Saudi blogger Raif Badawi free after 10 years
Today’s other news: Putin places Russian counterintelligence leaders under house arrest. On the sidelines of the Antalya meeting, the Taliban foreign minister tries to break the isolation of the Afghan emirate. In Hong Kong, bags with dead COVID-19 patients left next to living patients. India accidentally fires missile into Pakistan. Turkmenistan goes to the polls but the election of Berdymukhamedov's son is a foregone conclusion.
SAUDI ARABIA
After spending 10 years in prison for “insulting Islam”, blogger and human rights activist Raif Badawi is finally free. Both his wife, who lives in Canada, and Saudi authorities have confirmed his release. Badawi, 38, a symbol of freedom of expression throughout the world, was arrested in 2012 and sentenced in 2014 to 10 years in prison with the additional penalty of 50 lashes per week for 20 weeks. This second punishment was suspended after his first public flogging sparked outrage around the world.
RUSSIA
President Putin has begun purging the FSB, Russia’s security services (former KGB). According to specialist journalist Andrei Soldatov, “Putin is unhappy with the way things are in Ukraine”, and has taken it out on the counterintelligence community. Sergey Beseda, head of the FSB’s foreign service, and his deputy, Anatoly Bolyukh, have been placed under house arrest. Meanwhile, from Corrective colony n. 2, Vladimir oblast, with a post on accessible social media, Alexei Navalny once again urged his compatriots to take to the streets of Russian cities at 2 pm next Sunday to protest against the war.
AFGHANISTAN
The Ukraine crisis is not the only topic discussed at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. The international meeting promoted by the Turkish government has brought diplomats from all over the world. On the sidelines of the event, an official delegation from Afghanistan’s Taliban government led by acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi travelled to Turkey seeking better diplomatic relations between the emirate and the international community.
CHINA – HONG KONG
China is facing a huge COVID-19 surge caused by the Omicron variant. According to the latest information, more than 1,500 cases have been reported in several provinces, including Shanghai. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, a photo showing bags with dead bodies left in a ward with living patients caused shock on social media. The picture was taken a few days ago, but it offers a clear picture of the seriousness of the health situation. Yesterday, Hong Kong reported 294 new deaths from COVID-19.
INDIA – PAKISTAN
The Indian government has issued an official apology to Pakistan after it accidentally fired a missile into Pakistani Wednesday night, landing fortunately in Mian Channu, an uninhabited area of Khanewal district. The unarmed weapon was launched following a technical malfunction during maintenance work. Pakistan's foreign ministry expressed outrage at such “irresponsible incidents”.
TURKMENISTAN
Turkmenistan goes to the polls today to choose a new president in an election with no surprises. Nine candidates are running, but the victory of Serdar Berdymukhamedov, the 40-year-old son of outgoing president Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, in power since 2006, is a foregone conclusion.
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