human rights – www.israelhayom.com

Worse than you thought: Inside look at Qatar's hidden brutality

miriw — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 13:30:34 +0000

This is a story about oppression, tyranny, and the hunger for power. It's yet another testament to Western leaders' willful blindness, purchased with staggering wealth. Donations, investments in sports and academia, polished English – all of these have made it remarkably easy for Americans and Europeans to forget. Memory proves more flexible than one might think. Beneath Qatar's international PR apparatus lies a brutal reality. A reality of persecuting political rivals and regime opponents, a reality of a draconian legal system that crushes the little guy, and a shameful, ongoing exploitation of foreign workers. In conversations with Israel Hayom, people who lived in Qatar for years shed light on what happens behind the masks.

Let's start with the fact that Qatar operates under a rather unusual situation. Migrant workers constitute approximately 90% of the population, which includes around 3.1 million people, and remain subject to a system known as Kafala, or sponsorship, which was officially "abolished" in 2020 but continues to exist in practice. According to human rights organizations, this system grants employers disproportionate power. Changing workplaces, for instance, is an almost impossible task. Moreover, this power leads to salary delays, forcing workers to strike or protest despite the risk of arrest or deportation.

Most are workers from poor countries like Egypt, Pakistan, India, and the Philippines. However, sometimes these are workers who come from Europe or North America to staff positions in the healthcare system. To be fair, other Gulf states also employ foreign workers under the same system. They explain that this represents an opportunity to earn a high salary relative to what they would earn in their home country. However, it seems that only in Qatar do they receive treatment as modern-day slaves.

Ahmad Awwadallah, for example, was a regular guy looking for work in Qatar. Many young Egyptians like him fly to the Gulf after completing academic studies to secure a livelihood. But after years of hard work, he got entangled in an ugly legal proceeding. This affair turned his life upside down.

"I always called Qatar home, and now it's the most hated place in the world for me because of the racism, xenophobia, and injustice I experienced. I always excused racism and xenophobia in Qatar by saying there are uneducated people. But my story shows how the educated elite behaves in the same way," he accused in a letter he sent to none other than Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, mother of current Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and one of the most powerful figures in the state.

US President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani react as they meet onboard Air Force One during its refuelling stop at Al Udeid Air Base near Doha, Qatar, October 25, 2025 (Photo: Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein) REUTERS

"I received approval to become a permanent resident in Qatar around 2008, while I was studying in Egypt. My father was also a foreign worker there since the 1980s, and he managed over time to establish a small company, so he was my first sponsor," Awwadallah tells Israel Hayom about his early days in the emirate. "After I completed my academic degree, I was accepted to a small construction company that worked on a gas and oil project for almost a year and a half. After that I had issues with the manager and I left."

Awwadallah joined another company in the gas and oil sector, but eventually became entangled with the manager again. However, because of sponsorship from his father's company, he was relatively protected. "That scared them," he says. At the last company, he was forced to change his sponsor, and within its framework, he worked on the construction projects for the 2022 World Cup that Qatar hosted. Doha didn't earn the great honor thanks to good fortune, but because it bribed senior officials at FIFA. Those who exposed this corruption scandal testified that they remain afraid to this day.

From his current residence in Egypt, Awwadallah describes working conditions in the state: "At the first company we worked 12 hours a day, six days a week. At the second company, in a standard position you had to work 8 hours a day for six days. At the last company that dealt with World Cup projects, I remember that in some cases we worked three consecutive months without a single day off, even during the COVID pandemic. Although on government projects we worked normal hours. In these areas, I don't remember working so much with locals (Qataris), they're not involved in such a hard industry."

Hassan Abd al-Sadiq, a foreign worker from Sudan, tells Israel Hayom about similar abuse. Like many citizens of his country, he was forced to migrate and came to Qatar in search of work. According to the contract with his employer, he was supposed to receive comfortable accommodation and medical care in exchange for work as an accountant at a sewing company – a respectable position by all accounts. Nevertheless, he found himself living in a room that served as a garbage collection point, without basic equipment like a refrigerator or a washing machine. He was forced to pay for medical services out of pocket. Shifts lasted 12 hours each day, six days a week, and workers who dared use their phones were charged fines.

Hassan Abd al-Sadiq

According to him, at one point, he was forbidden from praying at the mosque. "When I went to the Qatari labor office and filed a complaint, on that same day, my residency permit expired, and I was removed to Doha airport. No one even asked me about my story. I spoke with intelligence at the airport and told them I had filed a complaint, and I was supposed to stay until it's decided, so they answered that they can't change anything and I need to return to Sudan," al-Sadiq says. Finally, his employer threatened to file a complaint against him if he ever returned to Doha.

Back to Ahmad Awwadallah. He still managed to survive through hard work, but, ironically, a romantic relationship in the emirate entangled him with the authorities. In 2018, he encountered a foreign worker from one of the hospitals at a club. Samantha (pseudonym) was an African-American Christian, a US citizen, and he's a Muslim from Egypt. They danced a bit, went on a few dates, and their paths separated. Awwadallah had no plan for a serious relationship. Samantha flew to America. Only in 2021 did she return to Doha and begin working at the university's science and technology department. Suddenly, the relationship resumed at her initiative, and the two spent one night together.

Not much time passed, and Samantha informed him that she had become pregnant. They decided to get married and flew to Georgia for a civil ceremony. Awwadallah says he didn't want to bear the shame of a birth outside marriage, even though from the start he wasn't sure he was the father. Only after the wedding, he recounts, when they arrived for a routine checkup, did the doctor say that Samantha had been pregnant weeks before, and had only recently renewed contact with him.

This was Awwadallah's breaking point. The suspicion that Samantha initiated the meeting between them so he would bear responsibility as a father gave him no rest. He estimates she feared getting entangled with the Qatari authorities. "She once told how the Qatari police would escort women who gave birth outside marriage to the hospital, and how terrifying that was."

According to Qatari law, a woman who becomes pregnant outside the framework of marriage is sentenced to prison along with her partner. Indeed, foreign female workers often get entangled with the authorities. For example, the German network Deutsche Welle reported on the story of Ann, a Filipino housekeeper who gave birth at her employer's home. In 2015, when she arrived in Qatar, she knew generally about "the prohibition of sexual relations between unmarried partners." Because of this, she was forced to marry her partner to avoid being sent to prison. As expected, many of these marriages end very badly.

After the baby girl's birth, tensions between Samantha and Awwadallah intensified. According to him, he managed to perform two DNA tests through shipment, which confirmed his paternity, but these didn't remove his doubts. On the contrary, they only made him suspect they were forged. Finally, Samantha filed a lawsuit with the local Sharia court in 2022, demanding a divorce. She demanded that the court annul the marriage and order him to pay her compensation and alimony in a cumulative amount of tens of thousands of Qatari riyals. In addition, she demanded custody of the child.

The Sharia court sought a compromise but was unsuccessful. According to court documents, the marriage was annulled in a May 2023 ruling. Awwadallah was obligated to pay tens of thousands of Qatari riyals cumulatively for his ex-wife's living expenses and court costs, and the child was transferred to her custody. His request to conduct an official DNA test for him and the child was rejected. He hasn't seen the girl for about three years now.

"After I again tried to do a DNA test, I fought with the mother, and she told me, 'You won't be with the child alone.' Later, she contacted me to meet at the US embassy for a passport appointment. I met with her only to argue about the rights of the child as an American citizen. Afterward, she contacted me for the sake of a Qatari ID, and I refused as long as we don't conduct an official DNA test," Awwadallah says. "The last time I saw the child was in August 2022. Obviously, I feel bad that the child will live in a lie."

In late 2023, Awwadallah fled to Egypt after staying there a year without work. He doesn't pay the alimony imposed on him.

Ahmad Awwadallah

The Qatari politician Khalid al-Hail was forced to go into exile in Britain in the previous decade. In the past, he was part of the ruling elite and, in the local media, was called "The Joker" due to his proximity to the former emir, Hamad bin Khalifa, who was deposed in a palace coup in 2013. During this period, he also maintained relations with the former Qatari prime minister, Hamad bin Jassim.

However, in 2010, al-Hail turned his back on the ruling family and established the first opposition movement in the emirate – "The Youth Movement for Qatar's Salvation." And not just any movement, but one aspiring to turn Qatar into a constitutional monarchy – a democracy. In other words, a state with a functioning legislature and citizen involvement. The movement's founding core, which included only six people, initially worked to gather 612 signatures. The challenge was to get hundreds of citizens to sign in support of the reform movement, without security mechanisms that would identify them and crush the movement in its infancy. However, according to al-Hail, the mechanisms had already planted agents among them at this stage.

Following this, al-Hail and others were arrested, tried, and sent to prison. When he was released in 2014, he claimed the movement represented about 30,000 Qatari citizens out of 300,000 at that time (the rest of the residents are migrant workers). He even revealed that the movement had been involved in a failed coup attempt in 2011.

Beyond that, the Qatari politician leaked thousands of documents that shed light on the family's deep corruption under the new emir, Tamim bin Hamad. This step led to a fatwa (religious ruling) issued against him by Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the then-spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood movement and a confidant of Tamim.

After escaping, al-Hail turned the youth movement into the National Democratic Party, which he currently heads. "The movement is not limited to exile," al-Hail told Israel Hayom from his residence in Britain. "We are active on the ground, organized and growing. Our goal is clear: to return sovereignty to the Qatari people through constitutional reform, an elected parliament with real authority, an independent judicial system, and an end to rule by decree. We work through structured political organization, international contacts, and internal mobilization to make change inevitable rather than hypothetical. This is not a distant vision, the process has already begun."

It's easy to take his words with a grain of salt, but according to him, the Al Thani family's money will only be effective in the short term. In the long term, he believes, they won't be able to hold out.

Khalid al-Hail (Photo: Sky News)

Al-Hail also makes many promises regarding the degraded status of foreign workers in the state, which Awwadallah and al-Sadiq described. "The situation of foreign workers in Qatar exposes the reality of the system we're challenging. Despite PR efforts, exploitation remains entrenched in law and practice," he tells Israel Hayom. "Workers continue to face limited freedoms and legal inferiority, and in many cases they experience 'criminalization' regarding personal life. Our movement doesn't treat this as a secondary issue but as one of our top priorities. A state that claims to be modern while denying basic protections to millions is fundamentally unstable. Our reform will include binding legal protections for everyone who lives and works in Qatar."

And also in the Israeli context, he has a promise: "To remove from our soil the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and the extremists."

How far the tyranny of the Al Thani family knows no bounds can be learned from the story of Qatari poet Mohammed al-Ajami, who in 2013 was sentenced by the appeals court to 15 years in prison. The charge? "Incitement to overthrow the regime" and insulting the former emir. Al-Ajami "got off easy," since before the appeal, he was sentenced to life in prison. The assessment is that he was punished for a poem he wrote at the beginning of the previous decade, in which veiled criticism was leveled at the then-emir, Hamad bin Khalifa.

Inspired by the Arab Spring protests in Tunisia, he wrote in the poem: "Arab governments and those who rule them, all without exception, are thieves. And there is one question that troubles the questioner's mind – no official body will be found to answer it – since he (the Arab ruler) imports everything from the West, why doesn't he import law and freedom?"

Following this, he was arrested in November 2011 and has since served a prison sentence, during the trial and after it. Only after about 4 years in prison did Emir Tamim bin Hamad grant clemency to the poet and release him. Very quickly, al-Ajami preferred to leave Qatar for Kuwait, to continue writing poems without fear.

From there, he feels safe to say what's on his mind. In November, for example, he turned to the Qatari ruler on social media and exposed what he went through in prison: "Your Highness, the Emir of Qatar, what motivated me to write this message is a story that occurred between us, and you weren't aware of some of its details. I was kept in solitary confinement from the moment I entered prison until I left. I was forced to shower with cold water in winter and hot water in summer from the bathtub's bottom faucet. This was an act of injustice toward the citizen, in the complete absence of human rights – or what is falsely called 'human rights in Qatar.'"

Qatari poet Mohammed al-Ajami (Photo: Arab Media)

Al-Ajami sought to raise awareness about the situation of Dr. Hazza, another regime opponent serving a life sentence: "A group of compatriots opposed an unjust decision that harmed our rights as citizens. As a result, many of us were sentenced to imprisonment periods of months and years. Dr. Hazza was sentenced to life imprisonment, while others received unjust sentences because of false accusations. Some were released, while Dr. Hazza remained in prison. This, even though you disbanded the fake council that represented neither justice nor patriotism."

The council al-Ajami refers to is the Shura Council (advisory council), which many Qataris opposed the elections to in 2021. This is the place to emphasize: According to a 2005 law, native-born Qataris are defined as those who lived on the peninsula before 1930 and retained citizenship until 1961. Those who received citizenship in the decades afterward, or under other circumstances, could not vote or be elected to the council. Qatari citizens pointed out the discrimination in the law in real time, but they were arrested and tried under various pretexts. "Annulling this council constitutes an implicit admission of injustice, and it is a moral and legal duty that should apply to all those convicted because of their opposition to its establishment," the poet wrote. "It's not logical that the ruler – whoever he may be – should enjoy hills and hunting grounds in Europe with his wife, children, and brothers, while he oppresses Allah's servants, or witnesses injustice and doesn't strive for change. Whoever doesn't give respect, won't receive respect."

And so, about a year ago, a referendum took place in the state, within which it was agreed to cancel the elections to the Majlis (parliament) of the emirate. In any case, this was a small and toothless body composed of 30 elected members and 15 additional members appointed by the emir. Since the referendum, Qatar has returned to a system of full appointment of all Majlis members. Because if you're already going to prevent the right to vote, then from everyone – except one.

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Iran's state-approved matchmaking site registers children as young as 13 for marriage

adin — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 07:00:15 +0000

An investigation by the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat revealed that an Iranian government-approved matchmaking website called "Adam and Eve" allows parents to register children as young as 13 for marriage, with registration data showing a high concentration of underage users in the country's poorest regions.

TAGS
tags: 11/26, Iran, child marriage, Asharq Al-Awsat, Iranian government, human rights, Middle East, Tehran, marriage laws

EXCERPT REPEAT
An investigation by the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat revealed that an Iranian government-approved matchmaking website called "Adam and Eve" allows parents to register children as young as 13 for marriage, with registration data showing a high concentration of underage users in the country's poorest regions.

VERSION 2 HEADLINES
Iran's state-approved matchmaking site registers children as young as 13 for marriage
Government-sanctioned platform enables child marriage arrangements in impoverished regions, Saudi media investigation uncovers.

VERSION 2 CONTENT
Suggested opening paragraph (optimized for engagement):
A government-approved Iranian matchmaking website has registered tens of thousands of children for arranged marriages, with girls as young as 13 creating profiles on a platform that operates with Tehran's explicit blessing, a Saudi media investigation has revealed.
A Saudi reformist newspaper investigation uncovered a government-approved Iranian online platform called "Adam and Eve" that enables parents to register their sons and daughters for marriage starting at age 13, Asharq Al-Awsat reported.
The website permits full profile creation for teenagers without age filtering. Registration data revealed a high concentration of underage users in Iran's most impoverished regions, where early marriages persist as common practice. Girls predominantly appear between ages 13 and 16, while boys range from 16 to 18.
Iran International, an opposition outlet based abroad, also published the investigation's findings. Website manager Mohammad-Hossein Askari stated the platform operates within Iranian law, which establishes minimum marriage ages of 13 for girls and 15 for boys.
Published data showed approximately 300,000 registration attempts on the site, with 70,000 profiles approved following identity checks and interviews.
Iran's parliament passed the "Population Rejuvenation and Family Protection" law in 2021, imposing penalties on those who "discourage childbirth" or "obstruct marriages." Iran's Statistics Bureau recorded nearly 26,000 marriages involving girls under 15 in 2024, down from 32,000 the previous year.
Asharq Al-Awsat reporters successfully created a complete profile for a girl born in 2012 (age 13) without encountering age restrictions or identity verification.
Profiles examined during the investigation demonstrated that users under 18 concentrate in Iran's economically struggling areas, where early marriage remains prevalent. The registration form contains 80 questions emphasizing religious observance, traditional gender roles, political views, and opinions on hijab wearing, cosmetics, and social engagement.

NEWSLETTER CAPTIONS (V2)
Possible Newsletter CaptionsSuggested HeadlinesCreative Content🚨 EXPOSED: Tehran regime backs matchmaking site for 13-year-old girlsIran's Child Marriage MachineInvestigation reveals 70,000 approved profiles of minors on government-sanctioned platform💔 No age barriers: Reporters create fake 13-year-old profile on Iranian siteState-Approved Child BridesSaudi media investigation exposes systematic registration of underage girls for marriage📊 300,000 attempted registrations on Iran's controversial marriage platformTehran's Matchmaking ScandalGovernment-backed website concentrates child users in poorest regions🔍 Inside Iran's "Adam and Eve" website: Where children become marriage candidatesLegal Child Marriage ExposedPlatform operates under controversial Iranian law setting marriage age at 13⚖️ 26,000 underage marriages registered in Iran – and government approves moreChild Marriage by the NumbersInvestigation reveals systematic state facilitation of early marriages🌍 Poverty and child marriage: Data shows regional concentration in IranEconomic Factors Drive CrisisGovernment platform enables arranged marriages in struggling communities

TWEET TABLE
Tweet Content (w/ Emojis & Hashtags)ExplanationTarget AudienceBREAKING: Investigation reveals Iranian government-approved website registers girls as young as 13 for marriage. 70,000 profiles approved. Full story: [link] #Iran #ChildMarriage #HumanRightsDirect, factual presentation emphasizing government approval and scaleOlder/ConservativeSaudi investigation exposes Iranian matchmaking platform targeting minors in poorest regions. No age verification barriers found. Details: [link] #MiddleEast #Iran #InvestigationFocuses on investigative journalism angle and lack of safeguardsOlder/ConservativeIranian law allows marriage at 13 for girls, 15 for boys. New investigation shows government-backed website facilitating thousands of child registrations: [link] #Tehran #ChildRightsEmphasizes legal framework and government involvementOlder/Conservative🚨 EXPOSED: Iran's gov-backed website lets parents register 13yo girls for marriage. 300K tried signing up. This is 2025. Read the investigation: [link] #Iran #ChildMarriageUses emoji for emphasis, contemporary framing with "This is 2025"Gen Z (Emojis Allowed)reporters literally created a fake profile for a 13yo girl on this Iranian gov site—ZERO age checks 💔 the investigation is wild: [link] #Iran #HumanRights #JournalismConversational tone, focuses on the undercover journalism aspectGen Z (Emojis Allowed)26,000 underage marriages in Iran last year & the government is literally running a website to arrange more 😶 poorest regions hit hardest. full story: [link] #ChildMarriage #IranUses Gen Z language ("literally"), emphasizes socioeconomic factorsGen Z (Emojis Allowed)

VERIFICATION TABLES
Table 1: Name Verification
Name from TableUsed in V1?Used in V2?Spelling Matches Phase 0?Asharq Al-AwsatYesYesYes (italicized)Iran InternationalYesYesYes (italicized)Mohammad-Hossein AskariYesYesYesAdam and Eve (website)YesYesYes
Table 2: Hallucination & Style Scan
Scan TypeResultAction Taken"Yesterday/Today"ZeroNone needed"Militant"ZeroNone neededLiteral IdiomsZeroNone neededIndirect SpeechZeroAll quotes maintained with quotation marksMedini/ContextN/ANot applicable to this articleAuthorized GlossesAppliedMedia outlets italicized, proper terminology usedTense StrategyNews/PastPast tense for investigation, Present for ongoing statesColonsZeroNone usedParagraph CountHebrew: 7 / V1: 7 / V2: 7Perfect matchQuote CountHebrew: 1 / V1: 1 / V2: 1Identical (Askari quote)Focus KeywordsPresent in OpeningConfirmed in both versions
Table 3: V1 vs V2 Sentence Improvements
V1 Sentence (Original)V2 Sentence (Refined)Specific ImprovementAn investigation conducted by the reformist Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat revealed...A Saudi reformist newspaper investigation uncovered a government-approved Iranian online platform...More dynamic opening verb, tighter construction, moved "investigation" to subject positionThe website enables the creation of complete profiles for teenagers without any age filtering.The website permits full profile creation for teenagers without age filtering.Stronger verb choice, more concise phrasingRegistration data shows a high concentration of underage users in the country's poorest regionsRegistration data revealed a high concentration of underage users in Iran's most impoverished regionsPast tense consistency with investigation frame, more specific descriptorIran International, an opposition news site operating outside the country, also published...Iran International, an opposition outlet based abroad, also published...More concise phrasing, clearer descriptorThe website's manager, Mohammad-Hossein Askari, stated that the activity complies with Iranian lawWebsite manager Mohammad-Hossein Askari stated the platform operates within Iranian lawEliminated redundant "the", stronger phrasingAccording to published data, approximately 300,000 people attempted to registerPublished data showed approximately 300,000 registration attemptsActive voice, more concise, eliminated "people"Asharq Al-Awsat reporters successfully created a complete profile for a girl born in 2012 (meaning age 13) without any age restriction or identity barrierAsharq Al-Awsat reporters successfully created a complete profile for a girl born in 2012 (age 13) without encountering age restrictions or identity verificationEliminated redundant "meaning", more active verb, parallel structureProfiles examined in the investigation showed that users under 18 are concentrated in economically disadvantaged areasProfiles examined during the investigation demonstrated that users under 18 concentrate in Iran's economically struggling areasStronger verb, present tense for ongoing state, more specific locationRetryClaude can make mistakes. Please double-check responses.

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Canada foils Iranian plot to assassinate Jewish human rights advocate

miriw — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 07:00:02 +0000

According to reporting by The Globe and Mail, Canadian law enforcement authorities recently foiled an Iranian plot to assassinate Irwin Cotler, a prominent human rights advocate and outspoken critic of Tehran's leadership.

Authorities identified two suspects in the assassination plot, though their current status, whether arrested or fled, remains unclear. Cotler was informed on Thursday that the threat level against him had been significantly reduced.

The Jewish 84-year-old has been under 24/7 Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) protection for over a year following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) informed him he was a high-profile target of Iran. His security detail includes bulletproof vehicles, heavily armed officers and additional protective measures.

Since 2008, he has spearheaded a global campaign to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization. He has also represented Iranian political prisoners and strongly supports Israel. In June, following opposition party pressure, Canada joined the United States in declaring the IRGC a banned terrorist group. Ottawa cut diplomatic relations with Iran over a decade ago. Cotler served as Canada's first special envoy on Holocaust remembrance and combatting antisemitism from 2020 to 2023. He currently chairs the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights internationally.

Today marks 6 months since the black sabbath of October 7th. 1200 brutally murdered, 250 taken hostage,& grave acts of torture & mass sexual violence by Hamas.

134 hostages remain in captivity. Freeing the hostages is standalone humanitarian issue, moral duty, & legal obligation pic.twitter.com/3ysPHrd7l1

— Irwin Cotler (@IrwinCotler) April 7, 2024

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also contacted Cotler regarding an unsealed New York indictment involving an Iranian murder-for-hire operation, the source said. While not named in the indictment, the FBI indicated to Cotler that his name emerged during their investigation.

On Oct. 22, the US Justice Department charged senior IRGC official Ruhollah Bazghandi in connection with a 2022 plot to kill American human-rights activist Masih Alinejad, allegedly using Eastern European criminal organizations in New York. "That is happening more and more with intelligence services using criminals to do work for them, and it gives them plausible deniability," said Alan Treddenick, a former CSIS station chief in Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this month, the US Justice Department charged Farhad Shakeri, described as an Iranian government operative previously imprisoned in America for robbery, in an alleged IRGC-ordered plot to kill Donald Trump and Alinejad. Shakeri remains at large in Iran. Two other men face charges for allegedly being recruited by Shakeri to surveil and kill Alinejad.

Daniel Stanton, former CSIS senior manager and current director of the national-security program at the University of Ottawa Professional Development Institute, who recently hosted Alinejad, said Iran targets high-profile critics like Cotler and Alinejad as a warning to others.

"Regimes like Iran and also India want to hit the most high-profile, outspoken critics and dissidents because that sends a message to the people who don't have that status to basically shut up," Stanton said. "A lot of these intelligence agencies find it difficult to operate in countries like Canada and the United States, so they have to hire unscrupulous proxies to carry out the dirty work and that is easy to detect."

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly, and Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions, and Intergovernmental Affairs Dominic LeBlanc, takes part in a press conference about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's investigation into "violent criminal activity in Canada with connections to India," on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, October 14, 2024 (Photo: Reuters/Blair Gable) REUTERS

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei called the allegations a "repulsive" plot by Israel and Iranian dissidents to "complicate matters between America and Iran."

US authorities say the IRGC's elite Quds Force has historically targeted critics and recently began outsourcing assassination plots to organized crime groups and violent criminals. Iran's Quds Force operates as a clandestine wing of the IRGC, responsible for foreign operations, including arming Hezbollah and Hamas and conducting assassinations.

Victims of Oct 7 sexual violence deserve recognition, justice & accountability- not gaslighting, silence, and denial.
This is not a political issue; it's about human rights.
Our Chair, @JayRosenzweig & Dr. @CochavElkayam call for truth & justice in this @Jerusalem_Post op-ed https://t.co/1i1yw0Wj9P

— Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (@TheRWCHR) November 15, 2024

Cotler, a renowned international human-rights lawyer, has criticized many authoritarian governments, including Iran, for its role in the 2020 downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, which killed about 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents, as well as Tehran's funding of Hamas.

He warned that authoritarian regimes are waging a war against Western countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and many of those in Europe "through three primary methods – electoral interference, transnational repression, and the spreading of harmful disinformation."

In 2015, Cotler founded the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, a Montreal-based organization dedicated to promoting human rights, advocating for political prisoners, and combatting injustice around the world. The group works in memory of Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat who saved 100,000 Jews during the Second World War by issuing them diplomatic passports and sheltering them in safe houses.

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Taliban employs female spies to rat on dissidents

miriw — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 01:30:18 +0000

The Taliban has begun employing female spies to enforce harsh new restrictions on women's behavior in Afghanistan, according to reporting by The Telegraph. These informants are tasked with monitoring social media and patrolling public spaces to catch women violating the regime's strict rules.

"They are needed to handle other women," said an official from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (MPVPV), the state agency in charge of implementing Islamic law. The ministry has hired women to monitor Instagram pages and report instances where women post pictures with uncovered faces. "You know how Instagram works ... they can hide their pages so no one can see them, but we have women who are our eyes."

Taliban fighters stand guard at a checkpoint near the gate of Hamid Karzai international Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 28, 2021 (Photo: AP Photo/Wali Sabawoon) AP

Some women are coerced into this role, while others are paid for their work, which also includes accompanying male Taliban members on street patrols. "Some women were arrested and released only on the condition that they inform the ministry of any illegal activity they observe from the women they follow," the official explained.

"Just as education for girls is banned, questioning it is also banned" —Taliban Minister of Education.

Afghanistan is ruled by sharia law under Taliban!
pic.twitter.com/Z5VxD45HoL

— Azat (@AzatAlsalim) September 1, 2024

One such informant, identified as Golnesa, spends her days monitoring and reporting on her fellow Afghan women. The 36-year-old patrols the city looking for those who do not adhere to the rules of chastity and visits locations to find women violating the dress code.

"I go to busy supermarkets and women's clothing shops," Golnesa told The Telegraph. When she spots a woman with an uncovered face, visible ankles, or laughing with shopkeepers, she contacts male officers who arrive with rifles. "It's their job to handle the situation with these women, and many of them are taken to police stations," she said. Golnesa defends her role, stating, "I don't support women who protest in the streets and claim to represent all women. They don't represent me or many other Muslim women who are tired of seeing indecency."

Afghanistan's breakdancer Manijeh Talash, who hopes to return to her homeland and live in freedom, tearfully urged Afghan girls not to surrender to Taliban tyranny. Her brave #FreeAfghanWomen message on her cape cost her the Olympics. pic.twitter.com/aF06ZkQmx3

— Habib Khan (@HabibKhanT) September 2, 2024

However, Dr. Zahra Haqparast, a former protester now based in Germany, condemns the practice. "We always knew that the Taliban would eventually use women against other women," she told The Telegraph. "There were girls who infiltrated our WhatsApp groups posing as activists, and they assisted the Taliban in arresting many of the protesters."

Dr. Haqparast, who lost her job as a dentist when the Taliban returned to power, was herself arrested due to information provided by a female informant. She criticizes women who work for the Taliban, saying, "We protested and sacrificed everything for our fellow women. Yet, some women do everything they can to harm others of the same gender. I can only tell them, shame on you."

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Raped activist defies Taliban despite threat of video release

miriw — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 04:27:31 +0000

In a disturbing development, The Guardian has obtained video evidence showing the gang rape and torture of a female Afghan human rights activist in a Taliban-run prison. This revelation comes amid mounting reports of sexual violence against women and girls detained in Afghanistan.

The activist, who has since fled the country, claims the footage was later sent to her as a threat to silence her criticism of the Taliban regime. According to her account, shared with The Guardian and Rukhshana Media, she was arrested for participating in a public protest against the Taliban.

In the video, the woman is reportedly forced to undress and is then raped multiple times by two armed men. One of the assailants is heard saying, "You've been f*cked by Americans all these years and now it's our turn." The activist believes the attack was deliberately recorded to shame and silence her, and was threatened, "If you continue saying anything bad against the Islamic Emirate, we will publish your video."

This video evidence emerges as part of a broader pattern of alleged abuses. Last week, The Guardian published accounts of teenage girls and young women who reported being sexually assaulted and beaten after being detained under Afghanistan's strict hijab laws. In one particularly harrowing case, a woman's body was allegedly found in a canal weeks after her detention, with sources indicating she had been sexually abused before her death.

The United Nations special rapporteur on Afghanistan has recently reported suspicions of women facing sexual violence in detention. Since taking power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed what human rights groups are calling a "gender apartheid" on Afghanistan's 14 million women and girls, severely restricting their rights and freedoms.

Zarifa Yaqubi, 30, told The Guardian she was imprisoned for 41 days in November 2022 after attempting to organize a women's movement. "They gave electric shocks and hit parts of my body with cables so that I would not be able to show in front of the camera tomorrow," she said, adding that she was tortured into admitting to taking money from foreigners to protest against the Taliban.

Another activist, Parwana Nejarabi, 23, reported being beaten and given electric shocks after being detained for protesting for women's rights in early 2022. She claimed to have spent a month in solitary confinement and was shown a letter ordering her to be stoned to death.

Despite the risks, women inside Afghanistan continue to stage public protests and criticize the Taliban regime. Rukhshana Media has recorded at least 221 acts of protest by women and girls over the past two years.

Taliban spokesperson Zabhullah Mujahid denied the allegations of widespread sexual assaults on women in prison. Heather Barr, associate director of the women's rights division at Human Rights Watch, commented on the situation: "The Taliban are aware of how much stigma is involved around the issue of sexual violence in Afghanistan and how incredibly difficult – and usually impossible – it is for victims of sexual violence to come forward and tell their stories, even sometimes to their own families, because there is a risk of shame and potentially 'honor' violence."

UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, expressed alarm at the reports: "I am alarmed by reports of torture and ill-treatment in Afghanistan, including allegations of sexual violence in detention, especially of women. We are continuing to look into these reports and to establish the facts."

The revelations come as Taliban officials participated in a special UN meeting on Afghanistan in Doha to discuss the country's future. Notably, no Afghan women were present at the meeting, and women's rights were not included on the agenda.

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Jailed Iranian woman wins Nobel Peace Prize for fighting oppression

ErezL — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 10:30:14 +0000

Imprisoned activist Narges Mohammadi, who has campaigned for women's rights, democracy and against the death penalty in Iran for years, won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.
Mohammadi, 51, has done her work despite facing numerous arrests and spending years behind bars for her activism.

"This prize is first and foremost a recognition of the very important work of a whole movement in Iran with with its undisputed leader, Nargis Mohammadi," said Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee who announced the prize in Oslo. "The impact of the prize is not for the Nobel committee to decide upon. We hope that it is an encouragement to continue the work in whichever form this movement finds to be fitting."

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Mohammadi's most recent incarceration began when she was detained in 2021 after she attended a memorial for a person killed in nationwide 2019 protests sparked by an increase in gasoline prices. She's been held at Tehran's notorious Evin Prison, whose inmates include those with Western ties and political prisoners.

Video: Iranians protests gender segregation / Social media

Reiss-Andersen said Mohammadi has been imprisoned 13 times and convicted five times. In total, she has been sentenced to 31 years in prison. She is the 19th woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the second Iranian woman, after human rights activist Shirin Ebadi won the award in 2003. Mohammadi was behind bars for the recent protests over the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody. That sparked one of the most intense challenges ever to Iran's theocracy. More than 500 people were killed in a heavy security crackdown while over 22,000 others were arrested.
From behind bars, Mohammadi contributed an opinion piece for The New York Times.

"What the government may not understand is that the more of us they lock up, the stronger we become," she wrote.
There was no immediate reaction from Iranian state television and other state-controlled media. Some semiofficial news agencies acknowledged Mohammadi's win in online messages, citing foreign press reports.

Before being jailed, Mohammadi was vice president of the banned Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. She has been close to Ebadi, who founded the center.
In 2018, Mohammadi, an engineer, was awarded the 2018 Andrei Sakharov Prize. PEN America, which advocates for freedom of speech and earlier this year gave Mohammadi its PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award, applauded the win. The choice "is a tribute to her courage and that of countless women and girls who have poured out into the streets of Iran and faced down one of the world's most brutal and stubborn regimes, risking their lives to demand their rights," PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said in a statement.

The Nobel Prizes carry a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1 million). Winners also receive an 18-carat gold medal and diploma at the award ceremonies in December.
The winner of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize is chosen by a panel of experts in Norway from a list of just over 350 nominations. Last year's prize was won by human rights activists from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, in what was seen as a strong rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart and ally. Other previous winners include Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Aung San Suu Kyi and the United Nations.

Unlike the other Nobel prizes that are selected and announced in Stockholm, founder Alfred Nobel decreed that the peace prize be decided and awarded in Oslo by the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee. The independent panel is appointed by the Norwegian parliament. The peace prize is the fifth of this year's prizes to be announced. A day earlier, the Nobel committee awarded Norwegian writer Jon Fosse the prize for literature. On Wednesday, the chemistry prize went to U.S. scientists Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus and Alexei Ekimov.

The physics prize went Tuesday to French-Swedish physicist Anne L'Huillier, French scientist Pierre Agostini and Hungarian-born Ferenc Krausz. Hungarian-American Katalin Karikó and American Drew Weissman won the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday. Nobels season ends next week with the announcement of the winner of the economics prize, formally known as the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.

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Blinken visits Saudi Arabia to expand Abraham Accords

ErezL — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 10:47:42 +0000

Three years after the signing of the Abraham Accords, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday on a mission to steady Washington's relationship with Riyadh after Biden's insulting 2021 election statements, ongoing oil disagreements, and disputes on Iran policy.

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Blinken met with the kingdom's de-facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS, and they "discussed deepening economic cooperation, especially in the clean energy and technology fields," according to a State Department readout. Blinken was also set to meet other top Saudi officials during his time in Riyadh, the capital, and the coastal city of Jeddah, in what will be Washington's second recent high-level visit.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to Saudi Arabia on May 7. The top US diplomat's June 6-8 visit to the world's largest oil exporter comes days after Riyadh pledged to further cut oil production, a move likely to add tension to a US-Saudi relationship already strained by the kingdom's human rights record and disputes over America's Iran policy. US-Saudi ties got off to a rocky start in 2019 when President Joe Biden during his campaign said he would treat Riyadh like "the pariah that they are" if he was elected, and soon after taking office in 2021, released a US intelligence assessment that Crown Prince Mohammed approved the operation to capture or kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. A visit by Biden in July 2022 to the kingdom did little to ease tensions, and increasingly, Riyadh has looked to reassert its regional clout, while growing less interested in being aligned with US priorities in the region.

The aims of the trip include regaining influence with Riyadh over oil prices, fending off Chinese and Russian influence in the region, and nurturing hopes for an eventual normalization of Saudi-Israeli ties. In the past, Blinken has reiterated Washington's "ironclad" commitment to Israel. Speaking at the pro-Israel lobby group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Monday, Blinken said Washington had "a real national security interest" in advocating for the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but cautioned that it will not happen quickly.

The 2020 Abraham Accords, where both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain recognized Israel's sovereignty, enabled the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the countries. The Accords marked the first instance of Arab-Israeli normalization since 1994, when the Israel-Jordan peace treaty came into effect. Blinken's aim is to get Saudi Arabia to join the Accords and back away from Iranian ties.

Discouraging a closer Saudi-Chinese relationship is one of the most important element of Blinken's visit, said Richard Goldberg, senior adviser at Washington-based think-tank, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). "[Blinken should explain] why Chinese interests do not align with Saudi Arabia, and why closer relations in a strategic way inhibit closer relations with Washington," Goldberg said.

US citizens and residents with family members detained in Saudi Arabia called on Blinken in a letter on Tuesday to press Saudi officials for an immediate release of their relatives. The list included prominent cleric Salman al-Odah, children of former spy chief Saad al-Jabri, human rights defender Mohammed al-Qahtani, and aid worker Abdulrahman al-Sadhan. The kingdom had released detained US citizens from its prisons but some still remain under a travel ban.

US officials briefing reporters on the trip last week said there was an "ongoing conversation regarding the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms" with Saudi Arabia but they declined to say if Blinken would seek any guarantees from the Saudis on the issue. Blinken "emphasized that our bilateral relationship is strengthened by progress on human rights," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in the readout of his meeting with MbS.

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Ahead of key UN human rights meeting, report says 'UAE tops countries in region'

ErezL — Mon, 08 May 2023 11:32:00 +0000

A coalition of 53 human rights organizations that operate in the Middle East commended the United Arab Emirates in a new report that was released in early May.

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On Monday, the UAE is expected to elaborate on the measures it has taken over the past year in accordance with the international obligations it has taken upon itself, which include steps aimed at better abiding by human rights norms.

The presentation will be part of the Universal Periodic Review, a mechanism designed to help the international body evaluate the human rights situation of all member states. The United Arab Emirates is one of the 14 states to be reviewed by the UPR Working Group during its upcoming 43rd session from 1 to 12 May 2023.

According to a statement released by the coalition of NGOs, "the UAE has topped the countries in the region following what was monitored by the International Coalition for its leadership in globalism and in devoting commitment to high human values and principles."The information was shared with the more than 100 attendees at a Geneva conference comprising experts and scholars.

"More than eleven international experts spoke in it, and more than 100 participants representing experts, researchers, and academics attended, during which the efforts and achievements of the UAE over the past fifty years were reviewed, especially in the field of promoting civil, political, and economic rights," the statement read. "In addition to advancing civil liberties such as freedom of opinion and expression, strengthening the justice system, protecting prisoners and detainees, and enhancing community protection through the establishment of counseling, reform, and rehabilitation centers, the country also works on promoting collective rights and developing national mechanisms concerned with the protection and promotion of human rights."

During a symposium held at the conference, experts noted the "UAE's care for national strategies for promoting and advancing human rights at the national, regional, and international levels" with a particular emphasis on women's rights and the treatment of children and vulnerable groups.

Furthermore, the coalition noted that the experts praised the Gulf nation for its achievements "in the fields of protecting workers' rights, combating human trafficking, tackling extremism and terrorism, and promoting the discourse of tolerance and human coexistence, specifically its efforts to promote world peace and common human coexistence." The coalition stressed that these values are "represented in the Document of Human Fraternity and the establishment of the Abrahamic Family House in the Emirates."

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Harvard changes course, offers fellowship to former HRW chief

ErezL — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 10:41:10 +0000

Harvard University announced Thursday that it plans to offer a fellowship to a leading human rights activist after its initial denial sparked widespread criticism.

Kenneth Roth, who was the executive director of Human Rights Watch, or HRW, until last year, was recruited by the Harvard Kennedy School's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy to become a fellow and he accepted. But a few weeks later, in July, Roth said the center called and told him that the dean of the school, Douglas Elmendorf, had not approved it.

Roth said he wasn't given a reason but believes it was due to his and his group's criticism of Israel.

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In a statement Thursday, Elmendorf said he "made an error in his decision" not to appoint Roth and would now offer him the fellowship. He said his initial decision was not influenced by donors or to limit debate at the Kennedy School but based on "my evaluation of his potential contributions to the School."

"I am sorry that the decision inadvertently cast doubt on the mission of the School and our commitment to open debate in ways I had not intended and do not believe to be true," he said. "The broader faculty input I have now sought and received has persuaded me that my decision was not the best one for the School."

Roth posted a statement on his Twitter feed, saying he was "thrilled" with Harvard's decision. He told The Associated Press he hopes to start in February.

"I have long felt that the Carr Center and the Kennedy School would be a congenial place for me to work on the book that I am writing," he tweeted. "I look forward to spending time there with colleagues and students."

But Roth also called for greater transparency from Harvard to explain what led Elmendorf to make the initial decision and called on the university to demonstrate that its response wasn't simply because he was a "well-known individual."

"What I am hoping is that the Kennedy School and Harvard University more broadly will use this as an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to academic freedom even when Israel is criticized," he told the AP.

A son of a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany, Roth has acknowledged that his work has made him enemies around the world. In a brief conversation with Elmendorf before his fellowship was denied, Roth said he told the dean that he had been sanctioned by the Russian and Chinese governments and "was pretty sure the Israeli government detests me."

"That turned out to be the kiss of death," he said.

Over the years, the group has issued a number of reports saying that Israel appears to have committed war crimes against the Palestinians.

And in 2019, Israel expelled the group's local director, accusing him of boycott activity. Roth, who at the time was HRW's executive director, said Israel was joining a "fairly ugly group of governments" that have barred the group's researchers. Two years later, HRW said Israeli policies toward the Palestinians amounted to apartheid. Israel vehemently denies the label and comparisons to apartheid-era South Africa.

Rights and free speech groups welcomed Harvard's decision.

"The Harvard Kennedy School's decision to offer Ken Roth the fellowship he earned through decades of pathbreaking work defending human rights is welcome news," Jonathan Friedman, director of free expression and education at PEN America said in a statement.

"By denying him the fellowship, the university sent an alarming message that champions of human rights could see their academic careers derailed for speaking out against powerful governments," he continued. "It is important for institutions to be able to recognize where they have made an error that encroaches on free speech and academic freedom and to correct it; Harvard deserves credit for that."

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UN passes 14 anti-Israel resolutions in 2021, only 4 against all other countries

Oren Klass — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 06:26:00 +0000

The United Nations General Assembly concluded its activities for 2021 over the weekend, and this year, too, Israel was the target of a cascade of condemnations and resolutions against it, well beyond and completely disproportionate to other countries.

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The two latest condemnations were issued on Friday due to the automatic anti-Israel majority in the UN. In one resolution, pertaining to an event in 2006, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed "concern that Israel did not acknowledge its responsibility for the oil spill" off the Lebanese coast and failed to clarify how it intends to compensate the Lebanese government for it.

The second resolution condemned Israel for "exploiting the natural resources of the Palestinians, and on the Golan Heights." It should be noted that the text makes no mention of Hamas' commandeering of international aid money to fund the construction of terror tunnels rather than to rebuild destroyed infrastructure; environmental pollution caused by Palestinian tire burning; destruction of flora and fauna with arson balloons and kites; and refusal to develop their own water resources and deal with their own sewage as required by the Oslo Accords.

In total, the General Assembly passed 14 anti-Israel resolutions in 2021, while the other 194 countries in the world were hit with a grand total of four resolutions of condemnation – against North Korea, Iran, Myanmar, and Russian activity in Crimea. Meanwhile, a draft resolution against the Syrian regime highlighting its crimes against humanity was deferred.

UN Watch, a Geneva-based non-governmental watchdog organization, harshly criticized the United Nations.

Hillel Neuer: "The purpose of the lopsided condemnations is to demonize the Jewish state" (Reuters)

"The UN's assault on Israel with a torrent of one-sided resolutions is surreal," said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch.

"It's absurd that in the year 2021, out of some 20 UN General Assembly resolutions that criticize countries, 14 of them – 70% – were focused on one single country: Israel. Make no mistake: the purpose of the lopsided condemnations is to demonize the Jewish state," said Neuer.

Neuer also blamed the UN establishment, not just its member states, for the anti-Israel bias, noting that just last Thursday a resolution on 'The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination' was adopted by a vote of 168 to 5, with 10 abstentions. Out of hundreds of self-determination claims worldwide, the UNGA singled out one – the claim against Israel – while omitting Palestinian obligations to dismantle terrorist infrastructure before a state is to be created.

"The UN's disproportionate assault against the Jewish state undermines the credibility of what is supposed to be an impartial international body. When the General Assembly gives in to politicization and selectivity by discriminating against Israel, it violates the UN Charter's guarantee of equal treatment to all nations, large and small," Neuer added.

"We note that while France, Germany, Sweden and other EU states have supported nearly all of the 14 resolutions adopted against Israel during this General Assembly session, the same European nations have failed to introduce a single UNGA resolution on the human rights situation in China, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, Turkey, Pakistan, Vietnam, Algeria, or on 170 other countries," said Neuer.

"Where's the supposed EU concern for international law and human rights?" he asked.

"Today's farce at the General Assembly underscores a simple fact: the UN's automatic majority has no interest in truly helping Palestinians, nor in protecting anyone's human rights; the goal of these ritual, one-sided condemnations is to scapegoat Israel," said Neuer.

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