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A30 world news
Diahuebs 17 December 2020

Human rights envoy criticizes Albania's handling of protests

lice’s “disproportionate use gas and water cannons on for everyone to respect lock-
of force” over several days of hundreds of demonstrators down measures set by health
protests in the capital Tirana hurling stones at them and at authorities. These include
and other cities. government buildings. a ban on public gatherings
The demonstrations have Following a strong police of more than 10 people, an
now waned, and only a few warning to avoid illegal gath- overnight curfew, the manda-
people turned out to protest erings because of the corona- tory use of masks and social
Tuesday — one week after virus pandemic the number distancing.
the shooting. of protesters on Monday di- “The response to the CO-
Albanians defied a corona- minished significantly, and VID-19 pandemic does not
virus ban on public gather- there were no clashes. give authorities carte blanche
ings after Klodian Rasha was Scores of people have been to use force when policing
killed in Tirana. Police say he arrested but only a few have assemblies,” said Mijatovic.
ignored officers’ calls to stop remained in custody. She also criticized the deten-
and ran away. A policeman Authorities say 28 police and tion of two journalists during
has been arrested and is being at least four protesters have the protests, saying: “Attacks
(AP) — A top European a man's fatal shooting by investigated for “homicide been injured in the clashes, on journalists constitute a se-
human rights envoy on police enforcing a corona- in excess of necessary self- though the number of in- rious violation of press free-
Wednesday said Alba- virus curfew. defense.” jured civilians may be larger. dom and the right to be in-
nian authorities should Prime Minister Edi Rama Police continuously formed.”
have shown restraint and The Council of Europe’s hu- apologized for the shooting, warned demonstrators they
avoided the use of exces- man rights commissioner, and his interior minister re- “wouldn’t tolerate any gath- The European Union also
sive force in policing re- Dunja Mijatovic, in a state- signed. ering that runs counter to condemned the detention of
cent demonstrations over ment criticized Albanian po- Last week, police used tear existing restrictions,” calling the two journalists.

Iran nuclear deal members urge Tehran return to compliance

(AP) — World powers The three European pow- amount of enriched uranium prehensive Plan or Action, for curbs on its nuclear pro-
that are part of a land- ers have expressed hope that it is allowed to stockpile and or JCPOA, when President gram, but with the reinstate-
mark 2015 nuclear deal with the change of adminis- the purity to which it is al- Donald Trump pulled out of ment of American sanctions,
with Iran urged Tehran on trations in Washington, the lowed to enrich uranium. the deal and imposed crip- the other nations have been
Wednesday to roll back vi- U.S. could be brought back German Foreign Ministry pling economic sanctions on struggling to provide Iran the
olations of the accord and into the deal, whose goal is to spokeswoman Maria Ade- Iran. assistance it seeks.
return to full compliance prevent Iran from developing bahr said Wednesday's meet- Despite Iran's violations, the
during a virtual meeting a nuclear bomb — something ing of political directors and The Russian delegate to the International Atomic Energy
in Vienna, a German offi- Tehran insists it doesn't want deputy foreign ministers JCPOA, Mikhail Ulyanov, Agency has reported that
cial said. to do. would assess implementation tweeted after the meeting Tehran continues to give in-
President-elect Joe Biden has of the nuclear accord, and that “the participants con- spectors full access to its nu-
The meeting came as the said he hopes to return the that the European countries firmed their firm commit- clear sites — a key reason the
signatories to the agreement U.S. to the deal, which was would demand Iran return to ment to the nuclear deal, as JCPOA member nations say
— Germany, France, Britain, negotiated while he was vice full compliance. well as readiness to undertake it is worth preserving.
China and Russia — con- president. Iran has said it is no longer intensive diplomatic efforts
tinue to try and keep it from But complicating that, Iran obliged to follow the restric- to ensure its full implemen- Delegates to Wednesday's
collapsing after the unilateral is now in violation of most tions, arguing that the U.S. tation.” meeting agreed to hold fur-
withdrawal of the United major restrictions set out in first violated the agreement, The deal promises Iran eco- ther “informal” ministerial-
States in 2018. the agreement, including the known as the Joint Com- nomic incentives in exchange level talks on Dec. 21.

Paris court convicts former Vatican envoy of sexual assault

(AP) — A Paris court on Wednes- Ventura has repeatedly denied wrong- Church. other victims the courage to come
day convicted a former Vatican doing. Sexual assault is punishable in Among the accusers was a former forward in other cases potentially
ambassador to France of sexually France by up to five years’ imprison- seminarian, Mahe Thouvenel, who involving the church," said Antoi-
assaulting five men in 2018 and ment and fines in France. said he was grabbed repeatedly by the nette Frety, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
2019, and handed him a suspend- The path for the prosecution of Ven- clergyman when they celebrated Mass "They know now that they will be
ed 8-month prison sentence. tura was cleared after the Vatican in December 2018. Another, Mathieu heard no matter what the rank of the
lifted his immunity in July 2019. His De La Souchere, alleged that Ventura aggressor is within the church. And
Retired Archbishop Luigi Ventura, trial in absentia was held Nov. 10. touched his behind repeatedly during that’s very important.”
76 — who was not present in court The sentence imposed Wednesday a reception at Paris City Hall. Another lawyer for the plaintiffs, Ed-
— was “shattered” by the verdict, was more lenient than the suspend- Thouvenel said his seminary kicked mond-Claude Frety, said the verdict
according to his lawyer, Solange ed 10 months the prosecution had him out after he filed a police com- should encourage potential victims
Doumic. She said she was uncertain sought. plaint. Under questioning from Ven- not to give up.
whether he would lodge an appeal Doumic said her client had “ex- tura’s lawyer, he put his right hand on
because the procedure “has been ex- plained himself multiple times," over the top of his right buttock to show “It means that victims have to be
tremely painful for him.” what the defense has described as one of the spots where he was alleg- brave, have to leave the silence and
“minor" accusations. edly groped. to talk," he said. Ventura "will not be
But the court decision “shows he “It’s violent,” Thouvenel said during in jail tonight, of course, but it’s quite
wasn’t heard, despite a 7-hour hear- the trial. “It sticks in your memory.” an important conviction because it
ing on gestures which are simple, The judge said at the time that, dur- means that these facts are now con-
light,” she said after the verdict. ing prior questioning, Ventura had sidered very severely by the courts.”
Five men alleged that they had suf- explained his behavior by saying he The former envoy had produced a
fered Ventura’s “hands on the but- had a “Latin” temperament and that doctor’s note saying it was too dan-
tocks” during his public diplomatic there was nothing sexual about his gerous for him to travel from Rome
duties in France. The case erupted gestures. to Paris for the November trial amid
in February 2019 amid multiple “These types of verdicts, when it in- France’s resurgence of the coronavi-
sex scandals affecting the Catholic volves a Vatican ambassador, can give rus pandemic.