Human Rights

Egypt activist Alaa Abdul Fattah beaten in prison

10 Oct 2019; MEMO: Prominent Egyptian activist Alaa Abdul Fattah has told his lawyers that he has been beaten, threatened and robbed inside prison.

Alaa is one of the key figures of the 2011 revolution. He was released from jail in March this year after serving five years for allegedly organising an illegal protest. A condition of his release was that he would be on probation for five years and was required to sleep in a police station every night.

Israel settlers raid Al-Aqsa Mosque, Ibrahim Mosque on Yom Kippur

10 Oct 2019; MEMO: Hundreds of Israeli Jewish settlers yesterday raided Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City and thousands raided the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron’s Old City, Wafa news agency reported.

Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel and Jewish Rabbi Yehuda Glick led the Jewish settlers to Al-Aqsa Mosque and performed Talmudic rituals, marking the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur or Atonement Day.

Rights group condemns Israel’s campaign against BDS

10 Oct 2019; MEMO: The Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the United Kingdom (AOHR UK) has condemned the Israeli government for its efforts to launch an online propaganda war espousing pro-Israeli sentiment and hatred towards the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement through a mobile phone app.

India: Minor girl gangraped in Odisha

Kendrapara (Odisha), Oct 9 (PTI) A minor girl in Kendrapara district was allegedly raped by two men while she had gone outside to attend to nature's call, police said on Wednesday.

The accused have been arrested, they said.

"The duo have confessed to the crime. They gangraped her while the 14-year-old girl had gone to a field to answer to nature's call.

2 dead in attack targeting German synagogue on Yom Kippur

HALLE, Germany (AP) — A heavily armed assailant ranting about Jews tried to force his way into a synagogue in Germany on Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day, then shot two people to death nearby in an attack Wednesday that was livestreamed on a popular gaming site.

The attacker shot at the door of the synagogue in the eastern city of Halle but did not get in as 70 to 80 people inside were observing the holy day.

India: TN police arrest 10 Tibetans ahead of Modi-Xi summit

Chennai, Oct 8 (PTI) More than 40 Tibetans were detained and ten of them arrested, including activist Tenzin Tsundue, to prevent possibility of protest by them against Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit here for a summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, police said on Tuesday.

India: Deaf and mute woman raped in Maha

Mumbai, Oct 8 (PTI) A 20-year-old man and his friend have been arrested for allegedly raping a deaf and mute woman here, police said on Tuesday.

According to a police official, the accused, who were arrested on Monday, have been identified as Lakhan Kaale and his friend Sandip Kurhade (22), both residents of adjoining Thane.

The victim (25) worked as a housemaid in a residential society in upscale suburb of Bandra (East), he said.

India: Owaisi slams Bhagwat over statement on lynching

Jalna, Oct 8 (PTI) AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday hit out at Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat for his statement that mob lynching was a western concept and it should not be used to defame India.

Addressing the Vijayadashmi function of the RSS at Reshimbagh ground in Nagpur, Bhagwat said lynching is a "western construct" and should not be used in the Indian context to defame the country.

He said the word 'lynching' does not originate from Indian ethos but comes from a separate religious text.

India: Cong announces boycott of BDC polls in J-K

Jammu, Oct 9 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday decided to boycott the Block Development Council (BDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir, citing "indifferent" attitude of the state administration and continued detention of senior party leaders.

BDC polls will be held in Jammu and Kashmir on October 24. These will be the first elections to be held in the state since its special status was revoked under Article 370 on August 5.

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