Iran's supreme leader is expected to lead the main weekly Muslim prayers in Tehran on Friday, after a traumatic month in which the country had appeared on the brink of war with the United States and accidentally downed a Ukrainian passenger jet.

The last time <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/khamenei-to-lead-friday-prayers-for-first-time-since-2012-274495">Ayatollah Ali Khamenei</a> led Friday prayers at Tehran's Mosalla mosque was in February 2012, on the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic revolution and at a time of crisis over the Iran nuclear issue.

His Friday appearance comes at a tumultuous moment for the country which had seemed headed for conflict earlier in January after the United States killed its top general <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eleven-us-troops-injured-in-january-8-iran-missile-attack-in-iraq-274776">Qasem Soleimani</a> in a drone strike in Baghdad, prompting Iran to retaliate against US military targets in Iraq with a volley of missiles.

The strike, which caused significant material damage, wounded 11 US troops, according to a statement by US Central Command released Thursday, which contradicted the military's previous assessment of no casualties.

Earlier in the day President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/us-iran-conflict-a-high-stakes-bet-on-who-blinks-first-274636">Hassan Rouhani</a> emphasized in a televised speech that Iran "is working daily to prevent military confrontation or war", and maintained that a dialogue with the world was still "possible".&nbsp;

Tensions between Washington and Tehran seemed to subside in the wake of the accidental downing of a Ukrainian passenger airliner hours after Iran's retaliatory strikes, as Tehran was on high alert for US reprisals.

The tragedy killed 176 people, mostly Iranians and Canadians.&nbsp;

Canada's foreign minister on Thursday vowed to push Iran for answers about the tragedy.

Ottawa said earlier that US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-trumps-impeachment-trial-officialy-gets-underway-274778">Donald Trump's</a> policies had contributed to the heightened tensions that led to the catastrophe.

In June 2019, Iran and the United States had also appeared to be on the brink of direct military confrontation after Tehran shot down a US drone it said had violated its airspace. &nbsp;

Trump said he called off retaliatory strikes at the last minute.&nbsp;

The animosity between Washington and Tehran has increased since Trump withdrew the United States from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed biting sanctions.

In Iran, the air disaster sparked public outrage and anti-government demonstrations took place every day from Saturday to Wednesday.&nbsp;

Security forces were deployed across the capital in response to the protests.&nbsp;

According to a&nbsp;journalist, around 50 riot police with batons, motorbikes and what appeared to be a tear gas launcher were posted at a major junction in north Tehran on Thursday evening.

Concentrated in the capital, the protests appeared smaller than a wave of national demonstrations in November, prompted by a fuel price hike. They had been met with a crackdown that left at least 300 people dead, according to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/icj-ruling-on-urgent-measures-in-rohingya-case-on-january-23-gambia-274450">Amnesty International</a>.&nbsp;

Rouhani implicitly acknowledged a crisis of confidence in authorities, but called Wednesday for "national unity", better governance and greater pluralism.

On Thursday, Rouhani also defended the policy of openness that he has pursued since his first election in 2013, and which Iran's ultra-conservatives criticise.&nbsp;

"Of course, it's difficult," he acknowledged, but added, "the people elected us to lower tensions and animosity" between the Islamic republic and the world.

That said, Khamenei, who maintains that the West is not trustworthy, bans dialogue with Trump.&nbsp;

On Thursday, Rouhani said Iran's "daily enrichment" of uranium was currently "higher" than before the conclusion of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Rouhani, who instigated the negotiations, made the comments while justifying his nuclear policy and Iran's progressive disengagement from the accord. He also stated his willingness to continue dialogue on the agreement.&nbsp;

In response to the US withdrawal from the deal and sanctions, an increasingly frustrated Iran has hit back with a step-by-step suspension of its own commitments under the deal, which drastically limited its nuclear activities.

On Tuesday, Germany, the UK and France, the three European parties to the deal, announced they had triggered a dispute mechanism in response to the latest step back from the deal by Tehran.

Germany on Thursday confirmed a Washington Post report that the US had threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on imports of European cars if EU governments continued to back the nuclear deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/countries-demand-iran-compensate-relatives-of-plane-crash-victims-274765">Mohammad Javad Zarif</a> accused the European parties of having "sold out" the deal to avoid trade reprisals from the United States, and said Trump was again behaving like a "high school bully".

Iran's supreme leader is expected to lead the main weekly Muslim prayers in Tehran on Friday, after a traumatic month in which the country had appeared on the brink of war with the United States and accidentally downed a Ukrainian passenger jet.

Iran's supreme leader is expected to lead the main weekly Muslim prayers in Tehran on Friday, after a traumatic month in which the country had appeared on the brink of war with the United States and accidentally downed a Ukrainian passenger jet. The last time Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led Friday prayers at Tehran's Mosalla mosque was in February 2012, on the 33rd anniversary of the Islamic revolution and at a time of crisis over the Iran nuclear issue. His Friday appearance comes at a tumultuous moment for the country which had seemed headed for conflict earlier in January after the United States killed its top general Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad, prompting Iran to retaliate against US military targets in Iraq with a volley of missiles. The strike, which caused significant material damage, wounded 11 US troops, according to a statement by US Central Command released Thursday, which contradicted the military's previous assessment of no casualties. Earlier in the day President Hassan Rouhani emphasized in a televised speech that Iran "is working daily to prevent military confrontation or war", and maintained that a dialogue with the world was still "possible". Tensions between Washington and Tehran seemed to subside in the wake of the accidental downing of a Ukrainian passenger airliner hours after Iran's retaliatory strikes, as Tehran was on high alert for US reprisals. The tragedy killed 176 people, mostly Iranians and Canadians. Canada's foreign minister on Thursday vowed to push Iran for answers about the tragedy. Ottawa said earlier that US President Donald Trump's policies had contributed to the heightened tensions that led to the catastrophe. In June 2019, Iran and the United States had also appeared to be on the brink of direct military confrontation after Tehran shot down a US drone it said had violated its airspace. Trump said he called off retaliatory strikes at the last minute. The animosity between Washington and Tehran has increased since Trump withdrew the United States from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed biting sanctions. In Iran, the air disaster sparked public outrage and anti-government demonstrations took place every day from Saturday to Wednesday. Security forces were deployed across the capital in response to the protests. According to a journalist, around 50 riot police with batons, motorbikes and what appeared to be a tear gas launcher were posted at a major junction in north Tehran on Thursday evening. Concentrated in the capital, the protests appeared smaller than a wave of national demonstrations in November, prompted by a fuel price hike. They had been met with a crackdown that left at least 300 people dead, according to Amnesty International. Rouhani implicitly acknowledged a crisis of confidence in authorities, but called Wednesday for "national unity", better governance and greater pluralism. On Thursday, Rouhani also defended the policy of openness that he has pursued since his first election in 2013, and which Iran's ultra-conservatives criticise. "Of course, it's difficult," he acknowledged, but added, "the people elected us to lower tensions and animosity" between the Islamic republic and the world. That said, Khamenei, who maintains that the West is not trustworthy, bans dialogue with Trump. On Thursday, Rouhani said Iran's "daily enrichment" of uranium was currently "higher" than before the conclusion of the 2015 nuclear deal. Rouhani, who instigated the negotiations, made the comments while justifying his nuclear policy and Iran's progressive disengagement from the accord. He also stated his willingness to continue dialogue on the agreement. In response to the US withdrawal from the deal and sanctions, an increasingly frustrated Iran has hit back with a step-by-step suspension of its own commitments under the deal, which drastically limited its nuclear activities. On Tuesday, Germany, the UK and France, the three European parties to the deal, announced they had triggered a dispute mechanism in response to the latest step back from the deal by Tehran. Germany on Thursday confirmed a Washington Post report that the US had threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on imports of European cars if EU governments continued to back the nuclear deal. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused the European parties of having "sold out" the deal to avoid trade reprisals from the United States, and said Trump was again behaving like a "high school bully".

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to lead Friday 'prayers' in Tehran amid Iranian tumult

Iran on Saturday disputed death tolls issued abroad for the bloodshed that erupted during protests in the country over fuel prices after a rights group said over 160 demonstrators were killed.

The demonstrations flared in mid-November after the price of petrol in the Islamic republic went up overnight by as much as 200 per cent.

Officials in Iran have yet to say how many people died in the ensuing violence that saw banks, petrol pumps and police stations set on fire.

London-based human rights group Amnesty International said in a tweet on Friday that the crackdown claimed the lives of 161 demonstrators.

But Iran's deputy interior minister, Jamal Orf, disputed such figures.

"Statistics by international organisations on those killed in the recent incidents are not credible," he was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

Orf accused the sources that reported the figures of "exaggerating" them.

The prosecution service, he added, was set to announce the figures based on those it receives from the coroner's office.

Prior to its latest tweet, Amnesty International said on Monday that 143 demonstrators had been killed in the crackdown, citing what it called "credible reports".

The governments of the United States, France and Germany have condemned Iran over the bloodshed.

The unrest broke out on November 15, hours after it was announced that the price of gas would rise to 15,000 rials per litre (12 US cents) from 10,000 for the first 60 litres, and to 30,000 rials for any extra fuel bought after that each month.

Iran's economy has been battered since last year when President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear agreement and reimposed crippling sanctions on the Islamic republic.

The government in Tehran said proceeds from the fuel price hike would go to the neediest people in the country.

According to IRNA, the payments have since been made in three installations between November 18 and 23. 
&nbsp;

Iran on Saturday disputed death tolls issued abroad for the bloodshed that erupted during protests in the country over fuel prices after a rights group said over 160 demonstrators were killed.

Iran on Saturday disputed death tolls issued abroad for the bloodshed that erupted during protests in the country over fuel prices after a rights group said over 160 demonstrators were killed. The demonstrations flared in mid-November after the price of petrol in the Islamic republic went up overnight by as much as 200 per cent. Officials in Iran have yet to say how many people died in the ensuing violence that saw banks, petrol pumps and police stations set on fire. London-based human rights group Amnesty International said in a tweet on Friday that the crackdown claimed the lives of 161 demonstrators. But Iran's deputy interior minister, Jamal Orf, disputed such figures. "Statistics by international organisations on those killed in the recent incidents are not credible," he was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA. Orf accused the sources that reported the figures of "exaggerating" them. The prosecution service, he added, was set to announce the figures based on those it receives from the coroner's office. Prior to its latest tweet, Amnesty International said on Monday that 143 demonstrators had been killed in the crackdown, citing what it called "credible reports". The governments of the United States, France and Germany have condemned Iran over the bloodshed. The unrest broke out on November 15, hours after it was announced that the price of gas would rise to 15,000 rials per litre (12 US cents) from 10,000 for the first 60 litres, and to 30,000 rials for any extra fuel bought after that each month. Iran's economy has been battered since last year when President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear agreement and reimposed crippling sanctions on the Islamic republic. The government in Tehran said proceeds from the fuel price hike would go to the neediest people in the country. According to IRNA, the payments have since been made in three installations between November 18 and 23.

Iran disputes 'exaggerated' protest death tolls

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/saudi-arabia-says-firm-stand-needed-to-deter-iran-iraq-demurs-223124">Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri</a> on Saturday warned&nbsp;regional&nbsp;countries of&nbsp;consequences&nbsp;if it is proven that they meddled to stoke recent&nbsp;unrest&nbsp;in&nbsp;Iran.

"Some countries in the region should know that they will not have an easy life in the region if clues are found that show they intervened to create&nbsp;unrest&nbsp;in&nbsp;Iran," said Jahangiri, quoted by the semi-official news agency Fars.

Iran&nbsp;has blamed "thugs" linked to exiles and foreign foes - the United&nbsp;States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia - for stirring up&nbsp;unrest&nbsp;following hikes in gasoline prices which led to some of the worst violence in a decade.

Iran's&nbsp;regional&nbsp;rival Saudi Arabia and its arch-foe Israel have backed US&nbsp;moves to reimpose sanctions that have crippled Tehran's economy after Washington withdrew from the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-afghanistan-exchange-treaty-to-extradite-criminal-offenders-264264"> Islamic Republic's</a> 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Meanwhile, police said 180 "ringleaders" of the&nbsp;unrest&nbsp;had been detained by its agents across the country, state television reported. On Friday the judiciary said the Revolutionary Guards had arrested about 100 leaders of protests.

About 1,000 demonstrators have been arrested,&nbsp;Iranian media said nearly a week ago.

The Center for Human Rights in&nbsp;Iran, a New York-based advocacy group, said on its website that a tally based on official figures and credible reports suggested that "a minimum of 2,755 people have been arrested with the actual minimum number likely being closer to 4,000".

Iranian troops and members of the elite Revolutionary Guards helped police quell violent&nbsp;unrest&nbsp;in Kermanshah province this week,&nbsp;Iranian officials said on Saturday, accusing "US&nbsp;agents" of being among the armed protesters.

The&nbsp;unrest&nbsp;appears to be the worst violence at least since&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;stamped out a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/will-pm-modis-israel-visit-bring-the-second-green-revolution-to-india-17670">"Green Revolution"</a> in 2009 when dozens of protesters were killed over several months.

Rights group Amnesty International said at least 30 people were killed in Kermanshah, making it the worst-hit by the protests and it updated its death toll to 115 from 106.

Iran&nbsp;rejected the death toll figures as "speculative".

Bahman Reyhani, the Revolutionary Guards' commander in Kermanshah, said "the rioters belonged to anti-revolutionary (exiled opposition) groups and America's intelligence services," the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

He did not name the groups. Armed&nbsp;Iranian Kurdish militants have long operated near the province's border with Iraq.

Guards spokesman Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif said the protests had been initiated by royalists seeking the return of the Pahlavi dynasty toppled by the 1979 revolution, and the exiled Mujahideen Khalq armed opposition group, Tasnim reported.

He said "secessionist" groups were also involved, apparently referring to ethnic Arab and the Kurdish militants.

Protests began in several areas on November 15 after the government announced gasoline price hikes of at least 50 per cent&nbsp;and imposed rationing. The&nbsp;unrest&nbsp;spread to at least 100 towns and cities as demonstrators demanded senior officials step down.

Iran&nbsp;condemned the US&nbsp;decision to impose sanctions on the&nbsp;Iranian information minister on Friday for his role in a nationwide internet shutdown meant to help stifle the protests.

"Everyone knows that the current US&nbsp;administration does not value the principles of democracy, transparency and human rights, including freedom of the internet, for others," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said, according to state media.

On Thursday,&nbsp;Iran's National Security Council that had ordered the shutdown approved reactivating fixed-line internet in some areas after a five-day outage.

The restoration of the internet, slow on the first two days, sped up on Saturday, with observatory NetBlocks indicating that network data showed connectivity was up to 72 per cent&nbsp;of normal levels.

Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri on Saturday warned regional countries of consequences if it is proven that they meddled to stoke recent unrest in Iran. "Some countries in the region should know that they will not have an easy life in the region if clues are found that show they intervened to create unrest in Iran," said Jahangiri, quoted by the semi-official news agency Fars.

Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri on Saturday warned regional countries of consequences if it is proven that they meddled to stoke recent unrest in Iran. "Some countries in the region should know that they will not have an easy life in the region if clues are found that show they intervened to create unrest in Iran," said Jahangiri, quoted by the semi-official news agency Fars. Iran has blamed "thugs" linked to exiles and foreign foes - the United States, Israel, and Saudi Arabia - for stirring up unrest following hikes in gasoline prices which led to some of the worst violence in a decade. Iran's regional rival Saudi Arabia and its arch-foe Israel have backed US moves to reimpose sanctions that have crippled Tehran's economy after Washington withdrew from the Islamic Republic's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Meanwhile, police said 180 "ringleaders" of the unrest had been detained by its agents across the country, state television reported. On Friday the judiciary said the Revolutionary Guards had arrested about 100 leaders of protests. About 1,000 demonstrators have been arrested, Iranian media said nearly a week ago. The Center for Human Rights in Iran, a New York-based advocacy group, said on its website that a tally based on official figures and credible reports suggested that "a minimum of 2,755 people have been arrested with the actual minimum number likely being closer to 4,000". Iranian troops and members of the elite Revolutionary Guards helped police quell violent unrest in Kermanshah province this week, Iranian officials said on Saturday, accusing "US agents" of being among the armed protesters. The unrest appears to be the worst violence at least since Iran stamped out a "Green Revolution" in 2009 when dozens of protesters were killed over several months. Rights group Amnesty International said at least 30 people were killed in Kermanshah, making it the worst-hit by the protests and it updated its death toll to 115 from 106. Iran rejected the death toll figures as "speculative". Bahman Reyhani, the Revolutionary Guards' commander in Kermanshah, said "the rioters belonged to anti-revolutionary (exiled opposition) groups and America's intelligence services," the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. He did not name the groups. Armed Iranian Kurdish militants have long operated near the province's border with Iraq. Guards spokesman Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif said the protests had been initiated by royalists seeking the return of the Pahlavi dynasty toppled by the 1979 revolution, and the exiled Mujahideen Khalq armed opposition group, Tasnim reported. He said "secessionist" groups were also involved, apparently referring to ethnic Arab and the Kurdish militants. Protests began in several areas on November 15 after the government announced gasoline price hikes of at least 50 per cent and imposed rationing. The unrest spread to at least 100 towns and cities as demonstrators demanded senior officials step down. Iran condemned the US decision to impose sanctions on the Iranian information minister on Friday for his role in a nationwide internet shutdown meant to help stifle the protests. "Everyone knows that the current US administration does not value the principles of democracy, transparency and human rights, including freedom of the internet, for others," Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said, according to state media. On Thursday, Iran's National Security Council that had ordered the shutdown approved reactivating fixed-line internet in some areas after a five-day outage. The restoration of the internet, slow on the first two days, sped up on Saturday, with observatory NetBlocks indicating that network data showed connectivity was up to 72 per cent of normal levels.

Some countries will not have it easy if clues found on creating unrest in Iran: Vice President Jahangiri

Chilean police and soldiers backed by their commanders have carried out "generalized" attacks on people protesting over inequality with the intention of "punishing and harming" them, Amnesty International said in a report published on Thursday (November 21).

Chilean security forces 'intentionally' attacked protesters to 'punish' them - Amnesty

The data-collection business model fueling <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science-tech/facebook-to-welcome-its-first-ever-facebook-tv-18323">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/google-pay-to-offer-checking-accounts-through-citi-stanford-federal-261964">Google</a> represents a threat to human rights around the world, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday.

The organization argued that offering people free online services and then using information about them to target money-making ads imperils a gamut of rights including freedom of opinion and expression.

"Despite the real value of the services they provide, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/google-translates-sad-to-happy-angering-hong-kong-protesters-against-china-extradition-law-228536">Google</a> and Facebook's platforms come at a systemic cost," Amnesty said in its report, "Surveillance Giants."

"The companies' surveillance-based business model forces people to make a Faustian bargain, whereby they are only able to enjoy their human rights online by submitting to a system predicated on human rights abuse."

With ubiquitous surveillance, the two online giants are able to collect massive amounts of data which may be used against their customers, according to the London-based human rights group.

The business model is "inherently incompatible with the right to privacy," Amnesty contended.

The report maintained that the two Silicon Valley firms have established "near-total dominance over the primary channels through which people connect and engage with the online world," giving them unprecedented power over people's lives.

"Google and Facebook dominate our modern lives -- amassing unparalleled power over the digital world by harvesting and monetizing the personal data of billions of people," said Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International's secretary-general.

"Their insidious control of our digital lives undermines the very essence of privacy and is one of the defining human rights challenges of our era."

The report called for governments to implement policies that ensure access to online services while protecting user privacy.

"Governments have an obligation to protect people from human rights abuses by corporations," Amnesty maintained.

"But for the past two decades, technology companies have been largely left to self-regulate."

Facebook pushed back against what it contended were inaccuracies in the report, saying it strongly disagreed with its business model being characterized as surveillance-based.

"Our business model is what allows us to offer an important service where people can exercise foundational human rights -- to have a voice (freedom of expression) and be able to connect (freedom of association and assembly)," said a letter from Facebook privacy and public policy director Steve Satterfield in an annex to the Amnesty report.

"Facebook's business model is not, as your summary suggests, driven by the collection of data about people."

Facebook spotlighted its measures implemented which limit data information used for ad targeting; controls provided to users regarding their data; and steps taken to restrict abuses by apps on the social network.

"As you correctly note, we do not sell data; we sell ads," Facebook said.

Facebook chief and co-founder <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/snapchat-checks-for-misleading-political-advertisements-to-enforce-ban-263042">Mark Zuckerberg</a> has called for governments to implement uniform rules regarding data-handling instead of leaving private companies to make crucial social decisions such as the limits of free speech.

Google did not offer a specific written response.

But the Amnesty report noted that Google announced this month it would limit data that it shares with advertisers through its ad auction platform, following the launch of an inquiry by the Irish data protection authority and had launched a new feature allowing users to delete location data.

The data-collection business model fueling Facebook and Google represents a threat to human rights around the world, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday.

The data-collection business model fueling Facebook and Google represents a threat to human rights around the world, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday. The organization argued that offering people free online services and then using information about them to target money-making ads imperils a gamut of rights including freedom of opinion and expression. "Despite the real value of the services they provide, Google and Facebook's platforms come at a systemic cost," Amnesty said in its report, "Surveillance Giants." "The companies' surveillance-based business model forces people to make a Faustian bargain, whereby they are only able to enjoy their human rights online by submitting to a system predicated on human rights abuse." With ubiquitous surveillance, the two online giants are able to collect massive amounts of data which may be used against their customers, according to the London-based human rights group. The business model is "inherently incompatible with the right to privacy," Amnesty contended. The report maintained that the two Silicon Valley firms have established "near-total dominance over the primary channels through which people connect and engage with the online world," giving them unprecedented power over people's lives. "Google and Facebook dominate our modern lives -- amassing unparalleled power over the digital world by harvesting and monetizing the personal data of billions of people," said Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International's secretary-general. "Their insidious control of our digital lives undermines the very essence of privacy and is one of the defining human rights challenges of our era." The report called for governments to implement policies that ensure access to online services while protecting user privacy. "Governments have an obligation to protect people from human rights abuses by corporations," Amnesty maintained. "But for the past two decades, technology companies have been largely left to self-regulate." Facebook pushed back against what it contended were inaccuracies in the report, saying it strongly disagreed with its business model being characterized as surveillance-based. "Our business model is what allows us to offer an important service where people can exercise foundational human rights -- to have a voice (freedom of expression) and be able to connect (freedom of association and assembly)," said a letter from Facebook privacy and public policy director Steve Satterfield in an annex to the Amnesty report. "Facebook's business model is not, as your summary suggests, driven by the collection of data about people." Facebook spotlighted its measures implemented which limit data information used for ad targeting; controls provided to users regarding their data; and steps taken to restrict abuses by apps on the social network. "As you correctly note, we do not sell data; we sell ads," Facebook said. Facebook chief and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg has called for governments to implement uniform rules regarding data-handling instead of leaving private companies to make crucial social decisions such as the limits of free speech. Google did not offer a specific written response. But the Amnesty report noted that Google announced this month it would limit data that it shares with advertisers through its ad auction platform, following the launch of an inquiry by the Irish data protection authority and had launched a new feature allowing users to delete location data.

Google, Facebook business models threat to rights: Amnesty report

More than 100 demonstrators are believed to have been killed across Iran since leaders ordered security forces to stamp out protests triggered by fuel price rises, Amnesty International said Tuesday.

"At least 106 protesters in 21 cities have been killed, according to credible reports," the London-based rights group said.

It added that "the real death toll may be much higher, with some reports suggesting as many as 200 have been killed".

The rights watchdog said the security forces had received a "green light to crush" the protests which broke out on Friday and had spread to more than 100 cities across Iran.

"Authorities must end this brutal and deadly crackdown immediately," said Amnesty's Philip Luther, whose organisation based its report on "verified video footage, eyewitness testimony from people on the ground and information" from rights activists outside Iran.

Amnesty also urged Iranian authorities to "lift the near-total block on internet access designed to restrict the flow of information about the crackdown to the outside world".

It said video footage showed that "snipers have also shot into crowds of people from rooftops and, in one case, a helicopter".

While most demonstrations appeared to have been peaceful, it said, "a small number of protesters turned to stone-throwing and acts of arson and damage to banks and seminaries".

Security forces had been seen taking away dead bodies and injured people from roads and hospitals, according to witnesses, and refused to hand over bodies of victims to their families, Amnesty said.

A hike in petrol price sparked the protests in which Iran has officially confirmed at least five dead, including three security personnel allegedly stabbed to death by "rioters".

More than 100 demonstrators are believed to have been killed across Iran since leaders ordered security forces to stamp out protests triggered by fuel price rises, Amnesty International said Tuesday.

More than 100 demonstrators are believed to have been killed across Iran since leaders ordered security forces to stamp out protests triggered by fuel price rises, Amnesty International said Tuesday. "At least 106 protesters in 21 cities have been killed, according to credible reports," the London-based rights group said. It added that "the real death toll may be much higher, with some reports suggesting as many as 200 have been killed". The rights watchdog said the security forces had received a "green light to crush" the protests which broke out on Friday and had spread to more than 100 cities across Iran. "Authorities must end this brutal and deadly crackdown immediately," said Amnesty's Philip Luther, whose organisation based its report on "verified video footage, eyewitness testimony from people on the ground and information" from rights activists outside Iran. Amnesty also urged Iranian authorities to "lift the near-total block on internet access designed to restrict the flow of information about the crackdown to the outside world". It said video footage showed that "snipers have also shot into crowds of people from rooftops and, in one case, a helicopter". While most demonstrations appeared to have been peaceful, it said, "a small number of protesters turned to stone-throwing and acts of arson and damage to banks and seminaries". Security forces had been seen taking away dead bodies and injured people from roads and hospitals, according to witnesses, and refused to hand over bodies of victims to their families, Amnesty said. A hike in petrol price sparked the protests in which Iran has officially confirmed at least five dead, including three security personnel allegedly stabbed to death by "rioters".

More than 100 protesters believed killed in Iran: Amnesty

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Amnesty International India Private Limited (AIIPL) allegedly employed commercial means to unlawfully circumvent the provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

On Friday, the CBI conducted raids in Bengaluru and Delhi to ascertain these claims.

After a complaint received by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the CBI registered a case against AIIPL and Indians for Amnesty International Trust amongst many on November 5.

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Central Bureau of Investigation: CBI registered a case on 5th November on a complaint received from Home Ministry (GoI) against Amnesty International India Pvt. Ltd (AIIPL), Indians For Amnesty International Trust, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust, &amp; others. (1/3) <a href="https://t.co/sVGffFqpvT">pic.twitter.com/sVGffFqpvT</a>
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As per the MHA, Amnesty India undertook actions that were "not commensurate to the activities of a for-profit company but constituted activities either prohibited or regulated under FCRA".

Additionally, ANI said that "international [UK] invested Rs 10 crore as FDI in Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd, Bangalore, by subscribing to the Debentures".&nbsp;

Allegedly, many entities received foreign contribution amounting to as much as Rs 36 crores from Amnesty International through AIIPL. "This amount was allegedly utilised by Indians for Amnesty International Trust as security for obtaining Overdraft from Banks and the funds were used by trusts of Amnesty India for carrying out NGO activities that were in violation of the provisions of FCRA'', ANI added.

The FCRA was enacted by the Parliament in 2010 to regulate the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution by&nbsp;certain individuals or associations or companies and to prohibit acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution&nbsp;for any activities detrimental to the national interest.

(With inputs from ANI)

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Amnesty International India Private Limited (AIIPL) allegedly employed commercial means to unlawfully circumvent the provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Amnesty International India Private Limited (AIIPL) allegedly employed commercial means to unlawfully circumvent the provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). On Friday, the CBI conducted raids in Bengaluru and Delhi to ascertain these claims. After a complaint received by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the CBI registered a case against AIIPL and Indians for Amnesty International Trust amongst many on November 5. Central Bureau of Investigation: CBI registered a case on 5th November on a complaint received from Home Ministry (GoI) against Amnesty International India Pvt. Ltd (AIIPL), Indians For Amnesty International Trust, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust, & others. (1/3) pic.twitter.com/sVGffFqpvT — ANI (@ANI) November 15, 2019 × As per the MHA, Amnesty India undertook actions that were "not commensurate to the activities of a for-profit company but constituted activities either prohibited or regulated under FCRA". Additionally, ANI said that "international [UK] invested Rs 10 crore as FDI in Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd, Bangalore, by subscribing to the Debentures". Allegedly, many entities received foreign contribution amounting to as much as Rs 36 crores from Amnesty International through AIIPL. "This amount was allegedly utilised by Indians for Amnesty International Trust as security for obtaining Overdraft from Banks and the funds were used by trusts of Amnesty India for carrying out NGO activities that were in violation of the provisions of FCRA'', ANI added. The FCRA was enacted by the Parliament in 2010 to regulate the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution by certain individuals or associations or companies and to prohibit acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution for any activities detrimental to the national interest. (With inputs from ANI)

Amnesty International used commercial tools to bypass FCRA: CBI

Amnesty International has filed a lawsuit to get NSO's licence revoked. Know more from Gil Naveh, Head Communications Unit, Amnesty International.

Amnesty International filed a lawsuit to get NSO's licence revoked

Turkey is forcibly sending Syrian refugees to an area of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/military-police-have-arrived-in-syria-to-help-kurdish-forces-withdraw-russia-258163">Syria</a> near the border where it aims to set up a "safe zone" even though the conflict there has not ended, Amnesty International said in a report published on Friday.

Human Rights Watch said in a separate report Friday that authorities had arbitrarily detained and deported dozens of Syrians to northern Syria between January and September.

Turkey currently hosts some 3.6 million refugees who fled Syria's eight-year-long civil war. But, with Turkish public sentiment towards them souring, Ankara hopes to resettle up to two million in the planned safe zone in northeast Syria.

Ankara says more than 350,000 Syrian refugees have already voluntarily returned to their country.

In its report, Amnesty said refugees it had spoken to complained of being threatened or physically forced by Turkish police to sign documents stating that they were voluntarily returning to Syria.

"In reality, Turkey put the lives of Syrian refugees under serious danger by forcing them to return to a war zone," the British-based human rights group said.

Amnesty said it believed the number of forced returns in recent months to be in the hundreds, based on interviews it conducted between July and October but said it was able to confirm 20 cases.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syrian-kurds-accuse-turkey-of-violations-russia-says-peace-plan-on-track-258059">Syrians who are deported</a> are generally told they are not registered or live outside the Turkish province in which they are registered, the report said, adding that people were also deported from provinces in which they had been registered.

Anna Shea, Amnesty's Researcher on Refugee and Migrant Rights, said Turkey deserved recognition for hosting so many Syrians over many years, "but it cannot use this generosity as an excuse to flout international and domestic law by deporting people to an active conflict zone." 
&nbsp;

Watch: Turkey-Kurds conflict: Kurdish commander supports German plan

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'False and imaginary'

&nbsp;

The Turkish foreign ministry said later on Friday that Turkey was fulfilling all of its responsibilities towards the refugees in accordance with international laws.

"The claims in the report about Syrians being forcibly sent back, threatened and mistreated are false and imaginary," said Hami Aksoy, the foreign ministry's spokesman.

"Our country is reiterating at every opportunity that the return of migrants needs to be done voluntarily and safely, and that this process must be carried out in line with international laws," Aksoy said in a statement.

A plan agreed between Turkey and Russia this week envisages Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters being removed from a 30 km&nbsp;strip of territory along the Turkish border and refugees being allowed to return there "in a safe and voluntary manner".

Addressing world leaders at the United Nations in September, President Tayyip Erdogan set out ambitious proposals to build dozens of new villages and towns in the planned safe zone.

Pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak said on Friday that life would "normalise" in the Syrian border towns of Tel Abyad and Ras Al Ain now that Turkey has taken control of the area.

It said Turkey would reconstruct the two towns ravaged by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sleeper-cells-abandoned-us-bases-russian-military-police-in-syrias-manbij-258076">years of war</a>, establish security forces and a judiciary there and work to bring economic stability to the region.

Aksoy said the international community needed to be more active in facilitating the safe return of refugees to the zone.

Turkey is forcibly sending Syrian refugees to an area of Syria near the border where it aims to set up a "safe zone" even though the conflict there has not ended, Amnesty International said in a report published on Friday.

Turkey is forcibly sending Syrian refugees to an area of Syria near the border where it aims to set up a "safe zone" even though the conflict there has not ended, Amnesty International said in a report published on Friday. Human Rights Watch said in a separate report Friday that authorities had arbitrarily detained and deported dozens of Syrians to northern Syria between January and September. Turkey currently hosts some 3.6 million refugees who fled Syria's eight-year-long civil war. But, with Turkish public sentiment towards them souring, Ankara hopes to resettle up to two million in the planned safe zone in northeast Syria. Ankara says more than 350,000 Syrian refugees have already voluntarily returned to their country. In its report, Amnesty said refugees it had spoken to complained of being threatened or physically forced by Turkish police to sign documents stating that they were voluntarily returning to Syria. "In reality, Turkey put the lives of Syrian refugees under serious danger by forcing them to return to a war zone," the British-based human rights group said. Amnesty said it believed the number of forced returns in recent months to be in the hundreds, based on interviews it conducted between July and October but said it was able to confirm 20 cases. Syrians who are deported are generally told they are not registered or live outside the Turkish province in which they are registered, the report said, adding that people were also deported from provinces in which they had been registered. Anna Shea, Amnesty's Researcher on Refugee and Migrant Rights, said Turkey deserved recognition for hosting so many Syrians over many years, "but it cannot use this generosity as an excuse to flout international and domestic law by deporting people to an active conflict zone." Watch: Turkey-Kurds conflict: Kurdish commander supports German plan 'False and imaginary' The Turkish foreign ministry said later on Friday that Turkey was fulfilling all of its responsibilities towards the refugees in accordance with international laws. "The claims in the report about Syrians being forcibly sent back, threatened and mistreated are false and imaginary," said Hami Aksoy, the foreign ministry's spokesman. "Our country is reiterating at every opportunity that the return of migrants needs to be done voluntarily and safely, and that this process must be carried out in line with international laws," Aksoy said in a statement. A plan agreed between Turkey and Russia this week envisages Syrian Kurdish YPG fighters being removed from a 30 km strip of territory along the Turkish border and refugees being allowed to return there "in a safe and voluntary manner". Addressing world leaders at the United Nations in September, President Tayyip Erdogan set out ambitious proposals to build dozens of new villages and towns in the planned safe zone. Pro-government newspaper Yeni Safak said on Friday that life would "normalise" in the Syrian border towns of Tel Abyad and Ras Al Ain now that Turkey has taken control of the area. It said Turkey would reconstruct the two towns ravaged by years of war, establish security forces and a judiciary there and work to bring economic stability to the region. Aksoy said the international community needed to be more active in facilitating the safe return of refugees to the zone.

Amnesty International says Turkey deporting Syrians to planned 'safe zone' region

Washington has said it was "concerned" &nbsp;by reports that the father of a Pakistani activist who fled the country has himself been detained, the latest incident to fuel fears of a clampdown on dissent.

Alice Wells, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, tweeted her concern late Thursday over "reports of the continued harassment of Gulalai Ismail's family, and her father's detention today".

She said the US called on Pakistan to "uphold citizens' rights to peaceful assembly, expression, and due process".

Wells tweeted after Ismail, a women's rights activist who fled to the US and is seeking asylum, said her father Mohammad Ismail had been taken away by unknown men earlier Thursday outside a court in Peshawar, a western city near the border with Afghanistan.

Rabia Mehmood, a Pakistan researcher for Amnesty International, tweeted that he was in the custody of the cyber crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

On Friday, Ismail tweeted a copy of what she said was the initial investigation report showing that her father had been accused of "hate speech and false information against Government institutions of Pakistan" on social media.

FIA officials had no immediate comment. A senior Pakistani security source who spoke to AFP over WhatsApp said: "We (have) nothing to do with this."

Gulalai Ismail is an international award-winning activist who has championed the rights of Pakistani girls in a deeply patriarchal country.

Then she began speaking out against sexual violence and disappearances allegedly carried out by the army in northwestern Pakistan -- a red line for the powerful security establishment which has run the country for much of its history.

Fearing for her life, she went on the run for four months before turning up in the US in September.

She told AFP during an interview in Washington last month that she fears for her parents, saying they have become socially isolated, with security forces interrogating anyone who so much as texts them.

Mehmood tweeted that the couple had "continuously been harassed by the law enforcement agencies" through late-night raids, surveillance and false cases.

A witness told Ismail her father "was dragged into the vehicle while being physically tortured &amp; abused", she tweeted.

"I knew they wouldn't spare me... but I hadn't imagined them persecuting my elderly parents," she added later.

Rights watchdogs have long warned of a shrinking space for dissent in Pakistan, one of the most dangerous places in the world for activists and journalists.

They can face abductions, torture, even killings if they cross red lines that a journalism watchdog last year said had been "quietly, but effectively" set by the army.

That can include social media and online posts.

In 2016 a controversial law was passed that prohibits posts that are deemed to compromise state security or offend anything from "the glory of Islam" to non-defined notions of "decency and morality".

Activists have warned previously that it could be abused as a tool of repression.

Washington has said it was "concerned" by reports that the father of a Pakistani activist who fled the country has himself been detained, the latest incident to fuel fears of a clampdown on dissent.

Washington has said it was "concerned" by reports that the father of a Pakistani activist who fled the country has himself been detained, the latest incident to fuel fears of a clampdown on dissent. Alice Wells, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, tweeted her concern late Thursday over "reports of the continued harassment of Gulalai Ismail's family, and her father's detention today". She said the US called on Pakistan to "uphold citizens' rights to peaceful assembly, expression, and due process". Wells tweeted after Ismail, a women's rights activist who fled to the US and is seeking asylum, said her father Mohammad Ismail had been taken away by unknown men earlier Thursday outside a court in Peshawar, a western city near the border with Afghanistan. Rabia Mehmood, a Pakistan researcher for Amnesty International, tweeted that he was in the custody of the cyber crime wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). On Friday, Ismail tweeted a copy of what she said was the initial investigation report showing that her father had been accused of "hate speech and false information against Government institutions of Pakistan" on social media. FIA officials had no immediate comment. A senior Pakistani security source who spoke to AFP over WhatsApp said: "We (have) nothing to do with this." Gulalai Ismail is an international award-winning activist who has championed the rights of Pakistani girls in a deeply patriarchal country. Then she began speaking out against sexual violence and disappearances allegedly carried out by the army in northwestern Pakistan -- a red line for the powerful security establishment which has run the country for much of its history. Fearing for her life, she went on the run for four months before turning up in the US in September. She told AFP during an interview in Washington last month that she fears for her parents, saying they have become socially isolated, with security forces interrogating anyone who so much as texts them. Mehmood tweeted that the couple had "continuously been harassed by the law enforcement agencies" through late-night raids, surveillance and false cases. A witness told Ismail her father "was dragged into the vehicle while being physically tortured & abused", she tweeted. "I knew they wouldn't spare me... but I hadn't imagined them persecuting my elderly parents," she added later. Rights watchdogs have long warned of a shrinking space for dissent in Pakistan, one of the most dangerous places in the world for activists and journalists. They can face abductions, torture, even killings if they cross red lines that a journalism watchdog last year said had been "quietly, but effectively" set by the army. That can include social media and online posts. In 2016 a controversial law was passed that prohibits posts that are deemed to compromise state security or offend anything from "the glory of Islam" to non-defined notions of "decency and morality". Activists have warned previously that it could be abused as a tool of repression.

US 'concerned' as Pakistan activist says father detained

With nearly 30,000 migrant workers employed on World Cup construction projects, Qatar's labour rights have come under global scrutiny.

Qatar’s labour rights questioned with thousands of migrants working on World Cup projects

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/whats-next-for-hong-kongs-protest-movement-251680">Hong Kong</a> leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday the city's police force, which has been accused of beating activists and using excessive force during protests, is under extreme pressure and acknowledged it will be a "long road" towards healing rifts.

Beijing-backed Lam said it was "quite remarkable" there had not been fatalities during <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/police-say-protesters-bring-manmade-disaster-to-hong-kong-251500">three months of protests</a>, and she hoped dialogue would help resolve the political crisis gripping the Asian financial centre.

Police cast doubt over allegations that officers beat a man during a protest on Saturday, while Amnesty International called on the government to investigate police use of force against demonstrators.

Police Acting Senior Superintendent Vasco Williams told reporters on Monday that footage of the alleged incident appeared to show an "officer kicking a yellow object", not a man, in an alley.

He conceded that the incident needed to be investigated, although he ruled out police "malpractice" and added that the video could have been "doctored".

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What started as protests over a now-shelved extradition bill that would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial have evolved into broader calls for greater democracy and an independent inquiry into police actions.

Demonstrators are frustrated at what they see as Beijing's tightening grip over the former British colony, which returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula intended to guarantee freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland.

China has said it is committed to the arrangement and denies interfering.

Lam said that, while she supported the police to safeguard the rule of law, "that doesn't mean that I would condone irregularities or wrong practices done by the police force".

"I know the level of mutual trust is now relatively low in Hong Kong, but we have to make sure that we can continue to operate as a civil society," she told reporters.

Red lines

Lam was speaking after Amnesty called for an investigation into police actions and urged the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-police-fire-tear-gas-after-storming-shopping-mall-251349">Hong Kong</a> government to encourage Beijing to safeguard protesters' right to peaceful assembly.

"Ordering an independent and effective investigation into police actions would be a vital first step," Joshua Rosenzweig, head of Amnesty's East Asia regional office, said in a report.

"Authorities need to show they are willing to protect human rights in Hong Kong, even if this means pushing back against Beijing's 'red line'."

In 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned in a speech marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to Beijing that any attempt to undermine China's sovereignty was a "red line" that would not be tolerated.

The protests have weighed on Hong Kong's stock exchange. On Tuesday, the Asia-Pacific unit of brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (AB InBev) raised about $5 billion in a Hong Kong IPO, after being priced at the bottom of a marketed range. In July, the company cancelled plans for an IPO aiming to raise $9.8 billion.

The wider economy has also been hit. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council said on Monday that it expects Hong Kong's exports to shrink by 4% this year, in what would mark its worst export performance in a decade.

Lawmaker attacked

A democratic lawmaker, Roy Kwong, was taken to hospital on Tuesday after being punched and kicked by three men in the Tin Shui Wai district close to the border with mainland China.

Fellow Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting said the assailants had suspected triad, or organised criminal backgrounds, and intended "to send a message to threaten all" pro-democracy lawmakers.

Over more than three months, many peaceful protests have degenerated into running battles between black-clad protesters and police, who have responded with tear gas, water cannon, rubber bullets, bean bag rounds and several live rounds fired into the air.

Police, who have also been seen beating protesters on the ground with batons, say they have shown restraint in the face of increased violence, including protesters hurling petrol bombs.

Lam said she hoped a dialogue session on Thursday evening with 150 members of the public would help bridge the divide, but conceded "it will be a long journey to achieve reconciliation in society."

In a direct challenge to Communist Party rulers in mainland China, some protesters have targeted Beijing's representative office in Hong Kong, thrown bricks outside the Chinese People's Liberation Army base and set fire to the Chinese flag.

The city is on edge ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic on October 1, with authorities eager to avoid scenes that could embarrass the central government in Beijing.

Lam said all national events should be respected and held in a safe environment.

Guests at a flag-raising ceremony to mark the occasion will be moved indoors so it "can be carried out in a solemn and orderly manner", the Home Affairs Department told Reuters on Tuesday.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday the city's police force, which has been accused of beating activists and using excessive force during protests, is under extreme pressure and acknowledged it will be a "long road" towards healing rifts.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday the city's police force, which has been accused of beating activists and using excessive force during protests, is under extreme pressure and acknowledged it will be a "long road" towards healing rifts. Beijing-backed Lam said it was "quite remarkable" there had not been fatalities during three months of protests, and she hoped dialogue would help resolve the political crisis gripping the Asian financial centre. Police cast doubt over allegations that officers beat a man during a protest on Saturday, while Amnesty International called on the government to investigate police use of force against demonstrators. Police Acting Senior Superintendent Vasco Williams told reporters on Monday that footage of the alleged incident appeared to show an "officer kicking a yellow object", not a man, in an alley. He conceded that the incident needed to be investigated, although he ruled out police "malpractice" and added that the video could have been "doctored". × What started as protests over a now-shelved extradition bill that would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial have evolved into broader calls for greater democracy and an independent inquiry into police actions. Demonstrators are frustrated at what they see as Beijing's tightening grip over the former British colony, which returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula intended to guarantee freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland. China has said it is committed to the arrangement and denies interfering. Lam said that, while she supported the police to safeguard the rule of law, "that doesn't mean that I would condone irregularities or wrong practices done by the police force". "I know the level of mutual trust is now relatively low in Hong Kong, but we have to make sure that we can continue to operate as a civil society," she told reporters. Red lines Lam was speaking after Amnesty called for an investigation into police actions and urged the Hong Kong government to encourage Beijing to safeguard protesters' right to peaceful assembly. "Ordering an independent and effective investigation into police actions would be a vital first step," Joshua Rosenzweig, head of Amnesty's East Asia regional office, said in a report. "Authorities need to show they are willing to protect human rights in Hong Kong, even if this means pushing back against Beijing's 'red line'." In 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping warned in a speech marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to Beijing that any attempt to undermine China's sovereignty was a "red line" that would not be tolerated. The protests have weighed on Hong Kong's stock exchange. On Tuesday, the Asia-Pacific unit of brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (AB InBev) raised about $5 billion in a Hong Kong IPO, after being priced at the bottom of a marketed range. In July, the company cancelled plans for an IPO aiming to raise $9.8 billion. The wider economy has also been hit. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council said on Monday that it expects Hong Kong's exports to shrink by 4% this year, in what would mark its worst export performance in a decade. Lawmaker attacked A democratic lawmaker, Roy Kwong, was taken to hospital on Tuesday after being punched and kicked by three men in the Tin Shui Wai district close to the border with mainland China. Fellow Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting said the assailants had suspected triad, or organised criminal backgrounds, and intended "to send a message to threaten all" pro-democracy lawmakers. Over more than three months, many peaceful protests have degenerated into running battles between black-clad protesters and police, who have responded with tear gas, water cannon, rubber bullets, bean bag rounds and several live rounds fired into the air. Police, who have also been seen beating protesters on the ground with batons, say they have shown restraint in the face of increased violence, including protesters hurling petrol bombs. Lam said she hoped a dialogue session on Thursday evening with 150 members of the public would help bridge the divide, but conceded "it will be a long journey to achieve reconciliation in society." In a direct challenge to Communist Party rulers in mainland China, some protesters have targeted Beijing's representative office in Hong Kong, thrown bricks outside the Chinese People's Liberation Army base and set fire to the Chinese flag. The city is on edge ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic on October 1, with authorities eager to avoid scenes that could embarrass the central government in Beijing. Lam said all national events should be respected and held in a safe environment. Guests at a flag-raising ceremony to mark the occasion will be moved indoors so it "can be carried out in a solemn and orderly manner", the Home Affairs Department told Reuters on Tuesday.

Hong Kong leader says police under extreme pressure; acknowledges 'long road' ahead

Omar al-Bashir received $90 million in cash from Saudi royals, an investigator told a court at the opening Monday of the deposed Sudanese strongman's corruption trial.

Omar al-Bashir received $90 million in cash from Saudi royals, an investigator told a court at the opening Monday of the deposed Sudanese strongman's corruption trial. The former president, who was forced from power by months of protests in April after 30 years in power, sat in a metal cage wearing a traditional white gown. His relatives chanted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) as proceedings got underway in the Khartoum court where he arrived in a huge military convoy. Bashir faces a raft of charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide from the International Criminal Court over his role in the Darfur war but Monday's trial is over graft allegations. Large amounts of cash were found at this residence after he was toppled and the investigator said the case brought forward to the court probed some of that money. "The accused told us that the money was part of a sum of $25 million sent to him by Prince Mohammed bin Salman to be used outside of the state budget," investigator Ahmed Ali said. According to him Bashir had said he also received two previous payments of $35 million and $30 million from Saudi King Abdullah, who died in 2015. "This money was not part of the state budget and I was the one who authorised its spending," the investigator quoted Bashir as saying. Bashir had said the Saudi money was exchanged and spent and that he could not remember how nor did he have documents providing further details, he added. Bashir looked calm during the nearly three-hour session, which an AFP photographer and correspondent attended. The next hearing was scheduled for August 24. Darfur crimes In May, Sudan's prosecutor general also said Bashir had been charged over killings during the anti-regime protests which eventually led to his ouster. London-based rights watchdog Amnesty International has warned however that the corruption trial should not distract from his Darfur indictments. "While this trial is a positive step towards accountability for some of his alleged crimes, he remains wanted for heinous crimes committed against the Sudanese people," Amnesty said. Amnesty urged the country's new transitional institutions to ratify the ICC's Rome Statute, a move that would allow for his transfer to the international tribunal. The Hague-based ICC has for years demanded that Bashir stand trial, and has renewed its call since his fall. The head of Bashir's defence team, Ahmed Ibrahim al-Tahir, said in July that the ousted leader's trial had no "political background". "It is an absolute criminal case with a baseless accusation." It was the sudden tripling of bread prices in December that sparked the mushrooming protests which led to the toppling of Bashir by the army in April. Sovereign Council The trial comes as the composition of the joint civilian and military sovereign council that will steer the country of 40 million through a 39-month transition was due to be unveiled on Monday. The line-up had been expected to be announced on Sunday but it was delayed after one of the five nominees put forward by the opposition alliance representing protest leaders turned down the job. The ruling sovereign council will be composed of 11 members including six civilians and five from the military. It will be headed by a general for the first 21 months and by a civilian for the remaining 18 months. The council will oversee the formation of a transitional civilian administration including a cabinet and a legislative body. The transition's key documents were signed on Saturday at a ceremony attended by a host of foreign dignitaries, signalling that Sudan could be on its way to shedding the pariah status the Darfur atrocities and Bashir's international arrest warrant had conferred on it. Amidst the euphoria celebrating the promise of civilian rule, unease was palpable however within the protest camp that brought about one of the most crucial changes in Sudan's modern history. One of its main causes is the omnipresence in the transition of General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, a paramilitary commander and one of the signatories of the documents, whose forces are blamed for the deadly repression of the protests. And it remains unclear how the transitional institutions will tackle the daunting task of pacifying a country plagued by several conflicts, including in the regions of Darfur, Kordofan and the Blue Nile.

Sudan ex-president Bashir got $90 million from Saudi royal family: Investigator tells court

Here's how President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi's Egypt hands out justice

Turkish police on Sunday fired tear gas at gay rights groups and activists who defied authorities to march for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/police-tear-gas-gay-pride-paraders-in-istanbul-231958">Istanbul pride parade</a>, banned for the fifth year in a row.

Thousands of people rallied close to the popular Istiklal Avenue and Taksim Square where organisers originally planned to hold the parade, an AFP correspondent said.

The parade was banned by the Istanbul governor's office but the police allowed people to gather in a side street nearby where a public statement was made by the organisers, Istanbul <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hundreds-of-thousands-march-across-europe-for-gay-pride-233705">LGBT+ Pride Week</a>.

Riot police then fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, the correspondent said.

There was a heavy police presence near Taksim Square, including police water cannon vehicles. Other streets were closed off by officers.

There were chants of "shoulder to shoulder against fascism" and "we will not be quiet" among the crowd filled with rainbow flags and umbrellas.

Amnesty International on Friday dismissed authorities' claims of security or public order concerns after the ban was issued.

"It is... a naked attempt to erase the public collective presence of a group which, in the words of the governorate, is deemed to be 'societally objectionable'," the human rights group said in a statement.

Amnesty said the governors of the Aegean region of Izmir and the southern province of Antalya also banned all pride events earlier this month.

Istanbul pride had taken place every year since 2003.&nbsp;

The last parade which took place without a ban in 2014 drew tens of thousands of participants in one of the biggest LGBTI events in the majority Muslim region.

Although homosexuality has been legal throughout the period of the modern Turkish republic, LGBTI individuals point to regular harassment and abuse.

But many opposition-run district municipalities including Kadikoy in Istanbul and Datca in southwestern Turkey tweeted on Saturday in support of LGBTI rights.

Turkish police on Sunday fired tear gas at gay rights groups and activists who defied authorities to march for the Istanbul pride parade, banned for the fifth year in a row.

Turkish police on Sunday fired tear gas at gay rights groups and activists who defied authorities to march for the Istanbul pride parade, banned for the fifth year in a row. Thousands of people rallied close to the popular Istiklal Avenue and Taksim Square where organisers originally planned to hold the parade, an AFP correspondent said. The parade was banned by the Istanbul governor's office but the police allowed people to gather in a side street nearby where a public statement was made by the organisers, Istanbul LGBT+ Pride Week. Riot police then fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, the correspondent said. There was a heavy police presence near Taksim Square, including police water cannon vehicles. Other streets were closed off by officers. There were chants of "shoulder to shoulder against fascism" and "we will not be quiet" among the crowd filled with rainbow flags and umbrellas. Amnesty International on Friday dismissed authorities' claims of security or public order concerns after the ban was issued. "It is... a naked attempt to erase the public collective presence of a group which, in the words of the governorate, is deemed to be 'societally objectionable'," the human rights group said in a statement. Amnesty said the governors of the Aegean region of Izmir and the southern province of Antalya also banned all pride events earlier this month. Istanbul pride had taken place every year since 2003. The last parade which took place without a ban in 2014 drew tens of thousands of participants in one of the biggest LGBTI events in the majority Muslim region. Although homosexuality has been legal throughout the period of the modern Turkish republic, LGBTI individuals point to regular harassment and abuse. But many opposition-run district municipalities including Kadikoy in Istanbul and Datca in southwestern Turkey tweeted on Saturday in support of LGBTI rights.

Police tear gas gay pride paraders in Istanbul

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/philippines-rejects-call-for-united-nations-rights-council-probe-225446">Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's</a> narcotics crackdown has become a "systematic" campaign of killing, Amnesty International alleged on Monday, urging the United Nations to launch a probe into thousands of deaths.

The drug war is Duterte's signature initiative and is heavily supported by many Filipinos, but the nightly slaying of suspects by police and masked gunmen has provoked international condemnation.

In a speech just hours after Amnesty issued its report attacking the crackdown, Duterte said "extrajudicial killing is okay, but not corruption", &nbsp;though he did not elaborate further.

In its report, Amnesty said there is a well-worn pattern of deadly police operations, planted evidence and abductions that start with so-called "watch lists".

Those names are supplied by local officials who are "under immense pressure" from authorities to provide a steady stream of suspects, the London-based monitor said.

"Worse still, individuals on watch lists appear to be placed on them indefinitely, with no means of getting delisted, even after they have gone through drug treatment or stopped using drugs," said the report.

Amnesty said it was impossible to determine how many people have been killed in the campaign, accusing Manila of "deliberate obfuscation and misinformation" that has left victims' kin feeling helpless.

The government's official toll is just over 5,300, but watchdogs say the true number is quadruple that.

"What we believe is most important, in assessing the current situation, is the systematic nature of the violations," Amnesty's East Asia director Nicholas Bequelin told AFP.

'Failure of the international community'&nbsp;

Amnesty said the press has lost interest in the killings while the government fails to investigate or provide adequate treatment programmes for drug users.

"It has had the effect of creating a climate of total impunity in the country, in which police and others are free to kill without consequence," it said.

"There is sufficient evidence to conclude that crimes committed may constitute crimes against humanity," the group added.

Amnesty said it investigated the deaths of 27 people over the past year in Bulacan, a province near Manila that has become "the country's bloodiest killing field".

Police broke down doors before shooting drug suspects inside and abducted others to be killed elsewhere, it alleged.

Police also tampered with crime scenes and fabricated their reports, planted evidence and stole from victims, it added.

Amnesty called on the UN Human Rights Council to open an inquiry to "put an end to these crimes, and to provide justice and reparations for countless families and victims".

"We ask that the council vote on the resolution and let it pass this week so that an independent investigation can commence led by the UN," Amnesty section director in the Philippines Butch Olano told reporters.&nbsp;

He was referring to a draft resolution, proposed by Iceland and backed mainly by Western nations, which calls for a probe into the drug war and that is expected to go up for a vote before the council sessions end on Friday.

Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo criticised as "incorrigible" Amnesty's call for a probe, adding police only killed suspects in self-defence.&nbsp;

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's narcotics crackdown has become a "systematic" campaign of killing, Amnesty International alleged on Monday, urging the United Nations to launch a probe into thousands of deaths.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's narcotics crackdown has become a "systematic" campaign of killing, Amnesty International alleged on Monday, urging the United Nations to launch a probe into thousands of deaths. The drug war is Duterte's signature initiative and is heavily supported by many Filipinos, but the nightly slaying of suspects by police and masked gunmen has provoked international condemnation. In a speech just hours after Amnesty issued its report attacking the crackdown, Duterte said "extrajudicial killing is okay, but not corruption", though he did not elaborate further. In its report, Amnesty said there is a well-worn pattern of deadly police operations, planted evidence and abductions that start with so-called "watch lists". Those names are supplied by local officials who are "under immense pressure" from authorities to provide a steady stream of suspects, the London-based monitor said. "Worse still, individuals on watch lists appear to be placed on them indefinitely, with no means of getting delisted, even after they have gone through drug treatment or stopped using drugs," said the report. Amnesty said it was impossible to determine how many people have been killed in the campaign, accusing Manila of "deliberate obfuscation and misinformation" that has left victims' kin feeling helpless. The government's official toll is just over 5,300, but watchdogs say the true number is quadruple that. "What we believe is most important, in assessing the current situation, is the systematic nature of the violations," Amnesty's East Asia director Nicholas Bequelin told AFP. 'Failure of the international community' Amnesty said the press has lost interest in the killings while the government fails to investigate or provide adequate treatment programmes for drug users. "It has had the effect of creating a climate of total impunity in the country, in which police and others are free to kill without consequence," it said. "There is sufficient evidence to conclude that crimes committed may constitute crimes against humanity," the group added. Amnesty said it investigated the deaths of 27 people over the past year in Bulacan, a province near Manila that has become "the country's bloodiest killing field". Police broke down doors before shooting drug suspects inside and abducted others to be killed elsewhere, it alleged. Police also tampered with crime scenes and fabricated their reports, planted evidence and stole from victims, it added. Amnesty called on the UN Human Rights Council to open an inquiry to "put an end to these crimes, and to provide justice and reparations for countless families and victims". "We ask that the council vote on the resolution and let it pass this week so that an independent investigation can commence led by the UN," Amnesty section director in the Philippines Butch Olano told reporters. He was referring to a draft resolution, proposed by Iceland and backed mainly by Western nations, which calls for a probe into the drug war and that is expected to go up for a vote before the council sessions end on Friday. Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo criticised as "incorrigible" Amnesty's call for a probe, adding police only killed suspects in self-defence.

Amnesty urges United Nation probe of 'systematic' Philippine drug war killings

Amnesty International has called for an investigation into the killing of three activists during a deadly clash between<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-mps-led-group-attacks-army-check-post-3-killed-15-injured-221806"> Pakistani troops </a>and protesters in a restive tribal region near the Afghan border.

The activists were part of a demonstration organised on Sunday by the Pashtun Protection Movement (PTM), which has rattled the military since it burst onto the scene early last year with a call to end alleged abuses by security forces against ethnic Pashtuns.

Two members of parliament were leading the protest when a confrontation broke out at a security checkpoint at Boya, in the North Waziristan region.

"The Pakistan government must immediately order an independent and effective investigation," said Rabia Mehmood, South Asia Researcher at Amnesty, in a statement on Monday.

"If the reports are correct that the army killed protestors by unlawfully using live ammunition, this would be a very serious violation of international law."

What exactly led to the confrontation remains murky, with the military saying the activists assaulted the checkpoint, while PTM leader Mohsin Dawar -- one of the MPs at the protest -- has alleged security forces fired directly into their group after they passed the post.

The incident follows months of rising tensions between the two sides, with the military publicly and repeatedly warning PTM leaders to end their criticism of the country's armed forces -- largely seen as a red line in Pakistan.

The PTM has unleashed festering anger over abuses allegedly committed against Pashtuns, including enforced disappearances and targeted killings.

Pashtuns account for roughly 15 per cent of Pakistan's population, with a majority based in the northwest and a significant presence in the southern port city of Karachi.

Sunday's incident occurred in North Waziristan, where the movement is believed to draw much of its support. The area was once plagued by militancy, and Washington pressured Pakistan for years to act against Islamist groups based there.

The army has carried out multiple operations in North Waziristan and other tribal regions, and security -- both there and across Pakistan -- has dramatically improved in recent years.

However, the PTM claims the operations came at a heavy price because of the alleged abuses.

Amnesty International has called for an investigation into the killing of three activists during a deadly clash between Pakistani troops and protesters in a restive tribal region near the Afghan border.

Amnesty International has called for an investigation into the killing of three activists during a deadly clash between Pakistani troops and protesters in a restive tribal region near the Afghan border. The activists were part of a demonstration organised on Sunday by the Pashtun Protection Movement (PTM), which has rattled the military since it burst onto the scene early last year with a call to end alleged abuses by security forces against ethnic Pashtuns. Two members of parliament were leading the protest when a confrontation broke out at a security checkpoint at Boya, in the North Waziristan region. "The Pakistan government must immediately order an independent and effective investigation," said Rabia Mehmood, South Asia Researcher at Amnesty, in a statement on Monday. "If the reports are correct that the army killed protestors by unlawfully using live ammunition, this would be a very serious violation of international law." What exactly led to the confrontation remains murky, with the military saying the activists assaulted the checkpoint, while PTM leader Mohsin Dawar -- one of the MPs at the protest -- has alleged security forces fired directly into their group after they passed the post. The incident follows months of rising tensions between the two sides, with the military publicly and repeatedly warning PTM leaders to end their criticism of the country's armed forces -- largely seen as a red line in Pakistan. The PTM has unleashed festering anger over abuses allegedly committed against Pashtuns, including enforced disappearances and targeted killings. Pashtuns account for roughly 15 per cent of Pakistan's population, with a majority based in the northwest and a significant presence in the southern port city of Karachi. Sunday's incident occurred in North Waziristan, where the movement is believed to draw much of its support. The area was once plagued by militancy, and Washington pressured Pakistan for years to act against Islamist groups based there. The army has carried out multiple operations in North Waziristan and other tribal regions, and security -- both there and across Pakistan -- has dramatically improved in recent years. However, the PTM claims the operations came at a heavy price because of the alleged abuses.

Amnesty calls for probe into Pakistan activist killings

Amnesty International Israel said on Tuesday a possible spyware attack on mobile app Whatsapp 'endangers' millions of users around the world including human rights defenders. Facebook's WhatsApp, a popular messaging tool used by 1.5 billion people monthly, said on Tuesday a security breach on its app had signs of coming from a private company working on surveillance and it had referred the incident to the US Department of Justice.

WhatsApp spyware attack 'endangers' millions - Amnesty International

Rights group<a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wionews.com/opinions/amnesty-international-calls-2018-the-year-of-shame-for-iran-and-rightly-so-195839&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiUs_y98bPhAhUHS48KHcTrBdMQFggFMAA&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1wEEbpyNACT4kgbIeFSflt"> Amnesty International </a>on Wednesday accused four Nordic countries renowned as bastions of gender equality of having "shockingly high levels of rape" and of failing the victims.

An Amnesty report looked at rape cases in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden and said flawed legislation, harmful myths and gender stereotypes had resulted in "endemic impunity" for perpetrators.

"It is a paradox that Nordic countries, which have strong records of upholding gender equality, suffer shockingly high levels of rape," Amnesty International's secretary general Kumi Naidoo said in a statement.

Citing statistics from the European Institute for Gender Equality, the report said an average of 30 per cent of women in Denmark, Finland and Sweden had experienced violence or abuse at the hands of sexual partners, compared to an EU average of 22 per cent.

In Finland, Amnesty said some victims reported positive experiences with law enforcement but that other cases highlighted how "deeply entrenched myths" about rape had directly impacted access to justice.

It accused Norwegian authorities of not taking necessary measures to prevent rape or address its consequences.

Amnesty also said rape in Denmark was "hugely under-reported", and for those cases that were reported the chances of prosecution or conviction were slim.

The report praised Sweden for adopting a new law last year redefining rape as sex without consent and introducing a new offence labelled "negligent rape."&nbsp;

However, it criticised Swedish police's handling of rape cases, with inconsistent investigative techniques and delays in forensic analysis and in interviewing suspects.

Swedish Home Affairs Minister Mikael Damberg told AFP in a phone interview the report was "important", but noted that the high level of rape reports was also a sign that victims were willing to report offences to police.

He said the handling of rape cases was already a priority for police and that some of the issues raised were already being addressed.

Rights group Amnesty International on Wednesday accused four Nordic countries renowned as bastions of gender equality of having "shockingly high levels of rape" and of failing the victims.

Rights group Amnesty International on Wednesday accused four Nordic countries renowned as bastions of gender equality of having "shockingly high levels of rape" and of failing the victims. An Amnesty report looked at rape cases in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden and said flawed legislation, harmful myths and gender stereotypes had resulted in "endemic impunity" for perpetrators. "It is a paradox that Nordic countries, which have strong records of upholding gender equality, suffer shockingly high levels of rape," Amnesty International's secretary general Kumi Naidoo said in a statement. Citing statistics from the European Institute for Gender Equality, the report said an average of 30 per cent of women in Denmark, Finland and Sweden had experienced violence or abuse at the hands of sexual partners, compared to an EU average of 22 per cent. In Finland, Amnesty said some victims reported positive experiences with law enforcement but that other cases highlighted how "deeply entrenched myths" about rape had directly impacted access to justice. It accused Norwegian authorities of not taking necessary measures to prevent rape or address its consequences. Amnesty also said rape in Denmark was "hugely under-reported", and for those cases that were reported the chances of prosecution or conviction were slim. The report praised Sweden for adopting a new law last year redefining rape as sex without consent and introducing a new offence labelled "negligent rape." However, it criticised Swedish police's handling of rape cases, with inconsistent investigative techniques and delays in forensic analysis and in interviewing suspects. Swedish Home Affairs Minister Mikael Damberg told AFP in a phone interview the report was "important", but noted that the high level of rape reports was also a sign that victims were willing to report offences to police. He said the handling of rape cases was already a priority for police and that some of the issues raised were already being addressed.

Amnesty accuses Nordic states of failing rape victims

By Raman Ghavami

In a recent summary of human rights abuses in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa research and advocacy director, Philip Luther, referred to 2018 as a “year of shame.” The unenviable title is the result of the arrest of more than 7,000 anti-regime dissidents and activists, including over 5,000 of those who have participated in the anti-government protests that took place between December 2017 and January 2018. 
 
The demonstrations were the biggest and most widespread since those that ushered in the Islamic Revolution of 1979, with Amnesty describing them as “anti-authoritarian and anti-corruption protests.”

In Luther’s words, “the scale of the arrests, imprisonment and flogging sentences reveal the extreme lengths the authorities have gone to in order to suppress peaceful protesters.” According to the human rights group, most of the mass arrests are taking place in the regions where ethnic minorities such as Azeris, Kurds, Arabs and Baluchis live. As Ahwazi activist Yasser Assadi has told this author, “since the attack on the military parade in September 2018, Iranian security forces have arrested more than 700 Ahwazi Arab activists.” Assadi also believes that “Iran used the attack to start a wide-scale crackdown on activists in Khuzestan province.”

The mass arrests are ongoing and, according to the Human Rights Organisation of Kurdistan in Iran and the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), more than 100 environmental and civil rights activists have been detained, summoned or arrested in Kurdish areas since the beginning of 2019. According to Kaveh Kermanshahi, the speaker for KHRN and a consultant at Berlin-based LesMigraS, “the new wave of arresting activists in Kurdish cities is alarming and 2019 may be the worst year for activists in Iran.” Kermanshahi thinks that the silence of the Western media on this issue emboldens the Iranian government. “Tehran starts to arrest activists, and as the media in the West do not react, security forces then widen their mass arrest operations across the region,” he says.

One of the most disturbing aspects of these mass arrests has been the routine torture of detainees and the ensuing forced confessions. Torture in Iranian prisons has always been rampant, aimed at extracting false confessions to be broadcast on state television. The Iranian government favours this method for two main reasons. First, to legitimize its claims that activists are all agents of foreign countries. Second, to break the will of those who oppose the policies of the government.

Since December 2017, the authorities intensified their efforts, specifically targeting journalists, social media and women’s rights activists, Ahwazi Arabs, Kurds and their families. A human rights activist based in Tehran who wishes to remain anonymous says that “Iran uses this method to establish a regime of fear where people would hesitate to participate in any anti-regime protest. However, whilst this method may scare people in central parts of the country for the time being, for ethnic minority groups this is not the case as this pushes more of them to join opposition groups in order to take revenge and protect themselves.”

“The Iranian regime’s violations of human rights in Ahwaz are so widespread that many Ahwazis have resigned themselves to joking that there are no rights left to be violated. Prisons are flooded with dissidents and the increasing amount of protests against the government have resulted in extreme measures against Ahwazi Arabs,” says Rahim Hamid, an Iranian journalist.

Amnesty International’s findings, as well as reports by other human rights organisations, prove that the situation in Iran has deteriorated under President Hassan Rouhani, who is widely considered to be a moderate. Despite this, his foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has repeatedly claimed that Iran does not have political prisoners — although he only does so when speaking in the West. However, the documented reports demonstrate the opposite, and data from the likes of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is in sharp contrast with Zarif’s assertions. Iran habitually makes the CPJ’s top 10 most censored countries list and was the in eighths place for the number of journalists imprisoned in 2018 (down from first place a decade ago.).

This may not be the last year of shame for Iran because, inevitably, as more protests occur, the more arrests and torture of dissidents by security forces are bound to happen. These human rights violations have always been justified by sentences given to opponents of the regime. For instance, the Islamic Revolutionary Courts of Iran have sentenced 61,000 activists and political figures to death since the 1979 Islamic Revolution — all the sentences have been carried out. 
 
Moreover, more than 300 Iranians have been assassinated abroad by the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Shameful statistics like this is what has led the majority of Iranians and observers who have been following Iran closely to believe that the regime in Tehran cannot be reformed and that the only option to end this misery is regime change coming from within, with the support of the international community.

(Raman Ghavami is a Middle East analyst based in London and the Middle East)

(This article was originally published on The Fair Observer. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/iran-human-rights-protests-censorship-middle-east-news-09451/">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

 
&nbsp;

By Raman Ghavami In a recent summary of human rights abuses in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa research and advocacy director, Philip Luther, referred to 2018 as a “year of shame.

By Raman Ghavami In a recent summary of human rights abuses in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa research and advocacy director, Philip Luther, referred to 2018 as a “year of shame.” The unenviable title is the result of the arrest of more than 7,000 anti-regime dissidents and activists, including over 5,000 of those who have participated in the anti-government protests that took place between December 2017 and January 2018. The demonstrations were the biggest and most widespread since those that ushered in the Islamic Revolution of 1979, with Amnesty describing them as “anti-authoritarian and anti-corruption protests.” In Luther’s words, “the scale of the arrests, imprisonment and flogging sentences reveal the extreme lengths the authorities have gone to in order to suppress peaceful protesters.” According to the human rights group, most of the mass arrests are taking place in the regions where ethnic minorities such as Azeris, Kurds, Arabs and Baluchis live. As Ahwazi activist Yasser Assadi has told this author, “since the attack on the military parade in September 2018, Iranian security forces have arrested more than 700 Ahwazi Arab activists.” Assadi also believes that “Iran used the attack to start a wide-scale crackdown on activists in Khuzestan province.” The mass arrests are ongoing and, according to the Human Rights Organisation of Kurdistan in Iran and the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), more than 100 environmental and civil rights activists have been detained, summoned or arrested in Kurdish areas since the beginning of 2019. According to Kaveh Kermanshahi, the speaker for KHRN and a consultant at Berlin-based LesMigraS, “the new wave of arresting activists in Kurdish cities is alarming and 2019 may be the worst year for activists in Iran.” Kermanshahi thinks that the silence of the Western media on this issue emboldens the Iranian government. “Tehran starts to arrest activists, and as the media in the West do not react, security forces then widen their mass arrest operations across the region,” he says. One of the most disturbing aspects of these mass arrests has been the routine torture of detainees and the ensuing forced confessions. Torture in Iranian prisons has always been rampant, aimed at extracting false confessions to be broadcast on state television. The Iranian government favours this method for two main reasons. First, to legitimize its claims that activists are all agents of foreign countries. Second, to break the will of those who oppose the policies of the government. Since December 2017, the authorities intensified their efforts, specifically targeting journalists, social media and women’s rights activists, Ahwazi Arabs, Kurds and their families. A human rights activist based in Tehran who wishes to remain anonymous says that “Iran uses this method to establish a regime of fear where people would hesitate to participate in any anti-regime protest. However, whilst this method may scare people in central parts of the country for the time being, for ethnic minority groups this is not the case as this pushes more of them to join opposition groups in order to take revenge and protect themselves.” “The Iranian regime’s violations of human rights in Ahwaz are so widespread that many Ahwazis have resigned themselves to joking that there are no rights left to be violated. Prisons are flooded with dissidents and the increasing amount of protests against the government have resulted in extreme measures against Ahwazi Arabs,” says Rahim Hamid, an Iranian journalist. Amnesty International’s findings, as well as reports by other human rights organisations, prove that the situation in Iran has deteriorated under President Hassan Rouhani, who is widely considered to be a moderate. Despite this, his foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has repeatedly claimed that Iran does not have political prisoners — although he only does so when speaking in the West. However, the documented reports demonstrate the opposite, and data from the likes of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is in sharp contrast with Zarif’s assertions. Iran habitually makes the CPJ’s top 10 most censored countries list and was the in eighths place for the number of journalists imprisoned in 2018 (down from first place a decade ago.). This may not be the last year of shame for Iran because, inevitably, as more protests occur, the more arrests and torture of dissidents by security forces are bound to happen. These human rights violations have always been justified by sentences given to opponents of the regime. For instance, the Islamic Revolutionary Courts of Iran have sentenced 61,000 activists and political figures to death since the 1979 Islamic Revolution — all the sentences have been carried out. Moreover, more than 300 Iranians have been assassinated abroad by the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Shameful statistics like this is what has led the majority of Iranians and observers who have been following Iran closely to believe that the regime in Tehran cannot be reformed and that the only option to end this misery is regime change coming from within, with the support of the international community. (Raman Ghavami is a Middle East analyst based in London and the Middle East) (This article was originally published on The Fair Observer. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Amnesty International calls 2018 the 'year of shame' for Iran - and rightly so

The Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) held several simultaneous protests and awareness campaign in London, Germany, Netherlands, USA, Canada and Austria on December 10 to mark the `International Human Rights Day`.

The FBM activists distributed several thousand leaflets during their three-day campaign in Germany`s Braunschweig city asserting that Baloch people are facing torture, abductions, mass executions and military operations among other human rights abuses and violations.

In a nutshell, Baloch people face state genocidal policies from Pakistan and Iran just because they own a land rich in resources.

"Today we are marking the day in Germany and many other countries simultaneously as the `International Human Rights Day` declared by the United Nations in 1948, the same year when Pakistan occupied Balochistan. Since then, Balochistan is struggling for their basic right of freedom and liberty but it is sad to see the Baloch voice has always been unnoticed and unheard," the FBM activists highlighted.

They Baloch activists have urged all free-born human beings to come forward, raise voices and fulfil their moral responsibilities, so that "we, Baloch, also avail our right to live free and get rid of the inhuman treatment from ruthless Islamic fanatics who are also responsible for terrorising the world."

The enforced disappearances are an urgent issue in Balochistan. The Pakistani army and security forces have abducted and disappeared, at least 20,000 Baloch political and human rights activists since 2000. So far mutilated bodies of about 6000 of these victims have been discovered in different parts of Balochistan.

In London, the FBM activist though a letter informed Amnesty International that enforced disappearances of Baloch political and human rights activists are not a new occurrence.

The Punjabi army of Pakistan illegally occupied the independent state of Balochistan in March 1948.

"To this day, Pakistan has carried out five major military operations in Balochistan. As a result of which thousands of Baloch have been killed, disappeared and over a million have been displaced. The policy of abduction, torture, rape, and killing of Baloch women and children in Balochistan started with illegal occupation of Balochistan by Pakistan army. Targeting Baloch women and children has been a chief policy of Pakistan to pressurise the Baloch political and human rights activists to stop their activities for independence and for the Baloch freedom fighters to hand themselves into the Pakistani army," the speakers explained.

The participants said that for the recovery of their loved ones, the Baloch families have organised the longest march in human history from Shal, the capital city in eastern Balochistan, to Islamabad capital city of Pakistan about 3000 kilometres in 2013. These families have also been sitting in from Quetta Press Club for more than 3400 Days.

"East Balochistan is under total military occupation of Pakistan and all news about Balochistan is controlled by the Pakistani army. There is no independent media, reporter or a human rights organisation in Balochistan," Baloch leader Shahzavar Baloch said.

The FBM activists have urged Amnesty International and other Human Rights activists to take a few steps for ending enforced-disappearance in Balochistan. They have demanded a formation of an independent committee comprising the representatives of the UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Asian Human Rights Commission, Red Cross, Independent academics and Baloch representatives to investigate and report openly all cases of Baloch abducted and disappeared persons by the Islamic State of Pakistan.

The Baloch activists also require free access to all independent media to every corner of Balochistan to reveal the true situation and to report actual facts about Balochistan to the world. They also sought for an immediate release of all abducted Baloch political and human rights activists, especially innocent Baloch women and children.

Lastly, they also demanded an identification and prosecution of all members of the Punjabi army of Pakistan and their proxies who have committed crimes against humanity in Balochistan in an open and independent court.

The Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) held several simultaneous protests and awareness campaign in London, Germany, Netherlands, USA, Canada and Austria on December 10 to mark the `International Human Rights Day`.

The Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) held several simultaneous protests and awareness campaign in London, Germany, Netherlands, USA, Canada and Austria on December 10 to mark the `International Human Rights Day`. The FBM activists distributed several thousand leaflets during their three-day campaign in Germany`s Braunschweig city asserting that Baloch people are facing torture, abductions, mass executions and military operations among other human rights abuses and violations. In a nutshell, Baloch people face state genocidal policies from Pakistan and Iran just because they own a land rich in resources. "Today we are marking the day in Germany and many other countries simultaneously as the `International Human Rights Day` declared by the United Nations in 1948, the same year when Pakistan occupied Balochistan. Since then, Balochistan is struggling for their basic right of freedom and liberty but it is sad to see the Baloch voice has always been unnoticed and unheard," the FBM activists highlighted. They Baloch activists have urged all free-born human beings to come forward, raise voices and fulfil their moral responsibilities, so that "we, Baloch, also avail our right to live free and get rid of the inhuman treatment from ruthless Islamic fanatics who are also responsible for terrorising the world." The enforced disappearances are an urgent issue in Balochistan. The Pakistani army and security forces have abducted and disappeared, at least 20,000 Baloch political and human rights activists since 2000. So far mutilated bodies of about 6000 of these victims have been discovered in different parts of Balochistan. In London, the FBM activist though a letter informed Amnesty International that enforced disappearances of Baloch political and human rights activists are not a new occurrence. The Punjabi army of Pakistan illegally occupied the independent state of Balochistan in March 1948. "To this day, Pakistan has carried out five major military operations in Balochistan. As a result of which thousands of Baloch have been killed, disappeared and over a million have been displaced. The policy of abduction, torture, rape, and killing of Baloch women and children in Balochistan started with illegal occupation of Balochistan by Pakistan army. Targeting Baloch women and children has been a chief policy of Pakistan to pressurise the Baloch political and human rights activists to stop their activities for independence and for the Baloch freedom fighters to hand themselves into the Pakistani army," the speakers explained. The participants said that for the recovery of their loved ones, the Baloch families have organised the longest march in human history from Shal, the capital city in eastern Balochistan, to Islamabad capital city of Pakistan about 3000 kilometres in 2013. These families have also been sitting in from Quetta Press Club for more than 3400 Days. "East Balochistan is under total military occupation of Pakistan and all news about Balochistan is controlled by the Pakistani army. There is no independent media, reporter or a human rights organisation in Balochistan," Baloch leader Shahzavar Baloch said. The FBM activists have urged Amnesty International and other Human Rights activists to take a few steps for ending enforced-disappearance in Balochistan. They have demanded a formation of an independent committee comprising the representatives of the UN, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Asian Human Rights Commission, Red Cross, Independent academics and Baloch representatives to investigate and report openly all cases of Baloch abducted and disappeared persons by the Islamic State of Pakistan. The Baloch activists also require free access to all independent media to every corner of Balochistan to reveal the true situation and to report actual facts about Balochistan to the world. They also sought for an immediate release of all abducted Baloch political and human rights activists, especially innocent Baloch women and children. Lastly, they also demanded an identification and prosecution of all members of the Punjabi army of Pakistan and their proxies who have committed crimes against humanity in Balochistan in an open and independent court.

Free Balochistan Movement hold protests to mark 'International Human Rights Day'

Myanmar authorities and citizens leapt to the defence of Aung San Suu Kyi Tuesday after Amnesty International stripped her of its top award over indifference to atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims, doubling down on support for the civilian leader in the face of global ire.

Suu Kyi's international reputation as a rights icon is in pieces and Amnesty's move is the latest in a string of rescinded accolades.

Canada revoked her honorary citizenship last month and the US Holocaust Museum in March took back an award named after concentration camp survivor Elie Wiesel.

Institutions that once showered Suu Kyi with titles are rapidly distancing themselves from a leader they argue is doing little in the face of alleged genocide and ethnic cleansing against its Rohingya minority.

Amnesty's "Ambassador of Conscience Award" was bestowed in 2009 and other recipients include Nelson Mandela,&nbsp;Malala Yousafzai and Ai Wei Wei.

"Today, we are profoundly dismayed that you no longer represent a symbol of hope, courage, and the undying defence of human rights," Amnesty International chief Kumi Naidoo&nbsp;said in a letter to Suu Kyi released by the group.

"Amnesty International cannot justify your continued status as a recipient of the Ambassador of Conscience award and so with great sadness we are hereby withdrawing it from you."

But domestically, Suu Kyi remains popular across vast swathes of Myanmar and within her party, the National League for Democracy, which won elections in 2015 ending decades of military-backed rule.

The stripping of awards not only harms the "dignity" of Suu Kyi, but also that of all NLD members, the party's spokesman Myo Nyunt told AFP, adding he thought this was all part of a wider conspiracy.

"All these organisations are working for the Bengalis who have left the country in order to get citizenship," he said, using a pejorative term for the Rohingya that is widely accepted in Myanmar and falsely implies they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Deputy Minister for Information Aung Hla Tun told AFP he was personally sad and disappointed by Amnesty's announcement and said Suu Kyi was being treated "unfairly".

Such moves would only "make the people love her more", he added.

People on the street in Yangon were defiant.

"Their withdrawal is pretty childish. It's like when children aren't getting along with each other and take back their toys," 50-year-old Khin Maung Aye said.

"We don't need their prize," said Htay Htay, 60.

More than 720,000 Rohingya were driven over the border to Bangladesh in a crackdown that started in August 2017, and refugees have detailed horrific testimony of murder, rape, torture and arson.

The military says it was defending itself against Rohingya militants.

UN investigators have called for top generals to be prosecuted for genocide and accused Suu Kyi's government of complicity, though has stopped short of calling for her to be hauled before a court.

Suu Kyi became a democracy icon after spearheading the opposition movement to the feared military junta, which resulted in her spending some 15 years under house arrest before her release in 2010.

She has yet to comment on Amnesty's decision herself but has in the past shrugged off questions about withdrawn awards.

Calls to revoke Suu Kyi's 1991 Nobel Peace Prize have been rebuffed by the committee that oversees it.

Some think, however, that Amnesty's move will be taken more personally because she became a cause celebre for the rights group during her house arrest.

"This is effectively an excommunication of Suu Kyi from the pantheon of human rights champions," Yangon-based independent analyst David Mathieson said, adding that the decision would "sting".

Myanmar authorities and citizens leapt to the defence of Aung San Suu Kyi Tuesday after Amnesty International stripped her of its top award over indifference to atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims, doubling down on support for the civilian leader in the face of global ire.

Myanmar authorities and citizens leapt to the defence of Aung San Suu Kyi Tuesday after Amnesty International stripped her of its top award over indifference to atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims, doubling down on support for the civilian leader in the face of global ire. Suu Kyi's international reputation as a rights icon is in pieces and Amnesty's move is the latest in a string of rescinded accolades. Canada revoked her honorary citizenship last month and the US Holocaust Museum in March took back an award named after concentration camp survivor Elie Wiesel. Institutions that once showered Suu Kyi with titles are rapidly distancing themselves from a leader they argue is doing little in the face of alleged genocide and ethnic cleansing against its Rohingya minority. Amnesty's "Ambassador of Conscience Award" was bestowed in 2009 and other recipients include Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai and Ai Wei Wei. "Today, we are profoundly dismayed that you no longer represent a symbol of hope, courage, and the undying defence of human rights," Amnesty International chief Kumi Naidoo said in a letter to Suu Kyi released by the group. "Amnesty International cannot justify your continued status as a recipient of the Ambassador of Conscience award and so with great sadness we are hereby withdrawing it from you." But domestically, Suu Kyi remains popular across vast swathes of Myanmar and within her party, the National League for Democracy, which won elections in 2015 ending decades of military-backed rule. The stripping of awards not only harms the "dignity" of Suu Kyi, but also that of all NLD members, the party's spokesman Myo Nyunt told AFP, adding he thought this was all part of a wider conspiracy. "All these organisations are working for the Bengalis who have left the country in order to get citizenship," he said, using a pejorative term for the Rohingya that is widely accepted in Myanmar and falsely implies they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Deputy Minister for Information Aung Hla Tun told AFP he was personally sad and disappointed by Amnesty's announcement and said Suu Kyi was being treated "unfairly". Such moves would only "make the people love her more", he added. People on the street in Yangon were defiant. "Their withdrawal is pretty childish. It's like when children aren't getting along with each other and take back their toys," 50-year-old Khin Maung Aye said. "We don't need their prize," said Htay Htay, 60. More than 720,000 Rohingya were driven over the border to Bangladesh in a crackdown that started in August 2017, and refugees have detailed horrific testimony of murder, rape, torture and arson. The military says it was defending itself against Rohingya militants. UN investigators have called for top generals to be prosecuted for genocide and accused Suu Kyi's government of complicity, though has stopped short of calling for her to be hauled before a court. Suu Kyi became a democracy icon after spearheading the opposition movement to the feared military junta, which resulted in her spending some 15 years under house arrest before her release in 2010. She has yet to comment on Amnesty's decision herself but has in the past shrugged off questions about withdrawn awards. Calls to revoke Suu Kyi's 1991 Nobel Peace Prize have been rebuffed by the committee that oversees it. Some think, however, that Amnesty's move will be taken more personally because she became a cause celebre for the rights group during her house arrest. "This is effectively an excommunication of Suu Kyi from the pantheon of human rights champions," Yangon-based independent analyst David Mathieson said, adding that the decision would "sting".

'We don't need their prize': Myanmar defiant as Amnesty pulls Suu Kyi award

Amnesty International has withdrawn its most prestigious human rights prize from Aung San Suu Kyi, accusing the Myanmar leader of perpetuating human rights abuses by not speaking out about violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

Once hailed as a champion in the fight for democracy, Suu Kyi has been stripped of a series of international honours over a Rohingya exodus that began in August 2017.

More than 700,000 members of the mostly stateless group fled across Myanmar's western border into Bangladesh after the Myanmar military launched a crackdown in response to Rohingya insurgent attacks on the security forces.

UN-mandated investigators have accused the military of unleashing a campaign of killings, rape and arson with "genocidal intent".

Suu Kyi's administration rejected the findings as one-sided, and said the military action was engaged in a legitimate counterinsurgency operation.

The international human rights group named Suu Kyi as its 2009 Ambassador of Conscience Award recipient when she was still under house arrest for her opposition to Myanmar's oppressive military junta.

In the eight years since she was released, Suu Kyi led her party to election victory in 2015 and set up a government the following year, but she has to share power with generals and has no oversight over the security forces.

Amnesty International said in a statement on Tuesday she had failed to speak out and had "shielded the security forces from accountability" for the violence against the Rohingya, calling it a "shameful betrayal of the values she once stood for".

The global advocacy organisation's secretary general, Kumi Naidoo, wrote to Suu Kyi on Sunday saying the group was withdrawing the award because it was "profoundly dismayed that you no longer represent a symbol of hope, courage, and the undying defence of human rights".

Zaw Htay, the Myanmar government's main spokesman, did not pick up Reuters calls seeking comment on Monday.

In March, the US&nbsp;Holocaust Memorial Museum rescinded its top award from Suu Kyi and she has had other honours withdrawn, including the freedom of the cities of Dublin and Oxford, England, over the Rohingya crisis.

In September, Canada's parliament voted to strip Suu Kyi of her honorary citizenship.

Critics have called for her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize to be withdrawn but the foundation that oversees the award said it would not do so.

Amnesty International also said Suu Kyi had not condemned military abuses in conflicts between the army and ethnic minority guerrillas in northern Myanmar and her government had imposed restrictions on access by humanitarian groups.

Her government had also failed to stop attacks on freedom of speech, it said.

Amnesty International has withdrawn its most prestigious human rights prize from Aung San Suu Kyi, accusing the Myanmar leader of perpetuating human rights abuses by not speaking out about violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

Amnesty International has withdrawn its most prestigious human rights prize from Aung San Suu Kyi, accusing the Myanmar leader of perpetuating human rights abuses by not speaking out about violence against the Rohingya Muslim minority. Once hailed as a champion in the fight for democracy, Suu Kyi has been stripped of a series of international honours over a Rohingya exodus that began in August 2017. More than 700,000 members of the mostly stateless group fled across Myanmar's western border into Bangladesh after the Myanmar military launched a crackdown in response to Rohingya insurgent attacks on the security forces. UN-mandated investigators have accused the military of unleashing a campaign of killings, rape and arson with "genocidal intent". Suu Kyi's administration rejected the findings as one-sided, and said the military action was engaged in a legitimate counterinsurgency operation. The international human rights group named Suu Kyi as its 2009 Ambassador of Conscience Award recipient when she was still under house arrest for her opposition to Myanmar's oppressive military junta. In the eight years since she was released, Suu Kyi led her party to election victory in 2015 and set up a government the following year, but she has to share power with generals and has no oversight over the security forces. Amnesty International said in a statement on Tuesday she had failed to speak out and had "shielded the security forces from accountability" for the violence against the Rohingya, calling it a "shameful betrayal of the values she once stood for". The global advocacy organisation's secretary general, Kumi Naidoo, wrote to Suu Kyi on Sunday saying the group was withdrawing the award because it was "profoundly dismayed that you no longer represent a symbol of hope, courage, and the undying defence of human rights". Zaw Htay, the Myanmar government's main spokesman, did not pick up Reuters calls seeking comment on Monday. In March, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum rescinded its top award from Suu Kyi and she has had other honours withdrawn, including the freedom of the cities of Dublin and Oxford, England, over the Rohingya crisis. In September, Canada's parliament voted to strip Suu Kyi of her honorary citizenship. Critics have called for her 1991 Nobel Peace Prize to be withdrawn but the foundation that oversees the award said it would not do so. Amnesty International also said Suu Kyi had not condemned military abuses in conflicts between the army and ethnic minority guerrillas in northern Myanmar and her government had imposed restrictions on access by humanitarian groups. Her government had also failed to stop attacks on freedom of speech, it said.

Amnesty International strips Myanmar's Suu Kyi of 'conscience' award

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Thursday conducted searches at two locations of human rights watchdog Amnesty International India here in connection with a foreign exchange contravention case, the agency said.

The searches, officials said, were launched late noon under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) at the two locations of the NGO in the Karnataka capital and the sleuths of the central probe agency are looking for documents and other evidences.

The searches are in connection with alleged violation of foreign direct investment (FDI) norms that is linked to an earlier case of revocation of FCRA licence of the NGO by the Union Home Ministry in 2010, the ED said.

"After Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) was denied the permission/registration under FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) by the MHA (ministry of home affairs) they resorted to bypass the FCRA by floating commercial entity in the name of Amnesty lnternational India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL).&nbsp;

"This entity has received foreign funds through commercial route to the extent of Rs 36 crore till date," the ED said in a statement.&nbsp;

Out of the total amount of Rs 36 crore, it said, Rs 10 crore was received as long term loans.&nbsp;

"This amount was immediately placed in FDs (fixed deposits) and another Indian entity-- Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT) had established an over draft facility for Rs 14.25 crore keeping the said 10 crore FD as collateral which means the receipt of FDI by trust only.&nbsp;

"The remaining Rs 26 crore was received in two other bank accounts of AIIPL as consultancy services. The inwards remittances received by the AIIPL from overseas is in violation of FDI guidelines," it said.&nbsp;

In this background, searches were conducted at Bengaluru office of the NGO and further probe is in progress, it said.

The agency, sometime back, had frozen over a dozen bank accounts of environmental NGO Greenpeace and its linked entity after it conducted searches at their premises in Bengaluru on charges of alleged forex violations after taking cognisance of the FCRA action against it.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Thursday conducted searches at two locations of human rights watchdog Amnesty International India here in connection with a foreign exchange contravention case, the agency said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Thursday conducted searches at two locations of human rights watchdog Amnesty International India here in connection with a foreign exchange contravention case, the agency said. The searches, officials said, were launched late noon under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) at the two locations of the NGO in the Karnataka capital and the sleuths of the central probe agency are looking for documents and other evidences. The searches are in connection with alleged violation of foreign direct investment (FDI) norms that is linked to an earlier case of revocation of FCRA licence of the NGO by the Union Home Ministry in 2010, the ED said. "After Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) was denied the permission/registration under FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) by the MHA (ministry of home affairs) they resorted to bypass the FCRA by floating commercial entity in the name of Amnesty lnternational India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL). "This entity has received foreign funds through commercial route to the extent of Rs 36 crore till date," the ED said in a statement. Out of the total amount of Rs 36 crore, it said, Rs 10 crore was received as long term loans. "This amount was immediately placed in FDs (fixed deposits) and another Indian entity-- Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT) had established an over draft facility for Rs 14.25 crore keeping the said 10 crore FD as collateral which means the receipt of FDI by trust only. "The remaining Rs 26 crore was received in two other bank accounts of AIIPL as consultancy services. The inwards remittances received by the AIIPL from overseas is in violation of FDI guidelines," it said. In this background, searches were conducted at Bengaluru office of the NGO and further probe is in progress, it said. The agency, sometime back, had frozen over a dozen bank accounts of environmental NGO Greenpeace and its linked entity after it conducted searches at their premises in Bengaluru on charges of alleged forex violations after taking cognisance of the FCRA action against it.

Our structure compliant with Indian laws: Amnesty India

Campaign group Amnesty International said on Tuesday it had gathered evidence that insurgents from a Rohingya Muslim armed group killed scores of Hindu civilians in August last year, amid a surge in violence in western Myanmar.

A military response to insurgent attacks on 30 police posts and an army base in northern Rakhine state the early hours of Aug. 25 pushed almost 700,000 Rohingya Muslims across the border to Bangladesh, many accusing security forces of killings, rape and arson.

Senior UN&nbsp;officials have said the response amounted to ethnic cleansing and that Myanmar's security forces may have committed genocide.

Amnesty International's research is the first published by an international human rights group to document in detail alleged atrocities by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

It said masked ARSA fighters killed as many as 99 Hindus near a remote village named Kha Maung Seik shortly after launching the coordinated attacks on security posts.

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Amnesty International cited witnesses including eight Hindu women who alleged they were abducted by ARSA fighters and forced to convert to Islam. Some of the women had earlier told media including Reuters that their loved ones were killed by Buddhists, but later recanted their stories, saying they had been coerced by their captors.

Myanmar is majority Buddhist, and the Rohingya are Muslim. The country also has a Christian minority and a smaller number of Hindus.

Myanmar authorities in September unearthed 45 bodies near Kha Maung Seik and accused the ARSA of carrying out the killings.

Reuters was unable to reach an ARSA representative for comment on Tuesday. ARSA said in a Sept. 27 statement it "categorically denies that any of its members or combatants perpetrated murder" and other abuses in villages including Kha Maung Seik.

Myanmar's main government spokesman Zaw Htay said he could not comment on Tuesday evening as he had not seen the report.

Amnesty International also said it had documented a separate killing of six Hindus by ARSA fighters on Aug. 26 near the town of Maungdaw.

“It’s hard to ignore the sheer brutality of ARSA’s actions, which have left an indelible impression on the survivors we’ve spoken to," Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International's crisis response director, said in a statement.

"Accountability for these atrocities is every bit as crucial as it is for the crimes against humanity carried out by Myanmar’s security forces in northern Rakhine State."

ARSA emerged as a group with earlier attacks on border posts in 2016. Its leader, Ata Ullah, has said it is fighting for the rights of the Rohingya, who have long complained of persecution as a stateless minority in Myanmar.

Reporters have been unable freely to visit parts of northern Rakhine for more than 18 months.

"After careful review of evidence obtained in Bangladesh and Rakhine State, Amnesty International has concluded that ARSA fighters are responsible for the massacre," Amnesty said, calling for Myanmar to grant U.N. investigators access to the conflict area to document atrocities by both ARSA and the military.

Amnesty said masked Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army fighters killed as many as 99 Hindus near a remote Myanmarese village named Kha Maung Seik

Campaign group Amnesty International said on Tuesday it had gathered evidence that insurgents from a Rohingya Muslim armed group killed scores of Hindu civilians in August last year, amid a surge in violence in western Myanmar. A military response to insurgent attacks on 30 police posts and an army base in northern Rakhine state the early hours of Aug. 25 pushed almost 700,000 Rohingya Muslims across the border to Bangladesh, many accusing security forces of killings, rape and arson. Senior UN officials have said the response amounted to ethnic cleansing and that Myanmar's security forces may have committed genocide. Amnesty International's research is the first published by an international human rights group to document in detail alleged atrocities by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). It said masked ARSA fighters killed as many as 99 Hindus near a remote village named Kha Maung Seik shortly after launching the coordinated attacks on security posts. Amnesty International cited witnesses including eight Hindu women who alleged they were abducted by ARSA fighters and forced to convert to Islam. Some of the women had earlier told media their loved ones were killed by Buddhists, but later recanted their stories, saying they had been coerced by their captors × Amnesty International cited witnesses including eight Hindu women who alleged they were abducted by ARSA fighters and forced to convert to Islam. Some of the women had earlier told media including Reuters that their loved ones were killed by Buddhists, but later recanted their stories, saying they had been coerced by their captors. Myanmar is majority Buddhist, and the Rohingya are Muslim. The country also has a Christian minority and a smaller number of Hindus. Myanmar authorities in September unearthed 45 bodies near Kha Maung Seik and accused the ARSA of carrying out the killings. Reuters was unable to reach an ARSA representative for comment on Tuesday. ARSA said in a Sept. 27 statement it "categorically denies that any of its members or combatants perpetrated murder" and other abuses in villages including Kha Maung Seik. Myanmar's main government spokesman Zaw Htay said he could not comment on Tuesday evening as he had not seen the report. Amnesty International also said it had documented a separate killing of six Hindus by ARSA fighters on Aug. 26 near the town of Maungdaw. “It’s hard to ignore the sheer brutality of ARSA’s actions, which have left an indelible impression on the survivors we’ve spoken to," Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International's crisis response director, said in a statement. "Accountability for these atrocities is every bit as crucial as it is for the crimes against humanity carried out by Myanmar’s security forces in northern Rakhine State." ARSA emerged as a group with earlier attacks on border posts in 2016. Its leader, Ata Ullah, has said it is fighting for the rights of the Rohingya, who have long complained of persecution as a stateless minority in Myanmar. Reporters have been unable freely to visit parts of northern Rakhine for more than 18 months. "After careful review of evidence obtained in Bangladesh and Rakhine State, Amnesty International has concluded that ARSA fighters are responsible for the massacre," Amnesty said, calling for Myanmar to grant U.N. investigators access to the conflict area to document atrocities by both ARSA and the military.

Rohingya militants killed Hindu villagers in Myanmar: Amnesty International

Amnesty International said today <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/receiving-threats-from-pak-military-wions-pakistan-bureau-chief-taha-siddiqui-35563">that Pakistan should take steps </a>to resolve &quot;enforced disappearances&quot;, calling it a &quot;tool of terror&quot;.

Pakistan has reportedly accepted <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/monitoring-developments-in-pakistan-says-us-state-department-on-wions-taha-siddiquis-attempted-abduction-29178">UN recommendations that make</a> &quot;enforced disappearances&quot; a crime but has refused to ratify an international convention protecting anyone from enforced disappearances.

&quot;Disappearances are a tool of terror... if committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack, they constitute a crime against humanity,&quot; Amnesty International said, adding,&quot;as cruel and deliberate.... families are plunged into a state of anguish, trying to keep the flame of hope alive while fearing the worst. They may be in this limbo for years.&quot;

According to Amnesty International, the United Nations has more than 700 cases pending in Pakistan, while a state commission of inquiry into enforced disappearances lists hundreds of additional cases, AFP reported.

The victims include bloggers, journalists, students, peace activists and other human rights defenders.

Recently, WION&#39;s Pakistan bureau chief Taha Siddiqui had said he was receiving threats from Pakistan&#39;s military. Taha&#39;s family and friends were also reportedly receiving similar threats.

Taha Siddiqui has since left Pakistan and is living in Europe.

Last year, five social media activists who had been critical of the military as well as extremism &quot;disappeared&quot; mysteriously, with abductions sparking nationwide protests. Although&nbsp;four were released, the fate of the fifth person is still unknown.

WION's Pakistan bureau chief Taha Siddiqui had said he was receiving threats from Pakistan's military

Amnesty International said today that Pakistan should take steps to resolve "enforced disappearances", calling it a "tool of terror". Pakistan has reportedly accepted UN recommendations that make "enforced disappearances" a crime but has refused to ratify an international convention protecting anyone from enforced disappearances. "Disappearances are a tool of terror... if committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack, they constitute a crime against humanity," Amnesty International said, adding,"as cruel and deliberate.... families are plunged into a state of anguish, trying to keep the flame of hope alive while fearing the worst. They may be in this limbo for years." According to Amnesty International, the United Nations has more than 700 cases pending in Pakistan, while a state commission of inquiry into enforced disappearances lists hundreds of additional cases, AFP reported. The victims include bloggers, journalists, students, peace activists and other human rights defenders. Recently, WION's Pakistan bureau chief Taha Siddiqui had said he was receiving threats from Pakistan's military. Taha's family and friends were also reportedly receiving similar threats. Taha Siddiqui has since left Pakistan and is living in Europe. Last year, five social media activists who had been critical of the military as well as extremism "disappeared" mysteriously, with abductions sparking nationwide protests. Although four were released, the fate of the fifth person is still unknown.

Resolve 'enforced disappearances': Amnesty International to Pakistan

The first Rohingya refugees who arrived on Jorina Katun&#39;s farmland in Bangladesh last year were worn out and traumatised after fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar. They wept and begged to stay, and Katun, moved by their plight, said yes.

&quot;I really regret that,&quot; she said. &quot;They said they would stay for only a month. They&#39;re still here and more are coming.&quot; Katun now has 25 Rohingya families living on a patch of land where she used to grow rice and vegetables.

Since August, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have crossed from Myanmar&#39;s Rakhine State into Bangladesh. Makeshift camps housing the Rohingya sprawl across thousands of acres of what was once a government forest reserve, butting up against - and sometimes overwhelming - Bangladeshi homes and land. Jorina Katun lives on the edge of the largest such camp.

Officials and aid workers fear that the welcome is wearing thin, due to the unprecedented number of refugees and growing doubts over whether Myanmar will ever take them back.

Repatriation was due to begin in January under an agreement signed by Myanmar and Bangladesh. But the plan has stalled due to safety and logistical concerns, and meanwhile, Rohingya continue to flee across the border.

&quot;We&#39;ve accommodated them, but for how long?&quot; said Kazi Abdur Rahman, a deputy district administrator in Cox&#39;s Bazar. &quot;Our crop fields are destroyed. Our forests are destroyed...It&#39;s a huge impact on the whole community.&quot;

So far, local people have been remarkably tolerant, with many feeling duty-bound to help fellow Muslims they see as being oppressed because of their religion. There have only been a handful of anti-Rohingya protest, all small and peaceful.

But many also blame the Rohingya for driving up food prices and stealing jobs, and officials worry that the refugees bring with them an increased risk of disease, militant activity and drug trafficking. 
Residents have been told to report any Rohingya seen outside the camps, said Rahman. &quot;It&#39;s for our security, so they can&#39;t get up to any terrorist activity,&quot; he said.

He said he had no evidence that the Rohingya were involved in crime, but noted they were poor, desperate and &quot;very vulnerable to evil forces&quot;.

THE CHEAPEST WORKER

Before the current crisis, Bangladesh was already home to 300,000 Rohingya refugees who had fled previous bouts of violence in Myanmar. Now, in Ukhia and Teknaf, two sub-districts near the Myanmar border, Rohingya outnumber local people by about two to one.

Residents of Ukhia and Teknaf were already among Bangladesh&#39;s poorest and by some measures as deprived as the refugees, according to ACAPS, a Geneva-based think-tank which analyses humanitarian responses.

Seven in 10 families &ndash; both Bangladeshi and Rohingya &ndash; struggled to get enough to eat, ACAPS found.

Little of the land around Cox&#39;s Bazar is suitable for farming, so Bangladeshis have to buy about 80 percent of their food in local markets, said ACAPS.

The price of that food is rising, said Hamidul Hoque Chowdhury, a college principal who heads the Ukhia branch of the Awami League, the party of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Six months ago, 1 kg of potatoes cost 20 takas ($0.24); it has since tripled in price to 60 or 70 takas. The price of fish has doubled, he said.

&quot;The local people are now silent. They&#39;re not shouting now. But they&#39;re not happy,&quot; said Chowdhury. &quot;Tensions will definitely rise.&quot; 
Chowdhury, who helped organise a small anti-Rohingya protest in Ukhia in January, said Rohingya were competing with Bangladeshis for unskilled labour jobs, the main source of income for about half the local population.

Faruk Ahmed, 73, a local farmer, said he hired Rohingya labourers because they were cheap, plentiful and hard-working.

&quot;Bangladeshis want 500 takas ($6) a day, but Rohingya will take 300 takas,&quot; he said. &quot;I&#39;ll hire the cheapest worker.&quot;

ROHINGYA ISLAND

Partly to ease the congestion at the camps, Bangladesh is accelerating a controversial plan to temporarily relocate 100,000 Rohingya on a remote island in the Bay of Bengal.

H.T. Imam, an advisor of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said the refugees must be kept apart from Bangladeshis. &quot;In the past, the Rohingya spread out and caused serious law and order problems,&quot; he said.

Humanitarian groups said they were also looking for ways to support the Bangladeshi community.

Of the $950 million budget currently being requested from donors for March to December, a quarter had been earmarked for projects that will directly benefit Bangladeshis, said UN host community liaison Maurice Dewulf.

There are &quot;no major signals yet&quot; of problems between Bangladeshis and locals in Cox&#39;s Bazar, Dewulf said, but such problems become more likely the longer a refugee crisis lasts.

The Rohingya families camped out on Jorina Katun&#39;s land are also doing what they can to keep the peace, paying Katun between 300 and 600 takas ($3.50 to $7) a month in rent, says refugee Bodi Alam. 
The Bangladesh Army, which oversees security in the area, said it forbids local people to charge rent. &quot;But we still pay,&quot; said Alam.

Without such payments, there would be quarrels with the Bangladeshis. &quot;They will say &#39;go from here, this is our area, these are our houses, this is our land,&#39;&quot; he said.

Since August, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have crossed from Myanmar's Rakhine State into Bangladesh

The first Rohingya refugees who arrived on Jorina Katun's farmland in Bangladesh last year were worn out and traumatised after fleeing violence in neighbouring Myanmar. They wept and begged to stay, and Katun, moved by their plight, said yes. "I really regret that," she said. "They said they would stay for only a month. They're still here and more are coming." Katun now has 25 Rohingya families living on a patch of land where she used to grow rice and vegetables. Since August, nearly 700,000 Rohingya have crossed from Myanmar's Rakhine State into Bangladesh. Makeshift camps housing the Rohingya sprawl across thousands of acres of what was once a government forest reserve, butting up against - and sometimes overwhelming - Bangladeshi homes and land. Jorina Katun lives on the edge of the largest such camp. Officials and aid workers fear that the welcome is wearing thin, due to the unprecedented number of refugees and growing doubts over whether Myanmar will ever take them back. Repatriation was due to begin in January under an agreement signed by Myanmar and Bangladesh. But the plan has stalled due to safety and logistical concerns, and meanwhile, Rohingya continue to flee across the border. "We've accommodated them, but for how long?" said Kazi Abdur Rahman, a deputy district administrator in Cox's Bazar. "Our crop fields are destroyed. Our forests are destroyed...It's a huge impact on the whole community." So far, local people have been remarkably tolerant, with many feeling duty-bound to help fellow Muslims they see as being oppressed because of their religion. There have only been a handful of anti-Rohingya protest, all small and peaceful. But many also blame the Rohingya for driving up food prices and stealing jobs, and officials worry that the refugees bring with them an increased risk of disease, militant activity and drug trafficking. Residents have been told to report any Rohingya seen outside the camps, said Rahman. "It's for our security, so they can't get up to any terrorist activity," he said. He said he had no evidence that the Rohingya were involved in crime, but noted they were poor, desperate and "very vulnerable to evil forces". THE CHEAPEST WORKER Before the current crisis, Bangladesh was already home to 300,000 Rohingya refugees who had fled previous bouts of violence in Myanmar. Now, in Ukhia and Teknaf, two sub-districts near the Myanmar border, Rohingya outnumber local people by about two to one. Residents of Ukhia and Teknaf were already among Bangladesh's poorest and by some measures as deprived as the refugees, according to ACAPS, a Geneva-based think-tank which analyses humanitarian responses. Seven in 10 families – both Bangladeshi and Rohingya – struggled to get enough to eat, ACAPS found. Little of the land around Cox's Bazar is suitable for farming, so Bangladeshis have to buy about 80 percent of their food in local markets, said ACAPS. The price of that food is rising, said Hamidul Hoque Chowdhury, a college principal who heads the Ukhia branch of the Awami League, the party of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Six months ago, 1 kg of potatoes cost 20 takas ($0.24); it has since tripled in price to 60 or 70 takas. The price of fish has doubled, he said. "The local people are now silent. They're not shouting now. But they're not happy," said Chowdhury. "Tensions will definitely rise." Chowdhury, who helped organise a small anti-Rohingya protest in Ukhia in January, said Rohingya were competing with Bangladeshis for unskilled labour jobs, the main source of income for about half the local population. Faruk Ahmed, 73, a local farmer, said he hired Rohingya labourers because they were cheap, plentiful and hard-working. "Bangladeshis want 500 takas ($6) a day, but Rohingya will take 300 takas," he said. "I'll hire the cheapest worker." ROHINGYA ISLAND Partly to ease the congestion at the camps, Bangladesh is accelerating a controversial plan to temporarily relocate 100,000 Rohingya on a remote island in the Bay of Bengal. H.T. Imam, an advisor of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said the refugees must be kept apart from Bangladeshis. "In the past, the Rohingya spread out and caused serious law and order problems," he said. Humanitarian groups said they were also looking for ways to support the Bangladeshi community. Of the $950 million budget currently being requested from donors for March to December, a quarter had been earmarked for projects that will directly benefit Bangladeshis, said UN host community liaison Maurice Dewulf. There are "no major signals yet" of problems between Bangladeshis and locals in Cox's Bazar, Dewulf said, but such problems become more likely the longer a refugee crisis lasts. The Rohingya families camped out on Jorina Katun's land are also doing what they can to keep the peace, paying Katun between 300 and 600 takas ($3.50 to $7) a month in rent, says refugee Bodi Alam. The Bangladesh Army, which oversees security in the area, said it forbids local people to charge rent. "But we still pay," said Alam. Without such payments, there would be quarrels with the Bangladeshis. "They will say 'go from here, this is our area, these are our houses, this is our land,'" he said.

Rohingya refugees test Bangladeshi welcome as prices rise and repatriation stalls

The crisis in Myanmar and reported massacres of Rohingya Muslims are the consequence of a society encouraged to hate and a lack of global leadership on human rights, Amnesty International said on Thursday.

The human rights group said in its annual report covering 159 countries that &quot;hate-filled rhetoric&quot; by leaders was normalising discrimination against minorities.

&quot;We saw the ultimate consequence of a society encouraged to hate, scapegoat and fear minorities laid bare in the horrific military campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people in Myanmar,&quot; said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty.

Last week, the United States urged the UN Security Council to hold Myanmar`s military accountable for what it said was the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims.

Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine and taken refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh since the Myanmar military launched a crackdown on insurgents at the end of August, according to the UN.

More than 6,500 Rohingya are currently trapped on a strip of unclaimed land between Myanmar and Bangladesh.

Amnesty said the international community had failed to respond robustly to &quot;crimes against humanity and war crimes from Myanmar to Iraq, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen&quot;.&nbsp;

It said that leaders in countries such as the United States, Russia and China were not standing up for civil liberties and instead were &quot;callously undermining the rights of millions&quot;.

Amnesty said President Donald Trump had taken backward steps on human rights that were setting a dangerous precedent. Shetty described his move to ban people from several Muslim-majority countries in January last year as &quot;transparently hateful&quot;.

Last year`s report accused Trump of &quot;poisonous&quot; rhetoric.&nbsp;

Free speech will be a key issue for those concerned about human rights this year, the report said.&nbsp;

Amnesty said its staff were arrested at an unprecedented rate in Turkey in 2017, which along with Egypt and China was also among the biggest jailors of journalists.

Two Reuters reporters in Myanmar were arrested while investigating the killing of Rohingya Muslims. Court proceedings are ongoing.

&quot;In 2018, we cannot take for granted that we will be free to gather together in protest or to criticise our governments. In fact, speaking out is becoming more dangerous,&quot; Shetty said. 
&nbsp;

Amnesty said the international community had failed to respond robustly to "crimes against humanity and war crimes from Myanmar to Iraq, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen".

The crisis in Myanmar and reported massacres of Rohingya Muslims are the consequence of a society encouraged to hate and a lack of global leadership on human rights, Amnesty International said on Thursday. The human rights group said in its annual report covering 159 countries that "hate-filled rhetoric" by leaders was normalising discrimination against minorities. "We saw the ultimate consequence of a society encouraged to hate, scapegoat and fear minorities laid bare in the horrific military campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people in Myanmar," said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty. Last week, the United States urged the UN Security Council to hold Myanmar`s military accountable for what it said was the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims. Nearly 690,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine and taken refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh since the Myanmar military launched a crackdown on insurgents at the end of August, according to the UN. More than 6,500 Rohingya are currently trapped on a strip of unclaimed land between Myanmar and Bangladesh. Amnesty said the international community had failed to respond robustly to "crimes against humanity and war crimes from Myanmar to Iraq, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen". It said that leaders in countries such as the United States, Russia and China were not standing up for civil liberties and instead were "callously undermining the rights of millions". Amnesty said President Donald Trump had taken backward steps on human rights that were setting a dangerous precedent. Shetty described his move to ban people from several Muslim-majority countries in January last year as "transparently hateful". Last year`s report accused Trump of "poisonous" rhetoric. Free speech will be a key issue for those concerned about human rights this year, the report said. Amnesty said its staff were arrested at an unprecedented rate in Turkey in 2017, which along with Egypt and China was also among the biggest jailors of journalists. Two Reuters reporters in Myanmar were arrested while investigating the killing of Rohingya Muslims. Court proceedings are ongoing. "In 2018, we cannot take for granted that we will be free to gather together in protest or to criticise our governments. In fact, speaking out is becoming more dangerous," Shetty said.

Amnesty says Rohingya crisis consequence of society 'encouraged to hate'

Amnesty International on Thursday condemned a draft bill in the Egyptian parliament that would criminalise homosexuality, in what the rights group called an &quot;unprecedented homophobic crackdown&quot;.

The bill lays jail terms of between one and three years for first-time offenders, whether the act takes place in public or a private place. Repeat offenders would receive five years.

&quot;This deeply discriminatory bill would be a huge setback for human rights and another nail in the coffin for sexual rights in Egypt,&quot; said Najia Bounaim, North Africa campaigns director at Amnesty.

Amnesty said that &quot;for more than a month now the Egyptian authorities have waged a vicious crackdown targeting LGBTI people in the country.&quot;

Despite homosexuality not yet being illegal in the North African country, the number of arrests of suspects has been mounting.

The crackdown comes after an open-air concert in Cairo on September 22 by Lebanese band Mashrou&#39; Leila, when the flag representing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community was raised.

Thirty-one people have been arrested since the concert, 10 directly linked with the event, according to judicial and security officials.

Amnesty said the number was more than 70 people, some of whom had been subjected to anal examinations.

On November 19, a Cairo court is to rule on 17 defendants held on charges of &quot;sexual debauchery&quot;, the official term often used in Egypt for homosexuality.

The bill lays jail terms of between one and three years for first-time offenders, whether the act takes place in public or private. Repeat offenders would get five years

Amnesty International on Thursday condemned a draft bill in the Egyptian parliament that would criminalise homosexuality, in what the rights group called an "unprecedented homophobic crackdown". The bill lays jail terms of between one and three years for first-time offenders, whether the act takes place in public or a private place. Repeat offenders would receive five years. "This deeply discriminatory bill would be a huge setback for human rights and another nail in the coffin for sexual rights in Egypt," said Najia Bounaim, North Africa campaigns director at Amnesty. Amnesty said that "for more than a month now the Egyptian authorities have waged a vicious crackdown targeting LGBTI people in the country." Despite homosexuality not yet being illegal in the North African country, the number of arrests of suspects has been mounting. The crackdown comes after an open-air concert in Cairo on September 22 by Lebanese band Mashrou' Leila, when the flag representing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community was raised. Thirty-one people have been arrested since the concert, 10 directly linked with the event, according to judicial and security officials. Amnesty said the number was more than 70 people, some of whom had been subjected to anal examinations. On November 19, a Cairo court is to rule on 17 defendants held on charges of "sexual debauchery", the official term often used in Egypt for homosexuality.

Egypt bill looks to criminalise homosexuality

The Vietnam government imprisoned a 37-year-old woman activist, Tran Thi&nbsp;Nga, holding her&nbsp;guilty of&nbsp;criticising the country&#39;s leadership over a Facebook post.&nbsp;

Thi Nga, a mother of four kids, was charged under Vietnam&rsquo;s Article 88, for &quot;spreading propaganda against the state&quot;. The government also charged her for producing&nbsp;videos supporting her campaign against environmental pollution, police brutality and illegal land confiscation.&nbsp;

The Vietnamese Communist Party has ruled the country for almost 43 years now and has very little patience when it comes to freedom of expression.&nbsp;

Tran Thi Nga began her human rights activism after being mistreated at her previous job&nbsp;in Taiwan. She began working as a housemaid at the age of 20 and it was only after changing several jobs did she realise&nbsp;the hardships and ill treatment involved in her chosen occupation.

Back in her country, Thi Nga began her crusade against oppression&nbsp;faced by people who worked as housemaids. However, her efforts have landed her in prison as she was ordered to serve a nine-year sentence, followed by five years of probation.&nbsp;

Earlier in June, another woman blogger named Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, a human rights activist was sentenced to a&nbsp;10-year prison term on the similar charges.&nbsp;

The two arrests have infuriated human rights organizations in Vietnam which now believes that people can no longer criticise the government in the country.&nbsp;

According to a report, Amnesty International, a human rights organization in the UK attacked the Vietnam government and said:&nbsp;&ldquo;The government is destroying the lives of brave individuals and their families simply to intimidate others from raising their voice.&rdquo;

The &#39;Human Rights Watch&#39; has also demanded her release.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Vietnamese activist <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TranThiNga?src=hash">#TranThiNga</a> sentenced to 9 years in one-day trial. 
Chilling warning to dissidents<a href="https://t.co/3qYzE1q6NL">https://t.co/3qYzE1q6NL</a> <a href="https://t.co/xmjgO8mYvG">pic.twitter.com/xmjgO8mYvG</a>
&mdash; Human Rights Watch (@hrw) <a href="https://twitter.com/hrw/status/890455713797025792">July 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

Thi Nga, a mother of four kids, was charged under Vietnam?s Article 88, for 'spreading propaganda against the state'.

The Vietnam government imprisoned a 37-year-old woman activist, Tran Thi Nga, holding her guilty of criticising the country's leadership over a Facebook post. Thi Nga, a mother of four kids, was charged under Vietnam’s Article 88, for "spreading propaganda against the state". The government also charged her for producing videos supporting her campaign against environmental pollution, police brutality and illegal land confiscation. The Vietnamese Communist Party has ruled the country for almost 43 years now and has very little patience when it comes to freedom of expression. Tran Thi Nga began her human rights activism after being mistreated at her previous job in Taiwan. She began working as a housemaid at the age of 20 and it was only after changing several jobs did she realise the hardships and ill treatment involved in her chosen occupation. Back in her country, Thi Nga began her crusade against oppression faced by people who worked as housemaids. However, her efforts have landed her in prison as she was ordered to serve a nine-year sentence, followed by five years of probation. Earlier in June, another woman blogger named Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, a human rights activist was sentenced to a 10-year prison term on the similar charges. The two arrests have infuriated human rights organizations in Vietnam which now believes that people can no longer criticise the government in the country. According to a report, Amnesty International, a human rights organization in the UK attacked the Vietnam government and said: “The government is destroying the lives of brave individuals and their families simply to intimidate others from raising their voice.” The 'Human Rights Watch' has also demanded her release. Vietnamese activist #TranThiNga sentenced to 9 years in one-day trial. Chilling warning to dissidentshttps://t.co/3qYzE1q6NL pic.twitter.com/xmjgO8mYvG — Human Rights Watch (@hrw) July 27, 2017 ×

Vietnam: Woman blogger gets nine-year prison term over Facebook post

Turkish police have detained 10 people including the local director of Amnesty International and other rights activists on suspicion of membership of a terrorist organisation, Amnesty said on Thursday in what it called a &quot;grotesque abuse of power&quot;.

The detentions came less than a month after a court ordered the arrest of the chairman of Amnesty&#39;s&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;branch, Taner Kilic, on the same charge in a crackdown following an attempted military coup in July 2016. Kilic remains in jail pending trial.

Amnesty&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;Director Idil Eser and the others were removed from a meeting they were holding at a hotel on Buyukada, an island just south of Istanbul, and taken to various police stations across&nbsp;Turkey&#39;s largest city on Wednesday evening, a lawyer for some of the detainees, Bahri Belen, told Reuters.

Belen said prosecutors had decided on a seven-day detention period, which needs to be approved by a judge. Police were not immediately available for comment, but Belen said an explanation might come on Friday when the activists are transferred from the police stations to Istanbul&#39;s police headquarters.

Amnesty International&rsquo;s Secretary General Salil Shetty described the accusations against the 10 people, who were attending a workshop on digital security and information management, as absurd.

&quot;Their spurious detention while attending a routine workshop was bad enough: that they are now being investigated for membership of an armed terrorist organization beggars belief,&quot; Shetty said in a statement.

Eser and seven other human rights campaigners were detained along with two foreign trainers &ndash; a German and a Swedish national, Amnesty said. In an earlier statement, it also said the hotel&#39;s owner had been detained.

US, EU express concern

The United States is &quot;deeply concerned&quot; by the arrests, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

&quot;As with past arrests of prominent human rights defenders, journalists, academics, and activists, we underscore the importance of respecting due process and individual rights, as enshrined in the Turkish Constitution, and consistent with&nbsp;Turkey&#39;s own international commitments,&quot; Nauert said. &quot;More voices, not fewer, are necessary in challenging times.&quot;

Since the failed putsch a year ago,&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;has jailed more than 50,000 people pending trial and suspended or dismissed some 150,000, including soldiers, police, teachers and public servants, over alleged links with terrorist groups.

The purge, which has also led to the closure of some 130 media outlets and jailing of 150 journalists, has alarmed&nbsp;Turkey&#39;s Western allies and rights groups, who say President Tayyip Erdogan is using the coup as a pretext to muzzle dissent.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, in&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;on Thursday to discuss its performance in European Union accession talks, said he had raised the detentions with Turkish officials.

&quot;... (But) I didn&#39;t get a sufficient answer about it. We will continue to follow this,&quot; he told a news conference at Ankara airport.

Hahn also said he had stressed the need for&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;to respect the rule of law and the right of people to a fair trial.

More than 240 people were killed in last year&#39;s coup attempt, and the government has said the security measures are necessary because of the gravity of the threats facing&nbsp;Turkey.

Amnesty&nbsp;Turkey&#39;s chairman was detained in early June with 22 other lawyers over alleged links to the network of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames for the failed coup.

&quot;If anyone was still in doubt of the endgame of&nbsp;Turkey&rsquo;s post-coup crackdown, they should not be now,&quot; Amnesty&#39;s Shetty said. &quot;There is to be no civil society, no criticism and no accountability in Erdogan&rsquo;s&nbsp;Turkey.&quot;

The ten detained include the local director of Amnesty International and other rights activists

Turkish police have detained 10 people including the local director of Amnesty International and other rights activists on suspicion of membership of a terrorist organisation, Amnesty said on Thursday in what it called a "grotesque abuse of power". The detentions came less than a month after a court ordered the arrest of the chairman of Amnesty's Turkey branch, Taner Kilic, on the same charge in a crackdown following an attempted military coup in July 2016. Kilic remains in jail pending trial. Amnesty Turkey Director Idil Eser and the others were removed from a meeting they were holding at a hotel on Buyukada, an island just south of Istanbul, and taken to various police stations across Turkey's largest city on Wednesday evening, a lawyer for some of the detainees, Bahri Belen, told Reuters. Belen said prosecutors had decided on a seven-day detention period, which needs to be approved by a judge. Police were not immediately available for comment, but Belen said an explanation might come on Friday when the activists are transferred from the police stations to Istanbul's police headquarters. Amnesty International’s Secretary General Salil Shetty described the accusations against the 10 people, who were attending a workshop on digital security and information management, as absurd. "Their spurious detention while attending a routine workshop was bad enough: that they are now being investigated for membership of an armed terrorist organization beggars belief," Shetty said in a statement. Eser and seven other human rights campaigners were detained along with two foreign trainers – a German and a Swedish national, Amnesty said. In an earlier statement, it also said the hotel's owner had been detained. US, EU express concern The United States is "deeply concerned" by the arrests, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. "As with past arrests of prominent human rights defenders, journalists, academics, and activists, we underscore the importance of respecting due process and individual rights, as enshrined in the Turkish Constitution, and consistent with Turkey's own international commitments," Nauert said. "More voices, not fewer, are necessary in challenging times." Since the failed putsch a year ago, Turkey has jailed more than 50,000 people pending trial and suspended or dismissed some 150,000, including soldiers, police, teachers and public servants, over alleged links with terrorist groups. The purge, which has also led to the closure of some 130 media outlets and jailing of 150 journalists, has alarmed Turkey's Western allies and rights groups, who say President Tayyip Erdogan is using the coup as a pretext to muzzle dissent. EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, in Turkey on Thursday to discuss its performance in European Union accession talks, said he had raised the detentions with Turkish officials. "... (But) I didn't get a sufficient answer about it. We will continue to follow this," he told a news conference at Ankara airport. Hahn also said he had stressed the need for Turkey to respect the rule of law and the right of people to a fair trial. More than 240 people were killed in last year's coup attempt, and the government has said the security measures are necessary because of the gravity of the threats facing Turkey. Amnesty Turkey's chairman was detained in early June with 22 other lawyers over alleged links to the network of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames for the failed coup. "If anyone was still in doubt of the endgame of Turkey’s post-coup crackdown, they should not be now," Amnesty's Shetty said. "There is to be no civil society, no criticism and no accountability in Erdogan’s Turkey."

Turkey: Ten detained at human rights meeting

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