Liège is a Belgian city located in the Walloon region, known for its rich cultural and historical heritage. If you are planning to visit this charming city with your children, you will be delighted to discover the many fun and family activities it has to offer. Here are some of the best activities not to be missed during your visit to Liège.
First of all, don’t miss visiting the famous Aquarium-Museum of Liège. This museum houses an incredible collection of marine animals and insects, including sharks, exotic fish, turtles and spiders. Your children will be amazed by the diversity of species on display and will have the opportunity to participate in interactive workshops. This is an educational and fun experience not to be missed.
Then, why not take your children to Parc de la Boverie? This beautiful park is located on an island in the Meuse and offers many activities for children. You can rent bikes or scooters to explore the park, have a picnic on the grass or simply relax admiring the beautiful scenery. The park is also home to the famous Liège Art Museum, where you can discover works of contemporary and modern art.
If your children love animals, don’t miss out on visiting the Forestia Animal Park, located a few kilometers from Liège. This park offers a unique experience by allowing visitors to discover European wildlife in their natural habitat. You can observe deer, wild boar, wolves and many other animals. There is also an adventure course for children, with zip lines and suspension bridges.
Another fun activity to do with children in Liège is to visit Parc d’Avroy. This park is ideal for families, with its numerous playgrounds, picnic areas and cycle paths. Your children can have fun on the slides, swings and climbing structures, while you can enjoy a relaxing walk in the park.
If you want to offer your children a unique experience, go to the Museum of Walloon Life. This museum offers a journey through time through the history and culture of Wallonia. Your children will be able to discover the daily life of the Walloons at different times, thanks to interactive exhibitions and historical reconstructions. This is a great opportunity to learn while having fun.
Finally, don’t miss visiting the famous Batte market, which takes place every Sunday morning along the banks of the Meuse. This market is the largest open-air market in Belgium and offers a unique experience for the whole family. You can find all kinds of products, from fresh fruits and vegetables to clothing and accessories. This is a great opportunity to taste the local cuisine and experience the lively atmosphere of Liège.
In conclusion, Liège offers many fun and family activities not to be missed during your visit with children. From animal museums to wildlife parks, parks and markets, there is something for everyone. So, get ready to experience unforgettable moments with your family during your visit to Liège.
Within the European Union in a drug market in full swing helped by the use of social media or internet marketing and applications, appears an additional drug situation, with the increasing importation, production and consumption of uncontrolled synthetic drugs called new psychoactive substances (NPS). A psychoactive substance “affects mental processes, e.g. perception, consciousness, cognition or mood and emotions”.
According to the Early Warning Advisory on New Psychoactive Substances (EWA-2022), the NPS is defined as “substances of abuse, either in a pure form or a preparation, that are not controlled by the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs or the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, but which may pose a public health threat”.
The NPS are a range of drugs that have been designed to mimic established illicit drugs and they are classified according to their effects.
At the end of 2022, the European Monitoring Center for Drug and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) was monitoring around 930 NPS, 41 were first reported in Europe in 2022.
In Europe, the use of opioids (morphine, codeine, heroin, fentanyl, methadone, tramadol and other similar substances) has started to increase since the beginning of the 21st century. In recent years, there has been a significant rise in the number of new psychotropic synthetic opioids with 74 reported to the EU Early Warning System (EWS).
Note: Opiates are natural drugs from the opium poppy plant; Opioid is a generic term including opiates, semi-synthetic (as oxycodone) and synthetic (as fentanyl) opioids.
The new synthetic opioids are relatively well-established in some European drug markets where they are sold often cheaper as replacements for opioids such as heroin. The opioid addictive effects are very high even at low doses.
According to the European Drug Report 2023, in many European countries, the use of synthetic opioids is growing as shown by the number of seizures reported by EMCDDA. Meanwhile, the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ms. Ylva Johansson, and the EMCDDA Director, Mr. Alexis Goosdeel, alerted on increasing use of one of the worst opioids: Fentanyl. She said: “We must make sure America’s present does not become Europe’s future”. Indeed, last year in the USA, 109,000 people died from synthetic drugs most of them from fentanyl.
The prevalence of opioid dependence among European adults is still low, varies considerably between countries and is associated with infectious diseases, health problems, social exclusion, unemployment, homelessness, crime, and mortality. In people over the age of 40 who use opioids, the cumulative effects of drug-related harm which includes polydrug use and poor health over many years are making these individuals more susceptible to infection, overdose and suicide.
The fentanyl (C22H28N2O) was first synthesized from a benzyl-piperidone in 1959 (patented in 1964) by the chemist Paul Janssen in Belgium. Three other methods were developed:
-Suh et al. 1998: a method by total synthesis.
-Siegfried in early 2000 and used in illicit labs ;
-Gupta P.K. et al. 2005: a one-pot synthesis illicitly used in 2021 but with low purity ;
The fentanyl due to its high lipid solubility easily penetrates the central nervous system with sedative and rapid analgesic effects and a short duration of action. Its absorption is rapid by the oral mucosa (15/30 min-4 hrs) but it can also be administered by injection (2min-30 min), transdermal (patch) or used in a gaseous state as spray (10min-60min).
The fentanyl analgesic effect is about 100 times more powerful than morphine and 50 times more than heroin. Under its legal medical form, this synthetic opioid is used in the treatment of severe chronic and resistant pain. Since 2021 it has been part of the “essential medicines” of the World Health Organization and classified on schedule III with morphine and oxycodone.
From a veterinary viewpoint, the high efficacy of fentanyl is used for analgesia, sedation and anaesthesia on animals as well as to treat depression and agitation in animals.
But, fentanyl has also been diverted from its use as a painkiller to be taken as a drug, easily produced in clandestine laboratories without having the cultivation and harvesting problem of plants! Produced in China, Mexico and India, the fentanyl also called China White, Apache, Jackpot, Murder 8,… became a major issue on the current European drug scene. One kilo of fentanyl powder could contain 50,000 doses.
Currently, among some 1,400 fentanyl derivatives, 700 derivatives have been identified in Europe, some often 1,000 times stronger than heroin. The 3-methyl fentanyl is 3,200 times as potent as morphine and the derivative, the carfentanyl, is 10,000 times stronger than morphine.
The fentanyl is highly toxic even by simple contact with the skin. Only 2 milligrams can kill an adult. The danger is when added to other drugs by the dealers, people are using it without knowing. Indeed, fentanyl is often mixed, cut, and ingested alongside with other drugs, including cocaine and heroin. Jobski K et al. (2023) did an interesting study on the abuse, dependence, withdrawal and its route of administration in Europe. Fentanyl is so powerful that it is impossible to be cut with accuracy thus increasing the risk of overdose.
Fentanyl has been classified as an international narcotic since 1964, due to its health hazards, misuse risks, and handling complexity. In humans, the lethal dose (LD50) of fentanyl is estimated for an adult at two milligrams (2mg).
Note: The fentanyl patch (often chewed by the drug users) is one of a few medications that may be especially harmful, and in some cases fatal, with just one dose, if misused by a child (Food and Drug Administration, 2022). The effects can last between 30 minutes and 4 hours depending on the product used. But in the absence of hindsight and scientific studies, their duration of effects is not yet well known.
Repeated use of fentanyl or its derivatives, even therapeutics, can lead to a risk of dependence and in case of heavy consumption, there is a risk of overdose with respiratory depression and possible paralysis of the thoracic muscles, shock, severe hypotension, muscle rigidity or coma that can lead to death. The risk of respiratory arrest is increased when the consumption of fentanyl (or its derivatives) is associated with alcohol, benzodiazepines and other opioids. Their illicit use is also dangerous in case of pregnancy for the woman and for the fetus.
Fentanyl and non-medical derivatives are detectable up to about 48 hours in the urine and up to about 12 hours in the blood.
The illicit use of fentanyl and derivatives has been well summarized by J. Botts (2023): Fast, Cheap and Deadly.
Mechanism of action :
In the body exist some 20 endogenous naturally produced opioid neurotransmitters sorted by the number of amino acids. They include the different forms of :
-The endorphins (endogenous morphine), polypeptides synthesised by hypophyse and hypothalamus. They mask the pain for a short time (which contributes to survival) and also cause a feeling of relaxation (anxiolytics), well-being or even in some cases, euphoria as for the beta-endorphins.
-The enkephalins (from the Greek enkephalos = head) are inhibitors of the propagation of the pain message to the brain creating short analgesia; they are also able to modulate the amount of dopamine (the reward chemical) produced and to regulate the smooth muscle’s activity.
-The dynorphins (from the Greek dynamis = power) produced in the hypothalamus, hippocampus and spinal cord regulate and influence vital functions such as body temperature, long-term memory, hunger, thirst, sleep, and sensory information processing.
The existence of opioid-specific transmembrane receptors in the brain was first shown simultaneously in 1973 by Pert C.B. et al., Simon E.J. et al. and Terenius L. These neurotransmitter receptors are found in the brain, spinal cord and digestive system. They are G-protein coupled receptors and when activated they contribute to modulating pain response, mood, stress and physical dependence.
There are three types of opioid receptors: mu, delta and kappa, widely distributed in the brain. If the euphoric effect of opiates is controlled by mu and delta receptors, the activation of kappa receptors, is basically a homeostatic mechanism but chronic drug use is leading to its dysregulation creating psychiatric disorders and negative affective states ( Tejeda H.A. & Bonci A. 2019).
The effects of opioids are linked to the activation of the endogenous opioid system in the brain at the level of Nucleus Accumbens (NAc) and Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) of the limbic system. Thus, opioids and fentanyl increase in excess the release of dopamine into the limbic system by activation of mu and delta receptors in the NAc (Yoshida Y. et al. 1999 – Hirose N. et al. 2005). Compulsive drug-taking behaviors are a result of the permanent functional changes in the mesolimbic dopamine system arising from repetitive dopamine stimulation which flooding the Nervous System is the base of addiction.
This made the use of opioids at first fantastic but the problem is that there is more and more need to get the same dopamine surges for pleasure, joy and finally this became just a basic need leading fast to the fatal overdose of fentanyl and derivatives.
The medication naloxone is used to revert the effects of opioid overdose. This drug in 2-3 min after injection acts as a competitive antagonist with a high affinity for the mu-opioid receptor, allowing the reversal of the effects of opioids (Jordan M.R. and Morrisonponce D., 2023) in acute intoxication by heroin, fentanyl, codeine, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, etc.
It has been shown that fentanyl and other analogues might also affect psychomotor performances on daily human tasks with a particular focus on driving (Bilel S. et al. 2023). In addition, Gasperini S. et al. (2022) demonstrated that the illicit non-pharmaceutical analogues of fentanyl were found to be genotoxic, inducing structural and numerical chromosomal aberrations.
The fentanyl withdrawal symptoms appear as soon as 12 hours after the last dose with intense cravings, nausea, irritability, stomach cramps, tiredness, etc. and last about one week or more. Recent research has shown that even after the final stages of withdrawal have been passed, drug-seeking behaviour can be restored if exposed to drug or drug-related stimuli.
In 2016, under the framework of the WHO/UNODC Programme on Drug Dependence Treatment and Care, the “Stop Overdose Safely (S-O-S)” Initiative was launched, to provide training on recognizing the risk of overdose and providing emergency care. Unfortunately, despite the regulations and the procedures in place to keep opioids and derivatives out of the wrong hands, millions of people are still physically dependent and need help.
In conclusion, in a society witnessing too often the decline of critical intelligence and with the difficulty of making logical deductions, how to efficiently face this scourge of drugs? The philosopher Socrates (470-399 B.C.) had already pointed to this question on ignorance: “But if to consider as a duty to seek what we do not know we become better, more energetic, less lazy instead of considering as impossible and foreign to our duty the search for the unknown truth, I would dare to support this against everyone... ”.
About opioids, fentanyl and other drugs, a lot is said on the streets, at school, through the Internet, in movies, and on TV; some are true and some are not. The slick marketing often does not match the reality of the effects and consequences the drugs actually have. General education of the population – and adapted for the youth- should be aggressively done with factual and scientific data to provide a reality on this obscure and degrading world of drugs and to avoid becoming hooked on them: “Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance” said Will J. Durant (1885-1981).
As life and health are too precious to be wasted, get the true facts about illicit psychoactive drugs to avoid their deadly trap. To make an informed decision about these drugs and not make a mess of your life, start consulting the series of booklets and videos The Truth About Drugs(*) because it’s easier to prevent than to cure!
On September 12, to the ringing of bells, the Russian Patriarch Cyril, in the presence of members of the government of St. Petersburg and “participants of the special military operation”, carried with lithium the coffin with the relics of Prince Alexander Nevsky to the Church of the Annunciation of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, where the historical silver crab handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church from the State Hermitage was placed. In May 2023, the Hermitage and the Russian Orthodox Church signed an agreement to transfer the tomb for temporary use for 49 years, with the possibility of extending this period.
The Silver Tomb remains state property and part of the country’s museum fund. Its condition will be monitored by Hermitage employees: temperature conditions and humidity, anti-corrosion particles in the air and other indicators will be monitored in real time. Sensors have been installed in the Annunciation Temple, which are connected to computers in the Hermitage.
The relocation of the reliquary was carried out on the eve of the holiday celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church on September 12 – the day of the transfer of the relics of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky. The wooden coffin was placed in the silver one, and the saint’s relics, kept in the Lavra, were brought there in a procession led by Patriarch Cyril.
This is considered another significant victory of the Russian Orthodox Church, after it was able to receive Rublev’s “Holy Trinity” icon by order of V. Putin. The icon of Rublev and the historic massive cancer that kept the body of the Russian prince were handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church as thanks for the ideological support for the Russian war in Ukraine, as well as as signs of the new state ideology, in which the “sacred power” is given a leading place.
After placing the coffin with the relics of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky in a silver reliquary, Patriarch Kirill held a prayer service in the lower church of the Church of the Annunciation, at the grave of General A. V. Suvorov, whom the Russian Orthodox Church intends to canonize as a saint.
With this, he completed the landmark actions aimed at reinforcing in the mass consciousness the image of the “holy and God-pleasing war” – a leading theme in state propaganda today.
In his sermon, the Moscow Patriarch placed new emphasis on historical events that had the same goal – to confirm that all great Russian rulers in the past had the same vision of Russia’s place on the political map as the Kremlin does today. They aimed to fight the “collective West”, which is the greatest danger to the Russian state, and sought to protect “Russian identity from Western influence”.
In particular, Patriarch Kirill gave a new assessment of the policy of Peter the Great, who is known for his program to Europeanize the Russian Empire. According to the patriarch, however, Peter the Great had the exact opposite task – to preemptively prepare Russia for Western aggression by building defense facilities in Petersburg, as well as by increasing the role of the Russian Church. In fact, the ecclesiastical policy of Peter the Great aimed at the weakening of the Russian Church by its complete submission to secular power.
According to Patriarch Cyril, “Peter is fighting against Western political influences, aiming to weaken Russia, to occupy St. Petersburg at a certain point. The king was aware of all this, so he fortified St. Petersburg. Look at the forts that were built – they are truly amazing feats of engineering, still standing like new. The forts close the entrance to St. Petersburg and create a powerful defense system. Peter did not believe in the kindness of his neighbors, therefore St. Petersburg became both a capital and a fortress. But so that no intellectual, or rather pseudo-intellectual, pseudo-cultural, pseudo-spiritual influences could destroy the inner strength of our people, destroy their self-awareness, Peter made the new capital and capital of the Russian Orthodox Church”.
At the end of his speech, Cyril once again in the last month announced officially from the pulpit the idea that Russia is the so-called “katechon” from the message of St. Apostle Paul, or “restraining force” that prevents the coming of the antichrist into the world ( 2 Thess. 2:7). This means that the idea, which until a few years ago was considered marginal and characteristic only of philosophical circles such as Al’s. Dugin, is now becoming an official part of Russian church and state ideology. It also impresses Kremlin policy by giving Russia carte blanche to act throughout the world, not just in defense of its state interests. Here are the words of the patriarch:
“Today, Russia is faced with the task of emerging victorious from the struggle that the forces of evil have waged against us. And we should not underestimate the complexity of the moment! Today we need the mobilization of all – both military and political forces; and, of course, the church must be mobilized first. To pray for our authorities and army, but also to be there, on the front line, where our wonderful regimental chaplains are now working and, unfortunately, dying.
We still have a lot to do, not only on a national scale, but also, I am not afraid to say, on a global scale, remaining the Deterrent. And it is the Restraining Force, the Catechon, that prevents total world evil from overwhelming the entire human race. And may the Lord help us to fulfill in this way the great historical spiritual mission of our church, so that our fatherland can prosper, our people can be strengthened spiritually, and peace, tranquility and justice can be restored in the world”.
The chairman of the Russian church in Sofia, Archimandrite Vasian (Zmeev), has been banned from entering North Macedonia, several Macedonian publications report. The publications refer to sources from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, according to which three Russian diplomats will be expelled, and a Russian cleric has been banned from visiting North Macedonia.
According to the publication “Almakos”, which is the primary source of the information, these are the political advisers I. Khropiachkov, A. Rozhdestvenski, as well as the attache S. Popov. According to information from the competent authorities, these persons have carried out activities that contradict the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations and in the next five days they will have to leave the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia. According to the publication, “other specialized security bodies have already expelled priest V. Zmey.” According to the publication Tatkovina, it is about the chairman of the Russian court in Sofia, Archimandrite Vasian (Zmeev).
The site “Religia.mk” writes that “unofficially, Zmeev coordinated the entire policy of the MOC-OA in relation to its church diplomacy in the last year, which led to a complete standstill in relations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the issue of granting the autocephaly to the MOC-OA” .
North Macedonian media also reported that for the past year the chairman of the Russian church in Sofia has been traveling to Skopje every month. At the end of June, he also visited Kumanovo-Osogovo Metropolitan Grigoriy for St. Peter’s Day, accompanied by the Russian ambassador to North Macedonia. Metropolitan Grigoriy has the fame of the most zealous defender of Russian political interests in North Macedonia. During this visit, he presented an edition of his diocese against Patriarch Bartholomew. Two weeks earlier, North Macedonian Prime Minister Stevo Pendarovski announced that security services had received information from partner services that members of St. Synod of the MOC work in favor of the Russian secret services, but did not name specific names.
Archaeologists have announced that they are very close to discovering the place where the last ruler of Egypt, Cleopatra, and her lover, the Roman general Mark Antony, were buried, in all probability together.
Scientists believe they have pinpointed the exact location where some of the most influential figures in human history are buried.
The mysterious tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony will finally be discovered. It is located in the area of Taposiris Magna, about 30 km from Alexandria, said the famous Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass (pictured).
“I expect very soon to come across their tomb where they were both laid to rest. We are on the right track and we know exactly where we need to dig to find it,” assured Hawass, who is Egypt’s former tourism minister.
Cleopatra and Mark Antony commit suicide in 30 BC. At that time, the ruler of Egypt, the last ruling representative of the Ptolemaic dynasty, was 39 years old, and Mark Antony was 53 years old, notes 20minutos.
Back in February 2013, researchers announced that they had found the bones of Cleopatra’s murdered sister, Arsinoe IV, in Turkey. The remains were discovered as early as 1985 in a ruined temple in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus (today’s western Turkey). The archaeologist who claims to have discovered the bones has high hopes for new forensic techniques to definitively identify the find.
At first glance, it appears that the remains belong to the one killed more than 2,000 years ago by order of Queen Arsinoe. But opponents of this view believe that a DNA test cannot confirm whose bones they are because they have been processed too many times. However, the scientists from the Austrian Academy of Sciences who made the discovery are convinced that the remains belong to the classical era of the Egyptian royal family.
Princess Arsinoe is believed to be Cleopatra’s younger half-sister. Their father is believed to be Ptolemy XII Auletus, but it is not known whether the two were from the same mother.
It is known that the two did not love each other. After Caesar’s murder, Cleopatra convinces her lover Mark Antony to kill Arsinoe, as she sees in her a rival in the struggle for power.
The European Commission has confirmed that entry into EU countries with cars registered in Russia is prohibited. Personal belongings of Russians crossing the border, such as smartphones, jewelry and laptops, are also at risk of confiscation.
“It does not matter whether the vehicle is used for private or commercial purposes as long as it falls under the customs codes listed in Annex XXI (including code 8703) and originates in or has been exported from Russia,” the European Commission said in its new clarifications. Customs code 8703 covers passenger cars and other vehicles designed to carry less than ten people.
Last summer, some Russians traveling to Germany in their cars faced arrests at customs. In early July, as RBC wrote, German customs confirmed that the import of passenger cars from Russia is prohibited under Article 3i of Regulation 833/2014, which defines the embargo against Russia, and that any movement of goods, even for personal, non-commercial purposes, falls under it.
This interpretation has raised questions among lawyers, since Article 3i prohibits the import or transfer to EU countries of goods listed in Annex XXI that “generate significant income for Russia” (ie, the sale of goods may be implied). In particular, Russian jurists pointed to such situations as the result of abuse by officials of the executive branch or misinterpretation of German customs legislation regarding the difference between importation and entry into the country by private car. The position of the pan-European regulator was unclear.
On September 4, the Russian Embassy in Germany reported continued isolated cases of detention by German customs officials of Russian-owned cars registered in Russia and temporarily imported for personal purposes or transit. “The arguments that in this case we are not talking about the import of goods intended for sale, but of private property used for personal purposes and temporarily imported into the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany on a legal basis, are not taken into account,” the embassy said.
Now the European Commission is clarifying the ban by confirming it. The period for which a car with Russian license plates is imported and the customs regime used for this (for example, admission to free circulation or temporary importation) are irrelevant, the European Commission emphasized.
Photo: A map of the current members of the European Union/ https://europe.unc.edu/toolkits/chapter-3/
The Commission introduced the reports from 2007 and first prepared assessments and recommendations every six months and later annually
The European Commission announced on September 15 that it is terminating the cooperation and verification mechanism that oversaw judicial reforms and the fight against corruption in Bulgaria and Romania, as well as against organized crime in Bulgaria.
The Commission introduced the reports from 2007 and first prepared assessments and recommendations every six months and later annually.
In 2019, the EC decided to stop issuing reports for our country due to sufficient implementation of the recommendations, and by then it had issued 17 assessments.
In July of this year, the commission announced that it intended to terminate the mechanism. The Cooperation and Verification Mechanism was introduced upon the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU in 2007 as a transitional measure, according to today’s EC announcement.
From 2020, the EC introduced a common annual report on the state of the rule of law in each of the EU countries.
“I would like to congratulate Bulgaria and Romania for the significant progress achieved since their accession to the EU so far,” said the chairperson of the commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as quoted in the announcement.
“The rule of law is one of our core shared values as a union and both countries have delivered on important reforms in recent years. We recognize these efforts by terminating the mechanism. Work can now continue under the annual rule of law assessment, as for all other countries in the EU,” she adds.
The development of the situation with the rule of law in the EU has set a new context for the cooperation of the EC with Bulgaria and Romania, the announcement adds.
The annual reports on the rule of law accompany sustainable reforms for Bulgaria and Romania, as well as for the rest of the EU countries. Since last year, these new reports also include recommendations, monitoring the implementation of many of the agreed reforms in Bulgaria and Romania. When appropriate, progress on them is also monitored within the framework of the European semester, notes the commission.
“The termination of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism is a recognition and unreserved assessment that with the work of the government and the National Assembly, the Bulgarian side managed to implement fundamental and sustainable reforms in the field of the rule of law, which clearly demonstrate the ability of our country to fulfill its obligations to a predictable and reliable member of the European Union,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Gabriel.
According to her, this is recognition for the long-term activity and efforts of Bulgarian citizens and civil society.
“Today’s decision of the European Commission is a significant success and recognition of the reforms being carried out in Bulgaria, in the area of the rule of law. This significantly increases confidence in the Bulgarian justice system and will have a favorable impact on the process of Bulgaria’s integration into Schengen and the Eurozone,” commented the Minister of Justice Atanas Slavov of Bulgaria.
As governments increasingly use unilateral sanctions measures to pursue foreign policy objectives, it has become common for businesses, including banks and financial institutions to over-comply with them, said the UN Human Rights Council-appointed Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures, Alena Douhan.
Ms. Douhan said some individually imposed sanctions are having a widespread detrimental impact on people’s right to healthcare.
“Health systems around the world are highly vulnerable to the enforcement of unilateral sanctions and the growing cases of over-compliance and excessive de-risking policies,” she said.
In her report to the 54th session of the Human Rights Council, Ms. Douhan highlighted the negative effects of over-compliance with unilateral sanctions by businesses across the globe.
She noted sanctions can pose serious challenges to the procurement and delivery of medicines, medical equipment and other humanitarian goods, which are exempt from any restrictions.
Secondary sanctions
The growing use of secondary sanctions has serious implications for the human rights of citizens living in sanctioned countries, including their right to adequate, appropriate and timely healthcare.
The UN said the impact of these sanctions extends to a wide range of health-related issues, including the shortage of health workers in sanctioned countries, limited opportunities for training and barriers to accessing scientific knowledge and research.
Knock-on effects
“It also affects all relevant underlying determinants of health, including access to safe water and sanitation, food safety, and clean, healthy and sustainable environment, among others,” Ms.Douhan added.
She recalled that the enforcement of unilateral sanctions and zero-risk policies violated numerous international treaties and customary obligations of States.
That includes obligations under the UN Charter and relevant international human rights treaties.
“Claims about the unintentional character of the adverse humanitarian impact of unilateral sanctions on human rights, and in particular on the right to health, and references to good intentions should not be invoked to legitimize designing and implementing such unilateral measures,” the Special Rapporteur warned.
Special Rapporteurs and other UN experts are not UN staff and are independent from any government or organisation. They serve in their individual capacity and receive no salary for their work.
She said violence against older persons remains unaddressed despite being widespread, pervasive and putting millions of older persons at risk, amid a rapidly ageing world.
“Combatting abuse in old age is not a priority at national, regional or global levels,” she added.
Ms. Mahler cited information from the World Health Organization (WHO), which estimates that one is six older persons has experienced some form of violence.
In her report, she noted that violence, neglect and abuse in old age has far-reaching consequences to both mental and physical well-being, underscoring the need for adequate interventions and solutions.
Cases spike in crises
“An increase in violence against older persons was noticed during ongoing crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as in armed conflicts and the consequences of climate change,” she said.
“Crises lead to economic setbacks, which put more strain on support structures worldwide, which in turn may put more older persons at risk of suffering from violent acts.”
While there is currently no globally accepted definition of “elder abuse”, she said five forms of abuse can be identified: physical; psychological or emotional; sexual; financial or material; and neglect.
Ageism fuels abuse
Ms. Mahler also recognised hate speech as an additional form of abuse against older persons.
“Ageism plays a significant role and risk factor in the prevalence of abuse on older persons,” she said.
“Negative stereotypes and bias underlie the concept of ageism and can lead to harmful consequences, including violence against and abuse and neglect of older persons”.
Prevent and protect
Ms. Mahler’s report identifies several actions to prevent and protect against abuse of older persons, including legislative and policy interventions, prevention programmes, provision of age-appropriate community services, law enforcement response and access to justice.
She also encouraged the effective collection and analysis of data on the prevalence of violence, abuse and neglect cases.
“Such data is crucial to provide a comprehensive understanding of the issue. The diversity of older persons should be integrated in data-collection methodologies and protocols,” she recommended.
Independent voices
Independent experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor specific country situations and thematic issues.
They work on a voluntary basis. serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization.
The experts are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work.
Unsplash/Stijn te Strake - A bird's eye view of the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia must immediately revoke the death sentence handed down to Mohammed Al Ghamdi for posting critical views online, as the crackdown on freedom of expression in the country continues to escalate, independent UN human rights experts said on.
Mr. Al Ghamdi was arrested by the Saudi security services on 11 June 2022 and charged with criminal offences for opinions he expressed on social media platforms X and YouTube.
The charges included “betrayal of his religion, country, and rulers;” “spreading false rumours with intent to disrupt public order and destabilise security;” and “supporting terrorist ideology and a terrorist group.”
On 10 July this year, Saudi Arabia’s Specialised Criminal Court found Mr. Al Ghamdi guilty and sentenced him to death. According to the court, Mr. Al Ghamdi was being severely punished for “heinous crimes” that were allegedly “amplified through a global media platform.”
“The mere expression of critical views online cannot meet the threshold under international law for the imposition of the death penalty,” urged the human rights experts.
“Under no circumstances do the alleged crimes constitute the ‘most serious’ crimes,” they added.
UN experts urge #SaudiArabia to immediately revoke death sentence handed to Mohammed Al Ghamdi for his tweets & YouTube activities, as crackdown on #FreedEx continues: These punishments are completely inconsistent with int'l law & human rights standards. https://t.co/c8KL2UsKCvpic.twitter.com/LYm5mBVqBD
The Human Rights Council-appointed experts stressed that freedom of expression and opinion were critical to achieving a free and democratic society and sustainable development.
“It is alarming that Saudi Arabia’s punishments for online expression include the death penalty or prison sentences of several decades under anti-terrorism laws. These punishments are completely inconsistent with international law and human rights standards,” the experts said.
“The arrest, detention and sentencing to death of Muhammad Al Ghamdi sends a clear and chilling message to all those who wish to express themselves freely in Saudi Arabia.”
‘Flagrant violation’ of human rights
The human rights experts urged the Specialised Criminal Court and other judicial institutions in Saudi Arabia to grant Mr. Al Ghamdi a stay of execution, or temporary hold on legal proceedings.
“We are deeply concerned by reports that Mr. Al Ghamdi’s mental health has deteriorated since his detention, aggravated by the lack of medical care and the conditions of his detention,” the experts said.
“This sentence, if carried out, would constitute a flagrant violation of international human rights standards and will be considered an arbitrary execution.”
Special Rapporteurs
Special Rapporteurs are part of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, work on a voluntary and unpaid basis, are not UN staff, and work independently from any government or organisation.
