Biden ‘playing with fire’ by redesignating Yemen’s Houthis as ‘terrorists’
It was one of Joe Biden’s first major foreign policy decisions. Less than a month after taking office in January 2021, the United States president lifted two “terrorist” designations imposed by his predecessor, Donald Trump, against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. At the time, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the move came in “recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen”. The United Nations, as well as humanitarian groups and US lawmakers, had warned the “terrorist” designations could interrupt the flow of aid to the country. Now, almost exactly three years later, the Biden administration is reimposing one of the designations against the Houthis, declaring them to be a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist group” amid a series of attacks in the Red Sea. And once again, rights advocates and political analysts are sounding the alarm over the negative effects the decision may have on Yemeni civilians. Many also question whether Wednesday’s designation will succeed in pushing the Houthis to end their attacks. “I’m very concerned about the devastating consequences for ordinary people in Yemen,” said Afrah Nasser, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Center Washington DC who previously worked as a Yemen researcher at Human Rights Watch. Nasser told Al Jazeera that the designation risks deepening the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which has experienced a years-long war between the Houthis and a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. More than half of the Yemeni population — 18.2 million people — is in need of assistance, according to the UN, as the country reels from an economic crisis, rising costs, mass displacement and hunger. “The ordinary Yemeni family today is suffering because of both the Houthi domestic policies and also the international community policies in Yemen, such as this [US] designation that we heard today,” Nasser said. “Yemenis are caught between two fires.” Red Sea attacks In a statement on Wednesday morning, Blinken said the “Specially Designated Global Terrorist group” designation (SDGT) came in response to Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. “This designation seeks to promote accountability for the group’s terrorist activities. If the Houthis cease their attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States will reevaluate this designation,” the top US diplomat said. The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control large swaths of Yemen, began firing missiles at Israel and attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea shortly after the war in Gaza began in October. The group pledged to target Israel-linked vessels as part of an effort to pressure the country’s government to end its Gaza bombardment and allow more humanitarian aid deliveries into the coastal Palestinian enclave. It later expanded the threat to any commercial vessels travelling to and from Israel along the arterial trade route off Yemen’s coast. The attacks led shipping companies to suspend operations in the Red Sea and drew condemnation from the US and its allies. Washington launched a naval coalition to protect commercial vessels in December, and it also carried out several strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen this month in what observers called a “dangerous” escalation. On Wednesday, the Biden administration defended its decision to reimpose the SDGT designation on the Houthis, saying there would be “carve-outs” to protect aid to Yemen. “Today’s designation targets the Houthis, not the Yemeni people,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in a press conference. When asked about how any related sanctions would impact negotiations with the Houthis, Kirby responded firmly: “There’s no negotiations. There’s not a bargaining chip. It’s a way of holding the Houthis accountable.” But experts cast doubt on whether the SDGT designation would lead the Houthis to stop their attacks in the Red Sea, as the administration suggested. “It seems highly unlikely to have any positive effect on the behaviour of the Houthis,” said Brian Finucane, a senior US programme adviser at the International Crisis Group think tank. “I think it’s a form of do-something-ism,” he told Al Jazeera. The reimposition of the SDGT designation, he added, is a reflection of Washington’s refusal to recognise that recent Houthi attacks are linked to the war in Gaza. “The Biden administration has put itself in a box … where it doesn’t have good policy options.” The designation An SDGT designation focuses primarily on the finances of an individual or a group. In this case, it will freeze the Houthis’ assets in the US and prohibit American citizens from having any financial dealings with the organisation. And while “civil and criminal penalties may be assessed for violations”, the designation is more narrow in scope than the second label that the Trump administration had imposed on the Houthis: that of “Foreign Terrorist Organization” or FTO. That label makes it a serious crime to provide support to a blacklisted group. “This [SDGT designation] is sort of a minimal: restricting access to funds from abroad, access to international markets. These are things that Houthis don’t have and never had. They don’t own stock on the New York Stock Exchange,” said Nabeel Khoury, a former deputy chief of mission at the US embassy in Yemen. Houthi supporters attend a protest against US-led air strikes on January 12, 2024, in Sanaa, Yemen [AP Photo] Nevertheless, Khoury told Al Jazeera that the Houthis are unlikely to make a distinction between an SDGT or FTO designation and will see Wednesday’s decision as an affront that could lead to further escalation. Hours after the designation was announced, the Houthis said they fired “naval missiles” at an American ship in the Gulf of Aden. There was no immediate confirmation from Washington. “It’s really baffling what this administration is engaged in. I don’t think there’s much thought that went into this,” he said. “This designation is more like an insult. It’s the old glove in the face, slap someone with your glove. You’re sort of challenging, but not really hurting them.” Nasser also warned that it could further embolden the Houthis and “contribute in radicalising some parts of the population and strengthen the Houthi
Sierra Leone court allows ex-President Koroma to go abroad for medical care
The former leader is charged with treason for his alleged role in a failed coup in November. A Sierra Leone court has allowed former President Ernest Bai Koroma, who is charged with treason, to travel abroad on medical grounds. Koroma, 70, was charged early this month with four offences for his alleged role in a failed military attempt to topple the West African country’s government in November. The High Court on Wednesday ruled in favour of Koroma, whose lawyers had asked it to allow the former leader a trip abroad for medical reasons. The ex-president, who has been under house arrest, will be allowed to travel to Nigeria for no more than three months, the magistrate said before adjourning the case to March 6. “The High Court approved the order, and that was transmitted to the Magistrate’s Court where [Koroma] has been appearing since the day investigations started into his case,” Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris said, reporting from the capital, Freetown. Chernor Bah, Sierra Leone’s minister of information, told Al Jazeera the state is “happy to abide by the ruling of the court because we believe in the rule of law”, adding that Koroma is leaving for medical attention but his case remains open. “At this stage, the case is still alive. It is adjourned,” he said, adding that the court’s instructions to the lawyers included continuing to send updates on Koroma’s health to the state and the judiciary for the duration of his absence. Nigeria had previously offered to allow Koroma to enter on a temporary basis, which he accepted, according to West Africa’s main regional bloc. “We know the Economic Community of West African States has been trying hard to convince the Sierra Leone government to think about releasing Mr Koroma to leave the country – probably into exile – but again, the court said he is going on medical grounds to be checked,” Idris said. Coup attempt On November 26, gunmen launched a series of attacks in Sierra Leone, breaking into a key armoury, military barracks and prisons, freeing about 2,200 inmates. More than 20 people were killed in the violence. The government said later that it was a foiled coup led mostly by Koroma’s bodyguards. They summoned the ex-president for questioning at the start of December and charged him with treason on January 3. Koroma condemned the attacks in a statement shortly after they happened and has denied any involvement. His lawyers have called the charges “trumped up” and part of a “political vendetta”. There are concerns Koroma’s indictment could stoke tensions that arose from a contentious election in June in which President Julius Maada Bio was re-elected for a second term. The main opposition candidate rejected the results, and international partners questioned the vote. Two months after Bio was re-elected, police said they arrested several people, including senior military officers planning to use protests “to undermine peace”. Koroma served as Sierra Leone’s president for 11 years until 2018. Although officially retired from politics, he remains an influential figure within his political party. Twelve other people were also charged with treason in connection with the failed coup, including former police and correctional officers and a member of Koroma’s security detail. According to Sierra Leone’s penal code, a person found guilty of treason could face life imprisonment. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel ramps up attacks on Khan Younis as aid for Gaza arrives in Egypt
Israel has increased attacks on Khan Younis in southern Gaza and sent tanks westwards, prompting accusations from Jordan that its field hospital in the city had been badly damaged by nearby shelling. The Jordanian army said on Wednesday that it held Israel responsible for a “flagrant breach of international law” due to the damage to the facility. Elsewhere in the city, people at and around Nasser Hospital were forced to flee as Israeli tanks approached the district overnight following a statement from the Israeli army that it had come under fire in the area. Palestinian health officials said at least seven people were killed by Israeli air raids that damaged homes near the hospital. At least 24,448 people have been killed in the Israeli assault on Gaza since October 7, the Palestinian health ministry has said. At least 1,139 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7 according to an Al Jazeera tally based on official figures. Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from southern Gaza, said there were growing fears that Nasser Hospital could soon not be operational as happened with several other facilities targeted by Israeli forces since the start of the war. “The vast majority of healthcare facilities were attacked, destroyed and left severely damaged to the point that they’re pushed out of service completely,” he said. [Al Jazeera] Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy said extra field hospitals were expected in the coming days. “These have, of course, been necessitated by Hamas’s strategic militarisation of Gaza’s existing hospitals,” he said. Hamas has repeatedly denied using hospitals for cover. Israel also announced on Wednesday that it had killed six Palestinian fighters in southern Gaza. In a statement, the military said its latest operation had resulted in the death of counterespionage officer Bilal Nofal and “significantly impacts the terrorist organisation’s capacity to develop and enhance its capabilities”. Airport workers unload crates with aid delivered from Qatar, destined for Gaza, at El Arish International Airport, El Arish, Egypt [Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via Reuters] Aid Under a deal brokered by Qatar and France, desperately needed aid and medication has arrived in the Egyptian city of El Arish near the Gaza border. The International Committee of the Red Cross has welcomed the deal, which will see the 61 tonnes of medicine and food enter the enclave, and called it a “much-needed moment of relief”. Israel’s war on Gaza has left its population facing crisis levels of hunger and at growing risk of disease as supplies run low, aid agencies said. On Wednesday, the head of the Palestine Investment Fund, Mohammed Mustafa, told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that it would take at least $15bn to rebuild houses in Gaza, not accounting for basic infrastructure and hospitals. “If the war in Gaza continues, more people are likely to die of hunger or famine than war,” Mustafa said. [Al Jazeera] At the beginning of January, Israel announced it was scaling back operations in northern Gaza and beginning a new phase of lower-intensity bombing. However, Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Rafah in southern Gaza, said that does not seem to be reflected on the ground. “The strikes have not stopped over the last few hours across the Gaza Strip, despite the fact that Israel says that they’re moving to a completely new phase with low-intensity bombing,” he said. “We can see that the death toll and casualties among civilians keeps rising, to reach more than 163 Palestinians killed in the previous 24 hours,” he said, citing Palestinian authorities. Adblock test (Why?)
What’s behind North Korea’s shock change of policy towards the South?
Pyongyang announces it is scrapping its long-term aim of reunification with South Korea. In a dramatic shift, North Korea is tearing up its goal of unification with South Korea, a policy that has been in place for decades. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un also said his country does not want war – but will not avoid one either. So what’s behind his surprise move? Presenter: Adrian Finighan Guests: Ji-Yeon Yuh – board member of Women Cross DMZ and professor at Northwestern University Fyodor Tertitskiy – senior research fellow at the Institute for Korean Studies, Kookmin University Einar Tangen – senior fellow at the Taihe Institute Adblock test (Why?)
Guinness World Records reviews evidence related to ‘oldest dog’ title
GWR originally said the canine lived for 31 years and 165 days, breaking a record held since 1939. Guinness World Records (GWR) says it is conducting a formal review of the “world’s oldest dog” title it gave to a Portuguese canine named Bobi, who died last year. The move follows complaints by veterinarians who raised doubts over his age. Bobi was a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo who spent his life in a village in central Portugal. The GWR originally said the creature lived for 31 years and 165 days, breaking a record held since 1939 by an Australian cattle dog that died at 29 years and five months. Bobi, who died in October, was declared the world’s oldest dog in February. Dogs of Bobi’s breed, traditionally used as sheepdogs, usually live 12 to 14 years. A spokesperson for the GWR said the review into Bobi’s record was ongoing and it included looking over evidence again, seeking new evidence and reaching out to experts and those linked to the original application. “While our review is ongoing, we have decided to temporarily pause applications on both the record titles for oldest dog living and [oldest dog] ever until all of our findings are in place and have been communicated,” the spokesperson said. Bobi’s owner, Leonel Costa, said in a statement on Tuesday that after his dog’s death, “an elite within the veterinary world … tried to give people the idea that Bobi’s life story was not true.” According to Costa, some veterinarians were upset because he attributed Bobi’s longevity to factors including a steady diet of “human food” rather than pet food, which he said was often recommended by those in the sector. “Everything would be different if we had said he [Bobi] ate pet food for three decades,” Costa said, adding that all requirements requested by the GWR were met. Costa said the GWR has not reached out to him. No action has yet been taken regarding any record holders, the GWR said. It added that any action would be determined by the review’s outcome. Before his death, Bobi still loved walks but had become less adventurous, Costa previously told the Reuters news agency. His fur was thinning, his eyesight had worsened and he needed to rest more than in earlier years, Costa said. Adblock test (Why?)
Violent protests over jailing of activist in Russia’s Bashkortostan
NewsFeed Police clashed with thousands of people gathered to protest the jailing of Indigenous rights activist Fail Alsynov in Russia’s far eastern region of Bashkortostan. The Indigenous rights activist was convicted of inciting ethnic hatred and sentenced to 4 years in a penal colony. Published On 17 Jan 202417 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Palestinians’ tents in Gaza offer no shelter from Israeli bombardment
NewsFeed “It’s a tent. I came to find my family in pieces.” A Palestinian father recalls an Israeli attack on his family’s tent in central Gaza that killed three of his children after they were displaced from the north. Published On 17 Jan 202417 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Palestinian shop-owner used as human shield by Israeli forces
NewsFeed A Palestinian shop-owner was used as a human shield by Israeli forces after they raided his mobile phone store in Dura, in the occupied West Bank. Ongoing Israeli raids in the territory have caused the worst spike in violence there for almost two decades. Published On 17 Jan 202417 Jan 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Death threats for a Stalin vandal prompt soul-searching in Orthodox Georgia
Tbilisi, Georgia – When Nata Peradze heard that an icon featuring Joseph Stalin was on display inside Georgia’s largest cathedral, she decided to take action. “It’s my pain,” Peradze told Al Jazeera. “We have no [discussions] about what happened and no memorials for the people who went through hell because of this guy. There were priests on my father’s side and on my mother’s there were dissidents. Some were deported to Siberia and some were lost and we never knew what happened to them.” On January 9, the anticorruption activist and avowed atheist went inside Tbilisi’s Holy Trinity Cathedral to find the offending painting of the Georgian-born Soviet leader. “I had my method. I had put paint inside three eggs and then waxed them closed. A priest was standing next to me, and I threw the eggs at the painting and he asked, ‘What are you doing?’ I said ‘It’s Stalin, he killed my ancestors!’” The icon was displayed at Tbilisi’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, Georgia’s largest cathedral [Robin Forestier-Walker/Al Jazeera] Debates about her vandalism of the icon, named Holy Matrona of Moscow blesses Stalin, turned ugly on Facebook. Peradze received death threats. Despite archives proving Stalin ordered the executions of thousands of innocent civilians during the Great Terror, including large numbers of clergy, Georgian society is divided over his legacy decades later. Public discussions rage on social media as false narratives that Stalin was secretly a devout Orthodox Christian proliferate. In one popular myth, Stalin ordered an aircraft during the second world war to circle Moscow mounted with a religious icon, saving the Soviet Union’s capital from German occupation. The same narratives argue Stalin did not know about the mass killings or that if he did know, they were necessary and that his kind of leadership is needed now. This month’s scandal has threatened to spiral into a more dangerous phase of polarisation ahead of a highly anticipated general election later this year. While Georgia’s government insists it represents a majority of Georgians who want NATO and European Union membership – it took credit for the EU’s decision to grant Georgia EU candidate status in December – its critics say it is quietly building ties with the Kremlin and spreading Russian disinformation. ‘Stalin’s personality is like a strategic axis’ Giorgi Kandelaki of Sovlab, a Soviet history research organisation which aims to counter what it describes as Russia’s weaponisation of the past, says the icon was a triumph of Moscow’s propaganda. “Cultivation of [an] anti-Western, ethno-religious and chauvinistic strait of Georgian nationalism is [a] key long-term goal of Russia in Georgia and in that project Stalin’s personality is like a strategic axis, an umbrella.” In step with the Kremlin’s rehabilitation of Stalin as a wise and honourable leader who is given all the credit for the defeat of Nazi Germany, there has been a resurgence in Stalin’s popularity in Georgia, with at least 11 new statues of him appearing since the governing Georgian Dream party came to power in 2012. Anti-Russian graffiti in downtown Tbilisi [Robin Forestier-Walker/Al Jazeera] Meanwhile, far-right nationalist parties that claim to defend Georgian traditional values and Orthodox Christianity are emerging. They decry the West as morally corrupt and call for an end to Georgia’s NATO aspirations. One of these parties, the Alliance of Patriots, is alleged to have received strategic and financial support from a Kremlin-affiliated political consultant and donated the painting of Saint Matrona that includes the icon featuring Stalin. Patriots leader Irma Inashvili defended the decision. “When an icon of a saint is painted, episodes of their life are presented on this icon, and one such episode is Stalin’s meeting with Matrona, when the representative of the godless regime, the ruler, had to meet the saint,” she said. While the Georgian Orthodox Church initially defended its decision to display the icon, the church leadership on January 11 – two days after Peradze’s protest – issued a statement requesting that the donors “make changes” or it would do so itself. It said there was “insufficient evidence” that Saint Matrona, a canonised 20th-century Russian holy woman, had ever met Stalin. Police stand guard outside Georgia’s Parliament at a far right rally against the vandalism of the icon on January 13 [Robin Forestier-Walker/Al Jazeera] Sopo Gelava, a researcher with the US-based think tank Atlantic Council’s DFRLab, cast the statement as an apparent climbdown by Georgia’s most powerful spiritual institution. “The Georgian Orthodox Church plays a significant role in maintaining [Stalin’s] image as a religious person. My feeling is that they saw the clash infecting society. It’s going to become very important in 2024 around election time, but right now it’s not [helpful] for the government to have this divisive topic at the moment.” But senior government officials condemned Peradze’s attack. Anri Okhanashvili, who chairs a Georgian parliamentary committee on legal issues, said it was an “anti-Church and a provocative act” as he warned the government would seek to increase penalties for religious insults. Georgia’s Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili said Peradze’s action was part of a coordinated campaign by “radicals” that was both politically counterproductive and damaging to the country. “The radical opposition’s attempts to portray the Georgian Orthodox Church as Russia’s extension in Georgia is not only inaccurate but also deplorable, leading to unnecessary controversy in the society and creating yet another dubious ‘perception’ among our Western partners,” Papuashvili wrote on Facebook. Generational divides? Peradze, who posted a video on Facebook of the painting daubed with blue paint, went into hiding after Alt-Info, another far-right nationalist group, shared her address on its Telegram channel. Like senior government officials, its leaders have sought to portray her action as an attack on the church. “Some monkey, funded by the West, an LGBT [ba****d] ran into Trinity Cathedral and insulted us,” said Giorgi Kardava, chair of Alt-Info’s political wing. Dozens of Alt-Info supporters tried to break into Peradze’s home on January 10. Peradze, who lives with her two sons, said police held back the crowd. “Previously they have said
Will new criminal bills turn India into a police state ahead of 2024 vote?
New Delhi, India – Late last month India’s parliament passed two sets of controversial legislation in the biggest overhaul of the criminal justice system and telecom laws that critics say could greatly increase police powers and facilitate mass surveillance. The first set of legislations comprises three criminal laws – Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) of 2023 – that will replace the colonial-era India Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act. India’s Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the new bills will free the citizens from “the colonial-era mindset and its symbols”. However, critics claim that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has used the discourse of decolonisation to enact laws that are more draconian than the laws they are replacing. The changes, they say, fit into the ruling party’s larger project of Hindu nationalism, with its projection of the past as a time of humiliation for Hindus, and its narrative that it is “shedding colonial baggage”. The second piece of legislation, the Telecommunications Act of 2023, seeks to modernise India’s century-old telecom law. But some experts warn the new bill will enable indiscriminate surveillance and erode privacy. The new set of crucial laws was passed without substantive debate in the parliament. Critics have accused the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of pushing through laws in parliament without allowing it to adequately scrutinise them. The new criminal laws will be rolled out in phases by December 2024. The government has not yet notified the implementation of the Telecoms Act. Al Jazeera reached out to India’s home ministry and telecoms ministry for their response but did not hear from them until the time of publication. Here’s what we know about the new laws so far: What do the laws change — and do they threaten civil liberties? Police Custody: The period for which the police can seek direct custody of an accused — before she or he is sent to a jail — has been increased from 15 days to up to 60 days. “Courts have traditionally been extremely reluctant in granting bail when there is a possibility of police custody. Now that the window has increased, it may become even more difficult to get bail,” Bharat Chugh, a former judge at Delhi’s criminal courts and Supreme Court lawyer said. With at least 75 percent of prisoners in India’s overcrowded jails being under-trials (those whose trials are yet to begin), the Supreme Court of India has repeatedly emphasised “bail, not jail” as a rule. With courts hesitant to grant bail during the possibility of police custody, the change in law could have “grave implications for life and personal liberty”, said Chugh. Human rights activists have highlighted how most cases of torture usually happen in police custody. A 2020 report by the National Campaign Against Torture, a platform of NGOs, found that an average of five people die in custody each day in India, with some of them succumbing to torture in police or judicial custody. Convictions remain scarce. Delhi police officers asks a motorist to stop for checking at a checkpoint set up outside the Indian parliament in New Delhi, India [File: Altaf Qadri/AP Photo] Sedition: In 2022, India’s Supreme Court had temporarily suspended the 154-year-old law on sedition, a colonial-era provision that criminalises speech or actions against the government or authority with the possibility of a death sentence. Although the new criminal law makes no mention of the word “sedition” anywhere, experts have argued that it brings back a more draconian version through a back door. The new criminal code criminalises an even more vague action – acts that “endanger sovereignty or unity and integrity of India” – to punish offenders with seven years to life in jail. Experts say such an ambiguous definition of an offence is likely to be misused. Sedition laws are already commonly used against journalists, activists and political dissidents. “These expressions are indeed wide and not very precise,” Chugh, the former judge, said. “This gives too much power to the investigators. A criminal law, given that it impacts personal liberty, has to be specific, precise and unambiguous.” While the law clarifies that criticism of government actions is not an offence as long as it calls for change via lawful and democratic means, critics, including Chugh, argue that it “falls short”. Special offences in ordinary law: The new criminal statutes also incorporate special offences, such as “terrorism” and organised crime, governed by special laws, into ordinary criminal statutes without the accompanying safeguards. For instance, India’s special “anti-terror” Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of 1967 (UAPA) requires prior sanction by the government and examination of all evidence by an independent authority to prosecute someone on “terrorism” charges. The new criminal statutes do not incorporate any such safeguard while bringing “terrorism” as an offence within them. Even with the — however few — safeguards, the UAPA, which prescribes stringent conditions to grant bail, has according to critics been misused by the government to imprison its critics for long periods. Experts fear that police may now choose to invoke ordinary criminal law over special laws to circumvent safeguards, leading to misuse. “This gives the police officers unchecked discretion to pick one law over the other, or in many cases, invoke both laws. This will lead to a multiplicity of litigation and sometimes, different courts arriving at different conclusions on the same set of facts/evidence,” Chugh said. Is it the end of colonial-era laws, as the government claims? Despite being dubbed “reforms,” experts Al Jazeera spoke to contend that the new laws mostly preserve provisions from their colonial-era counterparts, presenting an “old wine in a new bottle”. Chugh said the evidence law, which governs the admissibility of evidence in courts, sees almost no modifications. The penal code, which defines crimes and provides their punishments, incorporates only a few additional offences and the rearrangement of sections, he says. Some of the changes to the criminal procedure code, such