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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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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.

‘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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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.

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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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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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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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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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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288 dark web vendors arrested in major marketplace seizure
© Europol

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)

Psychiatrists discuss how to reduce the use of coercive measures

By
Torsten Hjelmar
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European Congress of Psychiatry in Paris, 2023
The European Congress of Psychiatry in Paris welcomed 4028 participants. Photo credit: THIX Photo

The need and feasibility of reducing coercion in mental health care is widely acknowledged. The discussion whether the goal is reducing or eliminating the use of coercive measures is a hot topic in professional and service user circles. Viewed in a human rights perspective one eventually would have to eliminate. The psychiatric community in a number of countries are now working to better understand, reduce and implement alternatives to coercion.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as well as the guidance on community mental health services published by the World Health Organization (WHO) formulate clear goals for the future of psychiatry and psychosocial support. Innovative concepts of mental health care that focus on full participation, recovery-orientation and the prevention of coercion play an important role in achieving these goals.

At the recent 31st European Congress of Psychiatry that was held in Paris discussions were held on implementing and scientifically evaluating the effects of such models in mental health services. And the needs for these to be prioritized in national mental health planning and budgeting decisions.

In a presentation by Lieselotte Mahler, Medical Director and head of a Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in Berlin and with the Charité University Hospital, Berlin it was noted that, “above all, coercive measures are an obvious encroachment into one’s personal rights.”

“They have negative consequences for all those affected, such as physical injury, worse outcome of the treatment, break in the therapeutic relationship, higher admission rates, higher risk of future coercive measures, psychological damage up to and including trauma,” she added.

Dr. Lieselotte Mahler pointed out that, “They are activities that run counter to the self-image of psychiatric professionals, mainly because they cannot be understood as therapeutic.”

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Psychiatrists discuss how to reduce the use of coercive measures
Discussion on coercive measures being a type of torture. Photo credit: THIX Photo

The Chair of the discussion Prof. Michaela Amering from the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, commented on this stating that “I think many of us have experienced this feeling that this is not what we came in for – the psychiatric profession that we have – and that we have to be people who coercively treat other people.”

The past President of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA), Prof. Silvana Galderisi, who was the Co-Chair of the World Psychiatric Association’s (WPA) Taskforce and reference group on Minimizing Coercion in Mental Health Care presented data on implementing alternatives to coercion as a key component of improving mental health care. Prof. Galderisi, noted “Its really the least pleasant part of the job. This is sometimes really bringing quite a lot of pain to users, but also to us. So, it’s certainly a controversial practice.”

Prof. Silvana Galderisi clarified “coercive practices raise human rights concerns as it has been highlighted very, very well also in the other presentations, especially in the light of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which has a lot of good aspects, but really a lot of good aspects.”

“The CRPD asks Member States to view people with disabilities from the perspective of a bearer of human rights. How could it be different? I mean, this is something that when we read it, we say, but of course, I mean, what’s the point here? People with psychosocial disabilities or with a severe mental disorder – which is generally linked also to disability, not always, but many times – do they have less rights than other people? Of course not. They have the right to assert that. Their rights, will and preferences should always be respected,” Prof. Silvana Galderisi stressed.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Psychiatrists discuss how to reduce the use of coercive measures
Discussion on coercive measures with focus on the WPA Positions statement. Photo credit: THIX Photo

The work of the WPA Taskforce and reference group on Minimizing Coercion in Mental Health Care and the various discussions and types of arguments were gone over. The final result of this work was a position statement of the World Psychiatric Association. Prof. Galderisi indicated “that in my view and in the view of all the members of the [WPA Taskforce] team, it’s an extremely important step. Having a position statement saying that coercion is overused in mental health systems. And this is one of the main drivers of the change, because I mean, if we recognize that coercion is overused, this is then an issue. So, certainly it is overused and our goal must be to come to more homogeneity and to have common grounds that recognize this.”

Prof. Vinay Lakra, the President of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) stressed the need for supporting this WPA initiative. He said, “We funded this [WPA] project. Our board decided when John Allen was president and I was his president elect, we decided to fund this project because if there is one thing which differentiates us from the rest of the medicine, it is the use of coercion. We don’t see people holding placards, outside medicine conferences. You see people holding placards protesting outside psychiatric conferences.”

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Psychiatrists discuss how to reduce the use of coercive measures
Protests by the French Citizens Commission on Human Rights against the abusive use of coercive measures in psychiatry in front of the EPA Congress. Photo Credit: THIX Photo

“And it’s almost always related to the fact that we use coercion in our service provision. So, I would encourage anyone who is related to the European Psychiatric Association (EPA) or to other EPA member societies here to do what they can do to support this project’s continuation, because I think that’s what is important,” Prof. Vinay Lakra added.

Belgium equates COVID-19 with the ordinary flu

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News desk
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With this decision, the mandatory seven-day quarantine after infection with the new disease is established

Health authorities in Belgium decided this week to treat the disease from COVID-19 as the common flu, local media reported. With this decision, the mandatory seven-day quarantine after infection with the new disease is established.

The recommendation remains that those suffering from a respiratory illness stay at home until the symptoms have resolved,

as well as wearing protective masks, especially when interacting with the elderly. In nursing homes, health officials will consider the necessary steps in the event that one of the residents becomes ill. In hospitals, decisions on how to act in a given case will be made by the management of the health facility.

Earlier this year, Belgium also lifted the last mass restrictions related to COVID-19

– wearing a mask in hospitals and doctor’s offices and waiting rooms. Recently, leading local health experts admitted that most of the strict measures imposed in Belgium during the pandemic were rather excessive after the first months of the disease.

Meanwhile, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has drawn a number of conclusions from the ongoing epidemic of COVID-19, DPA reported.

The Stockholm-based health authority has identified four areas where lessons could be learned from the pandemic to help countries better prepare for future pandemics or other emergencies.

Among the lessons are the benefits of investing in the health workforce, the need to better prepare for the next health crises, the need for risk communication and community engagement, and data collection and analysis, according to the report released today of ECPCC. The authority emphasizes that all these areas are closely related. With the pandemic moving into a phase of reduced intensity, the report aims to draw attention to follow-up actions that could contribute to improving pandemic preparedness in Europe.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us valuable lessons, and it is important to review and evaluate our actions to determine what has worked and what has not. We must be better prepared for future public health crises and this must be done through multi-sectoral action This includes investing in and strengthening the public health workforce, improving infectious disease surveillance, strengthening risk communication and public engagement, and fostering collaboration between organizations, countries and regions,” said ECDC director Andrea Amon

COVID-19 reached Europe in early 2020 and then spread extremely quickly. Many countries initially responded by imposing significant restrictions on public life and closing their borders.

Thanks to the record-breaking rapid development of vaccines against COVID-19, eventually in 2022 it became possible to bring the situation under control. People are still getting infected, but Europe is now far from the high infection and death rates of the peak of the crisis, DPA said.

Illustrative Photo by Karolina Grabowska:

An unknown manuscript of Victor Hugo about 150 years old discovered

By
Gaston de Persigny
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The poem is called “Poor Children”

The college in Besançon, which bears the name of the writer Victor Hugo, discovered a manuscript of Hugo’s poem while cleaning its archives of unnecessary old documents, “Le Figaro” reported.

“We wanted to clean out the archive on New Year’s Eve and throw away unnecessary old documents,” said the director of the college, Jean-Jacques Fitot. As a result, the employees came across a “forgotten by everyone” rare manuscript with the signature of Victor Hugo in one of the offices between accounting accounts.

The manuscript is about 150 years old, but it is very well preserved. After it was discovered, it was placed under glass and now adorns one of the walls of the director’s office.

The poem is called “Poor Children”. The college acquired the valuable text, handwritten on two sheets, in 1951. On the back is the story of its appearance.

In 1868, Victor Hugo offered it as a prize in a charity raffle to raise funds for the benefit of poor children in Besançon – the writer’s hometown. A second-hand bookseller bought it from the lottery winner’s son and in May 1951 resold it to the management of the Lycée Victor Hugo for 6,000 francs. In 1980, the Lyceum became a college.

A variant of the text of the poem was published in the collection “Inner Voices” in 1837.

The College of Besançon was the first educational institution in France to be named after Victor Hugo on the day after the writer’s funeral in 1885.

Photo: Victor Hugo (Getty Images/Gulliver Photos)

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