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☆ Iran's Raisi promises to pursue crackdown on protesters; cleric critical of execution
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Molavi Abdolhamid, a Sunni cleric in the Shi'ite-ruled Islamic Republic, criticized the death sentence, according to his website. Human rights groups said Shekari was tortured and forced to confess. In Geneva, U.N. Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Turk called the execution “very troubling and clearly designed to send a chilling effect to the rest of the protesters." Britain announced sanctions on Friday against 30 people worldwide, including officials from Russia, Iran and Myanmar it deems responsible for human rights abuses or corruption. Molavi Abdolhamid made his critical comments from Zahedan, the capital of restive Sistan-Baluchistan province, home to Iran's Baluch minority who have faced discrimination and repression for decades, according to human rights groups.

"Grateful for the long-overdue release of Brittney Griner today from Russian custody. "Thank you to every single person that kept Brittney Griner’s name alive #WEAREBG," tweeted one of her Phoenix Mercury teammates, Brianna Turner. The Biden administration wasn't able to secure Whelan's release because the Russian government is treating his case differently than Griner's, Biden said. “While we celebrate Brittney’s release, Paul Whelan and his family continue to suffer needlessly,” Blinken said. Share this -Link copiedWho is Viktor Bout, Russian arms dealer that the U.S. exchanged for Brittney Griner?

In the 2005 Nicolas Cage movie “Lord of War,” the character loosely based on Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout evades his American law enforcement pursuers, apparently saved by the CIA. Now he is on his way back to Russia after a high-profile prisoner exchange that saw WNBA star Brittney Griner free early Thursday. Under federal sentencing rules, Bout could have been released from prison in five years. Bout, a former Soviet military officer who became rich as an arms dealer, has always maintained his innocence. His U.S. lawyer, Steve Zissou, says the whole operation was unfair, because Bout had been retired and living in Moscow.

Iran said Thursday it had executed a person arrested over the monthslong protests gripping the country, the first known death penalty carried out related to the unrest. At least 475 people have been killed and 18,000 others arrested, according to the watchdog Human Rights Activists in Iran, which is based just outside Washington. It "must be met with STRONG reactions otherwise we will be facing daily executions of protesters," Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the director of the Oslo-based activist group Iran Human Rights, said in a tweet. The news agency alleged that Shekari was offered money to wield the machete and take part in the protests. Iran executed 314 people last year, the most in the world after China, according to data compiled by Amnesty.

☆ Iran executes protester for injuring guard with knife - Tasnim
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DUBAI, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Iran executed a protester on Thursday who was convicted of injuring a security guard with a knife and closing off a street in the capital, Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, part of a clampdown on nationwide unrest. The Tasnim news agency identified the person who was executed as Mohsen Shekari but gave no more details. Amnesty International has said the Iranian authorities are seeking the death penalty for at least 21 people in what it called "sham trials designed to intimidate those participating in the popular uprising that has rocked Iran". Iran has blamed the unrest on its foreign foes including the United States. Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Michael GeorgyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —Iran has executed a man for injuring a paramilitary officer in the first known execution linked to protests that have swept the country since September, state media reported Thursday. Mizan Online, a news agency affiliated with Iran’s judiciary, and the semi-official Tasmin news agency both named the protester as Mohsen Shekari. It is the first execution connected to the protests to be publicly reported by state media. At least 458 people have been killed in the unrest since September, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights on Wednesday. In late November, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said Iran was in a “full-fledged human rights crisis,” and called for an independent investigation into violations of human rights in the country.

☆ Nigerian first lady ‘directed student beating at presidential villa,’ lawyer alleges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —Nigeria’s first lady ordered security operatives to detain a student and also supervised his beating at the country’s presidential villa, his lawyer has alleged. Spokespeople for Nigeria’s national police and Department of State Services told CNN they were unaware of Adamu’s arrest. Mrs. Buhari should be prosecuted for taking the law into her hands,” Mohammed told CNN. His uncle Shehu Azare told CNN he is now focused on writing his final exams and would not speak out about his ordeal. So, there’s no point for that (apology),” his uncle Azare told CNN.

☆ Police in Canada say remains of 2 slain Indigenous women are likely in landfill — but they won't search site
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Police in Canada are facing scrutiny after saying they believe they know where the bodies of two Indigenous women allegedly slain by a suspected serial killer are buried — but that they won't be searching the area due to difficult conditions. In May, the Winnipeg Police Department announced that partial remains of one of the victims, Rebecca Contois, 24, had been found in a landfill. In a tweet Tuesday, Niki Ashton, a Member of Parliament with Canada's New Democratic Party, said: "We remember the Indigenous women who have been targeted and killed because they are Indigenous women. "These deaths must not be ignored, nor the reality that they represent the ongoing generational harms and trauma that are rooted in violence against Indigenous women, girls, and Two Spirit people," the statement said. Federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday that he believed all levels of government have failed Indigenous women, girls and Two Spirit people for centuries, CBC News reported.

Follow along for live coverage of the World Cup. Morgan had asked for "the honest, realistic total" of migrant workers who had died in the course of contributing to projects somehow related to the World Cup. The figure has not previously appeared in official reports from the Supreme Committee or FIFA, soccer's global body. There are about 2 million migrant workers in Qatar — an estimated 95 percent of the country’s total working population. Thousands of young men from south Asia worked on this and other World Cup projects.

☆ Stéphanie Frappart to make history as the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But Stéphanie Frappart’s traditional anonymity has been broken for a different reason – she will make history on Thursday as the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match. FIFA announced their appointment back in May, when Frappart found out that she was going to the 2022 Qatar World Cup. “It’s a surprise, you cannot believe it and after two or three minutes, you realize that you are going to the World Cup. Mukasanga and Yamashita have also been the fourth official at two and four games of this World Cup respectively. I don’t know how life is there but I didn’t make the decision to go there or to organize the World Cup,” Frappart says.

☆ Qatar World Cup chief says between 400 and 500 migrant workers have died in projects connected to the tournament
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Sammy Mngqosini | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —World Cup chief Hassan Al-Thawadi said that between 400 and 500 migrant workers have died as a result of work done on projects connected to the tournament – a greater figure than Qatari officials have cited previously. Al-Thawadi said three had died in incidents directly connected with construction of the stadiums, and 37 deaths were attributed to other reasons. The report did not connect all 6,500 deaths with World Cup infrastructure projects and has not been independently verified by CNN. It also fails to recognize that only 20% of foreign workers in Qatar are employed on construction sites.”According to Amnesty International, migrant workers account for 90% of Qatar’s total workforce. The improvements that have happened aren’t because of the World Cup.

☆ Trolls, propaganda & fear stoke Bukele's media machine in El Salvador
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +23 min

In examining Bukele’s media operation, Reuters interviewed more than 70 people, including former media operatives and social media researchers. It showed Bukele with an 86% approval rating in El Salvador, making him the most popular leader in the region. “The threat in El Salvador used to be from the gangs, now it's from the state,” said Angelica Carcamo, the organization's president. “I found a lot more manipulation in El Salvador than in Mexico,” Escorcia said. A native of Guatemala, Torres has been critical of the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras for creating conditions that spur migration.

☆ World Cup 2022: what is the OneLove armband and why did FIFA ban it?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 24 (Reuters) - Here is what you need to know about the 'OneLove' armbands that the captains of seven European teams were planning to wear at the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup in Qatar:WHAT DOES THE 'ONELOVE' ARMBAND MEAN? WHY WERE TEAM CAPTAINS PLANNING ON WEARING THE ARMBAND AT THE WORLD CUP? * World Cup organisers have repeatedly said that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or background, is welcome during the tournament. * Nasser Al Khater, the chief executive of the 2022 World Cup, has said LGBTQ+ fans coming into the country would not have to worry about "persecution of any sort", describing Qatar as a "tolerant country". * According to FIFA rules, team equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images, and during FIFA Final Competitions, the captain of each team "must wear the captain's armband provided by FIFA".

☆ Death Toll Rises in Iran’s Kurdish Areas Amid Military Operations
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Benoit Faucon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Iran’s military crackdown on protesters in the country’s Kurdish region is becoming increasingly deadly, as the government turns to more violent means to quell the biggest threat to the Islamic Republic in its four decades of rule. At least 42 people have been killed since Nov. 15 by Iranian security forces in Iran’s Kurdish region, according to Kurdish human-rights groups and Amnesty International. In total, human-rights groups say over 300 people have been killed throughout the country since the protest movement began in mid-September, with over 100 of them coming from Iran’s Kurdish region.

☆ How Qatar ended up hosting the World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —With the World Cup now underway in Qatar, many are wondering how this moment arrived – that a tiny Gulf nation with little footballing history ended up hosting the biggest event the sport has to offer. The country’s World Cup debut was 12 years in the making, a period in which Qatar’s host status has stirred controversy within the footballing community and beyond. Those included a lack of existing infrastructure and the region’s intense heat in the summer, when World Cup tournaments are traditionally held. But questions about just how Qatar won the right to stage the World Cup continue. Meanwhile, Qatar’s state-backed discrimination against LGBTQ people has also been criticized in the years leading up to the World Cup.

CNN —The captains of several European teams will not to wear “OneLove” armbands at the World Cup in Qatar due to the danger of receiving yellow cards. “FIFA [football’s global governing body] has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play,” the joint statement read. The countries said they were “frustrated” by what they described as FIFA’s “unprecedented” decision to sanction the captains should they wear the armband. ‘Everyone is welcome’In the buildup to the World Cup, Qatar – where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison – has come under criticism for its stance on LGBTQ rights. Prior to countries announcing their captains would not wear the armband in Qatar, FIFA brought forward its own “No Discrimination” campaign and said all 32 captains would have the opportunity to wear an armband linked to the campaign.

☆ Seven European World Cup captains ditch OneLove armband following FIFA pressure
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

FIFA has threatened to issue yellow cards to any player wearing the multi-coloured armband which was introduced to support diversity and inclusion. England captain Harry Kane spoke on Sunday of his desire to wear the armband in Monday's Group B opener against Iran. "I will not carry the confrontation created by FIFA onto the back of (Germany team captain) Manuel Neuer." FIFA launched its own captain's armband campaign ahead of the tournament to promote different causes for each round. According to FIFA rules, team equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images, and during FIFA Final Competitions, the captain of each team "must wear the captain's armband provided by FIFA".

DOHA, Qatar — The 2022 World Cup kicks off Sunday shrouded in accusations of human rights violations and last-minute controversy surrounding host Qatar. Mostly soccer fans gather at the Corniche Waterfront ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Doha pm Saturday. Players exercise during Qatar's official training ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Doha, Qatar on Saturday. “It’s going to be a force to reckon with.”The U.S. failed to qualify for the last World Cup but now boasts a young, exciting squad who largely play for big teams across Europe. People attend the FIFA Fan Festival opening day ahead of the World Cup in Doha, Qatar on Nov. 19, 2022.

CNN —FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s near hour-long speech on the eve of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been described as “crass” and an “insult” to migrant workers by human rights groups. In an explosive, and sometimes bizarre, monologue, Infantino – the boss of world soccer’s governing body – accused Western critics of Qatar’s human rights record of hypocrisy,“Today I feel Qatari. Infantino’s speech was an insult to the thousands of hard working women and men who have made the World Cup possible. The report did not connect all 6,500 deaths with World Cup infrastructure projects and has not been independently verified by CNN. All would have been constructed by migrant workers, who – according to Amnesty International – account for 90% of the workforce in a near-three million population.

☆ Last minute recruits in Qatar highlight World Cup security issues
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Qatar is the first Middle Eastern country and smallest nation ever to host the World Cup. It has called up hundreds of civilians, including diplomats summoned back from overseas, for mandatory military service operating security checkpoints at World Cup sites. LABOUR REFORMSQatar already hosts tens of thousands of workers employed as security guards outside government buildings, university campuses and shopping complexes. Seven out of the eight World Cup stadiums are brand new and have rarely experienced large crowds. Neither the Qatari government nor the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Qatar's World Cup organisers, responded to a request for comment.

☆ 5 men and 2 women were put to death in a rare mass execution in Kuwait
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Kuwait government hanged seven prisoners in the first mass execution in five years. Those killed included three Kuwaiti men, a Kuwaiti woman, a Syrian man, a Pakistani man, and an Ethiopian woman. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyThe Kuwait government put to death seven prisoners in the first mass execution in five years. The state-run news agency KUNA news has said that those killed include three Kuwaiti men, a Kuwaiti woman, a Syrian man, a Pakistani man, and an Ethiopian woman. The last mass execution happened in 2017 when seven prisoners — including a member of the Kuwaiti royal family — were hanged in the oil-rich state, AP reported at the time.

[1/2] A general view shows Pearl Island, an artificial island spanning nearly four square kilometres, ahead of the FIFA 2022 World Cup soccer tournament at Katara Cultural Village in Doha, Qatar November 17, 2022. "What happens when the World Cup is over? I know gay men in workers' camps wouldn't be able to live the same way." Qatari organisers of the World Cup have warned visitors against public displays of affection but say that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or background, is welcome at the event. The furore has been fuelled by comments from public figures including former Qatar player and World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman who told a German broadcaster that homosexuality was "damage in the mind".

☆ Qatar World Cup: 'Our dreams never came true.' These men helped build Qatar's tournament, now they are struggling to survive.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Aimee Lewis Pramod Acharya Sugam Pokharel | Aimee Lewis | Pramod Acharya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +31 min

It will be a historic event, the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, but one also mired in controversy. He had dreamed of watching World Cup matches from the rooftop of the hotel he had helped build. In Qatar, migrant workers can now change jobs freely without permission from their employer. However, a number of European federations have issued a joint statement saying they would campaign at the tournament on human rights and for a migrant workers center and a compensation fund for migrant workers. The motto for Qatar’s bid team in 2010 was ‘Expect Amazing.’ In many ways, this year’s World Cup has replicated that maxim.

☆ More protesters in Iran have been sentenced to death as political unrest continues
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Iran's judiciary issued three more death sentences to people who were involved in anti-government protests following the death of a woman who allegedly broke the country's strict headscarf rules, the judiciary's website Mizan Online reported. This comes after Iran's Revolutionary Court issued its first death sentence on Sunday due to involvement in anti-regime protests. "A whole younger generation is challenging the rules like wearing a headscarf and the government in Iran has its hands fully trying to manage the protests," Nasr said. "The protests are beginning a great deal of American and European media attention, and severe criticism of Iran. This could potentially bring a whole new set of sanctions on Iran for its crackdown."

The first known death sentence handed down to a defendant linked to the unrest sweeping Iran has fanned fears of an even harsher crackdown as the government struggles to stamp out demonstrations challenging its rule. Mansoureh Mills, a researcher on Iran for the human rights group Amnesty International, said the sentence and arrests showed that the government was trying to end the unrest, once and for all. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said that 15,800 protesters have been detained and 344 killed since the protests began. On Monday, the European Union announced new sanctions against 29 individuals in Iran and three entities over the ongoing crackdown on protesters. The United Kingdom also announced two dozen sanctions against Iranian officials on Monday.

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