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South China Morning Post
01-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Myanmar crisis demands Asean rethink on regional diplomacy
Ahead of the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting on July 8-9 in Kuala Lumpur, officials must move beyond rhetorical consensus and seize the moment to embrace transformative, people-centred approaches that reflect the realities on the ground and restore the bloc's credibility and relevance Advertisement More than four years have passed since Myanmar's military staged a violent coup , plunging the country into a deepening political and humanitarian crisis. The regime's grip has inflicted devastating harm: more than 20,000 political prisoners remain behind bars, millions of people have been displaced and countless communities endure daily threats of air strikes forced conscription and systemic oppression. What began as a national emergency has become a defining test of regional credibility and moral resolve. In 2021, Asean adopted a five-point consensus as its core diplomatic framework. Even so, the junta has continuously flouted it by intensifying violence, obstructing humanitarian access and disregarding dialogue efforts with impunity. Devoid of enforcement and political will, the consensus has become a hollow instrument, invoked for appearances while atrocities continue unabated. The paralysis in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is exacerbated by growing internal divisions. While Malaysia and Indonesia have taken principled steps to engage with Myanmar's democratic opposition and ethnic groups, other member states have undermined regional coherence. Thailand maintains a posture of strategic ambiguity, the Philippines has called for a new diplomatic framework and Cambodia has entertained the junta's plans for staged elections. This fragmentation has weakened Asean's leverage and made a mockery of the notion of centrality Compounding the challenge is Asean's institutional structure, particularly its annually rotating chairmanship, which undermines continuity and strategic depth. Each incoming chair often brings a different tone, set of priorities and diplomatic style, disrupting momentum and making it difficult to sustain long-term engagement. This revolving leadership hampers consistency and reflects the bloc's limited political will and uneven commitment to addressing the crisis in Myanmar. Advertisement
The Guardian
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘A new wave of repression': fears for Iran's political prisoners after Israel war
Life for Reza Khandan has only got worse since Tehran's Evin prison, where he was an inmate, was hit by an Israeli airstrike on 23 June. The next night, the 60-year-old human rights activist – who was arrested in 2024 for his support of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement – was moved to another jail in the south of the capital, where he has told family conditions are hard to endure. 'My father and others do not have beds and are forced to sleep on the floor. He once found six or seven bedbugs in his blanket when he woke up,' said his daughter Mehraveh Khandan, who described 'horrific' sanitary conditions in the prison. Families of political prisoners in Iran say conditions have worsened since the end of the 12-day war and that they fear vulnerable detainees will bear the brunt of what activists say is a broader crackdown by the Iranian authorities, whose legitimacy was shaken by Israel's campaign. The fighting began on 13 June with a barrage of hundreds of Israeli airstrikes that Israel said were aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Iran quickly responded with a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones. The air war brought in the US and continued until both sides agreed a ceasefire. An unknown number of prisoners were moved by the Iranian authorities to other detention facilities in the aftermath of Israel's strike on Evin, which killed 71 people, including some in the jail and others in its vicinity. The whereabouts of many is unknown but those who have been in contact with relatives have said their new jails are even worse than Evin, which was notorious for the torture of political detainees. Mehraveh, who is based in Amsterdam, said: 'The only cooking water available to prisoners was salty until Sunday. [And] in recent days we have witnessed the disappearance of several prisoners who were already facing the death penalty or long sentences.' Many families have not heard from their loved ones, as long queues have formed for the few phones in detention facilities. Asso Azizi, whose sister Pakhshan Azizi, a Kurdish aid worker, is on death row, said he had not heard from her in two days. She and other women were transferred to Qarchak prison, which is described as overcrowded and unsanitary. 'Unfortunately, they were not even able to take their personal and sanitary items with them,' Asso said. Besides the unsanitary conditions, Asso is terrified that the authorities may expedite his sister's death sentence, which she was handed in July 2024 'solely in relation to her peaceful humanitarian and human rights activities', according to Amnesty International. The Iranian authorities charged her with armed rebellion against the state. 'There is a concern that just as the process of dealing with her case was very hasty and fast, confirming this sentence in only three days, that now they will execute this sentence to create terror among the people,' Asso said. As conditions worsen in prison, activists and residents of Tehran have also described a wave of repression as the country reels from the war. Security forces have set up checkpoints across the country, stopping pedestrians and checking their mobile phones, sometimes detaining people based on their online activity. The security crackdown comes as the Iranian authorities grapple with the extensive Israeli intelligence penetration of its forces and a wave of online criticism. According to Iranian state media, 700 people have been arrested on charges of collaborating with Israel during the 12-day war. The New-York based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has said hundreds more were arrested in Tehran and six people were executed on espionage charges. Iran's parliament is considering a bill that allows for broader use of the death penalty for those who are accused of collaborating with foreign powers, with judicial authorities specifically referencing espionage with Israel. Hadi Ghaemi, the CHRI's executive director, said: 'Iranian authorities are locking people up incommunicado without cause or access to a lawyer, and sending them to the gallows on 'national security' charges in order to terrorise the public and re-establish control.' The Iranian prison system is murky, particularly for political prisoners. The legal system is plagued with secret trials and allegations of torture. Tracking detainees through the labyrinthine Iranian security apparatus is often a challenge. For families of Iranian political prisoners, the days ahead will be filled with fear. Mehraveh said: 'It is clear that a new wave of intense repression has begun, more severe than ever before. We are deeply concerned.'
Al Jazeera
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Aftermath of Israel's deadly attack on Evin Prison in Tehran
Aftermath of Israel's deadly attack on Evin Prison in Tehran NewsFeed Video shows the aftermath of a deadly Israeli strike on Evin Prison in Tehran, that killed at least 71 people, including visiting women and children. The prison, known for holding political prisoners, was hit just a day before a ceasefire ended 12 days of fighting initiated by Israeli strikes. Video Duration 01 minutes 17 seconds 01:17 Video Duration 02 minutes 38 seconds 02:38 Video Duration 02 minutes 36 seconds 02:36 Video Duration 01 minutes 57 seconds 01:57 Video Duration 00 minutes 48 seconds 00:48 Video Duration 02 minutes 38 seconds 02:38 Video Duration 01 minutes 13 seconds 01:13
BBC News
30-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Togo protests against Faure Gnassingbé leave seven dead in Lomé
Civic rights groups say at least seven people have been killed during a crackdown on protesters who are calling for Togo's leader, Faure Gnassingbé, to step down and release political say dozens more people were injured - some comes weeks after Gnassingbé - who was president for two decades and whose family has ruled the country for 58 years - was sworn into a new post of President of the Council of Ministers, which has no official term Togolese government has now threatened legal action against the protest organisers, describing the demonstrations as a "campaign of disinformation and hatred" that was orchestrated from abroad. Demonstrations have been banned in the West African country since 2022, with the authorities citing "security reasons".Three days of demonstrations by online activists and youth-led movements began in the capital, Lomé, on Thursday, before taking a violent turn on Friday and gas was fired by anti-riot police at protesters, who pelted them with stones and other determined anti-government protesters engaged security forces in street battles in several areas considered to be opposition strongholds, including Bè, where police chased demonstrators into their hideouts.A coalition of 23 Togolese civil rights groups - known as the "National Platform for Civic Space and Development Effectiveness" - has asked the authorities to carry out investigations into the bloody police condemned what they described as "the use of disproportionate force against peaceful demonstrators", adding that "peaceful protest is a fundamental right, recognized both by the Togolese Constitution and by international instruments ratified by our country".By Sunday calm had returned to most of Lomé, with shops reopened at the main central market at Assigamé and businesses operating as recent change of regime orchestrated by the Togolese leader continues to fuel resentment. In addition to the new post which he can keep for life, constitutional reform in Togo has ended presidential elections, and introduced a parliamentary month's arrest and psychiatric detention of the Togolese rapper Narcisse Essowè Tchalla, also known as Aamron, acted as a catalyst for public outrage, culminating in over 50 arrests during protests earlier this month. Though most have been released, at least three people remain in custody. You may also be interested in: New post for Togo leader could see him rule for lifeKenya protests are 'coup attempt', says ministerDisbelief as Nigeria urges prayer to end food shortages Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
ABC News
29-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Among all Israel's targets in Iran, the strikes at Evin Prison left some people 'in disbelief'
Interrogations. Torture. Mock executions. Accounts from inside Iran's Evin Prison are as harrowing as they are rare — many of those locked up inside never make it out. The notorious facility, on the outskirts of the country's capital Tehran, is used to house political prisoners who dare show dissent to the country's Islamist regime. In the final days of its war with Iran, Israel used fighter jets to bomb the jail, with the country's top politicians spinning the June 23 attack as a symbolic blow against its arch enemy. Yesterday, Asghar Jahangir, a spokesperson for Iran's judiciary, was quoted in the country's Mizan news outlet as saying 71 people had been killed in the attack. He said the number included "administrative staff, youth doing their military service, detainees, family members of detainees who were visiting them and neighbours who lived in the prison's vicinity". Analysts interpreted the strikes as a clear sign Israel had expanded its targets from just military and nuclear facilities. Anoosheh Ashoori, a British-Iranian engineer, was held in Evin prison from August 2017 to March 2022, after being accused of espionage. He said he was abducted in the street while back in Iran to visit his mother after she had a knee operation. He was bundled into a car, and his ordeal had begun. "They blindfolded me and they ordered me to put my head on the lap of the person sitting next to my left," he said. "After a while I could hear the traffic, the sound of the traffic fading." Mr Ahoori was taken to Evin Prison. Mr Ahoori said he was kept in solitary confinement, given "foul food", and prevented from sleeping, with a floodlight shined on his head. "It was so frightening," he said. "My days were in that 2 metre by 3 metre cell, with the sound of a malfunctioning air conditioning unit together with hearing all the sounds of crying, begging, whimpering of the others in the neighbouring cells." During his time in Evin Prison, Mr Ashoori said he spent 116 days at two interrogation centres, including one run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "The pressure was so much and the threats to kill my family members were so real," he said. "After a while of sleep deprivation, long hours of interrogation, I mean, you just name it and it's happening to you." A video shared by Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on social media showed an entrance to the compound blown apart and the accompanying text: "Long live freedom, damn it!" However, doubt has now been cast over that footage, with experts telling ABC News Verify it could be AI-generated. That doesn't mean the jail wasn't hit, though. Last week, Defence Minister Israel Katz said the air force was striking "regime targets and agencies of government repression" across Tehran, including Evin Prison. Video broadcast on Iranian state television showed widespread destruction outside the facility, and emergency services carrying an injured man from the scene on a stretcher. The jail was built about 50 years ago and has gained notoriety since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. It now houses thousands of protesters, journalists, people accused of espionage, activists and academics. Human rights organisations have decried the number of inmates in Evin accused of arbitrary catch-all offences like "enmity against God" and "corruption on earth". Both are punishable by death and are used by Iran's regime as judicial trump cards to arrest dissidents. Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who was arrested while attending a conference in Iran, spent more than two years in the jail on charges of espionage. She was eventually released in 2020 as part of a prisoner swap. The Australian government described the allegations against her as "baseless". Last week, she took to social media to post a video of Israel's strike on the facility and wrote: "Every single person who has ever passed under these gates, or has been forced to stand outside them to film the regime's propaganda, will be staring in disbelief at these scenes." The anti-regime group Edaalate Ali hacked Evin Prison's CCTV cameras in 2021 and leaked the footage to expose human rights abuses taking place behind its walls. In a post on the encrypted messaging service Telegram after Israel's attack, the organisation claimed Iranian authorities were trying to stop friends and relatives of people locked inside the jail from accessing the area. "Let's break the chains of captivity together and free political prisoners," it wrote in one update, before encouraging people to head to the compound and help the inmates escape. The footage it leaked made international headlines, and documented inmates being sexually harassed and beaten, as well as overcrowded cells and incidents of self-harm. The videos were so shocking, even Iran's top prisons official, Mohammad Mehdi Haj Mohammadi, described the behaviour they uncovered as "unacceptable". Amnesty International has documented multiple types of torture used at Evin Prison, including "floggings, electric shocks, mock executions, waterboarding, sexual violence, suspension, force-feeding of chemical substances, and deliberate deprivation of medical care". Iranian-Kurdish rapper Saman Yasin was incarcerated at the facility for two years for taking part in Iran's 2022 uprising. He has since detailed a "mock execution" he was subjected to, in which he was taken to a set of gallows and read his last rights. "I was under that noose for about 15 minutes, I think," he told CNN earlier this year. "I could tell that they had brought in a cleric, and he was reciting the Quran over my head … and he kept telling me: 'Repent, so that you go to heaven'." One man, who was born in the jail, has told the ABC about visiting his parents there as a child. He said he remembered an "ugly green hallway" and being interrogated by guards before entering. Iranian officials have this month encouraged the country's judiciary to expedite trials for anyone accused of "collaborating" with Israel — something that would result in execution. Israel's decision to bomb the jail has been criticised by the sister of one of its inmates. French woman Neomie Kohler, whose sibling Cecile and her partner Jacques Paris have been incarcerated at Evin Prison since May 2022 on spying charges they deny, said the IDF's attack put innocent people "in mortal danger". "This strike is completely irresponsible," she told the AFP news agency, adding: "This is really the worst thing that could have happened. "We have no news, we don't know if they are still alive. We're panicking," Amit Segal, the chief political analyst for Israel's Channel 12 news, said in a post on social media that the strike on Evin Prison meant Benjamin Netanyahu's government "appears to be flirting with regime change" in Iran. "This is an escalation by Israel, as it is now targeting not just Iranian military sites, but also Iranian institutions that oppress their own people — and don't directly affect Israel," he wrote. Governments in both Israel and the US repeatedly claimed during the 12-day war that they were not trying to affect the downfall of Iran's government and its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Although US President Donald Trump did take to social media during the fighting to ask "if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why couldn't there be a Regime change???"
