Tunisian Revolution and the Middle East--And Now, The Withdrawal From Afghanistan (M.E.T.)

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http://www.npr.org/2016/07/27/487665607/with-3-u-s-citizens-in-iranian-jail-a-look-at-whats-driving-the-arrests?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

With 3 U.S. Citizens In Iranian Jail, A Look At What's Driving The Arrests

 

Three Iranian-Americans remain in jail in Iran, including a father and son who have been behind bars for a year. Why is it that, after a nuclear deal that opened channels of communication, these Americans remain in detention abroad?

Edited July 28, 2016 by visionary

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https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/07/27/bahrain-activist-trial-over-twitter-comments

Bahrain: Activist on Trial Over Twitter Comments

 

A Prominent Bahraini human rights activist faces up to 12 years in prison for criticizing the Saudi Arabia-led military operations in Yemen. Bahrain has been taking part in the Saudi-led coalition, whose operations have included unlawful airstrikes on markets, homes, hospitals and schools.

 

The charges against Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, a nongovernmental group, constitute a serious violation of his right to freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said. The conditions of his detention also appear to amount to arbitrary punishment. He was in solitary confinement for more than two weeks after his arrest and denied compassionate leave to attend a relative’s funeral. He faces an additional three years for comments about the Bahrain government’s response to prison unrest.

 

“Unlawful Saudi-led airstrikes bombed markets and hospitals, killing hundreds of civilians, but the person facing prison time is the one who criticized them,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The US and the UK, which have assisted the coalition, have a particular responsibility to insist that Bahrain drop the unlawful charges against Nabeel Rajab and immediately free him.”

 

Rajab’s Twitter comments led to his arrest on April 2, 2015. Authorities released him on July 13, 2015, but prosecutors did not close the cases and ordered his re-arrest on June 13, 2016. His trial began on July 12, with the next session scheduled for August 2. If convicted of spreading “false or malicious news, statements, or rumors,” Rajab faces up to 10 years in prison under article 133 of Bahrain’s penal code. If convicted of “offending a foreign country [saudi Arabia]”, Rajab faces a maximum two year sentence under article 215 of the penal code. If convicted of “offending national institutions,” based on comments about unrest that broke out in Jaw Prison in March 2015, Rajab, faces an additional three-year sentence under article 216 of the penal code

Edited July 28, 2016 by visionary

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http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/tunisia-pm-habib-essid-loses-confidence-vote-160730174505286.html

Tunisian parliament votes to dismiss PM Habib Essid

 

Members of Tunisia's parliament vote Prime Minister Habib Essid out of office 18 months after his appointment.

 

Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid has been ousted after overwhelmingly losing a vote of confidence in parliament.

 

In power for a year and a half, Essid's opponents said he had failed to tackle the country's economic and security problems.

 

A total of 118 members of parliament voted late on Saturday to unseat Essid; three voted for him to stay at the helm; and 27 abstained.

 

The results were largely expected, with several ruling coalition party members declaring ahead of the session that they were not going to renew their confidence in the prime minister.

 

Earlier on Saturday, Essid, 67, had told parliament he knew he would be voted out.

 

"I didn't come to obtain the 109 votes [needed to remain in office]. I came to expose things to the people and to members of parliament," said Essid.

 

Negotiations on a replacement were expected to start on Monday.

Edited July 31, 2016 by visionary

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http://m.voanews.com/a/rights-groups-condemn-iran-executions-kurdish-prisoners/3450572.html

Rights Groups Condemn Iran’s Executions of 20 Kurdish Prisoners

 

Human rights groups on Thursday condemned the execution of at least 20 Kurdish activists in Iran who had been charged with links to terrorism.

 

A statement by the Iranian intelligence ministry confirmed the Wednesday executions, saying the convicts were part of a terrorist cell that was responsible for armed attacks in Iran’s western provinces.

 

"These people had committed murder... killed women and children, caused destruction and acted against the security, and killed Sunni religious leaders in some Kurdish regions," Mohammad Javad Montazeri, Iran’s top prosecutor, told IRIB TV, a state-run channel.

 

The Iranian government said that the men had ties to foreign Islamist groups, an apparent reference to Islamic State, and that they were plotting to carry out attacks inside Iran. But rights activists said the government’s accusations were baseless.

Edited August 5, 2016 by visionary

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Edited August 20, 2016 by visionary

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Edited August 30, 2016 by visionary

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Edited September 2, 2016 by visionary

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Edited September 6, 2016 by visionary

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(If these folks are aligned with the Islamist dominated parliament that the current UN imposed government replaced/absorbed, this would be odd, since they did not get along with the more secular popularly elected government now operating out of Tobruk and aligned with Hiftar)

 

 

 

 

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