Retired priest arrested for supporting Palestine Action
In this Unmute, she talks about what led her to stand against the government's decision.
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Al Jazeera
14 minutes ago
- Al Jazeera
At least five killed in courthouse attack in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan
An attack on a courthouse in southeastern Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province has killed at least five civilians and injured 13, Iranian media report. A mother and child were among those killed on Saturday by gunmen who threw a hand grenade into the building in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan-Baluchestan, a senior police official told the state news agency IRNA. IRNA said three of the attackers were also killed during the assault, citing the regional headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In a statement posted on its Telegram account, Jaish al-Adl (Arabic for Army of Justice), a Baloch armed group based in Pakistan but also active in Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack and urged 'all civilians to immediately evacuate the area of clashes for their safety', Iranian media reported. According to Alireza Daliri, Sistan-Baluchestan's deputy police commander, the attackers tried to enter the building disguised as visitors. The Baloch human rights group HAALVSH, quoting witnesses, said several judiciary staff members and security personnel were killed or wounded when the assailants stormed the judges' chambers. IRNA said emergency personnel were at the scene with the wounded evacuated and transported to medical centres. Sistan-Baluchestan, located on the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, is home to Iran's Sunni Muslim Baloch minority, who have long said they are economically marginalised and politically excluded. Some armed groups said they are fighting for greater rights and autonomy. The Iranian government accuses some of them of having ties to foreign governments and being involved in attacks and cross-border smuggling. Fighting between Iranian security forces and the armed groups is frequent in the province, located about 1,200km (745 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran. The area has been the scene of recurring clashes between Iranian security forces, including the IRGC, and fighters from the Baloch minority and Sunni groups and drug traffickers. In one of the deadliest incidents, 10 police officers were killed in October in what authorities described as a 'terrorist' attack.
Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Tunisia an ‘open-air prison', say protesters at anti-President Saied march
Hundreds of Tunisian activists have protested against President Kais Saied, calling his rule since 2021 an 'authoritarian regime' that has turned the country into an 'open-air prison'. The protesters marched in capital Tunis on Friday, marking four years since Saied made moves to consolidate his one-man rule in a country once known as the birthplace of the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprisings. Chanting the slogan, 'The Republic is a large prison,' they demanded the release of jailed opposition leaders, including Rached Ghannouchi, head of Ennahdha, the self-styled 'Muslim Democrat' party, and Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party. They are among dozens of politicians, lawyers, activists and journalists facing lengthy prison sentences under anti-terrorism and conspiracy laws. Others have fled the country, seeking asylum in Western countries. On July 25, 2021, Saied suspended parliament, dismissed his prime minister and invoked a state of emergency to begin ruling by decree, ordering mass arrests and politically motivated trials to silence dissent. Though some cheered his efforts, critics called the moves a coup and said the events marked the beginning of Tunisia's descent towards authoritarianism. Protesters also chanted slogans such as 'No fear, no terror … streets belong to the people' and 'The people want the fall of the regime' as they carried portraits of political prisoners and a cage that organisers said represented the state of political life in Tunisia. 'Our first aim is to battle against tyranny to restore the democracy and to demand the release of the political detainees,' Monia Ibrahim, wife of imprisoned politician Abdelhamid Jelassi, told the Reuters news agency. Prisons are 'crowded' with Saied's opponents, activists, and journalists, said Saib Souab, son of Ahmed Souab, the imprisoned lawyer who is a critical voice of Saied. 'Tunisia has turned into an open-air prison … Even those not behind bars live in a state of temporary freedom, constantly at risk of arrest for any reason,' he told Reuters. In 2022, Saied also dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council and sacked dozens of judges, a move the opposition said was aimed to cement the one-man rule. Saied said he does not interfere in the judiciary, but no one is above accountability, regardless of their name or position. In 2023, Saied said the politicians were 'traitors and terrorists' and that judges who would acquit them were their accomplices. July 25 also marks the anniversary of Tunisia's declaration as a republic in 1957. It later became the rallying cry of the pro-Saied 'July 25 Movement', which pushed for a crackdown on the country's largely unpopular political class. Samir Dilou, a former government minister and member of Ennahdha, said Saied had forever changed the day's meaning. 'July 25 used to mark the Republic's founding. Now, it marks its dismantling. Absolute power is absolute corruption,' he said.
Al Jazeera
6 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
UK blasts Hong Kong rewards for help to catch activists overseas
The United Kingdom has condemned Hong Kong authorities for offering payment in exchange for assisting in the arrest of pro-democracy activists living in Britain, even as the British government begins the process of reinstating an extradition deal with the autonomous Chinese city. Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper issued a joint statement on Friday shortly after Hong Kong announced cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of 19 pro-democracy activists based abroad, including in Britain, who are accused of violating the strict national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. In their statement, Lammy and Cooper called on China to stop targeting opposition voices in Britain. 'The Hong Kong Police Force's issuing of further arrest warrants and bounties on individuals living in the UK is another example of transnational repression,' their statement read. The bounties range from 200,000 to one million Hong Kong dollars (about $25,000-$125,000), depending on the individual the Hong Kong authorities seek to arrest. This is the fourth time Hong Kong authorities have made reward offers, which have drawn strong criticism from Western countries, to which China, in turn, has denounced as 'interference'. In their statement, the two British ministers said that 'this Government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, including those who have made the [United Kingdom] their home. We take the protection of their rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously'. But a recent proposal by the British government to reform extradition rules has prompted serious concerns, with some fearing it could pave the way for a resumption of extraditions to Hong Kong, which have been suspended since the 2020 national security law was enacted. On Friday, Al Jazeera reported that the UK Home Office applied to Parliament to make changes to the country's legislation regarding extradition on July 17, followed by a letter to Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp the next day. 'It is in our national interest to have effective extradition relationships to prevent criminals from evading justice and the UK becoming a haven for criminals,' the July 18 letter from Security Minister Dan Jarvis said. The Home Office also plans to restore an extradition framework with Chile and Zimbabwe, according to the letter, which was shared on X by Conservative MP Alicia Kearns. Cases for Hong Kong and Zimbabwe would both be considered on a 'case-by-case basis', Jarvis said. About 150,000 Hong Kong nationals migrated to the UK under a special visa scheme introduced in 2021. In 2024, legislators in Hong Kong approved a new national security law – referred to as Article 23 – that gave the government new powers to crack down on all forms of dissent on the grounds of alleged treason, espionage, sedition and external interference in Hong Kong's internal affairs. Since then, Hong Kong has been offering bounties for the arrest of activists who have fled the city while facing charges related to the pro-democracy protests. Hong Kong, a former British colony, is a particular sticking point for the UK due to its historical relationship and the sharp decline in political freedoms in Hong Kong since China imposed controversial national security legislation in 2020. The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high degree of autonomy, including freedom of speech, under a 'one country, two systems' formula.
