Sudanese military says rival paramilitary forces, backed by Libya's Haftar forces, attacked border posts
CAIRO, June 10 (Reuters) - The Sudanese military said that rebel paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), backed by eastern Libyan forces under military commander Khalifa Haftar, had attacked Sudanese border posts on the Egyptian and Libyan frontiers on Tuesday, according to a statement.
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
The idea was to crush his spirit': family of jailed British-Egyptian man describe awful prison conditions
Family, friends and supporters of the jailed British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah have spoken about the conditions of his long imprisonment as his mother, Laila Soueif, remains in a London hospital in declining health on a hunger strike to secure his release. Amid a mounting campaign to put pressure on British ministers to intervene more forcefully on Abd el-Fattah's behalf, supporters say his continued detention is part of a campaign of vengeance motivated by the personal animus of the Egyptian president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, towards him. The activist, who came to prominence during Egypt's 2011 Tahrir Square protests, has been jailed twice, the second time months after his release from prison in 2019, and continues to be imprisoned despite completing his five-year sentence last autumn. Abd el-Fattah's first period in prison – from 2015 to 2019 – was spent in the Tora maximum-security prison, a place designed to hold violent jihadists, but since 2018 he has been held in Wadi al-Natrun in Beheira province in the Nile delta. While the physical conditions are less harsh than in Tora – where Abd el-Fattah was beaten – his treatment in Wadi al-Natrun has been designed deliberately to isolate and demoralise him, say supporters, depriving him for three years of books and limiting his contact with other prisoners. Between September 2019 to May 2022 he was held in a small, poorly ventilated cell, denied a bed and mattress as well as reading materials and exercise. 'The idea was to crush his spirit,' says Mona Seif, his sister, who has visited her brother in jail. 'I think after so many trials and attempts to break him, the regime has realised that the way crush to him is to isolate him from the world and render him mute. That's been the tactic since his second period in jail beginning in 2019.' What has become clear to Seif, and others campaigning to release him, is that the treatment of her brother is being driven by a very personal animosity directed at Abd el-Fattah and his family by Egypt's president. 'It seems very personal,' says Seif. 'Since 2019 the unofficial messages we have been getting from different Egyptian institutions is that our file is with Sisi.' Abd el-Fattah was a familiar and always approachable figure in Tahrir Square during the 2011 mass protests that led to the fall of the government of Hosni Mubarak. Articulate, passionate and thoughtful, his great skill was seen in bringing different groups together. Sentenced to jail for organising a political protest without permission in 2015, Abd el-Fattah was briefly released in March 2019 but was rearrested months later and charged with spreading 'fake news undermining national security' for a retweet. One person with a personal insight into what Abd el-Fattah has been through is the activist and poet Ahmed Douma, who was imprisoned during his first spell in jail in Tora, where for 10 months the two men were in separate, solitary cells facing each other, until the authorities decided their proximity was a problem. Unlike Abd el-Fattah, Douma was pardoned and released by Sisi in 2023. January 2011 – when 18 days of mass protests led to the resignation of the then president, Hosni Mubarak – 'was, still is, and will forever remain a personal enemy to Sisi. And Alaa was one of the symbols of that period,' Douma told the Guardian. 'At the same time, he's an activist who has audience and influence – a thinker with his own philosophy and interest in how political movements develop, how people move, how they understand things. 'And of course, he also became a symbol of the stupidity of the authorities. 'The truth is that even one hour in prison inevitably leaves an impact, and it's not trivial,' adds Douma, who spent more than 10 years in prison. 'There's depression from what happened in prison, whether things that happened to you directly or which you witnessed. Torture, assault and so on. 'It's not just the impact on the body, but on the mind. At some point, you realise that you've been in solitary confinement for days, months, days or years, with no communication. I haven't even begun the journey of recovery from the effects of those 10 years.' Aida Seif El-Dawla, a psychiatrist, human rights defender and co-founder of El Nadeem Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence, says: 'Look, in Egypt, detention is a psychological torture. I don't know what those people are punished for except that they expressed an opinion. And to put people in prison because they expressed an opinion, that's not a legal punishment. But apparently, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi thinks otherwise. 'This is the punishment of the saddest father who tortures his children for non-obedience.' What is clear is that the Egyptian authorities regard Abd el-Fattah's detention as open ended, holding him beyond his originally scheduled release date and also holding another potential prosecution over him. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Mahmoud Shalaby, a researcher at Amnesty International who deals with Egypt, says: 'The whole thing is about making an example of him. He's already been brutally punished. He has spent almost 10 years in prison solely for practising his human rights. Alaa's case is extremely extraordinary, especially as Egypt has a history of releasing dual nationals who are arbitrarily detained. 'I think the fear is that if he was released, he would go abroad and criticise the government from there. But that's not a reason to keep him arbitrarily in prison.' His lawyer, Khaled Ali, says: 'Alaa should have been released on 28 September last year.' Instead, the courts have declined to include his period of pretrial detention, prior to ratification of the sentence, meaning he will not be released until 2027 – if then. Ali says: 'He was sentenced to five years in prison and he has been detained since 28 September 2019. His sentence should have ended on 28 September 2024.' After a hunger strike in 2022, Abd el-Fattah has been allowed access to books and now a television in Wadi al-Natrun, from where he is able to write and receive letters from his family. 'Alaa and my mum are both big science fiction fans and so he reads a massive amount,' says Seif. 'Science fiction, graphic novels and anything to do with science. Now he is allowed a television, he follows tournaments. He'll treat a tournament as a whole project. If Wimbledon is on, he will follow for the day. 'But because of the way the prison was constructed, the exercise area is a big hole with concrete walls and no ceiling. He hasn't walked in sun for over five years.' The family are able to monitor his mood via his response to the cats that have sought shelter in the prison and whom he has adopted. 'If his mood is good he shares lots of pictures of the cats.' His mood in recent months as his release date has come and gone has not been good. Attempts by successive British governments and EU officials – among others – to intervene behind the scenes have been a failure as Egypt has faced no consequences for its human rights abuses. Lacking interlocutors with influence within Sisi's immediate circle, Abd el-Fattah's case is stuck, even as his mother's health in London has dangerously worsened. One person who has been involved in advocacy for Abd el-Fattah says: 'The policy of private engagement has been going on for over 10 years. You only see movement on human rights issues in Egypt where there is the threat of action.' Seif says: 'They just want his absolute surrender and Alaa completely broken and mimicking the regime's narrative. Even the slightest indication of independence they see as defiance. The whole thing is a senseless act of pure vengeance that leaves us to keep guessing, what is it for, and when will be enough.' Ahmed Douma adds: 'If I could send him a message and tell him anything, I would tell him that we are with him. And that his freedom and Laila's life are our personal battle.'
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Trump gives ominous warning as Pete Hegseth authorizes major military move in the Middle East
President Donald Trump delivered an ominous warning on Wednesday as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized a major military move in the Middle East amid rising tensions in the area. The Defense Department has announced it has authorized the voluntary departure of military dependents from bases in the Middle East ahead of continued negotiations with Iranian officials over its rapidly advancing nuclear program It affects bases in Iraq, Syria, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates - but primarily affects military spouses and their children in Bahrain near the US Navy base, according to Fox News. When asked why family members are being evacuated, Trump simply said: 'You'll have to see.' He then headed off to the Kennedy Center to watch Les Miserables. Trump later explained the dependents 'are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place.' He again warned, 'We'll see what happens.' When Trump was then asked what would diffuse tensions in the region, Trump said Iran 'can't have a nuclear weapon, very simply, they can't have a nuclear weapon. We're not going to allow that.' In the meantime, the State Department has said it has ordered the departure of all nonessential personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as part of its commitment 'to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad.' 'President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad. In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies,' a State Department official told The Hill. 'Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce the footprint of our Mission in Iraq.' The embassy has been on limited staffing for years in part due to security concerns, as the surrounding area has previously been targeted by rockets and mortar during previous confrontations between Washington DC and Tehran, the Wall Street Journal reports. But the State Department took its efforts a step further on Wednesday, as it also authorized the departure of nonessential personnel and family members from Bahrain and Kuwait - giving them the option of leaving those countries at the government's expense and with government assistance. The Defense Department also added that 'the safety and security of our service members and their families remains our highest priority and US Central Command is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East.' No US uniformed service members will be evacuating, however, two unidentified defense officials told Fox. The moves to reduce military personnel in the Middle East comes as talks between the US and Iran seeking to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the US lifting some of its sanctions have hit an impasse. Tehran and Washington have held five rounds of talks since April to thrash out a new nuclear accord to replace the deal that US Trump overturned during his first term in 2018. Iranian officials are now set to present a counterproposal on a nuclear deal with the United States at a scheduled meeting over the weekend, after previously describing Washington's offer as containing 'ambiguities'. Iran's parliament speaker has also claimed that the US proposal failed to include the lifting of sanctions - a key demand for Tehran, which has been reeling under their weight for years. Now, Trump says he is 'less confident' of reaching a deal to shut down the nuclear program. 'They seem to be delaying, and I think that´s a shame,' the president told the New York Post's Pod Force One podcast in an interview Monday. 'I´m less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago. Something happened to them,' he claimed in the interview, which was released Wednesday. Meanwhile, Iranian Defense Minister Amir Aziz Nasirzadeh told journalists that Tehran is ready to respond if the negotiations fail. 'If conflict is imposed on us, the opponent´s casualties will certainly be more than ours, and in that case, America must leave the region, because all its bases are within our reach,' he said. 'We have access to them, and we will target all of them in the host countries without hesitation.' The country has repeatedly insisted that its nuclear program is peaceful. 'Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon, and U.S. militarism only fuels instability,' the Iranian mission to the United Nations reiterated on social media. 'CENTCOM's legacy of fueling regional instability, through arming aggressors and enabling Israeli crimes, strips it of any credibility to speak on peace or nonproliferation. 'Diplomacy - not militarism - is the only path forward,' it argued. Yet the United States is not the only one cracking down on Iran's nuclear program, as the Board of Governors at the International Atomic Energy Agency is considering censuring the country. Rafael Grossi, the director-general of the IAEA, warned on Tuesday that Iran's growing stockpile of highly enriched uranium and unresolved questions about its program are serious issues. 'Unless and until Iran assists the agency in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues, the Agency will not be in a position to provide assurance that Iran's nuclear program is exclusively peaceful,' he said. At the end of May, the IAEA published a damning report that claimed Iran had carried out secret nuclear activities with material not declared to the U.N. nuclear watchdog at three locations long under investigation. A censure by the international agency could now mean the United Nations reimposes its sanctions on Iran via a measure in Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that remains active until October. Trump withdrew from that agreement in his first term.
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Reuters
Thai ruling party grapples with border crisis, thorny court case amid bleak economy
BANGKOK, June 12 (Reuters) - Thailand's ruling party, besieged by a faltering economy and a border crisis, faces more uncertainty this week as the Supreme Court begins hearing a case that could lead to jail time for its most influential politician, Thaksin Shinawatra. The billionaire former premier, and the driving force behind the government of his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, skipped prison on his return in 2023 from 15 years of self-exile by serving his detention in hospital, on grounds of ill-health. But this week's proceedings could add to mounting troubles for political newcomer Paetongtarn and her Pheu Thai party, if the court deems the hospital detention unlawful and orders Thaksin to serve his original prison time. "There is already a crisis of confidence for the prime minister," said Wanwichit Boonprong, a lecturer in political science at Rangsit University. "Many people feel the government cannot handle all the crises the country is facing." An escalation in a border row with Cambodia has also rattled Paetongtarn's government, with Thailand's politically powerful military, which overthrew Shinawatra governments in 2006 and 2014, making its presence felt as nationalist rhetoric heats up. Critics will scrutinise the government's handling of critical talks with its neighbour set for Saturday, amid growing public unease over its management of an economy shackled by crippling household debt. A negative outcome in Thaksin's case and the border dispute would ratchet up the pressure on Pheu Thai, say analysts, both in the ruling coalition and among the public, as protest simmers. But veteran Pheu Thai politician Somkid Chuekong dismissed any potential political impact from Thaksin's case, emphasising that he has no direct say in government affairs. "He has only expressed his thoughts and suggestions on the government's work," said Somkid, who is Paetongtarn's deputy secretary-general. Thaksin could not immediately be reached for comment. His case and the government's handling of various challenges have chipped away at public confidence, said Rangsiman Rome, a lawmaker of the opposition People's Party. "It will be very difficult to govern in the short term, because the people no longer have any confidence left." Thaksin appeared in good health as he met cheering crowds on his return home in 2023, before appearing in court to be sentenced to eight years in jail for abuse of power and conflicts of interest. The 75-year-old spent just a few hours in jail before complaining of chest and heart problems and was transferred to the VIP wing of a hospital, prompting outrage and mockery from a public sceptical about the sudden deterioration of his health. A royal pardon cut his sentence to one year, and he was released on parole after six months. On Thursday, the Medical Council of Thailand will decide if three doctors who signed off on Thaksin's hospital stay should be punished for abusing their authority. That decision will feed into a Supreme Court process that starts on Friday concerning the legality of the hospital detention. It is unclear when it will yield a verdict. Despite not holding any formal position, Thaksin has cast a long shadow over the government, through meetings with foreign leaders, campaigning in local elections and weighing in on policy. Sixty percent of respondents in a poll last week believed Thaksin's case would affect the stability of a government whose popularity was shaken after it paused a cash handout programme to tens of millions of Thais. "He has a lot of influence on this government and it would hurt public confidence if the outcome of the case is negative," said Yuttaporn Issarachai, a political science expert at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. The Pheu Thai administration is also grappling to keep the border dispute with Cambodia from spiralling out of control, as both sides have mobilised troops before talks between their militaries curbed rising tension set off by a recent skirmish. Saturday's talks with Cambodia may not lead to a resolution, however, said Titipol Phakdeewanich, a specialist in political science at Ubon Ratchathani University. "The prime minister has not been very firm in her statements, which raised questions by some about whether this government is actually protecting the interests of the country," Titipol said. The border row has become a lightning rod for administration critics, with royalists holding small protests and urging the military to oust the government, as it has at least 10 times since 1932. "The country now faces security issues and nationalism is on the rise at a time when government leadership is at its weakest," said Jatuporn Prompan, a Thaksin ally turned critic. "Some people have started calling for a coup." But Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai last week talked down such a possibility. "The army has to do its duty," he told reporters. "There is no conflict with the government."
