Suspect in murder of Tunisian man to appear before French judge: prosecutors
Christophe B. is accused of killing Hichem Miraoui in an attack Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau described as both 'racist' and 'anti-Muslim.'
Anti-terrorism prosecutors have taken over the case, the first time a far-right racist attack has been treated as a 'terrorist' offense since the unit was created in 2019.
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Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan slams Muslim-only UN terror list, flags global rise of right-wing extremism
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday highlighted a global policy blindspot at the United Nations Security Council that was allowing right-wing and fascist movements to fuel extremist violence without attracting the same level of scrutiny as Muslim groups, despite posing serious threats in various parts of the world. In remarks at a high-level Security Council briefing on threats to international peace, Pakistan's UN envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said his country had suffered deeply from militancy and condemned terrorism in all its forms. However, he urged the international community to revisit the global counterterrorism discourse, calling for a uniform application of the term 'terrorism.' 'There has been a surge in the emergence of right-wing, extremist and fascist movements in several countries and regions of the world leading to terrorist violence,' he told the Council. 'Yet, we see a strong inclination to see acts by non-Muslims not as terrorism, but often described just as violent crime.' 'It is not understandable, and is indeed unacceptable, that every name on the Security Council's terrorism lists is Muslim, while terrorists and violent extremists elsewhere escape scrutiny,' he said. 'There is no non-Muslim in the lists. This must change.' Ahmad pointed out this approach ran counter to the UN's own position that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. The Pakistani envoy also reiterated his country's concern over the challenge of militant violence emanating from Afghanistan, calling it 'the single most potent threat' to the region and the world. He cited the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as the largest UN-designated militant outfit operating from Afghan soil, with nearly 6,000 fighters posing a direct threat to Pakistan's national security. 'With safe havens close to our borders, it directly threatens our national security,' Ahmad continued, adding there was 'credible evidence of collaboration' between the TTP and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Majeed Brigade. These groups, he noted, had jointly targeted Pakistan's strategic infrastructure, economic projects and civilians. He recounted recent attacks including the hijacking of a passenger train in Balochistan earlier this year in March and a school bus attack in Khuzdar in May that left 10 people dead, eight of them children, pointing out that these acts were carried out by the same groups. Ahmad accused Pakistan's 'principal adversary in the region' of sponsoring militant violence on its soil without naming India, saying it was also carrying out 'extra-territorial assassinations that have gone global.' He also condemned a cross-border strike by New Delhi in May that killed 54 Pakistani civilians, including 15 children, and led to an intense four-day war between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Menendez brothers face parole hearings after decades in prison for parents' 1989 murders
LOS ANGELES: The Menendez brothers will make their cases for parole starting Thursday, marking the closest they've been to winning freedom from prison since their convictions almost 30 years ago for murdering their parents. Erik and Lyle Menendez were sentenced in 1996 to life in prison for fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. While defense attorneys argued the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers sought a multimillion-dollar inheritance. They became eligible for parole after a Los Angeles judge in May reduced their sentences from life in prison without the possibility of parole to 50 years to life, making them immediately eligible under California law because they were under the ages of 26 when they committed their crimes. But even if the board grants their parole, it could be months before the brothers walk free — if at all. A panel of parole hearing officers will evaluate the brothers individually. Erik Menendez will have his hearing Thursday morning, followed by Lyle Menendez on Friday. They will appear over videoconference from prison in San Diego. The board will assess whether the brothers pose an 'unreasonable risk of danger to society' if released, considering factors such as criminal history, motivation for the crime, signs of remorse, behavior while in prison and plans for the future, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. If the board grants each brother's parole, the chief legal counsel has 120 days to review the case. Then Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has 30 days to affirm or deny the parole. Newsom had previously ordered the state parole board to conduct a risk assessment of the brothers in response to a clemency request. He hasn't said if he's likely to support parole, but he has denied recommendations in high-profile cases in the past — most notably for Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Erik and Lyle Menendez have the support of their relatives, who are expected to deliver statements at their hearings. 'For more than 35 years, they have shown sustained growth,' their family said in a statement. 'They've taken full accountability. They express sincere remorse to our family to this day and have built a meaningful life defined by purpose and service.' The case has captured the attention of true crime enthusiasts for decades and spawned documentaries, television specials and dramatizations. The Netflix drama ' Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story ' and a documentary released in 2024 have been credited for bringing new attention to the brothers. A greater recognition of the brothers as victims of sexual abuse has also helped amass a legion of supporters who seek their release. Some have flown to Los Angeles to hold rallies and attend court hearings. The previous LA County district attorney first opened the door to possible freedom for the brothers last fall by asking a judge to reduce their sentences. The judge's decision to ultimately resentence the brothers followed months of pushback from current prosecutors. LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said ahead of the parole hearings that he opposes parole for the brothers because they have 'not demonstrated full insight into their crimes,' comparing them to Sirhan. Newsom denied him parole in January 2022 because of his 'deficient insight.' Insight means taking full responsibility for a crime and understanding the factors that led you to commit the crime, such as anger, inability to handle stress, and substance abuse, said Michael Beckman, a lawyer specialized in parole hearings. Erik and Lyle's college degrees, participation in volunteer programs and support groups, and the fact that Lyle has not been in a single fight in prison are all positive factors for their release, he said. But recent rules violations could have major consequences for the brothers. In May, Hochman revealed details from a confidential risk assessment report that said Lyle was cited for having a cellphone several times in 2024, and Erik was found with a cellphone this January. 'The board is really big on the philosophy that if you can't follow the rules in prison, you can't follow the rules in free society,' Beckman said. 'Add to that that cellphones are one of the three big bad rules violations along with violence and substance abuse.' Ultimately, Beckman noted that parole decisions come down to individual commissioners, who might weigh the brothers' cases based on factors like their celebrity status or family members' support. The state corrections department has selected one media representative to view the proceedings virtually and share notes with the rest of the press at set intervals.
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Daesh extremists exploit instability in Africa and Syria, UN experts say
UNITED NATIONS: Daesh extremists are exploiting instability in Africa and Syria and remain a significant threat in Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe, UN counterterrorism experts said Wednesday. The militant group is now using advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, and social media, which poses a new challenge, the experts told a UN Security Council meeting. The Daesh group , which uses the name Islamic State,declared a self-styled caliphate in a large swath of Syria and Iraq that it seized in 2014. It was declared defeated in Iraq in 2017 following a three-year battle that left tens of thousands of people dead and cities in ruins, but its sleeper cells remain in both countries and it has affiliates and supporters in many other countries. The UN has seen a resurgence of activity by the Daesh in the Sahel — in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger — and in West Africa the group has emerged 'as a prolific producer of terrorist propaganda and attracted foreign terrorist fighters, primarily from within the region,' said Vladimir Voronkov, who heads the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism. He said arrests in Libya have revealed logistics and financing networks with connections to Daesh in the Sahel. In Somalia, Voronkov said, a large-scale Daesh attack was countered by Somali security forces and some 200 IS fighters were killed and over 150 arrested. But he said despite the losses IS still benefits from regional support networks and remains a threat. In northcentral Africa's Lake Chad Basin region, the Islamic State is 'increasingly receiving foreign material and human support to conduct its operations, including money, drones and expertise on improvised explosive devices,' said Natalia Gherman, who heads the executive directorate of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee. 'Its ability to adapt and exploit instability continues to pose significant challenges, particularly in parts of Africa,' she said. 'The continent bears over half the world's fatalities from terrorist attacks.' In the Middle East, Voronkov said IS is active in Iraq and Syria, where it is trying to restore its operations in the northwest Badia desert region and renew effort to destabilize local authorities. He said the militants are exploiting security gaps, conducting covert operations and inciting sectarian tensions in Syria. In Afghanistan, the Daesh group's Khorasan affiliate 'continues to represent one of the most serious threats to Central Asia and beyond,' Voronkov said, citing its targeting of civilians, minority groups and foreign nationals. Gherman added that IS-Khorasan is using 'propaganda tactics and online campaigns' to try to recruit and fundraise in Central Asia and Europe. She called for innovative responses to the Daesh group's use of artificial intelligence and social media for recruitment, fundraising and propaganda. 'Although AI is being harnessed to amplify the group's reach and impact, it also holds significant potential for states to enhance the detection, prevention and disruption of terrorist activities,' Gherman said. Elisa De Anda Madrazo, president of the Financial Action Task Force, which researches how terrorism is financed, said a major change is that 'Digital platforms such as social media, messaging apps and crowdfunding systems are increasingly being abused for terrorist financing.'
