July, 2021

• 3 July

  Turkey’s illegal renditions of Syrian nationals back in spotlight

  

  Critics say the arrest of Syrian citizens and their extradition to Turkey violates Turkish and international humanitarian law. The rendition of Syrian nationals to Turkey, where they are prosecuted and jailed on thinly evidenced terror charges, has returned to the spotlight with the life sentencing by a Turkish court of …

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• 3 July

  Israel and the Emirates Are the Middle East’s New Best Friends

  

  The Abraham Accords didn’t just seal a wary detente. It cemented Israel’s first regional partnership. The scenes since September 2020 have been scarcely believable. Tens of thousands of Israelis have been thronging the malls and beaches of Abu Dhabi and Dubai; Emiratis have posed for selfies in Jerusalem; Israeli DJs …

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• 3 July

  The Syrians of Denmark…An Experience that Hurts Twice

  

  Our colleague Odai Al Zoubi wrote the following on his Facebook page: “The real tragedy for the Syrians in Denmark is that not being expelled back to Syria means that they will remain imprisoned in Denmark, under the mercy of a fascist, ignorant and chauvinistic group of politicians. The Syrians …

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• 3 July

  Russia and Turkey Agree on Military Free Zone

  

  Days before a new round of discussions in Astana between Iran, Turkey, and Russia, and in parallel to talks about Turkey’s fear of a military operation by the Syrian army in Idleb, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced a new agreement between the two …

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• 3 July

  Algérie : Oran, point de transit de la cocaïne vers l’Europe ?

  

  L’interception de près d’une demi-tonne de cocaïne au large d’Oran fin juin rappelle d’autres affaires de saisies de stupéfiants dans la région. Dont celle mettant en cause Kamel Chikhi, alias « le boucher ». La chambre d’accusation près la cour d’Alger s’est penchée, ce 30 juin, sur l’affaire des 701 …

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• 3 July

  HOW POLAND LOST ITS FOREIGN POLICY COMPASS

  Recent weeks have demonstrated that Poland is rudderless and bobbing around on the waves of international politics with no clear course. Poland’s foreign policy can’t find its compass. The Western world is about to experience a redistribution in the global game, but Warsaw is more disoriented than ever. When it …

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• 3 July

  Covert Operations: Unravelling Serbian Officials’ Links to Paramilitaries

  As the UN court prepares to rule on whether the Serbian State Security Service chiefs Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic illegally controlled wartime paramilitary units, BIRN looks at how they were deployed in the Croatian and Bosnian conflicts. Asenior official from the Serbian State Security Service, Franko ‘Frenki’ Simatovic, arrived …

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• 3 July

  Kosovo War Crimes Court’s First Trial Will Set a Precedent

  After a six-year wait, the first trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague will open on September 15, with former Kosovo Liberation Army officer Salih Mustafa facing charges of illegally detaining, torturing and killing prisoners. It was announced last week that the first trial at the Kosovo Special …

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• 3 July

  Pakistan: Shoring Up Afghanistan’s Peace Process

  Pakistan’s stakes in Afghanistan are rising as U.S. and NATO troops prepare to leave. All-out war after the withdrawal could push more Afghan refugees across the border and strengthen Pakistani militants. Islamabad should ratchet up pressure on the Taliban to engage in peace talks. What’s new? The fast-paced withdrawal of foreign …

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• 3 July

  CHINA AND RUSSIA SEEKING TO DIVIDE EU AND NATO, US DIPLOMAT SAYS

  With foreign influences and the pandemic undermining democracy in the V4 and the Western Balkans, external security – delivered via NATO – is fundamental, Kurt Volker argues. After a meeting-heavy June that saw the leaders of the international community converge on several stages and fora, it appears as though China …

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