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Authorities are calling the incident a "shooting spree", in which the killer also took his own life.

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The Prosecutor’s Office of Bulgaria is the new host of the Secretariat of the Permanent Conference of Organized Crime Prosecutors. The decision was reached on 6 December at the seventh network meeting, organized with the support of the OSCE. Bulgaria will take over the role from the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime of Serbia.

Over the past five years, this regional co-operation platform has been instrumental in enhancing regional co-operation and informal exchange of information in fighting organized crime and corruption. The network continued to be operational despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and has ensured continuity of its activities using an adapted online format.

While the network has expanded during the years and currently includes prosecutor’s offices from twelve countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia), further expansion remains very high on its agenda.

Denise Mazzolani, Acting Head of the OSCE’s Strategic Police Matters Unit, and Iris Pilika, Programme Officer, Economic Co-operation and Governance, reiterated the OSCE’s continued support to the network and its mission to enhance informal cross-border co-operation in criminal matters. The establishment of the network is based on provisions provided by the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.

OSCE supports the Permanent Conference of Organized Crime Prosecutors in the framework of the regional project “Strengthening the fight against transnational organized crime in South-Eastern Europe through improved regional co-operation in asset seizure, confiscation, management and re-use”, jointly implemented by the Transnational Threats Department and the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities. The project is financially supported by the United States, Italy, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Les femmes les plus inspirantes et les plus influentes de 2021 et la manière dont elles font la différence dans le monde.

Cars powered by synthetic fuel produce similar quantities of harmful air pollutants to fossil fuels, according to a new study commissioned by the clean mobility NGO Transport & Environment.

Hétfőn 24.952 PCR tesztet végeztek el, ebből 7049 mutatott pozitív eredményt. Pozitív antigén tesztet 1775 személy produkált. 104-en belehaltak a betegségbe - olvasható az Országos Egészségügyi Információs Központ (NCZI) honalpján.

Les parlementaires débattent du soutien financier à apporter aux entreprises de transport public et s’entendent à prolonger l’aide aux structures dans le besoin.

Many in the crowd taking videos of the extrajudicial killing in Sialkot.

By Zofeen Ebrahim
KARACHI, Dec 7 2021 (IPS)

Mukhtiar’s heart sank when he saw the grisly incident of lynching of a man in the industrial city of Sialkot, in Punjab province.

The videos, taken on cell phones and put online, showed 49-year-old Priyantha Kumara Diyawadanage, a Sri Lankan national and manager of a garment factory, showing him being punched, kicked, hit with stones and iron rods, and killed. Not content, they then dragged his dead body out of the factory and set it on fire.

It was the same city which 11 years ago, had witnessed mob lynching two brothers, 22-year-old Hafiz Muhammad Mughees Sajjad and Mohammad Muneeb Sajjad, 16, in 2010, with support of the local police, on charges of theft. Later their bodies were hung upside down in the city square.

“There must have been no less than 2,000, men, mostly young, charged and in a frenzy, chanting ‘Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah’ (Here I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah), a slogan used by a far-right Islamic extremist political party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP),” said Sakhawat Mughal, a reporter working for Hum News, a private television channel, recalling what he saw.

“Many men had batons in hand. The police looked on and waited for backup,” he said, adding: “Had the handful of the law enforcers reacted, many more lives would have been lost.”

People from all walks of life have been shocked and condemned the incident.

“The Sialkot incident is a horrible example of the growth of extremism and violent mob lawlessness,” said the National Commission for Human Rights chairperson, Rabiya Javeri Agha. “The government should ensure speedy and equitable justice, and perpetrators must face the full force of law.”

According to rights activist Usama Khilji, director of Bolo Bhi, a civil society organisation geared towards advocacy, policy, and research in civic responsibility and digital rights, the TLP has managed to infiltrate the middle class disenchanted with mainstream political parties. The party stirred up ordinary people’s sentiments using tools of “religious passion and hatred towards any perceived act of anti-Islam” to drum support for itself and respond with violence when called upon to cause mischief.

What was even more disturbing was that not only did the people join in throngs to watch the horrendous incident, but they also filmed it and even took selfies showing Diyawadanage body burning in the background.

“Today, sections of the middle-class youth feel proud of lynching on a genocidal level, believing killing alleged blasphemers is an act of valour,” lamented Khilji.

Sitting 130 kilometres away in Lahore, the capital city of the Punjab province, and belonging to the Christian community, the breaking news from Punjab, for Mukhtiar, who goes by one name, was even more disturbing.

Along with the footage of the mob and burning of Diyawadanage body, the various television channels also showed archival photos of his late daughter Shama, and her husband, Shahzad. They were lynched by a mob in 2014 and pushed into a burning brick kiln where the husband worked, in Kot Radha Krishan’s village of Chak 59, near the city of Kasur, also in Punjab. They were punished for allegedly burning pages of the Holy Quran.

“Her three kids who are living with me were disturbed and cried a lot on seeing their parents’ faces plastered on the screen, as the older two remember the incident quite clearly,” said the grandfather, talking to IPS over the phone.

“The incident that happened yesterday (Friday, December 3) was a criminal act, as was my daughter’s and son-in-law’s lynching,” he said, adding: “Do you think any civilised person would want to carry out a sacrilegious act against any faith?”

“Nothing that happened on the part of Diyawadanage constitutes the offence of blasphemy as is the case in nearly all cases prosecuted under these laws,” pointed out Peter Jacob, executive director of Centre for Social Justice. Initial investigations by police suggest the manager had removed posters of a religious moot, as the factory would be whitewashed.

Peter Jacob, executive director of Centre for Social Justice addressing a crowd of protestors in Lahore. He and other rights activists have condemned the killing.

Mukhtiar further pointed out the consequences of committing blasphemy against Islam in Pakistan were “far too grave” for anyone to dare.

Statistics also point that one does not have to belong to a religious minority to be accused of blasphemy and face vigilante violence. The majority of the accused are Muslims.

At least 1,890 persons have been accused of committing blasphemy, under various clauses of the blasphemy law, from 1987 to 2021, said Jacob, who has been collecting data for the last 30 years, adding: “The year 2020 saw the highest number of accused.”

Of the 75% Muslims accused this year, 70% belonged to the Shia sect, he said, and 20% belonged to the Ahmadi community, 5% were Sunni, 3.5% were Christians and 1% Hindus. Religions of 0.5% could not be ascertained, Jacob told IPS over the phone from Lahore.

From 1992 till December 4, 2021, there have been 81 extrajudicial killings on suspicion of blasphemy and apostasy, 45 were Muslims, 23 Christians, nine Ahmadis, two Hindus and two persons whose religious identity could not be ascertained, Jacob noted.

In 2017, Mashal Khan, a Muslim student studying at Abdul Wali Khan University, in Mardan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was killed by his peers for allegedly posting blasphemous content online. The accusation was later proved to be fabricated.

Even in Shama and Shahzad’s murder, rights activists later found the attack was instigated by the brick kiln owner who had an altercation with Shahzad over a money dispute.

The Prime Minister terming the incident a “horrific vigilante attack” promised that all those responsible would be punished with “full severity of the law”. News reports say police have arrested over a hundred, including 19 who played a “central role” in the brutal killing.

For Mukhtiar, these promises ring hollow.

“There will be a lot of promises for a few weeks, and then when the public’s attention is diverted, the perpetrators will be released, you wait and see,” he said.

“Of the five men charged with murder and sentenced to death, two have been released,” he said. After seven years, he was tired of doing the court rounds or seeking justice. “I’m old and a heart patient, and I have the responsibility of these three kids too!”

Khilji also remained sceptical whether justice will be “dispensed to the mob” given Pakistan’s “dismal track record” in such cases.

“Entire police stations have been burnt down for perceived inaction towards blasphemy-accused people by the TLP,” he said, giving the example of the state caving into this group that exudes “massive street power”.

And this “capitulation” to those demanding, inciting, encouraging, and perpetuating violence, pointed out Saroop Ijaz, senior counsel with Human Rights Watch’s Asia division, has reinforced the “legitimacy of violence” in the public consciousness.

A December 5 editorial in Dawn said: “… on the last day of his life, Mr Diyawadanage came face-to-face with the consequences of the Pakistani state’s decades-long policy of appeasing religious extremists.”

“The Sialkot incidence is yet another reminder that violence and impunity are now embedded in society on the issue of blasphemy,” Ijaz told IPS, emphasising the urgent need for holding a “national conversation on violence” and, in particular, on how religion is often used to incite violence.

But, he was not sure if the government was “ready and willing to provide an enabling environment for such a conversation” to be had.

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Après les dernières instructions du président de la République concernant l’importation automobile, le département ministériel en charge du dossier se penche d’ores et déjà sur la question. Des dates viennent d’être avancées concernant notamment le fameux cahier des charges.

Selon le Directeur des ressources humaines et des affaires juridiques auprès du ministère de l’Industrie Bachir Kechroud, le cahier des charges devant régir l’importation de voitures neuves sera fin prêt avant la fin du mois de mars de l’année prochaine.

Intervenant ce mardi sur les la chaine Echorouk TV, le même responsable affirme que cela intervient après les instructions du président de la République autour d’une révision immédiate du cahier des charges fixant les conditions d’importation des véhicules et l’accélération de l’annonce des concessionnaires agréés.

Pour rappel, le chef de l’État a insisté, lors du dernier Conseil des ministres, sur l’impératif de fournir un réseau de services après-vente, au niveau régional et dans les grandes villes, en tant que condition pour accepter les dossiers des concessionnaires.

Le ministre de l’Industrie s’exprime

De son côté, le ministre de l’Industrie Ahmed Zeghdar affirme, dans une déclaration rapportée par le même média, que le dossier de l’automobile connaîtra cette fois-ci une véritable percée, car la révision du cahier des charges ne prendra pas beaucoup de temps.

Dans une déclaration faite en marge de la clôture de la conférence nationale sur la relance industrielle, le premier responsable du secteur indique que le cahier des charges fixant les conditions de l’importation sera prêt vers le début de l’année prochaine.

Selon lui, tous les concessionnaires qui remplissent les conditions nécessaires et qui déposeront le dossier, à partir de janvier prochain, obtiendront directement les agréments dans les délais légaux. Les véhicules neufs seront donc disponibles dès l’entame de l’importation, précise-t-il encore.

Niant l’existence de toute entrave de l’opération le ministre affirme : « Au contraire, nous avons une volonté de gérer le dossier en fonction de ce qui servira en premier lieu l’économie nationale et le citoyen », soulignant que le plus important, c’est de « fournir des services après-vente ».

À ce propos, il a appelé les concessionnaires concernés à s’engager dans ce sens et fournir les garanties nécessaires et les services après-vente conformément aux instructions du président lors du dernier Conseil des ministres.

L’article Importation de voitures en Algérie : de nouvelles dates dévoilées est apparu en premier sur .

Deux semaines après que le Parlement européen a approuvé sa position dans la négociation sur la directive relative aux salaires minimaux, une grande majorité des ministres nationaux ont également convenu d’une position commune.

Seit 20 Jahren werden Internetdienstanbieter von den zuständigen Behörden mit der Entfernung illegaler Inhalte beauftragt. Mit dem Gesetz über digitale Dienste (DSA) verlagern sich die Verpflichtungen weitgehend auf Online-Plattformen.

507089 Munira Shoinbekova, OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe

The OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe organized a roundtable discussion on the analysis of strategic documents concerning the media sector in Tajikistan. The discussion was organized jointly with Public Organization Khoma and took place in Dushanbe on 2 December 2021.

Some 35 civil society representatives, government officials, media community attended the event.

Based on a detailed analysis of the content of the main documents on media issues, the working group outlined the main problems, the solution of which will ensure higher rates of development of the media sphere and the achievement of strategic goals of national development in this direction

Valeriu Chiveri, Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe said: “We are confident that the results of the working group's work will become a significant support for the further development of the media in the country, and serve as an important mechanism for state information policy and the information security of society. The OSCE will always support Tajikistan's efforts to develop the media in the country and ensure free access to information.”

“Some concepts and outline documents require revision, which is natural. In this regard, the NGO Khoma conducted an analysis of strategic documents on media development in the Republic of Tajikistan, which was welcomed by us,” said Fattohzoda Saidmurod Samad, Chairperson of the Committee on International Affairs, Public Associations and Information of Majlisi Namoyandagon of Majlisi Oli (the Lower Chamber of Tajikistan’s Parliament). “As part of this initiative, a number of strategic documents aimed at media development in Tajikistan were studied. We are convinced that this analysis and training will contribute to the development of the country's media system, ensure information security, and develop healthy and competitive relations in this important sector of the country's economy,” concluded Fattohzoda.

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“What can each of us offer to others to build a community of practice in preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism (P/CVERLT)?” This question gave direction to a series of three, three-day cross-regional seminars for certified facilitators of the OSCE’s Leaders against Intolerance and Violent Extremism (LIVE) capacity-building initiative, organized by the Action against Terrorism Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department.

The seminars took place between 16 November and 8 December 2021. Over 50 graduates of train-the-trainer courses for LIVE facilitators from South-Eastern Europe and Central Asia attended the seminars. Participants shared their experiences and ideas for establishing a community of practice to support their future training delivery, expanding their relevant cross-regional networks in the process.

Participants took stock of lessons learnt and good practices in applying their facilitation skills and implementing prevention activities since completing the train-the-trainer course, inspiring and supporting one another. To set the tone for ongoing peer exchange, selected participants talked at length about their local delivery of LIVE trainings and shared lessons learned from the implementation of prevention initiatives by members of local communities whom they trained.

“The local level work of civil society actors in building community resilience is vital to preventing the spread of violent extremism.  However, they cannot work in isolation and without support and resources.   Linking practitioners together by creating meaningful spaces - in person and online - for sharing, learning and connecting is necessary to ensure long term impact of P/CVERLT programs,” said Georgia Holmer, Head of Action against Terrorism Unit.  “Bringing front-line practitioners, who focus on promoting tolerance and inclusion, together across national and regional boundaries is one of the most powerful steps towards building peace,” she added.   

The cross-regional seminars provided participants with opportunities to deepen their relevant knowledge and facilitation skills through tailored sessions with expert trainers of the LIVE train-the-trainer courses. The seminar topics, selected together with the participants, included emerging trends in violent extremism, gender-sensitive prevention approaches, and the Do No Harm approach. The idea of the latter, being mindful of what bring people together and what divides them, different experiences and needs within a community when designing a prevention initiative, strongly resonated with the participants.

"Participants of our LIVE training sessions have seen a lot of potential in facilitators, materials and methodology. This will serve as a solid basis to continue building multi-stakeholder partnerships and apply conflict-sensitive approaches to the issues of violent extremism and radicalization to violence in different regions of Tajikistan,” shared LIVE facilitators Rukhshona Shobudinova and Maryam Davlatova.

With guest speakers from UN Women, the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), and the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, participants had more in-depth discussions on the role of religion in preventing violent extremism, as well as practical tools for advocacy and fundraising as relevant to their local training participants.

Der Ausschuss für Wirtschaft und Währung des Europäischen Parlaments (ECON) könnte bis zu sechs Gesetzesänderungen vornehmen, die das Gesetz zur Regulierung von Internetgiganten wesentlich verändern könnte.

Vádat emelt a Tatai Járási Ügyészség azzal az állatkínzóval szemben, aki rettenetes körülmények között tartotta hét kutyáját egy szomódi présháznál - írja a 24.hu

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Vidéo • Balkans : ces archi-diplômés qui choisissent de rester en France
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Vidéo • Balkans : ces archi-diplômés qui choisissent de rester en France
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Sport : l'équipe féminine de basket-ball fait la fierté de toute la Bosnie-Herzégovine
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Football : Xherdan Shaqiri n'ira pas en Serbie jouer le match Liverpool-Belgrade

/ Courrier des Balkans, Gratuit, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Sports, Albanie, Bulgarie, Croatie, Grèce, Kosovo, Macédoine du Nord, Moldavie, Monténégro, Roumanie, Serbie, Slovénie, Turquie

Vidéo • Balkans : ces archi-diplômés qui choisissent de rester en France
Kiril Lazarov, le buteur en or du hand macédonien
Sport : l'équipe féminine de basket-ball fait la fierté de toute la Bosnie-Herzégovine
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/ Courrier des Balkans, Gratuit, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Sports, Albanie, Bulgarie, Croatie, Grèce, Kosovo, Macédoine du Nord, Moldavie, Monténégro, Roumanie, Serbie, Slovénie, Turquie

Vidéo • Balkans : ces archi-diplômés qui choisissent de rester en France
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Sport : l'équipe féminine de basket-ball fait la fierté de toute la Bosnie-Herzégovine
Football : bisbilles géopolitiques autour du match Espagne-Kosovo
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/ Courrier des Balkans, Gratuit, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Sports, Albanie, Bulgarie, Croatie, Grèce, Kosovo, Macédoine du Nord, Moldavie, Monténégro, Roumanie, Serbie, Slovénie, Turquie