Latest news with #amnesty
The Independent
26-05-2025
- The Independent
Australian state plans to ban the sale of machetes following violent gang fight
An Australian state government is banning the sale of machetes after a violent gang fight in a suburban shopping mall injured a young man. Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan announced Monday the ban on the sale of large knives would take effect Wednesday after machete-wielding gang members clashed at a Melbourne mall on Sunday afternoon. A 20-year-old man was seriously injured in the fight that involved eight combatants armed with machetes, a police statement said. Four suspects had been arrested and charged by Monday. 'I will introduce as many laws (as needed) to get these dangerous knives off the streets,' Allan told reporters. 'We will be bringing in place a ban on the sale of machetes here in Victoria and this ban will be in place from midday on Wednesday. Under consumer powers, using these powers, Victoria will be banning machetes from being sold anywhere in the state,' she added. Victoria only Australian state planning to ban machetes Victoria is the only Australian state or territory that plans to ban machetes, broadly defined as a cutting edge knife with a blade exceeding 20 centimeters (almost 8 inches) long. Kitchen knives are not included in the ban. Possession of a machete will be banned with few exceptions in Victoria, Australia's second-most populous state, from Sept. 1. The ban on the sale of machetes was to have taken effect on that date. A three-month amnesty will give people time to dispose of their machetes at police stations and secure bins without penalty. Possession of a machete in Victoria would be punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine of more than 47,000 Australian dollars ($30,700). England and Wales banned possession of machetes and some other knives in September last year. Australia has some of the world's toughest gun laws Australia has some of the toughest gun laws in the world, and gun crimes are relatively rare. But knife crimes are becoming more common. New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, and Queensland and South Australia states ban the sale of knives to children. Machetes are currently controlled weapons that are allowed to be carried for legitimate purposes. Around 40 police officers responded to the fight between rival gangs in Melbourne. The two alleged primary offenders, boys aged 15 and 16, were arrested at the scene and charged with using a controlled weapon and other offenses. The boys were held in custody to appear in a children's court at a later date. Two men, aged 18 and 20, were arrested Monday and charged in relation to the violence. They were released on bail for a court appearance in July. All four were known gang members, police said.
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Troubles veterans won't be forced to give evidence over killings in person
British veterans will not be forced to give evidence over Troubles killings in person, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has insisted. The Government has ditched an effective amnesty for Troubles-era killings, which would have prevented the prosecution of former soldiers. Hilary Benn said Labour had to scrap parts of the Conservatives' Legacy Act after it was struck down by domestic courts for breaking human rights laws that require deaths to be investigated. The Act included a conditional amnesty for Troubles-era killers, soldiers and terrorists alike if they gave information to the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery. The commission, which was set up to investigate deaths and promote reconciliation and has the power to summon witnesses, would then report back to families. Whistleblowers would be given effective immunity from later prosecution if they gave a truthful account of their involvement in the crimes. New civil cases and inquests into Troubles-era crimes were stopped on May 1 last year as part of the changes the Act brought in. Labour will 'repeal and replace' the Act, but plans to keep the commission to help victims' families get information, which means elderly veterans could be asked by it to give evidence. Writing for The Telegraph, Mr Benn said there was 'no reason' why former soldiers should be forced to leave home. 'I know that giving evidence to the commission or to any other legacy process about the events of several decades ago can be a daunting prospect, particularly for elderly veterans,' he said. 'With today's technology, there is no reason why those giving evidence in such cases should be forced to travel and stay away from home in order to give evidence.' He promised veterans welfare support and, if appropriate, legal help before they spoke to the commission. Mr Benn admitted 'the prospect of any future prosecutions is vanishingly small'. The Troubles lasted for about 30 years, from the late 1960s to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. More than 3,600 people were killed and there are more than 1,100 unsolved killings. Soldier F, a former paratrooper, is expected to go on trial in September charged with two murders and five attempted murders on Bloody Sunday in 1972. Conservatives accused the Government of introducing 'two-tier justice' in Northern Ireland with its changes to the Tories' 2023 Legacy Act. It ends protections from prosecution for veterans while putting IRA suspects interned in the Troubles, such as Gerry Adams, in line for taxpayer-funded compensation, they said. The Legacy Act was fiercely opposed by all the major parties in Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein and the DUP said it would mean victims' families never get justice. The Irish government took the UK to the European Court of Human Rights in a case that remains active while Labour decides on new legislation. We owe it to those affected by the Troubles to get it right By Hilary Benn Our United Kingdom is today transformed from the place that, for three decades between the late 1960s and 1998, was scarred by terrorist violence. The Troubles tore Northern Ireland apart. And in the early 1970s, the IRA brought their campaign of terror to towns and cities across England. Throughout that terrible period, the professionalism, bravery and sacrifice of our Armed Forces and other security personnel helped to keep people across the United Kingdom safe and to protect life. In doing so, they ultimately helped to bring about peace. I have been honoured to meet with some of them. The Good Friday Agreement enshrined that peace. And alongside the promise of a better tomorrow, it also recognised the need to acknowledge and address the suffering of all those who had lost loved ones. And yet I have met many families who are still – decades on – seeking answers about what happened to their parent, grandparent, partner or child. I know that in many cases, their pain has been compounded by the last government's 2023 Legacy Act and the legal mess it created. That legislation was widely rejected at the time. And last year it was found – repeatedly – to be unlawful by our domestic courts. That was not least because it would have offered immunity from prosecution to terrorists, who were responsible for some 90 per cent of all Troubles-related deaths. Any incoming government would have had to repeal the immunity scheme and other unlawful provisions. It is wrong for any political party to suggest otherwise. That's why it has fallen to this Government to deal with this. We are committed to repeal and replace the Legacy Act in a way that is lawful, fair and that enables all those families to find answers. We will always recognise the extreme circumstances under which our Armed Forces were operating; the split-second judgments that had to be made, and the restraint that was so often required in the face of danger. There will be no rewriting of history. That also means that on those rare occasions where the standards that we rightly expect of our Armed Forces were not upheld, we do not shy away from this. The contrast could not have been starker between the efforts of our Armed Forces who were trying to protect life, and the actions of the terrorist organisations who only ever intended to harm others and cause destruction. And that is why during the Troubles, an estimated 25,000 to 35,000 republican and loyalist paramilitaries were imprisoned for a range of offences, including murder. Sadly, all these years later, the reality is that there are still over 1,100 unsolved killings, including over 200 where service personnel were killed by paramilitaries. Each and every one of these families deserves, as soon as possible, to have a system in place that they can have confidence in. That is why we are not starting again from scratch. Instead, we will retain and significantly reform the independent commission that was established under the Legacy Act, which is already taking forward over 50 investigations, including into the Guildford pub bombing. With the passage of time, the prospect of any future prosecutions is vanishingly small. Indeed, since 2012 there have been only six convictions for Troubles-related deaths, all but one of them of terrorists. This means that for a family approaching the legacy commission, obtaining information about what happened to their loved one will be the most likely outcome. I know that giving evidence to the Commission or to any other legacy process about the events of several decades ago can be a daunting prospect, particularly for elderly veterans. That is why we need to have better protections in place and I am working with the Defence Secretary on this. For instance, with today's technology, there is no reason why those giving evidence in such cases should be forced to travel and stay away from home in order to give evidence. This Government will also continue to support our veterans involved in these processes with welfare and, where appropriate, legal support. As we prepare new legislation, I will continue to discuss this, in all its complexity, with all interested parties. We owe it to those who were affected by the Troubles across the United Kingdom, including our Armed Forces community, to get this right.
Al Jazeera
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Iraq frees over 19,000 prisoners under new amnesty, including some ex-ISIL
Iraq has released more than 19,000 prisoners under a sweeping amnesty law designed to relieve pressure on its overcrowded prison system, including inmates convicted of being members of ISIL (ISIS). The move offers legal reprieves to some individuals convicted on terrorism-related charges, judicial authorities said on Tuesday. The law has also halted all executions, including for former ISIL members. The group once controlled nearly a third of Iraq's territory after sweeping across the country in 2014, capturing major cities, including Mosul, Tikrit and Fallujah, before they were vanquished in 2017. The years of their control killed thousands of people, displaced hundreds of thousands, decimated the Yazidi population and left vast areas in ruins. Many members were arrested as Iraqi forces retook ISIL-held areas. The amnesty law, enacted in January, allows certain prisoners convicted of belonging to armed groups to seek release, a retrial or have their cases dismissed. However, those found guilty of killings linked to 'extremism' are excluded from eligibility. The legislation was strongly backed by Sunni lawmakers, many of whom have long argued that anti-terrorism laws disproportionately targeted Sunni communities in the years after Iraq's clampdown on ISIL. Detainees will now be permitted to request retrials if they claim their confessions were obtained through torture or coercion while in custody. After a meeting in Baghdad chaired by Supreme Judicial Council President Faeq Zeidan, officials confirmed that 19,381 prisoners had been freed from January to April. The total number of individuals benefitting from the law – including those sentenced in absentia, granted bail or with arrest warrants lifted – now stands at 93,597, according to a statement issued after the meeting. The reforms come amid mounting pressure on Iraq's penal system. Justice Minister Khalid Shwani said this month that the country's 31 prisons held about 65,000 inmates – nearly double their intended capacity. 'When we took office, overcrowding stood at 300 percent,' he told The Associated Press news agency. 'After two years of reform, we've reduced it to 200 percent. Our goal is to bring that down to 100 percent by next year in line with international standards.' Thousands more people remain in the custody of Iraq's security forces but have yet to be transferred to the Ministry of Justice due to lack of space. Among those released under the new amnesty are individuals convicted of nonviolent crimes such as corruption, theft and drug use. Iraq has faced international criticism for its use of the death penalty. Rights groups have condemned mass executions and opaque legal processes, including carrying out death sentences without notifying prisoners' families or legal representatives. Last month, Amnesty International expressed concern after at least 13 men were put to death in Nasiriya Central Prison in the southern governorate of Thi Qar following their convictions on 'overly broad and vague terrorism charges'.
Washington Post
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Iraq says more than 19,000 prisoners have been released under a new amnesty law
BAGHDAD — More than 19,000 prisoners have been released in Iraq so far this year under a broad new amnesty law that eases prison crowding and frees some people convicted of terrorism-related crimes, judicial authorities said Tuesday. The amnesty covers some people convicted of the terror-related offense of membership in the Islamic State group, which had been seen by Sunni Muslims as disproportionately targeting their community. However, anyone convicted of a killing in connection with terrorism-related charges is not eligible for the amnesty. Other crimes covered under the amnesty include corruption, theft and drug use.
Associated Press
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Iraq says more than 19,000 prisoners have been released under a new amnesty law
BAGHDAD (AP) — More than 19,000 prisoners have been released in Iraq so far this year under a broad new amnesty law that eases prison crowding and frees some people convicted of terrorism-related crimes, judicial authorities said Tuesday. The amnesty covers some people convicted of the terror-related offense of membership in the Islamic State group, which had been seen by Sunni Muslims as disproportionately targeting their community. However, anyone convicted of a killing in connection with terrorism-related charges is not eligible for the amnesty. Other crimes covered under the amnesty include corruption, theft and drug use. The number of releases were announced following a meeting Tuesday in Baghdad among top judicial officials led by the head of the Supreme Judicial Council Faeq Zeidan to discuss the implementation of the new law, passed earlier this year. A statement released after the meeting said that 19,381 inmates were released from prisons during the first four months of the year. It added that the overall number of beneficiaries of the law, including those sentenced in absentia, those released on bail and those with outstanding arrest warrants, reached 93,597. Iraq's prisons face a crisis of overcrowding, with the justice minister saying earlier this month that the country's 31 prisons hold about 65,000 inmates despite being built to hold only about half that number. Thousands more detainees remain in the custody of security agencies but have not yet been transferred to the Justice Ministry due to a lack of prison capacity. Among provisions of the new law adopted in January is that some people convicted of terrorism charges can ask for a retrial if they assert that their confessions were taken under duress while in detention. The general amnesty law had strong support from Sunni lawmakers who argue that their community has been targeted by terrorism charges, with confessions sometimes extracted under torture. Thousands of detainees held in the country are linked to the Islamic State group, which was defeated in Iraq in 2017. Some former members of the extremist group were executed for their acts while they controlled large parts of the country. All executions have been halted under the general amnesty law. Iraq has faced criticism from human rights groups over its application of the death penalty and particularly over mass executions carried out without prior notice to lawyers or family members of the prisoners.
