Tunisia groups urge inclusion of rejected candidates in poll

Tunisia groups urge inclusion of rejected candidates in poll
Tunisia's President Kais Saied, accompanied by his wife first lady Ichraf Saied, speaks to reporters after voting in the 2023 local elections in the locality of Mnihla in Ariana province on the outskirts of Tunis on December 24, 2023. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 31 August 2024
Follow

Tunisia groups urge inclusion of rejected candidates in poll

Tunisia groups urge inclusion of rejected candidates in poll

TUNIS: A petition signed by prominent Tunisians and civil society groups was published on Saturday urging that rejected candidates be allowed to stand in the October 6 presidential election.
Signed by 26 groups including Legal Agenda, Lawyers Without Borders and the Tunisian Human Rights League, it welcomed an administrative court decision this week to reinstate three candidates who had been disqualified.
They are Imed Daimi, who was an adviser to former president Moncef Marzouki, former minister Mondher Zenaidi and opposition party leader Abdellatif Mekki.
The three were among 14 candidates barred by the Tunisian election authority, ISIE, from standing in the election.
If they do take part, they will join former parliamentarian Zouhair Maghzaoui and businessman Ayachi Zammel in challenging incumbent President Kais Saied, whom critics accuse of authoritarianism.
Saied was democratically elected in 2019 but orchestrated a sweeping power grab in 2021.
A number of his political opponents and critics are currently in jail or being prosecuted.
Saturday’s petition was also signed by more than 180 civil society figures including Wahid Ferchichi, dean of the public law faculty at Carthage University.
It called the administrative court “the only competent authority to adjudicate disputes related to presidential election candidacies.”
The petition referred to statements by ISIE head Farouk Bouasker, who on Thursday indicated that the authority will soon meet to finalize the list of candidates, “taking into consideration judicial judgments already pronounced.”
This has been interpreted as suggesting the ISIE may reject new candidacies if they are the subject of legal proceedings or have convictions.
The administrative court’s rulings on appeals “are enforceable and cannot be contested by any means whatsoever,” the petition said.
It called on the electoral authority to “respect the law and avoid any practice that could undermine the transparency and integrity of the electoral process.”
Last week, Human Rights Watch said Tunisian authorities “have prosecuted, convicted or imprisoned at least eight prospective candidates” for October’s vote.
HRW said that the North African country was “gearing up for a presidential election amid increased repression of dissent and free speech, without crucial checks and balances on President Saied’s power.”


Jordan’s King Abdullah meets European leaders at MED9 Summit in Cyprus

Jordan’s King Abdullah meets European leaders at MED9 Summit in Cyprus
Updated 5 sec ago
Follow

Jordan’s King Abdullah meets European leaders at MED9 Summit in Cyprus

Jordan’s King Abdullah meets European leaders at MED9 Summit in Cyprus
  • Meetings also touched on strengthening relations and expanding cooperation between Jordan and the EU

LONDON: Jordan’s King Abdullah II held a series of high-level meetings on Friday with leaders from across Europe during the Southern EU Countries (MED9) Summit in Paphos in Cyprus.

The king met with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, and Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela.

The discussions focused on the escalating violence in Gaza and Lebanon, with King Abdullah urging increased efforts to achieve comprehensive calm and an end to the conflict, according to Jordan News Agency.

He emphasized the urgent need to facilitate the swift and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

King Abdullah also raised concerns about rising extremist settler violence in the West Bank and violations of religious sites in Jerusalem, warning that the region would remain trapped in violence unless a viable political solution, based on the two-state framework, was pursued.

In addition to addressing the regional situation, the meetings touched on strengthening relations and expanding cooperation between Jordan and the EU.

Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ayman Safadi, and other key officials were also present at the discussions.


2 Lebanese soldiers killed and 3 others hurt in airstrike, Lebanese army says

2 Lebanese soldiers killed and 3 others hurt in airstrike, Lebanese army says
Updated 11 October 2024
Follow

2 Lebanese soldiers killed and 3 others hurt in airstrike, Lebanese army says

2 Lebanese soldiers killed and 3 others hurt in airstrike, Lebanese army says
  • Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have clashed along the border while the Lebanese army has largely stood on the sidelines

BEIRUT: Two Lebanese soldiers were killed and three others wounded in an Israeli airstrike that hit a building near a Lebanese Army checkpoint in Kafra, Bint Jbeil province, the Lebanese Army said Friday.
Since Israel launched its ground invasion of Lebanon, Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have clashed along the border while the Lebanese army has largely stood on the sidelines.
As Israeli troops made their first forays across the border and Hezbollah responded with rocket fire, Lebanese soldiers withdrew from observation posts along the frontier and repositioned about 5 km back.
On Oct. 3, a Lebanese soldier was killed and another injured in an Israeli strike in Taybeh during rescue operations. On Sept. 30, another Lebanese soldier was killed by an Israeli drone targeting a Lebanese Army checkpoint in Wazzani.


Turkish citizens fleeing Lebanon mourn the homes and family left behind

Turkish citizens fleeing Lebanon mourn the homes and family left behind
Updated 11 October 2024
Follow

Turkish citizens fleeing Lebanon mourn the homes and family left behind

Turkish citizens fleeing Lebanon mourn the homes and family left behind
  • The almost 1,000 evacuees napped or sat on camp beds surrounded by the few belongings they could bring
  • Aid workers on board the vessels distributed sandwiches and refreshments during the 12-hour crossing to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Mersin

ON BOARD THE TCG SANCAKTAR: Eyup Sabri Kirgiz gathered up his loved ones — both family and pets — and with a heavy heart left his beloved city of Beirut behind, after two weeks of deadly airstrikes that had traumatized his family.
The 50-year old Turkish engineer who moved to the Lebanese capital 21 years ago, was living in the Ein Rummaneh neighborhood, close to Beirut’s southern suburbs, an area known as Dahiyeh that has been the target of heavy Israeli airstrikes amid an escalation of the war in the Middle East, this time between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
“For the last two weeks or so, we had been feeling all those bombs as if they were exploding in the house,” said Kirgiz, who along with his Lebanese wife, two children and his mother-in-law was among hundreds of people who were evacuated from Lebanon on Thursday aboard two Turkish navy ships.
“There was no sleep or anything. We would just sit until the morning. You can only sleep when the drones go away. It is impossible to sleep with that drone sound anyway,” Kirgiz told The Associated Press on board the TCG Sancaktar. The AP was the only nongovernment media that was invited aboard the vessels to cover the evacuation operation.
It’s been a year of war. Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel from Lebanon on Oct. 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel that led to the Israeli offensive in Gaza, and Israel and Hezbollah have been trading attacks since then. But since the fighting escalated in mid-September, more than 1,400 people have been killed in Lebanon and over a million displaced.
The almost 1,000 evacuees — mostly Turkish citizens and their foreign-born spouses — on board the TCG Sancaktar, and its sister landing vessel, the TCG Bayraktar, napped or sat on camp beds surrounded by the few belongings they could bring. Aid workers on board the vessels distributed sandwiches and refreshments during the 12-hour crossing to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Mersin.
Previous Turkish government figures put the number of people to be evacuated at close to 2,000. A security official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with government rules, said some people who had expressed interest in leaving did not show up.
Kirgiz spent much of the journey tending to his dogs, Bella and Ammun — as well as their pet turtle, Coco, which he kept in a shoe-box — to ensure that they did not disturb slumbering fellow passengers.
The air was stuffy, making the journey uncomfortable at times.
A 75-year-old passenger on board the ship was evacuated by helicopter to northern Cyprus after he suffered a heart attack during the voyage. He later died in the hospital, the security official said.
Kirgiz, who describes himself as “the lover of Beirut” said he hopes to return there soon.
“I’ll see what the situation is like in a week or 10 days. I’ll wait for things to calm down a bit. After that, if I think it’s no longer dangerous, I’ll go back. Because I love this place so much. And after, (the plan) is to bring back the family and children,” Kirgiz said.
Turkish-born Dilber Taleb and her Lebanese-born husband Ahmad, who live in Australia, were on holiday in Lebanon when the conflict escalated. They were spending time with Ahmad’s parents so that they could get to know their infant grandson, Khaldun.
Although their neighborhood was not targeted by the Israeli strikes, the couple grabbed the opportunity to leave Lebanon.
“You’re anxious every day. When you are under stress, you worry whether something will happen, whether they will block the road or bomb something. That’s why he wanted to leave Lebanon as soon as possible,” said Dilber Taleb.
Her husband sounded tormented at having to leave his parents behind.
“My parents, they are only Lebanese (nationals), they’re not Turkish citizens or Australian citizens like us,” he said. “But I wish in the future I can take them with us, maybe to Turkiye or to Australia. Because we can’t stay living under this stress.”
Among other passengers on board the vessel was Goncagul Udigwe, her Nigerian husband Callistos and their 7-month-old daughter, Hilda. They had moved to Lebanon, where he ran his own business, just five months ago.
The family decided to leave Lebanon because they feared it would turn into “another Gaza,” she said as the family waited to board the ship in Beirut. Speaking again to AP journalists as she disembarked in Mersin, she felt a rush of relief.
“Right now I am extremely happy that we are reunited (with Turkiye) safe and sound. I am in my own land, I feel safe, I feel at peace.”
Udigwe continued: “But of course, I feel very sorry for those who have to stay there (in Lebanon) because they are not in a good situation at all. They sleep on the sidewalks, in cars. So it’s very difficult. I’ve never seen anything like this before. I’ve never experienced anything like this in my own country.”
The ships arrived back in Turkiye late Thursday and early Friday. The exhausted passengers were bused to another area of the port to pass through immigration checks.
The two ships were part of a convoy of six-vessels that departed Mersin on Wednesday, carrying some 300 tons of humanitarian aid to Lebanon, including food, tents and blankets. AP journalists on board the Sancaktar could hear the sound of drones flying above the ships, while the aid was being unloaded and the evacuees were boarding.


Lebanon calls for UN decision on ceasefire as Israeli strikes expand

Lebanon calls for UN decision on ceasefire as Israeli strikes expand
Updated 11 October 2024
Follow

Lebanon calls for UN decision on ceasefire as Israeli strikes expand

Lebanon calls for UN decision on ceasefire as Israeli strikes expand
  • A diplomatic solution is on the table, and Hezbollah, as a partner in the government, agrees to implement Resolution 1701
  • The official Lebanese stance came after Israeli strikes expanded to include the capital, Beirut, and the UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL in the south

BEIRUT: Lebanese Premier Najib Mikati said on Friday that the Israeli attacks on Lebanon are “completely unacceptable.”
After a Cabinet meeting, he said that the Foreign Ministry “will submit a request to the UN Security Council to take a decision for an immediate ceasefire and the implementation of Resolution 1701, which Lebanon adheres to and has reaffirmed in international forums.
“A diplomatic solution is on the table, and Hezbollah, as a partner in the government, agrees to implement Resolution 1701. Most importantly, an immediate ceasefire is necessary.”
The official Lebanese stance came after Israeli strikes expanded to include the capital, Beirut, and the UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL in the south.
Lebanon’s military said two of its soldiers were killed and three others were wounded after an Israeli airstrike targeted a military post in Yatter, southern Lebanon.
By noon on Friday, the death toll rose to 2,198 since the beginning of confrontations, including women and children. The number of the injured reached 10,329.
Mikati said Lebanon has become “a victim of Israeli arrogance, which continues unchecked and violates our sovereignty before the eyes of the world, emboldened by the disturbing silence regarding its massacres.
“The Israeli attack on UNIFIL is a condemnable crime and a matter for the international community, whose sanctity is being violated.”
The observation tower in UNIFIL’s Naqoura headquarters was hit by a heavy airstrike on Friday, marking the second attack on the international forces within 24 hours. The new attack resulted in the injury of two Sri Lankan soldiers, one of them critically.
A UNIFIL source told Arab News: “The Israeli attacks covered military sites of UNIFIL units during their incursion attempts into Lebanese territory. They entered a Nepalese force’s site in the border town of Blida and smashed cameras and lighting equipment. They also broke into the site of the Irish (force) … in the town of Maroun Al-Ras and destroyed its assets and broke into the site of the Ghanaian force in the town of Yaroun and committed the same aggression.
“In the 2006 war, UNIFIL were not subjected to this type of aggression, as they retreated to their barracks and remained there. The number of those forces at that time did not exceed 3,500 peacekeepers, but today, the situation is different, as the UNIFIL include 10,500 soldiers, and their deployment is wider as they have more sites in the border area.”
UNIFIL recently received threats to retreat from their positions to a depth of 5 km. However, the source said that this retreat would still be subject to new threats and that the UNIFIL commander cannot make such a decision, which is entrusted to the UN Security Council.
According to the source, “at the moment, UNIFIL has stopped all their patrols in the south and remained in barracks and did not use their right to self-defense mentioned in Resolution 1701. Their centers in the areas of deployment are facing shortages of food supplies, with reserves expected to last between one and two weeks, depending on the location.”
In this context, Reuters quoted two sources familiar with Hezbollah operations as saying that “Hezbollah is preparing for a long war of attrition in south Lebanon. It still has a considerable stockpile of weapons, including its most powerful precision missiles, which it has yet to use. Hezbollah’s command was disrupted for the first few days after Nasrallah’s Sept. 27 assassination until it established a new ‘operations room’ 72 hours later.”
Hezbollah later denied the report, calling it “pure fiction.”
Israeli army spokesperson, Capt. Ella Waweya, published a video of Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi wandering around Lebanon’s southern border region.
In the video, Halevi said: “We will not stop until we ensure that we can safely return the residents. If anyone considers rebuilding new terrorist infrastructure, the Israeli army will destroy it again.”
A video was shared of Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari in the southern village of Blida, displaying military belongings and ammunition allegedly “inside the homes of the southerners, for the purpose of breaking into the border.”
Rescue teams continued to remove rubble in Noueiri and Basta in Beirut, as the Israeli raids on Thursday destroyed two residential buildings, killing 22 civilians and injuring 117.
Reports said the head of Hezbollah’s security apparatus Wafiq Safa, who was targeted by the raids on Beirut, was in a hospital in the capital.
There is conflicting information on whether Safa sustained a critical injury or was killed following the attack.
Following the difficult night that Beirut witnessed, reconnaissance planes hovered over Lebanon around the clock.
Israel raided about 30 villages in the south, destroying a building in Jebchit and killing four people.
Three people were also killed as a result of an Israeli raid on Arzoun, Tyre.
Moreover, an Israeli drone raided the Civil Defense center in Tayr Debba.
Israeli raids mainly targeted Bekaa, specifically Bodai in west Baalbek, Al-Keiyal in Baalbek, Khodor, Douris, the Nabi Chit valley, the Saraaine Al-Tahta valley, and the border village of Hawsh Al-Sayyid Ali between Hermel and Syria.
Hezbollah, meanwhile, carried out a series of military operations against the Israeli army.
According to its statements, the militant group targeted “a gathering of soldiers in the Yiftah settlement and its surroundings, technical equipment in the Al-Abbad site with a guided missile, and a gathering of soldiers in the Kfar Szold settlement.”
It also targeted “a gathering of soldiers in the Yaara settlement” and carried out “an aerial attack with a fleet of attack drones against the air force command base in Kiryat Eliezer in Haifa.”
Israeli media outlets reported that “a building in the industrial zone of Kiryat Bialik in the Haifa district was directly hit by missiles launched from Lebanon,” adding that “an anti-armor missile injured two people in Yir’on in the upper Galilee.”
They estimated that “about 30 missiles have been launched from southern Lebanon toward the Galilee since the morning.”
The Israeli army stated in the afternoon that “Hezbollah launched 65 rockets from Lebanon toward Israel,” adding that “sirens sounded in Shomera in the Galilee.”


EU urges Turkiye to probe claims of refugee abuse, forced deportations

EU urges Turkiye to probe claims of refugee abuse, forced deportations
Updated 11 October 2024
Follow

EU urges Turkiye to probe claims of refugee abuse, forced deportations

EU urges Turkiye to probe claims of refugee abuse, forced deportations
  • The EU has thrown billions of euros at Turkiye to stem the flow of migrants to Europe
  • Dozens of migrants accused Turkish officials of abuses in EU-funded detention centers and forced returns to Afghanistan and Syria

BRUSSLES: The European Union on Friday called on Turkiye to investigate claims of abuse of refugees in EU-funded centers, and forced deportations to Afghanistan and Syria reported by a journalism consortium.
The EU has thrown billions of euros at Turkiye to stem the flow of migrants to Europe, including millions spent to support Ankara with border security and asylum processing.
In Friday’s wide-ranging investigation by Lighthouse Reports with outlets including Der Spiegel, Le Monde and Politico, dozens of migrants accused Turkish officials of abuses in EU-funded detention centers and forced returns to Afghanistan and Syria.
They also reported that the European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, “repeatedly ignored warnings” from civil society, diplomats, and “even its own staff” as the EU provided funding for the centers housing migrants.
But a commission spokesperson said “the enforcement and the protection of these formal rights remain the responsibility” of Turkiye.
“It is the responsibility of the Turkish authorities to thoroughly investigate allegations of wrongdoing, and we urge them to do so,” spokesperson Ana Pisonero said.
“If we receive evidence of breaches of human rights or other fundamental values related to any EU-funded program, then of course, we will address the situation,” she told reporters in Brussels.
The EU has provided nearly 10 billion euros ($11 billion) to Turkiye to support the country with migration since 2012, Pisonero said, and has promised an extra one billion euros for this year.
Ankara and Brussels inked a controversial deal in 2016 in which the EU offered money in exchange for irregular migrants reaching Europe to be returned to Turkiye.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized the EU’s approach to migration.
“Outsourcing migration to third countries does not absolve EU of its responsibilities and (the) European Commission must ensure no EU funds are used to violate human rights,” Amnesty EU said on X.
Migration is set to be at the heart of discussions between the EU’s 27 leaders on Thursday and Friday during a summit in Brussels.
The bloc’s interior ministers on Thursday discussed ways to tackle the issue including controversial plans to set up dedicated return centers outside the bloc.
Italy has already pushed ahead with a similar plan after striking a deal earlier this year with Albania for the country to hold and process migrants there.