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Category: Crime

  • Contractor death: Karnataka mantri faces FIR, refuses to quit

    Congress said that arresting the minister on murder and corruption charges was the only way to ensure justice

    This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.

  • Deported official of Nirav Modi’s firm remanded in CBI custody in PNB fraud case

    Parab was deported to India from Cairo in Egypt earlier in the day, as per the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials

    This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.

  • Clashes in JNU over non-veg food: Police file two FIRs

    JNU warns students, says no violence will be tolerated

    This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.

  • Clashes erupt on Ram Navami; Madhya Pradesh roters’ houses bulldozed

    One person was also killed in Khambat town in Gujarat’s Anand district

    This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.

  • Birbhum killings: HC orders CBI probe in TMC leader’s murder

    The high court had earlier ordered a CBI investigation into the killings of the nine people at Bogtui village

    This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.

  • PNG judge jails 6 sorcery killers 40 years each for ‘barbaric’ deaths

    By Clarissa Moi in Port Moresby

    Papua New Guinea’s National Court has sent a strong message and warning to those accused of sorcery-related violence when it jailed six people for 40 years each for killing a father and his son in Northern province three years ago.

    Acting Judge Camillus Sambua jailed Cameron Jovu, Mike Jofo, Clenty Orotu, Branden Asiko, Andrew Sariko and Jesse Akuma, all from Ambene village in Kokoda, last Thursday for the murder of Bartholomew Umbu and his son Siko.

    The six killers had accused Umbo and Siku of practising sorcery.

    Defence lawyer Emmanuel Yavisa from the Public Solicitor’s Office submitted that his clients be jailed 20 to 25 years because sorcery was a mitigating factor.

    However, state lawyer Solomon Kuku argued that sorcery was not a mitigating factor as it was based on assumptions and not facts.

    Kuku submitted that a term of 30 years to life imprisonment should be imposed as the killings were gruesome with disregard for human life.

    Judge Samua then jailed all the six 40 years each.

    ‘Life a gift from God’
    “Life is a gift from God,” he said.

    “It should be kept sacred as it is very precious.

    “The act by the six accused [was] barbaric with no regard to life,” he added.

    Cameron Jovu will serve 40 years concurrently for two counts of murder.

    Mike Jofo, Clenty Orotu, Smith Asiko and Brendan Asiko, were jailed for one count of murder, while Jesse Akuma and Andrew Sariko, for two counts of murder.

    A total of 18 people were accused of being involved in the sorcery-related killing.

    Eleven were acquitted on Tuesday.

    Those acquitted were Emmanuel Koviro, Humphrey Konene, Bobby Jovu, Timothy Jofo, Howard Pou, Zebedee Akuma, Frank Johnson, Loide Koiko Sawa, Smith Ariko, Tadiu Roko and Robert Jovu.

    Clarissa Moi is a reporter for The National. Republished with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Key witness in drugs case involving Aryan Khan, dies of heart attack

    Sail’s lawyer Tushar Khandare confirmed that Sail died after he suffered a heart attack and that his family does not suspect any foul play

    This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.

  • Post-Courier blasts Marape for sudden Jakarta junket ‘while Tari burns’

    Pacific Media Watch newsdesk

    The Post-Courier newspaper today compared Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape to the infamous emperor Nero who fiddled while Rome burned over his controversial one-day Indonesian visit while facing an election in June.

    “And [he] was clearly despised by his people,” the paper said in a scathing editorial headlined “Tari burns while Marape fiddles”.

    “The frivolities of life abounded in his rule and perhaps, in his greatest haste, when his Rome roared into flames, the adage, ‘Nero fiddles while Rome burns’ has stuck to this day to depict his indifference to the suffering of his people.”

    Often used in a critical way, the paper said, the phrase had been applied colloquially to a leader who was “simply irresponsible in the face of responsibility”.

    The Post-Courier said there were many examples of this in Papua New Guinea, “none more morbid and clarified as the disappearing act of our Prime Minister James Marape yesterday”.

    The newspaper was criticising Marape for taking an entourage of 71 musicians on a sightseeing tour of Jakarta across the border while his “restive electorate of Tari, significant to Papua New Guinea for its oil and gas fields, sparked and is still burning today”.

    Pai police barracks torched, 1 dead
    One police reservist was reported dead and three houses were torched in an attack by gunmen on the Pai Police Barracks in Tari.

    “How irresponsible is that? How can a Prime Minister ignore his own scorching electorate and simply fiddle his way on an overseas trip in the face of a tough upcoming national election?” the Post-Courier asked.

    “His political opponents must be fiddling in glee at the very thought of political suicide.

    “But the notion of our PM ignoring a serious matter such as Tuesday’s killings and injuring of policemen in his home town of Tari by angry armed locals, and the torching of a police barracks and a settlement, is tantamount to sacrilege of the code of leadership.

    “Electing instead to go on a trip is akin to the ancient testament of Nero.

    “Simply foolish pride and deserting one’s responsibilities in a time of grave danger is unforgivable.”

    The problem with PNG leaders was that only a handful knew and practised their responsibilities with “faithful commitment”.

    Marape criticises Post-Courier
    Marape retorted with a statement carried by the Sunday Bulletin Facebook page denying that he had “run away from electoral duties”. He criticised the paper for stooping “low” and comparing the “once respected” Post-Courier unflatteringly with past versions.

    The prime minister said the Indonesian visit had been long planned and the violence in his Tari-Pori electorate the night before the state visit was coincidental.

    “The Post-Courier of today is nowhere like in the past where it had respected editors like Luke Sela, Oseah Philemon and the likes, and equally distinguished reporters,” Marape said.

    “The people of PNG yearn for the once-great newspaper of old.

    “I do not dictate [to] the newspapers, nor give inducements to reporters and editors, like my predecessor [as prime minister] Peter O’Neill was known for.” I did not run away from responsibilities, far from it.

    “Police, and other agencies of government, have been tasked to handle Tari-Pori and other national issues.

    “Tari is not burning, as [the] Post-Courier claims.

    “Three police houses were torched due to a tribal conflict that had police caught in the crossfire.

    “I may be MP for Tari-Pori, but I am Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, I have a country to run.”

     

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Lae police chief calls on state agencies, NGOs to tackle illegal settlements

    Asia Pacific Report newsdesk

    The Lae police chief has called on government agencies and non-government organisations to address illegal settlements in and around Papua New Guinea’s second city that de described as “breeding grounds for criminals and petty crimes”, reports the PNG Post-Courier.

    “Lae City has many challenges in terms of law and order and we have to identify the main root cause of it,” Metropolitan Superintendent Chris Kunyanban said.

    “I want all stakeholders to work together with police on how this issue can be addressed.”

    He said the city could not turn a blind eye to what was happening and “always blame the police”.

    “Whether you’re a police officer, community leader, church leader, company employee or government employee, we all contribute to this community in terms of services and other things,” he said in a statement.

    “It is a community oriented approached that we need to work in partnership to fix our community.”

    Superintendent Kunyanban said every time police were being blamed for law and order issues without properly identifying what caused people to become involved in crime.

    Increase in crime
    The increase in criminal activities in general — petty crimes (like pick pocketing, phone snatching and harassment) in public places — were mainly from people living in illegal settlement in and around Lae, he said.

    “Banana block is one classic example of people who having been giving headaches to police in terms of criminal activities.

    “Pick pocketing is now happening at Top Town, Eriku and has increased in Main Market. Our manpower is less and we cannot cover all areas at the same time.”

    When police received complaints and attend to those areas that were unmanned, it was stretching resources and logistics, he said.

    Superintendent Chris Kunyanban said that the population increase also contributed to the issue and government agencies needed to do something about it.

    “Police have been arresting offenders but new ones have emerged raising the questions where and how these things are coming from?” he added.

    Republished from the PNG Post-Courier with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Nitish Kumar faces attack, is hit on shoulder; man caught

    The incident came to light when CCTV footage showed a man rushing towards the Chief Minister and hitting him on his shoulder

    This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.

  • Birbhum probe: Will assist CBI, but huge stir if it acts at BJP’s behest, says Didi

    Trinamul Congress supremo pointed out that the CBI had earlier failed to solve several high-profile cases in the state

    This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.

  • Hong Kong’s Organized Crime Societies


    This content originally appeared on VICE News and was authored by VICE News.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Birbhum killings: CBI team reaches Bogtui village, starts probe

    The CBI team, consisting of around 20 members, went inside the house where charred bodies of seven people were found

    This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.

  • Dismiss Indrani Mukerjea’s bail petition, CBI tells SC

    CBI said Ms Mukerjea is an influential person who can influence the witnesses yet to be examined

    This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.

  • 8 burnt alive over TMC leader’s murder in WB

    11 held, 2 cops suspended, BJP wants Centre to act

    This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.

  • As the government’s anti-slavery chair, I see the Home Office failing – and victims suffering | Sara Thornton

    We’re sending back far too many victims of modern slavery to unsafe countries. Change is overdue

    Modern slavery is a violation of human rights, affecting millions of men, women and children across the world and in the UK. People who are vulnerable due to circumstances of poverty, instability or forced migration are taken advantage of and exploited in situations of unfree labour, trafficking and abuse. Women and girls fleeing war are particularly at risk and I am concerned about the possibility of trafficking for migrants as the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine unfolds.

    Given all of this, you might expect that the UK government and the Home Office were doing all they could to help victims of modern slavery in Britain. You would be wrong.

    Dame Sara Thornton is the government’s independent anti-slavery commissioner

    Continue reading…

    This post was originally published on Human rights | The Guardian.

  • PNG opposition leader calls on lawyer MP to resign over shooting death

    PNG Post-Courier

    Papua New Guinea opposition leader Belden Namah has called on a member of Parliament, Lohia Boe Samuel, to resign over the accidental fatal shooting of a man.

    In a statement yesterday, Namah weighed in on the restaurant shooting in Waigani which was allegedly an accident and involved Moresby Northwest MP Samuel, a lawyer.

    “Accidental or intentional, the leader has been most irresponsible in producing a gun in a public place. Producing a gun and discharging or firing a gun in a public is illegal,” Namah said.

    Namah called on Samuel to resign immediately as MP and face the full force of the law as a private citizen.

    “The issue here is not that the discharge of the firearm was accidental. The far more important issue which resulted in the fatal shooting is the production of the firearm in a public place.

    “That is illegal and Mr Samuel, as a senior lawyer, ought to have known that better,” he said.

    Namah said there should be no cover up of this incident, and that Samuel should do the decent thing and resign immediately.

    Police urged to lay charges
    He also called on the police to do the right thing and bring him to account.

    Namah also drew reference to another incident involving senior Pangu Party MP and Minister for Planning Rainbo Paita who was investigated for firing a high-powered firearm.

    PNG Post-Courier front page 14032022
    The PNG Post-Courier front page report of the shooting … MP Lohia Boe Samuel pictured with Fusion 2, the Waigani restaurant where the incident happened. Image: Post-Courier screenshot APR

    Namah said: “Following a so-called ‘high level investigation’ carried out by the Police Commissioner David Manning, Mr Paita was cleared.

    “And now we have another of the Prime Minister James Marape’s inner circle of friends involved in a public display of a firearm which endangered the lives of all patrons and staff at a public place resulting in the death of a man.

    “Mr Samuel and Mr Paita’s fascination with firearms is not just their own.

    “It is indicative of a very dangerous and relaxed attitude by this government under Prime Minister James Marape’s leadership towards the whole issue of firearms, violence and law and order situation in the country,” he said.

    Republished with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Attack on Maternity Ward is a War Crime: David Miliband on Russia’s Bombing of Mariupol


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Attack on Maternity Ward is a War Crime: David Miliband on Russia’s Bombing of Mariupol

    Seg4 mariupol childrens hospital 2

    Russian forces reportedly killed at least three people when they bombed a children’s hospital in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol on Wednesday, shelling a humanitarian corridor and breaking a ceasefire deal that was was meant to allow residents to flee. The actions constitute a violation of international humanitarian law and, therefore, a potential war crime, says David Miliband of the International Rescue Committee. The mayor of Mariupol says there have been over 1,200 civilian deaths since the start of the war. Russian forces have also cut off the city’s water supply and electricity. “This is a strangulation of the city,” says Miliband.


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • New Report Exposes Brutal Persecution of Adivasi Women Defending Their Land

    Adivasi activist Hidme Markam has been thrown into jail for resisting the takeover of her people’s land for mining. © Survival

    WARNING: Contains images some may find disturbing

    A devastating new report from Survival International – launched on International Women’s Day, March 8 – exposes how Adivasi (Indigenous) women in India are being brutally persecuted for defending their lands against a massive corporate and governmental mining rush.

    Amongst its key findings:

    – This mining rush, including plans to increase coal production to one billion tonnes a year, is massively concentrated in six central states that are home to 57 million Adivasi people, who rely on their land for their livelihoods and sacred sites.

    – Adivasi women are playing a central role in resisting this destruction of their land by mining, and are being beaten, arrested, raped, imprisoned and killed because of it. Their attackers almost always act with impunity.

    – Government agencies, police and the security forces are intimately involved in these attempts to terrorise Adivasi women.

    – Draconian anti-terrorism laws are used to silence dissent, and any who resist are falsely labelled as members of the Maoist armed insurgency. Since Narendra Modi came to power, the number of women charged with “sedition” has nearly trebled.

    Adivasi (Indigenous) people of Hasdeo Forest protest against coal mining plans that would destroy their forest. Fattepur Village, Chhattisgarh. © Vijay Ramamurthy The report highlights several Adivasi women who have become victims of state repression:

    – Hidme Markam: At an International Women’s Day event in Chhattisgarh in 2021, Adivasi activist Hidme Markam was bundled into a vehicle and taken into custody, where she remains. Her arrest was punishment for her active, public stance on resisting the mining of a site sacred to her Koya Adivasi people. She had previously said: “Villagers who protest against the government handing over these lands to corporations are being jailed. We have lost faith in the government but will continue to fight to save our sacred lands and our forests.”

    – Kuni Sikaka: a Dongria Kondh woman targeted for her role in defending her people’s sacred mountain, Kuni Sikaka was arrested and paraded in front of local media as a “surrendered insurgent.”

    – Soni Sori: Adivasi activist and leader Soni Sori has been incarcerated, tortured, sexually abused and faced barrages of defamation and harassment for galvanising Adivasi women to resist the violation of their lands, rights and bodies. Soni was a teacher and activist when she was arrested as an ‘insurgent’ and imprisoned, enduring horrific torture and sexual violence in prison. On her eventual release, Soni was attacked by men who rubbed caustic paste on her face, burning and scarring her. Soni continues to fight for an end to the violation of Adivasi rights and lives.

    – Madkam Hidme: Security forces dragged Madkam Hidme into the forest in front of her distraught mother. Her body was returned, beaten and wrapped in plastic, a few days later. The police claim she was ‘encountered’ in the forest, and released a photo of her in crisply ironed, spotless black overalls with a gun at her side – killed, they said, after a “fierce gun battle.”

    Madkam Lakshmi holds a photo that the police released of her daughter, Hidme. The police claim she was killed in a gun battle. Lakshmi saw them drag her daughter, dressed in a sari, out of their house. © The Bunt Line Dayamani Barla, an Adivasi leader from Jharkhand is quoted in the report: “Modi’s government is violating our constitutional rights and is trying to sell every inch of our lands, mountains and rivers. Adivasi people – not only in Jharkhand but right across India – are not safe and neither are their lands and territories. Every inch of our lands is being given to the corporates.”

    Dr. Jo Woodman of Survival International said today: “Across central India tens of thousands of Adivasi people are defying the corporate takeover of their lands with incredible bravery. Women are at the forefront of this resistance, and are being abused, imprisoned and killed for their courage on a truly horrific scale.

    “The repression they face isn’t crushing their spirit – on the contrary, resistance is growing. But there’s an urgent need for support from around the world to join Adivasi people in opposition to this illegal and immoral assault on their lands and lives.”

    The post New Report Exposes Brutal Persecution of Adivasi Women Defending Their Land first appeared on Dissident Voice.

    This post was originally published on Dissident Voice.

  • PNG police arrest suspect in torture and killing of women in ‘sorcery’ case

    The National

    A Papua New Guinean primary school teacher has been arrested for allegedly torturing a woman with a hot knife in sorcery-related violence in Southern Highlands’ Kagua Erave last year.

    Southern Highlands commander Chief Inspector Daniel Yangen said the 35-year-old teacher, from Aiya’s Pawayamo village, was arrested on Monday.

    He said the teacher was sighted in Mendi town by an informant who alerted the Mendi Criminal Investigation Department.

    The teacher is charged with three counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and five counts of kidnapping.

    Chief Inspector Yangen said the three women who died from the sorcery-torture had been identified as Yondopame Kama, Nancy Gibson and Bale Mana. The two survivors are Magdah Michael and Maria Cedric.

    He said the five women were accused of killing a man through sorcery and were held captive on December 4 in Pawayamo village.

    Three died from injuries suffered in the ordeal and the two survivors are now under police protection.

    Video went viral
    Chief Inspector Yangen said the teacher was believed to have pressed a hot knife onto the body of Mana who was crying in the middle of video a that went viral on social media. Mana died.

    “The teacher was clearly identified in the last part of the video wearing a black round neck shirt, long trousers carrying a bilum bag,” Chief Inspector Yangen said.

    “He is armed with a bush knife with his left hand which he used in the middle of the video with a piece of cloth as mask covering his face to protect his identity and [sunglasses] on his head.

    “A well-educated man is supposed to educate and refrain people from humiliating innocent mothers and women in public. We will hunt down his accomplices,” Chief Inspector Yangen said.

    “The first arrest in the murders was a ward councillor charged under the Summary Offences Act for obstruction of police duties. He is now out on K500 court bail.

    “Our next target is the Usa ward councillor. He was the one who assured Deputy Commissioner (Operations) Anton Billie that he would work with the police to identify the suspects, but has gone into hiding.

    ‘More arrests soon’
    “We will continue with investigations and more arrests will be made soon. We will not rest until the uncivilised perpetrators are arrested.”

    He said police needed help from the local government presidents, councillors, village court magistrates, women leaders and church groups to provide information to arrest the suspects.

    The video of the torture of the women posted on social media prompted urgent police investigations.

    The United Nations condemned the recent sorcery accusation-related violence and called for the immediate prosecution of those responsible.

    Republished with permission.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Cops want to turn cop watching into organized crime, but can they get away with it?


    This content originally appeared on The Real News Network and was authored by The Real News Network.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Parliament protest aftermath – NZ police enter ‘significant investigation phase’

    RNZ News

    Police have begun a “significant investigation” into yesterday’s events at the Parliament protest and say they will hold people accountable for any criminal behaviour.

    Police Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers has held a media conference to provide the latest information on the aftermath of the anti-covid public health measures protest.

    Chambers said police made 89 arrests yesterday and there had been 11 further arrests today.

    He said police had now entered a “significant investigation phase”.

    “We are working hard to bring together a lot of footage, support from the public and other sources of information to help us hold people accountable for their criminal behaviour yesterday.”

    Chambers said the investigation would continue “as long as it needs to”. He could not say how many people police were looking for.

    “If any evidence demonstrates that someone’s behaviour was criminal then we will take the appropriate action,” he said.

    “One of the things that we look at is funding streams. Work on that is underway.”

    A ‘proportionate’ response
    More than 40 police staff were injured yesterday. Injuries range from abrasions to bone fractures and head injuries. Eight staff who were admitted to hospital had since been discharged.

    Chambers said police were thankful for support from Wellington Free Ambulance yesterday.

    “Having them available alongside us … was something we are very grateful for.”

    Watch the police media conference:

    Video: RNZ News

    Chambers said he did not have a total number of injuries for protesters, but medical support was available for them.

    “I can’t comment on any admissions to hospital.”

    He said the force that police used was “necessary and proportionate to the situation that was in front of them”.

    He said police would look at anything that suggested police force was not appropriate.

    The use of fire extinguishers and bricks being thrown at police by protesters changed the police response, Chambers said.

    “We did use pepper spray yesterday and that was entirely appropriate.”

    ‘Close eye’ on remaining protesters
    Police have had officers stationed around the perimeters of the CBD area today, but have not reported any issues.

    Protesters have been gathering in other areas around Wellington, including on the Miramar Peninsula.

    Police were keeping a “very close eye” on them, Chambers said.

    “We are monitoring all behaviour and their activity to prevent and further situations.”

    Assistant Commissioner Chambers said any protesters remaining in the Wellington region should go home. He said genuine protesters were long gone by yesterday.

    Police would also monitor any activity in other parts of the country, Assistant Commissioner Chambers said. He added that police would be patrolling anywhere in the country where there are protests for as long as it takes.

    Controller of the investigation
    As national controller of the investigation into the protest, Chambers would be kept informed of any related activity elsewhere in the country.

    “What we have seen today is a number of those protests, protesters, depart and go home as well.”

    Before police involved in yesterday’s operation return to their part of the country they were required to have a RAT test, Assistant Commissioner Chambers said.

    Assistant Commissioner Chambers said today’s efforts in Wellington had focused on reassurance patrols and visibility.

    “I’d like to say a very big thank you to the people of Wellington. The support they have shown today to police staff that were involved yesterday and today has been phenomenal.”

    He said police had received “thousands” of messages of thanks for their efforts.

    Auckland Domain protest camp removed
    Meanwhile, in Auckland the anti-mandate camp at Auckland Domain was being disassembled today.

    Police and staff from Auckland Council were onsite.

    The operation was peaceful and protesters were asking police if they could move somewhere else.

    An eyewitness says initially four police and a mediator approached the occupation site, and later more than 10 officers and about 40 council workers were there.

    Roads in the Domain were still closed.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • Local advocacy groups call on NZ to press Indonesia to free accused activist

    Asia Pacific Report newsdesk

    A national network of groups supporting freedom and justice for West Papua has called on Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta to condemn Indonesian charges of treason against accused West Papuan Victor Yeimo.

    They have called for the release of Yeimo, who this week rejected charges against him in a court hearing in the Papuan provincial capital of Jayapura.

    Spokesperson Catherine Delahunty, a former Green Party MP, described the charges against West Papua National Committee (KNPB) international spokesperson as “trumped up” and said Yeimo had suffered a “serious health crisis”.

    “In addition to taking a strong position in support of Ukraine at this terrible moment we are asking Nanaia Mahuta to stand up for human rights in our neighbourhood,” she said in a statement.

    “Last week Victor Yeimo was charged with treason for participating in an antiracism peaceful protest on August 19, 2019.

    “He also spoke against the abuse of West Papuan students, which included hours of being harangued and called ‘monkeys’ before being beaten and arrested.

    “That is his only ‘crime’, but for that he has been detained for ten months, suffered a serious health crisis and is now in court facing trumped up charges of treason,” Delahunty said.

    Yeimo charged with makar
    In Jayapura, the preliminary court hearing against Yeimo was held at the Jayapura District Court in Abepura, Papua, on last Monday, reports Suara Papua.

    During the hearing, the public prosecutor read out the indictment in which he charged Yeimo under the makar (treason, subversion, rebellion) articles.

    The defence believes that the charges are excessive because what happened in August 2019 was a response to the racism which was “rooted in the nature of the Indonesian population against Papuans”.

    Victor Yeimo
    Papuan campaigner Victor Yeimo in handcuffs … he is international spokesperson for the West Papua National Committee (KNPB), a peaceful civil society disobedience organisation. Image: Tribunnews

    The prosecution said that during the protest actions which ended in riots on August 29, 2019, there was verbal as well as written involvement of the defendant along with his colleague the chairperson of the KNPB, Agus Kossay, in demonstrations which were facilitated by the chairpeople of the Student Executive Council (BEM) in Jayapura.

    “They [the chairpersons of the West Papua National Parliament (PNWP), the Federal Republic of West Papua (NRFPB), the West Papua National Coalition for Liberation (WPNCL) and the Free West Papua Campaign (FWPC), together with the defendant], called for, and took part in committing the act of makar with the maximum [aim] of all or part of the country’s territory [separating from Indonesia],” said prosecutor Andrianus Y. Tomana in reading out the charge sheet in the courtroom.

    According to the prosecutor, Yeimo was being indicted for crimes under Article 106 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph (1) on the crime of makar, Article 110 Paragraph 1 of the KUHP on criminal conspiracy to commit a crime, and Article 110 Paragraph 2 on endeavoring to mobilise people or call on people to commit a crime.

    In reply, Yeimo admitted that he had been involved as a participant in the anti-racist demonstration on August 19, 2019. However, the protest happened without problems and after it finished the protesters returned home.

    ‘I was arrested because of racism’
    “I was arrested only because of the racism case, indeed I was involved and it’s true there were speeches.

    “But it was not just me that gave speeches, the DPRP [Papua Regional House of Representatives] spoke, the governor spoke, all of the Papuan people spoke at the time. So if I’m being tried, why aren’t they being tried?” he asked.

    Yeimo explained that he attended along with other Papuan people in order to oppose and to fight against the racism and this opposition was conveyed peacefully at the Papua governor’s office.

    Delahunty said the Yeimo case had attracted a strong response from UN Special Rapporteurs, but in letters to the West Papua Action Network the New Zealand government only said it was “concerned” and that its officials “raise the case”.

    The European Union Commission has called for Indonesia to allow their high commissioners to visit West Papua, specifically naming the Victor Yeimo case as a human rights issue.

    “Our Foreign Minister needs to support the growing international calls for justice for Victor,” Delahunty said.

    “She needs to condemn this outrage and call for the treason charges to be dropped and Victor Yeimo to be immediately released.”

    This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.

  • On Anniv. of Ahmaud Arbery’s Murder, Family Welcomes Historic Hate Crime Guilty Verdict for Killers


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • On Anniv. of Ahmaud Arbery’s Murder, Family Welcomes Historic Hate Crime Guilty Verdict for Killers

    Seg2 family presser 3

    We go to Georgia, where a jury has found the three white men who hunted and fatally shot unarmed Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery guilty of committing federal hate crimes, acknowledging the racial animus behind the killing. It marks the first time in Georgia’s history that there has been a conviction for a federal hate crime. Today is the anniversary of Arbery’s murder, now marked as Ahmaud Arbery Day in Georgia. We speak with Anoa Changa, editor at NewsOne and retired federal government attorney. The verdict feels like a victory for proponents of racial justice, but “it isn’t the end-all be-all that a lot of people think it is,” says Changa. “Prosecutorial misconduct and prosecutorial accountability continue to be something that organizers around the state are working on.”


    This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.

    This post was originally published on Radio Free.

  • Congress Passes Bill To Eliminate Forced Arbitration In Sexual Assault Cases

    Via America’s Lawyer: Congress passes legislation that bans forced arbitration clauses for victims of sexual harassment in the workplace. Mike Papantonio & Farron Cousins discuss more. Transcript: *This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos. Mike Papantonio:             Finally tonight, some good news. Congress has passed legislation that would do away with forced arbitration. This […]

    The post Congress Passes Bill To Eliminate Forced Arbitration In Sexual Assault Cases appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Trump’s Rise Empowered White Nationalists To Be More Open With Their Hate

    Donald Trump is not responsible for racism in America. But his ascent to the presidency undeniably gave racists in the United States all the permission they needed to wear their hatred and bigotry on their sleeves. The mask has been torn off, and we are now seeing how deeply the hatred in this country runs. […]

    The post Trump’s Rise Empowered White Nationalists To Be More Open With Their Hate appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.

  • Karnataka: Petitioner in hijab case claims Sangh Parivar goons attacked her brother

    In a series of tweets, the petitioner demanded that a case be filed against the attackers

    This post was originally published on The Asian Age | Home.

  • Trump’s Legal Problems Aren’t Going Away After Prosecutors Resign

    Even with the resignation of two New York prosecutors this week due to a lack of action from the DA’s office, Donald Trump’s legal problems aren’t going away. He is facing serious lawsuits in Washington, D.C., and ongoing investigations in both Fulton County, Georgia and the state of New York (and many more in DC, […]

    The post Trump’s Legal Problems Aren’t Going Away After Prosecutors Resign appeared first on The Ring of Fire Network.

    This post was originally published on The Ring of Fire.