UN experts urge fair trial for Tunisia’s former truth commission president

Sihem Bensedrine, head of the Truth and Dignity Commission (IVD), takes part in an open forum as relatives of abuse victims watch a live broadcast of testimonials by the victims before the IVD in Tunis on December 16, 2016. (AFP)
Sihem Bensedrine, head of the Truth and Dignity Commission (IVD), takes part in an open forum as relatives of abuse victims watch a live broadcast of testimonials by the victims before the IVD in Tunis on December 16, 2016. (AFP)
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Updated 09 August 2024
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UN experts urge fair trial for Tunisia’s former truth commission president

UN experts urge fair trial for Tunisia’s former truth commission president
  • “This arrest could amount to judicial harassment of Ms. Bensedrine for work she has undertaken as president of the Truth and Dignity Commission,” the experts said

GENEVA: UN experts have called for Tunisian former Truth and Dignity Commission chief Sihem Bensedrine to be given a fair trial, saying her arrest could amount to judicial harassment.
Bensedrine, who headed a panel tasked with uncovering abuses under the country’s past rulers, was arrested for “falsifying” the commission’s report, Tunisian media reported last week.
A prominent rights activist who headed the now-defunct Truth and Dignity Commission, Bensedrine was arrested for allegedly forging parts of the commission’s final report published in 2020.
“In a context marked by the suppression of numerous dissenting voices, the arrest of Ms. Bensedrine raises serious concerns about the respect of the right to freedom of opinion and expression in Tunisia and has a chilling effect on journalists, human rights defenders and civil society in general,” the experts said in a joint statement.
“This arrest could amount to judicial harassment of Ms. Bensedrine for work she has undertaken as president of the Truth and Dignity Commission,” the experts said.

BACKGROUND

Sihem Bensedrine was arrested for allegedly forging parts of the Truth and Dignity Commission’s final report published in 2020.

“It appears to be aimed at discrediting information contained in the commission’s report, which could give rise to legal proceedings against alleged perpetrators of corruption under the previous regimes.”
The special rapporteurs urged Tunisia to uphold its obligation to protect members of commissions of enquiry into gross human rights violations from defamation and civil or criminal proceedings brought against them because of their work, or the content of their reports.
“We call for strict respect for Ms Bensedrine’s right to judicial guarantees, including the right to a fair trial by due process, impartiality and independence, and for an end to abusive proceedings and reprisals against her.”
The statement was penned by the UN special rapporteurs on the promotion of truth, justice and reparation; on freedom of expression; and on human rights defenders.
UN special rapporteurs are mandated by the UN Human Rights Council.
They are independent experts and therefore do not speak for the UN.

 


Yemen’s government asks Yemenis to leave Lebanon as war intensifies

Yemen’s government asks Yemenis to leave Lebanon as war intensifies
Updated 03 October 2024
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Yemen’s government asks Yemenis to leave Lebanon as war intensifies

Yemen’s government asks Yemenis to leave Lebanon as war intensifies
  • Houthis claim their military forces launched barrage of drones at ‘vital targets’ in the Israeli capital in support of Palestinian and Lebanese people
  • Yemenis who wish to leave Lebanon should first request a transit visit from the Syrian government

AL-MUKALLA: Yemen’s government has asked its citizens in Lebanon to leave as the war between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah escalates.
The Yemeni embassy in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, has requested that Yemenis in Lebanon travel by land to the Lebanon-Syria border due to the lack of charter flights for air evacuation.
Yemenis who wish to leave Lebanon should first request a transit visit from the Syrian government, it said.
The Yemeni embassy will arrange buses and other transport to take them by land from Lebanon to Syria and then to Jordan, where they will be transferred to Yemeni Sanaa or Aden airports on Yemenia Airways flights, according to the Yemeni embassy.
This comes as Yemenis in Lebanon have urged their government to evacuate them immediately as Israel has increased its airstrikes on the Lebanese capital and other areas of the country, targeting Hezbollah locations.
However, Yemenis reject the embassy’s proposal to evacuate them by land to Syria, saying that the Syria border crossing with Lebanon is congested with thousands of people fleeing the war and also prone to Israeli airstrikes.
Mushtaq Anaam, a Yemeni national living in Beirut’s Cola, told Arab News that a recent Israeli airstrike struck 70 meters from where he lives and that he refused to travel from Lebanon to Syria by land after hearing an Israeli military spokesperson threaten to strike the Lebanon-Syria border, claiming it to be an entry point for weapons to Hezbollah.
“I’d rather stay here than travel through Syria, which is a dangerous route that has been bombed repeatedly,” said Anaam, who is a postgraduate student in Lebanon.
Anaam suggested that the Yemeni government work with the Lebanese authorities to allow Yemenia Airways planes to transport them or that they be evacuated by sea.
“The situation here is dire, and the war is becoming more intense by the day,” he said.
However, the Yemeni embassy in Beirut said that it was unable to secure a flight to evacuate Yemenis by air and that the only viable option was to travel by land through Syria.
The Yemeni embassy in Beirut and Yemeni foreign ministry officials were unavailable on Thursday to respond to Arab News’ requests for comment.
Meanwhile, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed on Thursday that their military forces launched a barrage of drones at “vital targets” in the Israeli capital in support of the Palestinian and Lebanese people, vowing to carry out more attacks on Israel until it ended its war in Palestine and Lebanon.
The Israeli military said that it shot down a drone over the Mediterranean Gush Dan on Thursday morning, while another landed in an open area, but did not elaborate on the origins of the two drones.
Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes on Yemen’s western city of Hodeidah on Sunday, targeting ports, power plants and fuel tanks in response to a Houthi missile attack on Israel’s capital.
Since November, the Houthis have attacked more than 100 commercial and naval ships in the Red Sea and other seas off Yemen, using drones, ballistic missiles and drone boats in a campaign that the Yemeni militia claims is in support of the Palestinian people.


Biden says ‘discussing’ possible Israeli strikes on Iran oil facilities

Biden says ‘discussing’ possible Israeli strikes on Iran oil facilities
Updated 03 October 2024
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Biden says ‘discussing’ possible Israeli strikes on Iran oil facilities

Biden says ‘discussing’ possible Israeli strikes on Iran oil facilities
  • When asked by a reporter if he supported Israel striking Iran’s oil facilities, Biden said “we’re discussing that. I think that would be a little... anyway“
  • Biden said he did not expect any immediate action from Israel

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden said he was discussing possible Israeli strikes on Iranian oil facilities, in comments that sent oil prices spiking Thursday just a month before the US presidential election.
Biden told reporters at the White House however that he was not expecting Israel to launch any retaliation for Tehran’s missile barrage on Israel before Thursday at least.
When asked by a reporter if he supported Israel striking Iran’s oil facilities, Biden said “we’re discussing that. I think that would be a little... anyway.”
Oil prices jumped five percent over concerns about the Middle East after Biden spoke.
A rise in oil prices could be hugely damaging for Biden’s Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democrat confronts Republican former president Donald Trump in a November 5 election where the cost of living is a major issue.
Biden said he did not expect any immediate action from Israel — even if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently paid little heed to calls for restraint as he targets the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
“First of all, we don’t ‘allow’ Israel, we advise Israel. And there is nothing going to happen today,” Biden told reporters when asked if he would allow Israel to retaliate against Iran.
Biden said on Wednesday that he would not back Israel attacking Iranian nuclear sites.
Iran launched around 200 rockets in a direct missile attack on Israel on Tuesday, prompting Netanyahu to warn that Tehran would pay.
Iran said it was in retaliation for the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has been launching rockets at Israel since shortly after the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Iran’s Palestinian ally Hamas, and Israel’s crushing retaliatory offensive in Gaza.


Jordanian, Japanese foreign ministers urge de-escalation amid Middle East tensions

Jordanian, Japanese foreign ministers urge de-escalation amid Middle East tensions
Updated 03 October 2024
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Jordanian, Japanese foreign ministers urge de-escalation amid Middle East tensions

Jordanian, Japanese foreign ministers urge de-escalation amid Middle East tensions
  • During their phone call, the ministers warned that the rising tensions posed serious risks to both regional and international peace and security

AMMAN: Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and his Japanese counterpart Iwaya Takeshi held urgent talks on Thursday, addressing the escalating violence in the Middle East and emphasizing the critical need for peace.

During their phone call, the ministers warned that the rising tensions posed serious risks to both regional and international security, calling for immediate efforts to prevent the situation from spiraling into a broader conflict, Jordan News Agency reported.

Both ministers stressed the importance of implementing a ceasefire in Lebanon and reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for a cessation of hostilities in the region.

The discussion also touched on efforts to secure a prisoner exchange deal in Gaza, aimed at also achieving an immediate and lasting ceasefire in the enclave.

The Jordanian minister underscored the urgency of halting Israeli military operations in Gaza to prevent further escalation.

He also called for an end to Israeli actions in the West Bank and condemned extremist incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem, a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Both ministers discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza as well as Lebanon, where nearly one million Lebanese citizens have been displaced due to ongoing Israeli aggression.

Safadi emphasized the need for coordinated humanitarian aid to both regions, urging swift action to alleviate the suffering caused by the conflict.

He reiterated that Jordan would deploy all available resources to safeguard its security and stability amid the regional turmoil, ensuring that the kingdom would not become embroiled in external conflicts.

In marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Jordan and Japan, the ministers also explored ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in various fields.


Jordan to establish obstetrics and neonatal field hospital in Gaza by mid-November

Jordan to establish obstetrics and neonatal field hospital in Gaza by mid-November
Updated 03 October 2024
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Jordan to establish obstetrics and neonatal field hospital in Gaza by mid-November

Jordan to establish obstetrics and neonatal field hospital in Gaza by mid-November
  • Facility first of its kind in the world to focus specifically on maternal and newborn healthcare in field setting

LONDON: Jordan will set up a field hospital focused specifically on obstetrics and neonatal care to Gaza’s Khan Younis region by mid-November, the director general of the kingdom’s Royal Medical Services said on Thursday.

The deployment will occur in four phases, Dr. Yousef Zureikat said, culminating in the hospital being fully operational and ready to receive patients next month.

The facility will be the first of its kind in the world to focus specifically on maternal and newborn healthcare in a field setting, Jordan News Agency reported.

The project, which comes under a royal directive from King Abdullah II, will be operated with oversight from the Jordan Armed Forces and also in partnership with Pious Projects, a US-based humanitarian organization.

During a press conference at King Hussein Medical City, Zureikat said that the new hospital will be integrated into the existing Jordanian field hospital “Khan Younis 4.”

This facility already provides advanced medical services, including complex surgeries and prosthetic limb fittings, as part of RMS’s “Restoring Hope” initiative, aimed at providing prosthetics to amputees in Gaza. 

Zureikat said that the new field hospital will be equipped with four operating rooms — one for cesarean sections, another for natural births — as well as five resuscitation beds, 30 postpartum recovery beds, and 10 neonatal incubators. Solar energy will support the facility to ensure continuous and reliable operations.

Zureikat said the hospital will be staffed by a team of 82 professionals, including 55 from the RMS. While patient numbers are unpredictable, he confirmed that medical teams were fully prepared to manage a range of cases and provide essential care to mothers and newborns.

Siting of the hospital is being coordinated with the Gaza Municipality and other local authorities, with rehabilitation work already in progress.


Lebanon army fires at Israel in first after soldier’s death

Lebanon army fires at Israel in first after soldier’s death
Updated 03 October 2024
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Lebanon army fires at Israel in first after soldier’s death

Lebanon army fires at Israel in first after soldier’s death
  • Lebanon says returned Israeli fire for the first time in nearly a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah
  • Hezbollah says it fought off three bids by Israeli army to infiltrate Lebanese territory, including one near Taybeh

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s army said it returned Israeli fire for the first time Thursday in nearly a year of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, after a second soldier was killed by Israeli fire in a day.
“A soldier was killed after the Israeli enemy targeted an army post in the Bint Jbeil area — in the south, and the personnel at the post responded to the sources of fire,” the army said in a statement.
A military official, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, told AFP this was the first response to Israeli fire since last October because the post had been “directly” hit.
It was the third such killing of a Lebanese soldier since the start of the escalation between the Iran-backed group and Israel on September 23.
Earlier Thursday, the army had said “a soldier was killed and another was wounded as a result of an aggression by the Israeli enemy during an evacuation and rescue operation with the Lebanese Red Cross in Taybeh village.”
The Lebanese Red Cross said four of its volunteers were wounded.
Hezbollah earlier said it fought off three bids by the Israeli army to infiltrate Lebanese territory, including one not far from Taybeh.
The Iran-backed militant group said it “repelled with artillery fire an attempt by enemy Israeli forces to advance at Fatima’s Gate” — a point on the cement and barbed wire wall running along the border.
Hezbollah also said it set off “four explosive devices” against Israeli ground forces attempting to “infiltrate” near the towns of Maroun Al-Ras and Yaroun.
It said it fired a barrage of rockets including at the Israeli city of Tiberias and a base for military industries in the Acre area, in response to the Israeli bombardment of Lebanese “towns, villages and civilians.”
On Monday, a Lebanese soldier was killed in an Israeli strike targeting a motorcycle at a checkpoint in the Wazzani area.