Iran’s unravelling carpet sales
The historic Kashan bazaar in central Iran once sat on a major caravan route, its silk carpets known the world over. But for the weavers trying to sell their rugs under its ancient arches, their world has only unravelled since the collapse of Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers and wider tensions with the West. Carpet exports, which exceeded $2bn two decades ago, have plummeted to less than $50m in the last year, according to government customs figures. With fewer tourists and increasing difficulties in making international transactions, Iranian rugs are going unsold as some weavers work for as little as $4 a day. Kashan’s carpet-weaving industry has been listed as an “intangible cultural heritage” by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Many of the weavers are women, with the skills needed for the Farsi weaving style passed down from generation to generation, using materials such as vine leaves as well as pomegranate skins and walnuts to make the dyes for their threads. A single rug can take months to make. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the United States increased sanctions on Iran’s government over the siege on the US embassy on November 4, 1979 and other issues. In 2000, the outgoing administration of US President Bill Clinton lifted a ban on the import of Iranian caviar, carpets and pistachios. By 2010, with concerns rising over Iran’s nuclear programme, the US again banned Iranian-made Persian rugs. But in 2015, Iran struck a nuclear deal with world powers which reduced its stockpile of enriched uranium. The carpet trade was allowed once again. Three years later, in 2018, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the nuclear deal. Iran began enriching uranium at near weapons-grade levels and has been blamed for a series of attacks at sea and on land, including unprecedented drone and missile strikes targetting Israel last month. For the carpet weavers, that meant their wares were once again banned under US law. Making things worse is what carpet sellers see as a drop in tourists to Kashan as well. High-value American and European tourism in Iran has largely stopped, the daily Shargh newspaper warned last year. Ezzatollah Zarghami, Iran’s minister for tourism, insisted in April that six million tourists visited the country over the last 12 months, though that likely includes religious pilgrims as well as Afghans and Iraqis with lower spending power. Even foreigners who do not visit the country face the challenge of Iran’s financial system, where no major international credit card works. The collapse of the rial currency has left many Iranians unable to purchase the rugs. Wages in the industry are low, leading to a growing number of Afghan migrants working in workshops around Kashan. Adblock test (Why?)
Palestinian employee of German development agency ‘abused’ in Israeli jail
Berlin, Germany – A Palestinian employee of Germany’s state-funded development agency has been imprisoned in Israel for more than a month, where she has been beaten and subject to abusive and humiliating treatment, her family members and lawyer say. Baraa Odeh, 34, works for the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and was detained by Israeli border guards on March 5 while returning to her home in Ramallah from a work trip to Germany. She has since been sentenced to three months of administrative detention without charge. Neither her husband, who is a German national, nor her family have had direct contact with Odeh since her arrest. “Our life is upside down,” her sister Shireen Odeh told Al Jazeera, adding that her family is extremely concerned for her wellbeing. “The only thing we do is think about her. We haven’t had a normal life since they arrested her.” Mahmoud Hassan, a lawyer for Odeh who has spoken to her in prison, said she has been physically assaulted and subject to inhumane conditions. “When she arrived [at Hasharon] prison, she was strip-searched while the policewoman was shouting at her. She was kept in a cell and later, a policeman that also shouted at her beat her on her leg,” said Hassan, who works with Addameer Prisoner Support, an NGO that supports Palestinian prisoners. “The policeman pushed her to the corner and the keys he had injured her hand. He kicked her. She said she had marks on her chest. He was threatening to keep her in this cell overnight. “After a couple of hours, he took her to another room that was not clean and was very cold.” The second room had security cameras. The toilet was so dirty that Odeh refused to use it. She was then transferred to the overcrowded Damon prison and strip-searched again. According to reports, detainees at the site have said it is difficult to access medical care or clean clothes. Guards have allegedly blindfolded and handcuffed prisoners when they are moved, and prevented them from sleeping. Israel has regularly detained and imprisoned workers for Palestinian aid organisations, and sometimes UNRWA, but it is unusual for the Israeli army to hold an employee of a Western organisation such as the GIZ under administrative detention. Since October 7, when the Israel-Palestine conflict escalated, Israel has sharply increased the arrest of Palestinians in the West Bank. Most have been held under administrative detention, without being charged or given due process. Administrative detention orders are often extended, sometimes for years. Prisoner rights groups and released detainees have raised the alarm on Israel’s systematic use of torture in its prisons, especially in recent months. Israel has arrested 8,425 Palestinians, including about 280 women and 540 children, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem between October 7 and April 22, according to Addameer. Some 5,210 administrative detention orders have been issued during the same period, while 16 prisoners have died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, Israel has prevented the Red Cross from making humanitarian visits to prison detainees since October 7. Germany ‘critical’ of administrative detention GIZ, one of the world’s largest international development agencies, has operated in the occupied Palestinian territories since the 1980s. It works on issues such as economic development, governance and peace-building. It is funded by the German government, one of Israel’s closest allies, and is overseen by its Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). “Israeli security forces have taken a national employee of the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH into custody after a private trip. After a subsequent hearing, security forces ordered three months of administrative detention, to our knowledge unrelated to her professional employment,” said a spokesperson for GIZ. “GIZ is working with all the means at its disposal to clarify the background. We are also in close contact with the family.” Hassan told Al Jazeera she has been visited by a German consular official in prison. The German Federal Foreign Office did not comment on this visit when asked by Al Jazeera. Odeh is a technical adviser for GIZ, where she has been employed for 10 years. She has recently worked on projects focused on youth empowerment and psychosocial support for children, mainly in the West Bank. She is also a graduate student at Birzeit University, where she is active in a student representative body. After she was stopped at the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge crossing, which separates Jordan from the West Bank, Odeh was first taken to Ofer detention centre and then to Hasharon prison, where she was allegedly beaten. A few days later she was transferred to Damon prison, where dozens of female detainees have been held. On March 11, an Israeli judge ordered Odeh to administrative detention until June 4 on the grounds that she is a security threat. During a hearing on March 19, she was accused of working with a banned political group, based on confidential military information. Her lawyer said she denies this accusation, and that Israel has not offered any evidence against her. The BMZ told Al Jazeera that it does not comment on individual cases. “The protection of human life and human dignity should be the top priority in every situation – including in the context of armed conflict and in detention facilities,” a spokesperson said. “The Federal Government is critical of the practice of administrative detention – ie, the possibility of detaining people over a longer period of time based on suspicion and without trial. International humanitarian law sets strict limits on this practice.” At the time of publishing, Israeli officials had not responded to Al Jazeera’s requests for comment. Adblock test (Why?)
Palestinian journalists in Gaza awarded World Press Freedom prize
NewsFeed All Palestinian journalists covering Israel’s war on Gaza have been awarded UNESCO’s World Press Freedom prize. The agency said it was a tribute to the courage of journalists facing ‘difficult and dangerous’ conditions. More than 100 have been killed during the war. Published On 3 May 20243 May 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Turkey says it halts trade with Israel over Gaza aid access
Turkey’s Ministry of Trade cites humanitarian crisis in Gaza for its decision to suspend imports and exports. Turkey has halted exports and imports to and from Israel, the Turkish Ministry of Trade says, citing the “worsening humanitarian tragedy” in Gaza. “Export and import transactions related to Israel have been stopped, covering all products,” the ministry said in a statement on Thursday. “Turkey will strictly and decisively implement these new measures until the Israeli Government allows an uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.” The announcement came after Israel’s foreign minister said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was breaking agreements by blocking ports from handling Israeli imports and exports. “This is how a dictator behaves, disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen, and ignoring international trade agreements,” Israel Katz posted on X. .@RTErdogan is breaking agreements by blocking ports for Israeli imports and exports. This is how a dictator behaves, disregarding the interests of the Turkish people and businessmen, and ignoring international trade agreements. I have instructed the Director General of the… — ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) May 2, 2024 Katz said he instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work to create alternatives for trade with Turkey, focusing on local production and imports from other countries. The two countries had a trade volume of $6.8bn in 2023. Turkey last month imposed trade restrictions on Israel over what it said was Israel’s refusal to allow Ankara to take part in airdrops of aid for Gaza and for Israel’s war on the enclave. Asked about Turkey’s ongoing trade with Israel despite the harsh rhetoric from Ankara, Erdogan said last month that Turkey no longer continued “intense trade” with Israel, adding, “That is done.” He did not indicate Ankara had cut off all trade with Israel, however. Adblock test (Why?)
Gaza will need largest post-war reconstruction effort since 1945, UN says
UN Development Programme official estimates post-war reconstruction will cost between $40-50bn. The level of destruction in Gaza has not been since World War II, according to a United Nations official who estimated that post-war reconstruction could cost up to $50bn. “We have not seen anything like this since 1945,” Abdallah al-Dardari, director of the regional bureau for Arab states at the UN Development Programme (UNDP), said on Thursday during an online news briefing. “That intensity, in such a short time and the massive scale of destruction,” he added. More than 70 percent of all housing has been destroyed, the UN official said, and about 37 million tonnes of debris needs to be removed. By comparison, during the 2014 Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, about 2.4 million tonnes of debris were removed. Overall, the level of destruction is such that the UNDP estimates that the human development index in Gaza has regressed by 40 years. The index assesses factors including years of gains in schooling, education attainment, health and life expectancy at birth. “All investments in human development … for the last 40 years in Gaza have been wiped out,” al-Dardari said. “We are almost back in the ’80s,” he added. The overall cost of post-war reconstruction in Gaza would cost between $40-50bn “at least”, he said. The UN agency’s top priority would be a three-year post-war recovery phase with the aim of providing temporary shelters and basic services for Palestinians to be able to return to the sites of their former homes. The Israeli army has been pounding the Gaza Strip since October 7, in one of the most intense aerial bombardments in modern history. More than 34,500 people have been killed, according to Palestinian authorities, large swaths of the territory have reduced to rubble and famine looms in parts of northern Gaza amid Israel’s severe restrictions on supplies of food and humanitarian aid. Israel launched the assault after Hamas led an unprecedented assault into communities in southern Israel killing at least 1,139 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities, and taking about 240 captives into the Strip. On top of the destruction, the humanitarian situation inside Gaza has been deteriorating amid restrictions on the number of aid trucks allowed to enter the Strip. UN agencies and aid groups have urged Israel to open more land crossings to Gaza to facilitate aid access and warned of a looming man-made famine. Israel has denied restricting the flow of aid into Gaza and blamed aid groups operating in Gaza for any delays. On Thursday, US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller said Israel should prevent attacks on aid convoys bound for Gaza after Israeli protesters assaulted two Jordanian aid trucks on their way to Gaza. Meanwhile, officials have renewed efforts around ceasefire and captives negotiations following weeks of impasse. Hamas said a delegation is set to visit Egypt soon for further talks. The group’s political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh affirmed on Thursday that the group is studying a ceasefire proposal presented by Israel with a “positive spirit”. Adblock test (Why?)
Abu Ghraib: Iraqi victims’ case against US contractor ends in mistrial
The trial was a historic attempt at justice, marking the first time victims of the abuse that took place at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq testified in front of civilian jurors in the United States. But on Thursday, the judge overseeing the civil case in Virginia declared a mistrial, as the jury was unable to overcome a deadlock after eight days of deliberation. The trial focused on the human rights abuses committed at the prison following the US’s invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq. Reports of abuse started to emerge in 2003 and later hit a fever pitch in 2004, with the release of photographs showing smiling US captors standing next to naked prisoners, posed in degrading positions. The images became emblematic of the fallout of Washington’s so-called “global war on terror”. Calls for justice have continued two decades later. At question in the Virginia trial was whether civilian interrogators, supplied to the US Army by the Virginia-based contractor CACI, conspired with soldiers to abuse detainees as a means of “softening them up” for questioning. The trial began on April 15, and lawyers for the three Iraqi plaintiffs argued that CACI was liable for mistreatment even if they could not prove that the contractor’s interrogators were the ones who directly inflicted the abuse. The evidence presented at the Virginia court included testimony from the three former prisoners: Salah Hasan al-Ejaili, Suhail Al Shimari, and Asa’ad al-Zuba’e. It was the first time any victims had testified directly to a civilian US jury. They recounted being subjected to different forms of torture by US military personnel and private contractors. The result, they said, has been physical and psychological torment that has weighed on their lives for the past two decades. Al-Ejaili, who was working as a journalist for Al Jazeera at the time of his arrest, described offering his testimony as akin to “a form of treatment or a remedy”. Prosecutors also introduced reports and testimony from two retired US army generals, who documented the abuse. They had concluded that multiple CACI interrogators were complicit. The reports found that one of the civilian interrogators, Steven Stefanowicz, lied to investigators about his conduct at the prison. They concluded that Stefanowicz likely instructed soldiers to mistreat detainees and used dogs to intimidate people during interrogations. Stefanowicz denied participating in the mistreatment in a recorded video deposition. Evidence introduced at the trial, however, showed that officials at CACI had doubts about Stefanowicz’s ability to work as an interrogator — but that he was promoted to the position shortly after arriving in Iraq due to a manpower shortage. Lawyers for CACI broadly argued that its employees had extremely limited interaction with the three plaintiffs. They said that any liability for the mistreatment belonged to the US government. The abuses at Abu Ghraib came to light largely as the result of an April 2004 report by CBS News. An image of a hooded prisoner holding electrical wires and standing on a box soon became emblematic of what rights groups have characterised as wide-scale abuses committed by US military personnel and private contractors following the 2003 Iraq invasion. A subsequent report by the International Red Cross found that the vast majority of detainees were civilians with no links to armed groups. The myriad abuses it documented at the facility were in some cases “tantamount to torture”, the Red Cross said. A total of 11 US soldiers were convicted in military courts in the following years, with nine sentenced to time in prison. But it has been difficult for victims to pursue further legal recourse. US law broadly grants the government immunity from lawsuits arising from war. In September, Human Rights Watch said the US has “apparently failed to provide compensation or other redress to Iraqis who suffered torture and other abuse by US forces at Abu Ghraib and other US-run prisons in Iraq two decades ago”. Former prisoners have instead sought compensation from contractors. In 2013, the Center for Constitutional Rights won a $5m settlement for its Iraqi clients against contractor Titan Corp. The group also represented the three clients in the case against CACI. Thursday’s mistrial, however, leaves open the possibility that the plaintiffs can pursue another trial. When asked if they would do so, Baher Azmy, a lawyer with the Center for Constitutional Rights, indicated they would. “The work we put into this case is a fraction of what they endured as survivors of the horrors of Abu Ghraib, and we want to honour their courage,” he said. Al-Ejaili, one of the Abu Ghraib survivors, likewise indicated in a press statement that he could continue to seek justice. “We might not have received justice yet in our just case today, but what is more important is that we made it to trial and spoke up so the world could hear from us directly,” he said. “This will not be the final word; what happened in Abu Ghraib is engraved into our memories and will never be forgotten in history.” Adblock test (Why?)
UCLA campus standoff as police order pro-Palestinian protesters to leave
Police in riot gear massed on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus and ordered a large group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators inside an encampment to leave the area or face arrest after violence instigated by pro-Israel counter-protesters. The barricaded encampment was full of hundreds of people and tents. Some protesters prayed as the sun set over the campus, while others chanted “we’re not leaving” or passed out goggles and surgical masks. They wore helmets and headscarves and discussed the best ways to handle pepper spray or tear gas as someone sang over a megaphone. A few made homemade shields out of plywood in case they clashed with police forming skirmish lines elsewhere on the campus. “For rubber bullets, who wants a shield?” a protester called out. Meanwhile, a large crowd of students, alumni and neighbours gathered on campus steps outside the tents, sitting as they listened and applauded various speakers and joined in pro-Palestinian chants. A small group of students holding signs and wearing T-shirts in support of Israel and Jewish people demonstrated nearby. The law enforcement presence and continued warnings stood in contrast to the scene that unfolded the night before, when counter-demonstrators attacked the pro-Palestinian encampment, throwing traffic cones, releasing pepper spray and tearing down barriers. Fighting continued for several hours before police stepped in, though no arrests were made. The tepid response from the authorities drew criticism from political leaders as well as Muslim students and advocacy groups. UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said in a statement that “a group of instigators” perpetrated the previous night’s attack, but he did not provide details about the crowd or why the administration and school police did not act sooner. Adblock test (Why?)
Pakistan T20 squad: Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali back for England and Ireland tour
Pakistan have recalled formerly out-of-favour injured fast bowler Haris Rauf and medium-pacer Hasan Ali for their Twenty20 series against Ireland and England later this month, their final warm-ups for the T20 World Cup, but have not announced their squad for the 20-team tournament in June. Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, Azam Khan and Muhammad Irfan Khan, who all suffered injuries last month against New Zealand, were also included in an 18-man squad named on Thursday. Pakistan’s selectors have not yet named their final 15-man squad for June’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies. “We are having fitness issues with a few players but we hope that during the England tour, we will be able to finalise the World Cup squad,” selector Wahab Riaz told a news conference in Lahore. All 20 World Cup teams had to submit preliminary 15-player squads to the International Cricket Council by the May 1 deadline, but they can make changes until May 25. 🚨 Pakistan’s 1️⃣8️⃣-member squad announced for the T20I series against Ireland and England 🚨 Read more ➡️ https://t.co/QSn58qT7ZJ#IREvPAK | #ENGvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/cTQkgveWlt — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) May 2, 2024 Rauf, wicketkeeper-batters Mohammad Rizwan and Azam Khan and middle-order batter Irfan Khan all are recovering from injuries and were included in the 18-member squad. Rauf, 30, has been out of competitive cricket since dislocating his shoulder in February during the Pakistan Super League but has been bowling at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, where he is undergoing rehabilitation. Azam missed out on the because of a calf muscle injury he sustained on the eve of the first T20 at Rawalpindi. Rizwan and Irfan both were ruled out of the last two T20s against the Black Caps because of hamstring injuries they sustained during the third game. “Rauf has started bowling and by the time we will be playing England he will be match fit,” said Riaz. “As a back-up, we have included Hasan Ali in the squad.” Hasan has not played a Twenty20 international for Pakistan since September 2022. Ali has taken 60 wickets in 50 T20s but has not played in the format for Pakistan since the Asia Cup in September 2022. He has been playing for Warwickshire in the English County Championship Division One and came under consideration after taking 14 wickets in the Pakistan Super League while representing Karachi Kings. Usman Khan gets another chance after switching allegiance The selectors have given another chance to top-order batter Usman Khan, who shifted his allegiance to Pakistan, his country of birth, resulting in a five-year ban from representing the Emirates Cricket Board. Usman scored only 59 runs in four matches against New Zealand with the top score of 31, and struggled to make an impact in the drawn series. Spinning all-rounder Agha Salman, who has played Tests and one-day internationals, is in line for his T20 debut after being included. Agha was recalled as an option in a spin department that also features Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Imad Wasim and Iftikhar Ahmed. Leg-spinner Usama Mir and fast bowler Zaman Khan, who both featured in the series against the Black Caps, were cut. “We understand Usama and Zaman will be disappointed,” Riaz said. “They are quality cricketers and have long careers ahead of them. They need to continue to focus on their cricket so that they are available if required.” Pakistan play Ireland in Dublin on May 10, 12 and 14. Four matches follow against England at Headingley in Leeds on May 22, Edgbaston in Birmingham (May 25), Sophia Gardens in Cardiff (May 28) and the Oval in London (May 30). Pakistan T20 squad for matches in Ireland and England: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Usman Khan. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia troops accused of ‘executing’ surrendering Ukraine soldiers: Report
Human Rights Watch investigates ‘apparent summary executions’ and says actions could amount to war crimes. Russian forces appear to have executed Ukrainian soldiers as they attempted to surrender or had already surrendered since December 2023, an international rights group has said in a new report. The actions should be investigated as war crimes, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in the report published on Thursday. The group probed five incidents of what it called the “apparent summary executions” of at least 15 Ukrainian soldiers as they attempted to surrender, and possibly six more who were surrendering or who had surrendered between December 2023 and February 2024. “Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, its forces have committed many heinous war crimes,” said Belkis Wille, a senior researcher at HRW. “The summary execution – or murder – of surrendering and injured Ukrainian soldiers, gunned down in cold blood, expressly forbidden under international humanitarian law, is also included in that shameful legacy.” Since early Dec, footage shows Russian forces gunning down at least 15 Ukrainian soldiers attempting to surrender on battlefield, and possibly six more. Russian drone recording captures voice giving orders to “take no prisoners, shoot everyone.” https://t.co/HR6FnDTTmp pic.twitter.com/GNf6jM5OSv — Belkis Wille (@belkiswille) May 2, 2024 The rights watchdog said it relied on analysis of drone footage and videos on social media, interviews with Ukrainian soldiers, and media reports, but added that it could not confirm the locations of some of the incidents. It noted that the “apparent executions do not appear to be isolated instances”. It cited one incident on February 25 when drone footage shared on X appeared to show at least seven Ukrainian soldiers coming out of a dugout removing their body armour – one soldier even removing his helmet, and all lying face down as five Russian soldiers aimed and fired at them. In other footage captured on the front lines in the Donetsk region, a Russian commander seemed to have told his troops: “Take no prisoners, shoot everyone,” according to the report. The researchers differentiated between Russian and Ukrainian troops by observing the use of each side’s identification tape – blue for Ukraine and white or red for Russia – as well as the different colours of their military fatigues. In December, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office accused Russia of committing war crimes after a grainy video on social media appeared to show several soldiers shooting two surrendering military personnel who emerged from a dugout at gunpoint. Ukrainian authorities are conducting about 27 separate investigations into similar allegations, HRW said. The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine in March separately reported allegations that at least 32 Ukrainian prisoners were executed in 12 separate incidents between December 2023 and February 2024. Findings from 60 released Ukrainian soldiers, the mission added, showed they had been tortured using repeated beatings, electric shocks, threats of execution, prolonged stress positions, mock executions and sexual violence. Civilians in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory were also subject to arbitrary killings, detention, and restricted freedoms of expression, the UN group said. Russia denies committing war crimes during its war in Ukraine. It is a party to the Geneva Conventions, which forbid killing prisoners of war. Ukraine has in the past also faced allegations that its soldiers summarily killed Russian troops. Adblock test (Why?)
At least 200 arrested at May Day clashes in Turkey
NewsFeed Protesters tried to reach Istanbul’s Taksim Square despite a ban by Turkish President Erdogan on May Day demonstrations at the site. Published On 1 May 20241 May 2024 Adblock test (Why?)