Mom demands answers in Black man’s deadly Louisiana arrest

By JIM MUSTIAN


1 of 2

Mona Hardin holds the boxed ashes of her son, Ronald Greene, Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. On Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, Hardin chastised Louisiana lawmakers for not acting quickly enough to hold state troopers accountable for her son's deadly 2019 arrest, saying the Black motorist’s death at the end of a high-speed chase was a “murder” that's been covered up, “sugar coated” and mired in bureaucracy. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Ronald Greene’s mother chastised Louisiana lawmakers Monday for not acting quickly enough to hold state troopers accountable for her son’s deadly 2019 arrest, saying the Black motorist’s death at the end of a high-speed chase was a “murder” that’s been covered up, sugarcoated and mired in bureaucracy.

“I’m so damn mad at the fact that I’m talking to people who have it in their power to make things happen,” Mona Hardin said through tears. “I’ve been wandering around in a cloud of confusion just wondering: What does it take for the state of Louisiana to recognize the murder of a man? What does it take to get answers?”

Hardin’s testimony underscored the tension building in Louisiana as federal and state prosecutors prepare to seek the first criminal charges in the case.

Troopers initially blamed Greene’s death on a car crash on a rural roadside outside Monroe. But long-withheld body-camera video obtained and published by The Associated Press in May instead showed white troopers punching, stunning and dragging Greene as he pleaded for mercy and repeatedly wailed, “I’m scared!”

A federal civil rights probe into the case has since broadened to include the beatings of several other Black motorists and whether state police brass broke the law to protect troopers. Greene’s death was among at least a dozen cases over the past decade in which an AP investigation found state troopers or their bosses ignored or concealed evidence of beatings, deflected blame and impeded efforts to root out misconduct.

“All the dots are connected,” Hardin told the Senate Select Committee on State Police Oversight. “Ronnie’s not the first. Ronnie’s not the last. But why do we have to sugarcoat the murder of a man just to get people off the hook?”

State police commanders earlier described several changes the agency enacted in the wake of Greene’s death, including a new investigative unit that will probe uses of force by troopers.

“We don’t have the luxury of getting this wrong,” said Lt. Col. Kenny VanBuren.

- This undated photo provided by his family in September 2020 shows Ronald Greene. On Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, Greene's mother, Mona Hardin, chastised Louisiana lawmakers for not acting quickly enough to hold state troopers accountable for her son's deadly 2019 arrest, saying the Black motorist’s death at the end of a high-speed chase was a “murder” that's been covered up, “sugar coated” and mired in bureaucracy. (Family photo via AP, File)

But the ongoing criminal investigations prevented lawmakers from delving more deeply into what ranking officials knew and when they knew it in the wake of Greene’s in-custody death — questions that remain at the heart of the federal inquiry.

Two state troopers invited to address the advisory panel — Kory York and John Clary — did not attend Monday’s hearing, drawing an exasperated rebuke from State Sen. Cleo Fields, who grilled Col. Lamar Davis, the state police superintendent, about their “disrespectful” absence.

During one heated exchange, Fields raised the specter of summoning Clary from his home. “How far does he live from here?” the Democratic lawmaker asked.

York and Clary remain in the crosshairs of both federal and state prosecutors, and their attorneys advised them against appearing Monday.

Clary, the ranking officer at the scene of Greene’s arrest, withheld a critical 30-minute body camera video of the in-custody death for more than two years, according to state police records obtained by AP.

York, meanwhile, can be seen on video dragging Greene by his ankle shackles and leaving the heavyset 49-year-old face down with his hands and feet restrained for more than nine minutes.

Lawmakers did hear from Sgt. Albert Paxton, the lead state police detective who pushed early on for state criminal charges to be brought in Greene’s death but was rebuffed by his chain of command. His testimony was cut short, however, by a state police attorney who stopped Paxton from answering questions specific to the Greene case.

Fields, in a recent interview, said he “could not stomach” watching the footage of Greene’s death in its entirety.

“The state police failed, and this, in my view, was a cover-up,” he told AP. “We need to not only offer an apology, we need to fix this. No mother should ever go through this in the future.”

T-shirt study shows mother's smell is important for bonding with baby

By Cara Murez, HealthDay News

A study with t-shirts shows the importance of smell for mother-baby bonding, according to researchers. File Photo by Solis Images/Shutterstock

The sound of mom's voice can soothe a fussy baby like nothing else, but now new research suggests that an infant is also calmed by the scent of its mother.

Prior animal studies had already shown that olfaction -- smell -- "is very important, that mother's smell is very critical for attachment," noted study author Ruth Feldman.

"Young recognize mother by her smell, and mother and habitat and the whole sense of safety and placement and fear conditioning is related to olfactory cues. And we know what it does in the brain."

Feldman directs Reichman University's Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, in Israel.

RELATED Early human ancestors were breastfed for the first year of life

In this study, her group wanted to combine two areas of research, looking at both brain-to-brain communication and maternal chemical signals between women and babies.

To do so, the investigators sent 62 moms home with a cotton T-shirt to with for two nights and then return to the study site.

At the site, the mothers and infants wore electrodes on their heads to measure brain waves.

RELATED The motherlode of 'mother love' chemicals

First, they were seated back-to-back, then face-to-face. During their face-to-face interactions, the data showed the brains of mom and baby were more synchronized than in the back-to-back position.

Later, 51 of the infants were seated face-to-face with a stranger.

When a clean T-shirt was placed nearby, the brain synchrony was lower during the interactions, but when a T-shirt embedded with their mother's scent was placed nearby, those babies showed the same amount of neural synchrony with the stranger as they did when their mothers were present.

Feldman noted that the developmental age the researchers chose to work with -- around 7 months -- is the age at which most babies being to engage "in face-to-face social interaction."

Out in the world, this research could have an impact in a variety of ways. Providing an item with a mother's scent could help the child synchronize with others when the mother can't be there, for example.

Other studies on brain-to-brain synchrony in Feldman's lab include with dads and in mothers who have postpartum depression.

The new findings were published this month in the journal Science Advances.

Lisa Scott also does research on infant brain development, with her current work focused on infant learning.

"I was really excited to see this work, and I think it's a really innovative and new method that has just been recently started to be applied to study infant and mother interactions," Scott said.

The infants seemed to be more engaged, based on ratings of their behavior, Scott said. They seemed to be more comfortable in interacting with an unfamiliar person when their mother's scent was nearby, she added.

In some ways, it's what mothers already do to make their children more comfortable in a new setting, like day care, Scott noted. They might bring along a blanket or toy or pacifier that feels familiar to them.

"I think what this tells us is that the mother's scent might also be a really comforting object for infants, and that makes sense because typically they spend the most time with their mothers and it's a very familiar scent, just like faces and voices," Scott said.

"Of course, this work needs to be replicated before anything is implemented at a clinical level, but ... it's preliminary evidence that the infants are more comfortable around their [mom's] scent," Scott added.

"So maybe I would with a blanket and then the first day of day care send it with my infant. Or if they're going to grandma's house, I think that that might be a comforting cue for them during transitions, which can sometimes be a little bit difficult," Scott said.

While this research used 16 sensors, some researchers now are using 128 sensors, which can provide even more information about brain processes that are happening, Scott said.

Yet other scientists are doing instant MRI scans, which can be useful to look at connectivity and change over time.

"One of the things I would be really interested in is these are mostly 7-month-old [infants], so what happens at 9 months and what happens at 12 months and what happens at 14 months? How do these synchrony responses change, because we know that there's lots of developmental things going on at that time," Scott said.

"There might be some changes in this response and I think it's exciting work that I look forward to seeing more of," Scott said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on early brain development and health.

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Marineland Was Charged For Allegedly Using Dolphins & Whales As Illegal Entertainment

NARCITY Canada Edition (EN) 

Charges have now officially been laid against Marineland for allegedly using whales and dolphins for shows.

© Provided by Narcity

In a news release posted on December 13, Niagara Regional Police Service report two of their district detectives conducted an investigation in October that looked into the allegations of the use of captive cetaceans — dolphins, whales, or porpoises — at Marineland.

"During the investigation, it was found that the dolphins and whales were utilized for entertainment purposes during the month of August, without being authorized to do so following an amendment to the Criminal Code under Bill S-203 on June 21, 2019," police officials wrote

On Monday, detectives charged Marineland for its alleged use of whales and dolphins for entertainment purposes without authorization to do so.

In an emailed statement to Narcity, Marineland shared that their "animal presentation contains marine mammals undertaking behaviours they exhibit in ocean environments", which are then coupled up with an "educational script" by their employees.

"Marineland understands why ideologically driven activists would file a police complaint, and appreciates the pressure the Niagara Regional Police were put under to lay such a charge," Marineland's Marketing Department wrote.

"We look forward to the opportunity to defend ourselves in a court of law where the feelings of non-experts are not treated as facts and the truth prevails."

The aquatic park noted that it's not the first time "an organization has applied unreasonable political pressure to use policing powers" against them.

"We regret that the Niagara Regional Police have found themselves in this position, and anticipate, as happened the last time activists successfully exerted pressure in this way, the courts will find Marineland to be not guilty, as a matter of law," they wrote.

Earlier this year, Animal Welfare Services reportedly carried out a months-long investigation of the aquatic park and discovered that Marineland's animals were in distress due to the poor water quality in their water tanks, according to the Canadian Press.

Farmed seafood supply at risk if climate change goes unaddressed, study predicts


The world's reliance on farmed fish, such as the pictured trout, could be tested if climate change isn't addressed, according to a new study. File photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Supplies of farmed seafood such as salmon and mussels are projected to drop 16% globally by 2090 if no action is taken to address climate change, a study published Monday by the journal Global Change Biology predicted.

If fossil fuels continue to be burned at their current rates, the amount of seafood able to be farmed sustainably will increase by 8% by 2050 before declining by 16% over the next 40 years, the data showed.

Conversely, in a low-emissions scenario in which action is taken to mitigate climate change, farmed seafood supplies could grow by about 17% by the mid-21st century and by about 33% by the end of the century, compared with the 2000s, the researchers said.

The findings are significant given that ocean-farmed seafood, or mariculture, is often seen as a potential solution to the problems of depleted stocks of wild fish and growing human demand, they said.

"This study highlights the need to diversify mariculture development from the current focus on fish," study co-author William Cheung said in a press release.

"Farming these species" -- including species that are not dependent on fishmeal and fish oil, such as shellfish or algae -- "helps to reduce exposure of seafood farming to climate hazards." said Cheung, director of the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at Canada's University of British Columbia.

Climate effects on mariculture include changes in the area of viable ocean in which to farm fish, as well as the stock of food used to feed them, the researchers said.

Fish farms tend to use fishmeal and fish oil, which are largely composed of smaller fish such as herring and anchovy, stocks which are also threatened by climate change.

The new computer model takes many factors into account, including changing ocean temperatures and the supply of fishmeal and fish oil, the researchers said.

For this analysis, they used the model to examine approximately 70% of the world's mariculture production as of 2015, focusing on Exclusive Economic Zones, where most of the global seafood farming occurs.

Climate change will affect mariculture production differently depending on where farms are in the world, and what they produce.

For example, the hardest-hit regions in their high-emissions scenario, including Norway, Myanmar, Bangladesh, the Netherlands and China, could see their mariculture production decline by as much as 90% by the end of the century compared with the early 2000s, the researchers said.

Under current carbon emission rates, finfish farming, such as salmon, is projected to decrease by 3% globally by 2050, and by 14% by 2090.

Bivalve farming, which includes mussels, oysters and clams, is projected to increase by 2050 and decrease by 2090 under both climate scenarios.

Substituting fishmeal and fish oil for plant-based foods such as soybeans could help alleviate the effects of climate change for fish farms, they said.

When one-quarter of the fish food was substituted with alternatives, under a low emissions scenario, mariculture production was projected to increase by 25% by 2050 and by 31% by 2090, the data showed.

However, with no change to current emissions, when one-quarter of the fish food was substituted with alternatives, mariculture production was projected to increase by 15% by 2050 and by 4% by 2090.

When half the food was substituted in both climate scenarios, these percentages increased, researchers said.

"Climate change affects everything, including aspects of seafood farming we've not previously considered," Cheung said.

"We need to act, and quickly, to mitigate climate change rather than rely on one solution to solve all our seafood production problems," he said.

DOOMSDAY GLACIER
Study: Shelf holding back key Antarctic glacier could break up in 5 years

Pictured is the Pine Island Glacier in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in October 2011. Scientists said Monday an ice shelf holding another Antarctic glacier, the Thwaites Glacier, could break up within five years. File Photo courtesy of NASA | License Photo

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Scientists warned Monday that an ice shelf holding a crucial Antarctic glacier could break up within the next five years, potentially greatly increasing the rate of sea level rise.

A report presented at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in New Orleans said a series of newly discovered weaknesses is causing the Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf, which buttresses one-third of the Florida-sized Thwaites Glacier, to "lose its grip" on a submarine shoal pinning it in place.

Through the use of satellite data, ground-penetrating radar and GPS measurements, the researchers found worrisome cracks in the shelf spreading into its central area at rates as high as 2 kilometers per year, spurred by a warming ocean.

At that rate, they determined the "final collapse of Thwaites Glacier's last remaining ice shelf may be initiated by intersection of rifts with hidden basal crevasse zones within as little as five years."

The Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf is the "floating terminus" of the massive Thwaites Glacier, sometimes referred to as the Doomsday Glacier, one of the fastest moving glaciers in Antarctica which already is contributing as much as 4% of global sea level rise.

The shelf acts as a dam to slow the flow of ice off the continent into the ocean, and if it breaks apart, the authors warned, the Thwaites Glacier will ramp up its current contribution to sea level rise by as much as 25%.

Scientists have warned that a total collapse of the Thwaites Glacier could result in several feet of sea level rise that would endanger millions of people in coastal areas. It also acts as a linchpin on the rest of the Antarctic ice sheet, which contains enough ice to cause another 10 feet to 13 feet of global sea level rise.

"Thwaites is the widest glacier in the world," said Ted Scambos, a senior research scientist at the University of Colorado's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.

"It's doubled its outflow speed within the last 30 years, and the glacier in its entirety holds enough water to raise sea level by over two feet. And it could lead to even more sea-level rise, up to 10 feet, if it draws the surrounding glaciers with it."

Malaysian magician sets two Guinness World Records with speedy tricks

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- A Malaysian magician set a pair of Guinness World Records when he performed 37 magic tricks in one minute and then another 30 tricks in one minute while blindfolded.

Avery Chin, who previously set the Guinness World Record for most fire torch to rose illusions in 30 seconds alongside Sylvia Lim, used a table filled with props to complete 37 magic tricks in one minute.

Chin followed up his record by performing another 30 tricks in one minute while wearing a blindfold.

Chin said he took on the records in celebration of November's Guinness World Records Day.

USA
Religious freedom foundation protests wreaths on veterans' graves
By Pamela Manson

A volunteer places a wreath on several graves on Wreaths Across America Day at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis on December 16, 2020. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation is protesting the use of the wreaths, a symbol linked to Christianity, on graves on non-Christians. 

File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 14 (UPI) -- Religious liberty advocates are protesting the annual Wreaths Across America event, decrying the "the hijacked-from-paganism symbol of Christianity" being placed on military veterans' graves, including those of Jews and other non-Christians.

Volunteers are expected to put about 2 million wreaths on graves on Saturday at more than 3,100 burial sites, including national and local veterans cemeteries.

Mikey Weinstein, founder and president of the nonprofit Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said placing a wreath on a headstone without getting permission from the veteran's surviving family members is a desecration of the grave.

"We're being flooded by people who do not want to have Wreaths Across America working in conjunction with our federal government to place the stamp of this sectarian Christian holiday," said Weinstein, who is an Air Force veteran.

The Albuquerque, N.M.-based foundation, which has a mission of protecting the separation of church and state in the U.S. military and the Veterans Administration, represents more than 76,000 service members and veterans, about 95 percent of whom identify as Christians, Weinstein said.

Amber Caron, a spokeswoman for Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit based in Maine, said the organization is doing as much as it can to educate the public about being mindful of where the wreaths are placed.

Weinstein said he has no problem with the wreath-laying as long as the cemetery director has permission from family members and the burden to opt out is not on them.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, which maintains the national cemeteries, and the administrators of other cemeteries should set up an opt-in system that allows the wreaths to be left only on the resting places of veterans whose survivors have given their approval, he said.

"It's completely irresponsible, immoral, unethical, illegal and unconstitutional to require a veteran's family to go to all the trouble to reach out to the VA and say, 'Don't you dare put a Christian emblem on my loved one's grave, or any other emblem, without getting permission first,'" Weinstein said.

An image from Fox5 in Washington, D.C., of the 2017 event at Arlington National Cemetery that is posted on the MFRR website shows a wreath on a gravestone with a Star of David. And, Weinstein said, volunteers have in the past put leftover wreaths on the graves of homeless veterans at the Santa Fe, N.M., cemetery "thinking that will be fine."

Weinstein said there are many people -- including atheists, agnostics, humanists, Buddhists, Hindus and some Christians -- who also object to the practice and volunteers can't always know which graves should not get wreaths.

ON THE OTHER HAND MODERN PAGANS AND NEO PAGANS, WICCAN ETC. WOULD APPROVE OF THESE WREATHES BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO OVER RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS ON THEM

Caron said Wreaths Across America is not affiliated with any religion or political view. The organization's mission is to remember fallen military members, honor those who served in the military and teach children the value of freedom, she said.

"These are veterans' wreaths," Caron said. "We do not call them Christmas wreaths."

She also said some Jewish families have asked to have a wreath placed on a headstone, and those requests are honored. Otherwise, the volunteers pause and pay their respects at those graves before moving on.

"We have a policy about not placing wreaths on headstones that have the Star of David," Caron said. "Obviously, errors happen. We are a network of volunteers. Not everyone knows what a Star of David is. We do have protocols in place to work with our core volunteers to ensure that we are checking and being respectful."

Weinstein said it's outrageous to argue that the wreaths, which are made with live balsam tips and tied with a red bow, are not Christmas wreaths.

The annual event has its roots in a donation in 1992 by the family that owns the Worcester Wreath Co. in Maine of a surplus of their product to Arlington National Cemetery to put on graves. The family members continued to make a yearly donation to Arlington and after a photo of the wreaths went viral in 2005, they began getting thousands of emails from people who wanted to participate in the effort.

Based on the requests, the Worcester family sent ceremonial wreaths representing each branch of the military, plus one for POW/MIA military members, to more than 100 locations in 2006. In 2007, the family and supporters set up Wreaths Across America.

The event is held each year on the second or third Saturday of December. Volunteers sign up to coordinate locations and lay wreaths, and individuals and organizations -- such as the VFW, American Legion, churches and community groups -- sponsor the $15 wreaths. Wreaths Across America gives back $5 to the nonprofits for each sponsorship to use for their own programs, Caron said.

This year, wreaths are being placed on graves in every state, Puerto Rico and Guam, Caron said.

The Worcester Wreath Co.'s website says the family has farmed for years on thousands of acres in Maine.

"It is from these same sacred forests that the wreaths used by Wreaths Across America in the annual wreath-laying ceremonies are handcrafted," the website says. "We're honored and proud that our commitment to integrity and quality led to them to choose us as their provider of quality wreaths."

Chris Rodda, MRFF's senior research director, said Wreaths Across America was created by Morrill Worcester, the owner of the Worcester Wreath Co., and his wife, Karen Worcester, is the executive director of the organization.

The Worcesters have faced criticism in the past for the "profitable incestuous relationship between their non-profit organization and their for-profit Christmas wreath company," Rodda wrote in a post on the Daily Kos.

Caron counters that the company and the nonprofit are separate entities and that Worcester Wreath Co. became the vendor for Wreaths Across America through a bidding process. A conflict-of-interest policy requires any Worcester-related board members to recuse themselves from decisions involving the wreath procurement contract, she said.

Rodda also wrote that the primary concern of the foundation is the indiscriminate placement of Christmas wreaths on graves. The wreath is circular and made of evergreen to symbolize everlasting life through Jesus Christ, she said.

Since raising its concerns about the wreaths, MRFF has been inundated with angry emails and threats.

One profane email said, "As a combat veteran, if I fell in a foreign land, it would have been nice for a complete stranger to spend the time and money to remember me at this time of year."

In response, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Marty France, an MRFF advisory board member, asked if the veteran would be open to any decorations being put on a gravestone.

"So, you would be okay with me putting an little black ISIS or green Muslim flag on your grave?" France said in an email posted on the foundation website. "That's very open-minded. How about a menorah for Hanukkah? Maybe a Confederate flag from the Daughters of the Confederacy? May my dog leave a decoration?"

France also wrote that if Wreaths Across American wants to help people honor the fallen, "then they should first make sure that the survivors of the fallen want their brand of symbolic honor."

Malta set to legalise cannabis for personal use

Malta's parliament was set Tuesday to approve plans to legalise possession and cultivation of cannabis for personal use -- a first in Europe, although other countries tolerate it.

© Raul ARBOLEDA 

Adults will be allowed to have up to seven grams of cannabis and grow up to four plants at home for their personal use

Adults will be allowed to have up to seven grams of cannabis and grow up to four plants at home for their personal use, under legislation backed by Prime Minister Robert Abela's Labour party.

The law also allows for the creation of regulated non-profit associations of up to 500 people each to grow the drug for the exclusive use of its members.

"We are legislating to address a problem and taking the harm reduction approach by regulating the sector so that people do not have to resort to the black market to purchase cannabis," Abela said during a parliamentary debate last month.

He said he wanted to maintain a tough stance on dealers but spare parents the "trauma" of their child being arrested and hauled to court over a joint.

"We are dissuading people from smoking cannabis, while not treating those who choose to do so as criminals. Drug trafficking will remain illegal," he said.

The move comes just weeks after Luxembourg announced similar proposals, while personal use and growing of cannabis is also tolerated in Spain and tolerated in the Netherlands.

- 'Normalise abuse' -

Malta is often regarded as socially conservative but had already decriminalised the possession of small amounts of cannabis, passing legislation that promoted the island as a potential centre for the production of medical marijuana.

The main opposition Nationalist Party has opposed the latest plan, warning it would "normalise and increase drug abuse in our country", but it does not have enough votes to block the law.

The law also softens penalties for those found with larger amounts of cannabis.

Adults in possession of between seven and 28 grams of cannabis for their own use face a tribunal rather than a court, and a maximum 100-euro fine.

Minors caught in possession of cannabis meanwhile will be referred to a tribunal which may propose a care plan or treatment.

Consuming cannabis in public however remains illegal, punishable by a 235-euro fine, while consuming the drug in front of a child, whether in public or private, could trigger a penalty of between 300 and 500 euros.

In October, Luxembourg's government unveiled proposals to allow each household to grow up to four cannabis plants, and to reduce fines for public consumption in cases involving fewer than three grams.

In Spain, the lack of a legal framework allows for the private production and consumption of cannabis by adults for their personal use in a private space, though its sale is still illegal.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands tolerates the sale of small amounts of cannabis to locals in coffeeshops and possession by individuals of no more than five grams of cannabis or five plants.

str-ar/ide/jxb

AFP

Owner of Kabul law firm that worked for Canadian Embassy pleads for help for employees left behind

Ellen Mauro 

CBC

© Craig Chivers/CBC

 Saeeq Shajjan’s Kabul law firm, Shajjan & Associates, was first contracted by the Canadian embassy in 2013, dealing with a range of legal matters in Afghanistan. Now he's asking Ottawa to do more to help his employees still stuck in the…

Saeeq Shajjan's law firm in Kabul spent the past eight years working as the local legal team for the Canadian Embassy in Afghanistan.

But with about two dozen of his employees still stuck in the Taliban-held country, Shajjan said the Canadian government is now doing little to help them.

"These are people who did all they could to help the Government of Canada, to help support the mission of Canada in Afghanistan — and it's time to make sure the Canadian government is returning the favour," he said.

"Unfortunately we are not hearing anything."

Shajjan's employees have submitted all the necessary paperwork to be considered for Ottawa's special immigration measures for Afghans who worked alongside the Canadian government.

Shajjan has even provided letters from Canadian government officials he worked with in Kabul, describing his team's efforts for the embassy and the risks those left behind now face.

A major Canadian law firm, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, is also working on their cases after hearing Shajjan's story on CBC's The Current.

Yet Shajjan's employees have yet to get a direct response from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on how to proceed with their applications, receiving only generic auto-reply emails instead, some of which were shared with CBC News.

It's unclear why — but they appear to be caught in what experts describe as an overwhelming backlog.

And as time drags on, Shajjan said they're becoming increasingly fearful for their safety under the Taliban, given the firm's long-standing relationship with the Canadian Embassy.

"I need to make sure these people are out as soon as possible," he said. "Before something irreparable happens to them."

After the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan in August, the federal government committed to bringing 40,000 Afghan refugees to Canada — a process it now says will take up to two years to complete.

About 12,000 applications have been approved so far, with just 5,400 of those people now in the country.

Ottawa has defended its response to the crisis, calling its efforts to move people out of a challenging environment unprecedented.

But advocates have repeatedly criticized the government, arguing it's been too slow to process claims, leaving too many at risk for far too long.

CBC News has spoken to dozens of Afghans who say they've been mired in bureaucracy for months, with little information about the status of their cases.

"There is now a huge schism between the aspirations of the program and what the operations are actually able to deliver," said Warda Shazadi Meighen, a refugee and human rights lawyer in Toronto.

"We're at this place where we really need to bridge the gap quite quickly, because these folks just don't have the time to wait."

Canada's Kabul law firm

Shajjan & Associates was first contracted to be the Canadian Embassy's law firm in Kabul in 2013.

The firm handled a variety of legal matters, ranging from major real estate transactions, including the $18-million purchase of Canada's main embassy building, to direct dealings with the Afghan government.

"We did all we could to make sure the Embassy of Canada had the best possible legal representation in Afghanistan," Shajjan said. "We also made sure that the embassy's reputation was protected."

Though the embassy is now shuttered, the firm's contract is still valid until the end of this year.

Shajjan is now resettled in the Toronto area under the special immigration measures program, and he continues to provide legal advice to the government on issues related to Afghanistan.

But most of his time goes toward advocating for his employees who are desperately waiting to hear back about their applications.

Two Global Affairs Canada officials who've known Shajjan and his colleagues since 2013 have written letters outlining the firm's contribution to the Canadian Embassy and its efforts in Afghanistan.

The letters also reference the threats Shajjan and his team encountered because of their work — risks those left behind still face.

"Mr. Shajjan and his team are well known locally to be Canada's local law firm and to have a close working relationship with Canadian staff at the embassy," said one official.

"I have personal knowledge of threats made against him and his firm from some local parties," another wrote.

Shajjan hoped the letters would help move his employees' cases along, but they've seemingly made little difference as the months go by.

Most of his employees — including lawyers and administrative staff — first submitted their documents to be considered under the special immigration measures program in August, Shajjan said, immediately following the Taliban takeover.

The program is open to Afghans who've had a "significant and/or enduring relationship with the Government of Canada.

"There's little more enduring than serving the Embassy of Canada for eight years," Shajjan said.

"I don't think there's anyone I can write to who I haven't written to, anybody who I could call I haven't already called. But still, we are hearing nothing," he said.

"I do not have the courage anymore to tell them, 'Hey, be patient, It's going to happen.'"

IRCC spokesperson Alex Cohen said he could not comment on specific cases, citing privacy concerns. But he said the IRCC has rapidly adapted throughout the crisis, even without a "playbook that could be dusted off and implemented."

"Over the past few months, we've added resources, cut red tape, and acted quickly…" Cohen said.

But the case of Shajjan's employees is akin to so many others, said Shazadi Meighen, where the government has been slow to respond — appearing to struggle with the influx of applications.

By now, she said, the government's response should be more efficient.

"No one could have predicted that the Taliban would have taken over as fast as they did," she said. "But we have now been in this position for several months.

"At this point we should be far, far, far along. And we're just not there."
'It absolutely should not be this hard'

Shajjan first spoke out about those left behind in an interview with The Current in October, shortly after he and his family had arrived in Canada.

Toronto lawyer Kristin Taylor was listening and immediately contacted Shajjan via Twitter.

"It felt like a colleague reaching out in dire circumstances who could really use our help," said Taylor, the managing partner at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP.

The firm's first step was to reach out to IRCC. Carla Potter, another lawyer at the firm, is leading the team advocating for Shajjan's employees. In October, IRCC employees told her the agency didn't have the initial submissions, she said, but it's not clear why.

Potter said her team then re-filed the requests to be considered under the special immigration program on behalf of all of Shajjan's employees in early November.

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© Craig Chivers/CBC 

Toronto lawyers Kristin Taylor and Carla Potter, with Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, are helping Shajjan with his employees' cases.

"We're ensuring that we do everything we can for them," Potter said. "But certainly, as Canadians, we didn't expect to be met with the level of frustration and red tape that we have been so far."

The firm is also willing to help pay for the group's travel to Canada from a third country. But without the IRCC paperwork to help facilitate travel out of the country, the employees are essentially stuck in Afghanistan.

Potter and Taylor update Shajjan every week on their advocacy efforts but say they often only have frustrating news to share. Until IRCC responds to the submissions, they're caught in a holding pattern.

"It absolutely should not be this hard," said Taylor. "These are people who were working for us and, I think, have a sense of being abandoned because of how this has all unfolded."

While Shajjan is grateful to now be living in Canada with his family, he says his heart and mind remain in Afghanistan with his employees.

"I have a moral responsibility to these people," Shajjan said, arguing Canada does too. "I will keep trying to do whatever I can to make sure they are safe.

"And I really need the Canadian government to pay attention to this."

Uganda opposition leader 'under house arrest'


Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine said Tuesday that police had surrounded his residence and put him under house arrest ahead of a planned campaign rally for a local by-election.

© SUMY SADURNI Bobi Wine came second in a tense January election that returned President Yoweri Museveni to power for a sixth term

Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, said police and military officers, deployed overnight, had barred him from leaving his home in Magere, north of the capital Kampala.

"The military has increased deployment around my home. No one is allowed to leave or enter," Wine said on Twitter, accusing President Yoweri Museveni of placing him "under house arrest".

The popstar-turned-politician came second in a tense January election that returned Museveni to power for a sixth term.

On Tuesday, Wine was set to campaign for an opposition candidate in the central district of Kayunga where Museveni is also expected to hold a rally.

"Our security guard and gardener have been violently arrested and beaten," Wine said, adding that they had been "bundled" into a police vehicle outside his gate and their phones confiscated.

Following the January vote, which was marked by a crackdown on opposition figures, soldiers and police surrounded Wine's property, stopping members of his household including his wife from leaving.

A court ordered his release after 11 days.

Wine's National Unity Platform party has alleged that hundreds of his supporters were abducted by security forces in the run-up to the election -- some were killed while others re-emerged weeks later showing signs of torture.

Last week, two members of the armed forces were handed lengthy jail terms for their part in violence against protesters last year that left more than 50 dead.

The United States had announced days earlier sanctions against the military intelligence chief Major General Abel Kandiho, citing his involvement in serious human rights abuses including beatings, sexual assault and electrocution.

In March, Wine was arrested for leading a protest in Kampala demanding the release of his supporters.

Museveni has ruled Uganda without pause since seizing control in 1986, when he helped to end years of tyranny under Idi Amin and Milton Obote.

Once hailed for his commitment to good governance, the former rebel leader has crushed any opposition and tweaked the constitution to allow himself to run again and again.

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AFP