(February 8, 2025)
Medhursts Mutter und Vater hatten 1988 als Teil eines UN-Kontingents symbolisch den Friedensnobelpreis für die Blauhelme bekommen. Jetzt der brisante Verdacht gegen ihn nach Paragraf 278b: Mitgliedschaft in einer terroristischen Vereinigung! Dafür drohen bis zu zehn Jahre Haft.
(February 7, 2025)
“I categorically deny all of these accusations by the Austrian and British governments, I’m a journalist, not a terrorist, and they bloody-well know it,” Medhurst said in his video. He added that he was a Christian being accused of belonging to Hamas, an Islamist organization resisting Israel’s occupation of Gaza.
Medhurst said the allegations by both countries were similar, but there has now been a “massive escalation” to accuse him of being a “member of a proscribed organization.” The British only accuse him of supporting the proscribed organization, Hamas, through his journalism.
“This is insanity,” he said. “This is an attack on the entire profession, on freedom of speech, on democracy itself.”
Medhurst said he could face up to 14 years of prison in Britain, plus 2-5 years if he doesn’t give them the passwords to his devices and perhaps 10 years in Austria.
04 Dec 2024
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
JAL
GBR 15/2024
– terrorism
– freedom of opinion and expression
– freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
– privacy
Information received concerning the potentially inappropriate use of provisions of the Terrorism Act 2000, the Terrorism Act 2006, and the Anti-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019. These provisions appear to have been employed to investigate, detain, collect data, and prosecute political activists and journalists, raising concerns about potential infringements of their fundamental
rights.
Alleged victims: 6
(…)
According to the information received:
Powers under counter-terrorism legislation have been used on multiple occasions to examine, detain, and arrest journalists and activists, particularly at the UK border. It is alleged that journalists and activists who are critical of Western foreign policy in the context of the conflict in the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war are especially affected by the reported misuse of these powers. In particular, schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, and schedule 3 of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, have been used to examine and obtain data from journalists and activists, including Johanna Ross (Ganyukova), John Laughland, Kit Klarenberg, Craig Murray and Richard Medhurst in circumstances where they appear to have no credible connection to “terrorist” or “hostile” activity. Furthermore, section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000 has been used to charge journalists and activists, including Richard Barnard and Richard Medhurst, for allegedly expressing support for a “proscribed organisation” in the course of activism and media reporting.
Without having knowledge of the material that may have substantiated the investigations or charges, we raise concern about an alleged pattern of overuse, or other misuse, of counter-terrorism legislation to target legitimate freedom of expression and opinion, including public interest media reporting, and related freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and political
dissent or activism.
(…)
Ben Saul
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism
Irene Khan
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Gina Romero
Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
Ana Brian Nougrères
Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy
(February 6, 2025)
Four UN Special Rapporteurs have written jointly to the UK government demanding explanation of its inappropriate persecution of journalists and political activists under the Terrorism Act. They state that those persecuted:
appear to have no credible connection to “terrorist” or “hostile” activity
The cases taken up by the United Nations are those of Johanna Ross (Ganyukova), John Laughland, Kit Klarenberg, Craig Murray (yes, me), Richard Barnard and Richard Medhurst.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President & CEO Matt Schruers:
“As the recent Salt Typhoon breach makes clear, end-to-end encryption may be the only safeguard standing between Americans’ sensitive personal and business data and foreign adversaries.
“Reports that Apple has been secretly ordered by the UK Government to weaken its encryption, including in the United States, are a troubling development, if accurate. Decisions about Americans’ privacy and security should be made in America, in an open and transparent fashion, not through secret orders from abroad requiring keys be left under doormats.”
So, why is this worse than you think. In my view — and no one can officially comment, so “views” will be all we can share — any such government action would not stop with Apple. Not to over-simplify matters, but a bad actor would simply run Google’s helpful switch to Android software. If the U.K is going after Apple, it’s also going after Google and Meta and others. Why would they not? But Soviet-style, none of these other parties can comment or answer questions or confirm or deny.
(February 7, 2025)
The law, known by critics as the Snoopers’ Charter, makes it a criminal offense to reveal that the government has even made such a demand. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.
Apple can appeal the U.K. capability notice to a secret technical panel, which would consider arguments about the expense of the requirement, and to a judge who would weigh whether the request was in proportion to the government’s needs. But the law does not permit Apple to delay complying during an appeal.
Apple’s iCloud backups aren’t encrypted by default, but the Advanced Data Protection option was added in 2022, and must be enabled manually. It uses end-to-end encryption so that not even Apple can access encrypted files. In response to the order, Apple is expected to simply stop offering Advanced Data Protection in the UK. This wouldn’t meet the UK’s demand for access to files shared by global users, however.
(today)
Hintertüren, wie die von den Briten geforderte, sind von Natur aus gefährlich. Beim Hack der US-Kommunikationssysteme im Jahr 2024, der angeblich von chinesischen Akteuren durchgeführt wurde, wurde eine Hintertür verwendet, die die USA und andere Regierungen gefordert hatten:
„Dies ist nicht das erste Mal, dass Hacker die von CALEA vorgeschriebenen Abhör-Backdoors ausnutzen. Wie der Computersicherheitsexperte Nicholas Weaver 2015 gegenüber Lawfare betonte, „muss jede in den USA verkaufte Telefonanlage die Möglichkeit bieten, eine große Anzahl von Anrufen effizient abzuhören. Und da die USA einen so großen Markt darstellen, bedeutet dies, dass praktisch jede weltweit verkaufte Telefonanlage die Funktion ‚Lawful Intercept‘ enthält.“
Vor zwei Jahrzehnten wurde diese obligatorische Abhörfunktion von Hackern, die es auf Vodafone Griechenland abgesehen hatten, unterwandert. Sie fingen Telefongespräche des Premierministers des Landes und hochrangiger politischer, polizeilicher und militärischer Beamter ab.“
Eleven air raids hit the Yemeni capital Sanaa, including the vicinity of Al-Sabeen Square, where around one million people were taking part in a weekly pro-Palestine march.
The Harf Sufyan District was hit by 12 airstrikes in the Amran Governorate of northern Yemen, while six hit the Hodeidah port west of the country. One strike also targeted the Ras Issa port north of Hodeidah.
The main power station in Haziz, south of Sanaa, was struck as well.
Corbyn also demanded answers on whether or not the UK would suspend the licences of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel.
„I remain astounded by your government‘s admission that it is making an exception to the UK‘s legal obligations. The Foreign Secretary has accepted the fact that F-35 jets are being used in violation of international humanitarian law. By justifying the continued licencing of F-35 jet parts, your government is admitting its complicity in war crimes,“ the letter said.
The UK‘s International Criminal Court Act, signed in 2001, enforces compliance with the court
Sir Keir Starmer has backed the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.
When asked about the issue, Sir Keir’s official spokesman said the Government respected the independence of the court.
He declined to say whether Mr Netanyahu would be arrested if he arrived in the UK.
(Adopted by Resolution 260 (III) A of the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December 1948.)
Article I
The Contracting Parties confirm that genocide, whether committed in time of peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish.
Article II
In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Article III
The following acts shall be punishable:
(a) Genocide;
(b) Conspiracy to commit genocide;
(c) Direct and public incitement to commit genocide;
(d) Attempt to commit genocide;
(e) Complicity in genocide.
Article IV
Persons committing genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in article III shall be punished, whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals.
(…)
Article IX
Disputes between the Contracting Parties relating to the interpretation, application or fulfilment of the present Convention, including those relating to the responsibility of a State for genocide or any of the other acts enumerated in article III, shall be submitted to the International Court of Justice at the request of any of the parties to the dispute.
Lammy recently alleged that the term genocide referred to “when millions of people lost their lives in crises like Rwanda, the Second World War in the Holocaust” and that using it to describe Gaza “now undermines (its) seriousness”.
(…)
“Will the Prime Minister share (Lammy’s) definition of genocide with this House?” the lawmaker asked Starmer.
The prime minister answered by saying that “it would be wise to start a question like that by reference to what happened in October of last year”.
“I’m well aware of the definition of genocide, and that is why I’ve never described this as and referred to it as genocide,” he added.
(October 30, 2024)
The defence ministry told Middle East Eye: “As a matter of principle, we only provide intelligence to our allies where we are satisfied that it will be used in accordance with International Humanitarian Law, and in this instance, only information relating to hostage rescue is passed to the Israeli authorities.”
(…)
Brendan O’Hara, the Scottish National Party’s spokesperson for the Middle East, told MEE it was “inconceivable”, given the scale of the destruction and death in Gaza, that the flights “do not contain footage which would be of significant interest to the investigators from the International Criminal Court”.
(…)
Labour MP Rachael Maskell told MEE: “It is crucial that any intelligence of breaches of international law are shared with the courts so they can assess the evidence and secure justice.”
“I trust that the UK government is working with the international courts to aid them in their work.”
Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Sir Keir Starmer MP,
Dear Prime Minister,
We, the undersigned, are writing to you as Muslim Labour Councillors representing communities all across Britain to call for an immediate and complete suspension of arms sales to Israel.
The tragic human toll we have seen over the past year has been unimaginable.
The letter by the Muslim councillors adds to pressure mounting on the British government from within the Labour Party to take stronger action against Israel.
Last week, 51 British MPs from seven political parties backed a parliamentary motion calling for the Labour government to take measures against Israel.
Nagasaki decided not to invite Cohen to mark this year‘s 79th anniversary of the bombing, citing security reasons to avoid possible protests.
That decision prompted the ambassadors of the United States, Britain and the European Union, among others, to skip the ceremony and send lower-level officials instead.
The UK is failing to stand up for international law, as Israeli forces are forcibly transferring civilians from northern Gaza to the south and relentlessly bombarding the area, making it uninhabitable and stripping away the essential conditions that sustain life. The Government must demand that Israel end its heinous attacks, and take action to oppose any annexation or shrinking of Gaza. Its current silence is tantamount to complicity.
(…)
Signatories:
– Action For Humanity
– Amos Trust
– Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)
– Welfare Association
– Caabu
– Sabeel-Kairos UK
– Amnesty International UK
– Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS)
– Islamic Relief UK
– Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights (LPHR)
– Trócaire
– War on Want
– Action Aid UK
– Global Justice Now
– Oxfam GB
Started streaming 78 minutes ago #israel #houthi #middleeast
LIVE: US, UK & Israel Conduct 14 Airstrikes on Sanaa and Hodeidah Airport in Yemen | Houthi Middle East | Free Press Journal | International News
Le forze armate di Stati Uniti e Regno Unito avrebbero attaccato le aree delle città di Sana‘a, Hodeidah e Dhamar, controllate dal movimento filo-iraniano Houthi in Yemen. Lo ha riferito l’emittente yemenita di proprietà degli Houthi «Al Masirah», con sede a Beirut, spiegando che gli attacchi aerei statunitensi e britannici hanno preso di mira l‘aeroporto di Hodeidah, una zona di Sana‘a e il sud della città di Dhamar.
The US and UK have launched strikes across Yemen, including in the capital city of Sanaa, Dhamar city and Hodeidah airport, according to Houthi-controlled, Al Masirah TV.
UNGA79 – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer addresses world leaders at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly
While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights inspires him, from his student days to being a prime minister, because it speaks of equal rights and peace, he said that notion “could seem like a distant hope today” amid a landscape of war, poverty, climate change or pandemics.
“My message today is this: We are returning the UK to responsible global leadership because I think the international system can be better,” he said. “This is the moment to reassert fundamental principles…to recommit to the UN…to work together for peace, progress and equality.”
Outlining a path towards those goals, he first pointed to ongoing wars, expressing London’s support for Ukraine. Calling on Israel to “step back from the brink” to provide space for a diplomat settlement, he said an immediate ceasefire is needed in Gaza, where the suffering continues to grow. Diplomacy is the only way to break the cycle of violence, he said.
„The vast majority of countries have made it clear: Israel‘s occupation of Palestine must end, and all countries have a definite duty not to aid or assist its continuation,“ said GJN‘s Tim Bierley. „To stay on the right side of international law, the U.K.‘s dealings with Israel must drastically change, including closing all loopholes in its partial arms ban and revoking any trade or investment relations that might assist the occupation.“
“There are many tools that are available to the United States, not simply harsh talk, which seems to have gotten us nowhere. But is America ready to do that?”
“I’m not too optimistic,” he said, answering his own question.
On Britain, Prince Turki said the country had “a special responsibility for what is happening in Palestine” due to its role in the “ill-begotten Balfour Declaration in 1917”.
Should the British government let Ukraine use UK missiles for direct attacks on Russia?
Yes
No
Don‘t know
However, supporters of Ukraine argue the nation needs the ability to hit targets inside Russia to be able to stage an effective resistance – and point to Russia’s use of foreign-sourced munitions against cities in Ukraine.
As East-West tensions over Ukraine enter a new and dangerous phase, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden are holding talks in Washington on Friday on whether to allow Kyiv to use long-range U.S. ATACMS or British Storm Shadow missiles against targets in Russia.
MOSCOW, September 10. /TASS/. At least 14 drones were shot down by air defense forces during an attempt to attack Moscow and the Moscow Region. A 46-year-old woman died in Ramenskoye, while earlier information about the death of a 9-year-old child was not confirmed. Several people were injured.
The effects of the fall of UAV fragments in the area of Zhukovsky airport are being eliminated.
Moscow and Kyiv have both sought to buy and develop new drones, deploy them in innovative ways, and seek new ways to destroy them – from using shotguns to advanced electronic jamming systems.
Both sides have turned cheap commercial drones into deadly weapons while ramping up their own production and assembly to attack targets including tanks and energy infrastructure such as refineries and airfields.
Announcing the move on Monday, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the decision to suspend 30 of 350 licenses did not amount to a blanket ban or an arms embargo, but only involved items with concerns over their use during the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The suspension, announced by Foreign Secretary David Lammy in parliament on Monday, is understood to cover components for military aircraft, including fighter aircraft, helicopters and drones.
“Facing a conflict such as this, it is this government’s legal duty to review export licences,“ Lammy told MPs.
Western countries and Israel share the same values of settler-colonialism, racism, white supremacy and genocide – all of which are imperial tools to protect their interests
War in the West Bank was planned before Hamas‘s attack on 7 October last year, a senior Fatah member with close links to security circles told me.
It was postponed by the Gaza war, but also refined and honed by it.
When Israel saw just how much Palestinian blood the US and Europe were prepared to tolerate in Gaza – how much destruction, how many millions would be continually displaced, and for how long – Israel felt emboldened to visit the same hell on its real target: the occupied West Bank.
(20.08.2024)
The UK‘s new Online Safety Bill, which is set to take effect next year and aims to curb speculative news and online hate speech, has gained renewed attention after far-right groups used social media to incite violence.
Starmer‘s Labour party had said it would seek a security and defence treaty with Germany if it won the July 4 general election, which it did by a landslide — propelling him to the premiership.
As he celebrated victory early Friday after winning a parliamentary election, George Galloway, a veteran left-wing firebrand, directed his attack squarely at the leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party.
“Keir Starmer, this is for Gaza,” Mr. Galloway said, wearing the fedora hat that has become his trademark. “You have paid, and you will pay, a high price for the role you have played in enabling, encouraging and covering for the catastrophe presently going on.”
The Commons is set to vote on an #SNP??????? motion for a ceasefire in Gaza, but the Labour Speaker has sparked fury by going against convention and selecting both the Conservative government and Labour amendments.
It‘s relief for Sir Keir Starmer, who could have been facing a sizeable rebellion from his MPs.
#StitchUp #FreePalestine #DefundIsrael #BoycottIsrael #EmbargoIsrael
We can be sure of one thing. History is going to be a much harsher judge of those political leaders who justified and tolerated the ethnic cleansing now going on in Gaza.
Biden and Starmer’s refusal to call for a ceasefire and their refusal to back the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Israel should take steps to comply with the Genocide Convention, will produce an indelible stain on their careers.
Neither man sees the danger they are in over Gaza. But then neither did Bush or Blair when they invaded Iraq.
(29.12.2023)
The call from the Labour leader – which adds to pressure from Conservative MPs – comes after the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, insisted on Thursday that the public had to “stick with” the 16 August date.
“This has been a summer of chaos for British businesses and British families. The Tory government has never been able to explain the logic of their self-isolation rules and has just repeated the same mistakes over and over again,” said Starmer.
Keir Starmer faces uncomfortable questions as party loses seat to Tories for the first time in 62 years
Boris Johnson today said there is ‚definitely going to be a world in which international travel will use vaccine passports‘ as he faces a Labour and Tory revolt over them potentially being used domestically.
Sir Keir stressed that using Covid status certificates in the UK was a complex issue, adding that he would scrutinise government proposals before deciding whether to oppose them.
But he said: „My instinct is that, as the vaccine is rolled out, as the number of hospital admissions and deaths go down, there will be a British sense that we don‘t actually want to go down this road.“
– Boris Johnson and the Government today won a crunch vote on extending coronavirus powers to September
– But the PM suffered a considerable Tory rebellion as 35 of his MPs voted against and a further 20 abstained
– Emergency powers will now be kept in place to September despite lockdown being due to end on June 21
– Rebels questioned need for ‚significant draconian powers‘ after life is supposed to be back to normal
(June 5, 2020)
The public deserves answers about the UK’s new opposition leader and his relationship with the British national security establishment, including the MI5 and the Times newspaper, his former role in the Julian Assange case and his membership in the intelligence-linked Trilateral Commission.
A new Opinium survey puts Labour on 41 per cent and the Conservatives on 37 per cent, providing a significant boost to Sir Keir Starmer‘s leadership.
The poll suggests the Tories are suffering because some 22 per cent of 2019 Conservative voters now say they are undecided about who to vote for.
(30.05.2020)
Normally, two doctors are needed to certify a death, one of whom has been treating the patient or who knows them and has seen them recently. That has changed. For Covid-19 only, the certification can be made by a single doctor, and there is no requirement for them to have examined, or even met, the patient. A video-link consultation in the four weeks prior to death is now felt to be sufficient for death to be attributed to Covid-19.
(30.05.2020)
Normally, two doctors are needed to certify a death, one of whom has been treating the patient or who knows them and has seen them recently. That has changed. For Covid-19 only, the certification can be made by a single doctor, and there is no requirement for them to have examined, or even met, the patient. A video-link consultation in the four weeks prior to death is now felt to be sufficient for death to be attributed to Covid-19.
Department of Health figures show the daily laboratory-confirmed death toll has risen 50 per cent week-on-week, with data suggesting the total number of coronavirus victims — both suspected and confirmed — has now passed the 100,000 mark.
Professor Sir Mark Walport, a member of the Government‘s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said it would be difficult to keep the new, faster-spreading strain of the virus under control without ‚much tighter‘ social-distancing measures.
Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, the former chief scientific adviser said: ‚It‘s clear that this variant is transmitting more readily – it‘s transmitting more readily in younger age groups as well.
“A better deal could have been negotiated, but I accept that option has now gone, the chance for renegotiation is over.
“There are just two paths now left for our country – to move forward with a deal or without one.”
The new tiers system for England came into force at midnight after the Commons approved it by 291 to 78 – but the healthy majority masked a disaster for Mr Johnson as a swathe of his own MPs abandoned him.
Scores of Tories joined the biggest uprising of this Parliament despite Mr Johnson personally waiting in the division lobbies and urging them to stick with the government, and he only secured victory because Sir Keir stopped short of opposing the measures.
– Boris Johnson‘s new tiers have been approved by the Commons despite revolt by 55 Conservative MPs
– The rebellion was the biggest in this Parliament despite desperate please from the PM and Matt Hancock
– Sir Keir Starmer saved the PM by ordering Labour to abstain effectively guaranteeing the government victory
– But move left Mr Johnson exposed to anger on his own benches with measures branded ‚back of fag packet‘
– Sir Keir suffered his own rebellion with 16 Labour MPs breaking ranks to oppose the government‘s measures
(10.11.2020)
A damning report published on Tuesday said the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill should not be introduced in its current form.
Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights said the proposed law “raises the abhorrent possibility of serious crimes such as rape, murder or torture being carried out under an authorisation”.
In den letzten Tagen und Wochen gab es weitere beunruhigende politische Entwicklungen im Vereinigten Königreich. Dazu gehört ein wegen Corona ausgesetztes Demonstrationsrecht, zwei durch das Unterhaus gewunkene Gesetzesentwürfe, die den Geheimdiensten und der Polizei erlauben, Gesetze zu brechen, und Verbrechen von britischen Soldaten im Ausland nach 5 Jahren verjähren lässt. Außerdem wurde eine neue Art des Covid-Testens getestet. Eine Zusammenfassung von Moritz Müller.
(29.10.2020)
Dieser Vorgang ist Teil eines grandiosen und weltweiten Spiels: Zum einen werden die sozialdemokratischen und sozialistischen, also die linken Parteien, in den meisten Ländern systematisch umgedreht und ruiniert. Zum andern gibt man sich mithilfe eines „streitbaren“ Kampfes gegen Rechts ein linkes Image. Siehe Merkel, siehe Macron und all ihre Unterstützer in den großen Unternehmen, Finanzkonzernen, den Milliardären und Geheimdiensten dieser Welt.
(June 5, 2020)
The public deserves answers about the UK’s new opposition leader and his relationship with the British national security establishment, including the MI5 and the Times newspaper, his former role in the Julian Assange case and his membership in the intelligence-linked Trilateral Commission.
(29.10.2020)