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☆ Brawl erupts in Georgia parliament over 'Russian-inspired' foreign agent law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] People take part in a protest against the controversial "foreign agents" bill outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia March 6, 2023. Critics have compared it to a 2012 Russian law, which has been steadily expanded since then and used to crack down on Russian civil society and independent media. "The Russian legislation that now is proposed in parliament is against Georgia's national interests, against our European aspirations," said Irakli Pavlenishvili, a civil rights activist and opposition politician. However, Givi Mikanadze, a Georgian Dream lawmaker, told national television: "Georgian society absolutely deserves to know which organisations are being financed, from which sources. Last month, more than 60 civil society organisations and media outlets said they would not comply with the new "foreign agent" legislation if it becomes law.

It was one of the last still providing Ukrainian citizenship for newborns in the southern city of Kherson which was then under Russian occupation. Early in the occupation, Ukrainian parents faced pressure to accept Russian citizenship for their newborns. "When we asked for diapers, the Russians told us, 'If you come without Russian birth certificates, we will not give you diapers'," said Natalia Lukina, 42. The ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the situation in Kherson during Russian occupation. It is unclear how many babies received Russian citizenship, because Russian officials recorded them and Ukrainian registration workers did not cooperate with them, Klimenko said.

☆ Tunisia holds prominent critics of president in pre-trial detention, lawyers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 25 - A Tunisian anti-terrorism investigative judge decided on Saturday to hold three prominent politicians and a high-profile businessman in pre-trial detention, their defence team said, amid a continuing crackdown targeting opposition figures. The four men are the first to face a judicial hearing among over a dozen leading figures critical of President Kais Saied who have been detained this month. Late on Friday, police also detained Ghazi Chaouachi, another prominent critic of Saied, his son said. Saied has said some of those detained are behind food shortages that economists have blamed on a crisis in state finances. Police have also detained a senior figure in the powerful UGTT labour union and several members of a police union on separate charges.

☆ Hungary flags further possible delay in access to EU funds -report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Hungary's European Union funds negotiator on Monday flagged a further possible delay in access to billions of euros of recovery money, saying ironing out remaining issues with Brussels over democratic reforms could last until the summer. Hungary can receive some 5.8 billion euros ($6.2 billion) in free grants and a further 9.6 billion euros in cheap loans from the EU, but the bloc has suspended any payments until Budapest's nationalist government implements reforms to improve judicial independence and tackle corruption. Tibor Navracsics, the minister in charge of funding talks with the EU, told the business daily Vilaggazdasag that Hungary's parliament could pass the next tranche of judicial reforms in March following talks with EU officials. "Parliament has until March to pass legislation on judicial independence. When asked about media reports on a further delay in access to EU funds until the second half of the year, the minister said he expected all outstanding issues with the EU Commission to be resolved by the summer, later than a previously-flagged April deadline.

☆ Italy asks Brazil forward Robinho to serve prison sentence in home country
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Italy has requested that former AC Milan and Brazil striker Robinho serves a 9-year prison sentence for rape in his home country, local media reported, citing Brazil's Foreign Relations Ministry. In a statement, the Brazilian ministry confirmed it has received such a request without naming the player. Earlier this week, Italy's Justice Ministry had issued an international arrest warrant for the player, after the country's top court confirmed his conviction for rape in January. A Milan court in 2017 found Robinho and five other Brazilians guilty of gang raping a woman after plying her with alcohol in a discotheque. The conviction was confirmed by an appeals court in 2020 and validated by Italy's Supreme Court last month.

☆ Turkey detains building contractors as quake death toll passes 33,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

A man reacts next to rescuers in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey February 11, 2023. The quakes were powerful, but victims, experts and people across Turkey are blaming bad construction for multiplying the devastation. Rescuers search for survivors, following the deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, February 10, 2023. I did everything according to the rules," the DHA news agency reported. In leaked testimony published by Anadolu, the man said the building followed regulations and he did not know the building didn't withstand the quakes.

☆ Turkey orders arrests over collapsed buildings in earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Daren Butler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/7] Rescuers carry survivor Muzeyyen Ofkeli in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Hatay, Turkey February 12, 2023. Environment Minister Murat Kurum said that 24,921 buildings across the region had collapsed or were heavily damaged in the quake, based on assessments of more than 170,000 buildings. Rescuers were still looking for survivors in the earthquake rubble six days after the disaster, which hit parts of Syria and Turkey. The upmarket 12-storey residential complex was completed a decade ago and contained 249 apartments. The arrested man told prosecutors he did not know why the complex collapsed and that his desire to go to Montenegro was unrelated, Anadolu reported.

The sharp contrast with Bolsonaro, who criticized environmental agents, was a relief to some scientists concerned that the retreating Amazon rainforest may be near a point of no return. Ibama's staffing and resources expanded in Lula's 2003-2010 presidency, when he managed to reduce Amazon deforestation by 72%. Rodrigo Agostinho, whom Lula tapped to run Ibama, told Reuters in an interview that the agency now has about 350 active field agents for all of Brazil. That is less than half what it had at the start of Bolsonaro's term and well below the 2,000 field agents at the peak of its powers, he added. Sidelining Ibama, Bolsonaro deployed the military to protect the Amazon, but their inexperience in conservation failed to lower deforestation while running up a massive bill.

Their messages show they knew the money paid for telecommunications equipment – despite European Union sanctions which restrict the supply of such gear to Russia's military. An EU regulation from Feb. 25, 2022 bans supplying or financing the purchase of certain goods for the Russian military. The office did not reply to a question about Schlund and Kolbasnikova helping buy gear for the Russian military. PROTEST ORGANISERSSchlund, who studied in a Russian military academy, moved to Germany in 2012. He later began a relationship with Kolbasnikova, who is originally from Ukraine and has worked in Germany as a nurse.

☆ ICC prosecutor gets approval to reopen Philippines drug war probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The ICC on Thursday said it had granted its prosecutor's request to reopen an investigation into drug war killings and other suspected rights abuses. The court suspended the probe in November 2021 at Manila's request after the country said it was implementing its own investigations and prosecutions. In a statement, the ICC said it was "not satisfied that the Philippines is undertaking relevant investigations that would warrant a deferral of the investigation." Human Rights Watch said the ICC investigation was the only credible path to justice for victims and their families. Meanwhile, the families of many drug war victims are still seeking justice in long, drawn-out cases.

☆ In Russia, comedian's satirical song about Ukraine war draws complaints
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Andrew Osborn | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - A new song by a well-known Russian comic that satirises Moscow's war in Ukraine and its supporters has been referred to prosecutors by a patriotic organisation which believes it discredits the army, now a criminal offence. There was no immediate response to the complaint from state prosecutors or from the justice ministry. And what they say about him is fake," sings Slepakov, who is famous in Russia for his musical satire and used to be a regular on Russian television. The patriotic foundation alleged that the song's lyrics mocked the sincere feelings of Russians who were willing to sacrifice their lives for their country. Some listeners left insulting comments beneath the video, while others thanked Slepakov for what they said was a clever anti-war song.

☆ He fled Russia's draft, now he's stranded in a South Korean airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 19 (Reuters) - For two months now, 23-year-old Russian Vladimir Maraktayev has been living in an airport departure lounge. After travelling on to the Philippines, he flew to South Korea on Nov. 12, hoping to receive refugee status in what he considered one of Asia’s most stable democracies. He applied for refugee status upon arrival, but South Korean authorities rejected his application on the grounds that fleeing conscription is not a valid reason to be given asylum. He said his days consist of taking walks around the airport lounge and trying to read books and study Korean. Though he has very little money, as Russian bank cards have largely stopped working outside a handful of countries, he receives food from the South Korean justice ministry.

Reuters exclusively accompanied raids led by environmental agency Ibama in the rainforest state of Para to stop loggers and ranchers illegally clearing the forest. The agency has also launched raids this week in the states of Roraima and Acre, Ibama environmental enforcement coordinator Tatiane Leite said. Lula on the campaign trail last year pledged to put Ibama back in charge of combating deforestation with beefed-up funding and personnel. But Ibama agents told Reuters that they already felt more empowered by Lula announcing environmental protection as a top priority. His government instituted a gag order forbidding Ibama agents from speaking to the press, which agents say has already been reversed under Lula.

☆ Israel's top judge says government judicial reform plan will crush justice system
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JERUSALEM, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The president of Israel's Supreme Court on Thursday said that a judicial reform plan proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government would crush the justice system and undermine the country's democracy. The proposal, Hayut said in a televised speech, "is not a plan to fix the justice system but a plan to crush it." Netanyahu's justice minister, Yariv Levin, later defended the reform he is championing and criticized what he referred to as "a call to set the streets on fire." He said his plan will restore balance between the branches of government in light of judicial overreach. Netanyahu, who took office as prime minister again last month, says he will preserve the judiciary's independence.

Anderson Torres, Bolsonaro's justice minister from 2021 to 2022, took a job as Brasilia security chief after leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office on Jan. 1. "This was a structured sabotage operation, commanded by Bolsonaro's ex-minister Anderson Torres," Ricardo Cappelli, the official leading a post-invasion federal intervention into Brasilia's public security, told CNN Brasil. "Torres took over as secretary for security (in Brasilia), dismissed the whole chain of command and then took a trip. The shakeup of capital security highlights a wider challenge facing Lula, whose new government must now deal with a sweeping criminal investigation of the Brasilia riots while establishing a fresh chain of command among police and security forces. For example, the appointment of Torres, 47, at the Justice Ministry followed years of friendly relations with Bolsonaro's family.

☆ Brazil's govt: rioters 'will not succeed' in destroying democracy'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The protesters swarmed into Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace on Sunday. Lula and the heads of the Supreme Court, Senate and Lower House also signed a letter Monday denouncing acts of terrorism and vandalism and saying they were taking legal measures. “They will not succeed in destroying Brazilian democracy. They overturned the U-shaped table at which Supreme Court justices convene, ripped a door off one justice’s office and vandalized an iconic statue outside the court. A supreme court justice temporarily suspended the regional governor.

Bolsonaro, a far-right nationalist, left Brazil for Florida on Friday after losing to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil's most fraught vote in a generation. Bolsonaro's U.S. trip insulates him from any immediate legal jeopardy in Brazil, where he is under investigation in at least four criminal probes. Under Brazil's constitution, a sitting president can only be arrested if he is convicted by the Supreme Court. From September, Lula will be able to install his own prosecutor general, who has the power to charge Bolsonaro if his cases remain with the Supreme Court. Bolsonaro also faces 12 requests for investigation at the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) for baseless claims Brazil's electoral system is liable to fraud, as well as alleged abuses of power for granting economic benefits to win votes.

☆ Three prominent opponents of Tunisian president say they are under investigation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Tarek Amara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TUNIS, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Three prominent opponents of Tunisian President Kais Saied said on Monday that they had received notices from prosecutors that they were under investigation, including one related to assaulting public security and insulting the president. Chebbi is the leader of the opposition Salvation Front and has organized regular protests against Saied for months. Saied seized control of executive powers in July 2021 and later dissolved parliament, a step described by his opponents as a coup. The powerful UGTT Union also criticized the president, saying that it rejects his autocratic approach and will not remain silent. Hammami said a judge opened an investigation at the request of the justice minister on charges of spreading rumors and insulting the president.

☆ Here’s a list of Putin critics who've ended up dead
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Jeremy Wilson | Taylor Ardrey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Here's a list of people who have been critical of Putin and the Russian president is suspected of assassinating:Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Anna PolitkovskayaAnna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist who was critical of Putin. In her book "Putin's Russia," she accused Putin of turning his country into a police state. She specialised in uncovering human-rights abuses carried out by the Russian state in Chechnya. Sergei YushenkovSergei Yushenkov was a Russian politician who was attempting to prove the Russian state was behind the bombing of an apartment block.

☆ Killer known as ‘The Serpent’ set to be freed from Nepal prison
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Charles Sobhraj, a convicted killer who police suspect was responsible for a string of murders in the 1970s and 1980s, was due to be freed on Thursday after nearly 20 years in prison in Nepal, his lawyer said. Nepal’s Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered his release from prison, where he has served 19 years of his 20-year sentence, citing his age. Sobhraj denied killing the American woman and his lawyers said the charge against him was based on assumption. Sobhraj escaped from India’s Tihar jail in 1986 after drugging prison guards with cookies and cakes laced with sleeping pills. Last year, the BBC and Netflix jointly produced a TV series dramatizing his crimes called “The Serpent”.

☆ Qatar reiterates denial that its government involved in EU corruption case
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DOHA, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Qatar reiterated on Sunday that the country denies any involvement in a corruption case being investigated by Belgian authorities involving people linked to the European Parliament. Belgian authorities have charged four people linked to the European Parliament over allegations World Cup host Qatar lavished them with cash and gifts to influence decision-making. The suspension affects legislation linked to visa liberalisation, an EU-Qatar aviation agreement and planned visits until the allegations have been confirmed or dismissed. A spokesperson for the Belgian Justice Ministry did not immediately comment on this. Reporting by Ghaida Ghantous, Andrew Mills and Sabine Siebold; Writing by Nafisa Eltahir and Andrew Mills; Editing by Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Bali bomber Umar Patek apologizes for nightclub attacks that killed 202
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

An Indonesian bomb maker convicted for his role in the deadly 2002 Bali nightclub attacks has apologized to the victims’ families, after his release from prison was met with outrage in Australia. Umar Patek, a member of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group, was jailed for 20 years in 2012 after he was found guilty of making bombs that ripped through two Bali nightclubs, killing 202 people, including 88 Australians and 38 Indonesians. “I apologize to the Australian people who have been deeply impacted by the Bali bombing,” he added. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said soon after he was freed that it was a “difficult day” for Australians who lost loved ones and relatives in the attacks. Paul Vanni, community and partnerships officer at Sydney’s Coogee Dolphins rugby team, which lost six members in the Bali attacks, dismissed the apology.

☆ Convicted Bali bomb maker apologises to victims' families
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LAMONGAN, Indonesia Dec 14 (Reuters) - An Indonesian bomb maker convicted for his role in the deadly 2002 Bali nightclub attacks has apologised to the victims' families, after his release from prison was met with outrage in Australia. "I apologise to the Australian people who have been deeply impacted by the Bali bombing," he added. Patek also said he would help the Indonesian government in its counter-terrorism efforts, adding he was "ready to become an ambassador for peace". Convicted Bali bomb maker Umar Patek apologises to Bali bombing victims' families, as he speaks to the members of media in Lamongan, East Java Province, Indonesia, December 13, 2022, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Paul Vanni, community and partnerships officer at Sydney's Coogee Dolphins rugby team, which lost six members in the Bali attacks, dismissed the apology.

"We've been too naïve ... for far too long," a justice ministry spokesperson said, referring to what he called clandestine operations by foreign powers in Belgium. The other three suspects arrested and charged last week were meanwhile questioned, as planned, on Wednesday by a three-judge panel. Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, the secretary-general of a rule of law campaign group, will leave jail but wear an electronic ankle tag. The European Parliament on Tuesday voted to strip Kaili, a 44-year old Greek Socialist MEP, of her vice presidency role. Although no state was publicly named by prosecutors, a source with knowledge of the case said it was Qatar.

REUTERS/Willy KurniawanJAKARTA, Dec 9 (Reuters) - The United Nations has expressed concern over threats to civil liberties posed by Indonesia's new criminal code, warning the revised laws could result in the erosion of press freedom, privacy and human rights in the world's third-largest democracy. Indonesia's parliament approved the legislative overhaul on Tuesday, part of a decades long process to replace its colonial-era penal code. The criminal code includes laws that make it an offence to insult the president, the national flag and state institutions. The code could also affect reproductive and privacy rights and exacerbate gender-based violence based on sexual orientation and identity, the statement said. "Same-sex couples cannot marry in Indonesia, so this clause also effectively renders all same-sex conduct illegal," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

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