Page 29 - bon-dia-aruba-20210708

A29
world news Diahuebs 8 Juli 2021

UK bases on Cyprus boost fight against migrant smugglers

(AP) — Authorities at a The breakaway Turkish Cy-
British military base on priot north declared inde-
Cyprus have hired 50% pendence nearly a decade lat-
more customs officers and er, but only Turkey recogniz-
procured detection equip- es it. Turkey also maintains
ment to better thwart ille- more than 35,000 troops in
gal immigration from the northern Cyprus.
breakaway north of the
ethnically split island. A buffer zone controlled by
U.N. peacekeepers separates
The addition of 24 new of- the north from the Greek
ficers and four SUVs — two Cypriot south where the is-
with thermal imaging camer- land’s internationally recog-
as — allows authorities to pa- nized government is seated.
trol around-the-clock along Although Cyprus is a Euro-
a 45-kilometer (28-mile) pean Union member, only
boundary, Customs and Im- the southern part enjoys the
migration Chief Adam Chat- bloc’s full benefits.
field said.
The EU is boosting the role of
More migrants have arrived its border guard and ramping
on Cyprus without autho- up security and surveillance
rization in recent years. In along its eastern borders, in-
2018, authorities located 17 cluding nearby Greece where doned homes and fields that a month. The overwhelming with the government to
people trying to cross in six authorities have extended a offers secluded routes for majority now are Syrian men transfer asylum-seekers to
instances. That jumped to border wall facing Turkey smugglers, or for migrants to seeking asylum in the south. the south where their claims
33 people in 16 crossing at- and set up high-tech obser- cross. are processed. Chatfield said
tempts a year later, while 67 vation towers. About 5 million Syrians arrangements are made to re-
people were intercepted in There’s not even a fence to have fled their country dur- turn those who don’t apply
nine attempted crossings last Dhekelia Garrison, one of separate the base from the ing a 10-year conflict that for asylum to the north.
year. two military bases that the north. has killed about half a mil-
U.K. retained after Cyprus lion people. Many more have Chatfield said an interna-
Cyprus was cleft along eth- gained independence from Chatfield told The Associ- been displaced inside Syria. tional network of smugglers
nic lines in 1974 when Tur- British colonial rule in 1960, ated Press that migrants are charges $5,000 per person to
key invaded following a coup directly abuts the north along intercepted in groups of 10 to Authorities on the base in slip migrants through into
aimed at union with Greece. a corridor of farmland, aban- 20 at an average rate of once Cyprus have an agreement the south.

France: 11 convicted of cyberbullying teen who slammed Islam

(AP) — A French court on then another. She is now send a message to the rest of the young woman. The court
Wednesday convicted 11 “I was expecting worse and, monitored daily by the police society are very dangerous,” dropped the case against an-
of 13 people charged with honestly, we won and will for her safety. Branco said. He said his cli- other defendant for faulty
harassing and threatening win again because what I ent, identified only as Jordan procedures.
a teenager who harshly want is that, united, we will “Social networks are the L., “is not a fanatic, is some-
criticized Islam in on- never give up. We will con- street. When you pass some- one who respects beliefs, Amid growing French ef-
line posts and ended up tinue to fight,” Mila said. one in the street, you don’t (but) who doesn’t like this forts to prosecute and pre-
changing schools and re- insult them, threaten them, climate where one part of the vent online abuse, another
ceiving police protection Mila, who describes herself make fun of them,” the pre- French population is system- French court ordered Twitter
to preserve her safety. as atheist, was 16 when she siding judge, Michel Hum- ically under attack.” on Tuesday to share details
started posting videos on bert, said. “What you don’t within two months about
The verdict was the first of Instagram and later TikTok do in the street, don’t do on He said his client was “re- its procedures to stop us-
its kind since France created harshly criticizing Islam and social media.” volting against that without ers from inciting violence or
a new Paris court in January the Quran. Now 18, she tes- participating in anything big- racial hatred or committing
to prosecute online crimes, tified that “I don’t like any re- The trial raised uncomfort- ger and without even sending other offenses.
including harassment and ligion, not just Islam.” able questions about freedom a direct message to Mila in
discrimination. of expression, freedom to particular.” The ruling arose from a civil
“What I want is that those criticize a religion and respect lawsuit brought by groups
The court sentenced the de- (who harass) be considered for France’s millions of Mus- Online harassment, threats that fight racism and anti-
fendants to suspended prison a plague and ought to be lims. But the court case was and hate speech have been on LGBT discrimination. The
terms of four to six months forbidden access to social focused on cyberbullying. the increase since the creation groups argued that Twit-
and fined them about $1,770 networks(,)...those who cy- in 2018 of a law criminaliz- ter was not doing enough to
each. berbully, who threaten with The 13 defendants from ing such acts. Police counted moderate and remove con-
death, who deprive one of around France came from 2,128 such offenses in 2019 tent that violates French hate
The teen at the center of the their freedom and who in- various backgrounds and re- and 2,848 last year, according speech or other laws. The
landmark cyberbullying case, cite one to suicide,” she said. ligions and were but a hand- to French Citizenship Minis- social network’s lawyer in the
who has been identified pub- “And I never want the victims ful of all the people who went ter Marlene Schiappa. case, Karim Beylouni, said
licly only by her first name, to be blamed again.” after Mila with online com- Wednesday that the company
Mila, testified last month that ments. The others could not “The entire country must is deciding whether to appeal.
she felt as if she had been Her lawyer, Richard Malka, be tracked down. condemn the aggressors and
“condemned to death.” said Mila has received some cease to blame the victims,” Meanwhile, Paris prosecutors
100,000 threatening messag- Juan Branco, the lawyer for Schiappa said in a statement are investigating racist posts
Speaking after the verdict, she es, including death threats, one of the defendants, de- after Wednesday’s verdict. targeting soccer player Kyl-
said all victims should join rape threats, misogynist mes- nounced the premise of the ian Mbappe after a failed kick
the fight against online abuse sages and hateful messages trial. One of the 13 on trial was eliminated France, which
and that harassers should be about her sexual orientation. acquitted because his post - won the World Cup in 2018,
denied access to social media “Symbolic trials in which “Blow it up” - was directed at from the European soccer
networks. Mila left one high school, one tries to use one person to Mila’s Twitter account, not at championship last week.