Latest news with #freedoms
Arab News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
US lawmaker warns of shrinking freedoms in Pakistan, cites Imran Khan's continued incarceration
ISLAMABAD: A senior US lawmaker on Tuesday voiced concern over the human rights situation in Pakistan, saying basic freedoms were in jeopardy under the current administration and expressing alarm over the continued incarceration of former prime minister Imran Khan in a high-security prison in Rawalpindi. The remarks by Rep. Chris Smith, Co-Chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, during a congressional hearing in Washington on 'political repression' in Pakistan. The bipartisan commission was established in 2008 by the US House of Representatives to promote and advocate for international human rights through hearings, investigations and policy recommendations. Its latest hearing focused on Pakistan and featured testimony from several witnesses, including Zulfi Bukhari, a close aide to ex-premier Khan and a senior figure in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. 'Life in Pakistan today is marked by rampant government violations of basic freedoms, particularly freedom of speech and media freedom, and the denial of free and fair elections,' Smith said in his opening remarks. 'Pakistan is a country of over 250 million people — the fifth-largest country in the world — so the human cost of this repression is immense in its scope as well its severity,' he added. Smith maintained Pakistan's democratic crisis was not new, though he asserted the government's human rights record had 'taken a sharp turn for the worse' in recent years. The American lawmaker pointed to the confrontation between the South Asian country's powerful military establishment and Khan's PTI, calling the former prime minister a 'genuinely popular leader' who had challenged public corruption and military interference before being ousted in what Smith described as a 'political coup' in 2022. Smith noted that last year's general elections were 'widely seen as unfree and unfair, including by the US government, marked as they were by a ban on the PTI party, harassment of PTI officials, bans on public gatherings, a national Internet shutdown, and massive voting irregularities.' In his testimony, Bukhari said that 'Imran Khan and his wife are in solitary confinement for over 23 hours a day,' describing their conditions as 'inhumane.' He also questioned the legality of the February 2024 elections, which PTI has repeatedly alleged were rigged, and criticized the military trials of civilians that he said led to the conviction of dozens of party members and supporters. 'This is a purge,' he said. 'It's not justice.' Toward the end of Bukhari's statement, Smith urged the US administration to sit up and take notice of the situation in Pakistan. He also urged the Trump administration to 'redouble its commitment to democracy and human rights' in the South Asian country.
Arab News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Hundreds sign letter opposing ban on Palestine Action, calling it ‘major assault on freedoms'
LONDON: Hundreds of trade unionists, activists, politicians and campaigners have signed an open letter condemning the UK government's recent decision to ban the protest group Palestine Action, describing the move as 'a major assault on our freedoms.' Palestine Action, known for its direct action protests targeting UK-based Israeli weapons factories and their supply chains, was officially proscribed under anti-terrorism laws earlier this month after a parliamentary vote. The ban makes it a criminal offence to be a member of or express support for the group. A last-minute legal challenge to halt the proscription was unsuccessful. 'Peaceful protest tactics which damage property or disrupt 'business-as-usual' in order to call attention to the crimes of the powerful have a long and proud history. They are more urgent than ever in response to Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people,' the open letter, which has gathered more than 900 signatures so far, argued. Among the signatories are singer Charlotte Church and long-time environmental and human rights activist Angie Zelter, who was previously acquitted after disarming a BAE Hawk jet and destroying infrastructure linked to Britain's Trident nuclear weapons system, The Guardian newspaper reported. Elected representatives also joined the list of supporters, including James Dornan, Scottish National Party MSP for Cathcart, who last week tabled a motion in the Scottish parliament calling for the Israeli military to be designated a terrorist organization. Glasgow Trades Union Council, which is collectively backing the letter, issued a statement saying: 'As the UK government is attacking our civil liberties, we must ask ourselves if not now, then when?' Anne Alexander, a University of Cambridge researcher and UCU activist who helped organize the letter, said the response showed widespread opposition to the government's stance. 'The response to this open letter shows that people up and down the country want to stop arms going to Israel and that they don't agree that a direct action group are 'terrorists' because they tried to disrupt the supply chain fuelling a genocide,' she said. The draft order to proscribe Palestine Action under the Terrorism Act 2000 was put forward by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and passed the House of Commons on July 2 by 385 votes to 26. The legislation included a ban on two neo-Nazi organisations, the Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement. Some MPs and human rights groups have been critical of the government for the move, suggesting that combining Palestine Action with white supremacist groups in a single motion placed political pressure on MPs to support the measure.
Bloomberg
26-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Pritzker Seeks Third Illinois Term With Eye Also on White House
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker unveiled his bid for a third term with an attempt to position himself as a champion of voters' economic concerns and a foil to President Donald Trump. 'These days, Illinois is standing at the center of the fight: the fight to make life more affordable, the fight to protect our freedoms, the fight for common sense,' Pritzker said in the first video of his reelection campaign. 'Donald Trump's made it clear he'll stop at nothing to get his way. I am not about to stand by and let him tear down all we're building in Illinois.'
Daily Tribune
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Bahrain protects rights, calls for regional peace
The Kingdom of Bahrain has taken many important initiatives to promote and protect human rights and freedoms, and its achievements in this field are a testament to its dedication to protecting these rights. This was emphasised by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, while delivering a speech before the Human Rights Council in Geneva at its 58th session. Dr Al Zayani highlighted the royal directives and leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the continuous follow-up of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
