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Peace Palace Library | Library blog | A Licence to Kill? The assassination of Osama Bin Laden: Has the USA gone too far in acting as a policeman or was the raid justified?
A Licence to Kill? The assassination of Osama Bin Laden: Has the USA gone too far in acting as a policeman or was the raid justified?
By E. van Trigt On May 17, 2011 · Leave a Comment | See comments on this post (2)"
A roadside vendor sells newspapers with headlines about the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, in Lahore, May 3, 2011 (Mohsin Raza/Courtesy Reuters).
Osama Bin Laden (OBL) is dead. After he had been assassinated by a special ops team from the United States of America (USA.), the special team of SEALS took the deceased body of the dangerous mastermind terrorist and several hard drives from the compound in Abbottabad. Bin laden had been hiding there with his family for several years without being noticed. When the Pentagon researched the hard drives, it appeared that OBL had been planning new attacks, at least on several US cities and also on European locations [1]. Upon hearing this news so many have sighed with relief that the secret services of the USA found out about these planned attacks before they could actually take place.
On May 2nd, 2011, U.S. President BarackObama told the American people in an official statement that Al-Quaeda leader and terrorist Osama Bin Laden was killed in a special military operation "after a firefight" [2]. This statement led to divergent responses.
At Ground Zero, New York, and lots of other places in the USA people cheered loudly and celebrated the death of the terrorist that masterminded the attack on the Twin Towers. In other parts of the world the death of the terrorist OBL was also celebrated by many. In an official statement the UN Security Council (UNSC) welcomed the death of OBL. It stated that he will "never again be able to perpetrate such acts of terrorism". The UNSC reaffirmed its call to states to "work together urgently to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of terrorist attacks." The UNSC also reaffirmed that its Member States should ensure that in combating terrorism they "comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law"[3].
Secretary-General of the UN expressed his relief in a formal statement: "I am very much relieved by the news that justice has been done to such a mastermind of international terrorism". [4] German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid her respects to president Obama for the operation. She expressed her gladness that OBL has been killed by the US navy SEALS. Merkel regarded the killing of OBL as an important strike against terrorism[5]. Palestinian politician Ghassan Khatib was of the opinion that "getting rid of bin Laden is good for the cause of peace worldwide". But he believed that what really counts is "to overcome the discourse and the methods -- the violent methods -- that were created and encouraged by bin Laden and others in the world" [6].
Not everybody reacted with relief and cheer to the killing of Bin Laden. Former Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema for example, did not agree with the enthusiasm felt among so many over the death of OBL: "You don't rejoice at the death of a man. Maybe if Bin Laden had been captured and put on trial it would have been an even more significant victory". [7]
There were warning voices, exhorting to remain vigilant because of a fear of reprisals from Al-Qaeda, stressing that terrorism does not just end by killing OBL. And there were the disapproving voices. Worldwide there have been people questioning the legality and proportionality of targeting and killing OBL. Was the Obama Administration wrong in killing OBL? Was it the only option? The USA could have chosen to capture and try OBL in court instead of killing him. Besides this, it also has been questioned whether the USA violated the sovereignty of Pakistan by entering Pakistan in order to target OBL. The USA did warn the Pakistani government about the raid but not until the operation was about to take place [8].
As a candidate during the 2008 election campaign, Obama Barack already stated: "We will kill Osama bin Laden" [9]. The military operation was not intended to capture OBL in order to put him on trial. He was to be eliminated. A US national security official stated that it "was a kill operation" [10].
President Obama stated that "justice had been done" by executing OBL. Geert-Jan Knoops, Professor of International Criminal Law at Utrecht University, The Netherlands, wonders "what kind of justice" was referred to. "Justice by revenge or justice by law"? [11] The killing of OBL has been compared to a Wild West scene from a movie and American rough, Wild West-style justice and the 'rule of the jungle'.
Human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson does not regard the killing of OBL as 'justice being done', but as a perversion of the term. "Justice means taking someone to court, finding them guilty upon evidence and sentencing them [...] This man has been subject to summary execution, and what is now appearing after a good deal of disinformation from the White House is it may well have been a cold-blooded assassination" [12].
Dov Jacobs, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, questions the ambiguous attitude of the UNSC regarding international criminal justice as far as the killing of OBL is concerned. He disapproves of how the UNSC could defend values such as the rule of law and due process on the one side and then could approve "actions that run counter to them in the same breath". He states: "if you believe in the rule of law and due process, then you cannot approve the killing of Bin Laden, however politically or logistically justified it may be [13].
In order to assess whether the assassination of OBL on Pakistani soil was legal or not, three areas of law are of importance: international human rights, international humanitarian law and jus ad bellum (the right to wage war – in this case it concerns the use of force by the navy SEALS on Pakistani soil against OBL). In the case of the assassination of OBL, international human rights law refers to the question whether the action violated the human rights of OBL. International humanitarian law is concerned with the question whether the killing was part of an armed conflict or not and whether Al-Qaeda leader OBL should be considered as a combatant. If the raid is understood as an action which took place during an armed conflict with Al-Qaeda, OBL can be considered as a combatant and killing him during warfare would therefore be legal [14].
Why the act was considered to be contra legem
Why would the targeted military operation which led to the killing of OBL be contra legem? Which arguments are put forward? Many claim that instead of killing OBL, he should have been captured and extradited to the USA or an international criminal tribunal to be tried in court. Others claim that the action was lawful. Why?
In the opinion of Geert-Jan Knoops, killing terrorists is contra legem. According to international law, OBL should be apprehended and tried in court. He is of the idea that the operation was an "extrajudicial killing which is in principle not permissible under international law". Geert-Jan Knoops warns for a wrongful interpretation of the earlier mentioned UNSC resolutions because this might lead to a situation in which "the whole world becomes one gigantic battlefield where every nation has the right to eliminate foreign nationals if they are suspected terrorists". This could lead to questionable situations which should be avoided. According to Knoops, the selectivity in how politicians apply international law should "perhaps be one of our biggest concerns" after the 2nd of May. [15]
Shooting OBL, while he was unarmed is, according to Helmut Schmidt, Former West German Chancellor, "quite clearly a violation of international law" which also could have an incalculable impact on the Arab world in these turbulent times. [16] Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that the USA should give the UN more detailed information about the raid: "The United Nations has consistently emphasized that all counter-terrorism acts must respect international law" [17].
Why the act was considered to be "lawful, legitimate and appropriate"
Those in favor of the elimination of OBL claim that UNSC resolutions 1368 and 1373 (2001) offer a legal basis for a war on terror. Because the USA is at war with terrorists, terrorist mastermind OBL and as head of Al-Qaeda is regarded as an enemy combatant who may be killed [18]. Because the USA had announced it is in an armed conflict with Al Qaeda, the special operation aimed at killing OBL was legal under international law. Kenneth Anderson, a professor of law and fellow in national security and law at the Hoover Institution, USA: "It's lawful for the United States to be going after Bin Laden if for no other reason than he launched an attack against the US" [19]. US legal official Ben Wittes also is of the opinion that the action was lawful. He stated that the people responsible for the action are "on extremely solid legal footing" [20].
Many are of the opinion that OBL should have been tried before court. But before which court? Because of the gravity of the crimes committed by OBL people would have liked it if he would have been tried before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
However, the ICC only has a mandate to deal with crimes that took place after the ICC statute entered into force in 2002. So, OBL could never have been tried for masterminding the 9-11 attack on the twin towers - only for crimes he committed after 2002.
Besides, the USA would have to become signatory to the ICC Statute, in order to bring the case to the ICC. If OBL would have been captured alive, the Pakistani government would have had to make a decision whether OBL would have to face trial in a Pakistani court or whether they would want to extradite him to the USA.
It is clear that the Obama Administration carefully and thoroughly planned the operation aimed at eliminating Bin Laden. They thought everything through, and they even had a plan ready in case OBL would have surrendered. Obama gave the order to kill OBL but he made an effort to minimize collateral damage "and that is significant on the side of legality", Professor Laura Dickinson of the Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, USA stated [21].
Obama did not give an order to eliminate OBL by just bombing the compound. During the operation three men and one female died but the youngest wife of OBL was not killed. She was only shot in the leg. Before OBL was buried at sea, he was given a proper Islamic burial rite according to Islamic custom. Obama decided to have OBL buried at sea in order to prevent that his body could be taken away and to prevent that a burial place could become a place of pilgrimage for OBL's followers.
By killing OBL and burying him at sea, the Obama Administration made sure that the curtain would forever fall for Osama Bin Laden disregarding the fact whether one is of the opinion that the raid was contra legem or whether one believes that it was legal.
Relevant Peace Palace Library Keywords
[1] Osama bin Laden was planning attacks on America and Europe till last moments, reveal handwritten journals, Economic Times.
[2] See Text of President Obama's statement to U.S. people,Reuters.
[3] As quoted from: Security Council Presidential Statement, Welcoming End of Osama bin Laden's Ability to Perpetrate Terrorist Acts, Urges States to Remain Vigilant,SC/10239, UN.
[4] As quoted from: Osama bin Laden dead: UN Security Council rejoices at death of bin Laden, The Telegraph
[5] See Merkel says she's glad bin Laden killed by U.S, Reuters.
[6] As quoted from Bin Laden death good for peace: Palestinian Authority, Reuters.
[7] As quoted fromShould Osama bin Laden have been captured and tried?,Economic Times.
[8] See The bin Laden aftermath: Abbottabad and international law,Foreign Policy Afpak.
[9] As quoted from "EN-US" style="font-size:85%;">Osama bin Laden is dead, Obama announces,The Guardian.
[10] As quoted from U.S. team's mission was to kill bin Laden, not capture,Reuters.
[11] As quoted fromThe international legal dichotomy of eliminating Bin Laden, RNW.
[12] As quoted from Concerns raised over shooting of unarmed bin Laden, burial, Reuters.
[13] As quoted from The Astonishing Defence of Bin Laden's Death by the Security Council, Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
[14] See Was the killing of Bin Laden Lawful?, EJIL Talk. Blog of the European Journal of International Law.
[15] Quotations from The international legal dichotomy of eliminating Bin Laden, RNW.
[17] As quoted fromShould Osama bin Laden have been captured and tried?,Economic Times.
[18] See Ibid.
[19]As quoted from Should Osama bin Laden have been captured and tried?, Economic Times.
[21] As quoted fromWas Bin Laden raid legal? Probably, according to experts in international law,The National Law Journal.
Tagged with: Al-Qaeda, Central Intelligence Agency, Human rights, International humanitarian law, Islam, Jus ad bellum, Osama Bin Laden, Pakistan, Taliban, Terrorism
Jus ad bellum
Text of President Obama's statement to U.S. people, Reuters.
World leaders hail bin Laden death but fear revenge, Reuters.
Security Council Presidential Statement, Welcoming End of Osama bin Laden's Ability to Perpetrate Terrorist Acts, Urges States to Remain Vigilant, SC/10239, UN.
Osama Bin Laden's diary: 'Are dishwashers blasphemous?', The Guardian.
U.S. team's mission was to kill bin Laden, not capture, Reuters.
When to Kill and When to Capture?, EJIL Talk. Blog of the European Journal of International Law.
Was the killing of Bin Laden Lawful? , EJIL Talk. Blog of the European Journal of International Law.
Should bin Laden have been captured and tried?, Reuters.
Concerns raised over shooting of unarmed bin Laden, burial, Reuters.
Obama won't release bin Laden photos, cites risks, Reuters.
Bin Laden killing highlights perils deep inside Pakistan, Reuters.
Latest updates: How the raid against Osama bin Laden went down, CNN.
DIRECT Death of Ben Laden, reactions, consequences, Economicsnewspaper.
Death doesn't end terror threat – Met chief , The Guardian.
Was the Osama bin Laden killing an act of just war?, The Guardian.
The future of the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, Foreign Policy Afpak.
A radical reset of US-Pakistani relations required, The Guardian.
Legal questions remain over bin Laden killing, Reuters.
The killing of bin Laden: Was it legal?, CNN.
Osama bin Laden: US responds to questions about killing's legality.Doubts remain over manner in which al-Qaida figurehead died but US officials defend Barack Obama's action, The Guardian.
What if Bin Laden had stood trial?, The Guardian.
Bellinger on the Legal Basis of the Bin Laden Killing, Opinio Juris.
The Significance of Bin Laden's Killing, Opinio Juris.
More from O'Connell on bin Laden Killing as Peacetime Use of Force, Opinio Juris.
Should Osama bin Laden have been captured and tried?, Economic Times.
Justice, American Style: Was Bin Laden's Killing Legal?, Der Spiegel.
Criticism from Germany: U.S. action against bin Laden raises questions,Economicsnewspaper.
Is Osama bin Laden killing legal? International Law experts divided, International Business Times.
Lethal and legal. International law and the killing of bin Laden, Chicago Tribune.
Killing Was Legal Under U.S. and International Law, Many Experts Say, The Wall Street Journal.
Was bin Laden raid legal? Probably, according to experts in international law, The National Law Journal.
Was bin Laden killing legal under international law?, KYPost.
US: Bin Laden - a license to kill?, Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
The bin Laden aftermath: Abbottabad and international law, Foreign Policy Afpak.
an lang="EN-US" style="font-size:85%;">Killing bin Laden: Justice, International Law and Legitimacy – A Compilation of Perspectives, Justice In Conflict.Pakistan's Sovereignty and the Killing of Osama Bin Laden, ASIL.
Finding the Paradigm: Investigating Bin Laden's Demise, Jurist.
Osama Bin Laden: A Just Death?, International Criminal Law Bureau.
Osama Bin Laden and Assassination in International Law, Lawyers and Legal Services Australia.
In killing Osama bin Laden, U.S. had the law on its side, The Washington Post.
Osama bin Laden dead: UN Security Council rejoices at death of bin Laden, The Telegraph.
The Astonishing Defence of Bin Laden's Death by the Security Council, Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
Bin Laden is innocent from a legal point of view,Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
2 Responses to A Licence to Kill? The assassination of Osama Bin Laden: Has the USA gone too far in acting as a policeman or was the raid justified?
Mihai Martoiu Ticu says:
Professor William Schabas called it murder.
The question is what happens if bin Laden's relatives doubt the U.S. legal arguments and want to challenge them in a court of law? They cannot sue U.S. in Pakistani courts, because of the state immunity.
They cannot sue in U.S. courts, because of the political question doctrine and sovereign immunity.
They cannot sue in international courts because individuals cannot sue states in international courts. And the U.S. played a role in this. Various German, French, Norwegian and Dutch propositions to admit private individuals as parties to the Permanent Court of International Justice were opposed by the American representative. The U.S. opposed also the very serious Australian proposition of creating an International Court of Human Rights, during the talks about the Universal Declaration.
Therefore whatever U.S. says goes, and that means that one party to a conflict has always the last word, and the other party to the conflict cannot challenge this word in a court of law. This violates the most important rule of law, that nobody should be judge in her own conflicts.
So how can former professor constitutional law, Barack Obama, claim that justice has been done?
The US justifies the killing by saying he was an enemy combatant commander. Doesn't this conflict with the way the US has handled the detainees at Guantanamo? I know the military lawyers in the US argued hard to treat them as combatants, but they were overruled by members of the GW Bush administration.
International Arbitration is a method of dispute resolution whereby the parties agree to have their disputes resolved by one or more private individuals, i.e., the arbitrators rather than by a court of law. It requires the agreement of the parties, which is usually given via an arbitration clause that is inserted into the contract or agreement. The decision of the arbitrator(s) is final and binding on the parties on the basis of their initial agreement to arbitrate.
Hugo Grotius, De Iure belli ac Pacis (The Rights of War and Peace), translated in Persian by: Hossein Piran (Ph.D.), 2014.


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Home / Interviews / Artist Chats
Lorna Shore Interview; Guitarist Adam De Micco on 'Flesh Coffin', Pop Music, Fans, and the Music Industry
Daniella Kohan - Mar 09, 2017 at 11:56AM Comments
A few weeks ago, Lorna Shore released Flesh Coffin (read our review), their heaviest and most mature record yet. The album showed the band honing in on and refining their signature brand of blackened deathcore in a way we have yet to see.
I was able to catch up with guitarist Adam De Micco a few weeks ago when they played The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn alongside Carnifex, Fallujah, Rings of Saturn and She Must Burn. In our conversation, we delved below the surface of Flesh Coffin into their philosophy behind the music, as well as their riff on today's metal scene.
Flesh Coffin: The Inception
Listening to the 45-minute epic that is Flesh Coffin, it's hard to fathom that 4 metal musicians from New Jersey pulled it off in the short span of 3 months. Let alone, "it was actually the most time we ever spent as a band recording new material." Adam reveals that their previous releases were all recorded right before heading to the studio. "We literally wrote 6 songs for Psalms in 4 days."
Convinced Lorna Shore were actually robots programmed to produce metal music at rapid speeds, I had to know how it was done. It turns out that their creative process is quite simple, with Adam writing the bulk of their music:
"The process starts with me writing and demoing everything. Then my drummer Austin Archey comes in and we arrange songs. He adds drums and programs parts. We take time to listen to everything and make objective decisions and then put it together and record it in the studio."
While they thrive on a no-frills approach to creating music, the band took it a step further on Flesh Coffin. They had big goals and needed to produce an even bigger sound to match. "Musically we wanted to be more aggressive, while still making sense. We wanted to keep the listener on their toes, while still making it digestible so you don't feel lost listening to it."
Check out the band's video for the song "Flesh Coffin"
Given writing is Adam's main focus in Lorna Shore, he worked relentlessly to execute this vision for Flesh Coffin and show listeners that the band had come a long way since Psalms was released in 2015. Like any artist he is his own worst critic, "Psalms felt like a smorgasbord of riffs. This time I wanted to make it cohesive, but still have it be interesting enough so it makes sense."
"Flesh Coffin was way more thought out than before. On the last Carnifex tour that I was on, I sat in the back of the van for 6 weeks with a pen and paper critiquing every single thing I did on Psalms, just meticulously going over every part. I analyzed everything we did to right where we went wrong, but also to see where we went right and amplify that."
"Even before we wrote anything, Austin and I sat down and conceptually figured out what kind of songs we wanted to make. We never did that before. In the past, we had ideas, threw them into a song, and that was that."
This meticulous level of perfectionism and preparation is clear on Flesh Coffin. Every breakdown, every riff, and each blast beat is warranted and well timed; no song is over-embellished, and the album conveys a cohesive, chilling ambience throughout.
Inspiring a Monster
Lorna Shore's music is obviously influenced by bands like Behemoth, The Faceless and Necrofagist. However, their genre-bending runs deeper than the audible black metal and tech death influence. Adam confessed that he draws a lot of inspiration from pop and mainstream music, and is a proud fan of Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift.
"I've been a Justin Timberlake fan since N*Sync. That got me into music as a young kid. I take a lot of influence from that and try to add it to the band in some way. There's a reason pop music sells, it's catchy and gets stuck in your head. For me, there is no difference between a pop star singing a catchy melody versus a metal guitarist playing it. I'm able to differentiate that but still find similarities."
However, don't expect there to be a pop album from Lorna Shore anytime soon. When not headbanging to Obscura or singing along to Taylor Swift, Adam also enjoys movie soundtracks, from Interstellar to Star Wars, finding it a fresh source of inspiration for his writing.
"I started analyzing sheet music to figure out what these composers were doing. All music is music anyway; we're all using the same shit. It doesn't matter if it's a guitar, violin or piano – you're still encompassing the same ideas. I just try to find more ideas to pull from. It's a cool change of pace from listening to metal; it forces your brain to see things from a different perspective. This way, when I do listen to a metal album, it's much more enjoyable because I'm not in that realm all the time."
A Taste of Fame
Lorna Shore's recent success with Psalms and Flesh Coffin has not gone to their head—they're still very much in awe of their success. Adam discussed how he cannot fathom the fact that fans are tattooing Lorna Shore on their bodies, especially when it comes to their Flesh Coffin artwork.
"We've seen the symbol on our album [Flesh Coffin] tattooed so much, even before the album came out. I just don't see my band being that big to the point where people get tattoos even before they heard the album—what if they don't like it?"
To say the least, Adam and the band are a humble bunch. He shared an eye-opening fan interaction where a fan got vocalist Tom Barber's signature tattooed on his arm. "Not knowing the fan would get it tattooed, Tom signed his forearm quickly. You can't get an accurate signature on someone's forearm." Despite the band's urging him to reconsider, the next time they saw that fervent fan, lo and behold Tom's messy signature was a permanent addition to his forearm.
"I think it's awesome that someone cares enough about our band to do that, but I just picture bands like Slayer where fans carve 'Slayer' into their arm, and that makes sense to me. Not Lorna Shore. It's crazy, but humbling and awesome at the same time."
Breaking the Metal Mold
While Lorna Shore is not quite at Slayer status yet, there is no doubt that their latest release is forging their path up the industry ladder. Seeing them play less than a week after the release of Flesh Coffin, it was clear that fans had avidly consumed the music already and were eager to spit back their words throughout the set. Adam says of this, slightly shocked: "I could not have asked for a better reaction."
If chatting with Adam revealed anything, it is that Lorna Shore is a modest band filled with passion for their music and pure gratitude for their fans. Despite the highly-publicized negatives of the metal industry, it's a path Adam and the guys in Lorna Shore chose. After finding himself jaded in his final months of college to pursue a degree (and a dead-end cubicle job) in accounting, Adam dropped everything to pursue metal music—and he isn't looking back.
"I know a lot of people talk poorly about the Internet and say it ruined music with streaming, but if it wasn't for something like that bands like Lorna Shore wouldn't exist. It gave us a platform to put out our music. People from all over the world can find records from a band from NJ. We put out our album by ourselves, and there were people buying it from Indonesia or Germany. This wouldn't have existed 20 years ago."
View the "Fvneral Moon" music video
Tell that to Napster era Lars Ulrich, right?
Adam offered some honest tough love for metal bands—echoing within it his personal work ethic: "If your album sucks, people shouldn't buy it anyway. It's a good form of natural selection. There are so many bands that sell a ton of records because they came out with a good album. If it didn't happen to your band, it has something to do with you. If people don't buy my record, my first reaction is not 'damn kids are stealing my music!', it is, 'what did you do Adam? You suck, you need to fix that.' Make your music valuable and people will spend their money."
Upon release, Flesh Coffin made it to #2 on the Billboard charts for Current Hard Rock and broke the top 5 for Overall Hard Rock and Top New Artist. While Adam's advice might be harsh, there's certainly something to it.
What's next for the band after this run with Carnifex? Simply put, "We want to tour more often."
This is a band that prioritizes their music above all else and wants nothing more than to promote it and bring it to fans in person. If you didn't catch them this time around in the states, Lorna Shore will most likely be back on the road this summer, and maybe even in Europe in the not too distant future.
TOM BEJGROWICZ and JEREMY DEAN Discuss Their Book "SCREAM WITH ME: The Enduring Legacy of the Misfits (1977-1983)"

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F1 to axe Australia for Russian GP
Alex Kaufmann February 11, 2008 Comment Now!
Bernie Ecclestone is determined to scratch Australia from the F1 calendar so as to make room for a Russian grand prix in the near future, according to reports. After Melbourne GP chiefs ruled out bowing to the F1 chief executive's demands for a night race beyond 2010, the British tabloid Daily Mirror claims that 77-year-old Ecclestone will now travel to St Petersburg to discuss holding a race in the Russian city in 2010.
The newspaper said the British billionaire will meet with St Petersburg's governor next weekend, and possibly also president Vladimir Putin, for talks about the building of a bespoke circuit.
"Nothing is done yet," Ecclestone said, "but this could be an interesting development for the sport."We'd like to get it in the calendar as soon as we can but that depends on them.
"It's down to how long it takes them to get the circuit ready."
Ecclestone's comments coincide with new reports in Australia that say Ecclestone has made it clear that there is "no chance" that Melbourne will feature on the calendar beyond the expiry of its contract in 2010.
Sensing that the tough stance against a night race cost Melbourne its race might have compelled Dato Mokhzani Mahathir to declare that Malaysia is open about the prospects of erecting floodlights at the Sepang circuit.
To the Bangkok Post, he denied that Ecclestone threatened to exclude Malaysia from F1 if the promoters did not agree to staging a night race.
"No, it was never an ultimatum from Bernie where either we do a night race or get the contract cancelled," Dato Mokhzani Mahathir said.
"Our current contract is up to 2010 and then last year when we were negotiating for an extension a clause was put in to the contract (to 2015) saying that we need to be ready to host the race at night."
He added that all the details have not yet been decided but "definitely we hope to have a night race by next year".
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What has 2014 Taught Us?
Every year this is the opportunity to think upon the lessons we've learned, and how we can do better in life and within our communities.
Every year this is the opportunity to think upon the lessons we've learned, and how we can do better in life and within our communities. It's hard to pinpoint every lesson gleaned from the headlines, but here are a six that stood out.
Life is Short
Another lesson learned was pushing yourself towards the finish line no matter what, like in Lauren Hill's case. Hill, 19, is another young woman with months to live, not this freshman from Ohio, still took the court to play basketball, and raises money to help others suffering from Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.
Standing up for what you believe. With so many faith inspired films coming out this year, many people of faith spoke against the doctrine of films like Noah and Exodus, and refused to spend money on what conflicted with their morals or values. More Christians are standing up and asking for higher quality entertainment., Hollywood seems to be listening.
Evil Still Exists
A reoccurring lesson is how much evil is still in the world. The kidnapping and behadings of journalists in the Middle East made many us sick. Where there is evil there is a way to trump it. How? Take action, get involved in the community, pray and support those serving in our military and in our cities.
We learned this year we remain divided as a country through politics, religion, and race. Instead of adding gas to the flame, there people helped each other Fergusson. Many pitched in to clean the city, bring food, and supplies to those who needed it after the city was looted.
Do something. We reported on Jordon Matson, a veteran who left the U.S. to join the Kurds to fight ISIS. Matson, 28, was sick of all the lip service and took action to fight militants in Syria. "I couldn't just sit and watch Christians being slaughtered anymore. I got sick of giving online sympathy. Five minutes of lip service does nothing. These people are fighting for their homes, for everything they have," he told USA Today. What guts, and what a lesson we can all learn from men and woman like these who fight for freedom.
6 Ways to Find Hope in the Midst of Chronic Pain
There is light at the end of the tunnel. Read next feature >
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Tag: Open Russia
Opposition Activist Couple in Pskov Gets 22 Years in Prison for "Drug Dealing"
Liya and Artyom Milushkin in 2019. Courtesy of Open Russia
In January 2019, I posted a brief report about a Pskov couple, Liya and Artyom Milushkin, opposition political activists who had been charged with drug dealing. In fact, the local police had threatened that they would plant drugs on the couple and frame them after they attempted to stage a protest on Putin's birthday. The cops made good on their threat.
Today, August 12, 2021, the court sentenced Artyom to 11 years in a maximum-security prison, and Liya to 10 years and 6 months in a penal colony. Liya will begin serving her sentence only after their children turn fourteen.
During the reading of the verdict, Artyom had a nervous breakdown and smashed the bench in his cage in the courtroom.
Source: "Woman, Prison, Society" Facebook page
hecksinductionhour	protest, putinism, regions	Leave a comment August 12, 2021 1 Minute
Irina Slavina: "I Ask You to Blame the Russian Federation for My Death"
Irina Slavina
Irina Slavina, editor-in-chief of the online publication Koza Press, set herself on fire near the Interior Ministry headquarters in Nizhny Novgorod [on October 2]. Before that, she wrote [the following] post on her Facebook page: "I ask you to blame the Russian Federation for my death."
Slavina died on the spot.
Slavina's alleged suicide note on Facebook
Yesterday, Slavina's home was searched as part of the Open Russia case. According to the journalist, all of her electronic devices confiscated.
"Today, at 6:00 a.m., 12 people entered my apartment using a blowtorch and a crowbar: Russian Investigative Committee officers, police, SWAT officers, [official] witnesses. My husband opened the door. I, being naked, got dressed under the supervision of a woman I didn't know. A search was carried out. We were not allowed to call a lawyer. They were looking for pamphlets, leaflets, Open Russia accounts, perhaps an icon with the face of Mikhail Khodorkovsky. I don't have any of these things. But they took what they found—all the flash drives, my laptop, my daughter's laptop, the computer, phones (not only mine, but also my husband's) a bunch of notebooks that I had scribbled on during press conferences. I was left without the means of production. I'm completely okay. But May [a dog?] suffered a lot. They didn't let him go outside until 10:30."
Passersby and Interior Ministry tried to extinguish Slavina. According to eyewitnesses, the flame blazed up very quickly and they were unable to save [her].
This video is not for the faint of heart: it show the self-immolation of Koza Press editor-in-chief Irina Slavina in Nizhny Novgorod. From the very beginning, a bystander tried to help her, but [Slavina] pushed him away.
In the spring of 2019, [Slavina], for example, was fined 20,000 rubles for an "unauthorized" protest march, and in the autumn, a record 70,000 rubles for "disrespecting the authorities." This summer, the journalist was investigated on suspicion of "disseminating false information" because of a news item [she published] about the coronavirus, and this time she was threatened with a fine of 500,000 rubles [approx. 5,500 euros], which [Slavina] regarded as "financial murder."
Thanks to Alexander Chernykh for the heads-up. Photograph and video courtesy of Baza. Translated by the Russian Reader. The most recent article published on the Koza Press website was posted yesterday (October 1) at 8:27 p.m. local time. It may have some bearing on Ms. Slavina's death.
Politically Motivated Criminal Investigation Launched Against Businessman in Nizhny Novgorod
Koza Press
The investigative directorate of the Russian Investigative Committee's Nizhny Novgorod regional office has launched a politically motivated criminal investigation against entrepreneur Mikhail Iosilevich, who has been charged with violating Article 284.1 of the criminal code ("activity in the Russian Federation on behalf of a foreign or international non-governmental organization that has been ruled an undesirable organization in the Russian Federation"). A copy of the document confirming this fact has been made available to Koza Press.
In particular, Mr. Iosilevich is accused of the fact that, on September 2 and 3, lectures for election observers from the Yabloko Party were held in his premises (That Very Place, on Gorky Street), lectures that were twice disrupted by the police. According to investigators, activists from the Open Russia movement organized the lectures. Previously, That Very Place was a venue for discussions of current political problems in Russia, for which Mr. Iosilevich was twice charged with and convicted of administrative offenses.
As part of the criminal case against Mr. Iosilevich, the homes of several Nizhny Novgorod residents—Alexei Sadomovsky, deputy chair of the Yabloko Party's Nizhny Novgorod regional branch; Dmitry Silivonchik, former coordinator of Alexei Navalny's headquarters in Nizhny Novgorod; Roman Tregubov, current coordinator of Alexey Navalny's Nizhny Novgorod headquarters; civic activists Yuri Shaiposhnikov and Mikhail Borodin; and Koza Press founder and editor-in-chief Irina Murakhtayeva (Slavina)—have been searched by law enforcement officers, who, among other things, confiscated electronic devices, personal belongings, documents, and notebooks containing notes.
hecksinductionhour	journalism, protest, regions, zeitgeist	2 Comments October 2, 2020 October 2, 2020 3 Minutes
Mediazona: Russian Show Trial Calendar
Russian political prisoner Andrei Barshay, holding up a handmade placard reading "Free Everyone!" at his custody hearing in Moscow on October 16. Photo by Yevgeny Feldman. Courtesy of Vedomosti
The regime has ratcheted up its crackdown, but the numbers of people willing to help those affected by the crackdown by writing letters to prisoners, sending care packages to remand prisons, and attending court hearings have increased as well. Mediazona has been covering all the important court cases in Russia, and so we will be publishing a "Court Schedule" in which we summarize all the important court hearings in the coming week, updating it as new information is made available.
Seventh Studio Case (Retrial)
Room 409, Meshchansky District Court, Moscow
Judge Olesya Mendeleyeva
10:00 a.m, November 5
Director Kirill Serebrennikov, Culture Ministry employee Sofia Apfelbaum, and ex-Seventh Studio heads Alexei Malobrodsky and Yuri Itin have been accused of embezzling 133 million rubles allocated to the Platform theater project.
Initially, the defendants in the case were under house arrest, but later they were released on their own recognizance. In early September, the court sent the case back to the prosecutor's office after a comprehensive forensic analysis was performed. On October 8, Moscow City Court overruled that decision, ordering a retrial in the case.
Mediazona has been covering the Seventh Studio Case.
New Greatness Case (Main Trial)
Room 219, Lyublino District Court, Moscow
Judge Alexander Maslov
2:00 p.m., November 5
Moscow's Lyublino District Court has been hearing the case of eight members of the little-known movement New Greatness, who have been accused of involvement with an "extremist" organization, as punishable by Articles 282.1.1 and 282.1.2 of the Russian Criminal Code. The prosecution's case is based on testimony given by a person identified as "Ruslan D.," who is presumably an informant employed by the security services. The defense has insisted it was "Ruslan D." who encouraged the activists to create a political organization and drafted its charter.
Four of the defendants—Ruslan Kostylenkov, Pyotr Karamzin, Vyacheslav Kryukov, and Dmitry Poletayev—have been in police custody since March 2018. At the October 17 hearing, Kostylenkov and Kryukov slashed their wrists to protest the extension of their time in remand prison.
Three defendants—Anna Pavlikova, Maria Dubovik, and Maxim Roshchin—are under house arrest. The eighth defendant, Sergei Gavrilov, has left Russia and asked for political asylum in Ukraine. He is on the wanted list.
Mediazona has been covering the New Greatness Case.
Dmitry and Olga Prokazov (Child Custody Case)
Room 520 (Appeals Wing), Moscow City Court
Judge Olga Igonina
9:20 a.m., November 6
Dmitry and Olga Prokazov went to the protest rally in Moscow on July 27 with their one-year-old son. The Moscow Prosecutor's Office decided they had put the boy in danger and asked the court to strip the couple of their parental rights. According to Dmitry Prokazov, on July 27 they had gone only to places where they saw no threat to their child.
"We were tired and decided to go home. I asked our friend Sergei [Fomin] to join us. He agreed and we headed home together. Sergei is my best friend, my childhood friend. He's the godfather of my eldest son and my wife's cousin. […] At some point, I asked Sergei to carry the child, and we went to the subway together and then home," Prokazov recalled.
On August 15, police searched the Prokazovs' home on the basis of a criminal investigation launched by the Investigative Committee, which suspected the couple of abandonment (Article 125 of the Russian Criminal Code) and failure to perform parental duties (Article 156). Defense lawyer Maxim Pashkov said investigators had no grievances against the couple after questioning them.
In early September, the Lefortovo District Court ruled in favor of the Prokazovs, refusing to deprive them of parental custody. The prosecutor's office appealed the decision. The hearing at Moscow City Court has been postponed twice.
Penza Case (Main Trial)
Penza Regional Court
A panel of three judges, chaired by Yuri Klubkov
11:00 a.m., November 6, 7, 8
Seven antifascists—Maxim Ivankin, Vasily Kuksov, Maxim Kulkov, Dmitry Pchelintsev, Arman Sagynbayev, Anton Chernov, and Ilya Shakursky—have been charged with founding the "terrorist community Network." According to the FSB, the defendants were planning to "stir up the masses in order to then destabilize the political situation in the country" and organize a rebellion during the 2018 presidential election and 2018 World Football Cup. The criminal case against the men was launched in the autumn of 2017.
Pchelintsev and Shakursky have said they were tortured with electrical shocks in the basement of the Penza Remand Prison. In September 2018, Sagynbayev, who initially pleaded guilty, said he had also been tortured into testifying. Another defendant, Viktor Filinkov, an alleged member of the Network's Petersburg cell, has also said he was tortured with an electrical shocker after the FSB detained him.
Although the case is being heard by the Volga District Military Court, the hearings have been taking place at the Penza Regional Court. Experts and witnesses are to be examined at the upcoming hearings.
Mediazona has been covering the Penza Case.
Moscow Case: Eduard Malyshevsky (Merits Hearing)
Room 356, Tverskaya District Court, Moscow
Judge Belyakov
47-year-old Eduard Malyshevsky is accused of violence against a police officer (Russian Criminal Code Article 318.1). According to investigators, after he was detained at the July 27 rally, Malyshevsky kicked out the window of a paddy wagon, which grazed a police officer as it fell to the ground. The defense claims that when Malyshevsky saw two women being beaten by police, he was outraged and pounded on the window, but did not see the police officers next to the vehicle.
After the rally, a court sentenced Malyshevsky to thirteen days in jail for disorderly conduct (Article 20.1.1 of the Administrative Offenses Code). When he was released from the detention facility, Malyshevsky went home to Khimki. A month after the rally, on August 30, he was detained by police and remanded in custody.
Moscow Case: Nikita Chirtsov (Remand Appeal)
Room 225, Moscow City Court
10:00 a.m., November 7
Chirtsov, who took part in the July 27 rally, was detained in Minsk on August 28. Local law enforcement officials explained that Chirtsov, 22, was on the wanted list in Russia on suspicion of using violence against police officers and involvement in rioting.
Chirtsov was expelled from Belarus and banned from entering the country for ten years. On the evening of August 30, he flew from Minsk to Moscow. He was met at Domodedovo Airport by a Mediazona correspondent, but no one attempted to detain Chirtsov.
Chirtsov was detained only two days later, on September 2. Investigators charged him with only one crime: violence against a police officer (Russian Criminal Code Article 318.1), to which he has pleaded not guilty. Chirtsov was remanded in custody on September 3.
Moscow Case: Vladimir Yemelyanov (Remand Appeal)
Yemelyanov, 27, is accused of grabbing [Russian National Guardsman] Kosov by the uniform at the July 27 protest and pulling him over, making it impossible for him to move and causing him physical pain. Yemelyanov has pleaded not guilty, insisting he did nothing illegal.
A store merchandiser, Yemelyanov suffers from asthma. An orphan, he lives with his 74-year-old grandmother and 91-year-old great-grandmother. Although his grandmother went to his custody hearing, the judge did not allow the parties to question her on the stand.
"I felt civically responsible for the people against whom force was used [at the July 27 rally] and took it upon myself to stop the illegal actions of the Russian National Guardsmen. For my part, I see nothing wrong in the fact that I tried to save a person," Yemelyanov said in court.
Yemelyanov was remanded in custody on October 16.
Moscow Case: Andrei Barshay (Remand Appeal)
Like the other defendants in the Moscow Case, 21-year-old Andrei Barshay, a student at the Moscow Aviation Institute, is accused of violence against a police officer, as punishable by Article 318.1 of the Russian Criminal Code.
According to investigators, Barshay pushed a Russian National Guardsman in the back at the July 27 protest rally. Barshay was detained only on October 14. He came to his custody hearing with a piece of paper on which he had written the words "Free Everyone!" On October 16, the Basmanny District Court remanded him in custody for two months.
After Barshay was sent to remand prison, his lawyers reported that his cellmates, who were ex-convicts, had joked about rape in their client's presence and tried to persuade him to make a deal with investigators. Barshay was then sent for an inpatient psychological and psychiatric examination.
"Undesirable Organization" Case: Yana Antonova
Lenin District Court, Krasnodar
Judge Vitaly Gavlovsky
12:00 p.m., November 7
Antonova, a pediatric surgeon and former Open Russia coordinator in Krasnodar, is accused of involvement in the work of an "undesirable organization," as punishable by Article 284.1 of the Russian Criminal Code.
The pretext for the case were two posts Antonova made on Facebook and her attendance of a protest rally. In the first post, she wrote about the lack of schools in Krasnodar; in the second, she encouraged people to attend a rally in support of Anastasia Shevchenko from Rostov-on-Don, who has also been charged with involvement in an "undesirable organization."
Thanks to Elena Zakharova for the heads-up. Translated by the Russian Reader. Please read my previous posts on the 2019 Russian regional elections and the fallout from them, including the ongoing crackdowns against opposition politicians and rank-and-file protesters.
"Russian Opposition Hit with New Wave of Searches and Arrests," 25 July 2019
"The Russian National Guard," 26 July 2019
"938," 27 July 2019
"The Damage," 28 July 2019
"Hell in a Handbasket," 30 July 2019
"Putin's Spectacles of Strength and Security at Home and Abroad," 31 July 2019
"'What Is This, the Gestapo?' University Student Yegor Zhukov Charged with Rioting in Moscow," 4 August 2019
"Mikola Dziadok: What We Can Learn from the Moscow Protests," 4 August 2019
"Stanislava Novgorodtseva: Portraits of Angry Muscovites," 5 August 2019
"Moscow: Where Waving Your Arms Energetically Is a Felony," 5 August 2019
"Petition: Drop the Criminal Investigation of a 'Riot' That Never Happened," 5 August 2019
"When We Were Ten," 11 August 2019
"Alexei Tsvetcoff: The Myth of Moscow's 'Bourgeois Liberal' Protesters," 14 August 2019
"The Persecution of Konstantin Kotov," 15 August 2019
"Support RosUznik!" 17 August 2019
"Vitaly Manski: Don't Shop at Armenia on Tverskaya," 17 August 2019
"Alexander Skobov: The Myth of Good 'Liberals' in Power," 18 August 2019
"Ilya Yashin: Life in a Russian Jail," 18 August 2019
"More and More Russians," 18 August 2019
"I Have No Idea What I'm Talking About, But I'm Famous, So It Doesn't Matter," 19 August 2019
"Prisoners of the Article 212 Case," 19 August 2019
"The After Party, or, The Electoral Iguana," 30 August 2019
"Pskov Region: Copyright Trumps Voting Rights," 30 August 2019
"Five Time's the Charm," 31 August 2019
"Bortko Jumps Overboard," 2 September 2019
"Beglov, Big Love," 2 September 2019
"OMON, HOMO, MONO (Fundraiser for Petersburg Aid to Detainees Group)," 3 September 2019
"Two Years Hard Time for Grabbing a Policeman by the Arm," 3 September 2019
"Five Years in Prison for a Tweet," 3 September 2019
"Is Smart Voting So Smart?" 4 September 2019
"Al Jazeera's Love Affair with Militant Russian Orthodox Fascist Homophobe Vitaly Milonov," 4 September 2019
"Max Stropov: The Cop's Sacred Body," 5 September 2019
"Three Years in Prison for Touching a Policeman's Helmet," 6 September 2019
"School Daze," 7 September 2019
"Hand It Over," 11 September 2019
"Leokadia Frenkel: How to Defeat Russia's Ruling Party in Your Own Neighborhood," 22 September 2019
"Vladislav Barabanov: Anarchism and Center 'E'," 17 October 2019
"Piglet," 17 October 2019
"'Free Everyone!': Five More Men Arrested and Charged in Moscow Case," 19 October 2019
"Two Babushkas," 20 October 2019
hecksinductionhour	journalism, protest, putinism, regime, solidarity, youth, zeitgeist	Leave a comment November 4, 2019 November 4, 2019 7 Minutes
Al Jazeera's Love Affair with Militant Russian Orthodox Fascist Homophobe Vitaly Milonov
Russian Orthodox fascist and homophobic terrorist Vitaly Milonov is Al Jazeera's go-to commentator on Russian current affairs. Photo by Sergei Fadeichev. Courtesy of TASS and the Moscow Times
This is how the "progressive" media works.
I accidentally woke up at five o'clock this morning to discover Al Jazeera's program The Stream wanted me to be on their panel discussing the Moscow elections and protests at 10 p.m. Moscow time this evening.
The only problem was that, aside from a young researcher at Columbia who seemed okay, the other two panelists Al Jazeera had invited were Vitaly Milonov and Maria Baronova.
I spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon persuading the producer who contacted me that inviting Milonov on their program was like inviting David Duke or Alex Jones.
Would she like to see them on her program? I asked her.
No, of course not, she said.
The problem was that she had no idea whom to invite nor did the young researcher from Columbia. (Which is kind of amazing, too, since the subject of her research is protests and civil society in Russia, but I won't go there.)
The producer asked whether I could suggest people whom she could invite on the panel.
I could and I did. I sent her a long list that included Leonid Volkov, Grigorii Golosov, Alexander Bikbov, Greg Yudin, Elena Mukhametshina, Maxim Trudolyubov, and Ilya Matveev, along with their social media or email addresses.
Any of them, I explained, would make a great panelist, not because I necessarily agreed with them about everything, but because they knew the subject inside and out.
After that, the producer asked me to record a short "video commentary," which as she explained, would be used in the show.
I choose to speak, briefly, about the Article 212 Case defendants, some of whom were sentenced to harsh prison terms today and yesterday, while some of them had all charges against them dropped and were set free.
When I sent the producer the video, I asked, since several hours had passed by then, who would be on the panel, finally.
Had she managed to invite any of the people I had suggested?
Almost five hours have gone by with no reply from the producer.
Only forty minutes ago did I look at the show's page and discover that everything I said and wrote to the producer had been utterly pointless, to wit:
[…] Putin has been in power for 20 years and is due to step down as president in 2024. Many younger demonstrators have never experienced Russia under a different leader, and they and others are pushing to take their country in a more democratic direction. This backdrop helps explain why officials are working hard to contain Moscow's protests. But whether what's happening in the capital will spread to the rest of Russia remains up for debate.
In this episode we ask, will protests change anything in Russia? Join the conversation.
On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
Vitaly Milonov @Villemilonov
Member of the Federal Assembly of Russia
Maria Baronova
Journalist at RT
Yana Gorokhovskaia @gorokhovskaia
Researcher at Columbia University
In the midst of all that has been happening in Moscow, one of the world's most respected news organizations has decided their viewers need to hear from a world-famous militant Russian Orthodox fascist homophobe and a certifiably crazy woman who went from working for Open Russia one day to working for Russia Today the next.
This is a complete travesty.
Oddly, the producer said that Gorokhovskaia, too, had "reservations" about appearing on the same panel with Milonov and Baronova.
She should have had them. // TRR
P.S. As I have also discovered, this was Milonov's second appearance on the program.
Anti-Gay Russian Lawmaker Disrupts Opening of LGBT Film Festival
Moscow Times
State Duma deputy and notorious anti-gay crusader Vitaly Milonov reportedly attempted to shut down Russia's only LGBT film festival on its opening night Wednesday.
Milonov, a lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party, has earned a reputation for his inflammatory anti-LGBT rhetoric and is best known for spearheading Russia's ban on "gay propaganda."
The St. Petersburg-based Fontanka news website reported that the deputy, accompanied by six men, physically blocked the entrance to the Side by Side film festival on Wednesday evening.
In footage posted online, the lawmaker is heard accusing festival-goers trying to get into the venue of participating in an unsanctioned demonstration.
"Dear citizens, you know yourselves that you are perverts; you need to disperse," he is heard saying.
"We are Russian people who are on our home soil. And you're not. Your motherland is Sodom and Gomorrah," he adds.
According to the festival's organizers, Milonov claimed that a hostage crisis had unfolded inside the cinema and called the police.
Prompted by Milonov's call, police officers reportedly evacuated the building. According to Fontanka, around 400 filmgoers who bought tickets were unable to attend the screenings planned for Wednesday.
"The first day of Side by Side was interrupted in an outrageous manner and eventually disrupted by State Duma deputy Vitaly Milonov," the festival organizers were cited as saying.
Milonov denied that he had alarmed the police about a possible hostage crisis, saying that he came to the event because he believed it may have been "violating Russian law."
The festival organizers rejected Milonov's claims that they had broken Russia's "gay propaganda" law — which bans promoting LGBT values among minors — as minors were not allowed to attend the festival.
Side by Side, Russia's only annual LGBT film festival — now in its 11th year — has in the past been threatened by government officials and nationalist activists.
The organizers said that the festival would continue as planned this week, despite what they described as Milonov's "illegal actions."
hecksinductionhour	antifascism, editorial, international, journalism, obscurantism, politics, protest, solidarity, zeitgeist	Leave a comment September 4, 2019 September 25, 2019 4 Minutes
Anastasia Shevchenko: 174 Days Under House Arrest for Thought Crimes
"Anastasia Shevchenko has spent 174 days under house arrest." The boxed caption in the lower lefthand corner ("Criminal Code Article 284.1") is a reference to the charges on which Shevchenko was indicted. Russian Criminal Code Article 284.1, adopted in 2015, criminalizes "engaging in the work of a foreign or international non-governmental organization that has been deemed undesirable." Open Russia was declared an "undesirable" organization by the Russian Prosecutor General in April 2017. Shevchenko, an Open Russia activist, is the first person indicted under Article 284.1 since it was adopted. Image courtesy of Pravozashchita Otkrytki, Open Russia's civil rights project.
Pravozashchita Otkrytki
The house arrest of Anastasia Shevchenko has been extended again, this time until August 20, 2019.
During a hearing at the Lenin District Court in Rostov-on-Don, the state investigator asked the judge to extend Shevchenko's house arrest for two months, that is, until September 17, 2019. He claimed there were many forensic examinations that needed to be analyzed. Pravozashchita Otkrytki lawyer Sergei Kovalevich said no new evidence had been entered into the case file during the last six months and no investigation was underway.
The prosecutor supported the state investigator, arguing Shevchenko was a possible flight risk. Pravozashchita Otkrytki lawyer Sergei Badamshin reminded the court, however, that Shevchenko's foreign travel passport had been confiscated by the state investigator.
The conditions of Shevchenko's house arrest are the strictest. She cannot go for walks, communicate with strangers, and use communication devices. By comparison, people jailed in Russian remand prisons are allowed regular walks and are not prohibited from communicating with other people.
hecksinductionhour	politics, putinism, regime, regions, rights, solidarity, zeitgeist	Leave a comment July 25, 2019 1 Minute
"Court-Martial Putin!"
"Citizen Putin! Don't reduce Russia to Syria: don't run for president anymore. We are going to have deal with fixing the consequences of your rule for years as it is." Dmitry Skurikhin embossed this slogan on his van in early 2015—presciently, before the Kremlin sent its military to defend the Assad regime later the same year. Photo courtesy of Novy Krasnosel
Yevgenia Litvinova
[The following was dispatched by Open Russia.]
In Petersburg, an Open Russia activist was detained at a courthouse and taken to a police station for wearing a patch on his jacket that read "Court-Martial Putin."
Businessman and civic activist Dmitry Skurikhin was detained at the St. Petersburg City Court. He was at the courthouse to attend a hearing appealing a three-day jail sentence for his involvement in the Angry Mothers March.
Police detained Skurikhin because of the phrase "Court-martial Putin," embroidered on his blazer. Bailiffs stopped him at the entrance to the court and hit the alarm button, summoning a squad of armed policemen to the courthouse. Skurikhin was taken to the 29th Police Precinct, where police attempted to make him explain his "unauthorized picket" at the courthouse.
After discussing the matter with the police, Skurikhin was released. He went to the courthouse, where he was allowed inside without hindrance. But the hearing in his case, scheduled for one o'clock, had already adjourned. The case had been heard in his absence. Skurikhin has filed a complaint with the court's chairman on this point.
A businessman from Leningrad Region and father of five children, Skurikhin has gained notoriety for the political posters he puts up in one of his stores, posters inspired by current events. Local police have tried on several occasions to fine Skurikhin for the alleged misdemeanor of "placing announcements in an inappropriate place." Skurikhin has, however, been acquitted by courts on each occasion.
hecksinductionhour	censorship, politics, protest, putinism, regime, regions, zeitgeist	Leave a comment April 26, 2019 April 26, 2019 1 Minute
Yana Antonova: Undesirable
Yana Antonova
Polina Nemirovsky
This is Yana Antonova, a pediatric surgeon. Today at six in the morning, police and security services came to her home, which she shares with her eleven-year-old son, and searched it. They did not let her call a lawyer.
Yana has been charged with engaging in the work of an "undesirable organization."
This is the third such criminal case in Russia, including the case against Anastasia Shevchenko.
It is easy to dismiss this news, to pay it no mind. We can say they knew what they were getting themselves into. They had no business joining "undesirable" organizations and so on. But while some will shrug, I would draw their attention to the fact that Russia's law books contain laws that give the authorities the ability to bring criminal proceedings against people for their political activism, of whatever stripe, and the authorities can do this shamelessly, openly, and without standing on ceremony.
I copied down the "crimes" allegedly committed by Yana, as listed in her charge sheet. They include two pickets, three Facebook posts, a seminar, and attendance of a political rally.
There was no "extremism" whatsoever in the posts and pickets, nor any calls to illegal actions of any kind. The only thing they had in common was the logotype of a movement that has now been banned. It was banned because the prosecutor's office decided it was British and "undesirable," without producing a shred of evidence.
Just read what these officials write. I am not a big fan of raising a ruckus about 1937 whenever something like this happens, but the Russian law enforcement officials who ban "undesirable" organizations and arrest people like Yana nowadays are obviously the heirs of the folks who once upon a time persecuted people for "anti-Soviet" and "counterrevolutionary" actions.
What did Yana Antonova do?
She unfurled and displayed three yellow flags emblazoned with the words "Open Russia."
She held a solo picket demanding that construction of a swimming pool be completed. (The picket was actually, the police claim, a news hook for filling the media with coverage of the local Open Russia cell.)
Antonova also held a seminar for opposition activists at which Yevgeniya Chirikova was the keynote speaker. Flags and clothing emblazoned with the logo of the Open Russia movement were featured at the event.
She published a video featuring the Open Russia logo. [The video was actually about the lack of schools in Krasnodar.]
With criminal intent, as the police put it, she published information about Open Russia in open access that featured appeals to an unlimited number of people to attend a political rally. [It was a rally in memory of Boris Nemtsov.]
With criminal intent, she held a solo picket in memory of opposition politician B.E. Nemtsov [sic] and covered the event on the internet.
She published an Open Russia news item. [This was actually a picture featuring a quotation by slain Russian journalist Vladislav Listyev.]
This is a simple story about how quoting Vladislav Listyev and picketing in memory of Boris Nemtsov can end up with your facing six years in prison.
Thanks to Yevgenia Litvinova for the heads-up. Translated by the Russian Reader
Natalya Trubachova
Ekho Moskvy
This is the third criminal case against Open Russia, this time brought to us by the famous rough justice system in Krasnodar Territory. You heard me right: the very same place where crime boss Aydin Shirinov kicked up his heels at a meeting with Putin. It is the same place where the Tsapkov Gang, who murdered twelve people, and previous to that terrorized the village of Kushchevskaya for years, had personal connections with high-ranking officials in the Russian Federal Prosecutor's Office. It is the very same part of the country where police officers tortured detainees, and the Committee Against Torture made the documentary film Extreme South about these goings-on in Anapa. It is the very same place where the murderer Vyacheslav Tsepovyaz used his connections thousands of kilometers from home and dined on delicacies in a penal colony in the Far East. It is the home of the notorious Judge Yelena Khakhaleva. It is also the place where grown men dress up as Cossacks and attack political activists, blogger, journalists, and even Baptists with whips. (It was reported just today that in Novorossiysk, men dressed as Cossacks, police officers, and officials from city hall broke up a private worship service, accusing the Baptists of causing a schism in the otherwise homogeneous spiritual world of Russians.)
In this gigantic criminal cesspool, a tumor of lawlessness on the country's body, law enforcement has finally figured who the really dangerous criminal is. Her name is Yana Antonova, and she has been accused of doing the work of Open Russia. Despite the fact Yana lives in Russia, she has been linked to the Open Russian Movement in Britain. An Englishwoman, basically, is making trouble in Krasnodar Territory. The region has such a great future ahead of it, and not as a hotbed of crime and lawlessness on a nationwide scale, but the bloody English have screwed that up.
Joking aside, the last misdemeanor case against Yana, which opened the way to her criminal prosecution, was for reposting a video on Facebook dealing with the lack of schools in Krasnodar Territory. Law enforcement justified their concocted case against Yana by pointing to the tiny yellow logo in the video, Open Russia's logo.
In this case, yet another ridiculous concoction and a completely absurd reason (just imagine: she reposted a video on Facebook!) were grounds for filing criminal charges against Yana.
The criminal charges against Yana Antonova are a flagrant attempt to force Russian society to keep its mouth shut and swallow its outrage. The takeaway message is: bear it in silence and don't complain, otherwise you'll have real problems.
One more thing. Yesterday, the entire Runet laughed openly at a video in which former riot police (OMON), men who had served in "hot spots, as well as Manege Square and Bolotnaya Square" (how shameful to compare special forces troops who risked their lives in battles and special operations with those who dispersed legal political rallies by their fellow Russians), complained they were being evicted from their government-subsidized apartments.
I have the feeling that, five or ten years from now, we will see a similarly amazing appeal for help from law enforcers in Krasnodar Territory.
"We smashed up art shows, assaulted reporters, chased the Baptists away, and sent Open Russia supporters to jail, but now we have nothing to live on," they will say.
Since there are so many slackers and fellows with hefty foreheads, dressed up as Cossacks or wearing real uniforms, armed with whips or sporting epaulettes, it is bound to happen. But the government's coffers are not bottomless.
Natalya Trubachova is a Russian civil rights activist. Translated by the Russian Reader
hecksinductionhour	putinism, regime, regions, religion, rights, solidarity, zeitgeist	 April 10, 2019 5 Minutes
While Anastasia Shevchenko Was Being Charged with Thought Crimes, Her Daughter Was Dying
Anastasia Shevchenko
In Rostov-on-Don, an Open Russia activist was charged with a crime. While this happened, her daughter died.
Anastasia Shevchenko was charged with involvement in a undesirable organization. Criminal charges were filed against here because she took part in political debates and promoted a training workshop for municipal council members.
Shevchenko was jailed on January 21, but on January 23 she was placed under house arrest. She raised her three children—7-year-old Misha, 14-year-old Vlada, and 17-year-old Alina—alone.
In court, Shevchenko's defense lawyer asked that Shevchenko be released on her own recognizance. The lawyer showed the judge a letter verifying that Shevchenko's oldest daughter had a congenital disease and required attentive care since complications could be deadly, care her mother could not provide if she were under house arrest. Alina was in a care facility for children with disabilities. The judge refused to allow Shevchenko visit her daughter, leaving her under house arrest.
On Wednesday, Alina was taken to hospital from the care facility and placed in the intensive care ward in critical condition. Doctors said she had obstructive bronchitis. Shevchenko heard the news when she was being charged with a crime, when she went from being a "suspect" to being a "defendant."
She was allowed to visit her daughter only in the evening.
Yesterday, Alina died.
You can help Anastasia Shevchenko's family by sending money to the Sberbank MC/Visa card of her daughter, Vlada Shevchenko (5469 5200 2558 8500) or her mother, Tamara Gryaznova (6390 0252 9033 8215 30).
Source: OVD Info weekly email newsletter, February 1, 2019. Photo courtesy of Radio Svoboda. Anastasia Shevchenko has been declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. Translated by the Russian Reader
hecksinductionhour	putinism, regime, solidarity, zeitgeist	Leave a comment February 1, 2019 February 1, 2019 1 Minute
Frame-Up in Pskov: Liya and Artyom Milushkin Punished by Police for Political Activism
Liya and Artyom Milushkin. Photo courtesy of Open Russia
Team Open Russia
Last night, police investigators in Pskov detained Liya Milushkina, Open Russia's coordinator for Pskov, and her husband, Artyom Milushkin, an activist with another political movement.
The young couple, parents of two small children, have been charged with a very serious crime: wholesale drug dealing.
Artyom and Liya are well known in Pskov as perennial organizers and participants of political protests. Liya was also involved in animal rights protection.
We know that when the Milushkins were brutally detained before a protest on Vladimir Putin's birthday, police officers threatened to plant narcotics on them.
During the incident, the Milushkins were pulled over and dragged from their car as their children watched.
This background and the ways of the Russian police have forced us to take this case extremely seriously.
Their interrogations began at 12:00 p.m. Lawyers from Open Russia Human Rights were present.
hecksinductionhour	politics, putinism, regime, regions, zeitgeist	Leave a comment January 18, 2019 January 18, 2019 1 Minute
Russia Without Putin
Vladimir Putin playing hockey Moscow's Red Square on December 29, 2018. Photo courtesy of Valery Sharufulin/TASS and RA's Daily News Blast
Yana Teplitskaya
Police officers usually realize that, whatever they do, they are breaking the law or disobeying standing orders, and since they are afraid of being found out, they definitely don't talk to the press. Here we have a different story, which I don't know how to explain. Petersburg opposition activists are well aware of a police officer from the "Third Department" by the name of Ruslan Sentemov, while other people have not heard of him, likely as not. For some reason, Sentemov operates quite openly, going so far as to give the local news website Fontanka.ru a detailed interview about his work.
I don't knowwhat happened to Petersburg opposition activist Shakhnaz Shitik at the Yabloko Party's Petersburg office, but this is what happened at the police precinct, as related by Shakhnaz. It has been corroborated by one police officer, nor has it been refuted by the other officers who were present. According to the shift commander, during the incident, all or nearly all the officers at the 78th Police Precinct were in the duty room and were separated from the incident by a glass door. I also understand that Shakhnaz's account is borne out by the videotape that civil rights activist Dinar Idrisov and Petersburg city councilman Boris Vishnevsky have seen.
Sentemov and two of his colleagues (their names are also known) used force on Shakhnaz. They pressed her head hard to her chest, causing her agonizing pain. Consequently, in the incident report, according to the social defender, in addition to the injuries she suffered at the Yabloko office, damage to her cervical vertebrae was caused at the police station.
Moreover, the officers grabbed Shakhnaz's telephone by sticking their hands down her painties. No public witnesses or female police officers were present during this search, nor was an incident report filed. Taken from her but not officially confiscated, her telephone lay in the police department, along with her blouse and other clothing, prior to the Public Monitoring Commission's visit. During the incident, Shakhnaz was wearing a bra. The blouse was returned to her only at the hospital.
Concerning the sadistic tendencies of our police investigators and judges, I would argue this is an allegory, artistic embellishment. Otherwise, what kind of judicial system do we have? These were your words: the judicial system. The system includes the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court. Are they sadists, too? We should choose our words more carefully. I realize you wanted to rouse us, you wanted to get our attention. You did what you set out to do. Thank you.
The courts and law enforcement agencies are staffed by our fellow Russian citizens. They live in the places we live in. They [were] raised in the same families in which we were raised. They are part of our society. There are probably all kinds of different people everywhere, in all large organizations. If you have a look at the percentage of law enforcement officers convicted of crimes, it has recently increased and increased considerably.
This suggests the work of housecleaning has not stood still. It has intensified and produced certain results. In order to minimize this, however, we do not need repressive actions against the justice or judicial system. We need serious, multi-pronged, multi-faceted work. That is what we have been trying to do on this Council.
Source: Vladimir Putin, Meeting of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, The Kremlin, Moscow, December 11, 2018. Thanks to Yevgenia Litvinova for the heads-up.
Open Russia Activist Whom Police Assaulted in October Detained in Lipetsk
Alexander Kiselevich, the Open Russia activist assaulted by four police officers in October, has been detained in Lipetsk. He has reported the incident to OVD Info.
Kiselevich was stopped near his home by traffic police. After checking his papers, they asked Kiselevich to follow them to the Izmalkovo District Police Department, where he was charged with breaking Article 19.3 of the Administrative Offenses Code (disobeying a police officer's lawful orders). The policemen told Kiselevich he would be taken to court from the police station.
In October, on the eve of an election to choose the head of the Izmalkovo District Council, Kiselevich was beaten by police officers before being taken to a psychiatric hospital for a compulsory examination. Kiselevich was thus unable to present himself to the competition committee, and his name was struck from the ballot
Kiselevich was charged with breaking Article 19.3 after the incident in October. The police claimed Kiselevich resisted them when they were forcibly delivering him to the psychiatric hospital.
Kiselevich is a well-known opposition activist in Lipetsk Region. In 2016, he was elected head of the Afanasyevo Village Council, but shortly thereafter the majority of council members voted to dismiss him. Kiselevich was charged with embezzlement (Article 160 of the Russian Federal Criminal Code).
UPDATE. Kiselevich has reported to MBKh Media that a court in Lipetsk has found him guilty of disobeying a policeman's lawful orders and fined him 500 rubles. Kiselevich plans to appeal the sentence.
hecksinductionhour	politics, putinism, regime, regions, rights	1 Comment January 5, 2019 October 6, 2019 3 Minutes


text:
Check out Astudillo losing his helmet -- again
KANSAS CITY -- After the Twins' Willians Astudillo lost his helmet twice in a Spring Training game in late March, manager Rocco Baldelli joked that the club would need to find a new helmet for its multipositional sensation -- because, of course, "safety comes first."
Evidently, the Twins haven't found that new helmet yet for Astudillo, whose nickname is "La Tortuga" (The Turtle), because his helmet again flopped off his head on a game-tying RBI single to right field in the second inning of Wednesday's 7-6 win over the Royals -- and somehow found its way onto the infield grass in front of home plate.
When asked after the game whether he was in the market for a new helmet, Astudillo said through a translator: "No, I'm getting hits with that one, so it's fine."


text:
Lorde Says She and J-Law Were "Double Fangirling" on "Mockingjay" Set
ABC/Lou RoccoBecause Lorde was tapped to curate the soundtrack of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1, she got to visit the movie's set, and she says while there, she had a great time hanging out with star Jennifer Lawrence. In fact, they have a mutual admiration society going.
During a Twitter Q&A about the soundtrack, a fan asked what it was like interacting with the Oscar-winning actress on set. Lorde wrote, "haha she was so cute, very excited that i was there! she kept running over between takes to chat/we double fangirled. i luv jen."
Lorde also admitted that she's "Team Peeta" when it comes to the Hunger Games love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Gale, and if she could be any character in the saga, she'd be Cinna, the stylist who in the films is played by Lenny Kravitz.
Having already seen the film, which opens on Friday, Lorde said she cried while watching it, and added, "And i also remember my fist going into the air…. by far the most emotional of the 3 films. it really is a masterpiece."
Overall, Lorde said of the creating the soundtrack, which is out now, "i really care about the hunger games fandom & know how important the films' music is to them, so i wanted them to enjoy it..or at least understand the kind of sonic world i was trying to build even if some of the styles weren't their thing."
Asked to describe the The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 soundtrack in three words, Lorde wrote, "TOUGH. BRAVE. SHIMMERING." She also called it "one of the scariest, most exciting things I've ever done."
By the way, don't believe that she and producer Diplo are in some sort of battle to the death over the insults they've exchanged on Twitter recently. He actually tweeted her Monday and asked if she'd be going with him to the L.A. premiere of the film Monday night. She replied, "i'm not in la 🙁 but have fun (and take a stress ball it's so intense!!)."
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text:
Australian State Considers Selling Its Biggest Water Assets, Built During Drought Panic
April 4, 2014 /3 Comments/in Water News /by Brett Walton
Queensland's rush to build desalination and recycled water facilities is a cautionary tale.
Queensland spent big during the decade of drought that choked Australia at the turn of the 21st century.
The northeastern state built a $AUS 2.6 billion facility to purify and reuse sewer water and a $AUS 1.2 billion plant to remove the salt from seawater. Both were completed in 2008, but the desalination plant did not begin operating until 2009.
But just a few years after completion, the rains returned, reservoirs refilled, and cheaper water supply options became available. The shine has worn off these capital investments now that the plants sit unused while still requiring hundreds of millions of dollars annually in debt payments and maintenance costs.
Government News reports that the Queensland government, now run by the right-leaning Liberal National Party, is considering a range of options for the budget anchors, even selling the facilities to the private sector.
"My government is committed to better infrastructure and planning, and we are determined to fix up the mess Labor left behind," Premier Campbell Newman said. "Over coming weeks, Cabinet will be looking at options for the future management of these failed Labor water projects.
"That could mean keeping one or both of these water projects for times of extreme drought, or investigating alternative uses and even sale opportunities."
When it approved the two assets during a time of high water-stress, Labor put the facilities on the public credit card. Annual debt payments now reach $AUS 150 million. Maintenance costs add $AUS 30 million to the bill each year.
Australia's experience with desalination should be a warning signal to other drought-stricken areas, argued several panelists during a Circle of Blue conference call March 19 that compared Australia's drought response to California's.
Heather Cooley, a researcher at the Pacific Institute, a public policy think tank, said that only two of the six desalination plants built in Australia during the drought are currently operating, a panic spending spree that California, itself now enduring a historic drought, can relate to.
"California had a similar experience during the '87-'92 drought when Santa Barbara and some of the surrounding communities built a desalination plant that was never used and remains moth-balled," Cooley said. "These serve as cautionary tales and highlight the need to pursue cheaper alternatives including efficiency, reuse, and storm water capture first."
Yet, many coastal California cities are being swayed by the reliability of the sea. In November 2012, the regional wholesaler supplying San Diego signed a 30-year agreement to purchase desalinated water from a plant that will open in nearby Carlsbad in 2016. Other suppliers, including West Basin Water District and Orange County Water District, are studying the issue.
Still, Queensland's conundrum has several unanswered questions: What would make the facilities attractive to the private sector? What is the cost of water from each source? How expansive is the distribution system for the recycled water facility?
These are questions that California's cities are asking themselves as they build water systems to meet 21st century challenges.
– Brett Walton, reporter
Brett Walton
Brett writes about agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and the politics and economics of water in the United States. He also writes the Federal Water Tap, Circle of Blue's weekly digest of U.S. government water news. He is the winner of two Society of Environmental Journalists reporting awards, one of the top honors in American environmental journalism: first place for explanatory reporting for a series on septic system pollution in the United States(2016) and third place for beat reporting in a small market (2014). He received the Sierra Club's Distinguished Service Award in 2018. Brett lives in Seattle, where he hikes the mountains and bakes pies. Contact Brett Walton
Tags: Australia, Australia water supply, australia2019, California, Desalination, Drought, In The Circle: Fresh Focus
https://i1.wp.com/www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2008-12-Australia-Murray-Darling-JCGanter-IMG_6520.jpg?fit=2400%2C1600&ssl=1 1600 2400 Brett Walton https://www.circleofblue.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Circle-of-Blue-Water-Speaks-600x139.png Brett Walton2014-04-04 14:55:472020-01-03 20:02:26Australian State Considers Selling Its Biggest Water Assets, Built During Drought Panic
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Jeyannathann Karunanithi says:
Labor Governments indeed did the right thing by ramping up capacity. People of Queensland would understand how important these facilities are , for El Nino is starting its cycle again. It also gives us a lesson to go for modular units instead of centralized assets for such utilities.
Brett Walton says:
Jeyannathann and John, you both hit central questions for desalination as an emergency response: what are ratepayers — if they are bearing the cost — willing to pay for an insurance policy, and were they involved in the decision to build? Instead of increasing supply, are utilities and customers willing and able to rapidly cut demand for indoor and outdoor water use without hurting the utility's bottom line (from a drop in water sales/revenue)? And if desal is the choice, then in what form?
I need to learn a bit more about the recycled water plant, its costs, customers, and distribution system because supply and demand issues are inherently local. They relate not just to cost, but water-supply control and security.
The Stream, April 4: Groundwater Levels Rise in Berlin Federal Water Tap, April 7: Population Growth and Climate Change Will Radically...


gocr is a multi-platform OCR (Optical Character Recognition) program.
It can read pnm, pbm, pgm, ppm, some pcx and tga image files.
It is a GTK GUI to gocr (command line program).
Submit the title and link (including https://) to an article pertaining to gocr-Gtk and it will appear in the Web Links section of the right banner. Contact us here if an entry needs to be removed.


text:
Adopting Resolution 2452 (2019), Security Council Establishes Special Political Mission to Support Ceasefire between Yemen's Government, Houthi Militia
from UN Security Council
Published on 16 Jan 2019 — View Original
SC/13664
Permanent Representative Says Text Reaffirms Support for Yemen's Independence
The Security Council today decided to establish a special political mission to support implementation of the ceasefire agreement reached in Stockholm on 13 December 2018 between the Government of Yemen and the Houthi militia covering the city and port of Hodeidah, as well as the ports of Salif and Ras Issa.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2452 (2019), the Council decided that the United Nations Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) — with an initial mandate of six months — will lead and support the Redeployment Coordination Commission tasked with overseeing the ceasefire, redeployment of forces and mine action operations.
It will monitor compliance with the ceasefire, work with the parties to ensure that security is assured by local security forces, in line with Yemeni law, and coordinate United Nations efforts to assist the parties in fully implementing the Agreement.
Through the text, submitted by the United Kingdom, the Council — approving the Secretary-General's proposals on the Mission's composition and operational aspects — said UNMHA will be headed by the Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Commission, who will report through the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen and the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.
By other terms, the Council requested the Secretary-General to deploy the Mission expeditiously and call on the parties to the Agreement to ensure the safety, security and unhindered movement of its personnel, equipment and supplies. It also requested Member States, particularly those neighbouring Yemen, to support the Organization as required for the implementation of UNMHA's mandate.
Abdullah Ali Fadhel al-Saadi (Yemen) welcomed the resolution, saying it reaffirmed international support for Yemen's independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty, while stressing the need for a comprehensive and lasting peace that meets the aspirations of the Yemeni people. Emphasizing that his Government is fully committed to supporting implementation of the Agreement, he urged the Council and the international community to monitor ongoing ceasefire violations by the Houthi militia, supported by Iran, which have claimed 41 lives and injured 396 people. The Council must condemn such violations, he said, pointing to an attack last week on a Yemeni military base in which an Iranian drone was used. His Government looks forward to the special political mission in supporting the timely implementation of the Hodeidah Agreement.
Today's resolution comes one week after the Council reviewed the situation in Yemen, following the adoption on 21 December 2018 of resolution 2451 (2018), which expressed support for the talks between the Government and the Houthis in Sweden. (See Press Release SC/13659.)
The meeting began at 9:33 a.m. and ended at 9:39 a.m.
The full text of resolution 2452 (2019) reads as follows:
"The Security Council,
"Recalling its resolutions 2014 (2011), 2051 (2012), 2140 (2014), 2175 (2014), 2201 (2015), 2204 (2015), 2216 (2015), 2266 (2016), 2342 (2017), 2402 (2018) and 2451 (2018) and the statements of its President of 15 February 2013, 29 August 2014, 22 March 2015, 25 April 2016, 15 June 2017 and 15 March 2018 concerning Yemen,
"Having considered the letter of the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council of 31 December 2018 and its annex, circulated as document S/2019/28, submitted pursuant to its resolution 2451 (2018),
"Reaffirming its strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen and its commitment to stand by the people of Yemen,
"Reaffirming its endorsement of the agreement reached in Sweden by the Government of Yemen and the Houthis on the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa (the Hodeidah Agreement) and reiterating its call on the parties to implement it,
"1. Decides to establish a special political mission, the United Nations Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), to support the implementation of the Agreement on the city of Hodeidah and ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa as set out in the Stockholm Agreement, circulated as document S/2018/1134, for an initial period of six months from the date of adoption of this resolution;
"2. Decides further that, to support the parties in implementing their commitments in accordance with the Hodeidah Agreement, UNMHA shall undertake the following mandate:
(a) to lead, and support the functioning of, the Redeployment Coordination Committee, assisted by a secretariat staffed by United Nations personnel, to oversee the governorate-wide ceasefire, redeployment of forces, and mine action operations,
(b) to monitor the compliance of the parties to the ceasefire in Hodeidah governorate and the mutual redeployment of forces from the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa,
(c) to work with the parties so that the security of the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa is assured by local security forces in accordance with Yemeni law, and
(d) to facilitate and coordinate United Nations support to assist the parties to fully implement the Hodediah Agreement;
"3. Approves the proposals of the Secretary-General on the composition and operational aspects of UNMHA set out in the annex to his letter of 31 December 2018 to the President of the Council, and notes that the Mission will be headed by the Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee at Assistant-Secretary-General level, reporting to the Secretary-General through the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Yemen and the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs;
"4. Underlines the importance of close collaboration and coordination between all United Nations entities operating in Yemen in order to prevent duplication of effort and to maximise the leveraging of existing resources, including the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and the United Nations country team in Yemen, UNMHA and the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM);
"5. Requests the Secretary-General to deploy UNMHA expeditiously and calls on the parties to the Hodeidah Agreement to support the United Nations as set out in document S/2019/28, including by ensuring the safety and security of UNMHA personnel, and the unhindered and expeditious movement into and within Yemen of UNMHA personnel and equipment, provisions and essential supplies;
"6. Requests Member States, particularly neighbouring States, to support the United Nations as required for the implementation of UNMHA's mandate;
"7. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council on a monthly basis on progress regarding the implementation of this resolution, including on any obstructions to the effective operation of UNMHA caused by any party; and on resolution 2451 (2018), including on any non-compliance by any party;
"8. Further requests the Secretary-General to present to the Council a review of UNMHA, by five months from the date of adoption of this resolution;
"9. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter."
For information media. Not an official record.
Protection and Human Rights
OSESGY: Briefing of the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for Yemen to the Open Session of the UN Security Council, 16 January 2020 16 Jan 2020
UN SC: Despite 'Quietest Week' Since Start of Yemen Conflict, Access Constraints Hinder Humanitarian Aid for 6.7 Million People, Top Officials Warn Security Council 16 Jan 2020
OCHA: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – Director of Coordination Division, Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham - Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, 16 January 2020 16 Jan 2020
UN SC: Security Council extends political mission overseeing peace agreement in Yemen for six months, unanimously adopting Resolution 2505 (2020) 13 Jan 2020
Govt. Germany: Between hope and fear: Fresh prospects for a resolution of the Yemen conflict? 19 Dec 2019


text:
Q: jQuery how to DRY the similar onclick event calls I want to listen to two input change events, when one of the changes, check the checkbox and disable the element. Likewise, it needs to roll the checkbox back to the previous state when the value of input boxes back to the default values. The click function looks like 90% resemblance, how to DRY them?

var payment = 'old payment';
var billAdr = 'old billAdr';

$('#payment').val(payment);
$('#bill-adr').val(billAdr);

$('#payment').on('input', function() {
  var newPayment = $('#payment').val();
  if(newPayment !== payment) {
    $("#save-nxt-time").attr('checked', true);
    $("#save-nxt-time").prop('disabled', true);
  } else {
    var newBillAdr = $('#bill-adr').val();
    if(newBillAdr === billAdr) {
      $("#save-nxt-time").prop('disabled', false);
      $("#save-nxt-time").attr('checked', false);
    }
  }
});

$('#bill-adr').on('input', function() {
  var newBillAdr = $('#bill-adr').val();
  if(newBillAdr !== billAdr) {
    $("#save-nxt-time").attr('checked', true);
    $("#save-nxt-time").prop('disabled', true);
  } else {
    var newPayment = $('#payment').val();
    if(newPayment === payment) {
      $("#save-nxt-time").prop('disabled', false);
      $("#save-nxt-time").attr('checked', false);
    }
  }
});
<!DOCTYPE html>

  <form action="/#">
    payment
    <input type="text" id="payment" name="payment">

    bill address
    <input type="text" id="bill-adr" name="bill-adr">

    <input type="checkbox" id="save-nxt-time">
    Save to next time

    <input type="submit" value="Submit">
  </form>

A:

const oldPa = 'old payment';
const oldBi = 'old billAdr';

const $next = $('[name="save-nxt-time"]');
const $paym = $('[name="payment"]').val(oldPa);
const $bill = $('[name="bill-adr"]').val(oldBi);
const $paBi = $paym.add($bill);

$paBi.on('input', () => {
  const bool = $paym.val() !== oldPa || $bill.val() !== oldBi;
  $next.prop({disabled: bool, checked: bool});
});
form label {display: block;}
<form action="/#">
  Payment <input type="text" name="payment">
  Billing address <input type="text" name="bill-adr">
  <input type="checkbox" name="save-nxt-time"> Save to next time
  <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>

A: Like this ?

// first load
checkTest(true);

$('#payment, #bill-adr').on('input', function() {
   checkTest(false, $(this).attr('id'), $(this).val(), "#save-nxt-time");
});

function checkTest(init = false, id, value, input) {
  var payment = 'old payment', billAdr = 'old billAdr';

  if (init === true) {
    $('#payment').val(payment);
    $('#bill-adr').val(billAdr);
  }

  console.clear();
  console.log(value);

  if (value === billAdr || value === payment) {
    $(input).prop('disabled', false).attr('checked', false);
  } else {
    $(input).attr('checked', true).prop('disabled', true);
  }
}
<!DOCTYPE html>

  <form action="/#">
    payment
    <input type="text" id="payment" name="fname">

    bill address
    <input type="text" id="bill-adr" name="fname">

    <input type="checkbox" id="save-nxt-time">
    Save to next time

    <input type="submit" value="Submit">
  </form>

A: how about putting the text and ids of the elements in an array and looping through
run snippet below

$(document).ready(function() {
  const p = new PaymentMgr();
  p.init();
});

class PaymentMgr {
  constructor() {
    this.data = [{
      text: 'old payment',
      id: 'payment'
    }, {
      text: 'old bill address',
      id: 'bill-adr'
    }];
  }

  init() {
    this.data.forEach(element => $(`#${element.id}`)
      .val(element.text)
      .on("input", (e) => {
        ['checked', 'disabled'].forEach(attribute =>
          $("#save-nxt-time")
          .attr(attribute, $(e.target).val() !== element.text))
      })
    );
  }

}

<form action="/#">
  payment
  <input type="text" id="payment" name="payment">

  bill address
  <input type="text" id="bill-adr" name="bill-adr">

  <input type="checkbox" id="save-nxt-time">
  Save to next time

  <input type="submit" value="Submit">
</form>

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