TUNISIA LABOUR UNION, OPPOSITION DECRY ‘VIOLENT ARRESTS’
Tunisia’s powerful labour union and the opposition on February 15 decried the latest wave of arrests in the country targeting prominent opponents of President Kais Saied. The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) said legal violations were committed in the “arbitrary detentions” which it said the government was carrying out to “stifle voices”. “We condemn the arbitrary detentions… and reject using the legal system to settle political scores and abuse opponents,” UGTT said in a statement. Tunisian police have arrested at least 10 prominent public figures since February 11. They included political opponents of Saied, the head of a popular independent radio station, two judges, a senior UGTT official, and a controversial businessman. The arrests have raised concerns about a wider crackdown on dissent and promoted calls from the Tunisian Pirate Party, activists, and the UN Human Rights Office for their immediate release. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, on February 14 condemned the “escalation of repression” in Tunisia, following several arrests. US Department spokesperson Ned Price also said that Washington was “deeply concerned” by the arrests.
ISRAELI RABBI’S COMMENTS ON TÜRKIYE-SYRIA QUAKES CONDEMNED
The leader of an international Jewish umbrella group has condemned an Israeli rabbi who likened two massive earthquakes that killed thousands in Türkiye and Syria to “divine justice.” “I am aghast and appalled by the horrific comments made by Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu,” World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder said on February 11 in a statement. “It is inconceivable to me that any human being of any decency, let alone a man who presents himself as a spiritual leader, would not be devastated by the tragic deaths,” added Lauder. Expressing “enormous pain, bordering on despair” over Eliyahu’s comments that all catastrophes and tragedies that occur are “God’s will,” he added: “I, for one, believe in a God of goodness and compassion, and I join the nation and people of Türkiye and the Syrian people in both mourning the lives lost and praying that the survivors can find some solace in the memories of their loved ones.” “Now is a moment for us to commit ourselves to helping and supporting one another, not for the stoking of hatred and divisiveness,” he added.
PALESTINE ARTIST ‘CORRECTS’ CARTOON ON TÜRKIYE’S QUAKE CRISIS
Palestinian artist, Abrar Sabbah, who received appreciation for her drawing against the provocative cartoon of the French Charlie Hebdo magazine mocking the earthquake disaster in Türkiye, stated she wanted to convey a message of support for Türkiye. French magazine, Charlie Hebdo, has sparked outrage with a cartoon it published mocking Türkiye after two deadly earthquakes hit the country on February 6. “Earthquake in Türkiye” was written in the top right corner of the cartoon. “(Didn’t) even need to send tanks”, it says at the bottom. Sabbah, a 26-year-old Palestinian cartoonist, illustrator and graphic designer, edited Charlie Hebdo’s cartoon in a video she posted on her social media account with a caption commenting: “Hey, immoral Charlie Hebdo. You wouldn’t draw like that. This is how you would draw it! We will stand up again. The people will rise again!” Sabbah, who is a graduate of Türkiye, received thousands of likes in a short time and circulated the internet. Sabbah, who speaks fluent Turkish, said, “I saw the cartoon made by Charlie Hebdo in these difficult times we live in. Of course, like millions of people, I was angry and could not remain silent. In my opinion, this cannot be a cartoon. Caricature is a satirical work. But people who suffer should not be mocked.”
TALIBAN TO TAKE CONTROL OF FOREIGN FORCES’ BASES
Afghanistan’s interim government has decided to take control of the bases of the US-led foreign forces across the country “with an intention” to convert them into special economic zones, a report said on February 19. The decision was taken during a meeting of the country’s Economic Commission with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, the deputy premier for economic affairs, in the chair in Kabul, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said in a series of tweets on February 19. “Following a thorough discussion, it was decided that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce should progressively take control of the remaining military bases of the foreign forces with the intention of converting them into special economic zones,” the ministry said. For this purpose, it added, pilot operations will begin only on the bases in Balkh and Kabul. In addition, it was determined that a selected delegation would be tasked with examining the completion and quality of the remaining works of the Shah Wa Aros Dam.
SHIPMENTS OF AZERBAIJANI OIL RESUME AFTER EARTHQUAKES
The loading of Azerbaijani oil at Türkiye’s Ceyhan terminal resumed on February 12. According to a spokeswoman for BP, the terminal on Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast was damaged in the devastating earthquakes that hit the country and Syria in the early hours of last Monday (February 6) morning. Ceyhan is the storage and loading point for the BTC pipeline which carries oil from Azerbaijan, as well as the Kirkuk pipeline from Iraq.
MOROCCO’S AL-QUDS CHARITY PLEDGES $3.4M FOR JERUSALEM
Morocco’s charity dedicated in preserving the Islamic heritage of Jerusalem and supporting its Muslim inhabitants, the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Acharif Agency, has pledged $3.4 million towards sustainable development in the city for this year. According to Morocco World News, the agency announced on February 12 that it will be funding several sectors including health, education, reconstruction, trade, agriculture, sports and youth. Under the theme “A new beginning to consolidate the place of Al-Quds and its religious and civilizational status,” the NGO said it will contribute $600,000 towards a range of programmes, with support projects prioritising Jerusalemites in helping them overcome the economic impacts of the pandemic and rising costs of living. Last week the agency’s Managing Director, Mohamed Salem Echarkaou,i said that it carried out 200 “major” projects and dozens of small to medium ones between 2000 and 2022, worth $64 million.
TÜRKIYE DONATES OVER 70,000 MILITARY UNIFORMS TO SOUTH SUDAN
The Turkish government, on February 16, donated 75,000 military uniforms for the use of unified forces in South Sudan. South Sudan’s Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Angelina Teny, said the contribution will help promote stability in the country. “It is a big celebration for contribution of Republic of Türkiye to our peace and to creation of stability in our country, and I don’t call it a donation,” Teny said during a handover ceremony at Juba International Airport. Teny hailed the Turkish government for supporting South Sudan to implement the 2018 peace agreement. “They are putting their hands together with us to ensure that peace stays in the Republic of South Sudan; we have signed the peace agreement and we must build it and in order to do that it requires friends like Türkiye,” she said.
FAMILY OF KAZAKHSTAN’S LEADER TO NO LONGER HAVE LEGAL IMMUNITY
Kazakhstan on February 15 lifted the legal immunity of its founding president’s family, according to the country’s presidential press service. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a bill annulling a law that included immunity for the family of his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev, reported the service, Akorda. The move stops short of ending the immunity of Nazarbayev himself, which is enshrined in the Central Asian country’s Constitution. It came after a decision by the Kazakh Constitutional Court on Jan. 11 to annul the legislation, officially known as the law “On the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Elbasy.”