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world news Dialuna 20 September 2021

UN, US, UK condemn Houthis’ execution of 9 Yemenis

(AP) — The United Na- Dujarric said the secretary
tions, the United States general “deeply regrets” the
and the United Kingdom executions, which caused
on Sunday condemned outrage across Yemen includ-
the executions of nine ing in Sanaa, where people
Yemenis by the country’s usually refrain from criticiz-
Houthi rebels over alle- ing the Houthis for fear of
gations that they were in- reprisals.
volved in the killing of a
senior Houthi official in Rebel leader Mohammed
an airstrike by the Saudi- Ali al-Houthi, head of the
led coalition more than Houthis’ Supreme Revolu-
three years ago. tionary Council, tweeted that
they have rejected the U.N.’s
The Iranian-backed Houthis challenge to the rebel-con-
on Saturday publicity execut- trolled judiciary.
ed the nine by firing squad.
Hundreds of people, mostly The nine were among more
Houthis and their support- than 60 people the Houthis
ers, attended the execution in accused of involvement in
the infamous Tahrir square the targeted killing of Saleh
in the rebel-held capital of al-Samad in April 2018. They
Sanaa. were charged with spying
for the Saudi-led coalition,
U.N. Secretary-General which has been waging war
Antonio Guterres said the against the rebels for years
trial in which the nine were in an effort to bring back Ye- panions in an airstrike by the and encouraged Yemeni par-
convicted and sentenced to men’s internationally recog- Saudi-led coalition in the The nine, including a ties to engage with the U.N.
death did not meet “the re- nized government to power. coastal city of Hodeida. 17-year-old boy, were arrest- “in good faith and without
quirements of fair trial and ed months after al-Samad’s preconditions” to relaunch
due process,” according to Al-Samad, who held the post The U.S.’s top diplomat in killing. They were held for talks for a peaceful settlement
a statement from Stephane of president in the Houthi- Yemen, Cathy Westley, called months in undisclosed places to the conflict.
Dujarric, spokesperson for backed political body, was the trial “sham” that followed where they suffered inhu-
the U.N. chief. killed along with six com- “years of torture and abuse” mane treatment, according to Yemen has been embroiled in
of the executed people. Abdel-Majeed Sabra, a Yeme- a civil war since 2014, when
ni lawyer representing one of the Houthis swept across
“This outrageous action is an- the people executed. much of the north and seized
other example of the Houthi Sanaa, forcing the interna-
indifference to basic human The U.N. secretary general tionally recognized govern-
rights ... This barbarism must also condemned the killing ment into exile. The Saudi-
end,” Westley said in a mes- of at least six people from led coalition entered the war
sage posted on the embassy’s the same family when a sus- the following year on the side
Twitter account. pected airstrike by the by the of the government.
Saudi-led Coalition hit their
The British embassy in Ye- vehicle Saturday in an area The stalemated conflict has
men also condemned “the between the provinces of killed more than 130,000
brutal Houthi execution,” Shabwa and Bayda. people and spawned the
which showed “blatant disre- world’s worst humanitarian
gard” for a fair trial and due He urged warring sides of crisis.
process. Yemen’s war to stop fighting

Obama endorses Trudeau in the Canadian election

(AP) — Barack Obama dian election, calling him mer American president. manuel Macron for president University of Toronto “Will
endorsed Canadian Prime an effective leader in a in France’s 2017 election, Obama’s endorsement make
Minister Justin Trudeau rare endorsement of a Ca- It is the second time Obama and he warned British voters a difference? Not many vot-
on Thursday in the Cana- nadian candidate by a for- has done it. Obama also against leaving the European ers are still undecided so the
urged Canadians to re-elect Union. material impact of Obama’s
the Liberal leader in Canada’s endorsement is minimal in
last election in 2019. Trudeau formed a close rela- my opinion. I think it is more
tionship with Obama when symbolic of Liberal affinity
Obama tweeted Thursday he was president. with the Democrats which
that he was proud to work has been the case since JFK
with Trudeau and described “Thanks for your support, in the 1960s.”
him as an effective leader @BarackObama,” Trudeau
who has strong democratic tweeted. “Progress is on the Daniel Béland, a political
values. ballot — and we’re going to science professor at McGill
keep fighting for it.” University, said it can only
Trudeau is in a tough re- help Trudeau with progres-
election fight with his Con- The former president has sive voters.
servative rival ahead of Mon- long been popular with many
day’s parliamentary elec- Canadians. “Obama remains very popu-
tions. Obama’s endorsement lar in Canada and, although
helped Trudeau with pro- “This is welcomed by Trudeau it’s unlikely to alter the race,
gressives in 2019. and Co. but not a surprise,” this is something positive for
said Nelson Wiseman, a po- the Liberals,” Béland said.
Obama also endorsed Em- litical science professor at the