Madagascar opposition decries 'state terrorism' after police kill 19

Government hits back at opposition leader Marc Ravalomanana, saying for such comments to come "from a former head of state who ordered the shooting of a crowd in 2009, is inadmissible and it stirs up hatred among our compatriots."

Some sub-Saharan African countries have suffered a wave of assaults against people with albinism, whose body parts are sought for witchcraft practices. (Reuters Archive)

The leader of Madagascar's largest opposition party has accused the government of committing "state terrorism" after police shot dead 19 civilians angered by the abduction of an albino child. "I am talking about state terrorism because it was the gendarmes and the police who fired on the population," Marc Ravalomanana, who leads the main opposition party, Tiako I Madagasikara, told the AFP news agency on Wednesday. "They have to protect people and not shoot them. I'm very shocked," said the 72-year-old, who served as Madagascar's president between 2002 and 2009. Police in the southeastern town of Ikongo opened fire on what was described as a lynch mob who stormed a police station, demanding to mete out justice to suspects arrested over the abduction. Nineteen people were killed and 21 wounded, the police said. The national police chief defended the officers, saying they acted in self-defence after a crowd armed with sticks and machetes tried to force its way into the station. The government hit back at Ravalomanana for labelling the tragedy "state terrorism" without details of the circumstances surrounding the incident It is "pure provocation", Communication Minister and government spokesperson Lalatiana Rakotondrazafy told AFP. For such comments to come "from a former head of state who plans to run for re-election, and who ordered the shooting of a crowd in 2009, is inadmissible and it stirs up hatred among our compatriots," she said. She was referring to the death of at least 68 people during a wave of rioting in January 2009 on the large Indian Ocean island nation, when Ravalomanana –– who was then head of state –– accused his main rival and now President Andry Rajoelina of stoking political unrest. READ MORE: Madagascar police open fire at protesters angered by child kidnapping Authorities promise 'necessary sanctions' Minister Rakotondrazafy said what happened in Ikongo was "regrettable" "We deplore the loss of life," she said. Authorities have opened an investigation into the incident, with Defence Minister Richard Rakotonirina vowing "necessary sanctions" would be taken. Police have given no information about what happened to the four kidnap suspects, who were unaccounted for, according to local district gendarme commander Cyr Razafialison. After the shooting, the officers involved had made a "strategic retreat" to a nearby town, he said. Additional forces have been deployed "to keep the peace" in Ikongo, a town about 350 kilometres south of the capital Antananarivo. Revenge attacks are common in Madagascar. Ikongo saw 800 people barge into a prison in February 2017, in search of a murder suspect they intended to kill. They overpowered guards, allowing 120 prisoners to break out of jail. In 2013, a Frenchman, a Franco-Italian and a local man accused of killing a child on the tourist island of Nosy Be were burnt alive by a crowd. Some sub-Saharan African countries have suffered a wave of assaults against people with albinism, whose body parts are sought for witchcraft practices in the mistaken belief that they bring luck and wealth. Source: AFP

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UN releases Xinjiang report despite China's 'firm' opposition

Discriminatory detention of Muslim groups in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region may constitute crimes against humanity, says UN human rights in new report. Beijing "firmly opposes" report release.

"We all know so well that the so-called Xinjiang issue is a completely fabricated lie out of political motivations," says China's UN Ambassador, Zhang Jun ahead of report release. (AA)

The office of UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has published its long-awaited report on alleged rights violations in China's western Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, brushing aside Beijing's demands to keep a lid on a report that fanned a tug-of-war for diplomatic influence with the West over the rights of the region's native Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups. Wednesday's report, which Western diplomats and UN officials said had been all but ready for months, was published with just minutes to go in Bachelet's four-year term.  The report said serious human rights violations have been committed in the region and "patterns of torture" allegations in Xinjiang are "credible." "The extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uighur and other predominantly Muslim groups, pursuant to law and policy, in context of restrictions and deprivation more generally of fundamental rights enjoyed individually and collectively, may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity," the report said. The report was unexpected to break significant new ground beyond sweeping findings from independent advocacy groups and journalists who have documented concerns about human rights in Xinjiang for years.  But Bachelet's report comes with the imprimatur of the United Nations, and the member states that make it up.  The run-up to its release fuelled a debate over China's influence on the world body and epitomised the on-and-off diplomatic chill between Beijing and the West over human rights, among other sore spots. Beijing 'firmly opposed' to release Hours before the release, China's UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said Beijing remains "firmly opposed" to the release. "We haven't seen this report yet, but we are completely opposed to such a report, we do not think it will produce any good to anyone," Zhang told reporters outside the Security Council.  "We have made it very clear to the high commissioner and on a number of other occasions that we are firmly opposed to such a report." "We all know so well that the so-called Xinjiang issue is a completely fabricated lie out of political motivations, and its purpose is definitely to undermine China's stability and to obstruct China's development," he added.  Bachelet said in recent months that she received pressure from both sides to publish, or not publish, the report and resisted it all, treading a fine line all the while noting her experience with political squeeze during her two terms as president of Chile. In June, Bachelet said she would not seek a new term as rights chief, and promised the report would be released by her departure date on August 31.  Detention camps or training centres That led to a swell in back-channel campaigns, including letters from civil society, civilians and governments on both sides of the issue.  She hinted last week her office might miss her deadline, saying it was "trying" to release it before her exit. Bachelet had set her sights on the Xinjiang region upon taking office in September 2018, but Western diplomats voiced concerns in private that over her term, she did not challenge China enough. The West alleges China's "mass detention campaign" in Xinjiang swept an estimated million Uighurs and other ethnic groups into a network of prisons and camps.  Beijing rejects such accusations and calls them "training centres". Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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Guinea opposition cancels planned protests

FNDC alliance scraps planned demonstrations in capital Conakry at the request of a West African ECOWAS bloc.

FNDC says it wanted "to give yet another chance to ECOWAS mediation so that it can find a way out of the Guinean crisis maintained by the military junta." (AFP)

A political opposition coalition in Guinea has said it was calling off planned protests against the country's ruling junta, at the request of a West African regional group. The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC) had called for fresh demonstrations in the capital Conakry on Monday and September 4, after accusing junta forces of killing two teenagers during previous protests. But in a statement sent to the AFP news agency on Saturday, the FNDC said it had "complied with a request from the heads of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Guinea Christians to suspend the peaceful citizen demonstrations". The September 4 protest would have fallen on a Sunday, "a day of prayer for our Christian compatriots". The ECOWAS mediator for Guinea, former Benin president Thomas Boni Yayi, announced that he had completed his mediation mission on Saturday, after holding talks in the country since August 21. The FNDC said it wanted "to give yet another chance to ECOWAS mediation so that it can find a way out of the Guinean crisis maintained by the military junta." But it was not suspending its call for nationwide protests on September 5. READ MORE: Guinea opposition calls for protests after junta denies role in new deaths Pushing for constitutional return The FNDC, a coalition of political parties, trade unions and civil society organisations, was banned by the junta in August. The alliance staged rallies on July 28 and 29 in which five people were killed. Two teenagers, aged 17 and 19, were shot dead during protests it called for on August 17, which were banned by the junta. The FNDC, relatives and neighbours accused junta leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya's forces of having killed the two boys –– charges the junta has denied. In a press release, Boni Yayi said his mission was to meet with the authorities of the transition and socio-political actors for a dialogue which should "allow the return to constitutional order". During his stay, the mediator said he met with Doumbouya, members of the government, leaders of political coalitions and civil society and foreign diplomats. The poor but mineral-rich state has been ruled by the military since a coup last September that ousted president Alpha Conde, in power since 2010. Doumbouya has pledged to hand over power to elected civilians within three years, a timeline that political players in Guinea and West African states want to be shorter. READ MORE: Guinea junta leader announces 39-month transition period Source: AFP

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Russia’s Last Opposition Mayor Detained for Anti-War YouTube Videos – Reports

Yevgeny Roizman, the former opposition mayor of one of Russia’s largest cities, has been detained on criminal charges surrounding his public stance against the invasion of Ukraine, media outlets reported Wednesday. Ex-Yekaterinburg mayor Roizman could face up to five years in prison on criminal charges of “public acts aimed at discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.” Footage of his detention shared by the Kremlin-linked Telegram channel Mash showed masked agents shouting “police, open up!” while entering an apartment block. The video cuts off when Roizman is shown opening his door and a plainclothes representative surrounded by the agents explaining what he is being charged with.

Authorities also raided several properties linked to Roizman, including a Christian Orthodox museum and several Yekaterinburg offices of the politician’s foundation, the state-run TASS news agency reported, citing local security services. Roizman confirmed the charges against him, telling journalists posted outside his building that the criminal case has been initiated “in Moscow.” TASS, citing Yekaterinburg’s unnamed law enforcement sources, reported that Roizman was detained “because of videos on his YouTube channel.” The ex-mayor has previously been fined three times under Russia’s laws against “discrediting” the military that were passed in the wake of the Ukraine invasion. More than 200 people, including prominent Kremlin critics Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin, face criminal prosecution for voicing opposition to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Roizman served as mayor of Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city, from 2013 to 2018, when authorities scrapped mayoral elections in a move that consolidated power within Moscow. He was a member of Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, in 2003-07.

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Greek PM Mitsotakis fully responsible for surveillance scandal: opposition

Greek prime minister is trying to gain time to erase the traces of surveillance and to establish a large coverup operation, says main opposition SYRIZA-PS.

‘The prime minister has been acting as the head of a shadowy and uncontrollable parastatal group,’ SYRIZA-PS said. (AA)

Greece’s main opposition party has stepped up its criticism of the conservative government over a surveillance scandal that has rocked the country’s political scene since late July.  The SYRIZA-PS party said in a statement on Monday it is convinced that full responsibility for the scandal lies with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.  “The developments confirm that we are faced with a staff parastatal headed by Mr Mitsotakis himself,” it said. The prime minister, who is not telling the truth about his role in the surveillance of journalists and the leader of the PASOK-KINAL party, is trying to gain time to erase the traces of surveillance and to establish a large coverup operation, the statement continued. Arguing that the revelations which have become known so far are only the tip of the iceberg, the party said “the prime minister has been acting as the head of a shadowy and uncontrollable parastatal group.” “Against this backdrop, the party thinks that it is highly likely that there are other political figures, either from the opposition or from the government itself, who have been targeted by these parastatal surveillances,” it said. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doi8q7Gs2MY[/embed] Parliament inquiry  Meanwhile, as a result of a meeting between the parliamentary group presidents of the political parties represented in the Greek parliament, it was decided that the Greek Parliament’s Committee on Institutions and Transparency will meet Wednesday to vote on the appointment of the new head of the National Intelligence Service (EYP), public broadcaster ERT reported. SYRIZA-PS announced that it will not take part in the voting on the appointment of Themistoklis Demiris as the EYP’s new chief. Moreover, on Friday, the pre-agenda discussion at the level of party leaders on the scandal is expected to take place, while on August 29, a debate will be held in a plenary session of parliament on the formation of a commission of inquiry based on a request submitted by the PASOK-KINAL parliamentary group. READ MORE: EU expects Greece to 'thoroughly' investigate spyware scandal Surveillance scandal In a televised address to the nation on August 8, Mitsotakis acknowledged that PASOK-KINAL party leader Nikos Androulakis was wiretapped by the EYP, but he denied knowing about the operation. “Although everything was done legally, the EYP underestimated the political dimension of this action. It was formally OK but politically unacceptable,” he said. The announcement followed the resignation of EYP head Andreas Kontoleon and the Prime Minister's Secretary General Grigoris Dimitriadis on August 5. The scandal unfolded on August 4 when Kontoleon told a parliamentary committee that his agency had been spying on financial journalist Thanasis Koukakis. The parliamentary probe was launched after Androulakis complained to top prosecutors about an attempt to hack his mobile phone with Israeli-made Predator surveillance software.  READ MORE: Greek gov't sinks into political crisis amid spy scandal - L’Echo Source: AA

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Chad military leader signs accord to launch peace talks with opposition

Fast News

In the absence of the main rebel group, over 40 opposition groups agreed to a ceasefire ahead of the August 20 talks planned in the Chadian capital of N’Djamena.

Thirty-seven-year-old Mahamat Idriss Deby, who took charge of the transitional military council after his father’s death, is a four-star general, who is known in military circles as “the man in dark glasses.” (Reuters Archive)

Chad's military ruler Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has signed a deal with more than 40 opposition groups to launch national peace talks later this month, although the main rebel outfit refused to take part.

The 38-year-old general and opposition representatives sealed the accord at a ceremony in Doha on Monday after five months of mediation by Qatar.

The Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), the main rebel group, said it would not sign the deal despite last-minute efforts by Qatar's mediators.

In a video message to the ceremony, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called the signature "a key moment for the Chadian people" but said the national dialogue had to be "inclusive" to be successful.

Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said the accord aimed to establish "a peace to replace the trouble and strife that the country has known for many long years".

READ MORE: Rebels halt peace talks with Chad's interim authority

Peace talks

Forty-two of the 47 groups who remained at the end of the mediation signed the accord to start national talks, which are due to start in Chad's capital N'Djamena on August 20.

Deby took power after the death of his father, long-time president Idriss Deby Itno, in a battle with rebels in April last year.

He promised a national dialogue and elections within 18 months but the mediation has been fraught with discord.

Diplomats monitoring the negotiations said there would be a "race against time" to hold the election before October.

Deby has said his transitional rule could be extended but faces pressure from the international community to keep to the deadline.

READ MORE: Chad: Scores killed in clashes between gold miners

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWL6YiArmew[/embed]

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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Siberian Opposition Deputy Flees Criminal 'War Fakes' Prosecution

A Siberian regional opposition deputy has fled to Georgia shortly after Russian authorities launched a criminal investigation against her on allegations of spreading “fake” information about the Russian army.

Helga Pirogova, 33, was arrested last week and charged days later over a since-deleted tweet that criticized the mother of a deceased volunteer soldier who praised local authorities’ arrangement of her son’s funeral in an independent media article.

Pirogova told the independent Mediazona news website Monday that she is now in Tbilisi, the capital of ex-Soviet Georgia.

She was scheduled to appear for an interrogation at the Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, in Novosibirsk at 6:00 a.m. Moscow time on Monday. According to state media, authorities were set to place Pirogova on the wanted list if she did not appear for her questioning.

Pirogova was elected to the Novosibirsk Council of Deputies in 2020 with the support of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s “Smart Voting” strategy.

Some of her pro-Kremlin colleagues at the Novosibirsk regional assembly had publicly appealed last week for her to be prosecuted over her tweet.

The Investigative Committee launched the criminal investigation against Pirogova on orders by the committee’s chief Alexander Bastrykin.

Pirogova faces up to three years in jail on charges of spreading fake news about the Russian military's actions.

Russia passed a law in March that allows jail sentences of up to 15 years for spreading what authorities determine to be false information about the military.

Thousands of Russians have been fined or face jail time for carrying out anti-war protests or making anti-war statements since the invasion of Ukraine in late February.

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