Umwakagara Paul Kagame: Imana twayirashe ijisho rimwe ubwo twari kumulindi wa Byumba

Umwakagara Paul Kagame: Imana twayirashe ijisho rimwe ubwo twari kumulindi wa Byumba

Inkuru dukesha ijwi ry’America (VOA) yemeza ibimenyetso by’Ubuhanuzi twanditse taliki ya 20 April, 2024 ubu Buhanuzi bufite umutwe wa magambo ugira uti «amarembera y’ihirima ry’umwana w’unwega UMWAKAGARA PAUL KAGAME» ubu buhanuzi bulimo More »

Ikinyoma cyo guhitana Foster Gen.Ogola Francis cyamenyekanye!

Ikinyoma cyo guhitana Foster Gen.Ogola Francis cyamenyekanye!

  Umugabo mukuru w’ingabo za Kenya Gen. Ogola Francis ku wa kane yitabye Imana azize impanuka italimo kuvugwaho rumwe na batavuga rumwe n’ubutegetsi (oppositions) Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition.Basabye Leta ya More »

Foolish people, foolish government. Abantu bibigoryi, n’ubutegetsi bw’ibibigoryi!!!

Foolish people, foolish government. Abantu bibigoryi, n’ubutegetsi bw’ibibigoryi!!!

Birashoboka yuko umuntu ashobora kuba afite uburwayi bukomeye isi itari yasobanukirwa, mu bisanzwe ubundi umuntu wese arushwa no gushaka kumenya akibazo afite kugirango ashakishe umuti wicyo kibazo.Nyuma yo kumenya ikibazo no gushakisha More »

Museveni na Kayumba Nyamwasa balimo kwirebera mu ndorerwamo

Museveni na Kayumba Nyamwasa balimo kwirebera mu ndorerwamo

  April 17,2024 ibiro ntaramakuru byo mu ijuru (Heaven News Media Agency) biratangaza Amakuru akurikira. Mu ijoro ryakeye Kampala muri Uganda bakoranye inama na Kayumba Nyamwasa, bamubwira ko adakwiye gutaha amanitse amaboko More »

The Destruction of Iran’s Terrorist Hub in Damascus Was Entirely Justified

The Destruction of Iran’s Terrorist Hub in Damascus Was Entirely Justified

The bombing of the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria was not, as the Iranians claim, simply an attack on a blameless diplomatic mission. It was a carefully targeted strike on the headquarters More »

 

KAGAME AHATIRA ABAHUTU GUSABA IMBABAZI,ESE WE AZAZISABA NDE?

Mugihe abanyarwanda bo mu bwoko bw’abahutu bakomeje kwigerekaho urutsyo,nyamara  nta uzabafasha kurwikuraho, kuko bajya kurushyirwaho nta wabafashwe ku ngufu za leta,gusaba imbabazi s’icyaha,ariko kandi ntabwo byari bikwiye kuba imwe mu mpamvu ya politiki kugirango abahutu bose bagibweho n’urubanza rwa jenocide kuko icyaha ari gatozi.


 

Gusa na none nta wabirwanya kuko ubuhanuzi bwo muri 2007 buvuga ko abahutu bazasaba imbabazi muri stade amahoro iremera,kandi ubutegetsi bwabo cyangwa gutegeka kwabo kuzaba kurangiye.Ibyo bakora iyo baza kumenya icyo bivuze ntabwo abahutu bose bagashyizwe mu gatebo kamwe ahubwo buri muntu ku giti cye yarakwiye guhanirwa ibyo yakoze ariko atari ukugendera mukigare.

Ikinyoma cya ndi umunyarwanda ubwo se abari mu mahanga b’impunzi,bivuga ko atarabanyarwanda?ayo namayeri ya fpr yashatse kugirango abanyarwanda baterwe ubwoba bityo bemere ibyo fpr yifuza utabyemeye azaba atar’umunyarwanda!Ubu se mu mahanga ibyo barabizi ntibatubwira ko turi abanyarwanda mu gihe mu gihugu cya tubyaye bamaze kudukura mu mubare wabanyarwanda.

Fpr yasimbuye Imana yo mujuru kuko ibyo bakora wagirango bamaze kugera nyamara ntaho bavuye nta naho bagiye kuko imiruho iracyari yose umuruha wabahaze ungana n’umuruho wabashonje,iibazo biracyabategereje nta byagiye kuko aho kugirango imiruho igsbsnuke shubwo yarushijeho kwiyongera.

Abafatanije kubona igihugu bacitsemo ibice icyo ubwacyo n’ikibazo,abacika cumu bakomeje guhemukirwa bacuruza amagufa yabo dore ko n’igihe cyo kuyibuka cyegereke icyo nacyo nikibazo cyihariwe ubwacyo ariko fpr yibwira ko yamaze kubashyira mungoyi badashobora kwinyagambura nyamara abanyarwanda bamenyereye ko iyo bigiye gushya bitangira gushyuha.

Nyuma yuko abahutu bamwe bemerete fpr ko bazasaba imbabazi ku karubanda,byatumye abahutu bari basinziriye bigize ba ntibindeba babonako baguye mu mutego,bituma batangira guhaguruka ariko amazi yari yarenze inkombe,abahutu bagirimana kuko Umwami ariwe uzategeka,bitabaye ibyo hakajyaho repubulika yasimbura fpr,uwajyaho wese yakwitwaza gusaba imbabazi z’abahutu bagashyirwa mu gitabo cy’ubunyangamugayo mucye ibyo bikazabakura murubuga rwa politiki cyane ko aribo babyiyemereye.

Ntawukwiye gutinya gupfa kuko gupfa ntawe yinshe,burya ibibi birarutana,aho kwihambira ibuye mu ijosi wakwemera ugapfa ariko ntuhemukire igisekuruza kizagukurikira kuko abazavuka bazasanga abahutu barakoze jenocide ndetse baranasabye imbabazi muri rusanjye kandi bo ntaruhare babigizemo.

Bivuze ngo hagati yabahutu n;abatutsi har’inzigo hagati yabo,saho bizagarukira no gushyingirana nabyo ubwabyo bizaba ikibazo cyubunyanga mugayo mucye n’ubupfura bucye bwagaragaye hagati mu muryango wabahutu ibyo byose bizagira ingaruka kurubyaro rwabanyarwanda bo mu bwoko bwabahutu.

Me EVODE YEMEYE KURYA IKIGORI AHINDAGURE AMATEGEKO ABOHE ABAHUTU KUBERA UMGATI HANYUMA NIBAMARA KWIHAMBIRA BATI FPR NABAGOME:

Nkuko tumaze igihe tubagezaho inkuru z’uburyo abanyarwanda bo mu bwoko bw’abahutu uburyo ki,bamaze kwihambira urutsyo mu ijosi kubera mpemuke ndamuke ndetse utibagiwe nabana wabyaye ngo ni uko biga mu mahanga ariko ukibagirwa ko aherezo y’inzira ari mu nzu.

Me Evode wakunze kumvikana kumaradio mpuzamahaga nka bbc gahuza ijwi ryamerica asenya ubutegetsi bwa fpr,none abaye uwambere gusaba imbabazi fpr usibye ko yongeyeho ko atakoze jenocide,nyamara niwe ugiye gukoreshwa guhambira umuryango wabahutu akomokamo.

Kuko ibyo fpr ikora irareba imbere mu mategeko mu myaka iri mbere,uko itegeko ry’ingengabitekerezo ryaje ninako nayandi azaza,ubu ingengabitekerezo niyontwaro ikomeye fpr yakoresheje mu matora ya 2010,iyo ngenga bitekerezo ninayo ifunze Umuhoza ingabire victoire waruje gucungura abahutu nabatutsi wenda bakaba baboneraho ariko ingengasi yaramuhitanye.

Iyo chapter yararangiye ubu hari guhimbwa iyo muri 2017,ubu rero amakuru atugeraho aravuga yuko me Evode ko ariwe ugiye gukoreshwa muguhambira abahutu batavuga rumwe na fpr,ndetse har’uwo aherutse kubwira yuko atareka umugati wa fpr ngo ategereje abahutu badafite gahunda,yongeraho ko bategereje imyaka 20 bibwira ko fdlr hari icyo izageraho none akaba amaze kubona yuko ntacyo bazageraho.

Biravugwa yuko fdlr bari ibihumbi 40.000 by’abasirikare,none hakaba hasigaye 5.700 byabasirikare,asanga rero abatarafashe igihugu bakiri ibihumbi 40,ntabwo bazagifata bamaze kugera kubihumbi 5,ngo ibyo byose byamuciye intege ahitamo mpemuke ndamuke,none ubu akaba amaze kwemerera umuryango fpr inkotanyi ko ibyo bazamusaba byose azabibakorera.

Ibyo biravugwa yuko fpr nayo yemeye kumuha agafaranga kuko atarakabuze ndetse ngo bazanamugira minisitiri ubwo we azaba arangije kariyeri ya politiki ntakindi azaba agikeneye,ahasigaye abana be bakazabaho neza ariko badafite uburenganzira mu gihugu ko icyangombwa aramafaranga,ataramafaranga cyangwa igihugu ngo kuko igihugu ushobora kugikeneramo ntikigire umumaro kimarira cyangwa nawe ugire icyo ukimarira.

Me Evode yemera ko umuryango we ubayeho neza niyo hatabaho ubutegetsi bwabahutu,avuga ko igihe cyose fpr izaba ikiri kubutegetsi ngo nta gihe itazakenera abahtu ngo ibagire ibikoresho,ibyo rero bishobora guhesha abana be kubaho neza kuko bazaba barize neza ndetse ngo sinangombwa kuba mu Rwanda igihe cyose wabona ubuzima bwiza busumba ubwo mu gihugu cyawe singombwa ko uhaba Evode niko abibona.

Ariko Evode nyamara abaye nka Twigiramungu kuko agambaniye bene wabo ndetse akaba agiye kubacisha umutwe akoresheje amategeko kugirango fpr izabone intwaro yogupyinagiza abanyarwanda bo mu bwoko bw’abahutu,reka turebe aho iyi mvura igiye kugwa aho yerekeza ahari ishobora kudukiza amategeko ya Evode na fpr.

UMUZIMU ARIRA KUMUNYAGASANI:

Amakuru akomeje gutangazwa nabayoboke ba fpr batifuza ko amazina yabo yashyirwa ahagaragara,cyane abagize N.E.C ya fpr,abaravuga ko har’ibyo badashobora kwihanganira kubona fpr igeze aho ihamba amagufa yabahutu ikayitirira amagufa yabatutsi bazize jenocide nayamara arayabahutu ko biteye agahinda.

Imwe mu mibare batanga bamwe mubagize inama ya National Executive Committee NEC,bavuga ko abacitse ku icumu baguye muri jenocide ko bagera kubihumbi 800 nyamara ngo bishobora no kurenga,ngo iyo ukoze imibare ngo ubuni buri mwaka hakagombye guhambwa ibihumbi 4444 buri mwaka nyamara mu minsi 100 yaburi mwaka hagiye hahambwa abarenze abarenga ibihumbi 10000 ukurikije imibare itangwa nabanyamuryango wa fpr.

Ikindi ni uko abahambwa bose baba bazwi neza mkarere bakomokamo,none basigaye bahimba nabiyitirira imiryango ibyo bikajyana nabigishwa ko bagomba kwihahamukisha kugirango bigaragare ko abahutu bahemukiye abatutsi,ese ubumwe n’ubwiyunge bwabaho gute uhora wibuka ubuhemu wakorewe?ese uwahemutse we,azumva ryari ko yababariwe?wamugani fpr iyoborwa nabadaimoni,wabonye abantu bahora bazikura ibyaboze?

Amakuru batanga bavuga ko ngo abacika cumu bamaze kumenya ikinyoma cya fpr nubugome bwayo,bituma ibyajenocide babivamo burundu nibo fpr yahise ishaka abatutsi baturutse hanze ibajyana kubigisha Training yokubigisha uburyo bagomba gukunda igihugu cyabo batangira kwigishwa uburyo bazajya bihahamukisha igihe cyose habayeho kwibuka,abatanga ayo makuru bavuga ko ngo buri umwe agenda ahabwa ibihumbi 50,000frw.

Ubundi ubumwe n’ubwiyunge bwakagombye kuba nabahutu baguye muri jenocide bibukwa cyangwa basi bikitirirwa intambara yabaye 1994 ko ariyo baguyemo noneho hakaba guhoza ababuze imiryango yabo kumpande zombie,ese ayo magupfa nabayamara bayitirira abacitse ku icumu fpr ikava kubutegetsi abahutu bazabigenza bate ko nibura abatutsi bamwe nabamwe baba barabonye nayo magufa;abahutu bo bazabigenza bate?cyangwa ibyabo bizaba akayandege yo muri Malaysia yagiye umuti wa mperezayo.

Indege ya mu gihugu cya Malaysia yarabuze kuva yahaguruka mu murwa wa kuala LUMPUR,abahanga mu byindege bakoze ubushakashatsi munsi y’inyanja ibirometero 92000 barahebe imiryango yababuriwe irengero yabuze agakuru k’imiryango yabo.

Ibyo byabaye kuwa 06 werurwe, 2014, tekereza kubura abantu bawe bari mu gihugu ukaba utakwemererwa guhamba umuntu wawe ngo ni uko urumuhutu birababaje ubwose la;batandukaniye hehe na Habyara bakuye kubutegetsi?yimanye park ya kagera ngo abantu bayituremo fpr ifashe igihugu ibigenza kwa kundi noneho yongeraho no kwirukana inka akinyarwanda ngo barashaka izakijyambeere ubwo abatutsi basubira iyubuhungiro bajya gushaka aho babona ubwatsi bw’inka.

Fpr nti yanyurwa ibasanga muri Tanzania ibirukanayo,no muri Uganda naho ni uko babuze uko bumvisha Museveni bakagombye kubabarirukanywe ubuhemu fpr ikora wagirango ntamana iriho mu ijuru nta nubwo igira umutima uyicira urubanza,ariko igihe kirageze ngo noneho ibyari ibanga bishyirwe ahagaragara kandi baryozwe ibyo bakoze!Tekereza rero ubwo hazashyirwaho urukiko rwoguhiga umuntu wese wabaye muri fpr kugeza ivuye kubutegetsi?bizaba ar’ibicika.

Ese icyo gihe noneho urwo rukiko ruzajyanwa he la?birashoboka yuko rwakomereza Arusha,ariko se ubwo bwicanyi bwazitwa jenocide yakorewe abahutu byazagenda gute la?kizaba kizaba kibaye 1 kuri kimwe1 ubwo umugambi wa Tito Rutaremera uzaba wuzuye nkuko yabyifuzaga aho yabwiye Theonest Rizinde ngo abanyarwanda bafatane ukuboko abasaguka babice.

Kagame agiye gukubitwa n’inkuba itagira amazi!.

Amakuru agera ku nyangenews aturuka ikigali umurwa mukuru w’uRwanda,aravuga yuko kuwa 10 Kanama 2014,mu masaha ya ni munsi,umukuru w’igihugu Paul Kaga uyoboye umuryango witwa ko ariwo moteri y’ubutegetsi FPR INKOTANYI.


Ayo makuru yemeza neza ko,umukuru w’igihugu yahamagaje inama nyuma yoguhabwa amakuru n’inzego z’ubutasi,zikorera hanze y’igihugu bakunze kwita NSS kera iryo shami ryitwaga Exaternal security service ESO,raporo yizo ntasi ivuga ko,bamaze kumenya amakuru yuko Umwami w’uRwanda yaba agiye gucyurwa nibihugu bikomeye.

Ibyo bibaye nyuma yogusohora zimwe mu nyandiko zigera kuri (7);zigaragaza ko,repubulika y’Urwanda itemewe namategeko,ibyop bika batakiri mu magambo ahubwo uko iminsi igenda yegereza urya munsi ninako amwe mu mabanga ajyanye nubuyobozi bw’uRwanda agenda ashyirwa ahagaraga.

Kubera iyo mpamvu byatumye nabatavauga rumwe na leta ya fpr,batanmgira gushaka gushyikirana na fpr nyuma yokubona ko,ibyari ibanga bimaze gushyirwa ahagaragara,abatavuga rumwe n’ubutegetsi bwa fpr baragenda baerushaho gutakaza ikizere cyo kurwanira ubutegetsi bitewe ni uko igihe cyo gutaha ku Mwami w’Urwanda Kigeli V Ndahindurwa cyegereje.

Ngirango muribuka inyandiko twabagejejeho ubushize igaragaza uburyo leta y’Urwanda irimo gutegura umugambi wokwishyira hamwe nabatavuga rumwe nayo kugirango babe benshi noneho barwanye ubwami bw’uRwanda bwmewe namategeko!.Ariko mubyukuri ubwinshi bw’ikinyoma ntabwo bwaganza ukuli ngo ni uko ibinyoma bibaye byinshi kabone naho isi yose yashyigikira ibinyoma ntabwo bashobora gutsinda.

Ibyari kumurongo w’ibyigwa muri iyo nama ya fpr inkotanyi,bigaga ku kureba uburyo bashyikirana n’ubwami bw’uRwanda bukorera mubuhungiro mu gihugu cy’America mu murw mukuru Washington DC,bamwe mubasirikare bavuze ko,ar’intabara,ngo kuko Umwami w’Urwanda adashobora kwemera guhara ubwami kandi abyemerewe namategeko ngo yemerere repubulika iyoboye imyaka irenga 50.

Ariko amakuru agera ku nyangenewss avuga ko,kugira iyo nama kaga Paul ngo ar’uko batinya kumwereka ko,bashyigikiye ubwami bagahitamo kumwereka intambara kuko yizerera mu ntambara no gutegekesha igitugu,bivugwa ko umwe mubambari ba fpr,umukambwe Tito Rutaremera ngo yababwiye ko,batagomba kwiyibagiza imbaraga bakoesheje kugirango babashe kubohoza igihugu.

Ngo niba byashoboka yuko habaho gushyikirana n’Umwami w’Urwanda bakamuha ibyo yifuza byose ngo babikora,ngo byaba binanairanye bagashaka uko yakwicwa byanga byaunda ariko ngo intambara ntabwo yaba aramahitamomeza.

Bivugwa yuko inama yarangiye bose byabayoboye cyane ko ngo Umwami w’uRwanda afite impapuro zose yasabiyeho ubwigenge asabira Urwanda-Burundi kuburyo biragoye kugirango agurishe igihugu ngo nakamanyu kumutsima kandi nyamara ayo bashaka kumugura arayavuye mu mbaraga ze,afatanije namanyarwanda bakunda igihugu cyabo.

Kugirango abarepubulike babashe kuba bategekesha igitugu hamwe n’ikinyoma ni uko Nyir’Urwanda yabashakiye independence iyo bataza kuyibona ntabwo baba barabonye uko bategeka,ikinyoma abahutu bakoresheje igihe kirekire kimaze kujya ahagaragara,ubu rero ntibiramenyekana niba abahutu bari bwemere kuyoboka ubwami bugendera ku itegeko nshinga,cyangwa niba bemera kuboka fpr kugirango bakomeze ubwicanyi bamenyereye gukorera abanyarwanda.

Ikigaragara amatora yo 2017 ashobora kutagerwaho ugereranije na situation politike yo mukarere k’ibiyaga bigari,ubanza koko ibyahanuwe bigiye gusohora,ninde uzahitamo amahoro hagati y’Umwami w’uRwanda n’umurepubulike Paul Kaga?Byashoboka ko kaga yaba agaiye gukubitwa n’inkub aitagira amazi.

Kabete MP George Muchai, two bodyguards and a driver shot dead in Nairobi.

Kabete MP George Muchai was shot dead early Saturday morning at the Kenyatta Avenue-Uhuru Highway roundabout in Nairobi.


 

Two of the MP’s bodyguards and his driver also died in the incident, Nairobi Central Police OCPD Paul Wanjama confirmed.

The incident, according to Mr Wanjama, happened between 3am and 4.30am.

The four were in the same sport utility vehicle ahead of another vehicle carrying family members, including the MP’s wife and a daughter.

The occupants of the second vehicle said the MP stopped at the roundabout when four people with big guns approached his car and started shooting.

“They just started spraying it with bullets. When we saw that, our driver sped past the other car and when we came back to the scene a few minutes later, all the occupants of the vehicle were dead,” the relative told detectives at the scene.

A newspaper vendor who witnessed the shooting told the police that one of the gunmen who led the shooting had a face mask.

The bodies of the four had bullet wounds in the head and chest.

They were taken to Lee Funeral Home at 6.30am.

THOROUGH INVESTIGATION

Lawmakers who arrived at the funeral home asked the government to do a thorough investigation into the killing, saying it would be easy to get the murderers as the scene of the crime is under the surveillance of CCTV cameras.

Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi said Mr Muchai had been threatened several times and had reported the threats to the police.

“The CCTV clips should be handed (over) to the detectives as soon as possible. There is no way the perpetrators will not be known,” he said.

Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko, who also arrived at the crime scene, asked the government to take the safety of lawmakers in the country seriously.

Other legislators who went to the funeral home included Gatundu North MP Kigwa Njenga, Kipipiri MP Samuel Gichingi, Ruiru MP Esther Gathogo, Juve Njomo, MP for Kiambu, and Kiambu Women Representative Anne Gathechu.

They all alleged that Mr Muchai’s death was a clear assassination whose execution was planned.

Journalism in Turkey: Newsroom vs. Courtroom by Burak Bekdil

  • According to a report by the Turkish Journalists Association, 500 journalists were fired in Turkey in 2015; 70 others were subjected to physical violence. Thirty journalists remain in prison, mostly on charges of “terrorism.” There are also many journalists among the 1,845 Turks who have been investigated or prosecuted for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since he was elected in August 2014.

  • After the secular daily newspaper Cumhuriyet published evidence of arms deliveries by the Turkish intelligence services to Islamist groups in Syria, President Erdogan himself filed a criminal complaint against Cumhuriyet’s editor-in-chief, Can Dundar, and the Ankara bureau chief, Erdem Gul.
  • At a March 25 hearing, the Istanbul court ruled for the whole trial to be held in secret.
  • “We came here today to defend journalism…We said we would defend the people’s right to access information. We defended that and we were arrested.” — Can Dundar, editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet.
  • The trial clearly exhibits how Erdogan’s authoritarian rule diverges from Western democratic culture.

“Turkey is where many journalists may have to spend more time at their attorneys’ offices or in courtrooms than in the newsrooms, where they should be,” a Western diplomat joked bitterly. “Don’t quote me on that. I don’t want to be declared persona non grata,” he added with a smile.

He was right. According to a report by the Turkish Journalists Association, 500 journalists were fired in Turkey in 2015; 70 others were subjected to physical violence. Thirty journalists remain in prison, mostly on charges of “terrorism.”

Needless to say, the unfortunate journalists are invariably known to be critical of Erdogan. There are also many journalists among the 1,845 Turks who have been investigated or prosecuted for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since he was elected in August 2014.

One of them is Sedat Ergin, editor-in-chief of Turkey’s most influential newspaper, Hurriyet. On March 25 Ergin had to appear before a penal court on charges of insulting Erdogan, with the prosecution demanding up to four years in jail for him. The veteran journalist says he is devastated to have been taken to court for the first time in his 41 years as a journalist on such an accusation. After his trial Ergin told reporters: “… in the year 2016 courthouse corridors and the hearing rooms have become the habitats of journalists in Turkey. Freedom of the press in Turkey in 2016 is now confined to court corridors.”

On that same day, two more journalists were in a courtroom, but they are not as lucky as Ergin in terms of the prison sentences demanded by the prosecution.

In May 2015, the secular daily newspaper Cumhuriyet published on its front page video and photographic evidence of arms deliveries by the Turkish intelligence services to Islamist groups in Syria. A month later, President Erdogan himself filed a criminal complaint against Cumhuriyet’s editor-in-chief, the prominent journalist, Can Dundar, and the newspaper’s Ankara bureau chief, Erdem Gul. In a public speech, Erdogan said: “He who ran this story will pay heavily for it.”

Dundar and Gul were arrested and remained behind bars for over 90 days, until Turkey’s Constitutional Court ruled that their detention violated their rights. They were released, but must now stand trial on charges of espionage, as well as aiding a terrorist organization that aims to topple Erdogan’s government. The case is a serious threat to the two journalists’ liberty, especially when Erdogan’s “weight” in the courtroom remains easily felt, if not seen.

Can Dundar (right), editor-in-chief of Turkey’s Cumhuriyet newspaper, and Erdem Gul (left), Cumhuriyet‘s Ankara bureau chief, were arrested after the paper published evidence of arms deliveries by the Turkish intelligence services to Islamist groups in Syria. They remained behind bars for over 90 days, until Turkey’s Constitutional Court ruled that their detention violated their rights.

At the March 25 hearing, the Istanbul court ruled for the whole trial to be held in secret. A group of opposition MPs protested the decision and refused to leave the courtroom. The court decided to file a criminal complaint against them for “obstructing justice.”

“We came here today to defend journalism. We gathered here before and said the same thing. We said we would defend the people’s right to access information. We defended that and we were arrested,” Dundar said.

It seems that Erdogan has no intention of leaving the journalists alone. The trial also clearly exhibits how his authoritarian rule diverges from Western democratic culture. On March 25, a group of Western consuls-general in Istanbul attended the journalists’ trial in a show of solidarity. The diplomats included Leigh Turner, the British Consul-General, who shared images from outside the court and messages of support for the journalists on Twitter. Now Erdogan thinks he has new enemies.

The day after the court hearing, Erdogan spoke:

“The situation of those who attended this hearing is very important. The consuls-general in Istanbul come to the courthouse. Who are you, what are you doing there? This is not your country, this is Turkey … Diplomats can operate within the boundaries of missions. Elsewhere is subject to permission.”

Now is that a new jurisprudence in diplomacy — that foreign diplomats in Turkey should be confined to their mission buildings and not observe most important political trials without permission from the Turkish government? In addition to the court’s blackout on the Dundar-Gul case, Erdogan now wants political confinement for the journalists.

By pursuing life sentences so aggressively for the journalists, Erdogan is in fact trying to achieve another political goal: He is giving messages at many wavelengths to any other investigative journalist who may in the future publish another embarrassing report on his administration.

Not really peaceful and free times for Turkish journalism.

Jordan: We Do Not Want Palestinians by Khaled Abu Toameh

  • “Improve the living conditions of the Palestinian refugees. Allow them to settle down. Give them citizenship so that they can live as human beings.” —


  • Dr. Ahmad Abu Matar, an Oslo-based Palestinian academic, blasting Arab the world for its continued mistreatment of Palestinians.

  • The Arabs do not care about the Palestinians and want them to remain Israel’s problem. Countries such as Lebanon and Syria would rather see Palestinians living as “animals in the jungle” than grant them basic rights such as employment, education and citizenship.

  • It is no surprise that refugees fleeing Syria have no ambitions to settle in any Arab country. They know that their fate in the Arab world will be no better than that of Palestinians living in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and other Arab countries.

A recent decision by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to cut back its services has left Jordan and other Arab countries extremely worried about the possibility that they may be forced to grant citizenship rights to millions of Palestinians.

During the last few weeks, many Jordanians have expressed deep concern that the UNRWA measures may be part of a “conspiracy” to force the kingdom to resettle Palestinian refugees.

According to UNRWA figures, more than two million registered Palestinian refugees live in Jordan. Most of the refugees, but not all, have full (Jordanian) citizenship, the figures show. The refugees live in 10 UNRWA-recognized camps in Jordan.

The “Cyber City” refugee camp in Jordan, where a number of Palestinians are being housed. (Image source: ICRC)

Jordan is the only Arab country that has granted citizenship to Palestinians. Still, many Jordanians see their presence in the kingdom as temporary.

Although there is no official census data for how many inhabitants are Palestinian, they are estimated to constitute half of Jordan’s population, which is estimated at seven million. Some claim that the Palestinians actually make up two-thirds of the kingdom’s population.

Over the past few decades, the Jordanians’ biggest nightmare has been the talk about resettling the Palestinians in the kingdom by turning them into permanent citizens. The talk about turning Jordan into a Palestinian state has also created panic and anger among Jordanians.

Jordan’s “demographic problem” resurfaced last week when a senior Jordanian politician warned against plans to resettle Palestinian refugees in the kingdom.

Taher al-Masri, a former Jordanian prime minister who is closely associated with the ruling Hashemite monarchy, sounded the alarm in an interview with a Turkish news agency.

Commenting on UNRWA’s severe financial crisis, which has resulted in cutting back services to Palestinian refugees living in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza Strip, al-Masrisaid: “I believe this is part of a plan to turn the issue of the Palestinian refugees into an internal problem of Jordan. UNRWA is paving the way for liquidating the Palestinian cause.”

Al-Masri, whose views often reflect those of the monarchy, expressed fear that the UNRWA cutbacks would prompt the world to consider the idea of turning the Palestinians in Jordan into permanent citizens, especially as most of them already carry Jordanian passports.

Al-Masri and other Jordanian officials maintain that Jordan is entitled to protect its “national identity” by refusing to absorb non-Jordanians.

Earlier this week, Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour raised many eyebrows when heannounced that there were more than two million Palestinians living in Jordan who are not permanent citizens. Ensour was apparently referring to those Palestinians who carry temporary Jordanian passports.

Jordanian and Palestinian political analysts described Ensour’s comments about the Palestinians in Jordan as “fuzzy” and “controversial.” They noted that Ensour mentioned the Palestinians together with Iraqi and Syrian refugees who have found shelter in the kingdom in recent years, and that therefore the Jordanians consider the Palestinians’ presence in their country only temporary.

“The remarks of the prime minister are ambiguous, controversial and very worrying,”commented Bassam al-Badareen, a widely respected journalist in Amman. “He referred to the Palestinians as being part of the foreigners and Iraqi refugees in Jordan.”

Ensour’s remarks, like those of al-Masri, are further proof that Jordan and the rest of the Arab world are not interested in helping solve the problem of the Palestinian refugees. Jordan, Lebanon and Syria — the three Arab countries where most of the refugees are living — are strongly opposed to any solution that would see Palestinians resettled within their borders.

That is why these countries and most of the Arab world continue to discriminate against the Palestinians and subject them to Apartheid laws and regulations. Although Jordan has granted citizenship to many Palestinians, it nevertheless continues to treat them as second-class citizens.

In the past few years, the Jordanian authorities have been revoking the citizenship of Palestinians in a move that has been denounced as “unjust” and “unconstitutional.”

The Arab countries have consistently justified their discriminatory policies against the Palestinians by arguing that this is the only way to ensure that the refugees will one day return to their former homes inside Israel. According to this logic, the Arab countries do not want to give the Palestinians citizenship or even basic rights, to avoid a situation where Israel and the international community would use this as an excuse to deny them the “right of return.”

But some Palestinians reject this argument and accuse the Arab countries of turning their backs on their Palestinian brothers.

Dr. Ahmad Abu Matar, a Palestinian academic based in Oslo, blasted the Arab world for its continued mistreatment of Palestinians.

“All the Arab countries are opposed to resettlement and naturalization of Palestinians not because they care about the Palestinian cause, but due to internal and regional considerations,” Abu Matar wrote. “We need to have the courage to say that improving the living conditions of Palestinian refugees in the Arab countries, including granting them citizenship, does not scrap the right of return.”

Noting that Palestinians have long been deprived of their civil rights in the Arab world, particularly in Lebanon, where they are banned from working in many professions and live in camps that do not even suit “animals in the jungle,” Abu Matar pointed out that the U.S .and Europe have opened their borders to Palestinians and even given them citizenship.

Addressing the Arab countries, the academic wrote: “Improve the living conditions of the Palestinian refugees. Allow them to settle down. Give them citizenship so that they can live as human beings.”

But Abu Matar’s appeal is likely to fall on deaf ears in the Arab world. The Arabs do not care about the Palestinians and want them to remain Israel’s problem. Countries such as Lebanon and Syria would rather see Palestinians living as “animals in the jungle” than grant them basic rights such as employment, education and citizenship.

It is no surprise that refugees fleeing Syria have no ambitions to settle in any Arab country. They know that their fate in the Arab world will be no better than that of the Palestinians living in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and other Arab countries.

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