International
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court asks for arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders for gender persecution in Afghanistan
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, requested on Thursday the judges to approve two arrest warrants, one against the supreme leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and another against the president of the Supreme Court, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, for persecution on gender reasons in Afghanistan.
The prosecutor claims to have “reasonable reasons” to consider both “criminally responsible” for a crime against humanity throughout the territory of Afghanistan since August 15, 2021 for persecuting Afghan girls and women, and people whom the Taliban perceived as “not in accordance with their ideological expectations of identity or gender expression,” or “as allies of girls and women.”
“This ongoing persecution entails numerous and serious deprivations of the fundamental rights of victims, contrary to international law, including the right to physical integrity and autonomy, freedom of movement and expression, education, private and family life and freedom of assembly,” Khan denounced.
In addition, the prosecutor stressed that perceived resistance or opposition to the Taliban “was, and is, brutally repressed by committing crimes that include murder, imprisonment, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, enforced disappearance and other inhumane acts.”
These are the first arrest warrants requested by the prosecutor as part of his investigation into serious crimes in Afghanistan, although he assures that he will “soon file more requests for other senior Taliban officials.”
Among the evidence his office is audiovisual material, official decrees, forensic reports, as well as testimonies from experts and witnesses, and statements from the suspects themselves and other representatives of the Taliban.
“These requests recognize that Afghan women and girls, as well as the LGBTQI+ community, face unprecedented, inadmissible and ongoing persecution by the Taliban. Our action indicates that the status quo for women and girls in Afghanistan is not acceptable. Afghan survivors, particularly women and girls, deserve to be held accountable to a court of justice,” the prosecutor warned.
At the end of November, Chile, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Luxembourg and Mexico expressed their “concern about the serious deterioration of the human rights situation in Afghanistan, especially for women and girls” and asked the prosecutor to consider “the crimes against women and girls” committed by the Taliban.
Khan assured them that gender persecution is already included in his investigation and promised to announce results “soon.”
“The interpretation of Sharia by the Taliban should not and cannot be used to justify the deprivation of fundamental human rights or the commission of related crimes contemplated in the Rome Statute (ICC treaty),” he warned on Thursday, waiting for the judges to authorize the arrest warrants against the Taliban leaders.
In 2020, the ICC prosecutor’s office obtained unanimous authorization from judges to begin investigating alleged crimes committed in the territory of Afghanistan since 1 May 2003, as well as crimes related to the armed conflict and the situation in Afghanistan, which were committed in the territory of other States party to the ICC since July 2002.
The previous Afghan government challenged the admissibility of the investigation, but on October 31, 2022, after the Taliban seized power, the prosecutor’s office has resumed the case and “has been carrying out an independent, impartial and solid investigation” of the crimes in Afghanistan.
However, Khan will only focus his efforts on investigating the crimes allegedly committed by the Taliban and the Islamic State subsidiary (IS-Khorasan) group, leaving other aspects in the background, such as the alleged crimes committed by American soldiers.
International
Brésil : 11 morts et 45 blessés dans un violent accident entre un bus et un camion
Onze personnes ont perdu la vie et quarante-cinq autres ont été blessées lors d’une collision frontale entre un camion de marchandises et un autobus dans le centre-ouest du Brésil, ont annoncé les autorités ce samedi.
L’accident s’est produit vendredi à 21h40, heure locale, sur la route BR-163, près de la localité de Lucas do Rio Verde, dans l’État du Mato Grosso.
Selon la Police routière fédérale (PRF), un autobus reliant la capitale de l’État, Cuiabá, à Sinop est entré en collision frontale avec un camion transportant des graines de coton.
« L’accident a fait 11 morts », a indiqué la PRF dans un communiqué, précisant qu’une enquête est en cours pour déterminer les causes du drame.
Les blessés ont été transportés vers des hôpitaux de la région : 11 sont dans un état grave, 26 présentent des blessures modérées et 8 sont légèrement touchés, selon la police routière.
Le conducteur du camion a subi des blessures modérées.
La société de transport Rio Novo, propriétaire de l’autobus, a confirmé l’accident.
« Notre priorité est de prendre soin des victimes et de leurs familles », a déclaré l’entreprise dans un message publié sur les réseaux sociaux.
Les accidents mortels sont fréquents sur les routes brésiliennes, un pays aux dimensions continentales.
Dimanche dernier, huit personnes avaient trouvé la mort dans une collision impliquant deux voitures et une moto dans l’État de Minas Gerais (sud-est).
En mai, une collision frontale entre une minifourgonnette et un camion avait fait neuf morts et dix blessés, également dans le Minas Gerais.
International
U.S. doubles bounty on Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro to $50 million
In February, the United States designated eight Latin American criminal organizations as “global terrorist” groups, including Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, and the MS-13 gang. In July, it added the Cartel of the Suns to the list — a group Washington claims is led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Last Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, raising it from $25 million to $50 million, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on social media platform X.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained that labeling the Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organization allows for a strategic shift in dealing with the Venezuelan regime, as it is now also considered a direct threat to U.S. national security, according to El Espectador.
In an interview with The World Over on EWTN, Rubio said the designation enables the U.S. to “use intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense, or any other element of American power to go after them.” He stressed this is no longer just a law enforcement matter, but a national security operation.
When asked at the White House whether he believes it is worth sending the military to combat Latin American drug cartels, Trump responded:
“Latin America has many cartels, a lot of drug trafficking, so, you know, we want to protect our country. We have to protect it.”
International
Three injured in early-morning New York City shooting
A shooting in New York City early Saturday morning left three people injured, a police spokesperson told AFP.
The incident occurred at around 1:20 a.m. local time (05:20 GMT) following a dispute. An 18-year-old woman sustained a scratch to the neck, while a 19-year-old man and a 65-year-old man were injured in the lower limbs.
The victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.
The alleged shooter was taken into custody at the scene, and a firearm was recovered. As of now, the suspect has not been formally charged.
Videos circulating on social media show scenes of panic among the crowd, though AFP has not been able to verify their authenticity. The incident comes just weeks after another shooting in a Manhattan skyscraper that left four people injured before the gunman took his own life.
Honduras : l’ONU appelle à garantir les droits territoriaux des peuples autochtones
Brésil : 11 morts et 45 blessés dans un violent accident entre un bus et un camion
U.S. doubles bounty on Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro to $50 million
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International4 days agoMassive wildfire in Southern France kills one, injures nine
-
Central America4 days agoFour honduran presidential candidates sign anti-corruption pact ahead of 2025 elections
-
International4 days agoFlorida officials warn against raw milk after dozens sickened
-
Central America1 day agoNicaragua’s Telica volcano erupts four times, no damages reported
-
International4 days agoJapan marks 80 years since Hiroshima bombing with call for nuclear disarmament
-
International1 day agoOver 240 guatemalans detained at Florida’s Alligator Alcatraz await deportation
-
International1 day agoMaría Corina Machado thanks OAS allies for condemning Venezuela’s growing repression
-
International1 day agoColombian President Gustavo Petro announces talks with clan del Golfo outside country
-
International11 hours agoThree injured in early-morning New York City shooting
-
Central America10 hours agoHonduras : l’ONU appelle à garantir les droits territoriaux des peuples autochtones
-
International11 hours agoU.S. doubles bounty on Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro to $50 million
-
International11 hours agoBrésil : 11 morts et 45 blessés dans un violent accident entre un bus et un camion