Human Rights

21 Dec 2021; MEMO: Palestinian administrative detainees in Israeli jails have decided to boycott Israeli courts from next month, Arab48 reported yesterday.

The announcement was made during a press conference held in the head office of the PLO's Prisoners and Freed Prisoners Commission in Ramallah.

21 Dec 2021; MEMO: The Indian government has used the Israeli-made Pegasus software to spy on the indigenous Indian rights activist, Rona Wilson, who is currently in prison, the Guardian reported late last week.

New Delhi, Dec 21 (PTI) The word lynching was practically unheard of before 2014 when the BJP came to power, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter on Tuesday and went on to taunt the prime minister with a "Thank you Modiji".

Asked about the lynching jibe at a media briefing later in the day, the former Congress president said, "Sarkar ki dalali mat karo (Don't do mediation for the BJP)."

Guwahati, Dec 20 (PTI) The Assam government on Monday said that it will discuss and consider a proposal to introduce a bill against mob lynching, in line with states like Manipur, Rajasthan and West Bengal.

Replying to the issue of bringing in legislation to stop incidents of mob lynching, Assam Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika said in the Assembly that the state government has not thought about it so far.

20 Dec 2021; MEMO: Israel has released new rules of engagement which allow soldiers to open fire at Palestinians who throw stones and flee, local media reported yesterday.

According to Israeli Public Broadcaster, Kan, the new rules give occupation forces the right to shoot Palestinian stone throwers even as they are fleeing.

Meanwhile, the rules also allow Israeli occupation soldiers to fire at Palestinians stealing live ammunition and weaponry, Walla news website reported.

Gurugram, Dec 19 (PTI) A right-wing group disrupting Friday namaz being held in the open here on Sunday asked Muslims to "reconvert" and pray in Hindu temples.

Ancestors of a majority of Haryana Muslims belonged to Hindu community, said Mahaveer Bhardwaj, chairman of the Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, a body of 32 right-wing Hindu outfits.

"We can organise a mass 'ghar wapsi' in Leisure Valley here and they will be taken back in their castes and accepted with open arms," Bharadwaj said.

18 Dec 2021; MEMO: The "Citizens Against the Coup" initiative announced on Friday starting an open sit-in at Habib Bourguiba Avenue in the centre of the capital to call on ending the "coup against the constitution".

"As of today (Friday), we will start an open sit-in until ending the coup and overthrowing the one who turned against the Constitution," member of the Initiative Executive Body Jawhar Bin Mubarak stated with reference to President Kais Saied.

Kolkata, Dec 18 (PTI) The VHP will launch a campaign against religious conversion from December 20 to 31 in the country, its national joint general secretary Surendra Jian sid on Saturday.

Jain, who was speaking to reporters, demanded a law against forced interfaith marriages and for denying benefits due to Dalits and Hindu tribals who convert to other faiths.

He claimed that large-scale conversion had taken place during the outbreak of the COVID pandemic.

Lucknow, Dec 19 (PTI) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of getting his telephones tapped and listening to his talks every evening.

Yadav made the allegation while dubbing Adityanath as the most anupyogi' (useless) chief minister and seeking to counter Prime Minister Narendra Modi's poll formula UP+Yogi=Upyogi , aimed at asserting the utility of the Adityanath government for UP's growth.

18 Dec 2021; MEMO: Tens of Israeli settlers on Friday raided the town of Burqa, north of the West Bank city of Nablus, and torched and opened fire on Palestinian homes, eyewitnesses and activists reported.

Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors Israeli settlement activities in the northern West Bank, said that scores of armed settlers attacked Burqa, indiscriminately opened live fire on the residents, attacked houses and set a shack on fire.