Home Blog Page 563

ICC Hands 10-Year Sentence to Former ‘Al-Qaida-Linked’ Mali Police Chief for Timbuktu War Crimes

By
admin
-
0

The International Criminal Court sentenced Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud to 10 years in prison Wednesday for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed while leading the Islamic police in Mali’s historic city of Timbuktu, marking another milestone in prosecuting extremist violence in West Africa.

The 48-year-old former Ansar Dine leader, who stood expressionless in traditional white robes during sentencing, was convicted of torture, religious persecution, and other inhumane acts carried out during the al-Qaida-linked group’s 2012 occupation of the desert city.

“This regime and these acts had a traumatic impact on the population of Timbuktu,” declared presiding judge Kimberly Prost, though the three-judge panel acquitted Al Hassan of charges related to women’s abuse, including rape and sexual slavery, citing insufficient evidence linking him directly to these crimes.

The conviction focused on evidence of prisoner abuse, including confinement in cramped, unsanitary cells and systematic flogging. Al Hassan’s defense lawyer, Melinda Taylor, had argued during trial that his actions merely reflected his obligation to enforce Islamic tribunal decisions, comparing his role to standard police duties worldwide.

The case represents the court’s second conviction related to Ansar Dine’s occupation of Timbuktu, following Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi’s nine-year sentence in 2016 for destroying historic mausoleums and a mosque door. Both sides have appealed the current verdict.

The sentence, reduced by time served since March 2018, leaves approximately 3.5 years remaining in Al Hassan’s term. The prosecution emerged amid broader regional turmoil, as Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger continue battling insurgencies by groups aligned with al-Qaida and Islamic State.

Recent military coups in all three nations have led to the expulsion of French forces in favor of Russian mercenaries for security support. The shifting alliances highlight ongoing instability in a region where extremist groups have maintained a decade-long insurgency.

The sentencing coincides with growing tensions over Mali’s mining sector, illustrated by Tuesday’s announcement that an Australian company would pay $160 million to the military government to resolve a tax dispute following the detention of its CEO and employees, echoing September’s arrest of four Canadian mining company staff.

ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Hamas Leaders Over Gaza War Crimes

By
admin
-
0

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister, and Hamas officials, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in a landmark decision that threatens to further complicate efforts to end the 13-month Gaza conflict.

The three-judge panel unanimously ruled there were “reasonable grounds to believe” Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”

The court simultaneously issued a warrant for Mohammed Deif, Hamas’ military commander, citing crimes against humanity including “murder, extermination, torture, and rape” during the October 2023 attacks on Israel. Two other senior Hamas figures initially targeted by prosecutors – Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh – were killed during the conflict before warrants could be issued.

The unprecedented legal action faces significant enforcement challenges, as neither Israel nor its primary ally, the United States, recognizes the court’s jurisdiction. President Joe Biden condemned the prosecutor’s actions and reaffirmed support for Israel’s right to self-defense.

Israeli officials vehemently rejected the warrants. The Foreign Ministry argued in September legal briefs that the court lacked jurisdiction and failed to allow Israel to investigate allegations internally. “No other democracy with an independent and respected legal system like that which exists in Israel has been treated in this prejudicial manner by the Prosecutor,” spokesperson Oren Marmorstein posted on X.

Opposition leader Benny Gantz, a retired general and Netanyahu rival, called the decision “moral blindness” and “a shameful stain of historic proportion that will never be forgotten.” Fellow opposition figure Yair Lapid denounced it as a “prize for terror.”

Human rights organizations welcomed the court’s action. “The ICC arrest warrants against senior Israeli leaders and a Hamas official break through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law,” said Balkees Jarrah, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch.

The warrants’ practical impact may be limited, as the ICC lacks its own police force and relies on member states for enforcement. However, the designation as internationally wanted suspects could restrict travel for Netanyahu and Gallant, though Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to Mongolia demonstrated that ICC warrants don’t always prevent movement between friendly nations.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan had sought the warrants in May, alleging Israel “intentionally and systematically deprived the civilian population in all parts of Gaza of objects indispensable to human survival” through border closures and supply restrictions. He simultaneously accused Hamas leaders of crimes including murder, hostage-taking, and torture during the October 7 attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis and saw 250 taken captive.

Italian Court Orders Extradition of Malian Singer Rokia Traore to Belgium

By
admin
-
0

Italy’s highest court has ordered the extradition of celebrated Malian singer Rokia Traore to Belgium, rejecting her final appeal in an international child custody case that has kept the renowned vocalist in an Italian prison since June.

Traore, 50, a United Nations refugee agency goodwill ambassador and one of Africa’s most prominent musical artists, will be transferred to Belgian authorities in the coming days, her lawyer Maddalena Del Re confirmed Wednesday.

“Rokia suffered an injustice. She was arrested without the Belgian criminal court hearing her voice. Now, the battle for Rokia’s rights moves to Brussels,” Del Re said in a statement to Reuters. The Court of Cassation’s decision followed a European Court of Justice ruling supporting the extradition.

The singer was arrested June 20 at Rome’s Fiumicino airport under a European arrest warrant while traveling to perform a concert near the Colosseum. She has since been detained in Civitavecchia prison outside Rome. The arrest stems from a Belgian court’s October 2023 decision sentencing her to two years in prison over a custody dispute involving her daughter.

Del Re argues the Belgian procedure violates Italian constitutional principles and international conventions, as Traore was convicted in absentia. The case has its roots in a 2020 arrest in France, where Traore was initially detained on a Belgian warrant after failing to transfer custody of her daughter to the child’s Belgian father, her former partner.

Following a conditional release from French custody, Traore defied travel restrictions by taking a private flight to Mali, where her daughter currently resides.

Kenya Launches Investigation into Ugandan Opposition Leader’s ‘Abduction’ from Nairobi

By
admin
-
0

Kenyan officials launched an investigation Wednesday into the mysterious disappearance and transfer of prominent Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye from Nairobi to Uganda, as international criticism mounts over the country’s treatment of foreign dissidents.

Korir Sing’oei, principal secretary at Kenya’s foreign ministry, emphasized in a television interview that Besigye’s removal was “not the act of the Kenyan government,” characterizing it as an abduction. The interior ministry has begun probing how the longtime rival of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was “forcefully removed from premises in our country and taken to Uganda.”

Besigye, who vanished Saturday in Nairobi, resurfaced Wednesday before a Ugandan military court facing charges of illegal firearms possession. The court alleges he was found with a pistol and eight rounds of ammunition in Nairobi’s Riverside neighborhood while seeking support to “prejudice the security of Uganda’s military.”

His wife, Winnie Byanyima, who heads the United Nations HIV/AIDS agency UNAIDS, contested the charges, stating Besigye hasn’t owned a firearm in two decades. “As a civilian, Dr Besigye should be tried in a civilian court NOT a military court,” she posted on social media platform X.

While Uganda’s government spokesperson denied conducting abductions, insisting arrests abroad involve host country collaboration, the incident has intensified scrutiny of Kenya’s human rights record. In July, Kenyan authorities deported 36 members of Besigye’s political party to Uganda, where they faced terrorism charges. Last month, Kenya drew United Nations criticism for deporting four Turkish refugees to Ankara.

U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member James Risch expressed concern on X that the abduction “raises serious questions about important U.S. partners violating international norms.”

Mali’s Military Government Names Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga as Acting Prime Minister

By
admin
-
0

Mali’s military government has appointed Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, the current government spokesman and territorial administration minister, as acting prime minister, state television reported Wednesday, following the extended absence of incumbent Choguel Maiga.

The appointment comes amid reports in Paris-based Jeune Afrique magazine that Choguel Maiga had suffered a stroke, citing sources close to the leader. While his advisers denied these claims when contacted by Reuters, and his office had promised his return to duties within a week, he has yet to resume his responsibilities.

Colonel Maiga, the new acting premier, has gained prominence as a vocal critic of Western involvement in Mali, notably delivering sharp rebukes to former colonial power France. In July, he accused French President Emmanuel Macron of maintaining a “neocolonial” and “condescending” attitude toward Mali.

The leadership change occurs as Mali’s military junta, which seized power in a 2020 coup, faces international pressure over its cooperation with Russian mercenaries and delayed promises of democratic elections, now scheduled for 2024. Choguel Maiga had been a prominent defender of the junta’s policies during diplomatic disputes with regional neighbors and international allies.

The appointment maintains the military’s firm grip on Mali’s government, as the country navigates complex relationships with Western powers and regional organizations while promising a return to civilian rule.

Gunmen Attack Passenger Convoys in Northwest Pakistan, Killing 38

By
admin
-
0
Volunteers and relatives load the body of a passenger, who was killed by gunmen at a highway in Musakhail, into an ambulance after collecting it from a hospital, in Quetta, Pakistan, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)

Armed attackers ambushed two passenger convoys in Pakistan’s northwestern tribal region Thursday, killing at least 38 people and wounding 29 others in one of the deadliest incidents of violence in the area this year.

The attack occurred in the Kurram tribal district near the Afghan border, where decades-old tensions between Shia and Sunni Muslim communities over land disputes have frequently erupted into violence. Among the victims were a woman and a child, according to Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

“It’s a major tragedy and death toll is likely to rise,” Chaudhry said. The casualties occurred when gunmen opened fire on vehicles traveling in opposite directions between the provincial capital Peshawar and Parachinar.

Local resident Ziarat Hussain, whose relatives were traveling in one of the targeted convoys, told Reuters by telephone that the vehicles were carrying passengers between Peshawar and Parachinar when armed men attacked both groups simultaneously.

President Asif Ali Zardari issued a statement strongly condemning the assault on civilian travelers. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which occurred in a region long plagued by sectarian violence and militant activity.

FBI Arrests Florida Homeless Man in Alleged New York Stock Exchange Bombing Plot

By
admin
-
0

Federal authorities arrested a homeless Florida man Wednesday for allegedly plotting to bomb the New York Stock Exchange, after an investigation that began when officials discovered bomb-making materials in his storage unit.

Harun Abdul-Malik Yener faces federal charges of attempting to damage or destroy a building used in interstate commerce by means of an explosive, following a months-long FBI investigation that included recordings of him telling undercover agents, “I feel like Bin Laden.”

The FBI began investigating Yener in February after receiving a tip about bomb-making schematics stored in his Coral Gables, Florida, storage unit. Agents discovered sketches, timers, circuit boards, and other electronic components consistent with explosive device construction.

According to the FBI affidavit, Yener’s motives appeared to span various extremist ideologies. While invoking Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda leader behind the September 11 attacks, he also described attempts to join right-wing militias and expressed broader anti-government views, declaring “This country is due for a revolution.”

In conversations with multiple undercover employees, Yener allegedly outlined plans to attack the stock exchange, saying he wanted a device powerful enough to “blow off the doors” ensuring that “anything existing in there will be killed.” He told investigators the attack would lead to a “reboot” or “reset” of the U.S. government, stating, “The Stock Exchange, we want to hit that, because it will wake people up.”

Yener has been assigned a federal public defender in the Southern District of Florida. His legal representation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Archegos Founder Bill Hwang Receives 18-Year Prison Sentence in $10 Billion Wall Street Fraud

By
admin
-
0

Sung Kook “Bill” Hwang, the former billionaire founder of Archegos Capital Management, was sentenced Wednesday to 18 years in prison for orchestrating a market manipulation scheme that caused more than $10 billion in losses for major Wall Street banks.

U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein imposed the sentence in Manhattan federal court, where a jury convicted Hwang in July on 10 criminal charges including wire fraud, securities fraud, and market manipulation. “The amount of losses that were caused by your conduct are larger than any other losses I have dealt with,” Hellerstein declared before announcing the punishment.

Federal prosecutors had sought a 21-year term and $12.35 billion in forfeiture, describing the case as “a national calamity.” The judge postponed decisions on forfeiture and restitution until Thursday’s continuation of the sentencing hearing.

The March 2021 collapse of Archegos shocked Wall Street as Hwang’s $36 billion family office imploded in less than a week. Through aggressive borrowing, Hwang had amassed $160 billion in stock market exposure, primarily in concentrated bets on media and technology companies including ViacomCBS, now Paramount Global.

During the hearing, Hellerstein drew comparisons to Sam Bankman-Fried’s recent 25-year sentence for stealing $8 billion from FTX customers. Defense attorney Dani James argued the cases differed fundamentally, stating, “Mr. Bankman-Fried was literally stealing from his customers. I don’t think that’s what’s happened here.”

Hwang, 60, established Archegos in 2013 after his previous hedge fund, Tiger Asia Management, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in an insider-trading case. A protégé of legendary investor Julian Robertson, Hwang built Archegos using total return swaps and allegedly deceived banks about his portfolio to secure aggressive lending.

The firm’s collapse triggered massive losses across Wall Street, with Credit Suisse suffering a $5.5 billion hit and Nomura Holdings also incurring substantial damages. Credit Suisse has since been acquired by UBS.

Defense lawyers had requested no prison time, citing Hwang’s Christian faith and philanthropic work through his Grace and Mercy Foundation, which has donated over $600 million since 2006 to combat homelessness, poverty, and human trafficking. Before sentencing, Hwang expressed hope that his punishment would “allow me to serve as much as I can given the circumstances.”

Patrick Halligan, Archegos’ former chief financial officer who was convicted alongside Hwang, awaits sentencing on January 27. Neither defendant testified during their two-month trial. Hwang’s attorneys note his net worth has plummeted to “at most” $55.3 million.

Bitcoin Surges Near $100,000 as Trump Victory Sparks Cryptocurrency Rally

By
admin
-
0

Bitcoin surged toward the historic $100,000 milestone Thursday, fueled by investor optimism over President-elect Donald Trump’s promised cryptocurrency-friendly policies and widespread institutional adoption of digital assets.

The leading cryptocurrency reached $98,000 during European trading hours, marking a 4% daily gain and extending a remarkable rally that has seen its value double this year. The digital asset has surged approximately 40% in the two weeks following Trump’s election victory and the concurrent success of pro-cryptocurrency congressional candidates.

Trump’s campaign pledge to make the United States the “crypto capital of the planet” and establish a national bitcoin reserve has catalyzed unprecedented institutional investment, with more than $4 billion flowing into U.S.-listed bitcoin exchange-traded funds since the election.

“While it’s now firmly into overbought territory, it is being drawn toward the $100k level,” noted IG Markets analyst Tony Sycamore, highlighting the psychological significance of the approaching milestone.

The cryptocurrency surge has lifted related equities, with bitcoin miner MARA Holdings shares jumping nearly 14% overnight. MicroStrategy, a software company known for its substantial bitcoin holdings, saw its market capitalization exceed $100 billion following a 10% rise.

The momentum gained additional support from the successful launch of options trading on BlackRock’s bitcoin ETF (IBIT.O), with investors showing a strong preference for call options betting on further price increases.

“Many are wondering if this administration will bring the regulatory clarity the crypto community has been waiting for. It’s likely too soon to say,” said Will Peck, WisdomTree’s head of digital assets. “We see all of this excitement as bullish not only for bitcoin or crypto broadly, but the entire blockchain-enabled ecosystem that is growing today.”

US Embassy in Kyiv Reopens After Brief Closure Amid Russian Strike Threats

By
admin
-
0

The United States Embassy in Kyiv resumed operations late Wednesday after a brief closure prompted by warnings of potential Russian air strikes, occurring just one day after Ukraine deployed American missiles against targets within Russia.

“@USEmbassyKyiv has resumed services following a temporary shelter-in-place suspension earlier today,” U.S. Ambassador Bridget Brink announced on social media platform X, while maintaining cautionary advice for American citizens to remain vigilant and prepared for possible air alerts.

The diplomatic disruption came amid heightened tensions following Ukraine’s first use of U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles against Russian territory, which Moscow characterized as a significant escalation in the 1,000-day conflict. Ukrainian military intelligence accused Russia of attempting to spread panic through fake online messages warning of imminent massive aerial attacks.

Italian and Greek embassies also suspended operations, while French diplomatic staff remained at work with increased security precautions. The U.S. embassy advised Americans to maintain emergency supplies, including water, food, and essential medications, citing persistent Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure that could disrupt basic services.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned citizens to heed air raid alerts while denouncing “panic-inducing messages” as serving Russian interests. “However many brutal and treacherous attacks by Russia we have endured… it is always important to pay attention to air raid warnings,” he said in his nightly address. “We have a neighbor that is insane.”

Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency reported that some military personnel received messages warning of an impending attack involving over 300 drones along with naval, air, and ground-based missile systems. The agency dismissed these as psychological warfare tactics, stating, “The enemy, unable to subdue Ukrainians by force, resorts to measures of intimidation and psychological pressure on society.”

The security concerns emerged as Ukraine acknowledged a successful strike on a Russian military command post in Belgorod region, though details about the operation remained limited. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has lowered the threshold for nuclear weapons use in response to conventional attacks, prompting Russian intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin to warn of retaliation against NATO countries facilitating Ukrainian long-range strikes.

The developments coincide with a new $275 million U.S. military aid package focusing on ammunition, drones, and missiles, announced as the conflict enters a critical phase with nearly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory under Russian control and North Korean troops reportedly deployed in Russia’s Kursk region.

1...562563564...990Page 563 of 990