Amnesty International

Government & Politics

Prevent review: Shawcross reforms risk ‘slide into authoritarianism,’ critics warn Coalition of civil society organisations, community leaders and rights groups urge the British government to withdraw Shawcross report

March 21, 2023 and   

(Middle East Eye) The UK is facing a “slide into dangerous authoritarianism” if the government proceeds with the recommendations of a contentious review of Prevent, critics of the counter-terrorism strategy have warned. In a joint letter issued on Tuesday, a coalition of […]

Immigration

Record number of people cross Channel to UK in small boats in 2022 — as arrivals soar by 60% in a year The figures, compiled and analysed by Sky News, show a sharp rise in the number of arrivals last year — a continuation of a years-long trend that shows no signs of stopping.

January 1, 2023   

(Sky News) A record 45,728 people crossed the English Channel to the UK on small boats in 2022, up more than 60% on the previous year as migrants continue to risk their lives making the dangerous journey. The perils of the deep […]

Academics & Education

Congress probes Oberlin College prof. with links to Iranian regime A letter sent to Oberlin wants answers on professor's 'apparent leading role in covering up the Iranian regime's atrocities'

September 28, 2022   

(Fox) Two Republican lawmakers from the Committee [on] Education and Labor called for an inquiry Wednesday into Oberlin College’s religion studies professor Mohammad Jafar Mahallati due to his reported ties with the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism, the Islamic Republic of […]

Legal

US rights groups warn against travel to UAE 'Our fear is that the UAE might be involved in extraordinary rendition,' Nihad [Awad], executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told the New Arab.

July 25, 2022   

(New Arab) Rights groups in the United States are warning civil society activists against travelling or transiting through the United Arab Emirates after the detention of US civil rights attorney Asim Ghafoor. Ghafoor, a Virginia-based civil rights lawyer who represented murdered Washington […]

Government & Politics

Belgium paves way to send convicted terrorist to Iran There is growing international pressure not to back treaty that would allow Iranians convicted in Belgium to serve their sentences in Iran.

July 4, 2022 and   

(Politico) Belgium’s parliament on Tuesday will debate whether to ratify a proposed treaty with Iran that could allow an Iranian convicted of terrorism in Belgium to be sent back to Tehran. Iran has loudly demanded that Belgium release Assadollah Assadi, an Iranian […]

Crime

Sicily judge weighs trial of migrant rescue NGOs

May 21, 2022   

(AFP) Charities running migrant rescue ships in the Mediterranean faced a pre-trial hearing in Sicily Saturday over alleged collusion with people traffickers after a controversial probe that involved mass wiretapping. Twenty-one suspects, including crew members of Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Save the […]

Government & Politics

US Congress must understand ‘trauma’ of Nakba, Rashida Tlaib says The US legislator, who introduced resolution to recognise Palestinian displacement, tells Al Jazeera ‘Nakba hasn’t stopped.’

May 18, 2022   

(Al-Jazeera) It’s important for United States lawmakers to understand the “trauma and pain” of the Palestinian Nakba, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has said, urging Washington to condition aid to Israel on its rights record. Tlaib introduced a congressional resolution earlier this week to […]

Interfaith

More than 50 groups reject ADL’s critique of pro-Palestinian activism ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt was wrong, they wrote, to compare them to far-right extremists.

May 16, 2022   

(Forward) Dozens of American Muslim groups Monday issued a statement decrying recent remarks of Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, who they accuse of slandering Palestinian rights organization[s]. They referred to a speech Greenblatt made two weeks ago in which he called several […]

News: North America

Is Khaled Barakat part of a terrorist group or a victim of Israeli intimidation? Israeli intelligence is not alone in situating Barakat, who resides in Vancouver, in the upper echelons of the PFLP’s chain of command

April 28, 2022   

(National Post) He’s a high-ranking member of a Palestinian terrorist organization best known for dramatic airplane hijackings, suicide bombings and a 2014 massacre at a Jerusalem synagogue that left several worshippers severely injured and five dead, including Toronto-born rabbi Howie Rothman. That’s […]

Government & Politics

Migration fears complicate Europe’s response to Afghanistan crisis As the Taliban took control of the country, there were chaotic scenes at Kabul airport as hundreds tried to flee.

August 16, 2021 and   

(Politico) For Afghans desperate to flee the Taliban takeover of their country, Europe had — at best — mixed messages to offer. As the evacuation from Kabul airport grew increasingly chaotic Monday, with footage emerging of Afghans attempting to cling to a departing […]