no response to repeated requests by AFP to the RAB and the national police for comment.

Dhaka denies its officers are involved in extrajudicial&nbsp;killings&nbsp;or enforced disappearances.

But Shahab Enam Khan, a professor at Jahangirnagar University, said: "Sanction from the US on the law enforcement agencies or personnel is a lesson and perhaps nobody wants it to be repeated."

From Russia to North Korea to Zimbabwe, the impact of diplomatic sanctions has long been questioned. But Bangladeshi activists have no doubts: extrajudicial killings have suddenly stopped since punitive US measures were imposed two months ago, they say.

From Russia to North Korea to Zimbabwe, the impact of diplomatic sanctions has long been questioned. But Bangladeshi activists have no doubts: extrajudicial killings have suddenly stopped since punitive US measures were imposed two months ago, they say. Around 2,500 Bangladeshis have allegedly been killed by security forces since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power in 2009, according to rights group Odhikar, which maintains detailed records, with hundreds more enforced disappearances. It has tallied nearly 1,200 such deaths in the last four years, or an average of 25 per month. But since Washington on December 10 imposed sweeping Magnitsky Act sanctions against the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) elite security force including seven of its top officers, killings have totalled zero, it says. Also read | Australia to open mission in Maldives; invest in Bangladesh "I wish this sanction was slapped a lot earlier," said Afroza Islam Akhi, whose brother vanished eight years ago. "A lot of lives would have been saved." Akhi is now a coordinator for Mayer Daak, which represents hundreds of families of victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings. The RAB was set up in 2004 to tackle Marxist insurgents and Islamist extremism as well as curb human trafficking -- goals it pursued mercilessly and officials say effectively. More recently its targets have largely been alleged criminals and drug dealers, with authorities insisting that deaths have only occurred during exchanges of fire in legitimate law enforcement operations. But critics say political opponents have also died at the hands of security forces and that gunfights are staged to deny the victims due legal process. Akhi's brother Sajedul Islam Suman was among at least 18 activists with the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) allegedly picked up by RAB officers in December 2013 in the run-up to national elections. "My mother went to the RAB headquarters every day for more than a year as we heard RAB officers detained him," Akhi told AFP. "But he never returned." 'Every bone broken' Nur Khan Liton, head of Bangladesh's top rights group Ain O Salish Kendra, said the US sanctions have directly improved the country's rights situation. "People are happy with it and many have started speaking out," he said. According to activists, almost all victims of extrajudicial killings are detained and then shot dead. Rita Begum last saw her 14-year-old son Rakib Howlader handcuffed and detained at a police station in old Dhaka in 2018. The next day her father told her the boy -- accused of peddling drugs -- had been beaten to death and then shot to make it appear he had died in an exchange of fire. "Every bone in his body was broken and then he was shot," she told AFP. "I didn't get justice." When she tried to file a complaint, she said, "police came to my house. They held a pistol to my head and made me sign a lot of papers. They even threatened to rape my daughter. "I want the American sanctions to prevail," she added. "I don't want to see any more mothers losing their children. I don't want anybody else to suffer my fate. I lost my gem of a boy." Also read | Bangladesh rope in Jamie Siddons as new batting coach 'Nervous about the future' In some cases RAB officers have been prosecuted, with at least 26 people including an RAB commander sentenced to death for seven murders in the central city of Narayanganj in April 2014. Dhaka and Washington normally have warm relations, co-operating on security issues and with Bangladesh often voting alongside the United States at the United Nations. The sanctions include asset freezes and visa bans and were imposed on the RAB and current or former RAB officials, including its ex-head Benazir Ahmed, now the national chief of police. The move -- at a time when China is pouring investment into one of Asia's poorest countries -- stunned Dhaka, with the foreign secretary summoning the US ambassador to convey "discontent". But the sanctions constitute a "tactical strike" on the understanding between the security forces and ruling party and "put the whole security establishment under renewed international scrutiny", said Sydney-based Bangladesh researcher Mubashar Hasan. They have also raised anxiety among Bangladeshi officials for whom the West is a popular retirement and training destination, he added. He pointed out that the Biden administration has begun to target businesses connected to governments that it says suppress human rights, such as China. "Many Bangladeshi businessmen tied with the ruling party are nervous about the future," he said. Watch | The Rohingya in Bangladesh's Bhasan Char island get access to education There was no response to repeated requests by AFP to the RAB and the national police for comment. Dhaka denies its officers are involved in extrajudicial killings or enforced disappearances. But Shahab Enam Khan, a professor at Jahangirnagar University, said: "Sanction from the US on the law enforcement agencies or personnel is a lesson and perhaps nobody wants it to be repeated."

US sanctions have stopped Bangladesh killings: Rights activists

The Humboldt archipelago off the northern Pacific coast of Chile serves as a "natural reserve". But its fragile ecosystem is under threat, say, environmentalists, from a US$2.5-billion mining project on the nearby mainland.

Chile: Activists, locals oppose mining project near Humboldt Archipelago

Thirty climate activists were arrested in London after they sat on Lambeth bridge and managed to block the traffic for several hours. The proteseors were expressing their support for nine Insulate Britain campaigners who were jailed this week.&nbsp;

The group demands that the government should improve the energy efficiency of heating in people's homes by 2030. It has also targeted London's financial district.&nbsp;

The demonstrators gave speeches, sang songs, and chanted slogans.&nbsp;

Public order act conditions were imposed on the protest as up to 250 people were seen marching from the Royal Courts of Justice.&nbsp;

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Lambeth Bridge occupied by IB9 Solidarity march <a href="https://t.co/F2v6UVJD05">pic.twitter.com/F2v6UVJD05</a>
— Robert Possnett 🌍 🍃💚🍃 (@robertpossnett1) <a href="https://twitter.com/robertpossnett1/status/1462061255414456320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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— Almara Abgarian (@almaraabgarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/almaraabgarian/status/1462062707335647234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The demonstrators told the crowd the jailed activists were "political prisoners" and will not be the last to be locked up.&nbsp;

Gabriella Ditton, a protestor at Lambeth Bridge said that she believed that even she would end up in jail for participating in the protests. She has been arrested six times with the campaign group.&nbsp;

Sky News quoted her saying, "I expect to go to prison at some point for at least six months because I am not going to be apologetic about this."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/million-mask-march-protesters-wearing-guy-fawkes-masks-clash-with-police-in-uk-427179">Also read |&nbsp;Million Mask March: Protesters wearing Guy Fawkes masks clash with police in UK</a>

"I have known for a couple of years that the only thing that is going to serve us is civil resistance. I have faith in people coming together. Solutions to this crisis exist, we just need the political will to do it."

These are not the first protests to be witnessed in the region. Earlier this month, various demonstrators wearing Guy Fawkes-style masks gathered at Trafalgar Square as they burned an effigy of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The protestors even moved to Parliament Square where they threw fireworks towards police.

The members of the movement, known as the Million Mask March, were holding signs against coronavirus restrictions.&nbsp;

Also, before this, there have been reports of nearly sixty supporters of a group Insulate Britain sitting on the ground holding banners as they blocked two roads around Parliament.

The protests angered many people as it led to miles-long traffic congestion.

Thirty climate activists were arrested in London after they sat on Lambeth bridge and managed to block the traffic for several hours. The proteseors were expressing their support for nine Insulate Britain campaigners who were jailed this week.

Thirty climate activists were arrested in London after they sat on Lambeth bridge and managed to block the traffic for several hours. The proteseors were expressing their support for nine Insulate Britain campaigners who were jailed this week. The group demands that the government should improve the energy efficiency of heating in people's homes by 2030. It has also targeted London's financial district. The demonstrators gave speeches, sang songs, and chanted slogans. Public order act conditions were imposed on the protest as up to 250 people were seen marching from the Royal Courts of Justice. Lambeth Bridge occupied by IB9 Solidarity march pic.twitter.com/F2v6UVJD05 — Robert Possnett 🌍 🍃💚🍃 (@robertpossnett1) November 20, 2021 × Protesters blocking off Lambeth bridge, so far, police are only observing. pic.twitter.com/rozv6U40yB — Almara Abgarian (@almaraabgarian) November 20, 2021 × #solidarity Protest for #InsulateBritain 9 block Lambeth Bridge breaking the injunction. @DailyMailUK @BBCBreaking @SkyNewsBreak @itvnews @Independent pic.twitter.com/bSxmRNdcrE — Boots On The Ground News! (@bearwitness2019) November 20, 2021 × The demonstrators told the crowd the jailed activists were "political prisoners" and will not be the last to be locked up. Gabriella Ditton, a protestor at Lambeth Bridge said that she believed that even she would end up in jail for participating in the protests. She has been arrested six times with the campaign group. Sky News quoted her saying, "I expect to go to prison at some point for at least six months because I am not going to be apologetic about this." Also read | Million Mask March: Protesters wearing Guy Fawkes masks clash with police in UK "I have known for a couple of years that the only thing that is going to serve us is civil resistance. I have faith in people coming together. Solutions to this crisis exist, we just need the political will to do it." These are not the first protests to be witnessed in the region. Earlier this month, various demonstrators wearing Guy Fawkes-style masks gathered at Trafalgar Square as they burned an effigy of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The protestors even moved to Parliament Square where they threw fireworks towards police. The members of the movement, known as the Million Mask March, were holding signs against coronavirus restrictions. Also, before this, there have been reports of nearly sixty supporters of a group Insulate Britain sitting on the ground holding banners as they blocked two roads around Parliament. The protests angered many people as it led to miles-long traffic congestion.

London: Climate protesters block Lambeth bridge after 30 activists jailed

Activists have criticised the menu being served at this year’s UN climate summit in Glasgow. &nbsp; &nbsp;

It has at least one item that had a significantly larger carbon footprint than the average meal in the UK. &nbsp;

Joel Scott-Halkes, a climate activist and founder, wildcard.land, posted, "Meat and fish on the menu at #COP26?! This is the equivalent of serving cigarettes at a lung cancer conference. Only when governments grasp animal agriculture’s central role in the #climate crisis will we stand a chance of solving it." &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-cop26-enters-its-final-week-boris-johnson-urges-countries-to-make-the-bold-compromises-427394" hreflang="en">As COP26 enters its final week, Boris Johnson urges countries to 'make the bold compromises'</a>

The COP26 released the menu online for all to see and showcased the carbon impact, The Hill reported. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The haggis dish, which was pointed by the website, was twice the carbon footprint of the average meal in the UK. &nbsp;&nbsp;

As per the report, there was a separate menu for burgers and half of which had about the same footprint as the haggis dish only. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-scientists-find-high-amounts-of-toxic-rubber-glove-chemicals-in-fast-food-424934" hreflang="en">US scientists find ‘high amounts’ of toxic rubber glove chemicals in fast food</a>

As per the menu, 95% food was locally sourced and seasonal. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"Many of our suppliers are based within 100 miles of Glasgow, which supports our aspirations of delivering a lower carbon menu. About 40% of the options were plant-based and "plant-forward alternatives," the menu read. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Activists have criticised the menu being served at this year’s UN climate summit in Glasgow. It has at least one item that had a significantly larger carbon footprint than the average meal in the UK.

Activists have criticised the menu being served at this year’s UN climate summit in Glasgow. It has at least one item that had a significantly larger carbon footprint than the average meal in the UK. Joel Scott-Halkes, a climate activist and founder, wildcard.land, posted, "Meat and fish on the menu at #COP26?! This is the equivalent of serving cigarettes at a lung cancer conference. Only when governments grasp animal agriculture’s central role in the #climate crisis will we stand a chance of solving it." Also Read: As COP26 enters its final week, Boris Johnson urges countries to 'make the bold compromises' The COP26 released the menu online for all to see and showcased the carbon impact, The Hill reported. The haggis dish, which was pointed by the website, was twice the carbon footprint of the average meal in the UK. As per the report, there was a separate menu for burgers and half of which had about the same footprint as the haggis dish only. Also Read: US scientists find ‘high amounts’ of toxic rubber glove chemicals in fast food As per the menu, 95% food was locally sourced and seasonal. "Many of our suppliers are based within 100 miles of Glasgow, which supports our aspirations of delivering a lower carbon menu. About 40% of the options were plant-based and "plant-forward alternatives," the menu read. (With inputs from agencies)

Climate activists mock COP26 menu over meat, fish selection  

Banner-waving climate activists rallied outside the Swiss parliament on Friday in support of a Global Climate Strike that youth movement Fridays for Future had called for ahead of the UN climate summit COP26.

Protesters in Bern included young children and elderly people with banners reading "climate grandparents" and the words "oil, gas, coal" crossed out.

Swiss media said 1,000-2,000 people took part in the protests. Similar gatherings took place in other cities including Basel and Biel.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elephants-without-tusks-the-mammal-evolves-due-to-brutal-poaching-423074">Also read |&nbsp;Elephants without tusks? The mammal evolves due to brutal poaching</a>

Fridays for Future had called for a global climate strike ahead of the October&nbsp;31 to November&nbsp;12 COP26 conference in Glasgow to draw world leaders' attention to the need "to cut emissions drastically by divesting from fossil fuels", the movement said on its website.

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who started Fridays for Future three years ago, told Reuters in an interview this month the conference would succeed only if world leaders admitted their actions were not living up to their words.

Banner-waving climate activists rallied outside the Swiss parliament on Friday in support of a Global Climate Strike that youth movement Fridays for Future had called for ahead of the UN climate summit COP26.

Banner-waving climate activists rallied outside the Swiss parliament on Friday in support of a Global Climate Strike that youth movement Fridays for Future had called for ahead of the UN climate summit COP26. Protesters in Bern included young children and elderly people with banners reading "climate grandparents" and the words "oil, gas, coal" crossed out. Swiss media said 1,000-2,000 people took part in the protests. Similar gatherings took place in other cities including Basel and Biel. Also read | Elephants without tusks? The mammal evolves due to brutal poaching Fridays for Future had called for a global climate strike ahead of the October 31 to November 12 COP26 conference in Glasgow to draw world leaders' attention to the need "to cut emissions drastically by divesting from fossil fuels", the movement said on its website. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who started Fridays for Future three years ago, told Reuters in an interview this month the conference would succeed only if world leaders admitted their actions were not living up to their words.

'Fridays for Future': Activists in Bern demand climate strike ahead of COP26

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg says the upcoming climate talks in Glasgow billed as humanity's last chance to avoid catastrophic global warming were unlikely to "lead to big changes." Thunberg has urged activists to keep on "pushing" for real change.

Greta Thunberg says upcoming climate talks in Glasgow unlikely to "lead to big changes"

A recent research by human rights organisation Front Line Defenders has revealed that sex worker activists are among the most at-risk defenders of human rights in the world as they face multiple threats and violent attacks.

A recent research by human rights organisation Front Line Defenders has revealed that sex worker activists are among the most at-risk defenders of human rights in the world as they face multiple threats and violent attacks. The research highlights the experience of 300 individuals in Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan, El Salvador and Myanmar. It focuses on cases of sexual assault, threats from managers and clients, raids on homes and offices, physical attacks and police surveillance endured by sex workers undertaking human rights work. The services the activists provide to fellow sex workers include, negotiating access to brothels, conducting gender rights training, offering legal and health counselling, reporting experiences of violence, and campaigning for freedom of movement and free choice of employment for those seeking to leave sex work. Also read | Nigeria imposes partial curfew after deadly attack Research and visibility coordinator at Front Line Defenders and lead author of the report, Erin Kilbride, was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "Sex worker rights defenders take extreme personal risks to protect their communities’ rights to access justice, healthcare, housing and food, while responding to the immediate threats of police and domestic violence, discrimination, criminalisation and structural poverty.” As per the report, in El Salvador, and other countries, physical attacks by clients and managers began after they learned about a sex worker’s activism. In Myanmar, police followed activists to brothels to conduct raids during human rights trainings. Also, some activists had been forced to change where they sell sex. This is because police surveillance increased after they became known for their human rights work.

Sex workers fighting for human rights are world’s most ‘at risk activists’

In Pics | Young activists gather for freedom rally in Cuba

Three activists with Venezuelan rights group Fundaredes, which has lifted the lid on fighting near the border with Colombia, are facing criminal charges including "terrorism," their lawyer said Saturday.

Director Javier Tarazona and his colleagues Rafael Tarazona and Omar Garcia are accused of "treason, terrorism and incitement to hatred," lawyer Stefania Migliorini said in a video posted on social networks.

According to Fundaredes, the three were arrested Friday when they went to the public prosecutor's office in the northwestern city of Coro to file a complaint against "harassment and persecution" at the hands of police and intelligence agents.

They are now in preventive detention in Caracas, the group said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-orders-investigation-into-ransomware-attack-that-targetted-1000-businesses-395642">Also Read |&nbsp;Joe Biden orders investigation into ransomware attack that targetted 1,000 businesses</a>

Fundaredes had alerted to the presence of Colombian dissident guerrillas on Venezuelan territory and criticized the response of the government, which it accused of harboring the fighters.

It reported on the fighting that broke out on March 21 before the government did. Clashes have since displaced thousands of civilians.

Venezuela does not name the armed groups it blames for the unrest, apart from calling them "terrorists" or linking them to drug trafficking or to Colombian President Ivan Duque.

However, security sources in Colombia say they are likely dissidents of the now-disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group, an analysis Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro has conceded was possible.

Bogota has long accused Venezuela of shielding members of the FARC and armed rebel group ELN on its soil -- a charge Maduro denies.

Some FARC fighters who refused to join Colombia's peace process have continued their struggle, while also mixing with and battling drug traffickers.

Venezuela and Colombia, which share a 2,200-kilometer (1,370 miles) border, severed diplomatic ties in January 2019, after Bogota recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the leader of Venezuela over Maduro following a disputed election.

Three activists with Venezuelan rights group Fundaredes, which has lifted the lid on fighting near the border with Colombia, are facing criminal charges including "terrorism," their lawyer said Saturday.

Three activists with Venezuelan rights group Fundaredes, which has lifted the lid on fighting near the border with Colombia, are facing criminal charges including "terrorism," their lawyer said Saturday. Director Javier Tarazona and his colleagues Rafael Tarazona and Omar Garcia are accused of "treason, terrorism and incitement to hatred," lawyer Stefania Migliorini said in a video posted on social networks. According to Fundaredes, the three were arrested Friday when they went to the public prosecutor's office in the northwestern city of Coro to file a complaint against "harassment and persecution" at the hands of police and intelligence agents. They are now in preventive detention in Caracas, the group said. Also Read | Joe Biden orders investigation into ransomware attack that targetted 1,000 businesses Fundaredes had alerted to the presence of Colombian dissident guerrillas on Venezuelan territory and criticized the response of the government, which it accused of harboring the fighters. It reported on the fighting that broke out on March 21 before the government did. Clashes have since displaced thousands of civilians. Venezuela does not name the armed groups it blames for the unrest, apart from calling them "terrorists" or linking them to drug trafficking or to Colombian President Ivan Duque. However, security sources in Colombia say they are likely dissidents of the now-disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group, an analysis Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro has conceded was possible. Bogota has long accused Venezuela of shielding members of the FARC and armed rebel group ELN on its soil -- a charge Maduro denies. Some FARC fighters who refused to join Colombia's peace process have continued their struggle, while also mixing with and battling drug traffickers. Venezuela and Colombia, which share a 2,200-kilometer (1,370 miles) border, severed diplomatic ties in January 2019, after Bogota recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the leader of Venezuela over Maduro following a disputed election.

Venezuela activists charged with terrorism: Rights group

Wall Street has seen its share of strange bedfellows, but a recent alliance of investors that took on Exxon Mobil was unprecedented.

Last week, an activist investor successfully waged a battle to install three directors on the board of Exxon with the goal of pushing the energy giant to reduce its carbon footprint. The investor, a hedge fund called Engine No. 1, was virtually unknown before the fight.

The tiny firm would not have had a chance were it not for an unusual twist: the support of some of Exxon’s biggest institutional investors. BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street voted against Exxon’s leadership and gave Engine No. 1 powerful support. These huge investment companies rarely side with activists on such issues.

The stunning result turned the sleepy world of boardroom elections into front-page news as climate activists declared a major triumph and a blindsided Exxon was left to ponder its defeat.

Engine No. 1 instantly became a Wall Street name. The firm is among a new breed of shareholder activists, ones driven by the idea that social good also benefits the bottom line, just as policy and public sentiment on the environment are evolving. Chris James, founder of Engine No. 1, argued that Exxon’s management was not making needed changes fast enough.

The firm convinced the mighty BlackRock.

“We believe more needs to be done in Exxon’s long-term strategy” on reducing climate risk, which threatens shareholder value, it said in a statement explaining why it had sided with Engine No. 1.

Laurence Fink, chief executive of BlackRock, has stressed the importance of climate in his annual letter to executives.

“No issue ranks higher than climate change on our clients’ lists of priorities,” he wrote in this year’s edition. “They ask us about it nearly every day.”

Observers say Engine No. 1’s victory shows there is a path for shareholder activism to change how companies approach issues like racial diversity and the environment, often considered distractions from producing profits.

“We’re finding that there are other components that factor into a company’s overall performance: social, cultural and now environmental,” said Andrew Freedman, a partner and co-head of the shareholder activism group at Olshan Frome Wolosky, a law firm in New York. “Shareholders are able to now find a way to run a campaign where there’s alignment on the initiative because it all feeds to the bottom line.”

In other words, activist investors can now agitate for changes at companies on the ground that such shifts are not just the right thing to do but will also enrich shareholders by pushing up the price of the stock.

So far, the performance of Exxon’s shares backs that up. In a reversal of years of underperformance, the price is up more than 45&nbsp;per cent since Engine No. 1 began its campaign in December, beating the broader market and close competitor Chevron.

Exxon Mobil is not the only energy giant facing pressure on climate-related issues. On Wednesday, Royal Dutch Shell said it would accelerate efforts to cut its carbon dioxide emissions after a Dutch court ruled Shell must reduce its global net carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 compared with 2019.

A strategic focus on Exxon

The strategy of Engine No. 1 hinged on getting votes from Exxon’s three largest shareholders — BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street — on its side, an uphill climb since such firms often side with management.

Engine No. 1 held only 0.02&nbsp;per cent of Exxon’s shares, giving it a similar portion of proxy votes, while those three institutional investors together accounted for nearly 20&nbsp;per cent of the voting shares.

With nearly 30 years as a technology investor under his belt, James and his colleagues knew how to frame their climate-centric arguments in a way that blended activism and a focus on financial results.

“A refusal to accept that fossil fuel demand may decline in decades to come has led to a failure to take even initial steps towards evolution,” the analysts at Engine No. 1 wrote in the fund’s 82-page pitch to investors.

The hedge fund reminded Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street that its campaign was in line with their own publicly stated goals to see the carbon emissions of the companies in their portfolios fall sharply over the next 30 years.

Engine No. 1’s success aligned with a rapid shift in public sentiment on climate change. Companies have had to acknowledge their impact on the environment and publicly pledged to improve.

Greenmail to green investing?

Originally known as “corporate raiders” or “greenmailers” — a portmanteau of “greenback” and “blackmail” — activist investors historically were not thought of as a force for good. Their core business, pioneered in the 1980s, is to buy a stake in a company and agitate for clear economic outcomes, like cutting costs, selling assets or boosting dividends, moves that would lift the stock price and provide an immediate gain. The activists then tended to dump their shares, pocket the profits and move on to the next target.

Some activists, such as Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management, were credited with keeping corporate managers on their toes and helping to turn companies around, but many on Wall Street viewed them as speculators in search of quick paydays who cared little about the long-term future of a business.

Carl Icahn, a titan of activist investing, was famous for his hardball tactics. For about three years, he owned a large stake in Apple and agitated repeatedly for the company to raise its stock buyback program. Like dividends, stock repurchase plans are a way for companies to return cash to their shareholders. Apple never formally followed Icahn’s directives, but it did expand its buyback program, and he exited the investment in 2016 with an estimated profit of about $2 billion.

In recent years, activist investors have adjusted their approach as firms such as ValueAct and Third Point have sought more strategic changes in a company’s long-term strategy.

Engine No. 1 marries the aggressive strategy of old-school investors like Icahn with the new thinking behind social-good investing. The firm stands out for mounting such a bold campaign even as it had little financial heft or public clout.

Engine No. 1’s approach is unique, but analysts and observers say its high-profile success is likely to prompt others to try similar tactics.

The market view

Investing in social good has been good for investors. Many have seen solid returns in what are known as ESG funds, which invest in companies that meet certain standards (set by the investors) on environmental, social and governance issues.

In 2020, 3 of every 4 stock funds categorized as “sustainable” beat a market index of roughly comparable conventional stocks, according to research firm Morningstar. In part, that reflects the kinds of companies that make up such funds. They tend to feature fewer fossil fuel stocks, which were hurt last year by pandemic-related shutdowns. At the same time, large tech companies such as Microsoft, which often show up in many sustainability-focused portfolios, posted solid gains.

In some quarters of the stock market, sustainability is a sexy attribute. Industries such as solar and electric vehicles have become hot growth stories. Tesla’s share price has more than tripled over the past 12 months. Invesco’s exchange-traded fund for solar power has more than doubled.

Money is pouring in. Last year, $51.1 billion was invested in ESG funds, more than double the $21.4 billion that was invested in 2019 and more than nine times the 2018 level.

A decision that will resonate

Analysts say it is hard to overstate the impact that Exxon’s defeat will have on corporations across the country.

In 2018, BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street cast an average of about 25 per cent of the votes in elections for directors of all of the companies in the S&amp;P 500, according to academic research. The mere threat that some of those votes are more likely to be cast against management will force executives to think long and hard about how to address their concerns, analysts say.

“You’ve seen that kind of shift dramatically overnight,” said Lyndon Park, managing director at ICR, a firm that advises corporate boards on investor relations issues.

Park, who formerly worked at BlackRock, added, “The days are over where you could think, you know, these guys would give the benefit of the doubt to management.”

&nbsp;

Wall Street has seen its share of strange bedfellows, but a recent alliance of investors that took on Exxon Mobil was unprecedented. Last week, an activist investor successfully waged a battle to install three directors on the board of Exxon with the goal of pushing the energy giant to reduce its carbon footprint.

Wall Street has seen its share of strange bedfellows, but a recent alliance of investors that took on Exxon Mobil was unprecedented. Last week, an activist investor successfully waged a battle to install three directors on the board of Exxon with the goal of pushing the energy giant to reduce its carbon footprint. The investor, a hedge fund called Engine No. 1, was virtually unknown before the fight. The tiny firm would not have had a chance were it not for an unusual twist: the support of some of Exxon’s biggest institutional investors. BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street voted against Exxon’s leadership and gave Engine No. 1 powerful support. These huge investment companies rarely side with activists on such issues. The stunning result turned the sleepy world of boardroom elections into front-page news as climate activists declared a major triumph and a blindsided Exxon was left to ponder its defeat. Engine No. 1 instantly became a Wall Street name. The firm is among a new breed of shareholder activists, ones driven by the idea that social good also benefits the bottom line, just as policy and public sentiment on the environment are evolving. Chris James, founder of Engine No. 1, argued that Exxon’s management was not making needed changes fast enough. The firm convinced the mighty BlackRock. “We believe more needs to be done in Exxon’s long-term strategy” on reducing climate risk, which threatens shareholder value, it said in a statement explaining why it had sided with Engine No. 1. Laurence Fink, chief executive of BlackRock, has stressed the importance of climate in his annual letter to executives. “No issue ranks higher than climate change on our clients’ lists of priorities,” he wrote in this year’s edition. “They ask us about it nearly every day.” Observers say Engine No. 1’s victory shows there is a path for shareholder activism to change how companies approach issues like racial diversity and the environment, often considered distractions from producing profits. “We’re finding that there are other components that factor into a company’s overall performance: social, cultural and now environmental,” said Andrew Freedman, a partner and co-head of the shareholder activism group at Olshan Frome Wolosky, a law firm in New York. “Shareholders are able to now find a way to run a campaign where there’s alignment on the initiative because it all feeds to the bottom line.” In other words, activist investors can now agitate for changes at companies on the ground that such shifts are not just the right thing to do but will also enrich shareholders by pushing up the price of the stock. So far, the performance of Exxon’s shares backs that up. In a reversal of years of underperformance, the price is up more than 45 per cent since Engine No. 1 began its campaign in December, beating the broader market and close competitor Chevron. Exxon Mobil is not the only energy giant facing pressure on climate-related issues. On Wednesday, Royal Dutch Shell said it would accelerate efforts to cut its carbon dioxide emissions after a Dutch court ruled Shell must reduce its global net carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 compared with 2019. A strategic focus on Exxon The strategy of Engine No. 1 hinged on getting votes from Exxon’s three largest shareholders — BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street — on its side, an uphill climb since such firms often side with management. Engine No. 1 held only 0.02 per cent of Exxon’s shares, giving it a similar portion of proxy votes, while those three institutional investors together accounted for nearly 20 per cent of the voting shares. With nearly 30 years as a technology investor under his belt, James and his colleagues knew how to frame their climate-centric arguments in a way that blended activism and a focus on financial results. “A refusal to accept that fossil fuel demand may decline in decades to come has led to a failure to take even initial steps towards evolution,” the analysts at Engine No. 1 wrote in the fund’s 82-page pitch to investors. The hedge fund reminded Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street that its campaign was in line with their own publicly stated goals to see the carbon emissions of the companies in their portfolios fall sharply over the next 30 years. Engine No. 1’s success aligned with a rapid shift in public sentiment on climate change. Companies have had to acknowledge their impact on the environment and publicly pledged to improve. Greenmail to green investing? Originally known as “corporate raiders” or “greenmailers” — a portmanteau of “greenback” and “blackmail” — activist investors historically were not thought of as a force for good. Their core business, pioneered in the 1980s, is to buy a stake in a company and agitate for clear economic outcomes, like cutting costs, selling assets or boosting dividends, moves that would lift the stock price and provide an immediate gain. The activists then tended to dump their shares, pocket the profits and move on to the next target. Some activists, such as Nelson Peltz’s Trian Fund Management, were credited with keeping corporate managers on their toes and helping to turn companies around, but many on Wall Street viewed them as speculators in search of quick paydays who cared little about the long-term future of a business. Carl Icahn, a titan of activist investing, was famous for his hardball tactics. For about three years, he owned a large stake in Apple and agitated repeatedly for the company to raise its stock buyback program. Like dividends, stock repurchase plans are a way for companies to return cash to their shareholders. Apple never formally followed Icahn’s directives, but it did expand its buyback program, and he exited the investment in 2016 with an estimated profit of about $2 billion. In recent years, activist investors have adjusted their approach as firms such as ValueAct and Third Point have sought more strategic changes in a company’s long-term strategy. Engine No. 1 marries the aggressive strategy of old-school investors like Icahn with the new thinking behind social-good investing. The firm stands out for mounting such a bold campaign even as it had little financial heft or public clout. Engine No. 1’s approach is unique, but analysts and observers say its high-profile success is likely to prompt others to try similar tactics. The market view Investing in social good has been good for investors. Many have seen solid returns in what are known as ESG funds, which invest in companies that meet certain standards (set by the investors) on environmental, social and governance issues. In 2020, 3 of every 4 stock funds categorized as “sustainable” beat a market index of roughly comparable conventional stocks, according to research firm Morningstar. In part, that reflects the kinds of companies that make up such funds. They tend to feature fewer fossil fuel stocks, which were hurt last year by pandemic-related shutdowns. At the same time, large tech companies such as Microsoft, which often show up in many sustainability-focused portfolios, posted solid gains. In some quarters of the stock market, sustainability is a sexy attribute. Industries such as solar and electric vehicles have become hot growth stories. Tesla’s share price has more than tripled over the past 12 months. Invesco’s exchange-traded fund for solar power has more than doubled. Money is pouring in. Last year, $51.1 billion was invested in ESG funds, more than double the $21.4 billion that was invested in 2019 and more than nine times the 2018 level. A decision that will resonate Analysts say it is hard to overstate the impact that Exxon’s defeat will have on corporations across the country. In 2018, BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street cast an average of about 25 per cent of the votes in elections for directors of all of the companies in the S&P 500, according to academic research. The mere threat that some of those votes are more likely to be cast against management will force executives to think long and hard about how to address their concerns, analysts say. “You’ve seen that kind of shift dramatically overnight,” said Lyndon Park, managing director at ICR, a firm that advises corporate boards on investor relations issues. Park, who formerly worked at BlackRock, added, “The days are over where you could think, you know, these guys would give the benefit of the doubt to management.”

Exxon’s board defeat signals the rise of social-good activists

Climate activists from Greenpeace landed a paraglider on top of the European Central Bank's press centre on Wednesday and hung a banner accusing the bank of funding polluters.&nbsp;

After flying over the Main river in Frankfurt, the two activists landed at the low-rise ECB complex and unfurled a banner that demanded the ECB 'stop funding climate killers'.&nbsp;

An ECB spokesperson confirmed the breach and said that police had been called. He added that the bank was conducting a review of its strategy and this process included an in-depth analysis of how to respond to the climate crisis.&nbsp;

The Greenpeace protest followed a think tank report, which argued that the ECB's lending rules, particularly its collateral requirements, favoured carbon intensive industries and perpetuated a market failure to properly price polluting assets.&nbsp;

The ECB has long been criticised for not taking long term climate risk into account when it buys bonds and gives credit.&nbsp;

While policymakers, including ECB President Christine Lagarde, have acknowledged that markets are not appropriately pricing climate risk, the bank has yet to change course, awaiting the results of its review, now due around September.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Climate activists from Greenpeace landed a paraglider on top of the European Central Bank's press centre on Wednesday and hung a banner accusing the bank of funding polluters.

Climate activists from Greenpeace landed a paraglider on top of the European Central Bank's press centre on Wednesday and hung a banner accusing the bank of funding polluters. After flying over the Main river in Frankfurt, the two activists landed at the low-rise ECB complex and unfurled a banner that demanded the ECB 'stop funding climate killers'. An ECB spokesperson confirmed the breach and said that police had been called. He added that the bank was conducting a review of its strategy and this process included an in-depth analysis of how to respond to the climate crisis. The Greenpeace protest followed a think tank report, which argued that the ECB's lending rules, particularly its collateral requirements, favoured carbon intensive industries and perpetuated a market failure to properly price polluting assets. The ECB has long been criticised for not taking long term climate risk into account when it buys bonds and gives credit. While policymakers, including ECB President Christine Lagarde, have acknowledged that markets are not appropriately pricing climate risk, the bank has yet to change course, awaiting the results of its review, now due around September. (With inputs from agencies)

In a first, Greenpeace paragliders land on ECB building to protest 

The names of women victimised by violence were painted on metal barriers hastily erected around Mexico's national palace late on Saturday, ahead of a major women's march as activists turned the fencing into a makeshift billboard for their movement.&nbsp;

Near the front of the colonial-era building that serves as the president's offices, activists wrote: "Victims of Femicide" in huge letters across the top of the barriers, with the names of many women scrawled underneath.&nbsp;

A day earlier, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described the barrier as a needed tool to avoid provocation and protect the historic building from vandalism ahead of Monday's planned march on International Women's Day.&nbsp;

On Sunday, the leftist leader insisted that he had always believed in equality in a video he posted on social media, in which he also lashed out at those he described as conservative critics, who aim to attack his government.&nbsp;

"I'm not a male chauvinist. I'm in favour of the rights of women," he said, pledging never to repress the free assembly of protesters.&nbsp;

Similar metallic barriers were erected around the nearby orange-domed Fine Arts Palace, including its towering bronze sculptures, as city officials announced plans to deploy police downtown to protect marchers as well as the monuments, including some 2,000 female police officers.&nbsp;

"Our struggle has names," Marisol Clava, an academic, wrote in a post on Twitter, along with photos of the names written on the national palace barriers.&nbsp;

Last year, at least 939 women were victims of femicide, the term used for homicides that deliberately target women, according to government data.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The names of women victimised by violence were painted on metal barriers hastily erected around Mexico's national palace late on Saturday, ahead of a major women's march as activists turned the fencing into a makeshift billboard for their movement.

The names of women victimised by violence were painted on metal barriers hastily erected around Mexico's national palace late on Saturday, ahead of a major women's march as activists turned the fencing into a makeshift billboard for their movement. Near the front of the colonial-era building that serves as the president's offices, activists wrote: "Victims of Femicide" in huge letters across the top of the barriers, with the names of many women scrawled underneath. A day earlier, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described the barrier as a needed tool to avoid provocation and protect the historic building from vandalism ahead of Monday's planned march on International Women's Day. On Sunday, the leftist leader insisted that he had always believed in equality in a video he posted on social media, in which he also lashed out at those he described as conservative critics, who aim to attack his government. "I'm not a male chauvinist. I'm in favour of the rights of women," he said, pledging never to repress the free assembly of protesters. Similar metallic barriers were erected around the nearby orange-domed Fine Arts Palace, including its towering bronze sculptures, as city officials announced plans to deploy police downtown to protect marchers as well as the monuments, including some 2,000 female police officers. "Our struggle has names," Marisol Clava, an academic, wrote in a post on Twitter, along with photos of the names written on the national palace barriers. Last year, at least 939 women were victims of femicide, the term used for homicides that deliberately target women, according to government data. (With inputs from agencies)

Activists paint barriers with names of femicide victims in Mexico 

Human rights groups called on the Philippine government to investigate what they said was the use of "lethal force" during police raids on Sunday that left at least nine activists dead.

The raids in four provinces south of Manila resulted in the death of an environmental activist as well as a coordinator of left-wing group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, among others, and resulted in the arrest of four others, activist groups said.

"These raids appear to be part of a coordinated plan by the authorities to raid, arrest, and even kill activists in their homes and offices," Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson said in a statement.

These incidents, he said, were "clearly part of the government`s increasingly brutal counter-insurgency campaign."

"The fundamental problem is (that) this campaign no longer makes any distinction between armed rebels and noncombatant activists, labour leaders, and rights defenders."

The United Nations has warned in a report that "red-tagging", or labelling people and groups as communists or terrorists, and incitement to violence have been rife in the Southeast Asian nation.

"The Philippines government should act now to investigate the use of lethal force in these raids, stop the mayhem and killings that has gone hand in hand with the practice of red-tagging," Robertson said.

Sunday`s raids, which human rights group Karapatan condemned, came two days after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police and military to "kill" communist rebels and "ignore human rights".

"Nothing could be more apt than calling this day a ‘Bloody Sunday,’" Karapatan`s Cristina Palabay said.

Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade, head of an anti-rebel task force, told Reuters the raids were "legitimate law enforcement operations", and authorities acted on the basis of search warrants for possession of firearms and explosives.

"As usual these groups are so quick in assuming that the subjects were activists and that they were killed. If (the) motive was to kill them they should all be dead but there were those who did not resist arrest so they were collared," Parlade told Reuters in a phone message.

Human rights groups called on the Philippine government to investigate what they said was the use of "lethal force" during police raids on Sunday that left at least nine activists dead.

Human rights groups called on the Philippine government to investigate what they said was the use of "lethal force" during police raids on Sunday that left at least nine activists dead. The raids in four provinces south of Manila resulted in the death of an environmental activist as well as a coordinator of left-wing group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, among others, and resulted in the arrest of four others, activist groups said. "These raids appear to be part of a coordinated plan by the authorities to raid, arrest, and even kill activists in their homes and offices," Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson said in a statement. These incidents, he said, were "clearly part of the government`s increasingly brutal counter-insurgency campaign." "The fundamental problem is (that) this campaign no longer makes any distinction between armed rebels and noncombatant activists, labour leaders, and rights defenders." The United Nations has warned in a report that "red-tagging", or labelling people and groups as communists or terrorists, and incitement to violence have been rife in the Southeast Asian nation. "The Philippines government should act now to investigate the use of lethal force in these raids, stop the mayhem and killings that has gone hand in hand with the practice of red-tagging," Robertson said. Sunday`s raids, which human rights group Karapatan condemned, came two days after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police and military to "kill" communist rebels and "ignore human rights". "Nothing could be more apt than calling this day a ‘Bloody Sunday,’" Karapatan`s Cristina Palabay said. Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade, head of an anti-rebel task force, told Reuters the raids were "legitimate law enforcement operations", and authorities acted on the basis of search warrants for possession of firearms and explosives. "As usual these groups are so quick in assuming that the subjects were activists and that they were killed. If (the) motive was to kill them they should all be dead but there were those who did not resist arrest so they were collared," Parlade told Reuters in a phone message.

Rights groups call for investigation into killings of Philippine activists

Along with the foreign minister of UK, Canada and Australia express serious concern over the arrest of prominent pro democracy leaders and activists in Hong Kong.

World Leaders criticise HK's mass arrest by issuing joint statement

A Hong Kong pro-democracy union of healthcare workers and several activists, including Joshua Wong, called on Sunday (August 30) for a boycott of the government's universal coronavirus testing plan, in which medical staff from mainland China are set to assist.

Hong Kong health workers, activists urge boycott of mass virus testing

In China, 3 activists are said to have been detained for sharing "censored coronavirus material". Is Beijing intensifying crackdown on the critics of its coronavirus response?

Gravitas: China: 3 activists detained for sharing censored Covid-19 material

Political activists, experts and European parliamentarians here discussed deplorable conditions of people in Balochistan on Wednesday.

The 'Save The Baloch' campaign has been launched by the Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) where the participants discuss human rights abuse in Balochistan at a conference titled "Genocide in Balochistan: the role of the international community".

The Baloch political activists highlighted the atrocities committed by the Pakistan Army as they have launched operations in Balochistan, killing civilians and destroying their houses.

Razzak Baloch, organiser, USA Chapter of Baloch Human Rights Council, said, "Every 10 miles there is a check post, Balochistan has become a bigger jail. People cannot move around. You cannot even question them as to why you are stopping us? Why are you searching for our bodies? Why are you searching for our women? Why are you searching for our children?"

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/geneva-activists-protest-seek-un-intervention-to-prevent-pak-inflicted-genocide-in-balochistan-284207">Geneva: Activists protest, seek UN intervention to prevent Pak-inflicted genocide in Balochistan</a>

"Life is very miserable. You cannot move around in Balochistan. Anybody talks and he`s vanished. Is this freedom? We want to be free. We want to breathe freely. It is the duty of our neighbours also to see what is going on in Balochistan," he added.

Taha Siddiqui, a Pakistani journalist, who is now living in exile, said, "In Balochistan, currently the biggest issue is that for a very long time there was abuse. There was a lot of atrocities by the Pakistani state, but now it is not just about these missing persons actually. What is the problem is that there are missing stories, there is an information black hole and things are not being reported independently or not even reported at all."

He added, "So, the worst thing that is going on in Balochistan is that we do not even have an idea of what is going on and that is worse than being able to report about it and talk about it. So in that sense, the way there are secret military operations going on, the abduction is going on, there is religious radicalisation going on and all of this is not being reported."

Also see: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/women-in-pakistan-protest-against-violence-rape-honour-killings-285109">Women in Pakistan protest against violence, rape, honour killings</a>

Taha, who escaped his abduction in Pakistan by secret agencies told the source, "The media is not being allowed and we are seeing that this is intensifying ever since China has come into the equation."

He said that ever since China has invested in Balochistan, "the crackdown by the military and Pakistani state has worsened and they do not want to talk about Baloch issues, the human rights abuse or whatever is happening in Balochistan."

"Nothing negative can be reported from the country because China does not want it, so the Pakistan military does not want it," the Pakistani journalist added.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/central-asia/womens-rights-activists-attacked-then-detained-in-kyrgyzstan-285086">Women's rights activists attacked then detained in Kyrgyzstan</a>

The event was also attended by a member of the European Parliament who talked about the persecution of people in the mineral-rich but the poorest province in Pakistan.

Ryszard Czarnecki, a Member of European Parliament (MEP) told the source, "You have a very active (Baloch) diaspora, especially in Europe. Representatives of this diaspora inform us, the members of the European Parliament about the real situation in Balochistan and about Pakistani violations and lack of respecting human rights in this region."

"Obviously, we should make an intervention at different international levels. The people in Balochistan should feel that they are not alone. I would like to express my solidarity with our brothers and sisters in this region," the MEP said.

Political activists, experts and European parliamentarians here discussed deplorable conditions of people in Balochistan on Wednesday. The 'Save The Baloch' campaign has been launched by the Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) where the participants discuss human rights abuse in Balochistan at a conference titled "Genocide in Balochistan: the role of the international community".

Political activists, experts and European parliamentarians here discussed deplorable conditions of people in Balochistan on Wednesday. The 'Save The Baloch' campaign has been launched by the Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) where the participants discuss human rights abuse in Balochistan at a conference titled "Genocide in Balochistan: the role of the international community". The Baloch political activists highlighted the atrocities committed by the Pakistan Army as they have launched operations in Balochistan, killing civilians and destroying their houses. Razzak Baloch, organiser, USA Chapter of Baloch Human Rights Council, said, "Every 10 miles there is a check post, Balochistan has become a bigger jail. People cannot move around. You cannot even question them as to why you are stopping us? Why are you searching for our bodies? Why are you searching for our women? Why are you searching for our children?" Also read: Geneva: Activists protest, seek UN intervention to prevent Pak-inflicted genocide in Balochistan "Life is very miserable. You cannot move around in Balochistan. Anybody talks and he`s vanished. Is this freedom? We want to be free. We want to breathe freely. It is the duty of our neighbours also to see what is going on in Balochistan," he added. Taha Siddiqui, a Pakistani journalist, who is now living in exile, said, "In Balochistan, currently the biggest issue is that for a very long time there was abuse. There was a lot of atrocities by the Pakistani state, but now it is not just about these missing persons actually. What is the problem is that there are missing stories, there is an information black hole and things are not being reported independently or not even reported at all." He added, "So, the worst thing that is going on in Balochistan is that we do not even have an idea of what is going on and that is worse than being able to report about it and talk about it. So in that sense, the way there are secret military operations going on, the abduction is going on, there is religious radicalisation going on and all of this is not being reported." Also see: Women in Pakistan protest against violence, rape, honour killings Taha, who escaped his abduction in Pakistan by secret agencies told the source, "The media is not being allowed and we are seeing that this is intensifying ever since China has come into the equation." He said that ever since China has invested in Balochistan, "the crackdown by the military and Pakistani state has worsened and they do not want to talk about Baloch issues, the human rights abuse or whatever is happening in Balochistan." "Nothing negative can be reported from the country because China does not want it, so the Pakistan military does not want it," the Pakistani journalist added. Also read: Women's rights activists attacked then detained in Kyrgyzstan The event was also attended by a member of the European Parliament who talked about the persecution of people in the mineral-rich but the poorest province in Pakistan. Ryszard Czarnecki, a Member of European Parliament (MEP) told the source, "You have a very active (Baloch) diaspora, especially in Europe. Representatives of this diaspora inform us, the members of the European Parliament about the real situation in Balochistan and about Pakistani violations and lack of respecting human rights in this region." "Obviously, we should make an intervention at different international levels. The people in Balochistan should feel that they are not alone. I would like to express my solidarity with our brothers and sisters in this region," the MEP said.

Activists, experts raise issues of human rights abuse in Balochistan

Madrid matches steps with protest rhythm, protesters block Madrid's central shopping street.

Madrid matches steps with protest rhythm

Privacy of 121 Indians breached, Journalists and Activists were targeted by Pegasus spyware

WION tracks WhatsApp Snoopgate: Privacy of 121 Indians breached

Application WhatsApp was used to hack smartphones. The journalists, activists, Diplomats are among the victims. NSO Group was accused of using WhatsApp to hack phones. Indian Government sends notice to WhatsApp.

Your Story: Indian Government sends notice to WhatsApp

Application WhatsApp was used to hack smartphones. The journalists, activists, Diplomats are among the victims. NSO Group was accused of using WhatsApp to hack phones. IT Ministry seeks WhatsApp's response on Spyware issue

Breaking News: IT Ministry seeks WhatsApp's response on Spyware issue

Application WhatsApp was used to hack smartphones. The journalists, activists, Diplomats are among the victims. NSO Group was accused of using WhatsApp to hack phones.

WhatsApp used to hack smartphones; WION correspondent also targeted

Activists in El Salvador threw eggs filled with confetti and sprayed red paint outside the attorney general's office on Monday (September 09) to protest a decision to seek a third trial for a woman accused of killing her stillborn son.

El Salvador: Activists protest against country's abortion laws

High-Profile Arrests Ahead Of The Weekend In Hong Kong

Gravitas: Hong Kong: Police cracks down on Activists

Dozens of activists in eastern Myanmar face charges of unlawful assembly, an activist leader said on Friday, after police broke up the latest protest against a statue of Aung San, the nation's independence hero and father of leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Police arrested 36 people on Thursday outside the headquarters of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party in the Kayah state capital of Loikaw, said Di Di, spokesman for the Karenni Youth Force Protest Camp Committee.

Another 10 people were arrested on Friday, he said.

A video posted on Facebook by another group, the Union of Karenni State Youth, showed police pulling away young men and women who were sitting in a circle singing a protest song.

The video could not be verified independently by Reuters.

An officer who answered the phone at Loikaw police station declined to comment, and state officials could not be contacted.

The protests began last year after the Kayah government announced plans for a gold-coloured statue of General Aung San riding a horse, which was inaugurated this month.

Members of the Karenni minority oppose the prominent monument to a leader from the country's Burman majority.

Aung San, the founder of Myanmar's armed forces, is credited with bringing the country's ethnic minorities together before his assassination in 1947. However, minorities say the goal of a fair federal system has not been achieved.

His daughter, Suu Kyi, won elections in 2015 but shares power with the military.

She needs to retain support in ethnic minority areas to win elections next year, and secure peace with armed groups that profess to fight for minority rights and autonomy.

A total of 54 protesters have been charged under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law since protests against the statue began in mid-2018, said Di Di.

If convicted, the protesters face six months in jail.

Nine of the activists are also accused of defamation and incitement, charges that carry a jail term of two years, he said.

The protesters believe it is their duty to fight against a version of history that downplays Karenni autonomy in favour of the role of Aung San, Di Di said.

"We must have a right to self-determination and a right to regional autonomy. The government must guarantee these rights," he said.

Fortify Rights, which is monitoring the demonstrations, urged the government to end a crackdown on peaceful protesters.

"No one should spend any time in court or behind bars for exercising their human rights," the group's chief executive, Matthew Smith, said in a statement.

Dozens of activists in eastern Myanmar face charges of unlawful assembly, an activist leader said on Friday, after police broke up the latest protest against a statue of Aung San, the nation's independence hero and father of leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Dozens of activists in eastern Myanmar face charges of unlawful assembly, an activist leader said on Friday, after police broke up the latest protest against a statue of Aung San, the nation's independence hero and father of leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Police arrested 36 people on Thursday outside the headquarters of Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party in the Kayah state capital of Loikaw, said Di Di, spokesman for the Karenni Youth Force Protest Camp Committee. Another 10 people were arrested on Friday, he said. A video posted on Facebook by another group, the Union of Karenni State Youth, showed police pulling away young men and women who were sitting in a circle singing a protest song. The video could not be verified independently by Reuters. An officer who answered the phone at Loikaw police station declined to comment, and state officials could not be contacted. The protests began last year after the Kayah government announced plans for a gold-coloured statue of General Aung San riding a horse, which was inaugurated this month. Members of the Karenni minority oppose the prominent monument to a leader from the country's Burman majority. Aung San, the founder of Myanmar's armed forces, is credited with bringing the country's ethnic minorities together before his assassination in 1947. However, minorities say the goal of a fair federal system has not been achieved. His daughter, Suu Kyi, won elections in 2015 but shares power with the military. She needs to retain support in ethnic minority areas to win elections next year, and secure peace with armed groups that profess to fight for minority rights and autonomy. A total of 54 protesters have been charged under the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law since protests against the statue began in mid-2018, said Di Di. If convicted, the protesters face six months in jail. Nine of the activists are also accused of defamation and incitement, charges that carry a jail term of two years, he said. The protesters believe it is their duty to fight against a version of history that downplays Karenni autonomy in favour of the role of Aung San, Di Di said. "We must have a right to self-determination and a right to regional autonomy. The government must guarantee these rights," he said. Fortify Rights, which is monitoring the demonstrations, urged the government to end a crackdown on peaceful protesters. "No one should spend any time in court or behind bars for exercising their human rights," the group's chief executive, Matthew Smith, said in a statement.

Myanmar activists charged after protesting independence hero statue

Female Ugandan activists on Thursday slammed a government campaign to use "curvy women" as a tourism "product", which has sparked a furore in the east African nation.

Tourism Minister Godfrey Kiwanda unveiled the campaign on Wednesday at a press conference attended by a bevy of curvaceous women.

"Uganda is endowed with beautiful women. Their beauty is unique and diverse. That's why we decided to use the unique beauty, the curves... to make this beauty a product to be marketed along with what we already have as a country ranging from nature, the language and food, to make it a tourist attraction," Kiwanda told AFP on Thursday.

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Part of the plan to market Ugandan women is a beauty pageant, Miss Curvy Uganda, to be held in June.

"The winner of the Miss Curvy contest was to be part of our tourism campaign brand using beauty as one other product of tourism," Kiwanda said.

Ugandan women were outraged at the proposal and have called for Kiwanda's resignation.

"This is a perversion. To think women can be used as sex objects in this age and time is an absurdity and we condemn it," Rita Aciro, executive director of the Uganda Women's Network, told AFP.&nbsp;

Ugandan entrepreneur and activist Primrose Nyonyozi Murungi launched an online petition to stop the campaign, which she said was "totally unacceptable and demeaning to us."

"Women in Uganda have been attacked while on the streets. What happens now that the government is confirming a stereotype that women are sexual objects and can be touched regardless and more so made a product of tourism," she told AFP.

She said that if the campaign was not stopped immediately, the petitioners would take their case to court.

In addition to Kiwanda's resignation, she has demanded an apology from the government.&nbsp;

Former opposition leader in parliament Winnie Kiiza told AFP the move came "at the time (when) women face fear and stigma in a male-dominated society."

"We have been outraged by this campaign that a government can parade curves of women as a tourist attraction," she said.

Kiwanda, trying to stem the anger, insisted the campaign was not aimed at demeaning women.

"Diverse as we are as a country we have a message to put out there about the different curves our women have, which we believe is a tourist attraction."

Female Ugandan activists on Thursday slammed a government campaign to use "curvy women" as a tourism "product", which has sparked a furore in the east African nation.

Female Ugandan activists on Thursday slammed a government campaign to use "curvy women" as a tourism "product", which has sparked a furore in the east African nation. Tourism Minister Godfrey Kiwanda unveiled the campaign on Wednesday at a press conference attended by a bevy of curvaceous women. "Uganda is endowed with beautiful women. Their beauty is unique and diverse. That's why we decided to use the unique beauty, the curves... to make this beauty a product to be marketed along with what we already have as a country ranging from nature, the language and food, to make it a tourist attraction," Kiwanda told AFP on Thursday. 'Uganda is endowed with beautiful women. Their beauty is unique and diverse. That's why we decided to use the unique beauty, the curves... to make this beauty a product to be marketed along with what we already have as a country ranging from nature, the language and food, to make it a tourist attraction,' Tourism Minister George Kiwanda said × Part of the plan to market Ugandan women is a beauty pageant, Miss Curvy Uganda, to be held in June. "The winner of the Miss Curvy contest was to be part of our tourism campaign brand using beauty as one other product of tourism," Kiwanda said. Ugandan women were outraged at the proposal and have called for Kiwanda's resignation. "This is a perversion. To think women can be used as sex objects in this age and time is an absurdity and we condemn it," Rita Aciro, executive director of the Uganda Women's Network, told AFP. Ugandan entrepreneur and activist Primrose Nyonyozi Murungi launched an online petition to stop the campaign, which she said was "totally unacceptable and demeaning to us." "Women in Uganda have been attacked while on the streets. What happens now that the government is confirming a stereotype that women are sexual objects and can be touched regardless and more so made a product of tourism," she told AFP. She said that if the campaign was not stopped immediately, the petitioners would take their case to court. In addition to Kiwanda's resignation, she has demanded an apology from the government. Former opposition leader in parliament Winnie Kiiza told AFP the move came "at the time (when) women face fear and stigma in a male-dominated society." "We have been outraged by this campaign that a government can parade curves of women as a tourist attraction," she said. Kiwanda, trying to stem the anger, insisted the campaign was not aimed at demeaning women. "Diverse as we are as a country we have a message to put out there about the different curves our women have, which we believe is a tourist attraction."

Uganda wanted to draw tourists with 'curvy women', it got outry instead

Pakistan is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for activists and reporters.

The country's powerful and secretive security establishment, which includes the much feared Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the military, has long used abductions to silence anyone who dares to question or expose their actions, claims Kiran Nazish, an independent journalist covering South Asia and the Middle East, adding that she is of the view that the army is now waging what she calls "a quiet war on journalists".

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, nearly 10,000 people have gone missing in the country since 2001, with nearly 3,000 still unaccounted for. In 2016 alone, there were 728 disappearances.

The HRCP and human rights activists say these numbers are significantly under-reported.

This matters, of course, for ordinary Pakistanis, who can't speak freely about their government. It also affects Pakistani lawmakers, whose ability to craft legislation is hampered by the lack of information, Nazish says in an article that she has written for the website www.vox.com.

According to Nazish, these enforced disappearances have real consequences for the rest of the world as well and recalls US President Donald Trump's first tweet of 2018, when he directly exposed Pakistan's failure to assist Washington in its global war on terror.

"The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit," he tweeted.

"They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help," he added.

According to Nazish, Trump's tweet speaks of a larger issue i.e. that Pakistan is battling its own war on terror.

"Many parts of the country, including Waziristan, on its porous border with Afghanistan, have turned into safe havens for militants and terror groups. The Pakistani military has been accused of working closely with and even aiding terrorists there. To many, Pakistan is a black hole of information due to the lack of reporting and independent voices on the ground. Not knowing what actually is taking place not only complicates global efforts to counter terrorism but also puts the region and the world at large at risk," she says.

She further asks how will Washington verify Pakistan's cracking down on terrorist groups like the Taliban and the Haqqani Network before agreeing to revoke the suspension of USD 900 million in security aid to Islamabad.

Nazish opines that Pakistan's intelligence agencies operate like an independent arm of the state

"It's important to note that Pakistan's government, although democratically elected, does not have the power to control or influence the far-reaching and powerful military establishment. Pakistan's intelligence agencies hold so much power that even the police can't touch them. And despite criticism and warnings from international groups and pledges by the government of Pakistan, disappearances seem to be getting worse," she adds.

Pakistan's Commission on Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances received nearly 300 cases of alleged enforced disappearances from August to October 2017, by far the largest number in a three month period in recent years.

And in early 2017, three Pakistani bloggers who were critical of the government disappeared for weeks, without a trace. When they were released, all three described torture and sexual abuse at the hands of Pakistani security personnel.

"Anyone who reports on Balochistan, or terrorism in Pakistan, knows that the military agencies will come after them," Khushal Khan, a research officer at the HRCP, told Nazish.

Waziristan, the restive region on the Western border with Afghanistan, is one of the most under-reported places in the country. There's almost no information that hasn't been vetted or censored by the military going in or out.

The Pakistani military has claimed several times that they have defeated terrorism in this area and forced out the terrorists - but the military refuses to let journalists or NGOs visit the area to verify their claims.

The fact is that anyone who attempts to report on what's happening in Pakistan now runs the risk of disappearing.

"When I was investigating abductions of civilians from Waziristan in 2015, my sources were threatened and told that they "should not speak to journalists," Nazish, a former senior fellow at New America, says.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, nearly 10,000 people have gone missing in the country since 2001, with nearly 3,000 still unaccounted for.

Pakistan is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for activists and reporters. The country's powerful and secretive security establishment, which includes the much feared Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the military, has long used abductions to silence anyone who dares to question or expose their actions, claims Kiran Nazish, an independent journalist covering South Asia and the Middle East, adding that she is of the view that the army is now waging what she calls "a quiet war on journalists". According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, nearly 10,000 people have gone missing in the country since 2001, with nearly 3,000 still unaccounted for. In 2016 alone, there were 728 disappearances. The HRCP and human rights activists say these numbers are significantly under-reported. This matters, of course, for ordinary Pakistanis, who can't speak freely about their government. It also affects Pakistani lawmakers, whose ability to craft legislation is hampered by the lack of information, Nazish says in an article that she has written for the website www.vox.com. According to Nazish, these enforced disappearances have real consequences for the rest of the world as well and recalls US President Donald Trump's first tweet of 2018, when he directly exposed Pakistan's failure to assist Washington in its global war on terror. "The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit," he tweeted. "They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help," he added. According to Nazish, Trump's tweet speaks of a larger issue i.e. that Pakistan is battling its own war on terror. "Many parts of the country, including Waziristan, on its porous border with Afghanistan, have turned into safe havens for militants and terror groups. The Pakistani military has been accused of working closely with and even aiding terrorists there. To many, Pakistan is a black hole of information due to the lack of reporting and independent voices on the ground. Not knowing what actually is taking place not only complicates global efforts to counter terrorism but also puts the region and the world at large at risk," she says. She further asks how will Washington verify Pakistan's cracking down on terrorist groups like the Taliban and the Haqqani Network before agreeing to revoke the suspension of USD 900 million in security aid to Islamabad. Nazish opines that Pakistan's intelligence agencies operate like an independent arm of the state "It's important to note that Pakistan's government, although democratically elected, does not have the power to control or influence the far-reaching and powerful military establishment. Pakistan's intelligence agencies hold so much power that even the police can't touch them. And despite criticism and warnings from international groups and pledges by the government of Pakistan, disappearances seem to be getting worse," she adds. Pakistan's Commission on Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances received nearly 300 cases of alleged enforced disappearances from August to October 2017, by far the largest number in a three month period in recent years. And in early 2017, three Pakistani bloggers who were critical of the government disappeared for weeks, without a trace. When they were released, all three described torture and sexual abuse at the hands of Pakistani security personnel. "Anyone who reports on Balochistan, or terrorism in Pakistan, knows that the military agencies will come after them," Khushal Khan, a research officer at the HRCP, told Nazish. Waziristan, the restive region on the Western border with Afghanistan, is one of the most under-reported places in the country. There's almost no information that hasn't been vetted or censored by the military going in or out. The Pakistani military has claimed several times that they have defeated terrorism in this area and forced out the terrorists - but the military refuses to let journalists or NGOs visit the area to verify their claims. The fact is that anyone who attempts to report on what's happening in Pakistan now runs the risk of disappearing. "When I was investigating abductions of civilians from Waziristan in 2015, my sources were threatened and told that they "should not speak to journalists," Nazish, a former senior fellow at New America, says.

Pakistan's military, ISI waging 'quiet war' against journalists, activists: Expert 

One of Bangladesh&#39;s top writers was attacked and injured in the northern city of Sylhet on Saturday, police said, the latest in a series of attacks on authors and bloggers.

Police said Zafar Iqbal, a celebrated secular activist and bestselling science fiction writer, was rushed to a hospital in Sylhet after the attack.

&quot;He was hit on the back of his head and he was bleeding,&quot; a police constable posted at the hospital told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Abdul Wahab, a spokesman for the Sylhet city police, confirmed the incident, saying police suspect he was attacked with a knife.

&quot;He was in a seminar when he was attacked. His gunman caught an attacker,&quot; he told AFP, referring to Iqbal&#39;s police guard.

Bangladesh&#39;s government provides security for the country&#39;s top secular writers and activists.

Police do not know how many people were involved in the attack nor whether they belonged to any Islamist extremist groups, he said.

&quot;He has been taken to the operating theatre,&quot; he said.

Iqbal, who teaches at a state-run university in Sylhet, is a longstanding a champion of free speech and secularism in Bangladesh.

He is also a top selling author and celebrity speaker who regularly appears at university campuses nationwide.

Suspected Islamist extremists have carried out a series of attacks on secular and atheist writers and bloggers in the last four years, killing around a dozen of them including a top Bangladesh origin American atheist blogger.

Police have blamed homegrown Islamist extremist group Ansarullah Bangla Team, also known as Ansar al Islam, which is linked with Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent for most of the attacks.

Police said Zafar Iqbal, a celebrated secular activist and bestselling science fiction writer, was rushed to a hospital in Sylhet after the attack

One of Bangladesh's top writers was attacked and injured in the northern city of Sylhet on Saturday, police said, the latest in a series of attacks on authors and bloggers. Police said Zafar Iqbal, a celebrated secular activist and bestselling science fiction writer, was rushed to a hospital in Sylhet after the attack. "He was hit on the back of his head and he was bleeding," a police constable posted at the hospital told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. Abdul Wahab, a spokesman for the Sylhet city police, confirmed the incident, saying police suspect he was attacked with a knife. "He was in a seminar when he was attacked. His gunman caught an attacker," he told AFP, referring to Iqbal's police guard. Bangladesh's government provides security for the country's top secular writers and activists. Police do not know how many people were involved in the attack nor whether they belonged to any Islamist extremist groups, he said. "He has been taken to the operating theatre," he said. Iqbal, who teaches at a state-run university in Sylhet, is a longstanding a champion of free speech and secularism in Bangladesh. He is also a top selling author and celebrity speaker who regularly appears at university campuses nationwide. Suspected Islamist extremists have carried out a series of attacks on secular and atheist writers and bloggers in the last four years, killing around a dozen of them including a top Bangladesh origin American atheist blogger. Police have blamed homegrown Islamist extremist group Ansarullah Bangla Team, also known as Ansar al Islam, which is linked with Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent for most of the attacks.

Top secular writer attacked in Bangladesh: Police

Iranian security forces Sunday detained three more environmental activists on spying charges.

The detention came weeks after the first wave of arrests and the death in detention of an Iranian-Canadian head of a wildlife group took place.

&quot;Three people were recently arrested in (southern) Hormozgan province. I cannot legally give details now ... but there is no doubt that infiltration by the United States and Israel is a serious matter,&quot; said judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, quoted by the semi-official Fars news agency.

After the earlier arrests, Iranian officials said the activists were gathering sensitive information under the guise of scientific and environmental activities.

The latest arrests come after the death of Kavous Seyed-Emami, an Iranian-Canadian environmental activist and sociology professor, who was arrested on January 24 and died in prison two weeks later.&nbsp;

However, the judiciary said Seyed-Emami, 63, had committed suicide.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), said at least nine other staff members and executives of Seyed-Emami&#39;s organisation had been arrested on the same day as him.

President Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatic cleric who defeated anti-Western hardliners to win re-election last year, has called for improving Iran&#39;s international ties and reforming the economy.

Human rights activists have reported that at least six detainees have died in prisons in the last two months in Iran but the judiciary, however, confirmed that three deaths took place in custody and all three were suicides.

The detention came weeks after the first wave of arrests

Iranian security forces Sunday detained three more environmental activists on spying charges. The detention came weeks after the first wave of arrests and the death in detention of an Iranian-Canadian head of a wildlife group took place. "Three people were recently arrested in (southern) Hormozgan province. I cannot legally give details now ... but there is no doubt that infiltration by the United States and Israel is a serious matter," said judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, quoted by the semi-official Fars news agency. After the earlier arrests, Iranian officials said the activists were gathering sensitive information under the guise of scientific and environmental activities. The latest arrests come after the death of Kavous Seyed-Emami, an Iranian-Canadian environmental activist and sociology professor, who was arrested on January 24 and died in prison two weeks later. However, the judiciary said Seyed-Emami, 63, had committed suicide. The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), said at least nine other staff members and executives of Seyed-Emami's organisation had been arrested on the same day as him. President Hassan Rouhani, a pragmatic cleric who defeated anti-Western hardliners to win re-election last year, has called for improving Iran's international ties and reforming the economy. Human rights activists have reported that at least six detainees have died in prisons in the last two months in Iran but the judiciary, however, confirmed that three deaths took place in custody and all three were suicides.

Iran detains three more activists after Iranian-Canadian dies in jail

A doctor in Vietnam has been sentenced to four years in jail for &quot;anti-state propaganda&quot;, state media reported, as part of a fresh wave of convictions in the one-party state accused of waging a crackdown on critics.

Bloggers, activists and lawyers are routinely jailed in communist Vietnam, where a hardline leadership in place since 2016 is accused of tightening its grip on dissidents.&nbsp;

At least 24 activists were convicted last year, with another 28 arrested, according to Human Rights Watch, making 2017 one of the worst years for activists in the country.&nbsp;

The latest to be jailed is Ho Van Hai, 54, a doctor who was arrested in November 2016 over a series of blog posts criticising the government.

He was sentenced to four years in prison after a one-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, state-controlled VNExpress reported.

&quot;Of the 75 articles posted online and stored in Hai&#39;s computer, the authorities identified 36 articles that violated the regulation on management, provision and use of Internet services and information on the internet,&quot; according to the VnExpress report.

Hai is also accused of calling for public protests against Taiwanese steel giant Formosa, which dumped toxic waste into the ocean killing tonnes of fish along Vietnam&#39;s central coast in 2016.

The disaster hit livelihoods hard and sparked rare nationwide protests.

Hai is the fourth person jailed in Vietnam this week, after three men were convicted Wednesday also under Article 88 of the criminal code -- anti-state propaganda, which rights groups say is vaguely worded and used to curb dissent.

Last month, four Buddhist activists were jailed on the same charge for flying the flag of the defeated southern regime loathed by the ruling communists.

The UN Human Rights Office for Southeast Asia called for Hai&#39;s release after his arrest, criticising Article 88, which runs &quot;contrary to international human rights standards and should be repealed&quot;, said the office&#39;s acting representative Laurent Meillan in November 2016.&nbsp;

Bloggers, activists and lawyers are routinely jailed in communist Vietnam

A doctor in Vietnam has been sentenced to four years in jail for "anti-state propaganda", state media reported, as part of a fresh wave of convictions in the one-party state accused of waging a crackdown on critics. Bloggers, activists and lawyers are routinely jailed in communist Vietnam, where a hardline leadership in place since 2016 is accused of tightening its grip on dissidents. At least 24 activists were convicted last year, with another 28 arrested, according to Human Rights Watch, making 2017 one of the worst years for activists in the country. The latest to be jailed is Ho Van Hai, 54, a doctor who was arrested in November 2016 over a series of blog posts criticising the government. He was sentenced to four years in prison after a one-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, state-controlled VNExpress reported. "Of the 75 articles posted online and stored in Hai's computer, the authorities identified 36 articles that violated the regulation on management, provision and use of Internet services and information on the internet," according to the VnExpress report. Hai is also accused of calling for public protests against Taiwanese steel giant Formosa, which dumped toxic waste into the ocean killing tonnes of fish along Vietnam's central coast in 2016. The disaster hit livelihoods hard and sparked rare nationwide protests. Hai is the fourth person jailed in Vietnam this week, after three men were convicted Wednesday also under Article 88 of the criminal code -- anti-state propaganda, which rights groups say is vaguely worded and used to curb dissent. Last month, four Buddhist activists were jailed on the same charge for flying the flag of the defeated southern regime loathed by the ruling communists. The UN Human Rights Office for Southeast Asia called for Hai's release after his arrest, criticising Article 88, which runs "contrary to international human rights standards and should be repealed", said the office's acting representative Laurent Meillan in November 2016.

Vietnam doctor jailed for 'anti-state' posts

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