Human Rights

Israel demolishes electricity network in occupied West Bank

04 Feb 2021; MEMO: Israeli occupation forces yesterday demolished a home and an electricity network in the West Bank's southern city of Hebron.

WAFA reported that Israeli bulldozers raided Beit Awwa town, near the city of Hebron, and demolished a 180 square metre house sheltering a Palestinian family including five children with social needs. The bulldozers also destroyed an electricity grid that was supplying ten homes in the area.

Palestinian rights must be respected to defeat anti-Semitism: US Congressman

04 Feb 2021; MEMO: US Congressman Andy Levin has warned that anti-Semitism cannot be properly defeated without addressing Israel's human rights abuses against Palestinians. Speaking earlier this week during an online discussion hosted by the progressive Jewish movement IfNotNow on how the Biden administration can combat anti-Jewish racism, the Michigan Democrat lawmaker mentioned his long track record of urging the US to oppose Israel's occupation.

Egypt: 3 detainees die from coronavirus in 24 hours

04 Feb 2021; MEMO: There are indications that deaths are rising again in detention centres due to coronavirus, reports We Record, after three detainees died within 24 hours of each other.

Mahmoud Al-Ajami was arrested and detained in Talkha Police Station where he asked to be referred to hospital after suffering covid symptoms, but the request was refused until his situation had deteriorated.

He died in hospital yesterday, 39 days after his arrest.

India: SC grants interim bail to comedian Munawar Faruqui

New Delhi, Feb 5 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail to comedian Munawar Faruqui in a case lodged at Indore in Madhya Pradesh for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

A bench headed by Justice R F Nariman also issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh Government on Munawar's plea challenging the high court order refusing to grant regular bail to him.

India: UP police books ex-AMU student for sedition'

Lucknow Feb 4 (PTI) A day after having been booked by the Maharastra police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of people with his remarks at Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune, former AMU student Sharjeel Usmani was slapped with the charge of sedition by Lucknow police.

The case against Usmani was lodged at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow on Wednesday night on the complaint of a city resident Anurag Singh, police said on Thursday.

Biden ending US support for Saudi-led offensive in Yemen

(AP) --- President Joe Biden announced Thursday the United States was ending support for a grinding five-year Saudi-led military offensive in Yemen that has deepened suffering in the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country, calling the move part of restoring a U.S. emphasis on diplomacy, democracy and human rights.

“This war has to end,” Biden told diplomats in his first visit to the State Department as president, saying the conflict had created a “humanitarian and strategic catastrophe.”

UN court says it can hear Iran-US sanctions case

THE HAGUE, Feb 4 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The UN’s top court has said it can hear Iran’s bid to overturn US nuclear sanctions re-imposed by Donald Trump, prompting “disappointment” in Washington, which had argued the issue lies outside its jurisdiction.

Iran’s foreign minister swiftly hailed Wednesday’s decision as a “victory” in the case launched three years ago at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

India: Advocates launch helpline for protesting farmers

New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) As protesting farmers face legal challenges emerging out of the tractor parade violence on Republic Day, some lawyer groups have come forward to offer legal assistance to them and have started helpline numbers.

Simranjeet Kaur Gill, an advocate at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, said they are helping those who are in jail or have gone "missing" since the violent protests on Janury 26.

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