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Middle East Eye
4 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
French scholar acquitted of ‘apology for terrorism' charges after Palestine tweets
Francois Burgat, a renowned French specialist on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and political Islam, was acquitted on Wednesday by the criminal court of Aix-en-Provence, in southeastern France, where he was prosecuted on charges of 'apology for terrorism' for messages posted on social media. The prosecution accused the former research director at the National Centre for Scientific Research and former director of the French Institute for the Near East, now retired, of a series of controversial social media posts concerning Hamas and Israel's war on Gaza. During the trial in April, the prosecutor asked for an eight-month suspended prison sentence, a $4,500 fine, a six-month ban from social media and a two-year ineligibility period against Burgat. Speaking to Middle East Eye, Burgat praised a "wise lucidity from the court", but expected the prosecution to appeal. "Let's hope that this wisdom, which several dozen of my compatriots convicted without any justification in the same type of case have not benefited from, will henceforth become the guiding principle of the French judicial system," he said. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The case began with a post the scholar published on X (formerly Twitter) on 2 January 2024, where he shared a statement by Hamas following the publication of a New York Times investigation into sexual violence allegedly committed by the Palestinian group during its 7 October attacks in Israel. In the statement, Hamas rejected the accusations and denounced a "Zionist attempt to demonise the [Palestinian] resistance". 'Let's hope that this wisdom... will henceforth become the guiding principle of the French judicial system' - Francois Burgat "Our fighters are fighters for freedom and dignity and cannot commit such shameful acts," Hamas said in the statement shared by Burgat. In response to internet users who condemned his post, the former academic wrote that he had "infinitely more respect and consideration for the leaders of Hamas than for those of the state of Israel". He then posted a page from one of his books explaining "the context in which [his] respect and admiration for Hamas asserted themselves". In an interview that week, he also declared: "Just because I have to acknowledge that there was a terrorist movement on 7 October doesn't mean I have to criminalise the Palestinian liberation movement." For these comments, a complaint was filed by the European Jewish Organisation, a group founded in 2014 that has taken several legal actions for "apology for terrorism" in the name of fighting antisemitism and anti-Zionism. 'Apology for terrorism' row in France shows silencing of debate about Palestine Read More » In July 2024, Burgat was placed in police custody for seven hours following a report from the DGSI, the main French domestic intelligence service. A new charge was added in December 2024 after Burgat defended two individuals who were accused of launching a hate campaign that led to the killing of teacher Samuel Paty in October 2020 and convicted of complicity in terrorist assassination. Burgat wrote at the time that France had "fallen outside the rule of law" and criticised the ruling as meaning that "we are all 'terrorists'." During his trial in April, when asked by the judge whether he thought "Hamas is a terrorist movement", the scholar replied that he had "never congratulated' the group for the 7 October attacks. 'On that day, [Hamas] committed acts that can be labelled terrorist; but we must not extrapolate to its entire history," he said. 'Repressive climate' Burgat said on Thursday morning he had asked ChatGPT if he had any chance of being convicted for "apology for terrorism". The artificial intelligence programme responded: "Your comments, however critical or provocative they may appear in the public debate, generally fall within the scope of political and geopolitical analysis, which is protected by freedom of expression and research." ChatGPT concluded that "a conviction is not likely, either legally or constitutionally," but offered a warning: "However: The current political context (polarised around Islam, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or secularism) can lead to manipulation or abusive prosecution, including against intellectuals." As an increasing number of people are being prosecuted worldwide for expressing their solidarity with Palestinians, Burgat's defence team denounced the prosecution as an attack on freedom of expression and the political manipulation of the justice system. "There are two offences that are systematically charged against those who express their solidarity with Palestine: either incitement to hatred or apology for terrorism," Rafik Chekkat, one of Burgat's lawyers, said. French teacher suspended over minute's silence tribute to Palestinians in Gaza Read More » In a message posted on X, Chekkat expressed hopes that "this acquittal will lead to others". "I hope the decision regarding Francois Burgat will help change the repressive climate regarding Palestine and slow the pace of prosecutions for apology for terrorism," he said. Since October 2023, there has been a marked rise in the use of the "apology for terrorism" offence in France, with authorities launching hundreds of investigations into comments made about the war in Gaza, including by political figures such as left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) MP Mathilde Panot and future MEP Rima Hassan. Jean-Paul Delescaut, leader of the General Confederation of Labour union, was handed a suspended one-year jail sentence for writing in response to the attacks: 'The horrors of illegal occupations… are receiving the responses they provoked.' On 18 June, Anasse Kazib, a railway worker and spokesperson for the Trotskyist political group Revolution Permanente, will also be tried for "apology for terrorism". On X, Kazib posted: "Very happy for Francois Burgat, this is important news in the fight against the criminalisation of supporters of the Palestinian people. I hope that we will all be released tomorrow like François Burgat and that the repression against those who speak out against the genocide will cease." Burgat's acquittal comes as France has adopted a much more critical stance towards Israel in recent weeks, with President Emmanuel Macron lobbying European powers to recognise Palestinian statehood at a UN conference next month and a growing number of public personalities using the term "genocide" to describe Israeli actions in Gaza.
Euronews
21-04-2025
- Science
- Euronews
3,400-year-old Egyptian town with links to King Tutankhamun unearthed near Alexandria
ADVERTISEMENT A French team of archaeologists have made a remarkable discovery - the ruins of a 3,400-year-old Egyptian town near the modern-day city of Alexandria, that was possibly built by the legendary King Tutankhamun's father, Akhenaten. Detailed in a new study published in Antiquity , the mud-brick ruins are believed to date back to Egypt's 18th Dynasty (circa 1550–1292 BCE), a period known for its wealth, power, and dramatic shifts in religious ideology. The site, known as Kom el-Nugus, lies 27 miles west of Alexandria, perched on a rocky ledge between the Mediterranean Sea and Lake Mariout. Although excavations began in 2013, it was long assumed that the area had only been settled during the Hellenistic period, when the Greeks arrived around 332 BCE. 'The discovery of New Kingdom remains at the site was a great surprise,' lead archaeologist Sylvain Dhennin of the University of Lyon and the French National Centre for Scientific Research told the New Scientist . 'This discovery completely revises the history of Egypt's western frontier in the New Kingdom.' The ancient settlement likely dates back to Egypt's 18th Dynasty (around 1550–1292 BCE). Credit: Cambridge University Press A stone block featuring Ra-Horakhty, the god of the rising sun, from the temple of Ramesses II. Credit: Cambridge Core Among the most noteworthy finds found during the excavation were amphora jar fragments stamped with the name Merytaton, who was believed to the eldest daughter of revolutionary pharaoh Akhenaten and his queen, Nefertiti - and thus making her the sister or half-sister of Tutankhamun. The markings indicate the settlement could have been a wine production facility that may have been dedicated to her, suggesting that royal branding and product endorsements existed in ancient Egypt. "The presence of this stamp probably indicates the production of wine belonging to a royal estate" study author Sylvain Dhennin, an archaeologist with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), told Live Science . "The vineyards on the margins of Egypt were probably protected by the military and formed part of a pioneering front to occupy this region towards the desert." Other discoveries include fragments of a stele bearing the cartouches of Pharaoh Seti II (r. 1203–1197 BCE), and architectural remnants linked to a temple honouring Ramesses II - a ruler often speculated to be the pharaoh of the biblical Exodus. While the full scale of the settlement remains unknown, the presence of a meticulously designed street, cleverly sloped to drain water and protect buildings from erosion, points to a town of significant size and sophistication. Related Archaeologists unearth 3,200-year-old tomb linked to ancient Egypt's military elite The Bashiri mystery: A 2,300-year-old Egyptian mummy that no archaeologist dares to open Other recent ancient Egyptian discoveries The discovery of the settlement adds to a series of major Egyptian archaeological finds this year. Just last month, archaeologists unearthed the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose II - the first pharaonic burial site found since Tutankhamun's in 1922. Discovered by a joint British-Egyptian team led by Dr Piers Litherland, the tomb was hidden away in the Western Valleys of the Theban Necropolis, near Luxor. The exterior of Thutmose II's tomb, discovered in the Western Valleys of the Theban Necropolis, near Luxor. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Amel Eweida/New Kingdom Research Foundation Mohamed Ismail Khaled, the secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Court of Antiquities, said in a statement that the discovery was 'one of the most significant archeological breakthroughs in recent years.' Days later, the same team announced they may have located a second tomb belonging to Thutmose II, buried 23 metres beneath a carefully disguised mound of rubble, limestone, ash, and mud plaster. Litherland believes the tomb could contain the pharaoh's mummified remains and grave goods. 'The best candidate for what is hidden underneath this enormously expensive, in terms of effort, pile is the second tomb of Thutmose II,' he told The Observer. And earlier this year, a French-Swiss archaeological team in Egypt made another remarkable discovery - the tomb of a high-ranking wizard-doctor who served the pharaohs some 4,000 years ago. Inscriptions identify the tomb's owner as Tetinebefou, a celebrated doctor during the reign of King Pepi II (circa 2305–2118 BC).
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Cambodia genocide denial law open to abuse, say critics
Survivors of the Khmer Rouge's genocidal regime welcome a beefed-up Cambodian law that forbids denying the movement's atrocities, but rights advocates and academics warn it could also stifle legitimate dissent. Enacted last month ahead of this week's 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge seizing the capital Phnom Penh, the law threatens hefty jail sentences and fines for anyone who denies the genocide that killed around two million people between 1975 and 1979. The atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge are widely accepted by Cambodians save a dwindling group of ageing former cadres and soldiers who live mostly in the remote northwest. The hardline Maoist group led by "Brother Number One" Pol Pot reset the calendar to "Year Zero" on April 17, 1975 and emptied cities in a bid to create a pure agrarian society free of class, politics or capital. About a quarter of the population died -- of disease, starvation, overwork or by execution -- in the disastrous social engineering experiment memorably chronicled by the 1984 Oscar-winning movie "The Killing Fields". Some activists, however, say former prime minister Hun Sen is using the law to burnish his legacy and stifle any opposition to his son and successor, Hun Manet. The government is trying to "reinforce state narratives rather than to genuinely encourage historical accountability", said Sophal Ear, associate professor at Arizona State University. "In practice, it could be another tool to silence dissent," he said. Political analyst Ou Virak called the law a "mistake", adding: "A population that is afraid to discuss will be even more afraid to ask questions." - 'I am the peacemaker' - Now 72, Hun Sen was a commander under Pol Pot before he fled to Vietnam in 1977, joining other Cambodian defectors to lead the Vietnamese army's assault that drove the Khmer Rouge out of Phnom Penh. In the more than 30 years Hun Sen ruled Cambodia he stifled dissent, critics say, equating opposition to his leadership as support for those he replaced. "Hun Sen wants to impose his vision of things, saying: 'I am the peacemaker'," said Adriana Escobar Rodriguez of the French National Centre for Scientific Research. One form of genocide denial tended to downplay Vietnam's role in ousting the Khmer Rouge, she said, but another stemmed from the fact that some "people still can't believe that Khmers could have killed other Khmers" -- referring to Cambodia's majority ethnic group. Hun Sen has defended the stricter law, comparing it to similar legislation against Holocaust denial in Europe. The 2013 law it replaced stemmed from a case involving one of Hun Sen's main opponents that took place just before national elections. Kem Sokha was accused of describing notorious Khmer Rouge prison S-21 -- where an estimated 15,000 people were tortured to death -- as a Vietnamese fabrication. He has spent lengthy periods in prison on various charges since, and is currently under house arrest on treason charges and banned from politics. Chum Mey, one of a small handful of people who emerged alive from S-21, sells books describing his experiences outside the former prison, which was turned into the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. He says it would be stupid for anyone to deny the Khmer Rouge's atrocities. "There is evidence," the 94-year-old said. "They killed my four children and my wife." ah-suy-sjc/fox/slb/sco/dhw
Japan Times
26-03-2025
- Climate
- Japan Times
Recent spate of wildfires in Japan and South Korea linked to climate change
A series of wildfires that broke out in Japan and South Korea last week were fueled by human-induced climate change, according to a new rapid analysis released by a group of European researchers. ClimaMeter, a European Union-backed project studying the impact of climate change on extreme weather, said the ongoing wildfires in both countries were made more intense due to persistently dry soil, strong winds and unusually high temperatures. The wildfires erupted between Friday and Sunday and are still raging in Okayama and Ehime prefectures in Japan, as well as in parts of South Korea . Meanwhile, a new wildfire detected in the city of Miyazaki around noon on Tuesday continued to spread on Wednesday despite efforts by local firefighters and Self-Defense Forces to tame the blaze. The fire had razed 50 hectares as of Wednesday morning and at least 70 households in the city have been told to evacuate. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday issued an order to ministers and relevant authorities to maximize efforts to put out the fires, support residents' safe evacuation and get trucks mounted with electric generators ready in case of large-scale power outages. In the European study, researchers compared patterns of the atmospheric pressure system of 1987-2023 with those of the 1950-1986 period, when they were less affected by climate change. The results showed that the weather in the latest period was warmer by up to 2 degrees Celsius, precipitation was down by up to 2 millimeters per day and winds were stronger by up to 4.8 kph. The wildfires in the past week follow the nation's worst wildfire in half a century , which broke out in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture in February, right on the heels of record snowfall observed the same month in eastern and northern Japan . 'In weeks, the region saw record snowfall and the worst fire in decades,' said Davide Faranda, a researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, who was involved in the study. 'Climate change isn't just warming the planet, it is amplifying extremes of different nature, fueling disasters from both fire and ice in the region.' Carmen Alvarez Castro, a researcher at the University Pablo de Olavide in Spain who was also involved in the study, concurred. 'The wildfires in eastern Asia in March 2025, strengthened by human-driven climate change, underscore the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events, stressing the urgent need to tackle the rising impacts of climate change,' she said. In their analysis, the researchers factored in different natural phenomena such as El Nino and concluded that, while some of these changes can be caused by natural variability, contributions by human-driven climate change was undeniable. While an average of 1,300 wildfires strike Japan every year, this year has seen a spate of events that are much worse than most. In addition to the Ofunato wildfire, which razed 2,900 hectares of vegetation, a forest fire in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture continues to rage at the time of writing, having spread some 300 hectares. The city has ordered a total of 3,800 households to evacuate from their homes. Firefighting efforts were also ongoing in the city of Okayama, where 546 hectares had been burnt down as of 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Largest Carbon Molecules Found on Mars Build The Case For Ancient Life
Chains of up to a dozen carbon atoms have been detected in what appears to have been an ancient lakebed on Mars, contributing to a growing library of compounds that could be a vital clue about the history of life on the red planet. The finding was made by a sampling instrument on NASA's Curiosity rover, with an international team confirming the results in a laboratory here on Earth. The research was led by analytical chemist Caroline Freissinet from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). While the compounds themselves could have been constructed by non-living processes, the very fact they exist at all demonstrates the rover's ability to identify long organic molecules on the Martian surface. "The provenance and distribution of these molecules are of high interest in the search for potential biosignatures on Mars," the researchers note in their recently published report. Curiosity's primary goal is to collect clues that could tell us if Mars ever had life, or if it ever came close. The rover's steady creep over Gale crater's sedimentary rocks has brought it in contact with a number of curious deposits that include various chlorinated and sulfur-containing organic compounds and nitrates, flagging the possibility more complex indicators of life could also be found in the ancient rock. The researchers used an experimental procedure involving a chemical enhancer to analyze mineral samples taken from a hole drilled into a mudstone deposit named Cumberland. The experiment's conditions allowed them to cook off molecular oxygen to limit the risk of combustion when they cranked the temperature to around 850 °C (1,562 °F) for a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry procedure. Among the readings were several of the longest chains of carbon seen on Mars to date – miniscule concentrations of saturated hydrocarbon chains in the form of decane (C10H22), undecane (C11H24), and dodecane (C12H26). The researchers conducted a number of analytical experiments under laboratory conditions to show how Mars-like mineral conditions could generate the carbon chains from other organic compounds, including benzoic acid, which was also present in their sample. In any case, the sample analysis and the laboratory work both strongly point to sizable carbon molecules being present in the Martian mudstone. If the compounds were indeed present in the rock, there's every possibility they were 'built' from simpler molecules like hydrogen and carbon monoxide without any support from a living organism. Yet it is tempting to consider other possibilities, including a breakdown of even more complex compounds that may be signs of biology. Our own bodies, for example, contain a rich variety of carboxylic acids of the very kind that may be preserved in the sedimentary rock. "Although abiotic processes can form these acids, they are considered universal products of biochemistry, terrestrial, and perhaps Martian," the researchers conclude. At the very least, we now know our current technology is capable of literally scratching the surface of chemistry on Mars. We're far from determining whether any kind of life is fossilized, or even persisting, deep beneath the surface in places where water might still seep. That will almost certainly require future missions, but those future missions will be informed by findings just like this. For the time being, nobody can blame us for indulging in a moment of wonder at the possibility that these long chains of carbon were once linked together in a life form that evolved on another world. This research was published in PNAS. Mysterious 'Death Star' on The Verge of Exploding Is Hiding a Secret Asteroid May Not Hit Earth in 2032, But It Will Come Back The Entire Universe Could Exist Inside a Black Hole – Here's Why
