Latest news with #HRF
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Rights groups seek CBI probe into killing of Maoists in Andhra's ASR
VISAKHAPATNAM: The Human Rights Forum (HRF) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday demanded criminal prosecution of police personnel involved in the killing of three armed Maoist squad members on June 18, in Rampachodavaram mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district. In a press release, the rights groups alleged that the incident was a staged encounter and called for an independent investigation by the CBI or under Supreme Court supervision, stating that local police cannot be trusted as they are directly involved. HRF and HRW representatives Y Rajesh, VS Krishna, and Balu Akkisa conducted a fact-finding mission in the area on July 18. They said villagers in Vemulakonda, Akuru, and Kintukuru reported no exchange of fire, contradicting police claims that the Greyhounds acted in self-defence.
L'Orient-Le Jour
3 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Belgium questions two Israelis over war crimes accusations
Belgian authorities said on Monday that they had briefly held and questioned two israeli citizens who attended an electronic music festival, after pro-Palestinian groups accused them of war crimes. Prosecutors said they received legal complaints alleging that two Israeli soldiers responsible for "serious violations of international humanitarian law" in Gaza were spotted at the Tomorrowland festival near the northern city of Antwerp last week. The federal prosecutor's office said it had "asked the police to locate the two people named in the complaint and to interview them". "Following these interviews, they were released," it said in a statement. The office said that it took action after concluding that Belgian courts have extraterritorial jurisdiction over alleged war crimes. "No further information will be given at this stage of the investigation," the office said. The pair have not been named. Last week, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Belgian pro-Palestinian organisation, said it had identified two Israeli soldiers "responsible for grave international crimes" in Gaza among the crowds at Tomorrowland. It claimed that a group of young Israeli men was seen at the festival waving a flag of the Givati Brigade, an Israeli military unit involved in the fighting in the Palestinian territory. HRF said it then filed a complaint with prosecutors in association with the Global Legal Action Network, a lawyers group specialising in human rights violations. One of the world's largest electronic music festivals, Tomorrowland draws music enthusiasts from all over the world. About 400,000 people are expected to attend the event this year over two weekends. Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel triggered the war in Gaza, where Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed more than 58,000 people, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The UN considers the figures reliable. Hamas's attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Roya News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Belgium authorities arrest two 'Israeli' soldiers after war crimes complaint
Belgian federal police have detained two 'Israeli' soldiers accused of committing war crimes in Gaza, following a legal complaint filed by two international rights organizations. According to a statement released Monday by the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), the soldiers were in Belgium to attend the Tomorrowland music festival in Boom when they were identified and arrested. "The suspects were identified and arrested with a clear show of force at the Tomorrowland festival in Boom," HRF stated. "After being taken into custody, they were formally interrogated and released. The Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office has confirmed that a criminal investigation is now underway." The HRF's action was prompted by the alleged presence of young 'Israeli' soldiers at Tomorrowland waving the flag of the 'Israeli' Givati Brigade, a unit the HRF says is "extensively documented for its role in the systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza and for carrying out mass atrocities against the Palestinian population". The foundation asserts that the Givati flag has become a "symbol of impunity, destruction, and ethnic cleansing". The individuals are accused of direct involvement in crimes such as indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, use of torture and human shields, mass arbitrary detention, forced displacement, and deliberate infliction of conditions calculated to destroy the Palestinian population. The complaint, filed last week by HRF and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), accuses the soldiers of involvement in war crimes committed during 'Israel's' military operations in Gaza. In a joint statement, the two organizations welcomed the move, calling it "a significant step forward." They added, "It signals that Belgium has recognised its jurisdiction under international law and is treating the allegations with the seriousness they deserve. "At a time when far too many governments remain silent, this action sends a clear message: credible evidence of international crimes must be met with legal response – not political indifference."
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Belgium interrogates two Israelis over Gaza war crimes - War on Gaza
Belgian authorities said on Monday that they had briefly held and questioned two israeli citizens who attended an electronic music festival, after pro-Palestinian groups accused them of war crimes. Prosecutors said they received legal complaints saying that two Israeli soldiers responsible for "serious violations of international humanitarian law" in Gaza were spotted at the Tomorrowland festival near the northern city of Antwerp last week. The federal prosecutor's office said it had "asked the police to locate the two people named in the complaint and to interview them". "Following these interviews, they were released," it said in a statement. The office said that it took action after concluding that Belgian courts have extraterritorial jurisdiction over alleged war crimes. "No further information will be given at this stage of the investigation," the office said. The pair have not been named. Last week, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Belgian pro-Palestinian organisation, said it had identified two Israeli soldiers "responsible for grave international crimes" in Gaza among the crowds at Tomorrowland. It said that a group of young Israeli men was seen at the festival waving a flag of the Givati Brigade, an Israeli military unit involved in the killings in the Palestinian territory. HRF said it then filed a complaint with prosecutors in association with the Global Legal Action Network, a lawyers group specialising in human rights violations. One of the world's largest electronic music festivals, Tomorrowland draws music enthusiasts from all over the world. About 400,000 people are expected to attend the event this year over two weekends. Israel has killed more than 58,000 people in Gaza, mostly women and children. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
The National
3 days ago
- Politics
- The National
IDF soldiers 'arrested at Tomorrowland festival over war crimes'
The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) said in a statement that the two soldiers were attending the Tomorrowland festival in Boom when they were arrested "with a clear show of force" by Belgian federal police. After the soldiers were taken into custody, they were formally interrogated and released. HRF said the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office has confirmed that a criminal investigation is now underway. The complaint was filed last week by HRF and the Global Legal Action Network (Glan). READ MORE: John Swinney 'received no response' from Keir Starmer on Gaza child evacuations In a statement, the two groups said the action was "a significant step forward" which signals that Belgium has "recognised its jurisdiction under international law and is treating the allegations with the seriousness they deserve". "At a time when far too many governments remain silent, this action sends a clear message: credible evidence of international crimes must be met with legal response – not political indifference," the statement said. "The Hind Rajab Foundation and GLAN welcome this breakthrough with determination and humility. We will continue to support the ongoing proceedings and call on Belgian authorities to pursue the investigation fully and independently. "Justice must not stop here – and we are committed to seeing it through."
