Latest news with #InternationalConventionfortheProtectionofAllPersonsfromEnforcedDisappearance
Local Sweden
5 days ago
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Swedish inquiry calls for official state apology to international adoptees
Sweden should ban international adoptions, set up a national centre to provide resources for adoptees and provide up to 14,700 kronor for them to travel to their country of origin, an inquiry has proposed. Advertisement The inquiry head, civil law professor Anna Singer, told a press conference that there have been 'irregularities' in international adoptions to Sweden. 'There are confirmed cases of child trafficking in every decade from the 1970s to the 2000s, for the most part in private and individual adoptions,' she said. 'There are confirmed cases from Sri Lanka and Colombia in the 70s and 80s, Poland in the 90s and China in the 90s and 2000s.' She added that children were 'in a number of cases' adopted without voluntary and informed consent from their biological parents. 'Children have been declared dead, given up for adoption by someone other than their parents, and in some cases handed over by parents who have not understood the consequences of consenting to international adoption.' Even in cases where the documentation has been correct, Singer said, an adoption to Sweden was not always necessarily the best solution for the child. Advertisement Singer called for Sweden to ratify the UN's International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which despite being signed by Sweden in 2007 is still being processed by Swedish government offices. In addition to this, the inquiry called for Sweden to issue a public apology, admitting the human rights violations which occurred as a result of international adoptions as well as apologising for the consequences these have inflicted on adoptees and their families. It also proposed setting up a national resource centre for adoptees, offering therapy, support for adoptees wishing to find out more about their origins, support in cases where the adoptee or their adoptive parents suspects that 'irregularities' have occurred, and advice online and by telephone with issues surrounding archives, DNA testing and legal questions. On top of this, the inquiry proposes offering up to 14,700 kronor to adoptees wishing to travel to their country of origin. 'When it comes to international adoptions in the future, my proposal is that the practice of mediating children for adoption to Sweden is stopped,' she added. International adoptions in cases where there is already an existing relationship between the adoptee and their prospective adoptive parents would still be permitted, she said. International adoptions have taken place in Sweden since around the 1950s, and the number of currently living people in Sweden who were adopted from other countries is estimated to be just under 60,000. This includes adoptions which took place abroad and people who were not adopted as children. International adoptions were most common in the 70s and 80s, with the number falling significantly in recent years. Adoptions to Sweden have taken place from most countries worldwide. The country with the most adoptions is South Korea, followed by India, Colombia, China, Sri Lanka, Chile, Thailand, Vietnam, Poland, Ethiopia and Russia. If Sweden were to ban international adoption, it would be the latest in a series of countries that have gone down a similar path, including Norway, the Netherlands and Denmark.
Jordan News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Jordan News
A Humanitarian Tragedy: 219 Palestinian Journalists Killed in Gaza Since Start of War - Jordan News
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has condemned the Israeli occupation forces for continuing their systematic policy of targeting and killing journalists, committing repeated massacres against them and their families. These acts have led to the death of 219 journalists and media workers, according to a report published Sunday by the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA). اضافة اعلان The report states that among the 219 killed, 30 were female journalists, and one journalist was killed in the West Bank. The occupation continues to target Palestinian journalists and their families, particularly in the Gaza Strip. Since October 7, 2023, at least 430 journalists have been wounded by Israeli gunfire and missile attacks, and no fewer than 685 family members of journalists in Gaza have been killed. 1,000 Displaced Journalists The Syndicate reported that around 1,000 journalists in Gaza are living in conditions of repeated displacement from the north to the south of the strip. They face severe hardships due to lack of safety, constant targeting of their shelters by Israeli airstrikes, and dire living conditions, including the absence of electricity and internet, which hinders their ability to work. In coordination with prisoner rights organizations, the Syndicate also documented the arrest of 180 journalists by Israeli authorities since October 2023. This number includes 17 female journalists, all of whom have since been released, and 39 journalists from Gaza. 42 journalists have been sentenced to administrative detention, while 48 remain in custody across the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem and Gaza. Additionally, six journalists arrested before October 2023 are still detained. Enforced Disappearance The Syndicate stressed that Israel continues the practice of enforced disappearance of Palestinian journalists. It cited the cases of journalists Nidal Al-Wahidi and Haitham Abdulwahid, whose fate remains unknown. This constitutes a complete crime of enforced disappearance in violation of international and humanitarian law, including the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, which entered into force in 2010. 115 Media Institutions Destroyed As part of its war on the media and efforts to suppress the truth, Israel has launched widespread air and ground attacks that have destroyed 115 media institutions in the Gaza Strip. This includes the entirety of Gaza's media infrastructure. In the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, Israel has shut down five media outlets and destroyed or closed 12 printing presses. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate affirmed its commitment to continue working with all international human rights and media organizations to protect journalists, ensure accountability for crimes committed, and stop what it described as Israel's genocidal war against Palestinian journalism. The Syndicate concluded that Israel has committed the largest massacre against the press in modern history.
