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Europe 

Switzerland: Draft anti-terrorism law sets ‘dangerous precedent’, rights experts warn

Village Reporter
The draft legislation, currently before the Swiss Parliament, expands the definition of terrorism and no longer requires the prospect of any crime at all, they said, in a plea for a last-minute reversal by legislators.  ‘Expansive’ definition of terrorism  Citing international standards, the experts defined terrorism as the intimidation or coercion of populations or governments through violence that causes death… Read More
Europe 

Belarus: Ensure ‘full respect’ for workers’ rights during protests, ILO urges President Lukashenko

Village Reporter
According to ILO, six trade unionists were detained by the authorities after participating in peaceful protests and industrial action.  I wrote to the President of Belarus today to urge Mr. Lukashenko to prevent human rights violations and ensure full respect for workers’ rights and freedoms. I raised concern over the charges against six trade unionists detained during peaceful protests. https://t.co/0gZ7RKWKGQ… Read More
Europe 

Greece: Devasting fire compounds overcrowding and COVID-19 challenges in refugee camp

Village Reporter
Within a short span of time, three separate fires broke out at the Moria Reception and Identification Center (RIC) on the Greek island of Lesbos, according to local fire chief Konstantinos Theofilopoulos, who spoke to State television.  While initial reports suggested there were no fatalities, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that over 12,600 migrants and refugees have been… Read More
Europe 

Khashoggi overturned verdict ‘parody of justice’ – independent UN rights expert

Village Reporter
At a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, (OHCHR), quoted Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions, in saying, “They came at the end of a process which was neither fair nor just, or transparent”. #JamalKhashoggi: 1.The Saudi Prosecutor performed one more act today in this parody of… Read More
Pacific 

Inaction has been fatal, says UNHCR, as dozens of Rohingya refugees perish at sea

Village Reporter
The refugees, numbering about 330 had set off on the journey in Cox’s Bazar, in southern Bangladesh, in February. After months at sea in desperate conditions, some 300 landed on the northern coast of Aceh, Indonesia, early on Monday morning. More than 30 people are believed to have died at sea.  This early morning at 2am, nearly 300 Rohingya refugees… Read More
Pacific 

Leveraging innovation, partnership to shore up food security in Asia and the Pacific

Village Reporter
Gathered virtually at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s thirty-fifth Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific, governments, civil society organizations and the private sector highlighted the importance of innovation, solidarity, coherence and partnerships among and within countries.  Big data, digital economy and mobile technology will help producers achieve such transformations, Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General said on Friday, the… Read More
Pacific 

End secret detention of rights defender, independent experts urge Pakistani authorities

Village Reporter
The experts said they are seriously concerned for the life of Idris Khattak – an activist who worked on a number of reports on disappearances in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas – as he has not had contact with the outside world since he was taken into custody by Pakistani Military Intelligence on 13 November 2019.  On 16 June 2020,… Read More
Pacific 

Afghanistan: Near-record violence risks derailing imminent talks between Government and Taliban

Village Reporter
High stakes  “The stakes could not be higher”, said Deborah Lyons, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), describing the intra-Afghan talks as a historic moment in the country’s history, as she briefed the Security Council on Thursday.    The conflict, which has raged for four decades, continues to kill hundreds of… Read More
Europe 

Alleged poisoning of Russian opposition leader a ‘grave concern’, says chemical weapons watchdog

Village Reporter
Mr. Navalny, a prominent anti-corruption activist, remains in a coma two weeks after falling violently ill during a flight from the town of Tomsk, in Siberia, to Moscow. He was later airlifted to Berlin for treatment, after Russian authorities allowed him to be moved.  The German government reported on Wednesday that toxicology tests conducted by a special military laboratory revealed… Read More
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