Peć residents are holding mass protests against the blind eye being turned to the poor work of the police, judges, and prosecutors in this region of Kosovo. The protest was organized because of the hundreds of unsolved murders over the last ten years after conflicts in Peć.
Posts Tagged ‘mass protests’
Kyrgyz police block vote protest
July 29th, 2009 |
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A rally by opposition supporters in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, has been broken up by police.
About 40 people were arrested as they marched towards the centre of Bishkek, an opposition leader told the BBC.
The opposition alleges that last week’s election, which saw President Kurmanbek Bakiyev re-elected with 76% of the vote, was fraudulent.
European monitors said the vote was flawed, with widespread cases of ballot box stuffing and multiple voting.
A group of about 300 protesters had left a market on the outskirts of Bishkek and had gone a short distance towards an opposition headquarters when they were intercepted by police, the leader of the opposition United People’s Movement, Topchebek Turgunaliev, told the BBC.
Forty-two people were arrested and forced into waiting police buses, he said.
The main opposition candidate in the election, Almazbek Atambayev – a former prime minister, secured 8% of the vote. He declared the poll "illegitimate" and has called for mass protests against the government.
Mr Bakiyev came to power four years ago off the back of a popular uprising which became known as the Tulip Revolution. He had pledged to conduct free and fair elections.
His political opponents claim their supporters were threatened in the run-up to the election.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Musharraf Summoned By Pakistani Court Over Judges Firing
July 22nd, 2009 |
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ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s top court has summoned former President Pervez Musharraf to explain his 2007 firing of several dozen independent-minded judges. Wednesday’s court notice allows Musharraf to send a lawyer in his place.
The case, br…
French ‘Barbarian’ killer jailed
July 10th, 2009 |
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The leader of a Paris gang has been sentenced to life in prison in France for the torture and murder of a Jewish man, Ilam Halimi, in 2006.
Youssouf Fofana, 28, the only member of the Barbarians gang to be tried for the murder, will serve at least 22 years.
Mr Halimi was held by the gang for more than three weeks before being found by a railway line. He was handcuffed to a tree, naked and severely burned.
His death prompted mass protests in France against anti-Semitism.
Prosecutors had asked for the maximum sentence for Fofana – the life sentence means he must serve a minimum of 22 years.
The Associated Press reported that he mimed applause when the verdict was given.
Another 26 people were facing charges over involvement in the crime.
Fofana’s two main accomplices received sentences of 15 and 18 years respectively, while a young woman who lured Mr Halimi to his death was given nine years.
Two other defendants were acquitted.
Some of those charged were minors so the trial was heard behind closed door, against Mr Halimi’s family’s wishes.
Death threats
Inside France’s ‘Barbarians’ trial
Mr Halimi, who worked in a mobile phone shop, was lured by a female gang member to an empty apartment in the Parisian suburbs in February 2006.
When he arrived, he was attacked and drugged.
The kidnappers tried unsuccessfully to extort a ransom of 450,000 euros ($600,000; £405,000) from his family, sending them harrowing images and video recordings.
Fofana, who is of Ivorian descent, is said to have targeted Mr Halimi because he believed that "Jews are loaded".
After the murder he fled to Ivory Coast, from where he is reported to have made death threats to Mr Halimi’s family.
He was extradited to France in March 2006 to stand trial. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.