https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 14:06:58 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-turkiye-withdraws-as-host-of-cop16-blaming-februarys-earthquakes/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 17:46:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657942 Turkiye has withdrawn from hosting the United Nations' Cop16 biodiversity summit in 2024, citing three large earthquakes in February that devastated parts of the country, Reuters reports. According to the report, the UN convention on biological diversity announced that Turkiye had withdrawn due to "a force majeure situation", inviting other countries to offer to host the conference. It is hoped the scheduled dates – 21 October to 1 November – will not change. France, the UK, Switzerland and Spain are all possible replacement destinations for the conference, where governments will discuss how they are meeting targets to protect 30 per cent of land and sea, reform $500bn of environmentally damaging subsidies and restore 30 per cent of the planet's degraded terrestrial, inland water, […]]]> 657942 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-after-30-years-in-his-post-lebanese-central-bank-governor-steps-down/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 08:41:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656932 Controversial Governor of the Lebanese Central Bank, Riad Salameh, has stepped down after 30 years in office, news agencies reported, noting he is facing charges of money laundering, fraud and embezzling public funds. The 73-year-old's term ended yesterday, as Lebanon's financial losses stood at in excess of $72 billion, more than three times its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, the World Bank said. Late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri appointed him to the post in 1993 and he maintained the stability of the Lebanese Lira stable at 1,500 against the dollar, but Lebanon's economy has now almost collapsed and the World Bank has warned that it is facing one of the worst economic crises of the last 150 years. Salameh accused […]]]> 656932 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230723-lausanne-treaty-international-recognition-of-turkiyes-independence-marks-100-years/ Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:25:41 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654634 A century ago, on July 24, countries around the world acknowledged Turkiye as an independent and sovereign nation with the historic signing of the Lausanne Peace Treaty at the Rumine Palace in the lakeside Swiss city, Anadolu Agency reports. Months of intense negotiations had led up to the momentous event under the Lausanne Peace Conference, held at the Beau-Rivage Palace Hotel, situated on the picturesque shores of Lake Leman in Lausanne. In a book commemorating the hotel's 150 years of history, numerous details about the momentous conference are revealed, shedding light on why Switzerland was chosen as the venue, the intricacies of the negotiations, and the ultimate international recognition of a new nation. The Lausanne Peace Conference commenced in November […]]]> 654634 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230721-irish-activist-continues-his-2200-miles-walk-to-palestine/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:58:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654339 A sixty-five-year-old Irish activist, who set off to Palestine from Calais to raise awareness about the plight of refugees and human rights violations in the Occupied Territories, reached the Albanian port city of Durres on Saturday. Mick Bowman crossed France, Switzerland and Italy to reach Albania last week and will continue to walk through Greece, Turkiye and Jordan to reach the Occupied West Bank in Palestine. He began the 2,200-mile journey from Calais on 16 April last month. "Now half-way through my walk to Palestine, I've also had the opportunity in the three countries I passed through, to have many conversations about the great injustice faced by the Palestinians. I got to speak with fellow pilgrims when I was walking […]]]> 654339 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230712-russia-vetoes-extending-cross-border-aid-delivery-to-syria/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 08:15:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651592 Russia yesterday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at extending cross-border aid delivery to Syria from Turkiye through the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing. The move blocks millions of residents of the area from accessing aid. Switzerland and Brazil had initially proposed the mechanism be extended for 12 months, but Russia insisted on only a six-month extension. On Tuesday, 13 Security Council members voted in favour of a compromise resolution drafted by Switzerland and Brazil to extend the mechanism for nine months. China abstained and Russia vetoed. In a rival resolution, Russia insisted on only a six-month extension, but that was voted down. Resolutions need nine votes to get through the Council and no veto by permanent members: Russia, China, […]]]> 651592 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230711-unsc-postpones-vote-on-extending-cross-border-aid-delivery-to-syria/ Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:12:46 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651377 The UN Security Council yesterday postponed a vote to renew a cross-border mechanism that allows the use of the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing through Turkiye to deliver humanitarian aid to northwestern Syria, Anadolu news agency reported. The 15-member Council was scheduled to vote on a resolution drafted by Switzerland and Brazil seeking to extend the humanitarian corridor for 12 months. But Russia insisted on a six-month extension and submitted a rival resolution. With the exception of Russia, which has the right of veto, there is a broad consensus to extend the mechanism for a period of 12 months. Local sources told Anadolu that 79 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Idlib governorate yesterday, the day when the current authorisation expired. According to the sources the […]]]> 651377 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230705-egypt-gets-stolen-fragment-of-ramses-ii-statue-from-switzerland/ Wed, 05 Jul 2023 10:42:14 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=649720 Switzerland returned to Egypt a fragment of a 3,400-year-old statue of the pharaoh Ramses II on Monday, which was stolen more than 30 years ago. This "important archaeological asset" was handed over to the Egyptian Embassy in Bern by Carine Bachmann, director of the Swiss Federal Office of Culture (FOC). According to reports, the piece had been confiscated in Geneva during criminal proceedings and handed back to Egypt under Switzerland's law covering the international transfer of cultural property. Both countries are contracting parties to the UNESCO Convention of 1970 on the Measures to Prohibit and Prevent the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. Switzerland returns a fragment of a statue of King Ramses II to Egypt. […]]]> 649720 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230618-criminal-investigations-launched-over-burning-of-erdogan-effigy-swiss-ambassador-confirms/ Sun, 18 Jun 2023 09:05:20 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645347 Switzerland's ambassador to Turkiye has confirmed that criminal investigations have been launched against demonstrators who burned an effigy and picture of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Swiss city of Zurich this week. On Wednesday this week, a leftist group known as the Zurich Revolutionary Strike Collective set fire to the Turkish flag and an effigy and picture of Erdogan outside a bank in Zurich, prompting outrage by Turkiye. Ankara summoned Swiss ambassador Jean-Daniel Ruch to discuss the incident, with the Turkish presidency's Directorate of Communications condemning "the heinous attack against our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish flag by terrorists and their supporters in Zurich, Switzerland." OPINION: Unlike their media, Western nations recognise the necessity of Erdogan's […]]]> 645347 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230616-turkiye-summons-swiss-envoy-after-protesters-burn-erdogans-effigy/ Fri, 16 Jun 2023 13:38:09 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645217 The Turkish Foreign Ministry yesterday summoned the Swiss ambassador in Ankara after protesters burned the Turkish flag and an effigy of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Swiss city of Zurich. According to a statement by the Turkish presidency's Directorate of Communications, the Swiss authorities were asked to "launch an investigation without delay, identify the perpetrators, and take necessary steps swiftly." "We strongly condemn the heinous attack against our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish flag by terrorists and their supporters in Zurich, Switzerland," the statement read. The Turkish authorities "will closely follow the developments. We expect Switzerland not to allow such disgusting attacks and other attempts by terrorist groups to spread black propaganda," it added. On Wednesday, a group […]]]> 645217 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230605-syria-opposition-calls-to-resume-direct-talks-with-regime/ Mon, 05 Jun 2023 10:18:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642548 The Syrian opposition's Negotiation Commission yesterday called for the resumption of direct talks with the Syrian regime of President Bashar Al-Assad, under UN auspices. "The international, regional and Syrian conditions provide an appropriate circumstance for the resumption of direct negotiations… under a specific agenda and timetable," the commission said in a statement following a two-day meeting in Geneva. It called on "brotherly and friendly countries to support the efforts of the UN to take all necessary resolutions to fulfil a comprehensive political solution, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2254." After 12 years of devastating war, the political and military opposition no longer enjoys the same momentum it did at the start of the conflict; including vital support from Saudi […]]]> 642548 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230604-some-justice-at-last-for-tariq-ramadan-who-warns-muslims-to-beware-of-zionist-vilification/ Sun, 04 Jun 2023 16:06:40 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=642465 Anyone who supports Palestine and is vocal about the injustices suffered by the Palestinians living under Israel's brutal military occupation should be ready to be targeted and vilified by Zionist lobby groups. This is the astonishing warning from popular Muslim academic Tariq Ramadan who was cleared of rape charges and sexual coercion by a Swiss court last week, ending a six-year-long legal struggle. In an exclusive interview for MEMO, Ramadan told me of his fears after emerging victorious from the ordeal which he believes was orchestrated by the regimes in Saudi Arabia and the UAE which, along with Israel, have gone to extreme lengths to crush the Muslim Brotherhood, the popular movement founded in Egypt by Ramadan's grandfather, Hassan Al-Banna. […]]]> 642465 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230531-geneva-cancels-palestinian-exhibition-displaying-prisoners-suffering/ Wed, 31 May 2023 07:30:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=641108 The city of Geneva has decided to ban a Palestinian exhibition that highlights the suffering of Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails, Israeli media reported yesterday. According to Ynet News, this came following pressure from the Israeli Embassy in Switzerland and several pro-Israel organisations. Secours Rouge Geneva, in collaboration with Samidoun Geneva, prepared for the exhibition, which should have lasted from 25-27 May. "Less than 48 hours before the opening of the exhibition, we were contacted by the person responsible for the exhibition venue – the Almacén, who told us that the City of Geneva, owner of the building, had prohibited the holding of our exhibition," Samidoun said. It added: "The City of Geneva claimed a lack of information concerning our project, information which was, in reality, all public." Samidoun stressed: "This is nothing surprising coming […]]]> 641108 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230427-switzerland-indicts-2-managers-of-saudi-oil-company-in-malaysian-sovereign-fund-scandal/ Thu, 27 Apr 2023 09:26:36 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=631682 Switzerland's public prosecutor has charged two managers of the Saudi oil exploration company, Petro-Saudi, with commercial fraud, aggravated criminal mismanagement and aggravated money laundering as part of a major investigation into the Malaysia Development Berhad Fund (MDB) scandal. A statement issued by the Swiss prosecution's office said the defendants were accused of trying to enrich themselves and others by misappropriating at least $1.8 billion transferred to the MDB. The charges were based on events that took place from 2009 until at least 2015, the prosecutors said. In November 2017, the Swiss Public Prosecutor's Office launched its investigations into the case, and the charges brought before the Federal Criminal Court in the southern Swiss city of Bellinzona included commercial fraud, running […]]]> 631682 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230419-diplomatic-missions-in-sudan-urge-combatants-to-avoid-escalations-cease-fire/ Wed, 19 Apr 2023 16:42:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=630294 Diplomatic missions in Sudan, on Wednesday, called on rival forces to cease fire and observe obligations under international law to protect civilians, diplomats and humanitarian actors following a days-long bloody power struggle across the country, Reuters reports. The missions included the embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Delegation of the European Union. In a joint statement, they urged the Army and the most powerful paramilitary group to avoid further escalation and initiate talks to resolve outstanding issues. READ: Sudan Army chief, the warlord and a feud that risks civil war]]> 630294 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230414-prisoner-swap-process-begins-in-yemen/ Fri, 14 Apr 2023 12:42:24 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=629121 The implementation of the prisoner exchange deal began in Yemen on Friday, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Anadolu News Agency reports. "Today, the process of releasing a group of detainees has begun in accordance with the agreement that took place in Switzerland in March," ICRC spokesman, Adnan Hizam, told Anadolu. "These are wonderful moments for these former detainees to return to their families … It is an essential step in building the relationship between the parties to the conflict in Yemen," he said. "We hope that such a step will lead to more releases of detainees," Hizam added. An Anadolu reporter confirmed that Mahmud Al-Subaihi, former Yemeni defence minister, and Nasser Mansur Hadi, brother of […]]]> 629121 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230329-swiss-football-fans-raise-palestinian-flags-during-game-against-israel/ Wed, 29 Mar 2023 15:36:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=625244 READ: Israel continues to restrict Palestinian access to Al-Aqsa]]> 625244 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230323-saudi-iran-fms-to-meet-to-prepare-for-embassy-reopening/ Thu, 23 Mar 2023 12:05:22 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=624370 Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al Saud, agreed to meet with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, soon in order to pave the way for the reopening of embassies and consulates. The official Saudi Press Agency reported today that the two ministers exchanged greetings on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan. Abdollahian had said earlier that he would meet with the Saudi foreign minister soon, adding that Iran had proposed three countries to host the meeting. Abdollahian confirmed that Tehran and Riyadh agreed to restore relations to their normal course, noting that the two sides exchanged messages via Switzerland, which manages Saudi interests in Iran, and said that there is an agreement with Saudi Arabia for technical delegations from the two countries to inspect […]]]> 624370 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230321-swiss-bank-collapse-wipes-out-1-5bn-from-saudi-investment/ Tue, 21 Mar 2023 14:42:21 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=623707 Saudi Arabia's investment in Credit Suisse is almost wiped out and is expected to lose $1.5 billion, the Wall Street Journal has reported. Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman directed the government-backed Saudi national bank to make the investment last year following an increase in the price of oil. He reportedly made the investment against the opinion of his advisers. The Saudi investment in Credit Suisse was supposed to be the kingdom's entry into the global banking sector, cementing its emerging status as an investment powerhouse fuelled by oil. Now the investment is almost wiped out after Credit Suisse's emergency merger with the UBS banking group. READ: Saudi Arabia to invest about $266bn for clean energy – Minister Last week, Credit […]]]> 623707 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230320-saudi-arabia-houthis-agree-to-swap-almost-900-prisoners-following-switzerland-talks/ Mon, 20 Mar 2023 14:50:08 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=623299 Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthi rebels have agreed to the release of almost 900 prisoners, with over a dozen being Saudis detained by the Houthis and most being those detained by the Saudi and Yemeni government side. As a result of talks in Switzerland, facilitated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations, a total of around 880 detainees are to be exchanged between both sides of the ongoing conflict in Yemen, according to the Reuters news agency, which quoted the head of the Yemeni government delegation. The Houthis' chief negotiator, Mohammed Abdulsalam stated on Twitter today that the negotiations in Geneva "are heading towards reaching a humanitarian deal under which 700 prisoners, including women […]]]> 623299 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230304-switzerland-eases-syria-sanctions-in-response-to-earthquake/ Sat, 04 Mar 2023 12:56:12 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=619321 The Swiss government announced on Friday that it would ease the sanctions imposed on Syria since 2011 to support the work of humanitarian organisations providing assistance to the population affected by the earthquake. In a press release, it announced that on 3 March, 2023: "The Federal Council relaxed some of its sanctions against Syria, with the intention of making it easier for humanitarian actors active in Syria to establish the business relationships necessary for their work." Bern noted that the: "Ordinance of 8 June 2012 Imposing Measures against Syria prohibits the provision of money or economic resources to designated persons, entities or businesses." READ: Earthquakes caused $5.1bn in damage in Syria, World Bank estimates Based on the decree: "Humanitarian actors receiving […]]]> 619321 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230227-un-seeks-4-3bn-for-yemen-aid-as-global-crises-test-donor-coffers/ Mon, 27 Feb 2023 18:44:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=618405 The United Nations will ask crisis-strained donors on Monday to come up with $4.3 billion to finance this year's aid plan for Yemen, one of the world's top humanitarian disasters despite a no-war, no-peace stalemate that has largely stopped fighting, Reuters reports. Underfunding has seen agencies scale back Yemen aid projects, including food rations, in the past couple of years. Last year donors gave $2.2 billion of the $4.27 billion sought, UN data shows. "Record global humanitarian needs are stretching donor support like never before, but without sustained support for the aid operation in Yemen, the lives of millions of Yemenis will hang in the balance," said a UN statement. READ: UN must adopt resolution on human rights in Egypt: rights […]]]> 618405 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230220-syrias-long-history-of-sanctions-hurts-the-people-much-more-than-the-regime/ Mon, 20 Feb 2023 16:59:50 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=616153 Some countries just seem to be doomed from the start, and Syria looks like one of them. With a family of dictators at the helm, an ongoing civil war, an economic crisis and now the devastating earthquake which has killed thousands and displaced more than  million people, it really does seem as if Syria can't get a break. But can a country that has been crippled by sanctions since the 1970s even dream of better days? Hafez Al-Assad and his son Bashar have both ruled Syria with an iron fist; Assad Junior still does. They built up a network of loyalists and spies which enabled them to gain and then stay in power. Their reputation, fanned by the West, is […]]]> 616153 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230203-turkiye-summons-nine-western-envoys-over-security-alerts/ Fri, 03 Feb 2023 09:00:42 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=611625 Turkiye summoned ambassadors of nine Western countries, including the United States and Sweden, on Thursday to criticise their decision to temporarily shut diplomatic missions and issue security alerts following Quran-burning incidents in Europe, Reuters reported. The envoys of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Britain were also summoned, according to Foreign Ministry sources in Ankara. Over the last two weeks, far-right activists burned copies of the Muslim holy book, the Quran, in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, acts that prompted Turkiye to halt negotiations meant to lift its objections to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. Turkish Interior Minister, Suleyman Soylu, accused the embassies of waging "a new psychological war" against Turkiye on the same day Ankara had set […]]]> 611625 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230127-turks-in-switzerland-protest-swedens-quran-burning/ Fri, 27 Jan 2023 13:40:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=609711   WATCH: Israel bombs Gaza after Hamas' Jenin retaliation]]> 609711 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230105-report-downed-iran-drone-in-ukraine-contained-us-parts/ Thu, 05 Jan 2023 15:56:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=603961 An Iranian drone shot down in Ukraine last year was found to contain parts made by 13 US companies, according to a Ukrainian intelligence report obtained by CNN. The investigation found discovered that 40 out of the 52 components that made up the Iranian-made Shahed 136 "suicide drone" were produced by US companies. The remaining 12 parts were manufactured by companies in Canada, Switzerland, Japan, Taiwan and China. Yesterday the White House said it was looking into curbing Iranian drone production through increased sanctions and export controls and has been in contact with the private firms whose parts were found in the drones. "We are assessing further steps we can take in terms of export controls to restrict Iran's access […]]]> 603961 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221209-protests-in-geneva-after-afghan-refugee-commits-suicide/ Fri, 09 Dec 2022 10:39:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=599399 A 18-year-old Afghani committed suicide on December 6, after hearing the news of the deportation, Anadolu reports. The young Afghan arrived in Geneva last year, and he was living with a Swiss family and learning the French language. Despite the young man's adaptation to his surroundings and the environment in which he lives, the Geneva court decided to deport him and return him to Greece. According to allegations reported in the media, the immigration authorities in Geneva ignored doctors' warnings that the young Afghan was suicidal. Following the spread of the news of the suicide of the Afghani man, Bel Air Street in Geneva witnessed a massive protest demonstration in which thousands participated. UNHCR: There is no such thing as […]]]> 599399 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221206-tunisia-ex-president-to-be-questioned-over-passports-for-foreigners/ Tue, 06 Dec 2022 17:24:44 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=598932 Tunisia's former President Hammadi Jbali is facing a Tunisian court to explain a potential link between himself and Youssef Nada and Ghaleb Hemmet, two men who obtained Tunisian passports in the 1970s which were renewed at the end of 2012 months after the decision of the European Court of Human Rights that Egyptian businessman Nada's rights had been violated by the Swiss authorities, which placed restrictions on his movement across borders. That decision was taken after Nada was accused by the US of helping to finance the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He was placed on a sanctions list approved by the UN Security Council, which placed travel restrictions on those listed. In Nada's case no evidence against him was ever found, […]]]> 598932 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221012-un-denmark-swiss-embassies-sign-6-2m-project-to-support-egypt-through-cop27/ Wed, 12 Oct 2022 09:37:12 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=585780 A group of international bodies have signed a $6.2 million project to support Egypt's presidency of COP27. In November, heads of state, ministers, journalists and more will gather in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh to discuss issues related to tackling the climate emergency. The United Nations Development Programme, the EU, the Embassies of Denmark and Switzerland and the African Climate Foundation are part of the $6.2 million project to support Egypt's presidency, help the North African state deliver on its commitments, and implement the Paris Agreement. Human rights organisations have accused Egypt of using COP27 to elevate its position on the international stage, deflect criticism and syphon foreign funds after Egypt said that climate finance must be […]]]> 585780 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220922-report-raises-alarm-over-institutionalisation-of-islamophobia-in-europe/ Thu, 22 Sep 2022 14:54:35 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=581986 Islamophobia remains a growing threat across Europe, with several countries enacting policies that have contributed to the institutionalisation of an issue that should, instead, be stamped out with urgency, a new report has warned. According to the European Islamophobia Report 2021, Islamophobia was "as pressing a problem" across the continent as it was in previous years. It said countries, such as the UK and France, became "the main spots of anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobic incidents." "Furthermore, anti-Muslim campaigns of far-right parties in EU member States dominate the discrimination against Muslim individuals and communities", read the report, which focused on 27 European countries, and was prepared with contributions from 35 leading academics and experts in the field. The report links the […]]]> 581986 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220922-algeria-launches-bid-for-un-security-council/ Thu, 22 Sep 2022 07:54:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=581902 Algeria yesterday launched a campaign to promote its candidacy for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council for the term 2024-2025. Elections are due to be held during the 77th General Assembly session in June 2023. This came amid increasing demands for reforming the Security Council and breaking major countries' influence over its decisions. Algeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, Ramtane Lamamra, accompanied by the country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Nadir Arbaoui, and all members of the Algerian delegation, launched the campaign at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York. The campaign included banners promoting Algeria's candidacy for the Security Council, as well as for membership in the Human Rights Council […]]]> 581902 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220826-west-accuses-sudan-military-of-retreating-from-cooperation-with-icc/ Fri, 26 Aug 2022 11:02:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=575882 The ambassadors of 11 Western countries and the European Union delegation in Khartoum yesterday accused the military rulers in Sudan of retreating from cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) since seizing power in a coup last October, Anadolu news agency reported. In a joint statement the embassies of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union mission in Khartoum said: "The former Transitional Government worked closely with the ICC. We note the backwards step in such cooperation since the military takeover of 25 October 2021." READ: Sudan reshuffles military leadership This comes as ICC Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, on Wednesday called on the Sudanese authorities to cooperate with […]]]> 575882 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220719-syria-talks-postponed-says-un-envoy/ Tue, 19 Jul 2022 19:08:36 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=567839 Syrian Peace Talks scheduled in Geneva this month on a new Constitution for Syria have been cancelled, UN Syrian Envoy, Geir Pedersen, announced, Reuters reports. According to the report, the UN Special Envoy for Syria also expressed regret that talks between the regime and opposition scheduled to start on 25 July in Geneva "are no longer possible". Pedersen said in a statement that the ninth round of talks on revising the Constitution of the conflict-torn country could not be held and alluded to the neutrality issue, stressing the importance of all players in the 11-year conflict "protecting and firewalling the Syrian political process from their differences elsewhere in the world". Russia, which supports the Syrian government, had called in June […]]]> 567839 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220705-iran-denounces-as-irresponsible-us-european-pursuit-of-iaea-resolution-during-negotiations/ Tue, 05 Jul 2022 15:16:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=565399 Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi denounced as "irresponsible" the US and European efforts to propose a resolution against his country at the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors while negotiations are still ongoing over Iran's nuclear energy file, the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. READ: Qatar, US discuss efforts to revive Iran nuclear deal Raisi's statements came in a meeting with the new Swiss Ambassador to Tehran, Nadin Olivier Rey, who was presenting her credentials to him. The Iranian president added that the US-European move to propose a resolution against his country during the IAEA's Board of Governors meeting violated "the spirit of negotiations and agreement" and constituted "paradoxical behaviour", according to IRNA.]]> 565399 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220625-switzerland-court-acquits-qatar-head-of-paris-saint-germain/ Sat, 25 Jun 2022 12:32:48 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=563619 A Swiss federal court on Friday acquitted Qatari President of Paris Saint-Germain football club Nasser Al-Khelaifi of corruption charges, news agencies reported. Al-Khelaifi, who is also chairperson of Qatar-owned broadcaster beIN Media Group, has been charged with inciting FIFA's former Secretary-General Jerome Valcke to commit "aggravated criminal mismanagement" related to the attribution of World Cup TV rights. Valcke was also acquitted of the same charges, but received an 11-month suspended sentence for bribery and forgery of documents in a separate case. Valcke is facing charges related to TV rights. "Today's verdict is a total vindication," Marc Bonnant, the Swiss lawyer of Al-Khelaifi, asserted. "After a relentless six-year campaign by the Prosecution – which ignored both the basic facts and the […]]]> 563619 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220617-lutheran-church-calls-for-ending-the-israeli-occupation-of-palestine/ Fri, 17 Jun 2022 14:20:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=562364 The Lutheran World Federation has issued a statement calling on the international community to find "a lasting solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict," one that brings "an end to the occupation." "The Council is deeply concerned by the continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the recent escalation of violence, including the killing of journalist Shireen Abu Aqleh, other journalists and other innocent victims," the statement said, referencing the targetting of Palestinian Al Jazeera reported Abu Akleh who was killed by sniper fire while covering an Israel raid on a Palestinian refugee camp last month. "It is discouraging that thus far, no solution has been provided to the serious situation and as a result people's human rights, lives, livelihoods and dignity are threatened." LWF praised the work of […]]]> 562364 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220616-saudi-arabia-to-invest-1bn-a-year-in-anti-ageing-research/ Thu, 16 Jun 2022 14:36:29 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=562230 The Saudi royal family has launched a non-profit organisation called the Hevolution Foundation, which plans to invest $1 billion annually in funding anti-ageing research and the biology of extending human lifespan. According to a report last week by MIT Technology Review, if it goes ahead, the initiative will make the kingdom "the largest single sponsor of researchers attempting to understand the underlying causes of ageing – and how it might be slowed down with drugs". It's annual budget far exceeds that of the US National Institute on Aging, which funds similar research with about $325 million a year. The foundation's name is based on the combined words "Health" and "Evolution". It has yet to make a formal announcement, but is believed […]]]> 562230 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220614-israel-outcry-over-mps-expel-all-arabs-to-switzerland-comment/ Tue, 14 Jun 2022 12:58:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=561739 A senior member of Israel's fragile coalition government has been criticised for saying that he would deport all Arabs in the Holy Land to Switzerland if he could. The comments by Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Matan Kahana surfaced online. The Knesset member for Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's right-wing Yamina party made the remarks on Monday in a speech at a boy's religious high school in the illegal settlement of Efrat in occupied Bethlehem. The video clip aired by Israeli channel Kan shows Kahana saying: "If there was a button I could press that would take all the Arabs and put them on a train to Switzerland, I would. A button like that does not exist. Apparently we were destined to […]]]> 561739 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220527-iran-summons-swiss-envoy-over-us-seizure-of-iranian-oil-media/ Fri, 27 May 2022 14:04:34 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=559113 Iran, on Friday, summoned the Envoy of Switzerland, which represents US interests in Tehran, to protest against the US seizure of Iranian oil from a Russian-operated ship near Greece, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement quoted by Iranian media, Reuters reports. The Ministry called for the immediate release of the ship and its cargo, the IRNA state news agency quoted it as saying. The United States, on Wednesday, imposed sanctions on what it described as a Russian-backed oil smuggling and money laundering network for Iran's Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force. A spokesperson for the US Department of Justice declined to comment on the oil seizure. "The Islamic Republic expressed its deep concern over the US government's continued violation of international […]]]> 559113 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220518-gamal-mubarak-declares-victory-over-corruption-charges/ Wed, 18 May 2022 12:18:38 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=556755 In statements released yesterday, Gamal Mubarak said attempts to prosecute his family have failed both within Egypt and in Europe. This, he added, demonstrates their innocence. He did not, however, explain how is family amassed their wealth. In April, Swiss federal prosecutors dropped an 11-year investigation into suspected money laundering by Egyptians related to the Arab Spring uprisings, including Gamal and his brother. The original suspects, most of whom held official or important economic positions in Egypt, were thought to have used Switzerland to launder the proceeds of corrupt acts. This came after a leak from one of the world's biggest private banks, Credit Suisse, revealed that it opened accounts for clients involved in torture and corruption including from the Middle East and […]]]> 556755 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220421-iran-artefacts-returned-after-legal-dispute/ Thu, 21 Apr 2022 15:29:50 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=550350 A collection of ancient Iranian artefacts have been returned to the country's National Museum after a 40-year search and a longstanding legal dispute. Dating back almost 3,000 years, 51 decorated glazed bricks were made by the Mannean kingdom between the 10th-7th century BCE, which was based in today's north-western Iran. Their discovery and repatriation "is a series of incredible adventures," Youssef Hassanzadeh, an archaeologist with the museum, told AFP. The bricks, which depict anthropomorphic animals such as lions, winged cows and other mythological figures, were first discovered after the 1979 Islamic Revolution by a farmer named Mirza Ali while cultivating his field. The bricks had been used to decorate a temple near his village in the West Azerbaijan province. However in the initial chaos after the political upheaval, "people were looting and selling glazed bricks, […]]]> 550350 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220421-palestinians-win-landmark-case-in-switzerland-for-un-protection-rights/ Thu, 21 Apr 2022 15:06:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=550320 After an eight-year legal battle, a Swiss court has recognised the statelessness of Palestinian refugees from Syria and acknowledged their right to protection. The landmark case could open the door for other Palestinians to secure basic rights as refugees that have been denied to them since their ethnic cleansing by Israel. The decision by the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland will grant Palestinian refugees their right of protection under the 1954 UN Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons. Due to various political and historical reasons, Palestinian refugees are unique in that they suffer from what is referred as a "protection gap" in the international system. Of the six million Palestinian refugees, the vast majority have access to basic services […]]]> 550320 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220413-swiss-prosecutors-drop-arab-spring-probe-of-egyptians/ Wed, 13 Apr 2022 10:01:22 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=548588 Swiss federal prosecutors have dropped an 11-year investigation into suspected money laundering by Egyptians related to the Arab Spring uprisings, Reuters has reported. "Despite the numerous enquiries and having transferred 32 million Swiss francs to Egypt in 2018, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) must now accept that the investigation has been unable to substantiate suspicions that would justify the indictment of anyone in Switzerland or any forfeiture of assets," the OAG said on Wednesday. It added that it would release the remaining 400 million Swiss francs ($429 million) that had been frozen. The Swiss inquiry began in 2011 following events related to the protests which led to the downfall of long-time Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak. The "complex and […]]]> 548588 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220321-new-round-of-talks-on-constitution-for-syria-begins-in-geneva/ Mon, 21 Mar 2022 14:26:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=544467 A new round of talks involving the Constitutional Committee seeking a solution to the ongoing 11-year war in Syria resumed in Geneva Monday, Anadolu News Agency reports. The five days of talks, scheduled to end on Friday, involve both the regime and the opposition and are taking place at Geneva's Intercontinental Hotel instead of at the Palais des Nations, the European headquarter of the UN. UN Special Envoy on Syria, Geir Pedersen, said at a news conference on Sunday he did not want to predict the outcome of the seventh round of talks after the last round in October ended in "disappointment." "It is now close to two and a half years since we had the first meeting. I will […]]]> 544467 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220317-angelina-jolie-situation-in-yemen-heartbreaking-infuriating/ Thu, 17 Mar 2022 13:02:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=543970 Special Envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie, yesterday described the situation in Yemen as "heartbreaking and infuriating". Jolie made the remarks in a statement delivered at the high-level pledging event on the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen held under the UN auspices and in cooperation with the governments of Switzerland and Sweden. Jolie said she visited Yemen ten days ago in order to meet some of the four million people displaced by the conflict. "I visited one informal settlement that was home to 130 families. Only 20 of them receiving any food aid at all – and then, it was only when funding is available, I visited a makeshift school, it was made up of five […]]]> 543970 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220309-swiss-public-prosecutor-demands-ex-fifa-official-qatari-national-be-jailed/ Wed, 09 Mar 2022 10:50:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=541070 The Swiss Public Prosecution yesterday demanded the imprisonment of Qatari national Nasser Al-Khelaifi, president of the French football club Paris Saint-Germain, for 28 months, and the former FIFA Secretary-General Jerome Valcke, for 35 months. On Monday, the Swiss judiciary began an appeal against the acquittal of the defendants in a corruption case related to television rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups, before the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona. The Swiss judiciary had previously acquitted Al-Khelaifi and Valcke on 30 October 2020, but the public prosecutor appealed the court's decision, starting the second chapter of the trial on Monday. It is set to conclude tomorrow. The Public Prosecution accuses Valcke of getting exclusive use of a luxury villa on […]]]> 541070 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220222-swiss-bank-leaks-inaccurate-misleading-jordan-royal-court-says/ Tue, 22 Feb 2022 12:08:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=537682 Reports claiming that King Abdullah II opened secret bank accounts in Switzerland as the Arab Spring protests were setting off across the Middle East are "inaccurate, outdated and misleading" and aim to defame the king, the Royal Court said yesterday. On Sunday, banking data leaked by an anonymous whistleblower to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung included details of the hidden wealth of Credit Suisse clients involved in torture, drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption and other serious crimes. The leaked data contained details of 18,000 bank accounts including that of Jordan's King Abdullah. The data revealed that Jordan's King Abdullah and his wife, Queen Rania, opened several accounts during a period of massive unrest in the Middle East following the 2011 popular uprising, which led […]]]> 537682 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220221-leaked-data-uncovers-millions-held-by-jordans-king-abdullah-in-swiss-bank/ Mon, 21 Feb 2022 15:39:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=537580 Jordan's King Abdullah hoarded hundreds of millions of dollars in at least six different bank accounts, according to banking data leaked yesterday which exposed the secret owners of some $108 billion held in Swiss bank Credit Suisse. The huge trove of banking data was leaked by an anonymous whistleblower to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. They include details of the hidden wealth of Credit Suisse clients involved in torture, drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption and other serious crimes. The leaked data contains details of 18,000 bank accounts. The accounts of many prominent figures from the Middle East were exposed in the data leak including those held by intelligence and military figures from Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Iraq and Algeria. The bank's clients […]]]> 537580 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220221-ex-egypt-president-mubaraks-cronies-had-millions-in-swiss-bank-reveals-credit-suisse-leak/ Mon, 21 Feb 2022 15:05:14 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=537571 A leak from one of the world's biggest private banks, Credit Suisse, reveals that it opened accounts for clients involved in torture and corruption including from the Middle East and kept them open even after details of their crimes were made public. An anonymous whistleblower leaked details of thousands of the bank's clients to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, which found among them dictators, spies and corrupt politicians with accounts worth a collective value of $8 billion. Breaching bank secrecy is a criminal offence under Swiss law, which protected many of the clients and helped them carry out corruption scandals in poor countries. "I believe that Swiss banking secrecy laws are immoral," the whistleblower said in a statement. "The pretext of protecting financial […]]]> 537571 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220217-iraq-has-banking-secrecy-clause-lifted-from-smuggled-money-in-switzerland/ Thu, 17 Feb 2022 09:00:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=536592 Iraq is a step closure to identifying the amount of money deposited in Swiss banks by the former regime and recovering it, the President of the Federal Commission of Integrity (Nazaha) Judge Alaa Jawad Al-Saadi said yesterday. The official said Iraq has succeeded in removing international banking secrecy clauses off of smuggled funds in Swiss bank in coordination with the Swiss Treasury. This comes as part of a campaign launched by Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi to recover the smuggled funds, and to stop the country's wealth being drained through various companies and people. Smuggled funds are divided into frozen and unfrozen funds believed to be stored mainly in Switzerland and Scandinavia by members of the former regime of the late President Saddam Hussein as well as money smuggled through corrupt […]]]> 536592 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220209-switzerland-may-sue-ex-algeria-minister-for-war-crimes/ Wed, 09 Feb 2022 08:32:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=534085 Former Algerian Defence Minister Khaled Nezzar is to be prosecuted in Switzerland for alleged war crimes committed in Algeria between 1992 and 1994, Arabi21 reported yesterday. In a statement, Trial International said: "The Swiss Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has conducted the final hearing of Khaled Nezzar. The OAG holds that numerous war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed while Mr. Nezzar was leading the military junta and serving as Minister of Defense at the beginning of the Algerian civil war." "The end of the proceedings paves the way for Mr. Nezzar to be sent to trial before the Federal Criminal Court (FCC) for serious offences constituting complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity, including extrajudicial executions, torture and enforced disappearances," it explained. "A […]]]> 534085