Israel: UN experts demand accountability over death of Palestinian hunger striker

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3 May 2023

Israel: UN experts demand accountability over death of Palestinian hunger striker

The 45-year-old Palestinian died in his prison cell on Tuesday morning following a nearly three-month hunger strike. He had been protesting Israel’s widespread policy of arbitrarily detaining Palestinians in “abhorrent conditions” and in violation of fair trial guarantees.

The call for greater accountability came from the independent expert, or Special Rapporteur, on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, and the Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Tlaleng Mofokeng.

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Long history of hunger strikes

Mr. Adnan began his hunger strike protest shortly after being arrested – for the last time – on 5 February, facing terrorism-related charges.

Despite the serious deterioration of his health, Israeli authorities refused to release him, or transfer him to hospital, and continued to detain him in a prison hospital facility, reportedly without providing adequate healthcare, the experts said.

The Human Rights Council-appointed experts noted that Mr. Adnan had been arrested at least 12 times in the past, spending a total of around eight years in prison, mostly in administrative detention, and had been on hunger strike five times previously.

‘Tragic testament’

“The death of Khader Adnan is a tragic testament to Israel’s cruel and inhumane detention policy and practices, as well as the international community’s failure to hold Israel accountable in the face of callous illegalities perpetrated against Palestinian inmates,” the experts said.

Hundreds held without trial

The experts noted that Israel currently holds approximately 4,900 Palestinians in its prisons, including just over 1,000 administrative detainees who are held for an indefinite period without trial or charge, based on secret information.

The number of administrative detainees in Israeli detention facilities is at its highest since 2008, despite repeated condemnation from international human rights bodies and calls for Israel to immediately end the practice.

The UN rights office OHCHR said in its press release, that many Palestinian prisoners have resorted to hunger strikes to “protest the brutality of Israel’s detention practices”.

‘Colonial’ occupation

The experts said they could not separate Israel’s prison policies, “from the colonial nature of its occupation, intended to control and subjugate all Palestinians in the territory Israel wants to control”.

“The systematic practice of administrative detention, is tantamount to a war crime of wilfully depriving protected persons of the rights of fair and regular trial”, said the two experts.

They added that it was ever more urgent for the international community to hold Israel accountable for its illegal acts in the occupied territory and stop the normalisation of war crimes.

“How many more lives will have to be lost, before an inch of justice can be delivered in the occupied Palestinian territory?” they concluded.

About the Rapporteurs

Independent human rights experts are all appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, under its Special Procedures.

They are mandated to monitor and report on specific thematic issues or country situations. They are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work.

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Human rights ‘best antidote’ to advance peace, Security Council hears

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United Nations News

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3 May 2023

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Human rights ‘best antidote’ to advance peace, Security Council hears

Ambassadors met to examine the Council’s efforts towards building trust that leads to sustainable peace, in light of current and emerging threats.

“Full compliance with human rights is the best antidote to the inequalities, unaddressed grievances and exclusion which are often at the root of instability and conflict,” said Mr. Türk, speaking via videolink from Nairobi.

“An unwavering human rights lens and strong human rights action – based on norms tried and tested – lead us away from chaos and conflict; advance development; and build trust,” he added.

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Critical at all stages

Human rights are essential at every stage of the “peace continuum” spanning prevention, conflict and resolution, he said, citing examples such as the current crises in Haiti and Sudan.

At the same time, trust – which underpins both human relations and the social contract between people and State institutions – is the foundation of conflict prevention and lasting peace.

“It is, indeed, the comprehensive advancement of all human rights that builds trust,” he told the Council.

“I have experienced this time and time again when engaging with victims, with human rights defenders and refugees. It is their voices that human rights seek to amplify and bring to the table.”

Haiti ‘human rights emergency’

Mr. Türk outlined how a human rights perspective applies at all stages of the peace continuum, starting with early warning and preventive action to detect and address the drivers of conflict.

“In Haiti, early warning signals pointed persistently to the profoundly destructive impact of inequalities, corruption and exclusion on both trust and stability,” he said.

Last year, the Council established an arms embargo and targeted sanctions in response to the rampant armed gang violence gripping the country, but the human rights chief insisted that more action is urgently needed now.

“I visited the country in February. It is dangling over an abyss,” he said.

“The State’s lack of capacity to fulfill human rights has completely eroded people’s confidence. The social contract has collapsed. The current lawlessness is a human rights emergency that calls for a robust response.”

Building trust in Sudan

Meanwhile, when conflict has erupted, human rights monitoring puts focus on the impact on people, while also serving to counter misinformation that can feed hostility and fear.

Mr. Türk addressed the conflict in Sudan, where rival military forces have been battling for nearly three weeks, endangering hopes of a transition to civilian rule.

“We know that Sudan’s future depends on building trust between the Sudanese people and the institutions that are supposed to serve them,” he said.

“Human rights, an end to impunity, and participation by the population – particularly women and young people – must be the driving forces out of the current crisis, so that Sudan can stabilise at last.”

Participation and press freedom

Furthermore, the full range of human rights standards are also crucial in ending conflict and establishing sustainable peace, Mr. Türk said, referring to the principles of accountability, non-discrimination, and participation, especially by women and girls, minority groups and youth.

He noted how participation has been crucial to building trust in Colombia, following the signing of the 2016 peace deal that ended five decades of conflict between the authorities and the FARC-EP militia group.

The agreement also addresses deep-rooted structural issues around land reform, discrimination, and inequality.

“In Colombia, as elsewhere, human rights and justice will be the best guides on the longer road towards reconciliation and sustainable peace,” he said.

As the meeting was held on World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on 3 May, the UN rights chief also underscored the importance of press freedom and protection of journalists.

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Around 258 million need emergency food aid: UN-backed report

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United Nations News

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3 May 2023

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Around 258 million need emergency food aid: UN-backed report

Roughly 258 million in 58 countries faced acute hunger at crisis levels or worse, and people in seven countries faced potential starvation, according to the latest Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC).

This is the highest number in the seven-year history of the report, although much of the growth reflects an increase in the population analysed.

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A ‘stinging indictment’

“More than a quarter of a billion people are now facing acute levels of hunger, and some are on the brink of starvation. That’s unconscionable,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres wrote in the foreword to the report.

He described this latest edition as “a stinging indictment of humanity’s failure to make progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 2 to end hunger and achieve food security and improved nutrition for all.”

More than 40 per cent of people at crisis or worse levels resided in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, parts of Nigeria, and Yemen.

Young lives threatened

People in seven countries faced starvation and destitution, at some point last year, with nearly 60 per cent in Somalia. The other countries were Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, South Sudan, Yemen and, for the first time, Haiti.

Furthermore, in 30 of the 42 major food crisis contexts analyzed in the report, more than 35 million children under five, are wasted or acutely malnourished.

Some 9.2 million of these boys and girls suffer from severe wasting, the most life-threatening form of undernutrition and a major contributor to increased child mortality.

Innovation and coordination

While conflicts and extreme weather events continue to drive acute food insecurity and malnutrition, economic fallout from the СOVID-19 pandemic and the ripple effects of the war in Ukraine have also become major factors, particularly in the world’s poorest countries.  

The report noted that the international community has called for a paradigm shift towards addressing root causes of food crises, rather than responding to their impacts when they occur.

This will require innovative approaches and greater coordination by international organizations, governments, the private sector, regional organizations, civil society and communities.

The annual report, produced by the Food Security Information Network (FSIN), was launched on Wednesday by the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC).

The international alliance consists of the UN, the European Union, and governmental and non-governmental agencies.

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Human rights experts alarmed over ‘imminent executions’ in Saudi Arabia

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United Nations News

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3 May 2023

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Human rights experts alarmed over ‘imminent executions’ in Saudi Arabia

“Despite being charged with terrorism, they were reportedly arrested for resisting forced evictions in the name of the NEOM project and the construction of a 170km linear city called The Line,” the UN experts said.

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‘Smart city’ project

NEOM is a futuristic urban development project backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

Shadly Ahmad Mahmoud Abou Taqiqa al-Huwaiti, Mr Ibrahim Salih Ahmad Abou Khalil al-Huwaiti and Mr Atallah Moussa Mohammed al-Huwaiti were sentenced to death on 5 August last year, and their sentences were backed by Saudi Arabia’s Specialised Criminal Court of Appeal, on 23 January.

Three other members of the Howeitat tribe were sentenced to “severe prison terms” said a press release issued on behalf of the experts: Abdelnasser Ahmad Mahmoud Abou Taqiqa al-Huwaiti received a 27 year sentence; Mahmoud Ahmad Mahmoud Abou Taqiqa al-Huwaiti, 35 years; and Abdullah Dakhilallah al-Huwaiti was sentenced to 50 years in jail.

“Under international law, States that have not yet abolished the death penalty may only impose it for the ‘most serious crimes’, involving intentional killing,” the experts said. “We do not believe the actions in question meet this threshold.”

Investigate allegations

The UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts urged the Saudi authorities to investigate allegations of torture and other mistreatment involving the men, promptly and impartially.

They also asked authorities to review the sentences imposed, and, if appropriate, to retry them according with the norms and standards of due process. “Any statement that is proven to have been made as a result of torture is inadmissible in any proceedings,” the human rights experts said.

‘Vague’ anti-terror law

“All six individuals have been charged under the overly vague 2017 Saudi law on combating crimes of terrorism and its financing,” the experts said, warning that this law does not appear to be in line with international law, as raised several times by Special Procedures.

They expressed serious concern that some of the detainees had allegedly been subjected to torture and ill-treatment to extract confessions of guilt, and that due process safeguards had not been followed to ensure their right to a fair trial.

Tribal rights

The authorities have reportedly made several moves to evict members of the Howeitat tribe from their homes and traditional lands, in three villages, all related to the NOEM project development, since January 2020.

Despite promises that they would be involved in the process and receive fair compensation, many have allegedly been evicted and their homes demolished without suitable compensation, the experts said.

During the initial protests, one member of the tribe was reportedly killed in his own home by members of the Saudi Special Forces.

“Given the circumstances, we cannot consider that the requirements of consultation and free, prior and informed consent of the Howeitat people of the three villages have been met,” the experts said.

“On the contrary, these actions would certainly amount to forced evictions, which are prohibited under international law as a violation of the right to adequate housing. The actions also constitute flagrant violations of the rights to freedom of expression and access to information.”

Plea to foreign investors

“We urge all companies involved, including foreign investors, to ensure that they are not causing or contributing to, and are not directly linked to serious human rights abuses,” the human rights experts said.

The experts reminded Saudi Arabia of its obligations under the UN Convention against Torture. They urged the authorities to recognise core international human rights instruments, including the two International Covenants, as soon as possible, to establish an official moratorium on all executions with a view to the complete abolition of the death penalty, and to allow external scrutiny, including by accepting pending country visit requests from the Council-mandated Special Procedures section.

The experts have already contacted the Government, the Saudi Public Investment Fund and the Neom Company, as well as 18 foreign companies and the States where they are domiciled, to raise concerns over the issue.

Independent human rights experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva. They are mandated to monitor and report on specific thematic issues or country situations. They are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work.

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Sudan: ‘Secure and immediate access’ needed for lifesaving aid, urges Guterres

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United Nations News

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3 May 2023

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Sudan: ‘Secure and immediate access’ needed for lifesaving aid, urges Guterres

António Guterres was speaking to journalists in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, where he will be chairing a meeting of chief executives from across the whole UN system.

Since violence erupted in Sudan on 15 April, more than 334,000 have likely been uprooted and more 100,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries, according to UN aid coordination office, OCHA.

Hostilities between the rival militaries of the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have raged for nearly three weeks, despite repeated announcements and failed extensions of ceasefires between the two sides.

Latest UN figures show at least 528 have died during the fighting, with nearly 4,600 injured, though many more are thought to have perished due to the disruptions in critical services, including healthcare.

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Peace, and civilian rule

“All parties must put the interests of the Sudanese people first”, said the UN chief, “and that means peace and a return to civilian rule, allowing for the development of the country.

“We are putting these goals front and centre as we engage with the parties to the conflict, and work hand-in-hand with the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (the regional body, IGAD).”

Mr. Guterres reiterated that the Sudanese people were “facing a humanitarian catastrophe”, while millions now face food insecurity.

He said the UN was “ready to deliver”, under the leadership of his Special Representative – and head of UN mission in Sudan, UNITAMS – Volker Perthes.

“Aid must be allowed into Sudan, and we need secure and immediate access to be able to distribute it to people who need it most”, he said.

Relief chief calls for safe passage agreements

Top UN humanitarian official Martin Griffiths on Wednesday urged Sudan’s warring parties to commit to the safe passage of relief supplies, as terrified civilians continue to flee the country.

He arrived just hours ago in the UN aid hub of Port Sudan, on Sudan’s Red Sea coast.

“We can and should get assistance to the different parts of Darfur, to Khartoum. …and the agency representatives I met here this morning are unanimous about that. But to do that, we need access, we need airlifts, we need supplies that don’t get looted,” said emergency relief chief Griffiths.

Looting fears

Speaking from Port Sudan, Mr. Griffiths noted that the UN World Food Programme (WFP) had reported that six trucks heading to Darfur had been looted on Wednesday “despite assurances of safety and security”, amid the ongoing power struggle.

To help the most vulnerable communities in Sudan and to prevent further looting of relief supplies, Mr. Griffiths insisted on the need “to be sure that we have the commitments publicly and clearly given by the two militaries to protect humanitarian assistance, to deliver on the obligations to allow supplies of people to move”.

This commitment should apply even without a formal national ceasefire in place, he continued, by means of local arrangements “that can be depended on”.

Desperate health needs

Highlighting the scale of need in areas affected by heavy shooting and airstrikes, the UN relief chief reiterated that restoring medical assistance topped the list of priorities in the capital, Khartoum, where more than six in 10 health facilities are closed, and only around one in seven is operating normally.

“Many patients with chronic diseases, like kidney disease, diabetes and cancer, are unable to access the health facilities or medicines they need,” OCHA reported.

Providing safe water also remains a vital priority, to encourage communities to stay where they were so that they can receive help. “We have a plan for how we get supplies to these places” across the country including Darfur, Mr. Griffiths said. “We know how we can do this, and we will start doing it.”

Rainy season deadline

Humanitarians fear that unless such aid guarantees from the warring sides are secured, the situation in Sudan could deteriorate further.

“(The UN Food and Agriculture Organization) FAO and the UN World Food Programme, talked to me today about the importance of getting food and seeds into places which are going to be hard to reach because of the rainy season that’s coming in June, and with the planting season, which is also coming from May to July,” Mr. Griffiths said.

“We will still require agreements and arrangements to allow for movement of staff and supplies…. It’s a volatile environment”, he said.

“I think you will find if we have good funding that we will be able to do exactly what the people of Sudan require us to do and are entitled to see us do.”

‘We must act now’: IOM chief

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the head of the UN migration agency (IOM) António Vitorino, said the world “cannot turn a blind eye” to the crisis in Sudan.

It is imperative that we – as UN agencies, donors, individuals, as well as governments – collectively act and support the people of Sudan and neighboring countries.”

He commended all those nations keeping their borders open to those fleeing violence, calling for increased efforts to improve the conditions at border points, to allow more aid to flow.

Mr. Vitorino added that IOM was working with partners on an interagency and coordinated response plan and appeal, to scale up lifesaving aid. So far, there are six warehouses with supplies across five states inside Sudan, and more than 10,000 prepositioned core relief kits.

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European environment and health atlas goes live — check your place

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Newsdesk

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3 May 2023

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How is the air quality where you live, what about noise levels or the number of green spaces and quality of the nearest bathing water sites? Now you can check the quality of the environment on one online platform, the EEA’s European environment and health atlas. Launched today, the atlas presents data and information in a user-friendly way on how pollution and other environmental risks affect the health and well-being of Europeans, and how environmental assets protect us.

The interactive online tool, a first on such a scale for all of Europe, allows users to visualise how the environment around them affects their health and well-being via set of detailed maps. It covers topics like air quality, noise and quietness, green and blue spaces and climate change throughout the member and collaborating countries of the EEA. Closely aligned by many EU policy targets, the atlas is one of the tools by prepared and published the EEA with the aim to support monitoring the European Union’s zero pollution ambition.

How is the quality of the environment where you live and how does it affect you?

The atlas also allows the user to create and share an “environmental scorecard” of a specific address or location, as well as visualizing inequalities in environmental risks, for instance those related to income. The atlas is based on a wide variety of data and analysis on environmental risks to health and benefits of a healthy environment done by the EEA and other trusted sources. The atlas aims to bring all this information into one digital hub, making it directly relevant to the public.

The Atlas will be a ‘living product’ meaning it will be updated regularly and open to feedback from users.

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Heavily polluted algae – a danger to humans

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Newsdesk

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3 May 2023

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A new study by a team of researchers from Germany, Great Britain and Canada has found that algae that grow under the sea ice in the Arctic are “heavily contaminated” with microplastics, posing a threat to humans in the food chain, reports UPI.

Dense algae known as Melosira arctica contained an average of 31,000 microplastic particles per cubic meter, about 10 times the concentration in ambient water, the researchers found, cited by BTA. According to them, the average ranged around 19,000, meaning that some clumps may have had as many as 50,000 microplastic particles per cubic meter.

The research was carried out at the Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research at the Alfred Wegener Institute, based on samples collected during an expedition with the Polarstern research vessel in 2021. The results of the work of the international team were published on Friday in the journal ” Environmental Science and Technology”.

“Filament algae have a slimy, sticky texture, so they potentially pick up microplastics from atmospheric deposition on the sea, from the seawater itself, from the surrounding ice and from any other source they pass,” said Deoni Allen of the University of Canterbury in a media release. and the University of Birmingham, who is part of the research team.

Fish, such as cod, feed on the algae and are in turn consumed by other animals, including humans, thereby transmitting a “variety of plastics” including polyethylene, polyester, polypropylene, nylon and acrylic, which are then are found in human bodies.

“People in the Arctic are particularly dependent on the marine food web for their protein supply, for example through hunting or fishing,” says biologist Melanie Bergman, who led the study. “This means that they are also exposed to the effects of microplastics and the her chemicals. “Microplastics have already been found in the human gut, blood, veins, lungs, placenta and breast milk and can cause inflammatory reactions, but the overall consequences have so far been largely unexplored,” explains Bergman.

Clumps of dead algae also transport microplastics particularly quickly to the deep sea, which explains the high concentrations of microplastics in the sediment – another key finding of the new study. The algae grow rapidly under the sea ice during the spring and summer months, and there they form meter-long chains of cells that turn into clumps when the cells die. Within a day, they can sink thousands of meters to the bottom of deep sea waters. “We finally found a plausible explanation for why we always measure the highest amounts of microplastics in deep-sea sediments,” says Bergman. She added that research shows that reducing plastic production is the most effective way to reduce this type of pollution.

“That’s why this should definitely be a priority in the global plastics agreement that’s being negotiated,” Bergman said. She will attend the next round of talks to develop a UN treaty to reduce plastic pollution. Talks are set to begin in Paris at the end of May.

Photo by Ellie Burgin:

A library with a baby corner has won the attention of parents

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Newsdesk

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3 May 2023

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A photo of a library of workplaces and baby nooks went around the world and became one of the most viral posts on the internet.

It’s about the Henrico County Public Library in Virginia and its director, Barbara F. Widman. Drawing from her own experience and raising her now-grown son alone, she noticed how difficult it is to be a parent in public spaces that aren’t designed with families in mind. However, users of the library, where Widman is the director, also face the same problem.

“Parents, guardians, or nannies would come to the library and struggle to use the computers while holding a baby on their lap or constantly watching where the toddler is going,” Widman says. She decided to design work and play stations that would entertain children while parents use computers.

Already in 2017, the library began construction on the new location. Widman worked with librarians, readers, parents and designers to bring the idea to life. Computer workstations and gaming stations opened in 2019.

“On opening day, a mother with a baby and toddler sat down at the Work and Play Station to use the computer and put her children in the bassinet – without receiving any guidance from the staff. It was a pleasure to see that the design was quite intuitive,” explains Widman.

For Matt Hansen, who has a 2-year-old daughter, Work and Play Stations are the perfect solution when he needs to get some work done in a hurry but can’t afford to call a babysitter.

“Several times a week I have to go through my mail, run errands, and take care of many other things that require me to sit in front of a computer. It’s amazing to have access to something like this,” Hansen shares. Unlike Hansen, who shows up at the library several times a week, many parents in the neighborhood visit the innovative space daily because it’s the only place they have access to a computer and the Internet.

In January 2022, Ali Farooq, the political director of Families Forward Virginia, tweeted a photo of the workstations. The announcement immediately attracted the attention of the national press.

“At first we were surprised by the huge interest, but then we realized that people with young children are happy when they feel noticed and respected in a public space,” commented Widman. Since then, the director has received many inquiries from organizations wanting to install similar Work and Play Stations, including libraries, universities and even parents who work from home.

For Director Wildman, the function of the Work and Play Stations aligns with the library’s larger mission: to allow people access to information and learning.

“These workstations and play stations are just one more way libraries can support, be part of the infrastructure that helps meet people’s information needs and make our spaces more accessible and inclusive for parents with young children.” , she said.

According to her, children’s departments in libraries often focus on literacy, which is important, “but these stations are the added value because they serve not only the children, but also their parents and caregivers.” “We want whole families to visit us and the library to meet all their needs at once.”

Illustrative Photo by Ivo Rainha:

Religious discrimination and police violence… France criticized at the UN

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EuropeanTimes

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2 May 2023

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Religious discrimination and police violence… France criticized at the UN — France Review - 43rd Session of Universal Periodic Review

Several countries deplored on Monday religious discrimination and police violence during the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, May 1

The human rights situation in France has be reviewed for the fourth time, as part of the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Attacks against migrants, racial profiling, police violence… The UN examined the human rights situation in the country for more than three hours. A large number of countries, including the United States but also Tunisia, called on France to do more to combat violence and racial discrimination.

“We recommend that France step up its efforts to combat religiously motivated crimes and threats of violence such as anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred,” said U.S. Representative Kelly Billingsley. Brazil, along with Japan, deplored “racial profiling by security forces” and South Africa called on France to “take steps to ensure impartial investigations by bodies outside the police in all cases of racist incidents involving police officers.

Several states also urged France to work to defend women’s rights, with some, such as Spain and the United Kingdom, focusing on domestic violence. Other countries emphasized the rights of Muslim women, such as Malaysia, which called on France to “quickly” amend laws prohibiting them from covering their faces in public spaces.

The French delegation’s Minister for Equality between Women and Men and Diversity compared racism and anti-Semitism to “a poison for the Republic,” but she did not take up every criticism.

Police violence

Police violence during operations at demonstrations was noted by several delegations, including Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Luxembourg. Liechtenstein called for an independent investigation into these excesses, and Malaysia wants those responsible “to be punished”.

Law enforcement agencies were also criticized for profiling during the various controls.
During the response session, the French delegation maintained that “the use of force” was “strictly controlled (…) and, in the event of misconduct, sanctioned”. In addition, it recalled that members of the police force were obliged to wear an individual identification number “in order to ensure the visibility and traceability of their actions”. An obligation not always respected and the French Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin demanded that it be worn “in all circumstances”.

Concerns for the Olympic Games

Slovakia has asked that “the surveillance measures introduced by the law on the Olympic Games respect the principles of necessity and proportionality. This text, voted last month by the Parliament, contains an important security component, including the use of algorithmic video surveillance, raising concerns.

288 dark web vendors arrested in major marketplace seizure

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Europol - Other bodies and agencies

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2 May 2023

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288 dark web vendors arrested in major marketplace seizure — © Europol

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Dark web, law enforcement on three continents seize EUR 50.8 million in cash and virtual currencies, 850 kg of drugs and 117 firearms

In an operation coordinated by Europol and involving nine countries, law enforcement have seized the illegal dark web marketplace “Monopoly Market” and arrested 288 suspects involved in buying or selling drugs on the dark web. More than EUR 50.8 million (USD 53.4 million) in cash and virtual currencies, 850 kg of drugs, and 117 firearms were seized. The seized drugs include over 258 kg of amphetamines, 43 kg of cocaine, 43 kg of MDMA and over 10 kg of LSD and ecstasy pills.

This operation, codenamed SpecTor, was composed of a series of separate complementary actions in Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Switzerland.

Intelligence packages as basis for investigations

Europol has been compiling intelligence packages based on troves of evidence provided by German authorities, who successfully seized the marketplace’s criminal infrastructure in December 2021. These target packages, created by cross-matching and analysing the collected data and evidence, served as the basis for hundreds of national investigations. The vendors arrested as a result of the police action against Monopoly Market were also active on other illicit marketplaces, further impeding the trade of drugs and illicit goods on the dark web. As a result, 288 vendors and buyers who engaged in tens of thousands of sales of illicit goods were arrested across Europe, the United States and Brazil. A number of these suspects were considered high-value targets by Europol.

The arrests took place in the United States (153), the United Kingdom (55), Germany (52), the Netherlands (10), Austria (9), France (5), Switzerland (2), Poland (1) and Brazil (1). A number of investigations to identify additional individuals behind dark web accounts are still ongoing. As law enforcement authorities gained access to the vendors’ extensive buyer lists, thousands of customers across the globe are now at risk of prosecution as well.

Illicit marketplaces on the dark web

In the run-up to this coordinated operation, German and U.S. authorities also shut down ‘Hydra’, which was the highest-grossing dark web market with an estimated revenue of EUR 1.23 billion, in April 2022. The Hydra takedown saw EUR 23 million in cryptocurrencies seized by German authorities.

In terms of arrests, the operation was even more successful than previous operations codenamed DisrupTor (2020) with 179 and Dark HunTor (2021) with 150 arrests. It shows once more that international collaboration between police authorities is key for combatting crime on the Dark Web.

Commenting on Operation SpecTor, Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle, said:

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== 288 dark web vendors arrested in major marketplace seizure

Our coalition of law enforcement authorities across three continents proves that we all do better when we work together. This operation sends a strong message to criminals on the dark web: international law enforcement has the means and the ability to identify and hold you accountable for your illegal activities, even on the dark web.

Europol‘s role

Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre facilitated the information exchange in the framework of the Joint Cybercrime Action Taskforce (J-CAT) hosted at the Europol headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands. After cross-checking evidence through the Europol databases, Europol analysts prepared target packages and cross-matched reports containing valuable data to identify vendors on the dark web. Europol also coordinated the international law enforcement action.

Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime and other serious and organised forms of crime. We also work with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

Authorities taking part in Operation SpecTor:

Austria: Criminal Intelligence Service Austria with various Provincial Criminal Police Departments (Bundeskriminalamt und Landeskriminalämter)
France: French Customs (Douane)
Germany: Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt), Central Criminal Investigation Department of Oldenburg (Zentrale Kriminalinspektion Oldenburg), General Prosecutor’s Office in Frankfurt/Main – Cybercrime Center (Generalstaatsanwaltschaft Frankfurt/Main, Zentralstelle zur Bekämpfung der Internetkriminalität), Berlin Police (Polizei Berlin), various police departments (Dienststellen der Länderpolizeien), German Customs Investigation (Zollfahndungsämter)
Netherlands: National Police (Politie)
Poland: Central Cybercrime Bureau (Centralne Biuro Zwalczania Cyberprzestępczości)
Brazil: Civil Police of the State of Piauí (Polícia Civil do Estado do Piauí), Civil Police of the Federal District (Polícia Civil do Distrito Federal), National Secretariat of Public Security – Directorate of Integrated Operations and Intelligence – Cyber Operations Laboratory (Laboratório de Operações Cibernéticas da Diretoria de Operações Integradas e de Inteligência – Secretaria Nacional de Segurança Pública)
Switzerland: Zurich Cantonal Police (Kantonspolizei Zürich) and Public Prosecutor’s Office II of the Canton of Zurich (Staatsanwaltschaft II)
United Kingdom: National Crime Agency (NCA), National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC)
United States: The Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)

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