Pacyfikacja strajkujących na francuskim promie

Trzy śmigłowce i oddział antyterrorystyczny odbijający porwany prom – to nie sceny z filmu sensacyjnego, ale sytuacja, która wydarzyła się dzisiaj na statku należącym do francuskiego państwowego armatora Société Nationale Corse-Méditerranée. Prom został przejęty przez załogę, która ogłosiła strajk. W ten sposób chciała zaprotestować przeciwko planom prywatyzacji przynoszącego straty przedsiębiorstwa. Według wstępnych informacji strajk wywołała Unia Korsykańskich Pracowników, związek zawodowy blisko związany ze zwolennikami niepodległości Korsyki, wyspy należącej do Francji.

Protestujący przejęli statek Pascal-Paoli w Marsylii i skierowali się do Bastii, gdzie prom został przejęty przez marynarkę wojenną i służby specjalne.

Uczestnicy strajku sprzeciwiali się pomysłowi francuskiego rządu, który chce sprzedać armatora funduszowi inwestycyjnemu Butler Capital Partners, zarządzanemu przez Waltera Butlera. Właściciel funduszu twierdzi, że jest w stanie w ciągu 4 lat wyciągnąć narodowego armatora z tarapatów finansowych. Przeciwnicy prywatyzacji nie zgadzają się z kwotą, za jaką przedsiębiorstwo ma być sprzedane. Uważają, że wartość firmy została znacznie zaniżona.

W akcji odbijania statku brali udział m.in. członkowie elitarnych oddziałów antyterrorystycznych francuskiej żandarmerii, a także jednostki marynarki wojennej. Prokuratura w Marsylii wszczęła śledztwo w tej sprawie. Prowodyrom buntu grozi nawet 20 lat więzienia. Nie wiadomo jednak, czy to zdarzenie zostanie zakwalifikowane jako przestępstwo kryminalne – podczas przejmowania statku uczestnicy strajku nie użyli bowiem przemocy.


French journalists claim Gaddafi promised Sarkozy campaign €50 million

French news website Mediapart has published a document it says shows the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi pledged French President Nicolas Sarkozy €50 million (£42 million) to fund his 2007 election campaign.

Sarkozy, who gained power in that election, is now fighting a reelection bid but lagging behind socialist opposition leader Francois Hollande in opinion polls. A run-off election is scheduled for May 6.

Had the deal gone ahead it would have breached French law, which bans political donations of such magnitude. Although the Arabic document, apparently signed by Libya's then-foreign intelligence head Mussa Kussa, dates to 2006 and does not indicate any cash was actually handed over, some reports claim money was laundered via Panama and Switzerland.

Sarkozy spokeswoman Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet said the claims were "ridiculous" and invented by Hollande supporters. She said Sarkozy's election finances were vetted at the time. Hollande spokesman Bernard Cazeneuve said Sarkozy must now "explain himself to the French in the face of such serious elements backed up by new documents emanating from the entourage of the Libyan dictator himself."

It is not the first time such allegations have been made. As France backed an uprising which ultimately toppled Gaddafi, the Libyan ruler's son Seif al-Islam last year made the same claim. Mediapart in March published allegations from a doctor who used to treat a local arms dealer, who said his patient had organised such a donation. Sarkozy himself said the suggestion was "grotesque".

The newly-released document states as present Libya's head of African investment, Bashir Saleh; Sarkozy ally Brice Hortefeux; Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah Senussi; and arms dealer Ziad Takieddine. It is dated October 6, 2006 and discusses an "agreement in principle to support the campaign for the candidate for the presidential elections, Nicolas Sarkozy, for a sum equivalent to €50 million."

Hortefeux has denied ever meeting Kussa or Saleh.

Mediapart is a respected left-wing investigative website. It is generally viewed as opposing Sarkozy's right-wing regime. It claims money was laundered via accounts including one in the name of Sarkozy's political party's head's sister, and says governmental briefing notes indicate regular funding trips to and from Libya. Mediapart says its sources are "former senior officials now in hiding."

When al-Islam first made his claims, he said "Sarkozy must first give back the money he took from Libya to finance his electoral campaign. We funded it and we have all the details and are ready to reveal everything." Sarkozy was dismissive when interviewed this year on TF1, saying "I am sorry to see you in the role of a spokeswoman for Gaddafi’s son, frankly I've known you in better roles... I am sorry that I am being interrogated about declarations of Gaddafi or his son on an important channel like TF1. When one quotes Mr Gaddafi, who is dead, his son, who has blood on his hands, that is a regime of dictators, assassins, whose credibility is zero... frankly, I think we have sunk low enough in the political debate."

An investigation is already ongoing into Takieddine. Takieddine is accused of illegally financing Edouard Balladur in an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1995.  Sarkozy, who was spokesman for that campaign, denies wrongdoing in relation to it. It is suspected Balladur received kickback bribes from Pakistan in a submarine sale. Investigators believe eleven French engineers were killed in a bomb attack orchestrated as Pakistani revenge revenge for bribe non-payment.

Kosciusko-Morizet suggests Hollande's supporters arranged the new claims to coincide with allegations made by former International Monetary Fund head Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Strauss-Kahn fell from favour after a well-publicised sexual encounter with a hotel maid in the US and last week claimed Sarkozy arranged for allegations to be made in order to prevent Strauss-Kahn running against him for president.

"If he had financed it, I wasn’t very grateful," Sarkozy said previously about the allegations. France played an active role in Gaddafi's downfall last year, providing military support to a NATO mission against the Libyan ruler.


«ميديا بارت» ينشر وثيقة عن موافقة ليبيا على دعم حملة ساركوزي في 2007

نشر موقع «ميديا بارت»، وهو موقع إعلامي فرنسي، يوم أمس السبت وثيقة موقعة من موسى كوسا رئيس الاستخبارات الخارجية الليبية حينها، تؤكد التوصل إلى «اتفاق مبدئي» حصل في سنة 2006 حول دعم حملة نيكولا ساركوزي في سباق الانتخابات الرئاسية 2007 بقيمة 50 مليون يورو. ويأتي نشر هذه الوثيقة قبيل أيام من الجولة الثانية من الانتخابات الرئاسية التي يتنافس فيها على الرئاسة نيكولا ساركوزي وفرانسوا أولاند.

وتذكر المذكرة المنشورة، وهي على ورق ذي إطار أخضر مكتوبة باللغة العربية، أن الاتفاق يأتي تالياً للمحضر الشفهي لاجتماع عقد في السادس من أكتوبر 2006 بمشاركة مدير الاستخبارات الليبية عبد الله السنوسي، ورئيس الصندوق الليبي للاستثمارات الأفريقية آنذاك بشير صالح وبحضور بريس أورتوفو، وهو من الأشخاص المقربين لساركوزي، وشغل مناصب وزارية بين العامين 2007 و2011، ورجل الأعمال الفرنسي لبناني الأصل زياد تقي الدين. ولا تؤكد المذكرة إن كان التمويل قد حصل في الواقع. وقد أشار الموقع إلى أنه حصل عليها من كبار المسؤولين الليبيين السابقين الموجودين حالياً في مخابئ سرية.

كان سيف الإسلام القذافي قد صرح في مارس 2011 لقناة يورونيوز أن ليبيا قدمت تمويلاً لساركوزي في حملته الانتخابية في سنة 2007، وأنكر ساركوزي الأمر قطعياً آنذاك.

وتورد «ميديا بارت» أنها اتصلت بمحامية زياد تقي الدين التي قالت أن موكلها لم يحضر الاجتماع المذكور، ولكن المعلومات في الوثيقة تبدو صادقة بناء على الأسماء والتواريخ المذكورة فيها.

من جانبها وصفت المتحدثة باسم ساركوزي ناتالي موريزيه الوثيقة بأنها «تثير السخرية»، وأضافت: «على المرء أن يتصور تمويلاً ليبياً بخمسين مليون يورو لحملة انتخابية سقف نفقاتها 22 مليون يورو. وهي أموال صادق عليها المجلس الدستوري ولم تثر اعتراض أي جهة.» وأنكر بريس أورتوفو هذه المعلومات أيضاً، وقال أنه لم يلتق يوماً مع موسى كوسا وبشير صالح.
طالب الحزب الاشتراكي أن يقدم ساركوزي توضيحات للشعب الفرنسي بهذا الشأن، وأن يُفتَح تحقيق في الموضوع وتعيين قاضٍ مستقل، ذلك قبل أيام من الدور الثاني من الانتخابات. وتشير استطلاعات الرأي أن أولاند يتقدم على ساركوزي في الوقت الحاضر.

نفى ساركوزي هذه الادعاءات بشدة على قناة «كانال بلوس» واصفاً أنه من «المشين» أن يمنح الصحفيون أي مصداقية للقذافي وابنه، وأنه من «المعيب» أن تُطرح عليه مثل هذه الأسئلة. كما شكك رئيس الوزراء الفرنسي فرانسوا فيون بصحة الوثيقة وأشار إلى أنها «مزورة ويصعب التحقق من صحتها»، ووصف نشر الخبر بأنه لعبة دنيئة من موقع «ميديا بارت»، ونعته بأنه «منبر يموله أصدقاء فرانسوا أولاند الأثرياء». وقد ردّ مؤسس ميديا بارت إيدوي بلينيل عليه قائلاً أن ميديا بارت «ليست منصة لأحد بل صحيفة يعمل فيها صحافيون مهنيون». كما نفى بشير صالح الذي كان من المفترض أن يتلقى هذه الوثيقة بصفته رئيس الصندوق الليبي للاستثمارات الأفريقية أنها لم تصله أبداً، كما نفى حضوره الاجتماع المذكور فيها. وقد أشارت صحيفة «لو كانار إنشينيه» في أوائل أبريل 2012 أن بشير صالح المطلوب من الإنتربول قد حصل على إذن إقامة في فرنسا بتبرير «لمّ الشمل».


French parliament extends state of emergency to three months

The French Parliament passed a law extending the state of emergency decreed on November 8 by president Jacques Chirac for a duration of 3 months, the executive being authorized to terminate this period earlier if necessary. The November 8 decision, based on a 1955 statute, could last for a maximum of 12 days only, after which Parliament had to vote on an extension.

The state of emergency allows local authorities (prefects) to prohibit public meetings and regulate movements of persons, including curfews. In addition, in certain zones specified by the executive, where riots have recently taken place, local authorities may close meeting halls or bars; detain firearms; and authorize searches inside habitations during the day or the night by administrative order (normally, searches during formal criminal investigations have to be authorized by a judge). The government said that it will not use the power to regulate the media, and that searches will be subject to supervision by the judiciary.

The law was defended by Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, in charge of law enforcement. Sarkozy spoke before the French National Assembly (which approved the text on November 15) and the French Senate (which approved it on November 16); he defended the actions of the government and explained why, in his opinion, the law had to be voted. Sarkozy is also the head of the UMP party, which holds a majority in both houses, and there was no doubt that the text would be approved.

Sarkozy added that in the forthcoming months, CRS (riot division of the Police) and Gendarmerie mobile forces would operate daily in difficult suburbs as a "proximity police". He contended that the "proximity police" established by preceding left-wing government was too much concerned with social activities and not enough about arresting criminals. Sarkozy has also contended that some of the riots were orchestrated by drug traffickers, gangsters and other criminals in order to secure lawless zones.

The French Socialist Party opposed the law, claiming it was excessive. Some left-wing members of parliament contended that using a law passed in 1955 to help quashing Algerian independence movements against children of Algerian immigrants was somewhat insensitive and unsuccessfully proposed an amendment to repeal the 1955 law. On the other hand, right-wing anti-immigrant politician Philippe de Villiers has contended that the government was far too soft and called for the use of military force. Jean-Marie Le Pen, a longtime opponent of immigration from poor, Muslim countries, pointed out that the events vindicated what he had long said.

Members of Sarkozy's UMP party blamed the de facto polygamy of some African immigrants for the failure of their families to raise and educate children properly. They suggested a more restrictive approach to immigration.

Nicolas Sarkozy is a probable contender for the 2007 presidential election. According to polls, his approval rate jumped by +11 to 63% during the events; he leads the approval opinions for presidential candidates.


El parlamento francés declara el estado de emergencia hasta febrero

El Parlamento de Francia aprobó una ley que extiende el estado de emergencia decretado el pasado 8 de noviembre por el presidente Jacques Chirac por un periodo de tres meses, aunque el Ejecutivo está autorizado a finalizar dicho estado antes si es necesario. El decreto, basado en un estatuto de 1955, podía durar un máximo de 12 días, tiempo después del cual el Parlamento debía votar por una prórroga.

El estado de emergencia les permite a las autoridades locales prohibir encuentros públicos y regular la libre locomoción de sus habitantes, incluyendo medidas como el toque de queda. Además, en ciertas zonas especificadas por el Ejecutivo, donde los disturbios se presentaron, las autoridades locales pueden cerrar bares y otros sitios de encuentros, decomisar armas de fuego y autorizar búsquedas dentro de las habitaciones durante el día o la noche con una orden administrativa (normalmente, los allanamientos durante investigaciones criminales formales deben ser autorizados por un juez). El Gobierno dijo que no empleará el poder de regular los medios y que los allanamientos estarán sujetos a la supervisión del poder judicial.

La ley fue defendida por Nicolas Sarkozy, ministro del Interior, quien se dirigió ante la Asamblea Nacional (que aprobó el texto el martes 15) y el Senado (que hizo lo propio el miércoles 16). Sarkozy defendió las acciones del Gobierno y explicó por qué, en su opinión, la ley debía ser aprobada. Como el ministro es el jefe de la UMP, partido que ostenta la mayoría en ambas cámaras, era bastante seguro que la ley sería aprobada.

Sarkozy agregó que en los próximos meses, las CRS (división antidisturbios de la Policía) y la gendarmería móvil operarían a diario en suburbios difíciles. Fuera de eso, sostuvo que la "policía de proximidad" establecida por los anteriores gobiernos de izquierda estaba demasiado preocupada de las actividades sociales como para arrestar delincuentes, y añadió que algunos de los disturbios fueron orquestados por narcotraficantes, gángsters y otros criminales para quedarse con zonas fuera del dominio de la ley.

El Partido Socialista se opuso a la ley afirmando que era excesiva. Algunos miembros de izquierda del Parlamento sostuvieron que emplear una ley aprobada en 1955 para aplastar los movimientos independentistas de Argelia contra hijos de inmigrantes argelinos era bastante insensible y propusieron, sin éxito, una enmienda para revocar la ley de 1955. Por otro lado, el político derechista y anti-inmigración Philippe de Villiers dijo que el Gobierno había sido muy indulgente y pidió el uso de la fuerza militar. Jean-Marie Le Pen, uno de los mayores y más persistentes opositores de la inmigración proveniente de los países musulmanes pobres, señaló que los eventos justificaban lo que él había estado diciendo.

Algunos miembros de la UMP de Sarkozy culparon a la poligamia de facto, practicada por algunos inmigrantes africanos, del fracaso de sus familias por criar y educar a sus hijos apropiadamente, y sugirieron un enfoque más restrictivo a la inmigración.

Sarkozy es uno de los posibles candidatos a las elecciones presidenciales del próximo año. Según las encuestas, su nivel de aprobación subió 11 puntos y alcanzó el 63% durante las revueltas, con lo que lidera dichos sondeos de opinión.


Francia: proroga dello stato d'emergenza 2005

Il parlamento francese ha approvato una legge che estende lo stato d'emergenza, decretato l'8 novembre dal presidente Jacques Chirac, per una durata di 3 mesi. Prima di questa modifica lo stato d'emergenza, basato su uno statuto del 1955, poteva durare al massimo 12 giorni.

Lo stato d'emergenza permette ai prefetti di proibire le manifestazioni e di regolamentare gli spostamenti della popolazione, coprifuoco compreso. Inoltre in alcune zone specificate dal governo, in cui sono avvenute recentemente le sommosse, le autorità locali possono chiudere bar e locali, sequestrare armi da fuoco e autorizzare perquisizioni all'interno di abitazioni con un semplice ordine amministrativo (normalmente le perquisizioni devono essere autorizzate dal giudice).

Il ministro degli interni Nicolas Sarkozy, leader del UMP il partito di maggioranza, ha difeso la legge come una misura di potenziamento della lotta al crimine. Prima della riunione dell'Assemblea Nazionale Francese, che ha approvato il testo il 15 novembre, e del Senato Francese, che lo ha approvato il giorno dopo, Sarkozy ha difeso le azioni del governo ed ha spiegato perché, a suo parere, la legge doveva essere votata.

Il ministro ha aggiunto che nei prossimi mesi i CRS, la polizia anti-sommossa, e la squadra mobile della Gendarmeria si muoveranno nelle periferie calde come polizia di quartiere. A suo giudizio la polizia di quartiere, istituita dal precedente governo di sinistra, era impegnata troppo verso le attività sociali e non abbastanza nell'arrestare i criminali. Concludendo ha dichiarato che alcune  sommosse sono state organizzate da trafficanti di droga, criminalità organizzata e non, per creare zone dove la giustizia non potesse arrivare.

Il partito socialista francese si è opposto alla legge, sostenendo che è una misura eccessiva. Alcuni parlamentari di sinistra hanno dichiarato che utilizzare una legge approvata nel 1955 per contrastare i movimenti indipendentisti algerini contro i figli degli immigranti algerini è insensibile e infruttuoso e hanno proposto l'abrogazione della legge stessa. Dalla parte opposta Philippe de Villiers, esponente di destra contrario all'immigrazione, ha commentato che finora il governo è stato troppo morbido e ha richiesto l'intervento militare. Jean-Marie-Marie Le Pen, altro politico contrario all'immigrazione da paesi mussulmani poveri, precisa che gli eventi hanno evidenziato ciò che da tempo sostiene riguardo l'immigrazione.

Membri del UMP hanno denunciato che la poligamia "di fatto" di alcuni immigranti africani disgrega le famiglie e non permette di crescere e istruire correttamente i figli. Hanno quindi suggerito un approccio più restrittivo all'immigrazione.

Nicolas Sarkozy è un probabile candidato per le elezioni presidenziali del 2007. Secondo i sondaggi, il consenso è balzato dall'11% al 63% durante gli ultimi eventi.


French police arrest two women wearing veils after burqa ban goes into effect

One day after France began enforcing a ban on the public wearing Islamic veils that cover the face, either a niqāb or a burqa, French police briefly detained two veiled women. The police later claimed that the women were arrested for taking part in an unauthorized protest, not because they were wearing veils.

The new law is hotly debated. The women were arrested while outside the famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and may now face fines of up to $217 (150 euros), community service and/or a citizenship course under the law.

While the ban covers the burqa and the niqāb, it does not include the hijab or the chador. The hijab is a veil that leaves the face visible while covering the hair and neck, and the chador covers only the body.

The law has stirred much debate, both in France and around the globe. Those who oppose the new law say it limits freedom of speech and freedom of religion, while supporters claim that women are degraded by wearing veils and the law is intended to empower those women, as well as increase public security.

The French government, in defense of the ban, said that it was necessary because wearing veils falls short of the living standards in France and and makes women be of an lower status in a country where everybody is considered equal.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has said that the ban is consistent with the national values of France. "The French Republic lives in a bare-headed fashion," he said in a statement published by a government newspaper.

The French government previously made efforts to accommodate Muslims in the country, including establishing a council dealing with the presence of Islam; however, according to Amer Sahar, a professor who studies the topic, some Muslims in the country say that they feel as though they are under assault by the government. She said that some are "resentful of the fact that they are not allowed to be both Muslim and French."

The French government is also concerned with women and children who are forced to veil themselves. It has said that such an action is "a new form of enslavement that the republic cannot accept on its soil." There is a fine of 30,000 euros (about $43,300) and a year in prison for forcing an adult to wear the niqāb or burqa. The fine is doubled for forcing a minor to wear the veils.

Activist Rachid Nekkaz auctioned one of his homes to provide money to pay the fine for any woman arrested under the law. "I would like to send a clear message to President Nicolas Sarkozy that we can do what we want. We have rules. We have a constitution and everyone has to respect it," he said.

According to the French Constitutional Council, the law "conforms to the Constitution" because it does not limit the freedom of religion or excessively punish people for exercising that right in a place of worship.


Прва привођења због бурки

11. април 2011.Париз/ Француска  (Beta-AFP) - Француска полиција у понедељак је у Паризу привела две жене које су своја лица покриле никабом и више активиста због учешћа на непријављеном протесту, првог дана примене закона о забрани покривања лица исламском марамом.

Полицијски званичник задужен за одржавање јавног реда Алексис Марсан изјавио је да су две жене и активисти приведени због учешћа на скупу који није пријављен, а не због новог закона.

У Авињону је једна млада активисткиња у знак протеста због новог закона ушла у воз покривена никабом како би скренула пажњу на „кршење њених права“.

„Путујем јер сам позвана да учествујем у једној телевизијској емисији, а данас је истовремено 11. април када на снагу ступа закон о забрани ношења мараме“, рекла је 32-огодишња Кенза Дридер која волонтира у једној невладиној организацији.

„Тај закон крши моја европска права, а ја их само штитим : то значи слободу кретања и слободу вероисповести“, рекла је она окружена неколицином новинара на железничкој станици у Авињону где је намеравала да се укрца у воз за Париз.


French police ban public meetings and increase security measures in Paris

The Prefect of Police of Paris has banned public meetings in Paris, fearing violence in the French capital this holiday weekend, which marks the 87th anniversary of the end of World War I. Police remained on alert throughout the weekend, with some 12,000 security officers deployed around the country.

After more than a fortnight of civil unrest in France, police imposed the temporary public meeting ban in response to Internet and text messages calling for violent action in the French capital. The government has declared a state of emergency in Paris and 30 other areas to help quell the unrest.

Today, Sunday 13 November, French authorities have reported less urban violence - despite fears of a rampage that prompted thousands of police to fan out at high-profile targets such as the Eiffel Tower. Across the country, the situation appears calmer. Rioting, car-burnings and arson attacks appear to be waning.

Nationwide, 374 cars were torched on Saturday night, down from 502 on the evening of November 11, police said today. About 100 vehicles go up in flames in France on a typical Saturday night.

National Police Chief Michel said there had been a "major lull" in the rioting on the 17th night of urban violence. If the calm continues, "things could return to normal very quickly," he said at a news conference on Sunday. Night curfews are still in force in several areas. Mr Gaudin said there was a "downward trend" in the incidence of violence "with some resistance in the Paris region. This weekend we will exercise extra vigilance in the Paris region."

On Thursday, President Jacques Chirac acknowledged that France had "undeniable problems" in poor city areas and must respond effectively. "Whatever our origins we are all the children of the Republic and we can all expect the same rights," he said.

Surveillance has been stepped up on suburban transport, petrol sales in small quantities have also been banned.

Mr Chirac defended his use of state-of-emergency legislation, and said the priority was still to restore order. The state of emergency, adopted on Wednesday and renewable after 12 days, allows French authorities to impose curfews in designated areas, ban public meetings, search for weapons without a warrant and issue house-arrest orders.

Some 7,500 cars and dozens of buildings including schools and businesses have been torched since the violence began. 2,350 people have been arrested and 358 have recieived prison sentences.

The recent unrest erupted on October 27 following the deaths of two teenagers electrocuted while hiding from police in an electrical sub-station.


Francia autoriza aplicar el toque de queda

El consejo de ministros francés ha autorizado a los alcaldes de las localidades afectadas por las violentas protestas, que comenzaron el pasado 26 de octubre en los suburbios de París, a implantar el toque de queda de ser necesario para mantener el orden. Dicha medida se podrá aplicar desde "las 00.00 horas del miércoles", según declaró el portavoz del gobierno, respaldado por el ministro del Interior Nicolas Sarkozy.

El toque de queda, contemplado en una vieja ley de abril de 1955 sancionada durante la Guerra de Independencia de Argelia y nunca antes aplicada en la Francia continental, refrenda una decisión del primer ministro Dominique de Villepin, anunciada la noche del lunes.

De Villepin se dirigió en estos términos a la Cámara de Representantes tras conocer la aprobación de la medida:

Las protestas, que completan doce días, dejaron la primera víctima fatal este fin de semana, un hombre de 61 años llamado Jean-Jacques Le Chenadec, quien recibió golpes de uno de los manifestantes y estuvo en estado de coma durante algunas horas. Casi 1.200 vehículos han sido quemados la noche del martes y los disturbios, que comenzaron en el suburbio parisino de Clichy-sous-Bois, se han extendido por otros sectores de París, por las ciudades de Toulouse, Estrasburgo y Lille, así como por las ciudades belga de Bruselas y Lieja. Más de 300 personas fueron arrestadas este martes. En total, ya son 9.500 los hombres movilizados para mantener el orden, entre los cuales se cuentan 1.500 reservistas convocados en las últimas horas por el presidente Jacques Chirac.

Amiens ha sido la primera ciudad en anunciar la adopción del toque de queda. Según el madrileño El Mundo, desde el miércoles por la noche los menores de 16 años no podrán permanecer en la calle solos. Para evitar la fabricación de bombas molotov, tampoco podrán comprar gasolina.

Fuera de las medidas de orden público, el Consejo de Ministros ha anunciado una serie de planes para enfrentar los problemas sociales que, en buena medida, provocaron las manifestaciones y los posteriores disturbios:


French teacher returns home after being held in Iran for ten months

24-year-old Clotilde Reiss, a French teaching assistant who had been detained in Iran for ten months, returned to France Sunday.

Iranian officials arrested Reiss as she was about to leave the country on July 1, 2009. The arrest came after she had attended a protest regarding the country's elections, with the officials calling her a foreign spy. Reiss was in Iran for a five-month teaching position in Isfahan, and was later sent from Tehran's Evin Prison to the French Embassy on bail. During the trial, which included over 100 others thought to be trying to cause a coup, she pleaded not guilty and said that she only went to the protest because she was curious. Reiss was originally given two five-year sentences of jail time for spying and provoking unrest, but the sentence was reduced to a 300 billion IRR fine, or about USD300,000. Reiss' lawyer said that the money was given on Saturday, freeing the young academic.

Reiss landed at Vélizy – Villacoublay Air Base Sunday afternoon. She met French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Élysée Palace in Paris shortly after. Sarkozy later released a statement thanking the presidents of Brazil, Senegal, and Syria for aiding in Reiss' return, but did not elaborate on the role each played.

The governments of both France and Iran have denied rumors that Reiss' freedom was part of a deal involving two Iranians in France. One of the two, Majid Kakavand, was released a couple of weeks ago after France refused on May 5 to extradite him to the U.S. The other, Ali Vakili Rad, will likely receive parole and return to Iran later today. Kakavand had supposedly tried to give U.S. goods to the Iranian military, while Rad was responsible for the assassination of former Iranian Prime Minister Shahpour Bakhtiar in 1991.


France : interrogations autour de la libération de Clotilde Reiss

Après l'annonce de la libération de Mme Clotilde Reiss par les autorités iraniennes, de nombreuses interrogations ont vu le jour. Clotilde Reiss avait été condamnée par l'Iran pour avoir participé aux événements de juin 2009 ainsi que pour espionnage. Elle avait passé six semaines en détention avant de passer le reste du temps en séjournant à l'ambassade de France à Téhéran. La peine de dix années d'emprisonnement avait été commuée en une amende de 300 000 USD. Par la suite, deux événements judiciaires majeurs ont attiré l'attention de la presse. Ceux-ci laissent supposer de la part des médias français et de l'opposition des tractations secrètes entre la France et l'Iran.

La première affaire concerne le refus de la France d'extrader vers les États-Unis l'ingénieur iranien Majid Kakavand sur décision de la cour d'appel de Paris du 5 mai dernier. Il avait été arrêté à sa descente d'avion à Paris à la suite d'un mandat d'arrêt international. Le FBI lui reproche l'achat de matériel électronique « sensible » au profit de firmes militaire impliquées dans l'élaboration de l'arme nucléaire. Il achetait ce matériel par Internet qu'il acheminait en Iran en transitant par une société-écran implantée en Malaisie, pays non soumis à embargo. La justice outre-atlantique le soupçonne également de blanchiment d'argent. Le matériel en question portait sur des condensateurs, des résistances, des connecteurs, des réflectomètres et des capteurs de pression. Les Américains considèrent que ces équipements sont à double usage, notamment à des fins militaires. L'amiral Jean-Louis Barbier, expert en armement, n'avait pas suivi l'analyse américaine : « Ce qu'il importait était à double usage au même titre qu'un commutateur ou d'un câble peuvent l'être, mais rien de plus ». « Si cela est à double usage, tout le reste l'est », avait-il confié à la presse.

Le parquet s'était opposé à l'extradition, estimant que de tels achats ne constituaient pas des infractions au regard de sa législation, et que l'équipement en question n'était pas du matériel militaire par nature. Ni les États-Unis, ni la France, ni l'Union européenne ne sont soumis à un embargo de commerce général vis-à-vis de l'Iran, avait relevé le ministère public.

Ce refus français avait suscité l'incompréhension de la part des autorités américaines. Celles-ci ont réitéré leur volonté de parvenir à l'arrestation de Majid Kakavand et de le juger. Comme le constate le The New York Times, l'une des sociétés achetées par Kakavand, l'Iran Electronics Industry, figure sur la liste noire de l'UE depuis juin 2008. Une autre de ses sociétés, Iran Communications Industry, spécialisée dans l'équipement de communication civile et militaire, a été ajoutée à cette liste.

Le deuxième acte consiste en la libération Ali Vakili Rad, condamné pour l'assassinat, en 1991, à Suresnes, de l'ancien Premier ministre iranien Shapour Bakhtiar. En 1994, la perpétuité avait été prononcée avec une peine de sûreté de 18 ans. Le parquet, chose rarissime en matière de terrorisme, a donné un avis favorable pour une telle libération. Trois heures après le jugement du tribunal d'application des peine, Rad a été expulsé vers son pays d'origine. Le ministre de l'Intérieur Brice Hortefeux avait déjà signé l'arrêté d'expulsion lundi. Ainsi, l'intéressé n'a donc pas effectué pas la peine de sûreté décidée par la cour d'assise.

C'est ce que ne manque pas de relever le Los Angeles Times dans son édition du 17 mai 2010. Jacqueline Shire, analyste à l'Institute for Science and International Security, évoque aussi le cas deux ressortissants américains détenus en Iran, égratignant au passage l'attitude française. Shane Bauer et Joshua Fattal, ayant tous deux 27 ans, et Sarah Shourd, 31 ans, ont été appréhendés par les autorités iraniennes après s'être égarés lors d'une randonnée dans le nord du pays. Ils ont été accusés, par la suite, d'espionnage. « Les États-Unis, à la différence de la France, ne sont pas prédisposés à marchander, et ils [les trois personnes retenues] n'ont pas le confort du séjour en ambassade en attendant que leurs cas soient résolus ».

Me Sorin Margulis, avocat d'Ali Vakili Rad, a démenti tout marchandage entre Téhéran et Paris. « Aucun rapport de main tendue entre cette mesure de libération conditionnelle et la libération de Mme Reiss », a-t-il affirmé à la presse. Cette dernière garde en mémoire les précédents judiciaires, dont la grâce présidentielle de François Mitterrand en faveur du Libanais Anis Naccache, auteur d'une tentative d'attentat contre Shapour Bakhtiar en 1980. Le Quai d'Orsay a également réfuté toute tractation entre Paris et Téhéran.

En 1987, Wahid Gordji, soupçonné d'avoir fomenté des attentats en France, était reparti en Iran, ce qui avait suscité un tempête politique. À l'époque, Jacques Chirac était Premier ministre, et Charles Pasqua ministre de l'Intérieur.

La majorité présidentielle s'est félicité de la libération de Clotilde Reiss. « C'est un grand moment de satisfaction nationale », se réjouit Frédéric Lefebvre, porte-parole de l'UMP. Excluant tout compromis entre la France et le régime islamique d'Iran, il a manifesté son indignation contre l'opposition. « Je regrette que certains, par esprit de polémique permanente, veuillent empêcher ce moment de consensus national », a-t-il ajouté. « On ne joue pas avec les vies humaines », a-t-il lancé au parti socialiste.

Si Benoît Hamon, porte-parole du PS, s'est réjoui de la libération de la Française, il doute sur les conditions dans lesquelles elle est survenue. « On peut s'interroger sur les contreparties qui ont été négociées, surtout quand le gouvernement se met dans la posture de ne jamais rien négocier », lit-on dans un communiqué de presse du parti. Et de lancer une pique à l'encontre de l'exécutif : « le gouvernement a l'habitude de maquiller et se dissimuler derrière une communication tout à son avantage. Il y a cependant des négociations que tout État est amené à faire qui méritent d'être plus transparentes qu'elles ne le sont aujourd'hui ».

Cécile Duflot, pour Les Verts, a déclaré n'être « pas naïve », considérant que le gouvernement sous-estime l'intelligence du public. Il n'y a rien pire de « prétendre, avec un petit sourire en sachant… d'affirmer que c'est faux ». « Le gouvernement de Nicolas Sarkozy devrait être transparent dans l'explication des faits face à l'opinion publique », a-t-elle ajouté.

La réaction le plus inattendue vient du président sénégalais Abdoulaye Wade, président de l'OCI[1]. Selon le chef d'État africain, il serait survenu personnellement auprès du président iranien Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. « À l'occasion d'une visite à Téhéran, j'ai parlé au président Ahmadinejad. Je lui ai suggéré de libérer Clotilde Reiss, qui avait été arrêtée en 2009, et il m'avait donné son accord. Je lui avais conseillé de le faire pour des raisons humanitaires et que cela aurait une très grande portée ». Il aurait obtenu l'accord de principe de l'intéressé, puis informé Nicolas Sarkozy de la situation. « Mais quelques jours après, j'ai été très étonné quand il [Nicolas Sarkozy] m'a appelé pour me dire : “Président Wade, on vous demande de laisser ce dossier de côté pour l'instant, parce qu'il se trouve que nous sommes sur une piste. Nous avons un contact extrêmement sérieux”. […] Mais, je suis arrivé à la conclusion que s'il n'y avait pas cette intervention de M. Parant, Clotilde Reiss serait libérée depuis six mois. Alors que j'avais monté, avec les Iraniens, un chronogramme extrêmement précis de la libération, il fallait simplement me laisser faire, et l'affaire serait terminée depuis très longtemps », poursuit-il. Cette déclaration intervient alors que les relations entre la famille Wade et André Parant, conseiller de M. Sarkozy, ne sont pas au beau fixe, le premier accusant donc l'autre d'avoir retardé de six mois la libération de Mme Reiss.


French woman admits to killing her eight infants

French prosecutors confirmed on Thursday that nursing assistant Dominique Cottrez killed her eight newborn infants and buried their remains.  Prosecutors called the case "non-standard... given the large number of newborns."

According to prosecutors, Cottrez, in her 40s, is heavy-set and she was able to hide her eight pregnancies. Cottrez did not want to visit a doctor for contraceptives nor did she want more children.

Cottrez admitted to strangling eight infants and hiding the remains in garbage bags. The killings occurred over a time span of several years, from 1989 to 2006 or 2007. Prosecutors charged her with "deliberate homicides of minors under the age of 15," which could cause Cottrez to serve a life sentence in prison.

New homeowners of the Cottrez's former house discovered bags with the remains of two infants. Investigators discovered an additional six children in the Cottrez's house in Villers-au-Tertre.

Cottrez's husband, Pierre-Marie Cottrez, was unaware of the killings.


Mulher francesa mata oito crianças

O Ministério Público francês confirmou nesta quinta-feira que Dominique Cottrez matou oito recém-nascidos e enterrou os seus restos mortais.

Cottrez admitiu estrangular oito bebês e esconder os restos mortais em sacos de lixo. As mortes ocorreram durante um período de tempo de vários anos, 1989-2006 ou 2007. Isso poderia causar Cottrez a servir uma sentença de prisão perpétua.

O novo proprietário de uma antiga casa do Cottrez descobriu sacos com os restos mortais de duas crianças.

O marido de Cottrez, Pierre-Marie Cottrez, não tinha conhecimento dos crimes.


Further arrest made in connection with shooting of Rhys Jones

A third teenager, a male aged 16, has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Rhys Jones two days ago in the Croxteth area of Liverpool. This most recent development follows the arrest and bailing of two teenagers on suspicion of murder yesterday. All those arrested so far have been local.

Merseyside Police have also today released more information about the killing. An abandoned bicycle has been found in an area "with a different postcode to the shooting", which is now being investigated. Officers also confirmed descriptions of the killer's firearm, with a police source saying: "The murder weapon is described variously by witnesses as a black handgun with a long barrel." The source went on to state that they "don't know what the motive was", stressing that "inquiries are ongoing and further arrests possible" and that the investigation is "at a very early stage".

Earlier in the day, there had been further calls for people with information surrounding the incident to come forward, including messages from Phil Neville and David Moyes, captain and manager of Everton F.C., the football club that Rhys supported. There will also be a minute's silence in memory of Rhys held ahead of Everton's game against Blackburn on Saturday, and players from both teams will wear black armbands.

The police have said they were disappointed with the current response from the public to appeals to identify the killer. Assistant Chief Constable Patricia Gallan said: "We need to get this killer off the street. Within this community people know who is responsible for this crime." She added, in a message aimed at the killer: "If you are responsible for this crime, come and tell us and hand yourself in." Merseyside Police have guaranteed the protection and anonymity of any witness who comes forward.


Más arrestos por el tiroteo de Rhys Jones

24 de agosto de 2007Liverpool, Inglaterra —

Un tercer adolescente, un joven de 16 años, fue arrestado en conexión al asesinato de Rhys Jones que ocurrió hace tres días en el área de Croxteth, Liverpool. Este hecho se presenta tras el arresto y pago de fianza de dos adolescentes sospechosos el día de ayer. Todos los arrestos han sido locales.

La Policía de Merseyside dio hoy más información sobre el asesinato. Una bicicleta abandonada fue encontrada en un área "con un código postal distinto al tiroteo", que está siendo investigado. Oficiales también confirmaron la descripción del arma del asesino: "El arma es descrita por varios testigos como una pistola negra con un barril largo". La fuente siguió diciendo que "no saben cuál fue el móvil", haciendo hincapié que los "interrogatorios continúan y más arrestos [son] posibles" y que la investigación está "en una etapa muy temprana".

Hoy más temprano, se pidió que cualquiera que sepa del incidente y que tenga información que la dé, incluyendo mensajes de Phil Neville y David Moyes, capitán y DT del Everton F.C., el equipo de fútbol por cual Rhys hinchaba. También habrá un minuto de silencio en memoria de Rhys en el partido de Everton contra Blackburn el sábado, y los jugadores de ambos equipos llevarán bandas negras en los brazos.

La policía dijo que estaban desilusionados con la respuesta del público luego de pedir ayuda para identificar al asesino. La Jefe de Policía asistente Patricia Gallan dijo: "Necesitamos sacar a este asesino de la calle. En esta comunidad se sabe quien es responsable del crimen.

"Si eres responsable del crimen, ven y dinos y entrégate", añadió después en un mensaje dirigido al asesino.

La Policía de Merseyside ha garantizado la protección y el anonimato de cualquier testigo que dé información.


Further details about Bush-Blair memo stopped

The U.K. attorney general Lord Goldsmith has warned British media that further reporting of details from an allegedly leaked memo about a dispute between Tony Blair and George Bush "could be in breach of section 5 of the Official Secrets Act." The Guardian quoted an unnamed Downing Street source as saying that the decision whether to prosecute was "entirely up to the attorney general", who intended to "draw a line in the sand" to stop further leaks.

Jeremy Dear, secretary of National Union of Journalists, called it "a heavy-handed attempt to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted. It is a double attack on the freedom of the press and freedom of information." Mr. Dear continued, "These sort of attempts to stifle uncomfortable revelations printed in a newspaper, which is only carrying out its proper duty to inform the British public, does the government of what is supposed to be a democracy no credit whatsoever."

According to The Guardian this "is believed to be the first time the Blair government has threatened newspapers in this way". The British government has before obtained court injunctions against newspapers, but never prosecuted editors for publishing contents of leaked documents.

Former British defence minister Peter Kilfoyle earlier called for the full text of the memo to be published. "I believe that Downing Street ought to publish this memo in the interests of transparency, given that much of the detail appears to be in the public domain". He added "If it was the case that President Bush wanted to bomb al-Jazeera in what is after all a friendly country, it speaks volumes and it raises questions about subsequent attacks that took place on the press that wasn't embedded with coalition forces."

Tuesday, the Daily Mirror, a British tabloid, ran a front page story under the headline "Bush plot to bomb his ally", citing the memo in question (see previous story). In response to the attorney general, the Daily Mirror said it had "essentially agreed to comply".  Boris Johnson, MP for Henley and editor of The Spectator magazine, has condemned the Attorney General's actions and offered to risk jail by printing the memo if he receives it within the next few days.

The Washington Post cited an unnamed senior Washington diplomat saying that the Bush remark as reported by the Daily Mirror "sounds like one of the president's one-liners that is meant as a joke." But, the diplomat said, "it was foolish for someone to write it down, and now it will be a story for days."

The meeting between Bush and Blair occurred on April 16, 2004, at the height of the US assault on Fallujah. According to some reports, al-Jazeera was the only major news organisation providing eyewitness reports and video footage from within the city at the time.

There is a history of enmity between senior U.S. officials and al-Jazeera. Vice President Dick Cheney has said that the network ran the risk of being labeled "Osama [bin Laden]'s outlet to the world", and Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld has called its coverage "outrageous" and "inexcusably biased".

Al-Jazeera's news bureau in Kabul was destroyed by a U.S. missile during the aerial assault on the Taliban. The Pentagon later stated it did not know that the network's offices were in the building.  Al-Jazeera's Baghdad bureau was also hit by US forces, resulting in the death of an al-Jazeera journalist during the April 2003 assault on Baghdad.  The Pentagon claimed U.S. troops were responding to enemy fire from the building.


Blair droht Medien rechtliche Schritte an

London (Vereinigtes Königreich), 24.11.2005 – Die britische Boulevardzeitung „The Daily Mirror“ veröffentlichte gestern, dass Tony Blair in einem vertraulichen Telefongespräch George W. Bush das Vorhaben, Einrichtungen des Senders Al-Dschasira zu bombardieren, ausgeredet habe. Laut Aussage des Blattes konnte die Äußerung von Bush auch scherzhaft gewesen sein.

Nun hat Generalstaatsanwalt Lord Goldsmith dem Blatt untersagt, weitere Veröffentlichungen aus dem vertraulichen Telefongespräch zu machen, sonst werde er rechtliche Schritte einleiten. Des Weiteren sind zwei britische Beamte angeklagt, gegen das strenge britische Geheimhaltungsgesetz verstoßen zu haben, indem sie eine Aufzeichnung des Gespräches im Mai 2004 an den Labour-Hinterbänkler Tony Clark weitergaben. Al-Dschasira hingegen fordert eine Aufklärung der Vorwürfe, da wirklich Studios des Senders durch amerikanische Bomben getroffen wurden. Die US-Regierung habe zwar ihre Unschuld beteuert, jedoch stehen die Treffer durch dieses Memo in einem ganz anderen Licht da.


Crece polémica por presunto plan de Bush de bombardear Al-Yazira

El director general del canal de noticias en árabe Al-Yazira exige que el primer ministro británico Tony Blair entregue un memorándum en que según revelaron medios de comunicación británicos se reportan los detalles de una conversación entre George Bush y Tony Blair en la cual discutían la posibilidad de bombardear las instalaciones de Al-Yazira en Qatar.

Cuando partes del memorándum fueron hechos públicos por el periódico Daily Mirror de Londres el pasado martes 22 de noviembre, el gobierno británico invocó el Acta de Secretos Oficiales (Official Secrets Act en inglés) para impedir que el resto de la transcripción se hiciera pública. Al invocar el acta, el fiscal general británico Peter Goldsmith, advirtió que revelar secretos oficiales es ilegal y que infringir el acta acarrea severas penas.

Miembros del parlamento británico del partido laborista, al que Blair pertenece, también han pedido en una moción que el memorándum, clasificado como secreto, se publique en su totalidad.

Las oficinas de Al-Yazira en Kabul y Bagdad fueron bombardeadas por la fuerza aérea de los Estados Unidos en el 2001 y el 2003 respectivamente, pero el Pentágono afirma que estos hechos fueron accidentales.


Блэр угрожает судом газете

Британская бульварная газета «The Daily Mirror» опубликовала вчера, что Тони Блэр в доверительном телефонном разговоре с Джорджем Бушем предложил разбомбить передающие центры арабской телевизионной компании «Аль-Джазира». Правда, при этом оговаривается, что это высказывание могло быть шуткой.

Генеральный прокурор Лорд Голдсмит (Goldsmith) вмешался и запретил дальнейшее опубликование деталей из этого телефонного разговора, в противном случае будут предприняты шаги, предусмотренные законом.

Джереми Дер (Jeremy Dear), секретарь национального союза журналистов, заявил: «Это  попытка силой закрыть дверь после того, как лошади уже убежали. Это против принципов свободы прессы и свободы информации». Джереми Дер продолжал: «Это попытки запретить неудобные публикации в газете, которая только выполняет свои обязанности — информировать британское общество. Нам нужно свободное и открытое обсуждение и политический диалог по важным проблемам, но не паническая реакция типа коленного рефлекса».

Британское правительство и прежде добивалось судебных запретов на публикации, но дела против газет, за публикацию, просочившихся в прессу, секретных документов,  никогда не доходили до суда.

Бывший британский министр обороны Питер Килфойл (Peter Kilfoyle) считает, что должен быть опубликован полный текст разговора. «Я полагаю, что Даунинг-стрит должна опубликовать весь разговор в интересах прозрачности, так как большая часть деталей, кажется, доступны общественности».

Два британских служащих были обвинены в нарушении закона о сохранении тайны, за то, что они в мае 2004 года передали запись телефонного разговора члену Британского парламента — лейбористу Тони Кларку (Tony Clark).

«Аль-Джазира» требует разъяснений по этому поводу, так как её студии были действительно поражены американскими бомбами. Правительство США принесло за это извинения, но, после публикации, дело выглядит несколько иначе.

24 ноября 2005 года


Gambian magistrate to acquit all people detained without charge for 72 hours

Ayoub John Njie, a magistrate in Brikama, Gambia, has said that he will acquit all people detained for 72 hours without charge, due to the fact that he believes detention for more than three days is unconstitutional.

Section 19 (1) of the Gambian constitution says that "no one shall be subject to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his or her liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedures as established by law." Njie stated that he believes that detention for over 72 hours is depriving someone of their liberty without sending the person through the "procedures as established by law."

Njie, who works at Brikama Magistrates Court, said that "I stand for justice and I also stand to assist the government for justice to prevail.

The incident started when Dida Halake, former managing director of the Daily Observer was acquitted on these grounds, and these statement by the judge were made in the case of Amadou Kah, who is accused of stealing goats.


שופט גמבי יזכה כל עציר שלא יואשם בתוך 72 שעות

איוב ג'ון נג'י, שופט בבריקאמה אשר בגמביה, אמר כי הוא יזכה את כל האנשים שיוחזקו במעצר למשך 72 שעות בלא שיוגש נגדם כתב אישום, לאור העובדה שהוא מאמין כי מעצר ליותר משלושה ימים אינו-חוקתי.

פסקה 19 (1) בחוקה הגמבית אומרת כי "איש לא יהיה נתון לעיכוב או מעצר שרירותי. מאיש לא תשלל חירותו אלא בנסיבות ובהסדרים הקבועים על-פי חוק." נג'י הצהיר כי הוא מאמין שמעצר של למעלה משבעים ושתיים שעות שולל מבן-האדם את חירותו וזאת מבלי לטפל בו באמצעות "ההליכים הקבועים בחוק."

נג'י, המכהן בבית המשפט המחוזי בבריקאמה, אמר כי "אני תומך בצדק ודוגל גם בסיוע לממשלה על-מנת שהצדק יגבר."

האירוע החל כאשר דידה האלאקה, לשעבר המנהל האדמיניסטרטיבי של הדיילי אובזרבר, זוכה בנסיבות שכאלה, והצהרות אלה שמסר השופט ניתנו בדיון בעניינו של אמאדו קאה, הנאשם בעבירה של גניבת עיזים.


Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 pilot forced to resign

The pilot of the Boeing 737 which crashed on March 7 upon landing at Yogyakarta Airport after a domestic Indonesian flight, has been forced by his airline to resign. The crash of Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 killed twenty-one people, most being Indonesian nationals and five being Australians, following a visit by then Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

Garuda sent the pilot, Marwoto Komar, an ultimatum requesting his resignation with which he complied. Had he failed to do so, his employment would have been terminated. The news coincides with police officials forwarding to prosecutors some documents recommending that Komar be charged with negligent manslaughter over the crash, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years imprisonment.

The final report into the disaster found that Mr Komar ignored fifteen activations of the Ground Proximity Warning System informing him he was attempting to land too fast. After touching down at double the maximum safe speed, the aircraft overshot the runway and caught fire.

Kamal Firdaus, legal representative of Mr Komar, said "We regret Garuda so soon giving Marwoto the option of being fired or resigning."

Mr Komar was arrested early this month, but was subsequently released on bail on February 15. He is thought to be the first pilot to face prosecution for an aviation accident or incident in Indonesia.


Pilot des Flugs Garuda Indonesia 200 zur Kündigung gezwungen

Yogyakarta (Indonesien), 29.02.2008 – Der Pilot der Boeing 737, die am 7. März 2007 bei der Landung auf dem Flughafen Yogjakarta abgestürzt war, wurde von seiner Fluggesellschaft zur Kündigung gezwungen. Beim Absturz des Flugs 200 der Fluggesellschaft Garuda Indonesia kamen 21 Menschen ums Leben. Die meisten waren indonesische Staatsangehörige, fünf Passagiere kamen aus Australien, die einer Besuchsreise des australischen Außenministers Alexander Downer gefolgt waren.

Garuda stellte dem Piloten Marwoto Komar ein Ultimatum und forderte seine Kündigung. Dieser Forderung kam er schließlich nach. Hätte er dies nicht getan, wäre er von der Fluggesellschaft entlassen worden. Die Nachricht erfolgte zeitgleich mit der Meldung, dass Polizei- und Zollbeamte Dokumente an Staatsanwälte weitergeleitet haben. Darin ist die Empfehlung gegeben worden, Komar wegen fahrlässiger Tötung durch den Absturz zu verurteilen. Die Höchststrafe dafür beträgt sieben Jahre Gefängnis.

Der Abschlussbericht zur Flugzeug-Katastrophe führt auf, dass Komar 15 Warnungen des Ground Proximity Warning Systems ignoriert hat, die ihn informieren sollten, dass er mit einer zu hohen Geschwindigkeit zur Landung ansetzte. Das Flugzeug setzte letztendlich mit der doppelten der für eine sichere Landung maximal zulässigen Geschwindigkeit auf dem Boden auf. Das Flugzeug schoss in Folge dessen über die Landebahn hinaus und fing Feuer.

Kamal Firdaus, ein Rechtsvertreter von Herrn Komar, sagte: „Wir bedauern, dass Garuda Marwoto so schnell vor die Wahl gestellt hat, gefeuert zu werden oder selbst zu kündigen.“

Komar wurde Anfang dieses Monats verhaftet, aber am 15. Februar auf Kaution wieder freigelassen. Er gilt als der erste Pilot, der sich für einem Unfall oder Zwischenfall in der Luftfahrt in Indonesien strafrechtlich verantworten muss.

Dieser Artikel basiert auf einer Übersetzung des Artikels Garuda Indonesia Flight 200 pilot forced to resign der englischsprachigen Wikinews vom 28.02.2008.


Gas explosion flattens Mexico City maternity hospital

An explosion on Thursday morning destroyed a state maternity hospital in Mexico City, Mexico. A nurse and two babies are dead.

Initially reports placed the fatalities at seven. Local officials including Mexico City Health Secretary Armando Ahued and Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera have since revised the figure downwards. Over 70 people including 20 infants are wounded. Around 100 people were in the building at the time.

The explosion occurred as a truck was resupplying the hospital's gas tanks, and a leak developed in the supply hose. Driver Julio César Martínez and assistants Carlos Chavez and Salvador Alatorre have been arrested. Chavez and Alatorre spent around fifteen minutes attempting to stem the leak, to no avail. All three are amongst the injured.

Firefighters and federal police entered the ruins to recover trapped survivors. Victims' relatives, and other bystanders, gathered at police cordons around the scene. "I am still a little bit in shock. It was a nightmare," said nurse Ivonne Lugo Durantes.

Durantes was rescued after ten minutes trapped beneath debris. She has first degree burns but is "grateful to have another chance to keep living, to keep working as a nurse." She witnessed other staff rescuing babies amid a conflagration.

New father Jose Eduardo told reporters his wife ran barefoot with their baby to escape. Eduardo said some escaped nude. Witnesses around the hospital reported a strong smell of gas, a large explosion, and flying debris. Ambulances and helicopters were used to evacuate casualties.

President Enrique Pena Nieto and Pope Francis both took to Twitter to express support for the victims.


Explosão de gás atinge maternidade em Cidade do México

Uma explosão na quinta-feira de manhã destruiu uma maternidade estado na Cidade do México, México. A enfermeira e dois bebês estão mortos.

Inicialmente, era relatado para sete fatalidades. As autoridades locais, incluindo o secretário de Saúde da Cidade do México, Armando Ahued e o prefeito Miguel Angel Mancera, desde então, revistaram quantidade para baixo. Mais de 70 pessoas, incluindo 20 crianças estão feridas. Cerca de 100 pessoas estavam no edifício no momento.

A explosão ocorreu quando um caminhão era reabastecimento tanques de gás do hospital e ocorreu um vazamento na mangueira de alimentação. O motorista Julio César Martínez e os assistentes Carlos Chavez e Salvador Alatorre foram presos. Chavez e Alatorre gastou cerca de 15 minutos tentando conter o vazamento, sem sucesso. Todos os três estão entre os feridos.

Bombeiros e policiais federais entraram nas ruínas para recuperar sobreviventes soterrados. Parentes das vítimas e outros transeuntes, reuniram-se na cordões policiais ao redor da cena. "Eu ainda estou um pouco em choque. Foi um pesadelo", disse a enfermeira Ivonne Lugo Durantes.

Durantes foi resgatada depois de dez minutos presa embaixo dos detritos. Ela tem queimaduras de primeiro grau, mas é "grato por ter outra chance de continuar a viver, de continuar a trabalhar como enfermeira." Ela testemunhou outros bebês pessoal resgatando em meio a uma conflagração.

O pai José Eduardo disse aos jornalistas sua esposa correu descalço com seu bebê para escapar. Eduardo disse que alguns escaparam nus. Testemunhas em todo o hospital informou um forte cheiro de gás, uma grande explosão e destroços voando. Ambulâncias e helicópteros foram usados para evacuar as vítimas.

Presidente Enrique Peña Nieto e o Papa Francisco ambos foram para o Twitter para expressar apoio às vítimas.


Gasoline pipeline explosion in Nigeria kills hundreds

Reports say that hundreds of people are dead after a gasoline pipeline exploded in the northern suburbs of Lagos, Nigeria on Tuesday.

"Some of the bodies were so burnt that it would be difficult to recognize them as those of human beings," said one Red Cross official, Kingsley Amori.

The Red Cross says that many of the victims can only be identified by looking at the remains of their skulls. Estimates suggest that 200-900 people were killed, and another 60 people received medical treatment.

"The bodies are scattered over the ground. We can't get close enough because the fire is still burning. We cannot confirm how many hundreds were killed." said secretary-general of the Nigerian Red Cross, Ige Oladimeji.

The explosion is believed to have been caused by vandalization in the pipeline. Reports say that thieves used a drill to punch a hole in the pipeline in order to steal gasoline, which is sold on the black market.

Fuel was being pumped into the pipes to be distributed for consumer use when it exploded. The pipeline is operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, which is owned by the State of Nigeria. Workers have stopped pumping fuel through the pipelines.


Viele Tote bei Explosion einer Treibstoff-Pipeline in Nigeria

Lagos (Nigeria), 28.12.2006 – Bei der Explosion einer Treibstoff-Pipeline, die von der staatliche Gesellschaft „Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation“ betrieben wird, sind vorgestern viele Menschen ums Leben gekommen. Das Rote Kreuz berichtete zu diesem Zeitpunkt von etwa 200 Toten, deren Zahl aber gemäß Ige Oladimeji vom nigerianischen Roten Kreuz noch steigen könnte. Der Unglücksort befindet sich in Abule Egba, einem mit vielen Menschen besiedelten Wohnort bei der nigerianischen Hafenstadt Lagos. Augenzeugen berichteten, an besagter Stelle hätten unzählige bis zur Unkenntlichkeit verkohlte Leichen gelegen. 60 Menschen seien mit starken Verbrennungen in Krankenhäuser eingeliefert worden.

Die Unglücksursache könnte das Wirken von Treibstoffdieben gewesen sein, die nachts die Leitung angezapft hätten. Noch Stunden nach dem Unglück waren über dem Wohnort dichte Rauchwolken zu sehen.

In der Vergangenheit war es bereits mehrfach zu solchen Unfällen gekommen. Im Mai 2006 kamen bei einem ähnlichen Vorfall 200 Menschen ums Leben.


ナイジェリアで石油パイプライン爆発、死者300人近くに

ロイターなどによると、ナイジェリアの最大都市ラゴスで現地時間26日（UTC+2）石油パイプラインが爆発し、ナイジェリア赤十字社によれば269人が死亡した。死者は今後さらに増えると見られている。

Playfulsによれば、爆発により60件の家と約50台の車も被害を受けた。また、死者は850人以上との情報もある。爆発があった地区では、25日夜にパイプラインに穴が開けられ、5台の車が約15万リットルの石油を盗んだ後、多数の人々が残った石油を盗んでいたことが分かっている。その後早朝ごろに大規模な爆発があったという。付近の住宅に燃え広がったため、寝ていた住民の多くが死亡した。

ナイジェリアでは数週間前から石油が供給不足となっており、国営石油会社の燃料補給所に長い列ができることがよくあったという。そのため、各地で同様の盗みが行われていたという。

同国はアフリカ最大の産油国であるが、ガソリンや軽油などの精製油は輸入に依存している。専門家によれば、ナイジェリアで産出される原油の5%は暴力団などの組織によって盗まれているという。

ナイジェリアでは、今年5月12日にもラゴスに近い漁村でパイプラインが爆発し、200人が死亡している。またPlayfulsによれば、過去10年間に同様の事故によって2,000人が死亡している。


Honderden doden na explosie Nigeria

In Abule Egba (en), een wijk van de Nigeriaanse stad Lagos, zijn vele honderden mensen omgekomen na een gigantische explosie. Dat heeft het Rode Kruis bevestigd. Berichten over het aantal doden lopen uiteen van 200 tot wel 900, volgens sommigen.

Dieven die brandstof uit een pijpleiding probeerde af te tappen, veroorzaakte de explosie die een enorme vuurzee tot gevolg had. De brand woedt nog steeds en hulpverleners zeggen dat veel lijken nog niet zijn geborgen waardoor het dodenaantal nog zal oplopen.

Veel van de slachtoffers lagen te slapen toen de ramp plaatsvond. Zo'n 10.000 mensen zijn naar de plaats van de ramp gekomen. "Mensen schreeuwen, huilen. Ze proberen met mensen te praten. Lichamen liggen verspreid over de grond en we kunnen ze niet herkennen," aldus Ige Oladimeji van het Rode Kruis.

Veel huizen zijn verwoest en een groot deel van de lokale inwoners is omgekomen of hebben ernstige brandwonden.

Een woordvoerder voor de politie in Lagos verzekerde mensen dat de toevoer van brandstof is gestopt om het vuur onder controle te kunnen brengen.

Sommige gewonden, minstens 60, zijn voor meer dan 70% verbrand en zijn opgenomen in ziekenhuizen. Niet minder dan 60 huizen en 52 auto's zijn verwoest.

Op 17 oktober 1998 kwamen in Nigeria meer dan 1000 mensen om het leven door een soortgelijk incident.


Eksplozja ropociągu - 260 zabitych

Ponad 260 osób zginęło w wyniku eksplozji rurociągu naftowego w Nigerii, ok. 300 osób jest rannych.


Gay marriage banned in three states; other ballot measures decided

2008 United States presidential election

Voters in California, Florida and Arizona voted on Tuesday to ban gay marriage, bringing about a victory for conservatives on a day which did not bring many conservative wins.

Meanwhile, voters in Colorado, South Dakota and California voted on measures which would have restricted abortion in those states. In Massachusetts and Michigan, voters passed measures that loosen marijuana laws. Finally, in the state of Washington a measure was passed that allows physician-assisted suicide.

The California ballot measure, Proposition 8, overturns the recent June ruling by the California State Supreme Court in the case In re Marriage Cases which reversed a 1977 statute passed by the California State Legislature and a 2000 ballot measure, Proposition 22, which also banned same-sex marriage by defining marriage as between a man and a woman. The wording of Proposition 8 is identical to Proposition 22. It was noted that many of the African-Americans and Latinos who cast their votes for Obama, also voted for the measure. The measure passed at 52% to 48%.

Lesbian comedian Ellen DeGeneres noted, "This morning, when it was clear that Proposition 8 had passed in California, I can’t explain the feeling I had. I was saddened beyond belief. Here we just had a giant step toward equality and then on the very next day, we took a giant step away."

Singer Melissa Etheridge, who is also a lesbian, stated that she would no longer pay taxes due to the passing of Proposition 8, announcing in a blog post, "Okay, so I am taking that to mean I do not have to pay my state taxes because I am not a full citizen."

Also in California, voters rejected a measure which would require parental notification for a minor to receive an abortion. The measure was rejected with the same percentage as Proposition 8, 52% to 48%. Meanwhile in Colorado, voters rejected a measure that would define life as beginning at conception. While the measure did not specifically mention abortion it would have required legislators and courts to confront legal rights for fetuses - effectively preventing abortion. The measure was defeated in a wide margin, 73% to 27%

In South Dakota, voters also defeated an anti-abortion measure which would have outlawed abortion in all cases except in the case of rape, incest or if the mother's health was in serious question. If passed, the law would most likely have been challenged as unconstitutional.

In Michigan, voters approved a measure which legalizes medical marijuana. Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, voters approved a ballot question that decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana in which the possession of an ounce or less would be punishable by a $100 fine. The measure will also require minors under the age 18 to participate in and complete a drug awareness program and do community service. Failure to do so, would net the minor a $1,000 fine.

"Tonight's results represent a sea change. Voters have spectacularly rejected eight years of the most intense government war on marijuana since the days of 'Reefer Madness,'" said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project. "The people were ahead of the politicians on this issue; they recognize and want a more sensible approach to our marijuana policy," said Whitney Taylor, the chair of Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, which backed the Massachusetts proposition.

Also, in Massachusetts, voters overwhelmingly, in every single Massachusetts city and town, rejected a ballot measure which would have eliminated the state income tax by 2010, the ballot measure was sponsored by the Committee for Small Government, which is headed up by two libertarians, Michael Cloud, a Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. Senate in 2002 and Carla Howell, Libertarian Party candidate for governor in the 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial election.

The last time the income tax elimination measure was on the ballot was in 2002, where it was defeated, narrowly by 45.3%. This stunned supporters of the income tax, who mounted a fierce campaign against the measure this time warning Massachusetts residents that repealing the income tax would have drastic effects on the state's finances, leading to cuts in services, education and local aid.

Finally, voters passed a question which bans dog racing in Massachusetts, which will lead to the closure of Massachusetts' two greyhound racing tracks, Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park and Wonderland Greyhound Park.

The campaign against dog racing was headed up by the Committee to Protect Dogs and endorsed by GREY2K USA and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals along with other animal protection organizations who claimed that dog racing was inhumane as the dogs were stuffed into cramped cages and endured injuries. The measure was opposed by the park owners including George Carney who owns the Rayham-Taunton park and Charles Sarkis, a restaurateur who owns Wonderland.

"We did it. We did it for the dogs," said Carey Thiel, executive director of GREY2K USA. "For 75 years, greyhounds in our state have endured terrible confinement and suffered serious injuries. We're better than that," Thiel added.

One campaign supporter,  Sandy Bigelow noted, "It means everything. We've worked so hard for the dogs and they heard us. It feels so good. Oh, God, it feels so good."

George Carney said of the results, "It's not a very pleasant thing right now. Some of these people have been here 40 years. Here's a company that did nothing wrong, paid their federal taxes on time, paid the town on time. The town is going to be a severe loser, and a lot of people here dedicated their life to the company."

Both sides used emotionally-charged advertisements, the anti-racing side showing “sad-eyed greyhounds,” while the pro-racing side highlighted the workers who would be out of work when the tracks close.

Both measures must now come before the Massachusetts Governor's Council for approval.

A ballot initiative approved by voters in the north-western state of Washington will make it the second state to permit physician-assisted suicide.
Initiative 1000 follows the ten-year-old example of the Death With Dignity Act of neighboring Oregon, and will allow physicians to prescribe a lethal dose of medication for a terminally ill patient to administer themselves.
It was approved by a margin of 16%, and the ‘Yes’ campaign outspent the ‘No’ campaign by more than three-to-one.  The law comes into effect in 2009.


California votó contra el matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo

7 de noviembre de 2008Washington, Estados Unidos —

Los votantes en California, Estados Unidos, aprobaron la Propuesta 8, que pone fin al derecho de matrimonio de la parejas del mismo sexo. Esto anuló la decisión de la Corte Suprema estatal, que hace algunos meses otorgó este derecho.

Las cifras indican que la enmienda fue aprobada por el 52% del electorado el martes pasado, coincidiendo con la elección presidencial. Ahora, más de 18.000 matrimonios entre homosexuales se encuentran preocupados por la validez de su unión.

"La angustia que nuestra comunidad siente a nivel nacional es abrumadora. Y no vamos a tomar esto en forma ligera y mucho menos nos vamos a retirar", dijo Robin Tyler, quien plantea luchar contra la Propuesta 8.

California es el primer estado en vetar el matrimonio gay después de haber sido legalizado. Esto ha traído como consecuencia que, en otros estados como Arizona y Florida se tomen las mismas medidas, mientras que en Arkansas, los electores votaron para que las parejas del mismo sexo no puedan adoptar ni albergar a menores.

Esto reduce el número de estados que permiten el matrimonio homosexual a sólo dos: Massachussets y Connecticut. Aún así, muchas parejas siguen solicitando licencia para casarse, aunque sólo algunas de ellan lo consiguen.


George Zimmerman found not guilty in Trayvon Martin case

George Zimmerman, a Florida man charged with the shooting of seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin, was found not guilty of second-degree murder late Saturday night following 16 hours of deliberation. The case has drawn national attention in the United States because of questions it raises over "stand your ground" self-defense laws.

Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012. Prosecutors argued that Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain, had pursued Martin on the basis of race, as Martin walked through Zimmerman's gated community on the way back from a convenience store. Zimmerman's lawyers argued Martin attacked Zimmerman who then shot Martin in self-defense after Martin punched him and repeatedly slammed Zimmerman's head against the sidewalk.

Following the decision to acquit, by a six member all-female jury, of both a second-degree murder and a manslaughter charge, Zimmerman's lawyer said: "I think the prosecution of George Zimmerman was disgraceful". On Twitter, Zimmerman's brother Robert said the decision made him "proud to be an American".

Tracy Martin, Trayvon's father, posted on Twitter to say "Even though I am broken hearted my faith is unshattered". Jahvaris Fulton, Trayvon Martin's brother, posted "Et tu, America?", alluding to the Shakespearean phrase "Et tu, Brute?"

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) have launched a petition calling on the US government to bring federal civil rights charges against Zimmerman. NAACP president Benjamin Jealous stated, "We are outraged and heartbroken over today's verdict. [...] We will pursue civil rights charges with the Department of Justice, we will continue to fight for the removal of Stand Your Ground laws in every state, and we will not rest until racial profiling in all its forms is outlawed."


У США суд присяжних виправдав чоловіка, який вбив чорношкірого підлітка

Суд американського штату Флорида виправдав патрульного Джорджа Ціммермана, який застрелив чорношкірого підлітка — 17-річного Трейвона Мартіна в лютому 2012 року.

Долю Ціммермана вирішував суд присяжних міста Сенфорд, що складався з шести жінок різних рас і різного віку. Адвокати 29-річного Ціммермана, звинуваченого в ненавмисному вбивстві, зуміли переконати присяжних у тому, що їхній підзахисний діяв у рамках дозволеної законом самооборони. Захисники спиралися на місцевий закон Флориди, який дозволяє застосовувати зброю, якщо, на думку людини, їй загрожує небезпека. Присяжні провели в нарадчій кімнаті більше 16 годин і повідомили судді, що Ціммерман не винен у ненавмисному вбивстві. Він був звільнений у залі суду, до якого були стягнуті посилені наряди поліції.

Після рішення суду про визнання Ціммермана невинним, його адвокат Марк О'Мара в інтерв'ю повідомив пресі, що сподівається на повагу до суду і до його вердикту з боку всіх, хто стежив за цим процесом. Він пояснив, що багатьом буде важко погодитися з виправдальним вироком, і що на адресу його підзахисного лунають погрози реваншу.

Адвокат сім'ї вбитого також закликав до спокою всіх, хто в цій справі зайняв сторону потерпілих. Сторона звинувачення висловлювала переконання, що підсудний неодноразово давав неправдиві свідчення. У березні 2013 року, коментуючи подію, президент США Барак Обама сказав:

Цей випадок дав поштовх широким дебатам щодо расової терпимості у США, а виправдальний вирок суду викликав цілу хвилю протестів. Марші вже пройшли у низці міст США: Сан-Франциско, Філадельфії, Чикаго, Вашингтоні, Атланті, Далласі.


齐默曼枪击马丁被认定无罪

美国佛罗里达州的一个陪审团裁决说，枪击嫌疑人齐默尔曼去年开枪打死黑人青少年马丁没有构成谋杀或是杀人罪。

在这个具有强烈种族意识的司法程序中，由6名女性组成的陪审团星期六晚间认定针对有部分拉美人血统的齐默尔曼的所有指控都不能成立。 马丁的支持者指控齐默尔曼对17岁的马丁进行种族判定，因为他是黑人。

在做出这个裁决之后，马丁的支持者，包括他的家人，立即利用社交媒体表达他们对这个判决的不满。 法院外面的一群人和平的抗议这个结果。 在庭审举行的桑福德镇，当局加强了警力，以应对马丁和齐默尔曼的支持者之间可能爆发的冲突。

民权领袖杰克逊和夏普顿在推特上呼吁人们保持冷静和发挥建设性作用。

2012年2月26日，齐默尔曼在他的社区里开车的时候看到17岁的马丁并向警察报案。 身为义务社区监察员的齐默尔曼下车之后并跟随在马丁之后。 随后两人发生对峙和打斗，最后以齐默尔曼开枪打死马丁告终。

在齐默尔曼开枪打死马丁之后的六个多星期他的人身自由没有受到任何限制的消息透露出来后，这个案子成为全国性的新闻。 由于警方没有对齐默尔曼宣称的他是出于自卫而打死马丁的说法提出任何质疑，因此没有对他采取任何行动。

检方和辩护方星期五结束了各自的陈辞。 陪审团随后进行了16个半小时的讨论，并在星期六做出决定。

齐默尔曼在听到了无罪的决定后露出了短暂的笑容，但是除此之外没有在外表上做出什么反应。

检方说，齐默尔曼因为马丁是黑人而对他进行种族评判并在一个封闭式的社区里一直跟着他，因为他认定马丁要惹事生非。

齐默尔曼说，在他和马丁发生打斗的时候他出于自卫而开枪，当时马丁把他的头撞击在水泥路面上。

佛罗里达州引起争议的“不退让法”授权人们在担心自己的生命受到威胁时在不必避免冲突的情况下使用致命武力。


German bomb suspect arrested by police

Police in Germany have arrested one of two men who they suspect was involved in a failed terrorist attack.

Authorities say the pair planted two bombs on trains last month, but they failed to detonate. The Propane gas devices was discovered in baggage on trains at Dortmund and Koblenz stations on 31 July.

The man was identified as 21 year-old Jussuf Mohammed. He was arrested at the main train station in Kiel.

"The person appears to be one of the two suspects that have been sought since yesterday with the help of video footage that was made public," the public prosecutors' office said.


Mutmaßlicher Bombenleger in Kiel festgenommen

Kiel (Deutschland), 19.08.2006 – In Kiel wurde der Hauptbahnhof am frühen Morgen vollständig abgesperrt. Grund war ein Bombenalarm und die Festnahme eines mutmaßlichen Bombenlegers.

Der festgenommene 21-jährige Mann soll an den versuchten Bombenanschlägen in Zügen vom 31. Juli 2006 in Köln beteiligt gewesen sein. Dabei waren zwei Bomben in Regionalzügen nach Koblenz und Hamm gelegt worden, die dann in den Hauptbahnhöfen von Dortmund und Koblenz entschärft wurden. Nach Darstellung des Bundeskriminalamtes war es nur einem handwerklichen Fehler zu verdanken, dass die Bomben nicht explodierten.

Neben der Festnahme im Kieler Kopfbahnhof wurde auch eine Durchsuchung in einem Kieler Studentenwohnheim im Stadtteil Projensdorf durchgeführt. Außerdem wird in einem Teich nach Computerteilen und Sprengstoff gesucht. Die Polizei sucht immer noch nach dem Mittäter. Sie veröffentlichte Videoaufnahmen der Überwachungskamera des Kölner Hauptbahnhofes und setzte eine Belohnung in Höhe von 50.000 Euro für sachdienliche Hinweise aus.

Unterdessen wurde berichtet, der festgenommene Mann könnte aus dem Libanon stammen und einem bisher nicht enttarnten islamistischen Terrornetzwerk angehören.

Dass die Bevölkerung die Terrorgefahr ernst nimmt, zeigt der Fund eines heute Mittag herrenlos gefundenen Koffers in einem Zug nach Koblenz. Im Hauptbahnhof von Koblenz wurde der Waggon mit dem Koffer vom Zug abgetrennt und zu einem nicht weit entfernt gelegenen Güterbahnhof gebracht. Dort wurde er von Polizeispezialkräften untersucht und geöffnet. Der Inhalt stellte sich als harmlos heraus. Ein Brasilianer, der die Ansagen im Zug nicht verstehen konnte, ließ seinen Koffer unbeaufsichtigt im Zug und löste somit den Fehlalarm aus.


German Bundestag votes for same-sex marriage

On Friday, the Bundestag, the German parliament, voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage. The bill was passed on the last day before the parliament's summer break.

With 393 members voting for legalising same-sex marriage, four members abstained leaving 226 against votes. German chancellor Angela Merkel, on June 26, said she would allow parliamentarians to vote their own conscience, and Martin Schulz of the Social Democratic Party, on the next day, asked for voting before the election in September.

"I hope that the vote today not only promotes respect between the different opinions but also brings more social cohesion and peace", Merkel said. She voted against same-sex marriage, she told the media, explaining she believed the German constitutional definition of marriage required a man and a woman.

"Marriage for all is decided. Thus, there is unity and justice and freedom in Germany now for all who love." ((de))German language: Die Ehe für alle ist beschlossen. Damit gibt es Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit in Deutschland jetzt für alle, die sich lieben., Schulz tweeted. After the voting, Germany's capital football club Hertha Berlin tweeted "For diversity and against discrimination" ((de))German language: Für Vielfalt und gegen Diskriminierung, and hoisted the rainbow-coloured flag — a symbol of the LGBT community.

Civil partnership has been legal in Germany since 2001, but this bill awaits the president's signature to enter the lawbooks. Other countries in Europe where same-sex marriage is legal include Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Ireland, and the whole of the United Kingdom except Northern Ireland.


„Ehe für alle“: AfD will vor dem Bundesverfassungsgericht klagen

Karlsruhe (Deutschland), 02.07.2017 – Am Freitag entschied sich der Bundestag mehrheitlich für eine „Ehe für alle“. Jedoch möchte nun die Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) vor dem Bundesverfassungsgericht in Karlsruhe gegen die Entscheidung zu klagen. Die Rechtmäßigkeit des Gesetzesentwurfes wird auch von anderen Politikern angezweifelt. Spitzenkandidat der AfD, Alexander Gauland, sagte gegenüber der „Bild am Sonntag“, die Ehe zwischen gleichgeschlechtlichen Menschen schaffe eine „Wertebeliebigkeit, die unserer Gesellschaft schadet“.

Bundesinnenminister Thomas de Maizière von der Christlich Demokratischen Union (CDU) räumt einer Verfassungsklage Erfolgschancen ein. Der Zeitung sagte er, dass er gegen den Gesetzentwurf im Parlament gestimmt habe, da aus seiner Sicht als Jurist dafür eine Änderung des Grundgesetzes nötig wäre. Für ihn sei die Ehe „eine Verbindung zwischen Mann und Frau“. Auch Unionsfraktionschef der CDU, Volker Kauder, sagt, er rechne mit Beratungen der Verfassungsrichter in der Frage. Des Weiteren kritisiert er, dass der Bundestag einen „recht unausgegorenen Gesetzentwurf“ verabschiedet habe. Auch für verfassungswidrig hält der frühere Präsident des Bundesverfassungsgerichts, Hans-Jürgen Papier, die gleichgeschlechtliche Ehe. „Wenn man die Ehe öffnen will, muss man das Grundgesetz ändern. […] Das kann der einfache Gesetzgeber nicht machen“, so Papier dem Spiegel.

Ein schwuler Politiker der CDU kündigte zeitgleich eine Eheschließung mit seinem Partner an. Der Stuttgarter Bundestagsabgeordneter Stefan Kaufmann sagte der „Bild am Sonntag“, die sei für ihn nur noch ein formaler Schritt. Kaufmann führt seit Ende 2013 eine eingetragener Lebenspartnerschaft.

Bundesverfassungsgericht gibt Weg für Neuwahlen frei (25.08.2005)


Alemania aprueba el matrimonio homosexual en todo el país

30 de junio de 2017Berlín, Alemania —

En una inédita votación, el Parlamento alemán aprobó hoy el matrimonio igualitario para todo el país. A través del proyecto de ley "Matrimonio para Todos" (Ehe für alle en alemán), iniciativa del Partido Socialdemócrata de Alemania (SPD), en cuya votación obtuvo 393 votos favor y 224 en contra, incluido el de la Canciller alemana, Angela Merkel, quien se mostraba a favor de mantener la unión civil como reconocimiento a las parejas del mismo sexo.

Anteriormente a esto, el matrimonio era permitido únicamente como figura religiosa en algunas de las iglesias protestantes alemanas, incluidas algunas de las subdivisiones de la Iglesia evangélica en Alemania, que ya había aprobado el matrimonio gay en Berlín en 2016.

Se espera que la ley entre en vigor a fines del presente año. De esta manera, Alemania se convertirá en el vigésimo cuarto país del mundo en permitir el matrimonio homosexual a nivel nacional.


Duitsland voert homohuwelijk in

393 leden van het Duitse parlement stemden voor, 226 tegen, en er waren 4 onthoudingen.  De linkerzijde van het parlement stemde voor. Binnen het CDU van Angela Merkel was er verdeeldheid onder de stemmers, zelf stemde ze tegen. Het christelijke CSU stemde eveneens tegen vanwege het religieuze aspect van de partij.


德國聯邦議院通過同性婚姻法案

德國聯邦議院在今（30）日以393票同意、226票反對、4票棄權通過同性婚姻法案。

德國的同性伴侶之前適用「民事伴侶」制度，但此次修法，讓婚姻在德國是「適用於任何人」（Ehe für alle）的權利。

除了認同同性婚姻外，同性伴侶也同樣享有領養小孩的權利。

法案下周將被送到德國聯邦參議院，一旦通過，德國將成為歐洲第14個同性婚姻合法的國家。

法新社報導，修正後的法律條文為，「婚姻是兩個不同性別或者同性的人，一起過一輩子。」


German Constitutional Court prohibits shooting down hijacked passenger planes

The Bundesverfassungsgericht has declared legislation which would have allowed the German Air Force to shoot down hijacked passenger planes unconstitutional.

The Luftsicherheitsgesetz (literally: Aviation Safety Act) was passed in January 2005 and mainly dealt with uncontroversial matters concerning the safety at airports. One provision however allowed the minister of defense to order the Air Force to shoot down a hijacked plane as a last resort if it could be presumed that that plane would be used as a weapon to kill people on the ground.

The court based its decision to strike down that provision on three considerations:

Gerhart Baum, a former interior minister and one of the plaintiffs, hailed the decision as "historic" and said that were it not for that ruling "we would have martial law while fighting crime".

Defense minister Franz Josef Jung said "it is our duty to protect the citizens from terrorism". He announced that he would consider lobbying to change the Basic Law.

The ruling is expected to also have bearing on current discussions to extend the mandate of the Bundeswehr (German military forces) to help police large events like the upcoming soccer world championship in Germany, as it implicitely reaffirms the separation of armed forces and the police.


Bundesverfassungsgericht entschied gegen Luftsicherheitsgesetz

Karlsruhe (Deutschland), 15.02.2006 – Das Bundesverfassungsgericht hat in seinem heutigen Urteil gegen den Paragraphen 14 des Luftsicherheitsgesetzes entschieden. Die mit den Stimmen der damaligen rot-grünen Mehrheit im Bundestags beschlossene Änderung sieht vor, dass entführte Flugzeuge abgeschossen werden dürfen, wenn dadurch ein noch größerer Schaden abgewendet werden kann. Hintergrund für die Gesetzesänderung sind die terroristischen Anschläge vom 11. September 2001 in den USA.

Die Verfassungsbeschwerde war von sechs deutschen Bürgern eingereicht worden. Begründet wurde das Urteil mit der Menschenwürde (erster Artikel des Grundgesetzes) und der Unsicherheit bei der Beurteilung einer entsprechenden Situation. Die Menschen in einem möglicherweise entführten Flugzeug könnten nichts für ihre Entführung und seien somit nicht für ihre Lage mit dem Tod zu bestrafen. Nicht nur die möglichen Opfer am Boden haben ein Recht auf Leben, sondern auch die Geiseln im Flugzeug.

Beim Bundesverfassungsgericht waren insgesamt sechs Klagen eingereicht worden. Zwei davon kamen von den beiden FDP-Politikern Burkhard Hirsch und Gerhart Baum. Weitere Kläger waren Vielflieger und Privatpiloten.

Die FDP hatte damit argumentiert, dass eine Abwägung „Leben gegen Leben“, also das absichtliche Töten von Menschen, um Menschenleben zu retten, dem deutschen Rechtssystem fremd sei. CDU/CSU-Politiker hatten eine Grundgesetzänderung wegen dieser Angelegenheit gefordert. Die SPD hielt eine Änderung des Luftsicherheitsgesetzes auch ohne Grundgesetzänderung für richtig. Der SPD ging es auch darum, die Zustimmungspflicht des Gesetzes durch den Bundesrat zu vermeiden. Bundespräsident Horst Köhler hatte das Gesetz zwar unterzeichnet, aber gleichzeitig Bedenken angemeldet und eine Prüfung durch das Bundesverfassungsgericht empfohlen.


German government considers introducing mosque taxes, like church taxes

On Wednesday, lawmakers of German ruling coalition parties — Christian Democratic Union of Germany ((de))German language: Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands (CDU), Social Democratic Party of Germany ((de))German language: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD), and Christian Social Union in Bavaria ((de))German language: Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern (CSU) — announced they were considering imposing new mandatory taxation Muslims would have to pay, which the government would distribute as funding to mosques.  The lawmakers said this was a possible solution to stop funding and finance of the mosques in Germany from foreign countries and institutes.

The proposal would introduce taxes for Muslims similar to the mandatory taxes the state collects from practicing Protestants and Catholics in order to fund the churches.

Official estimates indicate Germany has around 4.4 to 4.7 million resident Muslims.  Mosques currently receive funding from foreign sources.  Press reports indicate Gulf countries provide funding to mosques and imams.  Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs ((tr))Turkish language: Diyanet İşleri Türk-İslam Birliği (DİTİB) is reportedly one of the biggest foreign institutes currently funding mosques in Germany.  DİTİB is under direction by the Turkish government and reportedly influences over 900 German Muslim communities.

Speaking to Deutsche Welle, Seyran Ates, founder of a progressive mosque in German capital Berlin, said German Islam "has a huge influence from outside, from foreign countries".  Ates went on to say, "They [German Muslims] have to take care about their own religion here in Germany.  So Muslims in Germany should do something for Islam in Germany".

Thorsten Frei of CDU told German daily Die Welt this is an "important step" enabling "Islam in Germany to emancipate itself from foreign states".  CSU's Michael Frieser said, "Mosques must be open and transparent".

Describing the idea of the new tax as "worthy of discussion", Burkhard Lischka of SPD noted: "We need to work with the states on this issue, since the church tax is then responsibility of the states".

Some other European governments, similarly to Germany, mandate Christians pay church taxes in order to fund the churches; including Austria, Italy, and Sweden.


Duitsland: moskeebelasting als middel tegen buitenlandse islamitische invloeden

In Duitsland is kerkbelasting een eeuwenoud fenomeen. Het wordt ingehouden op het loon of geheven op de winst van christenen en joden. Met het geld worden religieuze instellingen en gebouwen gefinancierd. Er wordt nu ook aan een wet gewerkt om moskeebelasting verplicht af te laten dragen door iedereen die geregistreerd staat als moslim. De moskeebelasting moet ervoor gaan zorgen dat de financiering van moskeeën vanuit het buitenland wordt ingeperkt.

Een voorbeeld wanneer dat als een probleem wordt gezien, is dat van de imams in Duitsland die zijn aangesloten bij de Ditib (de) die door de Turkse Diyanet worden uitgezonden en betaald. De Diyanet is een religieuze organisatie die direct onder de verantwoordelijkheid van de premier van Turkije valt. Hierdoor wordt de instelling door critici gezien als een instrument van de Turkse president Erdoğan, omdat Turken in Duitsland blijvend onder invloed uit Turkije staan. Vergelijkbaar bestaat er ook vrees voor politieke en religieuze invloeden vanuit andere landen, zoals Saoedi-Arabië en Koeweit.

CDU, CSU, SPD en Die Linke staan positief tegenover de uitwerking van deze conceptwet. Het initiatief ervoor kwam van het CSU-parlementslid Alexander Radwan (de). Hij kwam op het idee door de Oostenrijkse Islamwet van 2015 (de) die erin voorziet dat financiële middelen voor religieuze doeleinden alleen uit Oostenrijk mogen komen. De hoogte van de kerkbelasting verschilt per regio in Duitsland en is voor een modaal inkomen al gauw een aantal tientjes per maand. In Nederland en België bestaat kerkbelasting niet. Wel zijn beduidende schenkingen aan erkende instellingen in beide landen aftrekbaar van de belasting.

Volgens de voorzitter van de Duitse islamitische centrale raad, Aiman Mazyek (de), zou het met de invloed uit het buitenland in de praktijk meevallen. Volgens hem zouden er op de financiering door Diyanet na, bijna geen andere islamitische geldstromen naar Duitsland meer zijn. De tijden van enorme geldstromen uit Saoedi-Arabië zouden inmiddels voorbij zijn en het meeste geld zou op dit moment binnenkomen via donaties en ledenbijdragen.

Vanuit theologisch oogpunt zou de invoering van een moskeebelasting voor islamieten geen belemmering moeten zijn, aldus  Mazyek en de Berlijnse moskee-oprichtster Seyran Ateş (de). Ze verwijzen hierbij naar de  zakat die aanspoort tot het doen van een verplichte afdracht van 2,5% van het inkomen voor sociale doeleinden. Er blijven nog wel praktische vragen over. In het algemeen hebben islamieten een lossere band met een moskee dan christenen met een kerk. Hierdoor staan niet alle moslims ingeschreven bij een moskee. In de praktijk zal het daarom de vraag zijn naar welke islamitische instelling het geld toe moet gaan.


German hostage freed in Iraq

The German archaeologist Susanne Osthoff, who was abducted in Iraq on November 25th, has been freed.

Her brother told n-tv that she had been brought to the German embassy in Baghdad and is well. Foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier confirmed the reports and said that her Iraqi driver, who was abducted along with her, is still in the hands of the kidnappers but they have promised to release him as well.

How she was freed, whether ransom was paid, or even which group abducted her is still unknown at this time. Steinmeier declined to answer any questions on the topic.

The captors demanded that the German government breaks off diplomatic relations with Iraq, which it has refused to do.

Osthoff had been living in Iraq since 1991. She is a converted Muslim and married to a Jordanian. Her 12-year old daughter is living in Germany. In recent years Osthoff became more and more involved with delivering aid to the Iraqi people. She was featured on the front page of the New York Times in 2003 [1] and appeared in a series about her work in the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung.


Susanne Osthoff ist frei

Bagdad (Irak) / Berlin (Deutschland), 18.12.2005 –

Die entführte deutsche Archäologin Susanne Osthoff ist frei. Dies bestätigten der Bruder der Entführten und der deutsche Außenminister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Der Bruder sagte gegenüber N24, seine Schwester halte sich zur Zeit in der deutschen Botschaft in Bagdad auf. Osthoff war am 25. November zusammen mit ihrem Fahrer im Nordirak verschleppt worden. Nach Angaben von Frank-Walter Steinmeier ist Susanne Osthoff bei guter körperlicher Verfassung. Ihr irakischer Fahrer soll sich noch in der Gewalt der unbekannten Entführer befinden. Nach Aussagen des Bundesaußenministers haben die Entführer angekündigt auch den Fahrer von Susanne Osthoff freizulassen.

Die Entführer von Susanne Osthoff hatten in einer Videoaufzeichnung die Forderung an die Bundesregierung erhoben, die Zusammenarbeit zwischen dem Irak und Deutschland zu beenden. Die Entführer hatten damit gedroht, Susanne Osthoff zu töten. Susanne Osthoff war an der Organisation von Hilfsleistungen beteiligt. Die deutschen Sicherheitsbehörden hatten sich darum bemüht, mit den Entführern Kontakt aufzunehmen. Susanne Osthoffs Familie hatte sich mit mehreren Appellen an die Entführer gewandt, um die Freilassung der 43-Jährigen zu erreichen. Über die genauen Umstände der Entführung ist bisher nichts bekannt. Frank-Walter Steinmeier wollte sich dazu auch nicht äußern.


Сюзанна Остхофф освобождена

Сюзанна Остхофф, археолог из Германии, которая 25 ноября была захвачена как заложница в Ираке, снова на свободе. Она была освобождена 18 декабря и доставлена в посольство Германии в Ираке. Это подтвердил министр иностранных дел Германии Франк-Вальтер Шрайнмайер.

Освобожден также и иракский шофёр Сюзанны Остхофф, который был захвачен вместе с ней.

Подробности захвата и освобождения не известны. Министерство иностранных дел Германии отказывается сообщать, что-либо об этом, ссылаясь на то, что в заложниках в Ираке находятся ещё несколько граждан западных стран, и обнародование подробностей об освобождении Сюзанны Остхофф может навредить остающимся в руках террористов заложникам.

Осталось неизвестным, кто осуществил захват и были ли выплачены деньги за освобождение.

В Германии все медиа готовились к встрече Сюзанны Остхофф на родине, но она отказалась немедленно прибыть в Германию. Как передал канал новостей NT-V, она по телефону поблагодарила правительство за поддержку и за усилия, предпринятые для её освобождения. Она хочет провести некоторое время со своей дочерью и хочет избежать ажиотажа, поднятого вокруг её захвата и освобождения. Она остаётся в Ираке, в неизвестном месте.

Правительство Германии предлагает всем своим гражданам покинуть Ирак из-за возможных дальнейших захватов заложников.

Статья в немецких Викиновостях

21 декабря 2005 года


German judge orders life sentence for nation's 'first Islamic-motivated terror attack'

A judge in Germany has ordered a man from Kosovo to be jailed for life for carrying out the "first Islamic-motivated terror attack" within the country. Arid Uka, 22, killed two US Air Force (USAF) men and wounded two more in a gun attack on their bus in Frankfurt. He was convicted today.

Uka, a Kosovan who has lived in Germany since he was four, worked in Frankfurt Airport's mail room. He became attracted to Islamic radicalism in a matter of months and would later cite a video appearing to show US soldiers raping women in Afghanistan as his motive for the attack. The video was not genuine.

Uka approached a USAF bus at the airport, asking a serviceman for a cigarette. Upon learning the group was bound for Afghanistan he fatally shot the man in the head before boarding the bus with a cry of Allahu Akbar (God is Great). There, he opened fire upon more USAF airmen, killing a second and injuring two others. The remaining eleven passengers escaped injury when his 9mm pistol jammed. The team had been loading their bus in front of the airport during a trip that began in the United Kingdom.

The fatalities were Nicholas Alden, 25, and Zachary Cuddeback, 21. Cuddeback had been the driver. Edgar Veguilla received arm and jaw wounds while Kristoffer Schneider was left requiring reconstructive surgery for his face. Uka's weapon failed whilst pointed at a fifth man's head. Schneider has ongoing pain, blindness in one eye, a missing section of skull and a face rebuilt from titanium. Schneider testified via videolink from a USAF base in his homeland.

Prosecution evidence included songs and text from Uka's computer, phone, and music player. He was said to have radicalised alone through access to material such as the fake rape film, which was actually a scene from the anti-war movie Redacted.

In sentencing Uka for murder Judge Thomas Sagebiel agreed with prosecutors there were aggravating circumstances that amounted to "particularly severe guilt," a move likely to prevent parole after fifteen years as is normally possible with German life sentences. It is the maximum possible sentence. The judge said the attack was aggravated by its ambush nature, that unarmed men were attacked and Alden was also attacked from behind, and that the wounds inflicted were serious.

Sagebiel also noted Uka's refusal to explain how he acquired the gun. There was no drug or alcohol use involved, and no evidence Uka had been trained for the attack.

The killer described himself to the court as spending much of his time on computers, with few friends and a largely non-religious family background. He sat motionless with his eyes down and arms folded during the 70-minute verdict and sentencing hearing.

Uka had not joined any radical organisations and the defence claimed he was not a terrorist. Last year he blamed inaccurate propaganda for having influenced him and apologised, claiming not to understand his own actions. His defence lawyer, Michaela Roth, also sought to have his youth, admissions, and a troubled childhood considered.

Roth had suggested sexual abuse when Uka was six had led to a return of trauma when he saw the falsified rape video. This was undermined by psychiatric expert opinion, a report finding the abuse — and the video — of no "decisive relevance". He was aware when he killed, and did not have a personality disorder although he was of "an immature personality," it concluded.

"The attack was not only cowardly and perfidious, but also damaged Germany's reputation," said Sagebiel, telling victims and their relatives he "hoped that by our bringing the perpetrator to justice swiftly, you can find some comfort... and will not harbour any rancour towards Germany." Alden's brother Joe was in court and later said "justice has been served."

2011 Frankfurt Airport shooting on  Wikipedia.