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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: WHO declares that India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem in 2024

    Source: Government of India (2)

    WHO declares that India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem in 2024

    India becomes the third country in the South-East Asia Region to achieve this milestone

    Posted On: 08 OCT 2024 9:01PM by PIB Delhi

    World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that the Government of India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem becoming the third country in the South-East Asia Region to achieve this milestone. An official Certification was handed over to Smt. Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary and Mission Director, National Health Mission, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare by Ms. Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO South East Asia during the WHO’s South East Asia Region, Regional Committee meeting held at New Delhi, today.

    Trachoma is a bacterial infection that affects the eyes. It is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia Trachomatis. Trachoma is contagious, spreading through contact with the eyes, eyelids, nose or throat secretions of infected people, if left untreated it causes irreversible blindness.

    WHO has termed Trachoma as a neglected tropical disease. WHO estimates suggest that 150 million people worldwide are affected by Trachoma and 6 million of them are blind or at risk of visually disabling complications. Trachoma is found in underprivileged communities living in poor environmental conditions.

    Trachoma was amongst the leading cause of blindness in the country during 1950-60. The Government of India launched the National Trachoma Control Program in 1963 and later on Trachoma control efforts were integrated into India’s National Program for Control of Blindness (NPCB).

    In 1971, blindness due to Trachoma was 5% and today, owing to the various interventions under the National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment (NPCBVI), it has come down to less than 1%.  WHO SAFE strategy was implemented throughout the country wherein SAFE stands for adoption of surgery, antibiotics, facial hygiene, environmental cleanliness etc. As a result, in 2017, India was declared free from infective Trachoma. However, surveillance continued for trachoma cases in all the districts of India from 2019 onwards till 2024.

    The National Trachomatous Trichiasis (TT only) Survey was also carried out in 200 endemic districts of the country under NPCBVI from 2021-24, which was a mandate set by WHO in order to declare that India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem.

    All the reports were compiled in a specific dossier format by the NPCBVI team and were shared with the WHO country office for final scrutiny. Finally, after years of fighting against Trachoma, WHO declared that India has eliminated Trachoma as a public health problem.

    ****

     MV

     HFW/India eliminates Trachoma as a public health problem/8th October 2024/1

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Lights, Camera, Awards!

    Source: Government of India

    Lights, Camera, Awards!

    President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu confers 70th National Film Awards

    Mithun Chakraborty receives Dada Saheb Phalke Award for his Lifetime achievement in Indian cinema

    President Draupadi Murmu says the films & social media are the most powerful medium to change society

    Government to set up India’s first Indian Institute of Creative Technology in Mumbai soon

    Government’s vision is to develop the film industry around three key pillars; To develop talent pool, Infrastructure & simplification of process involved in filmmaking: Sh. Ashwini Vaishnaw

    Posted On: 08 OCT 2024 9:27PM by PIB Delhi

    “Never allow your dreams to sleep, even if you are asleep”. These are the golden words of film legend Mithun Da to young awardees who received the 70th National Film Award in various categories in the national capital. The entire auditorium of Vigyan Bhawan rose to their feet in a standing ovation when President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu honoured Mithun Chakraborty with the Dada Saheb Phalke award for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema. Addressing the gathering, Mithun Da, shared the experiences of his struggle in the film industry. He recalled the discrimination he faced due to his dusky complexion and shared his dancing success mantra with the awardees and audience present in the auditorium. His message to the aspiring young talent artists was to identify their talent while chasing their dreams.

    At the 70th National Film Awards ceremony, President of India Smt. Draupadi Murmu said that the films & social media are the most powerful medium to change society. She also praised the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for giving a level playing platform through these awards to the budding talents where they can come at the same platform along with the big names and production houses in the country.

    The Award ceremony saw the participation of award winners such as Manoj Vajpayee, Vishal Bhardwaj, Neena Gupta, Karan Johar, Rishabh Shetty etc. Other personalities from Indian cinema such as Sharmila Tagore, Prasoon Joshi, etc were also present. Esteemed personalities such as A.R. Rahman and Mani Ratnam were among the awardees who received the prestigious National Film Award for the seventh time, a testament to their enduring brilliance and influence on the industry. Their achievements continue to inspire both aspiring and established artists in the ever-evolving landscape of Indian cinema.

    Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting (I&B), Railways and Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of State for I&B Dr. L. Murugan, Sh. Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of I&B, Shri Rahul Rawail, Sh. Nila Madhab Panda, & Shri Gangadhar Mudaliar as Jury were also present at the event.

    Sh. Ashwini Vaishnaw warmly welcomed all the attendees, expressing his honor to be part of this prestigious event, which celebrates the brilliance of filmmakers, actors, technicians, and all stakeholders involved in the art of cinema.  He also paid tribute to legendary actor Mithun Chakraborty, who was honored with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his extraordinary contributions to Indian cinema and society. “Mithunda, your life is your message. You are an icon for our society, both on and off the screen,” he said, acknowledging the veteran actor’s exemplary career and public service.

    Shri Vaishnaw highlighted the remarkable achievements of nine debut directors, applauding their bold storytelling, and celebrated the role of young innovators, whether in the film industry or startups, in driving the creative economy.

    Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT)

    To further support the growth of creative industries, Sh. Vaishnaw  announced a landmark initiative – the establishment of the first Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) in Mumbai. Modeled after prestigious institutions like the IITs and IIMs, which have produced some of the world’s finest technical and managerial talent (some of them leading the big giants like Google, Microsoft, etc), the IICT will focus on developing creative skills and knowledge. This new institution will serve as a hub for innovation, creativity, and talent development, ensuring India stays at the forefront of the global creative economy.

    He also outlined the government’s vision to develop the film industry with three key pillars:

    1. Development of Talent Pipeline: Recognizing the increasing role of technology in filmmaking, he emphasized the need for a strong talent pipeline. Drawing parallels with India’s success in IT and semiconductor sectors, he highlighted the importance of nurturing talent in creative technologies, with IICTs playing a pivotal role.

    2. Infrastructure Development: Shri Vaishnaw stressed the need for world-class infrastructure to support the evolving needs of the film industry. He invited industry leaders to contribute ideas for creating a foundation that will propel Indian cinema to global standards.

    3. Simplification of Processes: The Minister discussed simplifying permissions for filmmakers, making it easier for them to use diverse locations, such as railways, forests, and archaeological sites, in their projects. Streamlining these processes will encourage creativity and reduce bureaucratic hurdles.

    Shri Vaishnaw also emphasized the importance of preserving India’s rich film heritage, from classic films to posters and newspaper clippings. He shared that decisions have been made to safeguard these invaluable treasures for future generations.

    On this occasion, Secretary Shri Sanjay Jaju, also mentioned that 309 films in 32 different languages were received in Feature Films category and 128 films in 17 languages in Non-Feature Films category of 70th National Film Awards, thereby signifying the richness of our cultural landscape and inclusivity of our story telling. Recognising the resilience of Film industry in the background of global pandemic, he praised the film makers for captivating the audience through their art of storytelling.

    Highlights from the 70th National Film Awards

    This year’s National Film Awards continue the tradition of recognizing excellence across a diverse array of films and talent. The awards for 2022 feature several standout winners:

    • Best Feature Film: “Aattam (The Play)”, a Malayalam film directed by Anand Ekarshi, has won this prestigious award for its artistic brilliance.

    • Best Non-Feature Film: “Ayena (Mirror)”, directed by Siddhant Sarin, takes home this honor

    • Best Actor in a Leading Role: Rishab Shetty wins the award for his captivating performance in “Kantara” (Kannada)

    • Best Actress in a Leading Role: The Best Actress award will be shared by Nithya Menen for her portrayal in “Thiruchitrambalam” (Tamil) and Manasi Parekh for “Kutch Express” (Gujarati).

    • Best Direction: Sooraj R. Barjatya wins for his work in the Hindi film “Uunchai”

    Some of the other award winners include “Brahmastra – Part 1: Shiva” in the Best Film in AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming & Comic) category, “Kantara” for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, and “Kishore Kumar: The Ultimate Biography” for Best Book on Cinema.

    Full list of awards can be found at the link below:

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2045960

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    Dharmendra Tewari/Kshitij Singha

     

    (Release ID: 2063321) Visitor Counter : 24

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Further temporary closure of Waimārama (Hawke’s Bay) for the taking of blackfoot pāua

    Source: Ministry for Primary Industries

    Have your say

    Ngāi Hapū o Waimārama has requested a further 2-year temporary closure to the taking of blackfoot pāua, at Waimārama, Hawke’s Bay.

    Fisheries New Zealand invites written submissions in response to this request from anyone who has an interest in blackfoot pāua or in the effects of fishing in the area concerned.

    Section 186A of the Fisheries Act 1996 allows the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to temporarily close an area, or temporarily restrict or prohibit the use of any fishing method in an area.

    Find out more about temporary closures

    Closure request form

    Request for temporary fishing closure of Waimārama, Hawke’s Bay  [PDF, 704 KB]

    Area boundary of the proposed closure

    The proposed area covers approximately 85 square kilometres and extends along 24 kilometres of coastline from Whakapau Point to Huarau.

    Map of the proposed closure area Waimārama, Hawke’s Bay [PDF, 4.2 MB]

    Making your submission

    The closing date for submissions is 5pm on Monday 11 November 2024.

    Email your submission to FMSubmissions@mpi.govt.nz

    While we prefer email, you can post your submission to:

    Spatial Allocations
    Fisheries Management
    Fisheries New Zealand
    PO Box 2526
    Wellington 6140.

    Public notice

    A public notice about the call for submissions is scheduled to appear in the ‘Hawke’s Bay Today’ on Wednesday 9 October 2024.

    Submissions are public information

    Note that all, part, or a summary of your submission may be published on this website. Most often this happens when we issue a document that reviews the submissions received.

    People can also ask for copies of submissions under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). The OIA says we must make the content of submissions available unless we have good reason for withholding it. Those reasons are detailed in sections 6 and 9 of the OIA.

    If you think there are grounds to withhold specific information from publication, make this clear in your submission or contact us. Reasons may include that it discloses commercially sensitive or personal information. However, any decision MPI makes to withhold details can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may direct us to release it.

    Official Information Act 1982 – NZ Legislation

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Carbajal Celebrates Launch of Federal Home Energy Rebate Program, Encourages Central Coast Families to Utilize New Cost-Savings to Lower Utility Bills and Energy Costs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

    Today, Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) is celebrating the launch of the first phase of California’s first federal Home Energy Rebates program to help lower utility bills and home energy costs for Central Coast residents.

    The rebate program launching today will make it cheaper for California residents to install energy cost-saving measures such as heat pumps, electrical panels, and insulation.

    The rebate program is made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, the landmark climate law that Rep. Carbajal helped get signed into law in his previous term.

    “My number one priority in Congress is lowering the cost of living for Central Coast residents. That’s why I worked in 2022 to pass a landmark cost-savings law, the Inflation Reduction Act, to provide both tax incentives and direct rebates for Central Coast families looking to lower their energy costs,” said Rep. Carbajal. “We are already seeing the impact these incentives are having on the Central Coast, and the new programs launching today will help more families not only bring down their monthly bills, but also improve their quality of life and cut harmful pollution while they’re at it.”

    These rebates are projected by the U.S. Department of Energy to save American households up to $1 billion annually in energy costs and support an estimated 50,000 U.S. jobs in residential construction, manufacturing, and other sectors.

    California’s Home Energy Rebate Programs 

    California’s Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) program—one of two Federal Home Energy Rebate programs—will be overseen by the California Energy Commission, and the first phase will be implemented by TECH Clean California.

    Available now: Eligible owners of multifamily buildings can save up to $14,000 per dwelling unit, including up to:  

    • $8,000 for an ENERGY STAR-certified heat pump HVAC. 
    • $4,000 for an electrical panel. 
    • $2,500 for electrical wiring. 
    • $1,750 for an ENERGY STAR-certified heat pump water heater. 
    • $840 for an ENERGY STAR-certified electric stove, cooktop, range, or oven.
    • $840 for an ENERGY STAR-certified electric heat pump clothes dryer. 

    To apply for the HEAR multifamily program, Californian building owners should visit  https://techcleanca.com/heehrarebates/  

    “California has long been at the vanguard of combating climate change and advancing energy efficiency,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David M. Turk. “DOE is thrilled to provide nearly $300 million to California through the HEAR program. This investment will build upon California’s strong foundation, helping thousands of additional residents enjoy lower energy bills and cleaner air while strengthening our collective fight against climate change.”   

    “Home energy rebates for clean and energy-efficient appliances and upgrades are good for the planet because they help cut pollution, but more importantly, they are good for Californians because they will save money by lowering energy bills,” said John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy. “Congratulations to California for making these game-changing Inflation Reduction Act incentives available to their residents.” 

    “California has led the way on saving people money while taking climate action,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom. “With the help of the Biden-Harris Administration and the historic Inflation Reduction Act, Californians can now get up to thousands of dollars to make the switch to energy efficient appliances. Saving money and fighting the climate crisis has never been easier.” 

    “Electrifying and upgrading appliances is not just good for consumers’ wallets, but also for our planet,” said U.S. Senator Alex Padilla. “Thanks to the historic Inflation Reduction Act, the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates program will help working families switch to sustainable, energy-efficient appliances — from home HVAC systems to water heaters — lowering their electric costs, improving indoor air quality, and reducing harmful emissions.” 

    “This program from DOE and CEC will make sure that California families can afford energy efficient appliances that will save them money on energy bills, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the air quality in their homes,” said U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler. “I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration’s investment in making sure that families are equipped to adapt to our changing climate.” 

    More rebates available soon: 

    Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, eligible owners of single-family homes will be able to save up to the following amounts on ENERGY STAR-certified heat pump HVAC units:  

    • $8,000 for low-income households (i.e., those earning less than 80% of their area’s median income). 
    • $4,000 for middle-income households (i.e., those earning between 80-150% of their area’s median income). 

    There also is a second Home Energy Rebates program that California will launch in 2025. Under the Home Efficiency Rebates program, eligible Californians can save money on retrofits that reduce whole-home energy consumption.  

    Information on California’s first phase of the HEAR program can be found at the TECH Clean California website. 

    For more information, visit http://www.energy.gov/save. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pelosi Announces $30.5 Million for UCSF to Research Drug Side-effect Prevention

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

    San Francisco – Today, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi announced that the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) will receive up to $30.5 million in new federal funding for its research into preemptively identifying the side-effect targets a drug might have to design the drug to avoid them.  This funding comes from the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) initiative, which was developed by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and established by March 2022 government funding legislation that then-Speaker Pelosi led in negotiating and enacting.

    “UCSF has long been a beacon of excellence in scientific research and medical treatment, especially its leadership on HIV/AIDS with Ward 86,” Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said.  “With this new federal funding, UCSF will be able to support the cutting-edge research of San Francisco scientists into proactively preventing side-effects for FDA-approved drug therapies.  We are grateful for President Joe Biden’s leadership and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo’s authorship in championing the ARPA-H legislation which has offered so many families across America hope for a better future.”

    “The AVOID-OME project leverages high-throughput drug discovery and machine learning to flip the process of predicting adverse reactions on its head and markedly improve the time and cost involved in candidate drug discovery. This work will create a “public good” dataset and algorithm that the drug discovery community can leverage and grow to develop future drug candidates more efficiently and effectively,” said Harold Collard, Vice Chancellor for Research, UCSF.

    UCSF will soon be able to draw on a $30.5 million federal budget to support its “structurally enabling the ‘avoid-ome’ to accelerate drug discovery” project.  This initiative promises a more proactive and data-driven approach that will ultimately accelerate the delivery of new drug therapies to patients.

    Modeled on successful defense and energy research initiatives, ARPA-H supports break-through research efforts with the potential to improve health outcomes for those living with devastating medical conditions.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the cases of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas – B10-0115/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
    pursuant to Rule 150 of the Rules of Procedure

    Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Helmut Brandstätter, Benoit Cassart, Olivier Chastel, Engin Eroglu, Svenja Hahn, Karin Karlsbro, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Nathalie Loiseau, Urmas Paet, Hilde Vautmans, Lucia Yar
    on behalf of the Renew Group

    Document selected :  

    B10-0115/2024

    Texts tabled :

    B10-0115/2024

    Texts adopted :

    B10‑0115/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the cases of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas

    (2024/2857(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to the 2019 Sakharov Prize to Ilham Tohti, an economist fighting peacefully for the rights of China’s Uyghur minority,

    –  having regard to Rules 150 of its Rules of Procedure; 

     

    1. whereas respect for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law is a major preoccupation of the EU relations with the PRC;
    2. Whereas China systemically persecutes Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongols and other minorities, human rights and democracy defenders, religious groups, and journalists, especially in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and Macao;
    3. whereas in 2014 Ilham Tohti was sentenced to life imprisonment for ‘separatism’ and in 2019 Gulshan Abbas was sentenced to 20 years after her sister spoke publicly about the situation in Xinjiang; whereas both are held incommunicado and their health is deteriorating;
    4. Whereas the Xinjiang Police Files provide evidence of the involvement of the Central Government in Beijing and Xinjiang Region officials in the mass internment of 1-2 million Uyghurs and others;
    5. Whereas the PRC stifles discussion of these repressions through massive censorship on social media and in academia;

     

    1. Strongly condemns the persecution of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Region and the systematic human rights violations, including forced labour, sterilisations and acculturation and destruction of cultural heritage, that amount to crimes against humanity and genocide;
    2. Reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of unjustly imprisoned Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas and to ensure their regular contact with family and lawyers, and medical care;
    3. Urges the PRC and local authorities to cease its brutal repression in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong, and for the release of all arbitrarily detained activists, including Ekpar Asat, Rahile Dawut, Jimmy Lai, Chow Hang-tung, Anya Sengdra,  Chadrel Rinpoche, Chen Yunfei, Ding Jiaxi, Ding Yuande, Gao Zhisheng, Go Sherab Gyatso, Golog Palden, He Fangmei, Huang Qi, Huang Xueqin, Hushtar Isa, Yalkun Isa, Li Yanhe, Peng Lifa, Qin Yongming, Qin Yongpei, Ruan Xiaohuan, Semkyi Dolma, Tashi Dorje, Tashpolat Tiyip, Wang Bingzhang, Wang Jianbing, Pastor Wang Yi, Kamile Wayit, Xu Na, Xu Qin, Xu Yan, Xu Zhiyong, Yang Henjung, Yang Maodong, Yu Wensheng, Pastor Zhang Chunlei Zhang Zhan,  and EU citizen Gui Minhai as well as ending the harassment of their families and providing information about their location as well as medical conditions while allowing contact with their families;
    4. Calls for establishing an independent international mechanism to investigate allegations of human rights violations in Xinjiang; urges the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide an update on the situation in Xinjiang and recommendations for holding the Chinese government accountable;
    5. Regrets that the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue lacks goodwill on the part of China and does not produce tangible results; calls on the HR/VP to invite MEPs to this Dialogue and to initiate further human rights sanctions on all PRC officials involved in human rights abuses in Xinjiang and elsewhere in China;
    6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Member States, the HR/VP, the PRC and the UN.

     

     

    Last updated: 8 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the cases of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas – B10-0116/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

    Yannis Maniatis, Francisco Assis, Raphaël Glucksmann, Pina Picierno
    on behalf of the S&D Group

    B10‑0116/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the cases of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas

    (2024/2857(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas in 2014 the Xinjiang People’s High Court convicted Ilham Tohti on politically motivated charges of “separatism” and sentenced him to life in prison; whereas his family was not allowed visiting him since 2017; whereas he is in solitary confinement since under arrest; whereas in 2024 his Uyghur prison guard Ghopur Abdurishit was jailed for leaking information regarding Tohti’s conditions; whereas Ilham Tohti was awarded the European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2019;

    B. whereas Gulshan Abbas is serving a 20-year sentence since 2019 on fallacious terrorism-related charges; whereas Gulshan Abbas was detained six days after her sister, a Uyghur human rights defender, criticised the persecution of the Uyghur people in China; whereas Gulshan Abbas suffers from a number of health complications;

    C. whereas the repression against Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas reflect the Chinese government’s abuses against the Uyghurs in the Xinjian Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR);

    1. Urges the Chinese authorities to quash the conviction of Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas and to immediately and unconditionally release them along with all those arbitrarily detained in China;

    2. Demands the Chinese authorities to guarantee their access to medical care and unrestricted access to their lawyers, to provide their families with their whereabouts and to ensure family visiting rights, including through virtual communication;

    3. Condemns the human rights violations perpetrated by the Chinese authorities, including against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic people in Xinjiang; Calls on Member States to swiftly adopt additional sanctions against high-ranking officials and entities involved in the Human Rights violations in XUAR;

    4. Requires the Chinese authorities to halt their repression in the XUAR, targeting Uyghurs with policies that amount to  crime against humanity, as reported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in 2022, and represent a serious risk of genocide;

    5. Strongly condemns China’s lack of implementation of the OHCHR and the Universal Periodic Review recommendations as well as the lack of cooperation with UN human rights bodies; invites OHCHR to issue a comprehensive update on the situation in Xinjiang and to present an action plan to hold the Chinese government accountable;

    6. Calls on the EU institutions and Member States to use every opportunity to request the release of Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas to the PRC authorities and to implement the OHCHR report;

    7. Urges the Member States to apply, without delay or restrictions, the principle of non-refoulement to all persons fleeing persecution from Xinjiang and to offer international protection;

     

    8. Urges Member States to mitigate all risks of transnational repression against Chinese dissidents and Uyghur people on their territory and to prosecute responsible individuals;

    9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Chinese authorities, the HRVP, the Commission, the Member States, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Secretary-General.

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the cases of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas – B10-0117/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

    Sebastião Bugalho, Miriam Lexmann, Michael Gahler, David McAllister, Paulo Cunha, Isabel Wiseler‑Lima, Luděk Niedermayer, Ana Miguel Pedro, Mirosława Nykiel, Marta Wcisło, Vangelis Meimarakis, Loránt Vincze, Danuše Nerudová, Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, Tomáš Zdechovský, Nicolás Pascual De La Parte, Jörgen Warborn, Wouter Beke, Željana Zovko
    on behalf of the PPE Group

    B10‑0117/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the cases of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas

    (2024/2857(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on the People’s Republic of China (PRC),

    –  having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

     

    A. whereas the promotion of and respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law should be at the centre of the EU’s relations with China, in line with the EU’s commitment to uphold these values in its external action and China’s commitment to adhere to them in its own development and international cooperation;

     

    B. whereas Ilham Tohti, who has worked tirelessly to foster dialogue and understanding between Uyghurs and Han Chinese for more than two decades, was given a life sentence by the Chinese for his activism in September 2014;

     

    C. whereas Gulshan Abbas, a retired Uyghur doctor who was sentenced to 20 years in prison on terrorism charges and seriously disrupting social order in a secret trial in March 2019, a sentence which  is believed to be linked to her sister, Rushan Abbas’s work in exposing the regime’s crimes against humanity committed against the Uyghurs;

    whereas doctor Abbas urgently needs medical treatment for her multiple chronic diseases;

     

    D. whereas since 2017, various NGOs have repeatedly reported that China has been pursuing the mass detention of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang;

     

    1.  Calls for an end to China’s brutal repression across mainland China, including Xinjiang, Tibet, as well as Hong Kong and Macau; condemns China’s state-directed repression, crimes against humanity and arbitrary detention against the Uyghur minority, which violated fundamental human rights;

     

    2.  Reiterates its calls on the Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the scholar and 2019 Sakharov Prize Laureate Ilham Tohti and Dr. Gulshan Abbas, and at the meantime to ensure that they have regular and unrestricted access to their family and the lawyers of their choice and medical treatments;

     

    3. Calls on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to set up an independent international mechanism   to monitor, report on, and investigate allegations of severe human rights violations in China, including crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and present an action plan to hold the Chinese government accountable;

     

    4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Government and Parliament of the People’s Republic of China.

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION The case of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas – B10-0118/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
    pursuant to Rule 150 of the Rules of Procedure

    Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, Adam Bielan, Alberico Gambino, Mariusz Kamiński, Małgorzata Gosiewska, Veronika Vrecionová, Alexandr Vondra, Roberts Zīle, Waldemar Tomaszewski, Reinis Pozņaks, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Charlie Weimers, Ivaylo Valchev, Jadwiga Wiśniewska, Michał Dworczyk, Jaak Madison, Carlo Fidanza, Ondřej Krutílek, Assita Kanko, Şerban‑Dimitrie Sturdza, Claudiu‑Richard Târziu
    on behalf of the ECR Group

    B10‑0118/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas

    (2024/2857(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on the People’s Republic of China (PRC),

     

    –  having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

     

    1. whereas the PRC is implementing increasingly oppressive domestic policies, repressing any form of dissent, cracking down on all civil and political freedoms and targeting religious and ethnic minorities;

     

    1. whereas Ilham Tohti, who has worked tirelessly to foster dialogue and understanding between Uyghurs and Han Chinese, was sentenced to life in prison in September 2014 for advocating for the rights of Uyghurs and other minority groups in the PRC; whereas his family is denied any official information about his whereabouts and physical and health conditions; whereas Tohti was awarded the Sakharov Prize in 2019;

     

    1. whereas in September 2018, local authorities in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), forcibly disappeared Gulshan Abbas, a retired medical doctor; whereas in 2019, Abbas was reportedly sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of “participating in a terrorist organization,” “aiding terrorist activities,” and “gathering a crowd to disrupt social order.”; whereas reportedly her medical condition is worrying;

     

    1. Whereas aforementioned cases demonstrate the PRC’s efforts to silence those brave enough to speak out against the government’s discriminatory practices and other human rights abuses, which include genocide and crimes against humanity in XUAR;

     

    1. whereas since April 2017, over one million innocent Uyghurs have been arbitrarily detained in a network of internment camps, where they are forced to renounce their ethnic identity and religious beliefs and swear loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP);

     

    1. whereas during the 39th EU-China joint Human Rights Dialogue, the EU called for the immediate release of Ilham Tohti, Gulshan Abbas, among others;

     

    ***

     

    1. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Ilham Tohti, Gulshan Abbas and other human rights defenders, lawyers and intellectuals who are arbitrarily detained in in Xinjiang and other parts of China;

     

    1. Calls on the PRC authorities to allow Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas unimpeded access to their families and the lawyers of their choice, to provide information on their whereabouts and health status;

     

    1. Condemns once again the PRC’s ongoing atrocities in Xinjiang; calls on the PRC to respect and protect the human dignity and human rights of all, including persons belonging to religious, ethnic and linguistic minorities in China; urges the PRC authorities to terminate systemic repression and to close all detention camps;

     

    1. Insists that China respects and guarantees the right to freedom of religion or belief and refrain from monitoring, harassing, detaining or otherwise intimidating leaders and members of religious groups; condemns continuous actions to restrict religious activities in China; invites businesses operating in PRC, in particular XUAR, to carry out more thorough human rights due diligence;

     

    1. Calls on the Council to continue imposing human rights sanctions on all officials involved in human rights abuses in XUAR and elsewhere in China;

     

    1. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Government and the National People’s Congress of the PRC;

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the cases of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas – B10-0114/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
    pursuant to Rule 150 of the Rules of Procedure

    Rima Hassan
    on behalf of The Left Group

    Document selected :  

    B10-0114/2024

    Texts tabled :

    B10-0114/2024

    Texts adopted :

    B10‑0114/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the cases of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas

    (2024/2857(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous resolutions and reports on the situation in China,

    – having regard to Article 4 and 36 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China,

    – having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

     

    1. Whereas massive and structural violations of human rights against Uyghur persist, notably in Xinjiang ;
    2. Whereas in May 2022 for the first time in 17 years, a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has been able to travel six days in China ; whereas OHCHR issued shortly after an assessment of human rights concerns in China’s Xinjiang following allegations of serious violations against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim communities, in a context of the Chinese Government’s policies and measures to combat terrorism and extremism;

     

    1. Whereas in 2022 the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) called on China to immediately investigate all allegations of human rights violations in Xinjiang;
    2. Whereas on the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, eight OHCHR Special Rapporteurs have warned against acts of harassment, intimidation, violence and incitement based on religion or belief that have risen to “alarming levels” across the world, including by State actors, in particular against Muslims;

     

    1. Reiterates its call for the release Ilham Tohti, Gulshan Abbas and other Uighurs unjustly imprisoned;
    2. Reiterates its call for unrestricted access to their family and the lawyers of their choice; 
    3. Calls on the Chinese and local authorities to put an end to the repression of Uyghurs and recalls that the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region have been subjected to intense surveillance, forced labour, involuntary sterilisations and birth prevention measures, among other rights abuses, which may amount to crimes against humanity, as acknowledged in the 2022 OHCHR report;
    4. Recalls that China has ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
    5. Calls on UN Human Rights office to promptly issue a comprehensive update on the current situation in Xinjiang;
    6. Supports a resolution at the Human Rights Council to set up an independent international mechanism to monitor and investigate allegations of severe human rights violations, including potential crimes against humanity in Xinjiang ;
    7. Praises the work of Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights calling again on the authorities to undertake a full review of the legal framework governing national security and counter-terrorism;
    8. Notes a worrying increase, around the world, including China, of the use of the fight against terrorism to repress populations or political opponents;
    9. Calls for an impact assessment on the new regulation on prohibiting products made with forced labour on the Union market in view to remedy loopholes, notably on alternative trades to prevent supply chain disruption;
    10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and to the Government and Parliament of the People’s Republic of China.

     

     

    Last updated: 8 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Iraq, notably the situation of women’s rights and the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law – B10-0088/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
    pursuant to Rule 150 of the Rules of Procedure

    Rima Hassan
    on behalf of The Left Group

    Document selected :  

    B10-0088/2024

    Texts tabled :

    B10-0088/2024

    Texts adopted :

    B10‑0088/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on Iraq, notably the situation of women’s rights and the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law

    (2024/2858(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

     

    1. whereas Iraq’s Personal Status Law, governs matters of marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance for Muslims, was considered one of the most progressive in the region; whereas despite widespread protest and condemnation, amendments to the law were passed in their second reading by the Parliament; whereas according to UN experts if enacted, it would constitute a serious roll-back of women and children´s rights, particularly in areas such marriage, divorce, and child custody and would likely exacerbate the prevalence and forms of violence against women and girls;

     

    1. whereas the draft amendment would legalize the unregistered marriages which are often done as a way to circumvent legal restrictions on child marriage, polygamy, and forced marriage and to evade having to pay spousal maintenance in case of divorce; whereas women in unregistered marriages faced severe challenges in accessing government services and social protection; whereas according to a  report by the UNAMI, 22 percent of unregistered marriages involved girls under 14;

     

     

     

    1. Calls on the Iraqi authorities to reconsider the amendments to the Personal Status Law and to ensure the protection of the rights of all Iraqi citizens while promoting equality and women´s rights;
    2. Praises the women, including members of the Parliament, that have condemned the reform and fought to preserve one of the most progressive in the region;
    3. Urges the authorities to adopt a national action plan to eliminate child marriage and to set the minimum age of marriage at 18;
    4. Asks to reform the relevant laws governing citizenship and birth registration, to permit the registration of all births and the obtention of Iraqi citizenship and associated legal documents;
    5. Urges the authorities to ensure that existing legislation, including articles 41(1), 128, 398 and 409  of the Iraqi Penal Code, is revised to comply with international standards on women´s rights and to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;
    6. Calls on the authorities to combat gender-based violence including discrimination against LGBTIQ+ and to ensure accountability of perpetrators without delay; in particular urges the Council of Representatives to adopt a law to combat Violence Against Women and to fully criminalize marital rape in all circumstances; requires to de authorities to ensure avenues to seek shelter, medical care, legal recourse and reparations for persons at risk of such violence;
    7. Demands to increase and improve access to reproductive healthcare, for all girls and women in rural and urban areas, by allocating greater resources from national health expenditure;
    8. Denounces that  the West countries´ double standards on demanding the respect of human rights and international law, feeds those who do not want to respect international norms;
    9. Urges the EU to direct funding towards organizations working on women´s rights in particular early and forced marriage, violence against women, and assistance to issue or reissue documents and legalize their marriages;
    10. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the EU institutions, Member States, and the Iraqi authorities.
    Last updated: 8 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Iraq, notably the situation of women’s rights and the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law – B10-0089/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

    Hannah Neumann, Benedetta Scuderi, Ville Niinistö, Nicolae Ştefănuță, Mounir Satouri, Catarina Vieira
    on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

    B10‑0089/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on Iraq, notably the situation of women’s rights and the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law

     

    (2024/2858(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to Rule 150,

     

    A. whereas the Council of Representatives of Iraq is discussing amendments to the Personal Status Law of 1959, which aim to legalise child marriage by lowering the minimum age for marriage for women from 18 to 9 years old and for men from 18 to 15 years old; whereas this draft proposal aims to give religious institutions six months to develop a “code of Islamic law rulings on personal status matters”, bypassing any public review further weakening the legal protection for women regarding divorce and inheritance rights, among other issues;

     

    B. whereas the Iraqi constitution prohibits gender-based discrimination; whereas Iraq has signed and ratified key international human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW);

     

    C. whereas Iraqi women and girls have faced particular challenges stemming from years of conflict and displacement and the lack of appropriate legal frameworks and services, paired with conservative social norms;

     

    D. whereas human rights constitute an essential element of the EU-Iraq Partnership and Cooperation Agreement;

     

    1. Rejects the amendments proposed to the Personal Status Law, which contravene the Iraqi constitution and the international human rights obligations that Iraq has adhered to and calls on the Iraqi Council of Representatives to fully and immediately withdraw them;

     

    1. Is deeply concerned about the potentially dramatic effects that the adoption of these amendments would have on women’s and girls’ rights in Iraq, which could result in a significant rollback compared to 1959, an increasingly negative reputation of the country and the withholding of some development aid and foreign assistance from bilateral and multilateral organisations, which would thus increase socioeconomic pressures;

     

    1. Calls on Iraq to show a real commitment to protecting and upholding women’s rights by setting the minimum age of marriage at 18 years old without exceptions and by adopting an action plan aimed at eliminating child marriages and strengthening women’s rights, in accordance with international standards;

     

    1. Urges the Iraqi authorities to criminalise marital rape in all circumstances and to repeal discriminatory provisions against women in the Criminal Code that grant husbands a legal right to punish their wives and provide mitigated sentences for male perpetrators of honour killings against their espouses; calls on Iraq to adopt comprehensive legislation to combat domestic violence in line with its international obligations;

     

    1. Calls on the EU and Iraq to hold regular human rights dialogues and to convene a Cooperation Committee to address topics related to human rights and gender equality; highlights the crucial role played by human rights defenders in Iraq and calls on the Commission and the Member States to increase their logistical and financial support to independent civil society organisations in Iraq, particularly those working on women’s rights;

     

    1. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP, the Council of Representatives of Iraq and the Government of Iraq.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Iraq, notably the situation of women’s rights and the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law – B10-0091/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
    pursuant to Rule 150 of the Rules of Procedure

    Abir Al‑Sahlani, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Benoit Cassart, Olivier Chastel, Raquel García Hermida‑Van Der Walle, Svenja Hahn, Karin Karlsbro, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Nathalie Loiseau, Jan‑Christoph Oetjen, Urmas Paet, Hilde Vautmans, Lucia Yar
    on behalf of the Renew Group

    Document selected :  

    B10-0091/2024

    Texts tabled :

    B10-0091/2024

    Texts adopted :

    B10‑0091/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on Iraq, notably the situation of women’s rights and the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law

    (2024/2858(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous resolutions on Iraq;

    – having regard to Rules 150 of its Rules of Procedure;

    1. whereas Iraq is drafting a new, highly restrictive bill on women’s rights amending Personal Status law 188/1959; whereas family matters, including on marriage, divorce and child custody, would effectively fall under the remit of religious courts rather than civil courts, entailing disturbing discrepancies along religious and socio-economic lines; whereas the minimum legal age for girls to marry would be nine years and there are fears of increased violence against women in the future; whereas the Supreme Court approved the most problematic amendments before a third reading which was postponed on October 2nd;whereas the situation of women rights in Iraq was already under heavy criticism before;
    2. whereas Iraq’s UN mission UNITAD, which worked on sexual crimes committed by Daesh against women, particularly Yazidis, has had to close on September 17, 2024 following the decision, supported by Russia and China, to discontinue their UNSC mandate a year ago; whereas Iraq’s UN Mission UNAMI will also have to close in 2025, while UNICEF has been downsizing; whereas all mentions of gender have since been deleted from public reports, including on sexual crimes and women’s role in conflict resolution, at the request of Iraqi authorities; whereas since April 2024 a new law has criminalized the LGBTQ community with up to 15 years in prison; whereas last August, on the event of the ten year commemoration of the Daesh massacre of the Yazidi people in Iraq, Kurdish Iraqi politicians shared hate speech against them ahead of elections;
    1. urges the EU High Representative to publically deplore Iraq’s repressive personal status bill and underlines that the bill would violate Iraq’s international obligations as regards women’s fundamental rights;
    2. calls on the EU delegation to Iraq to intensify its dialogue with Iraqi civil society on the bill, and to pre-condition development grants to judicial training and the establishment of women shelters;
    3. calls to reinforce EU-Iraq cooperation in criminal justice reform, notably to include internationally recognised criminal offenses, notably the use of sexual violence in armed conflicts, to fight impunity for crimes committed by Daesh against women and girls; calls on Iraqi authorities to refer to relevant and competent organisations to specifically train judges and prosecutors on sexual and gender-based violence;
    4. urges EU-Iraq security and counter-terrorism partnerships to include, as strategic priority, the prosecution of international crimes that include sexual and gender-based violence;
    5. calls for a reinforced partnership with the Human rights committee of Iraq’s Parliament, involving legal experts in the process of cancelling the bill, to align with international obligations, in particular on forced marriage and the rights of women and girls, in line with the Convention for the Elimination of Discriminations against Women;
    6. is highly concerned by the lack of legal protection for domestic violence against women and children;
    7. instructs its President to translate this resolution into Arabic and forward it to Iraq’s Parliament and Government.
    Last updated: 8 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Iraq, notably the situation of women’s rights and recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law – B10-0094/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
    pursuant to Rule 150 of the Rules of Procedure

    Joachim Stanisław BrudzińskiClaudiu, Adam Bielan, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Alberico Gambino, Veronika Vrecionová, Małgorzata Gosiewska, Alexandr Vondra, Waldemar Tomaszewski, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Charlie Weimers, Ivaylo Valchev, Jadwiga Wiśniewska, Emmanouil Fragkos, Beatrice Timgren, Marion Maréchal, Bogdan Rzońca, Michał Dworczyk, Marlena Maląg, Ondřej Krutílek, Carlo Fidanza, Assita Kanko, Şerban-Dimitrie Sturdza, Richard Târziu
    on behalf of the ECR Group

    B10‑0094/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on Iraq, notably the situation of women’s rights and recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law

    (2024/2858(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    —  having regard to its previous resolutions on Iraq,

    —  having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

     

    1. Whereas the human rights situation in Iraq is increasingly alarming, as evidenced by the recent proposed amendments to the Personal Status Law and the stalemate over the adoption of a domestic violence law, sent by the Presidency to the Iraqi parliament in 2019;

     

    1. Whereas the amendments to Personal Status Law conflict with certain constitutional provisions, such as Article 14 on the right to legal equality, as well as with international human rights law; whereas the amendments would violate the human rights of women and children and in particular legalize child marriages for girls as young as 9 and boys as young as 15, while also undermining women’s rights in other aspects, such as divorce and inheritance, and puts them at increased risk of sexual, physical and domestic violence, mental and physical health consequences, social isolation, and dropping out of school;

     

    1. Whereas the amendments would weaken legal protections for women as it allows couples to choose whether to follow civil law or specific Islamic schools of jurisprudence; whereas in case of dispute over which sect’s law should apply, the sect of the husband takes precedence, violating then Iraq’s obligations under international law to uphold equal rights for women; whereas women and girls may end up coerced into accepting religious practices not of their choosing which is in direct violation to the fundamental right to the freedom of religion or belief;

     

    1. Whereas the dominance of the Coordination Framework, the hard-line ruling Shi’te coalition, plays a significant role in this regression in terms of human rights as they are often influenced by strict interpretations of Sharia law;

     

    1. Calls on the Council of Representatives to reject the proposed amendments to the Personal Status Law that threaten the human rights of women and girls, and to ensure that any proposed legislation protects the rights of women and children, in line with Iraq’s international human rights commitments;

     

    1. Underlines that these amendments could deepen sectarianism in Iraq and undermine freedom of religion or belief as a human right, create a parallel authority to that of the state and lead to unequal treatment as sect, not citizenship, would dictate which rights Iraqis are afforded in their personal life;

     

    1. Urges the Council of Representatives to adopt the long awaited law against domestic violence;

     

    1. Recalls that the current Personal Status Law requires children whose at least one parent has converted to Islam to become Muslims themselves; deplores that the proposed amendments to the law, if enacted, would lead to an even more radical application of Sharia law; states that these new provisions would also undermine the Iraqi State and affect the country’s minorities; expresses its deep concern about the consequences of these amendments for Iraq’s Christian communities;

     

    1.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the EUSR for Human Rights, the Government and Council of Representatives of Iraq.

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION the situation of women’s rights in Iraq and the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law – B10-0090/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

    B10‑0090/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the situation of women’s rights in Iraq and the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law#TXTTITLE@TITLE@#

    (2024/2858(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

     

     

     

    A. whereas since the regime change in Iraq in 2003 after the US military invasion, the situation of women in Iraq has continued to deteriorate; whereas practices such as child marriage, temporary marriage, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, honour killings continue to exist; whereas according to the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq, there has been a disturbing increase in domestic violence cases, with 53,889 incidents, recorded over past three years; whereas, although the law allows for the marriage of girls from 15 years of age only in exceptional circumstances, more than 1 in 4 girls (28 %) had married before they reached the age of 18;

     

    B.  whereas since 2003, Christians in Iraq, many of them women, have been severely persecuted, and have been victim of systemic displacement, violence and legal discrimination; whereas the Christian population in Iraq has drastically reduced from 1,5 million in 2003 to 150,000 today; whereas Iraq’s blasphemy laws have been used to arrest and intimidate people for their religious beliefs;

     

    C. whereas the proposal to amend the Iraqi Personal Status Law no. 188 of 1959 would allow for the application of the Sharia jurisprudence on women and girls in personal status matters;  whereas this will lead to a rise in temporary marriages and legitimise child marriages;

     

    1. Emphasises that the unequal treatment of women in Iraq is determined and held in place by cultural norms, customs, tribal traditions and religious practices and that these unequal treatments of women are also reflected in both civil and penal law;

     

    1. Is deeply concerned about the consequences of mass migration from the MENA countries for the security of women across Europe;

     

    1. Notes that the European Union’s development policy in Iraq in this field has not led to the desired results and that the situation is only deteriorating; calls for development aid to Iraq to be linked more strictly to conditionalities, above all cooperation in the repatriation of Iraqis illegally staying in the European Union back to their home country; calls for all development aid to Iraq to be stopped if Iraq does not cooperate in the repatriation of Iraqis from the European Union back to their home country;

     

    1. Notes that in case C-646/21 regarding two sisters of Iraqi nationality, the European Court of Justice has ruled that the very identification with the fundamental value of equality between women and men during a stay in a Member State, constitutes a “reason for persecution”, capable of leading to recognition of refugee status; is worried that this will only encourage further migration;

     

    1. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European External Action Service, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Iraq, notably the situation of women’s rights and the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law – B10-0093/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

    Sebastião Bugalho, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Michael Gahler, David McAllister, Ana Miguel Pedro, Isabel Wiseler-Lima, Paulo Cunha, Luděk Niedermayer, Mirosława Nykiel, Marta Wcisło, Vangelis Meimarakis, Danuše Nerudová, Rosa Estaràs Ferragut, Nicolás Pascual De La Parte, Tomáš Zdechovský, Jörgen Warborn, Wouter Beke, Željana Zovko, Miriam Lexmann
    on behalf of the PPE Group

    B10‑0093/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on Iraq, notably the situation of women’s rights and the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law

    (2024/2858(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous resolutions on Iraq,

     

    –  having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European   Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Iraq, of the other   part,

     

    –  having regard to Iraq’s Personal Status Law adopted in 1959, which governs matters   of marriage, divorce, child custody and inheritance in Iraq,   

     

    –  having regard to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), acceded to by Iraq   on 1994,

     

    –  having regard to article 23(3) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political  Rights   (ICCPR), of which Iraq has been a State Party since 1971 that no marriage   shall be entered into without free and full consent of the intending spouses,

     

    –  having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

     

    A.  whereas the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law, could legalize child   marriage for girls and boys;

     

    B.  whereas the proposal would legalize unregistered marriages, and allow religious  leaders, to finalize them; whereas according to a 2021 report by the U.N. Assistance   Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) 22 percent of unregistered marriages involves girls under   14;

     

    C.  whereas under the proposal, couples entering into a marriage contract can choose  whether to apply the provisions of the Personal Status Law or the provisions of   specific Islamic schools of jurisprudence; whereas this would mean that sect, rather   than citizenship, determines the rights afforded to Iraqis in their personal lives,   effectively creating separate legal systems for different sects and further   entrenching sectarianism in Iraq;

     

    D.  whereas the proposed amendments would have negative consequences on women in   personal status matters, including marriage, divorce, inheritance and child custody;

     

    E.  whereas 73 percent of respondents surveyed by the Iraq Polling Team expressed “strong    opposition” to the changes to the 1959 law;

     

    1.  Calls upon the Iraqi Parliament to reject the proposed amendments to the Personal   Status Law No. 188 of the year 1959;

     

    2.  Calls on the EU and its Member States to condemn the proposed changes to the  Personal Status Law;

     

    3.  Calls on EU and its Member States to express their concerns about the proposed  changes to the Personal Status Law to the Iraqi authorities;

     

    4.  Expresses its support for women’s and children’s rights campaigners and civil society   groups   protesting across the country against the recent proposal to amend the Personal   Status   Law;

     

    5.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Government and Parliament of   the Republic of Iraq, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of   the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commission, the EU   Member States, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the   UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Iraq, notably the situation of women’s rights and the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law – B10-0092/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

    Yannis Maniatis, Francisco Assis, Evin Incir, Nicola Zingaretti
    on behalf of the S&D Group

    B10‑0092/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on Iraq, notably the situation of women’s rights and the recent proposal to amend the Personal Status Law

    (2024/2858(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous resolutions on Iraq,

     

    – having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

     

    A. whereas women’s movements have played a key role in fighting political and religious extremism in Iraq;

     

    B. whereas the European Parliament awarded the 2016 Sakharov Prize to Nadia Murad and Lamiya Aji Bashar, two Yazidi women from Iraq, for their struggle against conflict-related sexual violence;

     

    C. whereas amendments to the Personal Status Law 188 of 1959 were presented in the Parliament of Iraq,

     

    D. whereas the proposed amendments constitute a serious reduction of rights in areas such as marriage, divorce, and child custody,

     

    E. whereas article 14 of the Constitution of Iraq states that “Iraqis are equal before the law without discrimination based on gender […]”,

     

    1. Expresses concern about the proposed amendments to the Personal Status Law 188 of 1959 in Iraq,

     

    2. Believes that, if enacted, the amended law will undermine the rights and equal treatment of women and children, in violation of UN conventions, including ICCPR, ICESCR, CEDAW, and CRC, to which Iraq is a state party; and failing to uphold such obligations will seriously erode core human rights and the protection of women and children,

     

    3. Recalls that States parties to the CEDAW Convention should adopt family or personal status laws that provide for equality irrespective of their religious or ethnic identity; and that in the absence of a unified family law, the system of personal status laws should provide for individual choice as to the application of religious law, ethnic custom or civil law,

     

    4. Reiterates CEDAW´s concerns that identity-based personal status laws and customs perpetuate discrimination against women and that multiple legal systems are in itself discriminatory against women,

     

    5. Calls on Iraqi political and religious leaders, parliament, judicial authorities, and social institutions, to consider the significant negative consequences of the proposed amendments and appeals to place the interests of women and children at the centre of deliberations,

     

    6. Urges Iraqi authorities to withdraw the proposed amendments to the Personal Status Law and to undertake a series of reforms, such as:

     

    a) a national action plan to eliminate child marriage,

     

    b) minimum age of marriage at 18 with no exceptions,

     

    c) criminalizing marital rape in all circumstances,

     

    d) a comprehensive domestic violence law, and acceding to CEDAW Optional Protocol,

     

    e) ensuring that people subjected to child or forced marriages can seek an annulment without undue burden placed on the victim,

     

    f) repealing the articles of the Iraqi Penal Code which give a husband a legal right to “punish” his wife “within limits prescribed by law or custom” and provide a reduced sentence for individuals who kill or assault their wives in the act of adultery,

     

    7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of the Council and of the Commission, to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and to the Parliament of Iraq.

     

    MSG#

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Dangerous escalation in the Middle East – P-001945/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-001945/2024
    to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
    Rule 144
    Kostas Papadakis (NI), Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos (NI)

    Iran’s missile attack on Tel Aviv was an expected retaliatory move in response to Israeli brutality and marks an escalation in the military showdown between the two countries.

    Backed by the US, NATO and the EU, Israel is continuing its genocide against Palestinians, has occupied further territory in Gaza and the West Bank, has invaded the independent state of Lebanon and is continuing its killing spree against political leaders.

    The EU has organised ‘Aspides’, a dangerous military operation in the Red Sea, which the Greek Government is taking part in by sending a warship and hosting the operation headquarters in Larissa.

    How does the EU High Representative/Vice-President view:

    • 1.The fact that the EU military operation ‘Aspides’ provides a justification for the escalation of Israel’s savage project, contributes to the escalation of armed conflict in the wider Middle Eastern region and turns people in the region and Europeans into retaliation targets, with unpredictable consequences?
    • 2.The call for all support to Israel to be withdrawn, for the EU’s ‘Aspides’ operation to be terminated, for the Greek frigate and the other ships that joined the mission to be withdrawn and for a pull-out from the war in the Middle East?
    • 3.The fact that the EU continues to support Israel, citing its commitment to the latter’s security for the sake of stability in the Middle East, when this very same region is in severe turmoil precisely because of Israel’s aggression and the policy pursued by its Government, whose plans are supported by the EU?

    Submitted: 3.10.2024

    Last updated: 8 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION The case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye – B10-0095/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

    B10‑0095/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye

    (2024/2856(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas on 6 May 2023, journalist Bülent Mumay was sentenced to 20 months in prison for his social media posts on alleged money laundering schemes; whereas on 20 August 2024, an appeal court upheld the conviction; whereas Mumay’s remaining legal recourse is an individual application to the Constitutional Court;

    B. whereas Mumay’s case is part of a broader pattern of judicial harassment, intimidation, censorship and financial coercion targeting independent media and journalists; whereas on August 26, 82 X accounts operated by Kurdish politicians, journalists and media houses were blocked by a court for “making terrorist propaganda”; whereas 90% of the national media are under government control;

    1. Condemns the sentence of Bülent Mumay as well as the judicial harassment, intimidation, censorship and financial coercion faced by independent media and journalists; calls on Turkish authorities to end all harassment and protect independent journalists and guarantee the right to information in the country;

    2. Deplores the serious backsliding on fundamental freedoms and human rights in Türkiye and the continued erosion of democracy and the rule of law;

    3. Urges the authorities to put an end to the repression of political opponents, human rights defenders, civil servants, journalists, writers and academics; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all people arbitrarily detained such as Figen Yüksekdağ, Selahattin Demirtaş, Osman Kavala, Çiğdem Mater, Mine Özerden, Can Atalay, and Tayfun Kahraman, and that the charges against them be immediately dropped or cancelled; calls to cease the judicial persecution against Hakan Altınay, Mücella Yapıcı and Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi, ahead of their next hearing on 9 October 2024;

    4. Calls on Turkish authorities to put an end to the systematic repression against opposition voices including HDP;

    5. Strongly condemns the use of the justice system for political purposes; requires to ensure the independence of the judiciary, and to guarantee the right to due process; calls to hold accountable those violating press freedom in the country;

    6. Urges the authorities to ensure that existing legislation – in particular the anti-terror Law, the Criminal Code, the law on assemblies and demonstrations and the law on disinformation– and protected communication in messenger services and free communication in social media , is revised to comply with international standards;

    7. Requires to the Council to ensure that full implementation by Türkiye of its rule of law and fundamental rights obligations be an integral part of the EU-Türkiye relationship; in that sense, condemns that despite the continued erosion of democracy and the rule of law, the EU has announced further financial support to Türkiye for restrictions on the entry of refugees and migrants to the EU; reiterates that Human Rights should not be undermined by migration management, commercial interests or counter-terrorism actions;

    8. Calls on the EU Member States to simplify the procedure for Turkish journalists to obtain Schengen visas;

    9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the EU institutions, Member States, and the Turkish authorities.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye – B10-0097/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

    Lucia Yar, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Helmut Brandstätter, Benoit Cassart, Olivier Chastel, Engin Eroglu, Svenja Hahn, Karin Karlsbro, Nathalie Loiseau, Jan‑Christoph Oetjen, Hilde Vautmans
    on behalf of the Renew Group

    B10‑0097/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye

    (2024/2856(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to the Türkiye’s international legal obligations and to its own domestic constitutional and legal stipulations to uphold the rule of law, respect for due process protect human rights;

    – having regard to Rule 150 of the Rules of Procedure;

    A. whereas the 20 month prison sentence against journalist Bülent Mumay was upheld in an appeal court on 20th August;

    B. whereas the charges against Mumay focus on his alleged “illegally obtaining or disseminating personal data”,  and constitutes an attempt to suppress press freedom and freedom of expression in Türkiye;

    C. whereas on May 20, 2024, Turkish court further censored Mumay with the removal of his tweets and blocking access to news reports;

    D. whereas the process against Mumay is in line with the broader effort of the Turkish government’s to intimidate independent journalists through legal threats, censorship, and financial pressure, including those residing abroad, thereby undermining democratic discourse and accountability in the country; whereas the Turkish government has closed dozens of media outlets, routinely blocks online articles, is reported to control 85% of national media; whereas it passed a so-called “disinformation law” in 2022 and is reportedly planning to introduce a “foreign agent law” by the end of 2024, further undermining the freedom of press;

    E. whereas Türkiye as a long-standing member of the Council of Europe is expected to apply to the highest democratic standards and practices, including the press freedom and freedom of expression;

    1. condemns the prison sentence of Bülent Mumay not only as a serious infringement of his personal rights but also on the wider respect for press freedom and freedom of speech in Türkiye and urges the Turkish authorities to review his case and uphold the respect for human rights, the rule of law including the fundamental freedoms and the freedom of speech;

    2. calls on the Turkish government to end the systematic targeting of journalists and reiterates its profound concern at the on-going deterioration in press freedom in Türkiye as per the official records of independent organisations dedicated to protect journalists such as Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ); condemns the use of arbitrary detention, judicial and administrative harassment, censorship, and financial coercion as the means of curbing investigative journalism;

    3. express full solidarity with Bülent Mumay and the other journalists, who also have been prosecuted, jailed or faced other forms of intimidation; urges Türkiye to stop deporting exiled Syrian journalists to their country of origin where they face grave danger;

    4. points out that this decision  reconfirms the authoritarian character of the current political leadership in Türkiye, which imposes a violent crackdown of political opponents, fundamental rights activists and minorities and shows the lack of willingness of the government to make real reforms in the field of fundamental rights and rule of law;

    5. instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, Commission, HRVP, and the President, Government and Parliament of Turkey and asks for this resolution to be translated into Turkish language.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement by the Prime Minister on Dr. Geoffrey E. Hinton being awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on British-Canadian physicist Dr. Geoffrey E. Hinton being awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics:

    “I join Canadians and the international science community to congratulate Dr. Geoffrey E. Hinton on being named the 2024 Nobel Prize laureate in Physics.

    “World-renowned for his discoveries and inventions in artificial neural networks, Dr. Hinton is being recognized for his work alongside his American colleague Dr. John Hopfield. Their work is revolutionizing the way we understand, interact, and adapt to artificial intelligence (AI). With his Nobel Prize win, Dr. Hinton is now the seventh Canadian to receive this prestigious award.

     “Dr. Hinton is a stalwart in his field. Celebrated as one of the ‘Godfathers of AI’, he brings decades of leading expertise in AI research as a professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto’s Department of Computer Science, and the current Chief Scientific Advisor at the Vector Institute in Toronto – one of our three national AI institutes.

    “Dr. Hinton is also an outspoken advocate for the responsible development and adoption of AI, educating the world about the benefits and challenges this technology poses.

    “Canada is at the forefront of AI technology thanks to trailblazers like Dr. Hinton. His curiosity for discovery and contributions to innovation will inspire generations to come. On behalf of all Canadians, I congratulate him on his remarkable achievement.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION The case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye – B10-0096/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

    Vladimir Prebilič, Erik Marquardt, Mélissa Camara, Ville Niinistö, Nicolae Ştefănuță, Mounir Satouri, Leoluca Orlando, Catarina Vieira, Sergey Lagodinsky
    on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group

    B10‑0096/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye

    (2024/2856(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous resolutions on Türkiye, in particular the ones of 13 September 2023 and of 5 May 2022,

    – having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

    A.  whereas on 6 May 2023, the journalist Bülent Mumay was given a suspended 20-month sentence because he reported on social media on alleged corruption schemes by a construction company with close links to the government; whereas on 20 August 2024, an appeals court upheld the conviction and ordered internet service providers to block access to news reports related the sentence; whereas Mumay’s only remaining legal recourse is filing an individual application to the Constitutional Court;

    B. whereas Mumay’s case is emblematic of Erdoğan’s systemic pressure on media, which is characterised by legal persecution, censorship, financial pressure, hate speech and threats against journalists, resulting in self-censorship, lack of pluralism and depriving the Turkish public of access to relevant information regarding matters of public interest;

    1. Is appalled that despite a decreased number of jailed journalists, Erdoğan’s decades-long systemic pressure campaign against journalists and critical voices continues and an important number of political prisoners remains; regrets that journalists, including Mumay, live under a constant threat of imprisonment for merely practising their profession;

    2. Urges the Turkish authorities to immediately end their harassment campaign against independent media and critical voices and to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners, including Osman Kavala and Selahattin Demirtaş;

    3. Expresses its deep concern about the political instrumentalisation of the Turkish judiciary and its systemic lack of independence; considers that in the case of Mumay, the judicial system may not be able to provide redress and may instead deliver a verdict that further violates the rights to freedom of expression and information;

    4. Calls on the future HR/VP and the new Commission to put the situation of fundamental rights, the rule of law and democracy at the centre of their engagement with the Turkish authorities, to focus on working towards reversing the decades-long erosion of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, including media freedom, freedom of expression and freedom of information, as well as pushing for the immediate implementation of Türkiye’s international obligations as a member of the Council of Europe, in particular for the swift and full implementation of the ECtHR verdicts concerning Kavala and Demirtaş;

    5. Calls on the Commission, the Member States and the EU Delegation in Ankara to publicly condemn Türkiye’s harassment campaigns against independent media and critical voices, and to attend and monitor trials against journalists and political dissidents;

    6. Calls on the Commission to focus EU funding for Türkiye on supporting civil society and independent media;

    7. Calls on the EU and Member States to issue emergency visas and facilitate temporary shelter in the EU for journalists and human rights activists from Türkiye;

    8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP and the Government and National Assembly of Türkiye.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye – B10-0099/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

    Sebastião Bugalho, Isabel Wiseler‑Lima, Michael Gahler, Luděk Niedermayer, Ana Miguel Pedro, Mirosława Nykiel, Marta Wcisło, Vangelis Meimarakis, Danuše Nerudová, Tomáš Zdechovský, Jörgen Warborn, Nicolás Pascual De La Parte, Željana Zovko, Miriam Lexmann
    on behalf of the PPE Group

    B10‑0099/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye

    (2024/2856(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous reports and resolutions on Türkiye,

    – having regard to the 2024 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, which ranks Türkiye 158th out of 180 countries,

    – having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas, on 6 May, 2023, Bülent Mumay, a Turkish journalist and coordinator of the Istanbul bureau of Deutsche Welle Turkish editorial office was sentenced to 20 months in prison for social media posts about a pro-government company’s seizure of Istanbul Municipality’s subway funds; whereas his appeal was rejected, leaving the sentence upheld;

    B. whereas, on August 20, 2024, the Istanbul 26th Regional Court, acting as an appeals court, upheld the sentence and also ordered the Information and Communication Technologies Authority to block access to news reports about the upheld prison sentence;

    C. whereas, the verdict, coupled with repeated censorship, demonstrates the escalating pressure on press freedom in Türkiye and Bülent Mumay’s case not being an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of judicial harassment and censorship targeting Türkiye’s independent media;

    D. whereas Türkiye, as an EU candidate country, is required to uphold the highest standards of democracy, including respect for human rights, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and the universal right to a fair trial, and strict respect for the principle of presumption of innocence and the right to due process;

    1. Strongly condemns the imprisonment and suspension sentence against Bülent Mumay, which is a thinly veiled attempt to silence critical journalism; calls on the Turkish authorities to immediately release Bülent Mumay, and all arbitrary detained media workers and journalists;

    2. Is deeply concerned for the deterioration of democratic standards in Türkiye, relentless crackdown on any critical voice, independent media and freedom of expression, particularly around the election periods, and ongoing harassment on press freedom and freedom of expression in Türkiye; deplores the fact that the Turkish Government, with a number of laws, including the 2020 social media law, the 2021 anti-money laundering law and the 2022 disinformation law, has built a complex web of legislation serving as a tool to systematically control and silence journalists;

    3. Calls on the EU to take restrictive measures against individuals involved in artificial persecution of journalists under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime;

    4. Underlines that if not addressed, the deteriorating human rights situation in Türkiye could hamper the “Positive EU-Türkiye agenda” proposed by the European Council;

    5. Calls on the EEAS to adequately support the EU Delegation to Türkiye in intensifying trial observation of detained journalists and media workers, in coordination with representations of EU Member States and like-minded countries, and raising their cases with the authorities at all levels;

    6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the  Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the President, Government and Parliament of Türkiye.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye – B10-0098/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

    Yannis Maniatis, Francisco Assis, Nacho Sánchez Amor, Nikos Papandreou
    on behalf of the S&D Group

    B10‑0098/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye

    (2024/2856(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to its previous resolutions on Türkiye,

    – having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas on May 6, 2023, Bülent Mumay was sentenced  to 20 months in prison for “spreading personal data” and for his social media posts about a pro-government construction company’s alleged seizure of Istanbul Municipality’s subway funds in the period of the previous administration,

    B. whereas a Turkish court ordered to block access to his tweet, which alleged that the contractors were government-affiliated,

    C. whereas on August 20, 2024, an appeals court upheld the 20-month prison sentence, and ordered the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) to block access to news reports about the upheld prison sentence,

    D. whereas the charges against Bülent Mumay include illegally obtaining or disseminating personal data, and appear to be only an attempt to silence critical journalism,

    E. whereas several press organizations have condemned the recent sentence, citing it as a grave assault on press freedom,

    F. whereas Bülent Mumay was also arrested and later released in 2016 in the days following the coup attempt in Türkiye,

    G. whereas Türkiye ranks 158th in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index,

    1. Is deeply concerned for the conviction of journalist Bülent Mumay following his press investigations and social media posts criticizing the seizure of municipal funds by a pro-government company,

    2. Deplores the decision by Turkish appeals court to uphold the 20-month prison sentence and to order the blocking of access to related news reports,

    3. Calls for the revision of the sentence and for the immediate release of Bülent Mumay, in the patent absence of solid legal charges, in line with Türkiye’s international and constitutional obligations; 

    4. Considers that the sentence on Bülent Mumay follows a broader pattern of judicial harassment targeting independent journalists, activists and opposition members in Türkiye, where legal intimidation, censorship, and financial coercion are often reported as ways to suppress criticism and investigative press,

    5. Recalls its previous positions condemning the prosecution, censorship and harassment of journalists and independent media in Türkiye;

    6. Calls again on the Turkish authorities to respect press freedoms in accordance with international standards and to let journalists practise its profession freely, as this provides for an overall healthier democracy and society;

    7. Continues to condemn the lack of independence of the prosecution and judiciary and the political instrumentalisation of the judicial system in Türkiye;

    8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of the Council and the Commission; asks that this resolution be translated into Turkish and forwarded to the President, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Türkiye.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye – B10-0100/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law

    Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, Adam Bielan, Veronika Vrecionová, Ondřej Krutílek, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Assita Kanko
    on behalf of the ECR Group

    B10‑0100/2024

    Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye

    (2024/2856(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to Rule 150 of the Rules of Procedure,

    A. whereas Bülent Mumay is a journalist working in Türkiye for Deutsche Welle (DW) who posted a story on Twitter (now X), naming a construction company that had unfairly seized the funds from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) that were meant for a Istanbul subway project;

    B. whereas the construction company Mumay exposed, Met-Gün İnşaat, got the Criminal Judgeship of Pease to issue a ban on Mumay’s tweet based on ‘violation of personal rights’;

    C. whereas Mumay was charged with ‘illegally obtaining or distributing personal data’ and sentenced to 20 months in prison for social media posts where he criticized the pro-government construction company’s seizure of Istanbul Municipality’s subway fund; whereas Mumay’s appeal was rejected by the Appeals court on 20 August 2024;

    D. whereas the Turkish court orders Twitter (now X), to remove any post related to the issue after already ordering the removal of Bülent Mumay’s posts at the request of the construction company owner while simultaneously ordering the Information and Technologies Authority (BTK) to block access to any news reports that Mumay’s  appeal was rejected;

    E. whereas Türkiye had 13 journalists jailed as of a census counted in 2023, which is considered an improvement from the previous count of 40 in 2022 while many of those freed are still under investigation or are awaiting trial;

    1. Calls for the immediate and unconditional annulment of all charges against Bülent Mumay.

    2. Recognises that 90% of the national media in Türkiye is now under government control, while DW Germany’s state-owned broadcaster, had their websites blocked in the country in 2022 because the company did not have the necessary licenses and decided not to apply for them.

    3. Recognises that the number of jailed journalists has decreased considerably in Türkiye in the past two years, yet remains concerned with the deterioration of free and open press within the country.

    4. Recognises that within the context of gross regional instability, the attempted coup d’etat in 2016 and frequent terrorist attacks and cross border raids, Türkiye’s “Disinformation Law”, which allows the state to sentence someone to up to 3 years for sharing, liking or reposting posts on social media that the Turkish government considers to be disinformation that is meant to cause panic, should be revised and implementation  closely monitored so it is not used punitively against free and independent press.

    5. Considers the freedom of the press to be under constant duress under Erdogan’s government and recognises the pattern of levelling arbitrary charges against journalists.

    6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the EEAS, the Vice-President of the Commission/HRVP, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, Members of the Parliament and government of Türkiye.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Thriving Together: Stories of Sickle Cell Strength | Oct 2024 | Episode 2

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    In this video, Acting Associate Commissioner for Minority Health at the FDA, Dr. Christine Lee, sits down with Dr. Claudia Banquet, an affiliate professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Together, they highlight ongoing efforts at HHS to support quality of life for a thriving Sickle Cell Disease community and discuss recent projects related to sickle cell disease. Don’t miss this insightful conversation!

    —

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) | http://www.hhs.gov

    http://www.Twitter.com/HHSGov | http://www.Facebook.com/HHS http://www.Instagram.com/HHSGov
    http://www.LinkedIn.com/company/us-department-of-health-and-human-services

    HHS Privacy Policy: http://www.hhs.gov/Privacy.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98D8yq-ovX4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Sec. Pete Buttigieg on FEMA disaster relief

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    From the beginning, the entire Biden-Harris administration has been working with local and state partners to support affected communities. At USDOT, we’re focused on restoring transportation systems to support recovery and rebuilding efforts.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KymisF98nU4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: The Entrance Exam (Updated Oct 2024) | CBP Hiring Process Deep Dive

    Source: United States of America – Federal Government Departments (video statements)

    The Entrance Exam is the first step on an applicant’s journey to becoming a Border Patrol Agent or a Customs and Border Protection Officer. The Federal Government uses the Entrance Exam to assess applicants on skills that these Agents and Officers use every day. To support your Hiring Process journey, this video explains what to expect when taking the Entrance Exam, tips and recommendations on how to best prepare, and next steps to follow after watching this video.

    Join our Talent Network: https://bit.ly/3un10ma
    Start Your Application: https://www.cbp.gov/careers/apply-now

    Instagram ➤ https://instagram.com/CBPgov
    Facebook ➤ https://facebook.com/CBPgov
    Twitter ➤ https://twitter.com/CBP
    Official Website ➤ https://www.cbp.gov

    #cbp
    #lawenforcement
    #hiring

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9q2b8w9exw

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Love Ssega Composes a Harmonious Future | The Future Thanks You | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    UK-based musician Love Ssega shares his vision of a creative, community-focused 2045. What does your future look like?

    Visit thefuturethanksyou.com to unlock a message from the future and see how today’s choices can make it real.

    The Future Thanks You – a campaign from the Verified initiative by the United Nations and Purpose – aims to build support for a future powered by renewable energy.

    #TheFutureThanksYou #ClimateAction

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQOyO9Rm2IA

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI: Old National Bancorp Announces Schedule for Third-Quarter 2024 Earnings Release and Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EVANSVILLE, Ind., Oct. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (NASDAQ: ONB) – Old National Bancorp (“Old National”), the holding company of Old National Bank, today announced the following schedule for its third-quarter 2024 earnings release and conference call:

    Earnings Release: Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at approximately 8:00 A.M. ET
    Conference Call: Tuesday, October 22, 2024, at 10:00 A.M. ET
    Dial-in Numbers: U.S. (800) 715-9871; International: (646) 307-1963; Access code 1586600
    Webcast: Via Old National’s Investor Relations website at oldnational.com
    Webcast Replay: Available approximately one hour after completion of the call, until midnight ET on October 22, 2025, via Old National’s Investor Relations website at oldnational.com
    Telephone Replay: U.S. (800) 770-2030; International: (647) 362-9199; Access code 1586600. The replay will be available approximately one hour after completion of the call until midnight ET on November 5, 2024
       

    ABOUT OLD NATIONAL
    Old National Bancorp is the holding company of Old National Bank. As the sixth largest commercial bank headquartered in the Midwest, Old National proudly serves clients primarily in the Midwest and Southeast. With approximately $53 billion of assets and $30 billion of assets under management, Old National ranks among the top 30 banking companies headquartered in the United States. Tracing our roots to 1834, Old National focuses on building long-term, highly valued partnerships with clients while also strengthening and supporting the communities we serve. In addition to providing extensive services in consumer and commercial banking, Old National offers comprehensive wealth management and capital markets services. For more information and financial data, please visit Investor Relations at oldnational.com. In 2024, Points of Light named Old National one of “The Civic 50” – an honor reserved for the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.

    Investor Relations:
    Lynell Durchholz
    (812) 464-1366
    lynell.durchholz@oldnational.com

    Media Relations:
    Rick Vach
    (904) 535-9489
    rick.vach@oldnational.com

    The MIL Network –