Author: Abdul Baasid al-Gaber

A year ago Germany deported to Tajikistan an activist from that country’s exiled opposition movement who had been living in Dortmund since 2009. What happened next is a shocking example of what can occur when Germany fails to uphold safeguards in its increased efforts to deport unsuccessful asylum seekers. The Bundestag this month gave police greater powers to carry out deportations. The activist, Abdullohi Shamsiddin, 33, was deported to Tajikistan on January 18 2023. He was detained on arrival by the security services. Two months later he was convicted of trying to overthrow the constitution and jailed for seven years. No credible…

China defended its recent maritime law enforcement activities in waters near Ren’ai Reef and Huangyan Island on Wednesday, and decried the United States’ endorsement of the Philippines’ maritime provocation. The US Department of State issued a statement related to the South China Sea on Sunday, attacking China’s actions over the two maritime islets. “For some time, in seeking selfish geopolitical interests, the US has incited, supported and cooperated with the Philippines in the latter’s infringement and provocation at sea, and repeatedly sought to threaten China by citing the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at…

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) remained on “high alert” in the South China Sea as a three-day joint US-Philippines air and maritime patrols are set to culminate on Thursday, Chinese state-run media reported. The PLA Southern Theater Command’s frigate Yuncheng has conducted “routine” patrols in the South China Sea since Tuesday, “when the Philippines rallied forces outside of the region, held patrols and stirred up trouble in the region,” a spokesperson of the command was quoted as saying by Global Times on Thursday. The command troops are on high alert to firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and maritime interests, he…

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin visited the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia last week in a bid to expand relations with the two oil-rich states and show that he isn’t as isolated as he has been portrayed by the West. The Russian dictator’s visit to the two Gulf states was only the second time he had ventured outside Russia in the eight months since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest for the alleged war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children. Like Russia, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are not members of the ICC…

MANILA, Nov 4 (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Saturday his country, the Philippines and the United States were cooperating to protect the freedom of the South China Sea as he committed to help enhance Manila’s security capabilities.  “In the South China Sea, trilateral cooperation to protect the freedom of the sea is under way,” Kishida, on an official visit, said in an address before the Philippine congress in the capital Manila. Kishida and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr agreed on Friday to start negotiations on a reciprocal troop access deal to strengthen military cooperation as China becomes increasingly assertive in the region. The…

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Sunday departed for a three-day bilateral visit to United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed during his visit from Nov 26 to Nov 28. In a statement released earlier today, the Foreign Office (FO) said that the visit would provide “an opportunity to advance bilateral ties in all spheres including political, economic, trade, investment, cultural, defence and people-to- people relations”.Pause The visit will also include signing of memorandum of understandings between Pakistan and the UAE in a range of areas…

Berlin (06/11 – 58) UN Special Rapporteur of Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, has once again called on the authorities of Tajikistan to release imprisoned Tajik journalists and bloggers. Mary Lawlor posted on her social media account, formerly Twitter, that during a meeting with Tajikistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Jonibek Hikmat, in New York on October 24, she reiterated her call for the Tajik authorities to release the convicted human rights defenders and journalists, including Daler Imomali, Abdullo Gurbati, and Ulfatkhonim Mamadshoeva. Last year, in Tajikistan, eight journalists and bloggers were sentenced to various prison terms, ranging from 7…

United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced the commencement of the humanitarian operation Chivalrous Knight 3 on Sunday to support the Gaza Strip. Al Nahyan ordered the Ministry of Defense to begin the humanitarian operation Chivalrous Knight 3 “to support the brotherly Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” the state news agency WAM reported. He also ordered the Joint Operations Command to cooperate and coordinate comprehensively with all humanitarian and charity institutions in the country to provide humanitarian support to the Palestinian people in Gaza. This includes also permitting doctors and health workers to volunteer to participate…

The conflict between Israel and Hamas will potentially have a major impact across the Middle East, and will be another factor for both China and the United States to consider in their long-term thinking. Analysts said Israel had been disappointed by China’s response to the attacks by Hamas that killed hundreds of people, mainly civilians, but questioned whether this would have a serious impact on relations in the longer-term. The attacks coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur war, and were the deadliest assault on Israel since then. But many diplomatic observers have questioned whether it was also an attempt…

Frankfurt, Brussels (6/10 – 27) While Tajik authorities have not been able to lay their hands on their activist opponents living in Europe, they are able to turn the screws on their families and relatives, back in the old country. The recent case of arrest of family members took place shortly after President Emomali Rahmon’s visit to Germany, to attend a summit of Central Asian leaders, at the end of last month. Throughout Rahmon’s visit, he was trailed by demonstrators holding up placards bearing pictures of political prisoners and calling him a dictator. When Rahmon headed to the Bundestag on…