Syrian asylum seeker sues EU border agency

Alaa Hamoudi claims EU border agency Frontex helped Greek authorities abandon him at sea.

An October 2020 investigation carried out by the open-source analysis group Bellingcat determined that Frontex was complicit in refoulements in Greek water 

[File: Francisco Seco/AP]
Published On 17 Mar 2022

A Syrian who says he was illegally pushed back into Turkey by Greek authorities is suing the European Union border agency Frontex for alleged complicity.

The Front-Lex legal association, which is representing the plaintiff Alaa Hamoudi, made the announcement on Thursday.

Hamoudi’s lawsuit was lodged on March 10, according to the European Court of Justice website.

Hamoudi is claiming $550,000 from Frontex for action he said the Greek coastguard took on between April 28 and 29 in 2020.

Front-Lex said that, after Hamoudi arrived on the Greek island of Samos with about 20 other asylum seekers, they were loaded by Greek authorities onto a crowded inflatable dinghy and abandoned at sea for 17 hours.

A Frontex plane surveilled the situation at the time, alleged Hamoudi, who now resides in Turkey.

Such an act, if proven, could constitute “refoulement” – the forcible return of refugees or asylum seekers, which is illegal under international law binding on all countries.

Frontex, the EU’s biggest agency, with a budget of $832m this year, has been helping the Greek coastguard monitor the Greek side of the maritime border with Turkey.

An October 2020 investigation carried out by the open-source analysis group Bellingcat, along with the journalist cooperative Lighthouse Reports and several media outlets, including Der Spiegel, determined that Frontex was complicit in refoulements in Greek waters.

The findings triggered several inquiries in the EU about Frontex and its practices.

However, a working group set up by Frontex’s own management board released a conclusion that there were “no indications” of Hamoudi’s incident reported by those outlets.

In February, the EU’s anti-fraud office OLAF sent conclusions from its own investigations to Frontex’s board, but those have so far been kept under a cloak of confidentiality.

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Israeli student to appeal UK asylum case on apartheid grounds

The appeal to be heard at a higher British court has the potential to impact future Palestinian and Israeli asylum cases

A metal cutout of an Israeli soldier at an army post in Mount Bental near the Syrian border in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (AFP)

By Dania Akkad
Published date: 17 March 2022 

Lawyers for a 22-year-old Israeli student say they have been given permission to press on with their client's case at a UK Upper Tribunal, where they will argue he should be granted asylum on the grounds that Israel is an apartheid state.

The rabbinical student, who has been granted an anonymity order, fled Israel in 2017 after he received a letter requiring him to report for military service.

After months in a lower tribunal - and several years into the student's asylum claim - the case will now have the potential to set a legally binding precedent that could impact future Palestinian and Israeli asylum cases in the UK.

UK judge overturns Home Office decision on Israeli asylum seeker 

Read More »

"The case could help provide asylum for anti-Zionist Jews & Palestinians persecuted for opposing apartheid," Franck Magennis, one of the student's lawyers, tweeted on Thursday.

The Upper Tribunal can make findings about countries and conflicts that are legally binding and are then reflected in guidances that help inform judges and UK Home Office officials with their decision.

MEE understands that the Israel-Palestine guidance has not been updated since 2007.

The student rejects Zionism and Israel’s existence based both on his political beliefs and his ultra-Orthodox Jewish faith, an interpretation of which teaches that Jews should not return en masse to the Holy Land until the return of the messiah.

His lawyers say he was beaten and spat on by Israeli police officers and also sprayed with skunk water for taking part in anti-Zionist protests before he fled the country.

His initial asylum claim was refused by British Home Secretary Priti Patel in December 2020. Last month, a UK judge ruled he would face "inhuman and degrading treatment" if he was returned to his home country and granted him leave to remain in the UK, which is subject to renewal.

At the time, the student said he welcomed the ruling, but was disappointed that the decision focused on his mental health rather than addressing the key aspects of his legal team's argument, including "the persecutory nature of Zionism".

"My protesting against the state, my refusal to be conscripted, and the persecution I was subjected to by the Israeli authorities did not occur in a vacuum and must be viewed through the racist and oppressive structures of the state of Israel," he said.

EMOTIONAL PLAGUE

Far right ‘mimicking video games to lure middle class children to terrorism’

Met counter-terror chief says ‘relatively well-educated children’ being lured by content based on first-person shooter games

The extreme right is exploiting young people’s interest in gaming, Jukes says. Photograph: Milan Jovic/Getty Images

Vikram Dodd 

THE GUARDIAN

Police and crime correspondent

Thu 17 Mar 2022 

Children from middle class backgrounds are being lured into extreme rightwing terrorism with online content based on violent video games shaped to indoctrinate them, Britain’s most senior counter-terrorism officer has said.

Assistant commissioner Matt Jukes said that 19 out of 20 children aged under 18 who were arrested last year for terrorism offences were linked to an extreme rightwing ideology.

Those falling for rightwing hate and then breaking terror laws were younger than those falling for Islamist hate, according to Jukes, the Met police’s head of counter-terrorism.

He said: “One thing we see is young people who do not understand that researching and then sharing some of the material which they encounter, is a terrorist offence … [and] will lead them to serious consequences.”

Most counter-terrorism activity in the UK continues to be tackling the threat of Islamist-inspired violence but the extreme right continues to grow.

Jukes said 41% of counter-terrorism arrests in 2021 were of extreme rightwing suspects, and three in four advanced plots disrupted by police involved rightwing extremists.

He was speaking to mark the fifth anniversary of the string of terrorist attacks in 2017, one of which was extreme rightwing while the rest were Islamist. Counter-terrorism police and MI5, the security services, are bracing themselves for potential criticism after the inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing, which is expected to publish conclusions this year after having heard evidence of alleged failings.

Jukes said the makeup of those drawn to the extreme right wing was from families with a stake in society: “Actually they are in some cases, relatively well educate. If you were imagining this was necessarily all aligned to disfranchised, poorer, disengaged, white communities, actually the evidence is that is a much more complex picture than that, and that we see people whose background might be relatively middle class, relatively well educated.”

While once terror cells and big plots were the threat, now it is more likely to be young people being turned by online propaganda in their bedrooms. The extreme right was adept at this and exploited an interest in gaming, said Juke.

“Some of the videos produced by the extreme rightwing groups pick up the tropes of the presentation of first-person shooter games,” he added. “They are presenting something which is very attractive, potentially, to a vulnerable, young person, a young boy who spends a lot of time gaming.”

He said: “There is a picture here of young people spending a great deal of time discussing and sharing material online. We are absolutely seeing some of that shift to carrying out terrorist attacks.”

Rightwing hate material was targeting Jews, Muslims and women as well as spreading conspiracies and lies of a plot to replace white men, said Jukes

The youngest suspect arrested was 13, and a 15-year-old boy was charged last week over terrorist material to do with bomb-making, alleged to have been shared online.

Amid confused messaging from the government about Britons going to fight in Ukraine, Jukes issued a warning. Privately, some counter-terrorism officials believe there is little they can do, especially given that the UK government is backing the Ukrainian government.

Jukes said: “People would face a range of risks, including legal, and therefore we would absolutely encourage people [to find] other ways of supporting the Ukrainian people. We would have to consider any travel on a case-by-case basis.”

Petrobras Ends 2021 with a Profit of US$ 21.2 billion, The Highest in History

Company announces distribution of another US$ 7.2 billion in dividends to shareholders

Feb.24.2022 
Nicola Pamplona
RIO DE JANEIRO

In the year in which Brazilian consumers paid record fuel prices, Petrobras also posted the highest profit in its history, at R$106.6 billion (US$ 21.2 billion)

The result represents a growth of 1,400% compared to the previous year.

With the good performance, the company announced the distribution of BRL 37.3 billion (US$ 7.2 billion) in dividends to its shareholders, raising the amount paid to them in return for 2021 to BRL 101.4 billion.

The president of Petrobras, Joaquim Silva e Luna, said that the result proves that "a healthy company committed to society is capable of growing, investing, generating jobs, paying taxes and returning money to its shareholders, effectively contributing to the development of the country."

Holder of 36.7% of the shares, the government will receive R$ 13.7 billion from the dividend portion announced this Wednesday. Considering the total remuneration on the result of 2021, the Union will be entitled to R$ 38.1 billion.

Translated by Kiratiana Freelon

https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en

GHOULS

BRAZIL
Federal Police Investigates Trafficking of Human Organs

Human hand and placenta were sent to an Indonesian designer; Suspect is professor of human anatomy at the University of the State of Amazonas


Feb.23.2022 
Fabiano Maisonnave

MANAUS

This Tuesday (22) the Federal Police carried out a search and seizure warrant at the University of the State of Amazonas (UEA), in an operation to combat the crime of international trafficking in human organs.

According to the investigation, a professor of anatomy at the UEAr School of Health Sciences in Manaus, sold and sent to Singapore a hand and three placentas of human origin to a "famous Indonesian designer who sells accessories and garments with materials of human origin".

Arnold Putra. Crédito: Arnold Putra / Divulgação

This is probably Arnold Putra, who two years ago made world news when he announced a bag that had a human spine for a handle. The designer also claims to use albino skin and plastinated human organs.

Putra has also sparked controversy for allegedly trading human body parts for counterfeit products with indigenous peoples of Papua New Guinea, Oceania.

The UEA, an institution of the government of Amazonas, reported that it opened an investigation to investigate the case. Until the conclusion of this text, the report was not able to contact the professor.

https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en

Arnold Putra : Family, Net Worth

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WHITE SUPREMACY IS A GLOBAL INSTITUTION

BRAZIL
Blacks Are The Most Stopped by The Police in Rio in any Situation, Says Survey

Blacks and browns represent 48% of the carioca population, but 63% of the people stopped by agents

Feb.16.2022 

On the street, on the beach, in the car, on public transport, on the motorcycle, in the taxi, at the party. No matter the situation, Blacks are the group most stopped by police officers in the city of Rio de Janeiro, and also those who suffer the most abuse or embarrassment on these occasions, a new survey has concluded. Blacks and browns represent 48% of the population of Rio, but 63% of people say they have already been stopped for a search, points out the report "Suspicious Element," released this Tuesday (15) by the Center for Security and Citizenship Studies (Cesec) from the Candido Mendes University.

For the survey, the Datafolha Institute spoke to 3,500 people at "flow points" in the capital from May 4 to 6, 2021, of which 39% said they had already been approached by agents. Among these, a sample of 739 respondents was chosen, representative of the municipality. Then, for a qualitative step, the researchers talked to groups made up of young favela residents, young white people, delivery men, app drivers, women and military police.

Sought to comment on the results, the Rio de Janeiro Military Police, responsible for the vast majority of these actions, replied that "there is no racial bias in its performance and its mission to combat armed criminals" and that it follows strict protocols of action.


Translated by Kiratiana Freelon

https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en

FASCIST INTERNATIONALE

Bolsonaro Calls Orbán His Brother, Uses Fascist Motto and Suggests Influence over Putin

On an impromptu trip to Hungary, the president visits icon of the European extreme right


Feb.18.2022 1
Igor Gielow

In a quick speech during his impromptu trip to Hungary, President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) displayed all the credentials that place him as a member of the league of populist leaders on the spectrum of the global nationalist right. During a statement to the press, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the country's strongman since 2010, called "my brother given the affinities" and celebrated "values ​​that we represent, which can be summarized in four words: God, homeland, family and freedom."

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban (R) and Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro hug after giving a joint press conference on February 17, 2022 in Budapest, Hungary.

 (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP) - AFP

It's not the first time he's used the motto, which has its roots in Italian fascism of the 1920s and 1930s. It was adopted by Brazilian fascists of the Integralist Action and by the longest-running European dictatorship of the 20th century, which António de Oliveira Salazar commanded from 1933 to 1974 in Portugal. Bolsonaro has not diplomatically called the country of nearly 10 million people Brazil's "little big brother."

The Brazilian once again insisted on a lie suggested by him and successfully shared on Bolsonarist social networks, with a fake video, that he influenced Vladimir Putin, the Russian president he had visited the day before in Moscow, to decide to take out parts of the troops surrounding Ukraine.

https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en

5-Year-Old Brazilian Boy Becomes Asteroid Hunter and Wins Honors

Miro also created a clubhouse to help colleagues interested in projects that save the world


Feb.21.2022 

It is possible that, one day, an asteroid unknowingly collides with our planet, Earth, and… BOOM! It would be the end of humans and many other species. This is how countless dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago. How to prevent this from happening? If you ask 5-year-old Miro Latansio Tsai that question, he knows exactly where to start: you need to hunt for asteroids! And Miro is a notorious asteroid hunter!

Miro has always been passionate about nature, space, science and math, says his mother, lawyer Carla. At the age of 2, he already knew the names of all the planets in the Solar System (do you remember all of them?). At 4, Miro drew a picture of the Big Bang and the expansion of the Universe. He recently watched the classic "Cosmos" series from the 1980s, hosted by astronomer Carl Sagan, and learned even more, from supernovas to black holes.

SÃO PAULO,SP, 18.02.2022 - Miro Latansio Tsai

 (Foto: Vanessa Carvalho/Brazil Photo Press)

Carla and Jack, Miro's father and business administrator, asked his son if he wanted to take advantage of the time at home, at the beginning of the pandemic, to participate in some projects open to the public of NASA, the American special agency, of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Innovations from Brazil, which today is headed by astronaut Marcos Pontes, and from the IASC, an acronym for International Astronomical Search Collaboration.

One of these projects was precisely the Asteroid Hunt, in which people from all over the world pore over computer images in search of space boulders. "I use the [computer] program Astrometrica to analyze the images, which come from the [Pan-Starrs] telescope in Hawaii," said Miro. By carefully looking at sequences of space images, it is possible, from time to time, to identify small points that appear to be moving — it could be an asteroid! "You have to train, and have a good vision, to be able to find the asteroid, and be patient", explains the space hunter. Miro has already found 15 objects.

Translated by Kiratiana Freelon

https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en

Biden Uses Trump Health Rule to Deport Brazilian Children from US

Measure imposed by the Republican continues to be used to deal with irregular immigrants

Feb.22.2022 
Raquel Lopes
BRASÍLIA

A health rule that limits the entry of illegal immigrants into the US is now being used by the US government against Brazilians as well.

The measure streamlines the process to send back, on flights of deportees, those who try to cross the border to live in the country illegally.

Known as Title 42 and treated as a public health order, the order was introduced under Donald Trump in March 2020.

The rule has since cited a "serious concern about the introduction of Covid into the US" as a justification for the immediate expulsion of people who try to enter the country in violation of travel restrictions or illegally.

The same rule began to be applied against Brazilian travelers in October 2021.

Those who follow the theme see a direct relationship between Title 42 and January 26, when Brazil received a flight with 211 deported Brazilians. Of these, 90 were minors, including children up to 10 years old.

Although he took over the White House with a promise to implement a more humane approach to immigration, Joe Biden has continued to embrace his predecessor's health rules.

Translated by Kiratiana Freelon

https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en

BRAZIL SOCIAL APARTHEID
With No Street Carnival, Revelry Is Restricted to Those Who Can Pay for Private Parties

Closed event programming and expensive tickets proliferate Carnival this year

Feb.24.2022 
Mariana Zylberkan
SÃO PAULO

For the second Carnival amid the Covid pandemic, sanitary restrictions in large cities have created what popular culture scholars and block organizers are classifying as a social apartheid.

They criticize what they call "selective cancellation," which, in practice, defines who has and who does not have the right to revelry.

The recent advance of the ômicron variant, which created an upward curve of infected people, caused the city halls of the main carnival destinations in the country to suspend the street carnival, which attracts crowds to the streets.

On the other hand, the advancement of immunization and the creation of the vaccine passport have allowed closed parties to proliferate, as long as health protocols are followed.

According to the São Paulo City Hall, during street carnival there would be no way to demand and inspect proof of vaccination against Covid.

Asked about how the inspection of private parties will be carried out, the city hall said that Sanitary Surveillance agents carry out actions daily.

Tickets for Carnival parties reach R$700 in cities such as São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Belo Horizonte.