Latest news with #criminalgangs
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
As Haiti turns to lethal drones to fight gangs, Canada is among those who are uneasy
Haiti's battle against criminal gangs has leaned into the lethal use of drones this year, with senior officials defending the tactic that some outside parties, including Canada's government, have voiced qualms about. The embattled Caribbean nation has been struggling to expel the powerful armed gangs that senior United Nations officials say have taken "near-total control" of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The gangs' reach extends beyond the capital, though, with violence surging in Haiti's central region, where three police officers and two civilians were slain this week. The Haitian National Police (HNP) is one player in the effort to oust these gangs, and the country is also receiving some support on this front from a UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police. But the state has also looked to drones to both conduct surveillance on gangs and to strike them. These strikes, led by a government-created task force and supported by private contractors, have drawn media attention for months — including when a prominent gang leader, Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier, said he'd survived a strike involving explosive drones. "The population has had it up to here, and the government cannot just sit and watch," Fritz Alphonse Jean, chair of Haiti's transitional presidential council, told the Financial Times earlier this month, arguing the strikes are needed to defeat the gangs. Yet some observers believe the use of drones to hit back against the gangs falls short of a legal standard for the use of such weapons, even if Haiti faces sustained pressure from those adversaries. "The intentional use of lethal force by law enforcement is legal under international human rights law only when it is strictly unavoidable to protect life [when] facing an imminent threat, and as a last resort when other less lethal alternatives — such as capture or non-lethal incapacitation — have been exhausted," William O'Neill, the UN's designated expert on human rights in Haiti, recently told the Economist. Canada has donated drones for non-lethal use That raises questions for Canada, which has provided drones to Haiti — though not of a type designed for lethal use, according to the federal government. "Canada has donated surveillance drones to the Haitian National Police with the intent to help reduce the danger faced by uniformed officers as they conduct patrols," Global Affairs Canada told CBC News in a statement. "None of the drone models that have been provided by Canada were designed or intended for lethal use or load transport." That said, Canada "is concerned by reports of extrajudicial executions, which are a violation of international human rights law, and continues to call on Haiti to respect all domestic and international laws in its efforts to restore security in the country, including in its use of drones." Global Affairs Canada did not clarify if Ottawa definitively knows of cases in which Canadian-provided drones have been used for lethal purposes in Haiti. But it said Haiti had agreed that the equipment provided would not be used "to commit or facilitate any violation of international humanitarian law or international human rights law." Diego Da Rin, a Haiti analyst with the International Crisis Group, a global think-tank, said the HNP needs these tools for surveillance, particularly because gangs are using them for the same purpose. "Several gangs have been using drones to collect intelligence to conduct operations," he said in a telephone interview, noting these gangs are not known to be using strike drones. The Réseau National de Défense des Droits Humains, a local human rights group, said in June that it believed the state's drone strikes had killed at least 300 gang members and wounded another 400. CBC News asked the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) whether it has concerns about the lethal use of drones by Haitian forces against gangs within the country. "Regarding the lethal use of force by law enforcement in operations, it should be conducted in respect of human rights and adhere to the principles of necessity, proportionality, and precaution," spokesperson Mathias Gillmann said in an email. Gillmann said a communication channel had been established with the HNP's General Inspectorate "through which documented cases of human rights violations potentially involving police officers are referred for further investigation and the adoption of appropriate administrative and legal measures." Prolonged instability Haiti has faced years of instability following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021. The country has not had a president since. Ariel Henry, who served as acting prime minister and led Haiti's government after Moïse's assassination, stepped down from his role after gang-driven turmoil erupted while he was outside the country. WATCH | Canada's ambassador to Haiti on surging gang violence: A transitional council took power after Henry's departure. The council appointed Alix Didier Fils-Aimé as prime minister last November. The challenges the government faces in quelling the gangs were on display on Wednesday, as a police union demanded officials do more to protect officers on the ground. "The government does not give the police any importance. If they took this seriously, they would have made the means and support available to the police and the military to end the insecurity," the SPNH-17 union said, in the wake of the killing of the three officers in central Haiti. "Too many police officers have fallen." The transitional presidential council said the government was mobilizing all necessary resources to investigate the killings and honour the memory of those slain.
Al Arabiya
5 days ago
- Al Arabiya
A strong bomb explosion targets a Greek prison guard's home
A bomb explosion targeted the home of the president of the Greek association of prison guards early Saturday morning in the country's north. The guard, named Konstantinos Varsamis on the association's website, was left unharmed after about 3 kilograms (about 6.6 pounds) of explosives went off at 2:10 a.m. local time, police said. Two people suffered minor injuries from shattered glass. The explosives were placed outside his apartment building's front door in Sykies, a suburb in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where he lives on the first floor, according to authorities. The blast damaged three apartment buildings, shattering their windows and collapsing a shared wall, according to an Associated Press reporter on-site. 'I woke up because of the very loud bang of the explosion,' Tzetno Kelo, 52, who lives in an adjacent apartment building, said. 'Shattered glass from a window fell on my bed, and I was covered in blood.' He was treated at a hospital before being discharged. Police said a witness saw a man walking in the densely built street shortly before the explosion. Varsamis has worked for many years at Diavata prison west of Thessaloniki, known for housing many criminal gang members as well as convicted terrorists. Two police officers said they are focusing their efforts on criminal gangs rather than terror groups. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not supposed to comment on an ongoing investigation. The police have already deposed Varsamis, they said. The police's Organized Crime Unit is leading the investigation.
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
A strong bomb explosion targets a Greek prison guard's home
A bomb explosion targeted the home of the president of the Greek association of prison guards early Saturday morning in the country's north. The guard, named Konstantinos Varsamis on the association's website, was left unharmed after about 3 kilograms (about 6.6 pounds) of explosives went off at 2:10 a.m. local time, police said. Two people suffered minor injuries from shattered glass. The explosives were placed outside his apartment building's front door in Sykies, a suburb in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where he lives on the first floor, according to authorities. The blast damaged three apartment buildings, shattering their windows and collapsing a shared wall, according to an Associated Press reporter on-site. 'I woke up because of the very loud bang of the explosion," Tzetno Kelo, 52, who lives in an adjacent apartment building, said. 'Shattered glass from a window fell on my bed and I was covered in blood." He was treated at a hospital before being discharged Police said a witness saw a man walking in the densely built street shortly before the explosion. Varsamis has worked for many years at Diavata prison, west of Thessaloniki, known for housing many criminal gang members as well as convicted terrorists. Two police officers said they are focusing their efforts on criminal gangs rather than terror groups. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not supposed to comment on an ongoing investigation. The police have already deposed Varsamis, they said. The police's Organized Crime Unit is leading the investigation.
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Associated Press
A strong bomb explosion targets a Greek prison guard's home and wounds two
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — A bomb explosion targeted the home of the president of the Greek association of prison guards early Saturday morning in the country's north. The guard, named Konstantinos Varsamis on the association's website, was left unharmed after about 3 kilograms (about 6.6 pounds) of explosives went off at 2:10 a.m. local time, police said. The explosives were placed outside his apartment building's front door in Sykies, a suburb in the northern city of Thessaloniki, where he lives on the first floor, according to authorities. The blast damaged three apartment buildings, shattering their windows and collapsing a shared wall, according to an Associated Press reporter on site. 'I woke up because of the very loud bang of the explosion,' Tzetno Kelo, 52, who lives in an adjacent apartment building, said. 'Shattered glass from a window fell on my bed and I was covered in blood.' He was treated at a hospital before being discharged Police said a witness saw a man walking in the densely built street shortly before the explosion. Varsamis has worked for many years at Diavata prison, west of Thessaloniki, known for housing many criminal gang members as well as convicted terrorists. Two police officers said they are focusing their efforts on criminal gangs rather than terror groups. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not supposed to comment on an ongoing investigation. The police have already deposed Varsamis, they said. The police's Organized Crime Unit is leading the investigation.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Daily Mail
Criminal gangs are recruiting children to prey on vulnerable tourists in Venice
Criminal gangs in Venice, Italy, are grooming children to work as pickpockets as they seek to prevent police crackdowns from eating into their profits, officials and activists have warned. The city, as one of Italy 's top tourist attractions, has long been a hotspot for criminal activity targeting unsuspecting vacationers. A series of videos published on social media shows alleged pickpockets - often teenage girls and in some cases pregnant women - attempting to cover their faces as enraged citizens yell to draw attention to them. The scourge has led furious residents to form their own associations to publicize the identities of those caught in the act and work as volunteer informants for police. But even amid an increased police presence and efforts by citizen activists to catch opportunists, those under the age of 14 cannot bear criminal responsibility. Gangs are therefore stepping up efforts to recruit 'baby borseggiatori' - or baby pickpockets - into their ranks. The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, has called for the existing legal framework to be adapted to give police and courts more powers to prosecute pickpockets. 'We cannot resign ourselves to the normalization of crimes that damage people's lives and the city's image on a daily basis. 'We need urgent corrective measures. The government has to listen to local communities and guarantee urban security.' Meanwhile, Monica Poli, spokesperson for the association Cittadini Non Distratti (Undistracted Citizens), denounced the involvement of children in criminal activities. 'The problem is that there are many minors under 13, including girls (who are pickpockets). 'What drives us forward is above all to defend the most vulnerable groups, namely the elderly and disabled, who are the preferred victims of these increasingly violent pickpockets, and we do so out of civic duty.' Poli has garnered significant notoriety on social media, particularly on TikTok, where she and her fellow citizen activists routinely post videos of suspected pickpockets. Her catchphrase 'Attenzione, borseggiatori!' (Attention, pickpockets!) went viral in 2023 and has been remixed into dance tracks and used to mock everyday scenarios, like animals trying to nibble their owners' food. The newfound social media fame helped to shine a light on the work Poli and her fellow volunteers, who first began combing the streets for pickpockets some three decades ago, have done. Poli says that her group aims to protect tourists and raise awareness about pickpocketing in Venice, claiming her group protects U.S. and UK tourists from being targeted. 'I have been part of a group of disturbance against pickpockets for 30 years - together with 40 other people,' she told Newsweek shortly after erupting to social media stardom. 'People are pickpocketed for their American or English passport, then to return to their country they have to go to the embassy in [...] Rome.' 'This incurs additional expenses for them, so it is better to prevent this by warning tourists of the problem.' Poli claims she has never been asked to stop by police, but runs a physical risk for her actions, adding she was once attacked by a group of women who fell foul of her vigilantism. In the meantime, deputy police chief Ganni Franzoi laments that the rate of pickpocketing - which skyrocketed after the return of tourists following the lifting of pandemic restrictions - looks set to continue on its upward trajectory. 'This year we've intercepted 100 pickpockets, including several minors,' he told Italian media. 'Another interesting statistic is the number of wallets found in St Mark's Square: we'll reach 900 in 2025.' Officials point out that without a change in legislation, citizen activist groups and individual victims will continue to carry out vigilante justice. In some cases, such situations have led to violent assaults, some of which are perpetrated against innocent bystanders mistaken for thieves. Last week, a 60-year-old German tourist was beaten by a group of angry citizens and holidaymakers who had reacted to warnings that a Spanish family had just fallen foul of pickpocketing. The Spaniard in question grabbed hold of the ageing German and pushed him against the wall, before others rushed in to surround him. He was ultimately pushed and struck several times as the crowd forced him to empty his pockets and open his bag before police arrived. 'I arrived on vacation in Venice three days ago,' he told police officers, according to Venezia Today. 'I never expected something like this. I was attacked, beaten, and called a thief. Now I want to file a complaint against those who attacked me.'
