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A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 4 OcTOber 2018

Rights group: Lebanon law discriminates against mothers

By SARAH EL DEEB no other home and some
Associated Press have even competed in
BEIRUT (AP) — A prominent international competitions
rights group Wednesday representing Lebanon, yet
called on Lebanese au- they are still considered for-
thorities to amend a nearly eigners.
100-year-old law that dis- Rochana Atmeh, the Leba-
criminates against Leba- nese mother of an 8-year-
nese women married to old girl born to a Swedish
foreigners, denying their father, said the family al-
children citizenship. most missed an Abacus
Human Rights Watch’s competition in South Af-
deputy Middle East direc- rica because the airline
tor Lama Fakih said the stopped them and asked
1925 law has “caused un- for an English translation of
told hardship” for thou- the girl’s birth certificate. Is-
sands of families, such as sued in Lebanon in Arabic
denying kids and spouses for her Swedish daughter,
national health insurance, the document is the only
limiting access to jobs and proof Atmeh is her mother.
requiring them to apply for After tears and searching,
residency every 12 to 36 a translator came through
months. This Sept. 30, 2018 photo provides by Rochana Atmeh, shows Jennifer Maria Hektor, 8, born at midnight to help with
A Lebanese father married to a Swedish father and Rochana Atmeh, her Lebanese mother, holding a Lebanese flag, in the documents and Atmeh
to a foreigner can give his Johannesburg, South Africa. and her daughter Jennifer
children his nationality, and Associated Press Maria Hektor made it to Jo-
so can a Lebanese mother eign spouses of Lebanese ers but didn’t amend the nese women. hannesburg, where Jenni-
with a child of unknown mothers access to work law. HRW said since then “Recent steps to provide fer won first-runner up in her
paternity, but not a Leba- and public education. But the government has pri- access to basic rights like category.
nese woman married to a the work permits for profes- oritized citizenship for those education and work to the It is a typical experience
foreigner. sions reserved for Lebanese living outside the country children and spouses of but this time it almost cost
This also leaves many at risk citizens are discretionary over children and spouses Lebanese women are steps the daughter her prize.
of being stateless, the New and Lebanese children of Lebanese women liv- in the right direction, but “She’s born in Lebanon.
York-based organization have priority in enrolling in ing in Lebanon. In 2015, confusing and piecemeal She lives in Lebanon with
said. schools. the government passed a measures are no substitute a residency and every
Continuous campaign- The government in 2013 ac- law granting citizenship to for equal citizenship,” Fakih three years I have to apply
ing to amend the law has cepted a proposal to grant members of the Lebanese said. for residency. Nothing on
resulted in some steps al- some privileges to people diaspora, again excluding Many children born to her passport says I am her
lowing children and for- born to Lebanese moth- the descendants of Leba- Lebanese mothers know mother,” Atmeh said.q

Putin calls poisoned ex-spy “scumbag,” traitor

Sergei Skripal, who spent released as part of a 2010 heightened tensions be-
weeks hospitalized with his spy swap deal and settled tween Russia and the West
daughter after both were in the U.K. and triggered a wave of
poisoned in the city of Salis- “There was no need for diplomats’ expulsions in
bury in March. British offi- poisoning,” said Putin, him- which hundreds of envoys
cials allege the attack on self a former KGB officer. were expelled by both Rus-
the Skripals received ap- “He was caught, punished, sia and Western nations.
proval “at a senior level of served a total of five years Britain last month charged
the Russian state,” an ac- in prison and we let him go. Alexander Petrov and Rus-
cusation Moscow has an- That’s it. He left and went lan Boshirov with trying to
grily rejected. on to consult some special kill Skripal and his daughter,
“He’s just a spy, a traitor to services, and so what?” Yulia, with the Soviet-de-
the motherland,” Putin said He added on a sarcastic signed nerve agent Novi-
of Skripal during a panel note that “espionage and chok. British police say they
discussion at an interna- prostitution are among believe the nerve agent
tional energy forum. “Think the most important profes- used to poison Skripal and
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the Russian Energy about it as a citizen, what sions.” his daughter was smuggled
Week International Forum in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. would be your attitude to Asked about international to Britain in a counterfeit
3, 2018. someone who betrayed sanctions on Russia trig- Nina Ricci perfume bottle
Associated Press your own country? He’s just gered by the March 4 poi- and applied to the front
By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV grade nerve agent in Britain a scumbag.” soning, Putin denounced door of Skripal’s house.
Associated Press a traitor and “scumbag” — Putin reiterated that Russia what he described as an More than three months
MOSCOW (AP) — With a but dismissed the idea that had no reason to attack “information campaign” later, the bottle was found
contemptuous grin, Rus- Russia would target him in a Skripal, a former officer of over the case and said by a local man, Charlie
sian President Vladimir Pu- poison attack. the Russian GRU military London has stonewalled Rowley. He was hospital-
tin on Wednesday called a Wednesday’s remarks intelligence who was sen- Moscow’s proposal to con- ized and his girlfriend Dawn
former double agent who marked the first time Pu- tenced in 2006 to 13 years duct a joint probe. Sturgess died after being
was sickened by a military tin directly lashed out at for spying for Britain. He was The poisoning further exposed to the contents.q