health: Lincoln Tribune

الخميس، 1 ديسمبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

Gbagbo arrives at International Criminal Court to face charges
Nigerian senate passes anti-gay bill
Amnesty urges U.S. to ban life without parole sentences for children
Syria releases more than 900 protesters
Belarus sentences Minsk subway bombers to death

Gbagbo arrives at International Criminal Court to face charges

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:55 PM PST

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (BNO NEWS) -- Former Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) leader Laurent Koudou Gbagbo on Wednesday arrived at the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention center in The Hague, where he will face charges of crime against humanity.

Gbagbo, 66, was surrendered to the ICC on Tuesday by Côte d'Ivoire national authorities following a warrant issued by the Pre-Trial Chamber III judges last Wednesday.

According to the allegations, Gbagbo is individually and criminally responsible for post-election violence in the West African country, between December 16, 2010 and April 12 of this year. Gbagbo was allegedly an indirect co-perpetrator for four counts of crimes against humanity, namely murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, persecution and other inhuman acts.

The ICC said there are "reasonable grounds to believe that in the aftermath of the presidential elections in Côte d'Ivoire, pro-Gbagbo forces attacked the civilian population in Abidjan and in the west of the country, from November 28, 2010 onwards, targeting civilians who they believed were supporters of the opponent candidate."

According to reports, and as quoted by the prosecution, at least 3,000 people were killed, 72 people disappeared and 520 others were subject to arbitrary arrest and detentions during the post-election violence.

The post-election violence was allegedly committed pursuant to an organizational policy and were also widespread and systematic as they were committed over an extended time period, over large geographic areas, and following a similar general pattern, the ICC stated, adding that the attacks were allegedly often directed at specific ethnic or religious communities and left a high number of reported victims.

Furthermore, the ICC alleges that a plan existed between Gbagbo and his inner circle and that they were aware that implementing it would lead to the commission of the alleged crimes. Gbagbo, together with others, allegedly exercised joint control over the crimes, and made a coordinated and essential contribution to the realization of the plan.

The ICC said Gbagbo's initial appearance hearing before the Pre-Trial Chamber III is scheduled for Monday at 2 p.m. local time. During this hearing, the former leader will be formally identified and asked if he has been clearly informed of the charges brought against him.

Nigerian senate passes anti-gay bill

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:47 PM PST

ABUJA (BNO NEWS) -- The Nigerian senate has passed a bill which prohibits same-sex marriages and introduces extreme prison sentences for people involved in homosexuality, local media reported on Wednesday.

Under the new bill, anybody convicted of homosexuality risks a jail term of up to 14 years in prison. In addition, anyone who witnesses, abets or aids a same-sex union faces up to 10 years in prison, the Nigerian Tribune reported.

The law further prohibits the public show of amorous relationship directly or indirectly and empowers state high courts to prosecute offenders. The Senate added that only marriages contracted between a man and a woman either under Islamic law, customary law or the Marriage Act is valid.

The Senate president, David Mark, said the controversy surrounding the bill is 'unnecessary' because the bill is 'against our culture, traditions and beliefs.' "Any country who refuses to give aid to Nigeria because of the passage of this bill, should keep it as the practice of same sex unions remain strange to the Nigerian cultural values and practice," he said.

Earlier this month, British Prime Minister David Cameron threatened to cut aid to countries which fail to respect gay rights, sparking outrage in many African nations. Ghanaian President John Atta Mills said Cameron is entitled to his views, but said he does not have the right to "direct to other sovereign nations as to what they should do."

Uganda also rejected the threat with an official accusing the British government of showing a "bullying mentality." Many African governments argue that homosexuality violates religious and cultural beliefs and have therefore made it illegal.

Amnesty urges U.S. to ban life without parole sentences for children

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:40 PM PST

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- Amnesty International on Wednesday urged the government of the Unites States to ban the imposition of life without parole sentences against young offenders.

The London-based rights group also urged the U.S. to review the cases of more than 2,500 prisoners currently serving such sentences. Children as young as 11 at the time of the crime have faced life imprisonment without parole in the U.S. - only one of a few countries in the world to impose this sentence on children, according to Amnesty.

"In the USA, people under 18 years old cannot vote, buy alcohol, lottery tickets or consent to most forms of medical treatment but they can be sentenced to die in prison for their actions. This needs to change," said Natacha Mension, Campaigner on the U.S. at Amnesty International.

A new Amnesty International report entitled "This is where I'm going to be when I die" illustrates the issue through the stories of three people. In the U.S., life without parole can be imposed on juvenile offenders without consideration of mitigating factors such as history of abuse or trauma, degree of involvement in the crime, mental health status or amenability to rehabilitation.

"We are not excusing crimes committed by children or minimizing their consequences but the simple reality is that these sentences ignore the special potential for rehabilitation and change that young offenders have," Mension said.

In May 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court said life without parole is "an especially harsh punishment for a juvenile", as the young offender will serve, on average, more years and a greater percentage of his or her life in prison than an older offender. "A 16-year-old and a 75-year-old each sentenced to life without parole receive the same punishment in name only," the Court said.

Amnesty called on the U.S. to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which expressly prohibits the imposition of life imprisonment without the possibility of release for offenses -- however serious -- committed by people under 18 years old. All countries except the U.S. and Somalia have ratified the Convention, which entered into force more than two decades ago.

Syria releases more than 900 protesters

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:34 PM PST

DAMASCUS (BNO NEWS) -- Syrian authorities on Wednesday released more than 900 people who were arrested during the ongoing social unrest in the country, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

According to the government, 912 people who were involved in the unrest against the government of President Bashar al-Assad but 'without perpetrating acts of killing' were released on Wednesday. The Syrian government also claimed that 1,180 people were released on November 15 and 553 others were released earlier in the same month on the occasion of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

The Syrian government didn't give other details about the detainees or their apparent release. It was also not possible to independently verify the reports due to reporting restrictions.

The release of the detainees comes after a United Nations commission of inquiry on Syria released a report on Monday alleging that the Arab nation is responsible for "wrongful acts," including crimes against humanity which were committed by members of its military and security forces. The three panelists, from Brazil, Turkey, and the Unites States, interviewed 223 victims and witnesses of alleged human rights violations, including defectors from government forces.

Pro-democracy demonstrations have spread across the country since mid-March, resulting in a fierce government crackdown which has left more than 3,500 people killed, including some 200 children. The Syrian government has claimed violent acts against protesters have been carried out by 'terrorists dressed as soldiers,' although international observers have rejected these claims.

Belarus sentences Minsk subway bombers to death

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:28 PM PST

MINSK (BNO NEWS) -- The Supreme Court of Belarus on Wednesday sentenced two men to death for carrying out a bomb attack in the Minsk subway earlier this year, RIA Novosti reported.

Dmitry Konovalov and Vladislav Kovalyov were both found guilty of detonating an explosive device at the subway station on April 11, killing 15 people and injuring more than 200 others.

The court said Konovalov, who was accused of being the mastermind behind the attack, had repeatedly committed acts of terrorism. Kovalyov, as an accomplice to the crime, had known about Konovalov's practices for years, failing to report them to law enforcement agencies.

The Supreme Court's ruling is final and may not be appealed, the judge said. The two men are to be executed by shooting.

Persons sentenced to death may only appeal to the president for pardon, but this is unlikely to happen. Belarus' leader Alexander Lukashenko has only once granted a pardon, commuting the death penalty to a 20-year prison sentence in 1996.

Belarus remains the only European country which imposes and carries out the death penalty. Last year, two people were sentenced to capital punishment and eventually executed in Belarus.

health

الخميس، 1 ديسمبر 2011

Lincoln Tribune

Lincoln Tribune

ليست هناك تعليقات:

إرسال تعليق