New Dimensions in Indo-Italian Relations???

The Minister of External Affairs Shri Natwar Singh with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Italy Mr. Gian Franco Fini, in Italy on June 21, 2005. Sonia Gandhi, an Italian bride of the Gandhi family is heading the country...

Israel: Failure to Probe Civilian Casualties Fuels Impunity

Egypt: Government Uses National Security to Stifle Dissent

(Washington, June 22, 2005) — The Egyptian government has detained hundreds of Muslim Brotherhood members solely for exercising their rights to freedom of speech, association and assembly, Human Rights Watch said today.

The Muslim Brotherhood, a banned but tolerated group, staged large demonstrations in Egyptian cities in early May calling for political reform. At least 800 members were arrested, and more than 300 are still in custody, most without charge. In a letter sent to President Husni
Mubarak, Human Rights Watch called on the government to release the detainees without delay.

Mahmoud 'Izzat, secretary-general of the organization, and Dr. 'Issam al-Irian, a prominent activist, are among scores who are being investigated on charges of belonging to an illegal organization, possession of publications and spreading propaganda of a nature to
disturb public security, and promoting the use of force to breach the Constitution. Lawyers for the men say the last charge, based on allegations that they urged demonstrators to attack the police, are groundless but allow the prosecutor to refer the cases to a military
court under the country’s counterterrorism laws.

On June 18 and June 19, the prosecutor extended detention orders for al-Irian and 'Izzat by another 15 days. "The Egyptian government should not use public security as a pretext
to punish people for peacefully trying to exercise their basic rights," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "After six weeks of investigations, the government has not shown that a crime has been committed. It should do the right thing and release 'Issam al-Irian and Mahmud 'Izzat now." Human Rights Watch said that any individuals implicated in unlawful acts should be prosecuted in accordance with international fair-trial standards. However, criminal law should not be used as a pretext to detain persons exercising their peaceful rights to expression, association and assembly.

The Egyptian government should also investigate allegations that police attacked demonstrators, and it should discipline or prosecute anyone found responsible for such attacks. "President Mubarak should use this opportunity to end the practice of
invoking national security to stifle peaceful dissent," Stork said.

Investigation and Trial of Gujarat Riots Cases

Various petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court in matters relating to the investigation and trial of offences committed during the Gujarat Riots of 2002. The Union of India is a Respondent in 4 (four) cases. Earlier in W.P.(Crl.) No. 109/2003, known as the best Bakery case, the Supreme Court had ordered the constitution of Review Committees by the State Government of Gujarat to review about 2000 cases where ‘A Summary Reports’ were filed against First Information Reports lodged earlier. The Supreme Court had also directed the transfer of certain cases under trial in Courts in the State of Gujarat to Courts in Maharashtra. The Government has also advised the State Government of Gujarat from time to time to ensure that the investigations and trials in the cases relating to the communal riots of 2002 are conducted in a fair and impartial manner. The Government will entrust the investigations in these cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if the State Government of Gujarat makes a request in this regard or if the Courts so direct. The Government will also support any plea for transfer of cases under trial to Courts outside the State of Gujarat. Suitable instructions have been given to the Government Counsels to inform the Supreme Court about the stand of the Government along these lines as and when the cases come up for hearing before the Supreme Court.

Morgan Stanley's 2nd-Qtr Earnings Decline 24 Percent - Despite Regime Change, Iraq Debts Keep Mounting

Robert Fisk, Writer and Journalist says that the US does not want want democracy in the Middle East because if genuine democracy exists, the Arabs may not do what we want them to do, and it's much more easy to have dictators, generals, businessmen running countries on our behalf..Read More