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world news Diahuebs 30 December 2021

Court shuts down another human rights group in Russia

(AP) — A court in Moscow on lawful, and it’s not to be amended
Wednesday granted a request to shut but only abolished because it was de-
down another prominent human signed with the aim of strangling civil
rights organization amid a sweeping society. Today, we received another
crackdown on Russian rights groups, proof of that,” Alexander Cherkasov,
independent media and opposition board chairman of the Memorial Hu-
supporters. man Rights Center, said Wednesday.

The Moscow City Court’s decision The rulings to close them drew wide-
to shut down the Memorial Human spread public outrage, with crowds of
Rights Center came a day after Rus- supporters showing up at courthous-
sia’s Supreme Court revoked the le- es on Tuesday and Wednesday despite
gal status of its sister organization, freezing weather.
Memorial, a human rights group that
drew international acclaim for its Both Memorial organizations prom-
studies of political repression in the ised to appeal the rulings revoking
Soviet Union. their legal status. In a statement Tues-
day, Memorial vowed to “find legiti-
Russian authorities previously de- mate ways to continue our work.”
clared both organizations as “foreign
agents” — a designation that brings Several top U.S. and European offi-
additional government scrutiny and cials condemned Tuesday’s decision able” — a label that outlaws organi- charges as politically driven.
carries strong pejorative connota- to shut down Memorial as an attack zations in Russia — or were accused
tions. Prosecutors petitioned to shut on Russia’s civil society. of links to “undesirable” groups, and Moscow city authorities served an-
down the groups last month, arguing several were forced to shut down or other prominent human rights group
they had repeatedly violated regula- Amnesty International called disband themselves to prevent fur- with an eviction notice on Tuesday.
tions obliging them to identify them- Wednesday’s ruling to close the Me- ther prosecution. The Civic Assistance Committee,
selves as foreign agents in all content morial Human Rights Center “yet which assists refugees and migrants
they produce. another blow to Russia’s civil society On Saturday, the authorities blocked in Russia, said officials handed the
movement after years of relentless at- the website of OVD-Info — a promi- organization a document voiding the
Memorial and the Memorial Human tacks.” nent legal aid group that focuses on agreement allowing the use of the
Rights Center rejected the accusa- political arrests — and urged social space without compensation and or-
tions as politically motivated. In recent months, Russian authori- media platforms to take down its ac- dered it to leave within a month.
ties have mounted pressure on rights counts after a court ruled that the
“We’ve been saying from the start that groups, media outlets and individual website contained materials that “jus- “The Civic Assistance will be fight-
the ‘foreign agents’ law -- and I’m do- journalists, naming dozens as foreign tify actions of extremist and terror- ing (this),” the organization’s chair-
ing the air quotations again -- is not agents. Some were declared “undesir- ist groups.” The group rejected the woman, Svetlana Gannushkina, said.

Israel strikes Gaza after gunfire wounds civilian near fence

(AP) — An Israeli and tions in the occupied West the ground, where attacks by fire from Gaza, and that it chants and VIPs, and approv-
three Palestinians were Bank after a rare meeting both Israeli settlers and Pales- responded with tank fire at ing residency status for thou-
wounded on Wednes- of top officials. tinians are on the rise. There multiple military positions sands of Palestinians in the
day in the first exchange have been no peace talks in manned by the Hamas mili- West Bank and Gaza Strip.
of fire in months on the Israel has announced a num- more than a decade. tant group, which has ruled Israel collects hundreds of
Gaza frontier. The vio- ber of measures in recent the territory since 2007. millions of dollars of taxes
lence came as Israel an- months it says are aimed at The Israeli military said a ci- The Gaza Health Ministry on behalf of the PA as part of
nounced measures aimed easing tensions, but they have vilian near the security fence said three Palestinians were the interim peace agreements
at improving living condi- had little visible impact on was lightly wounded by gun- wounded, without saying if signed in the 1990s.
they were civilians or fight-
ers. The tax transfers are a key
source of funding for the
Earlier, Israeli Defense Min- cash-strapped Palestinians,
ister Benny Gantz approved but Israel has withheld funds
a series of measures aimed at over the PA’s payment of sti-
improving relations with the pends to thousands of fami-
Palestinians after hosting Pal- lies that have had relatives
estinian President Mahmoud killed, wounded or impris-
Abbas at his home in Israel oned in the conflict. Israel
late Tuesday. says the payments incentivize
terrorism, while the Palestin-
It was the first time Abbas ians say they provide crucial
met an Israeli official inside support to needy families.
the country since 2010. The
two discussed security coor- Israel approved residency for
dination between Israel and some 9,500 Palestinians. Is-
the Palestinian Authority, rael controls the Palestinian
which administers pockets of population registry, and over
the occupied West Bank. the years its policies have left
an estimated tens of thou-
Gantz’s office said he ap- sands of Palestinians without
proved “confidence-building legal status, severely limiting
measures,” including the their freedom of movement,
transfer of tax payments to even within the occupied ter-
the Palestinian Authority, the ritories. Israel granted legal
authorization of hundreds of status to some 4,000 Palestin-
permits for Palestinian mer- ians in October.