Iran and Azerbaijan have great potential for cooperation in post-war Nagorno-Karabakh: Azeri expert

 By Payman Yazdani

TEHRAN – As Azerbaijan moves forward with reconstruction projects in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, new spheres of cooperation between Iran and Azerbaijan have emerged, an Azerbaijani expert tells the Tehran Times.

Decades-long disagreements between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh came to an end in November last year, when the two warring sides agreed to a Russian brokered ceasefire deal that put an end to a 44-day devastating war between Baku and Yerevan.

The war wreaked further havoc on a region already suffering from destruction and rubble. But the Russian-brokered ceasefire paved the way for Azerbaijan to reconstruct the region and prepare it for the return of the displaced people who fled the region as a result of the war in the 1990s. 

Many foreign firms are involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh reconstruction, with Iran being a geographically well-positioned party to play a role in that regard.

 The Azerbaijani expert, Seymur Mammadov, who is the director of the international expert club EurAsiaAz and editor-in-chief of Azerbaijani news agency Baku Tribune, explained to the Tehran Times how Iran can play a role in the reconstruction. 

“Iran and Azerbaijan have great potential for expanding cooperation in many areas. In the post-war period, there is a possibility of increasing bilateral trade turnover several times. At the moment, there are new conditions for expanding bilateral cooperation in the field of rehabilitation of the recently liberated areas,” Mammadov told the Tehran Times. 

“For example, Iranian companies producing industrial and building materials could participate in construction projects in the liberated areas. As far as I know, Iran intends to create a market for building materials near the liberated territories of Azerbaijan,” he continued.

Following is the full text of the interview:

Q: In what stage is the process of reconstruction of the liberated cities of Nagorno-Karabakh? What are the plans of the Azerbaijani government in this regard? Is there a specific deadline for reconstruction projects?

A: The process of restoration of the liberated regions of Azerbaijan is being actively pursued and taking into account the historical traditions of the region. Azerbaijan has developed comprehensive programs to restore the liberated territories of the country, taking into account the most modern trends in the field of urbanization. On the lands liberated from the 30-year-old Armenian occupation in the Karabakh region new settlements will be built and large infrastructure projects will be implemented. Most of the settlements in the liberated regions of the country, including the cities of Aghdam, Fizuli, Jebrail and Zangilan, were virtually wiped out and turned into “ghost towns”.

In the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, it is planned not only to restore and reconstruct [the] destroyed and abandoned settlements, but also to implement modern concepts for their arrangement, including such as Smart City and Smart Village. The foundation of one of the first “smart villages” was laid in the Zangilan region. The first smart village in the area will be ready by January 2022. Internally displaced persons will be provided with new housing completely free of charge. The creation of “smart” villages in the liberated territories consists of five components: "smart housing", social security facilities, agricultural functions, production and ecology. Solar energy, wind energy and hydroelectric power plants will be used to support the new settlements. According to the state program until 2030, "green" alternative energy should become the main priority of the country. What is the concept of "Smart Village" for? One of the main goals of creating such villages in the world is to prevent urbanization. The second important point is that the “Smart Village” concept allows people to earn more than in the city.

As for the specific deadlines for the implementation of projects, it all depends on how quickly the process of demining the liberated territories will proceed. In order to resolve this issue, Yerevan should transfer all minefield maps to Baku. The Armenian side has handed over to Azerbaijan all the maps of minefields in the Aghdam, Fizuli and Zangilan regions. Of course, the availability of these maps will facilitate and speed up the work of the repair and construction companies involved in the restoration of the liberated areas. However, as the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said, by the end of 2021, the entire electric economy will be established in the liberated lands - both in Karabakh and in “Eastern Zangezur.”

Q: Is Iran involved in the Karabakh reconstruction projects? If so, in what areas is it involved? What plans does the Republic of Azerbaijan have for reconstruction in the liberated areas bordering Iran? Does the Republic of Azerbaijan have joint projects with Iran? 

A: As you know, the Azerbaijan-Iran border was completely restored after the Second Karabakh war. And in 2016, an Iranian-Azerbaijani agreement was signed on hydropower facilities and reservoirs Khudaferin and Giz Galasy. 

After the end of the war, President Ilham Aliyev instructed the government to create a working group from the Azerbaijani side. And today the construction of the Khudaferin and Gyz Galasy reservoirs on the Araz River is already being completed in Azerbaijan. In accordance with the agreement signed with Iran, Baku and Tehran will jointly use these reservoirs.

Today Iran and Azerbaijan have great potential for expanding cooperation in many areas. In the post-war period, there is a possibility of increasing bilateral trade turnover several times. At the moment, there are new conditions for expanding bilateral cooperation in the field of rehabilitation of the recently liberated areas. 

For example, Iranian companies producing industrial and building materials could participate in construction projects in liberated areas. As far as I know, Iran intends to create a market for building materials near the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. It is also expected that in the near future a Khudaferin border-customs point will open on the state border of Iran with Azerbaijan.

In addition, I would like to add that after the Second Karabakh War, cases of illegal drug trafficking from Iran to Azerbaijan have become more frequent. Border guards are killed during the shootings from the Azerbaijani side. This factor causes concern in Azerbaijani society. It seems to me that Baku and Tehran should create a joint working group of law enforcement agencies to prevent such incidents on the Iranian-Azerbaijani border.

Q: Israel is said to be involved in the Karabakh reconstruction and even intends to build a smart town in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. What Israeli companies are present in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and what projects are they involved in?

A: It's no secret that Azerbaijan and Israel cooperate in many areas, including cooperation in the military sphere. Modern Israeli weapons purchased by Azerbaijan, especially drones, played an important role in the Karabakh conflict. Therefore, it is not surprising that today Israeli companies are interested in cooperating with Azerbaijan in the liberated territories. Azerbaijan, in turn, is interested in attracting foreign investments to restore the liberated territories. Of course, official Baku will give preference, first of all, to those countries that supported Azerbaijan in the Second Karabakh War. An Israeli company intends to create a buffalo farm in the liberated Zangilan. This project will be managed by an Azerbaijani company. The essence of this project is that an Azerbaijani company is building housing and all the infrastructure in the area, and an Israeli company is building a dairy farm for breeding buffaloes. The products will be transferred to an Italian company, which will open a processing plant to use this milk to produce cheese that will be sold on the local and foreign markets.

Q: Is the speed of accomplishing transportation projects in Karabakh has something to do with the corridor connecting the region to the Nakhchivan exclave? Does the Azerbaijani government have a plan to build trade links between Nagorno-Karabakh and the Nakhchivan region? 

A: Today, Azerbaijan is interested in the early implementation of transport projects in the liberated territories. Most of the road and rail projects are implemented here. An international airport in Fizuli is also under construction. All these projects in the future will be integrated into the transport project "Zanguzur corridor", which will connect Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through the territory of Armenia.

On November 9, 2020, the heads of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia signed a tripartite ceasefire statement. According to the 9th paragraph of the statement, "The Republic of Armenia guarantees the safety of transport links between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic in order to organize the unimpeded movement of citizens, vehicles and goods in both directions." 

By agreement of Azerbaijan and Armenia, as noted in the statement, the construction of new transport communications linking the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic with the western regions of Azerbaijan will be provided. Unblocking of transport communications will allow Azerbaijan for the first time in 30 years to establish communication with the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, and Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan will receive railway access to Russia and Iran, and potentially to Turkey. This will create additional opportunities for the development of Armenia. In addition, there will be access to the Turkish market and to the Turkish and Russian railway arteries. Thus, a new five-sided cooperation platform with the participation of Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran and Armenia can be created in the South Caucasus region.

Several road projects have already been launched in the territories liberated from the occupation and are being successfully continued. These projects will play an important role in the socio-economic development of the regions and villages liberated from the occupation. The Horadiz-Jebrail-Zangilan-Agbend road is also of strategic importance, since it is part of the Hajigabul-Horadiz-Agbend-Zangezur transport corridor and is very important in terms of connecting Zangilan with other regions of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

In addition, Azerbaijan plans to complete the construction of a railway to the border with Armenia within two, maximum 2.5 years. Budget funds have already been allocated for this and work is underway.

TAGS

• Nagorno-Karabakh
 
• Reconstruction
 
• Azerbaijan
 
• Armenia
 
• Iran
 
• war

GROSS VIOLATION OF RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE; INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE US AND CANADIAN GOVERNMENTS

Strategic Council Online- Interview

An expert on International Law affiliated to the Human Rights Headquarters of the Judicial Power while stating that gross violation of human rights in Canada is evident, he also pointed out the similar measures taken against the indigenous people of the United States and said:” For sure, these files are pursuable for international accountability of the governments of the US and Canada.

Amir Biparvaa in an interview with the site of Strategic Council for Foreign Relations (SCFR) referring to the violation of rights of the indigenous people in Canada and excavation of mass graves in the country said:” the issue of forced disappearance of indigenous people in Canada is quite evident. After years, the remaining of their bodies found in mass graves, and due to gross and blatant violation of human rights, it can be said that the crime against humanity has clearly happened”.

He said the similar investigation of such crimes has been witnessed in the courts of former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. He added the recurrence of gross violation of human rights in Canada is obvious, because the gross violation of the right to live has happened. The right was illegally breached and led to the loss of life of a large number of human beings.

 

Human Rights Violation and Genocide of Indigenous People in the US

The expert of Human Rights Headquarter affiliated to the Judicial Power referred to the letter of one of the leaders of ethnical and religious minorities of Canada addressed to the President of the United States in which he had also protested against the violation of rights of indigenous people of the US and said:” It goes without saying that when the internal wars of America were going on, during the slavery era or even when Anglo-Saxons were migrating to America, such violation of rights had happened against the indigenous people of the US. Indeed, similar and various measures might have been taken to annihilate the indigenous people, but the reasons linked to the issue must be reviewed which according to International Law is normally done within the framework of independent investigating commissions.

While stating that such review might be carried out within various governmental and non-governmental frameworks, Biparvaa explained:” governments are obliged to answer about such human rights violation”.

The expert of Human Rights Headquarter affiliated to the Judicial Power reminded that:” For sure, during 18th to 20th centuries a large number of crimes committed against the indigenous people of not only the United States of America but also the whole continent, which were registered and recorded in history, but the case should be dealt with for governments accountability to see what they did during different periods.

 

Challenges ahead of legal pursuit of violation of rights of the indigenous people of Canada

Among the possible solutions to legally pursue the genocide, he mentioned the initiate proceedings by relatives of victims at magistrate courts of Canada as well as pursuing through the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (widely known as Genocide Convention). In the meantime, he said the international criminal law had accepted the individual accountability. But this is not, at the moment, an easy job to find the survivors of victims. Moreover, the accused are no longer living. According to the International Criminal Court (ICC), when the perpetrator of crime is not living, pursuit and investigation will be ceased accordingly.

Having stated that within the framework of the present International Criminal Justice (ICJ), which by itself, is within the authority of the international criminal court , there is no legal ground to pursue or investigate about the issue, Biparvaa added that International Criminal Justice is qualified to review the issue according to Genocide Convention. But it seems unlikely that the case will lead to any result.

Biparvaa called the denial of Canadian government and the claim that it did not notice the commitment of such genocide as “decisive”, and continued:” international courts are very cautious in dealing with “Genocide” crime”.

International Accountability of the US and Canadian Governments               

He emphasized on the necessity of paying attention to the historical aspects of the genocide aiming at reviewing the performance of Canadian government against it, as well as the ways it follows to evade from her responsibility, and said:” the case was shelved for almost a century. Investigating the issue will not be an easy job for any law firm which deals with international law”.

Biparvaa also called the violation of the rights of indigenous people of the US as reviewable and added:” in terms of criminal pursuit in International Criminal Court (ICC), it must be remembered that the court has no temporal qualification for some crimes. Moreover, the perpetrators of genocide and forced disappearance committed the crimes more than a hundred years ago. As they are not, certainly, living any longer consequently there is not any possibility for their criminal prosecution. But for sure, the files are pursuable in terms of international accountability of the US and Canadian governments.

Resistance front won’t allow Israel to perpetrate crimes with impunity, says analyst

This file picture shows tanker MT Mercer Street managed by the Israeli-owned company Zodiac Maritime. (Photo via Twitter)

A political commentator has reacted to the retaliatory attack on an Israeli-managed petroleum products tanker off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea, stressing that the resistance front will not allow the Tel Aviv regime to commit crimes with impunity.

“The Axis of Resistance won't permit Israelis to commit any crimes without retaliation, whether from Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Iran or elsewhere. They (Israeli officials) have to understand that resistance forces can reach them anywhere,” Beirut-based Mohsen Saleh said in an exclusive interview with Press TV on Saturday.

He underlined that the Israeli regime is engaged in a campaign doomed to failure against the resistance bloc, describing Israeli attacks on Syrian territory and the Iraqi-Syrian border as well as assassination attempts against Iranians as desperate attempts.

Saleh went on to say that the balance of power is tipped in favor of the resistance front.

“They have to re-calculate their existence or hostilities against resistance groups and factions, whether in Lebanon, Syria or Iraq. All these groups are really willing to counterattack or retaliate against Israel’s acts of aggression,” he pointed out.

The analyst stressed that Israeli authorities have realized that their attacks, normalization agreements with some Arab countries, besides support from the United States and certain European countries, would not be beneficial as resistance fighters can target them anywhere.

He noted that the resistance front can now outdo Israel both at political and military levels.

Saleh said retaliatory rocket and missile attacks by Gaza-based Palestinian resistance attacks against Israeli-occupied territories during last May’s Operation al-Quds Sword, and attacks on Israeli vessels are clear examples of such a fact.

The analyst also scoffed at Israeli alternate prime minister and foreign minister Yair Lapid’s allegations blaming Iran for the attack on the tanker off Oman.

“Israelis can't deny their crimes against Iranian scientists and nuclear facilities, besides attacks on resistance groups stationed on the Iraqi-Syrian border. They have already declared a campaign against the Axis of Resistance, Iran, [Lebanese resistance movement] Hezbollah, Iraqis, Syrians, Yemenis and Palestinians,” he said.

Saleh concluded that the Israeli regime has understood its hostile actions will not go unanswered anymore as opposed to the past, when it could strike Arab lands and Arabs would rush to dance to the regime’s tune.

The Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged, Japanese-owned ship, came under attack about 152 nautical miles (280 km) northeast of the Omani port of Duqm on Thursday, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which provides maritime security information.

Israeli ship targeted in attack off Oman coast, says UK military

The British military says an Israeli-owned ship has come under attack off the coast of Oman.

In a statement on Friday, Zodiac Maritime, the Israeli-owned firm managing the oil tanker, claimed that two crewmen, a Briton and a Romanian, had been killed in the assault.

In recent months, several other Israeli ships have come under apparent attacks on various maritime routes across the world. 

Earlier this month, a fire broke out on an Israeli-owned cargo ship after it was struck by an “unidentified weapon” in the northern Indian Ocean. 

Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television network said at the time that the Israeli vessel had been on route to the coast of the UAE when it was attacked.

The attacks come against a backdrop of the Israeli regime’s various assaults on cargo ships across the Persian Gulf region and elsewhere.

SURVEYING DIMENSIONS OF CANADIAN GOVERNMENT’S CRIMES AGAINST INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND THE NECESSITY OF LEGAL ACTION

Strategic Council Online – An international expert of Human Rights Headquarters of the Judiciary has stated that Canada is committing gross and systematic human rights violations against indigenous groups, adding: Canada very artistically and abusively uses “human rights” as a tool and considers it only as a commodity of prestige.

Dr. Amir Hossein Mohebali, speaking in an interview with the website of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, referred to the discovery of mass graves in Canada and the responsibility of the Canadian government for violating the rights of Canadian indigenous people and said: Usually, regarding the international responsibility of states, the two elements of “breach of the contract” and “attributability” must be considered in order to express the violation or non-violation of countries. Regarding Canada, the issue of “attributability” has been established; because the government, in order to show international transparency, has acknowledged that it committed cultural genocide and apologized for that.

Clear responsibility of Canadian government for genocide

Explaining that the issue is whether committing those anti-human rights acts against the indigenous, which today speaks of the discovery of 1,200 mass graves, is a violation of the contract by that country or not, he explained: “Common law” is one of the sources of international law which produces legal basis that cannot be acted otherwise; accordingly, Canadian actions violate existing common law.

Stressing that Canada’s actions reflect a customary violation that existed at that time and still exists, the international law expert said: In addition, the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prohibition and Punishment of Genocide stipulates that no government has the right to commit genocidal crimes.

Mohebali reminded that genocide is any action or attempt to destroy or physically eliminate a part or whole of a racial, ethnic, national, religious or ideological group and has a wide definition, adding: Canada has taken several measures for the genocide of the natives and is doing so now and the main point is that such crimes still continue; for example, they contaminate their drinking water with mercury toxin and provide it to them, or they generally ignore languages ​​in indigenous areas and deliberately discriminate against them in relation to government and protection services and occupy their lands.

Canada violates the 1948 Convention

He went on to say that such actions could be considered as elements of the crime of genocide in Canada, adding that Canada’s actions could be considered cultural genocide or genocide in general and could be considered a violation of the 1948 Convention.

The international expert of the Judiciary Human Rights Headquarters, referring to the Canadian government’s legal and political measures to absolve itself of responsibility for those crimes, said: Canada is a country that is very artistically and abusively misuses human rights and considers it as a commodity of prestige. In fact, it makes the best use of the issue of “human rights” to justify itself in the international arena.

Emphasizing the need to pay attention to the distinction between “human rights violations” and “international crime”, Mohebali stated: “When human rights violations reach their peak, they are on the verge of international crimes. International crimes are also seen in four categories: “war crime”, “crimes against humanity”, “genocide” and “crime of land rape”.

Canada’s apology is outrageous

He added: Canada has shifted its focus to international crime and turned the threshold of human rights violations into the threshold of international crime; but on the other hand, it uses human rights tools so artistically that it somehow portrays it as a violation of human rights, not as an international crime, and in the international arena it blatantly speaks of “apology”.

Mohebali explained: Canadian authorities are announcing that ‘we have started investigation and will survey ourselves’ and take a responsible gesture. While on the basis of international law, the international responsibility of states and the criminal responsibility of individuals have effects, of which “apology” is the first, most obvious, and most imperfect one. There are definitely other side effects to follow; among other things, a “guarantee of non-repetition” must be given. Canada has not done so at all and is currently committing a number of crimes against indigenous people.

Canada’s instrumental view of human rights

He said: Even if we do not consider the current actions of the Canadian government to be on the verge of a crime; that country commits gross and systematic violations of indigenous rights against indigenous groups and does not guarantee non-recurrence. In fact, the prime minister of Canada, in a gesture of transparency, has stated that ‘we are a transparent country and we accept our responsibility’, but he does not see the effects of this responsibility on himself, and this shows the instrumental view of human rights.

Saying that a country whose international responsibility is being realized must first return the situation to the previous status and strive for it, he noted: People who have perished will not return; but Canada could have returned to normalcy through other measures, including appropriate compensation, which is not on the government’s agenda.

He considered “compensation” as the third effect of liability, adding: Compensation does not only mean material compensation but also includes moral compensation. We see that this issue is not fundamentally on the agenda of the Canadian government either.

Regarding the role and responsibility of international institutions in relation to this gross violation of human rights in Canada and their current inactivity, he stated: Human rights mechanisms are divided into two categories: “mechanisms based on the UN Charter” and “mechanisms based on treaties”. The functions of these two mechanisms are different; mechanisms based on the UN Charter are “country-oriented” and mechanisms based on treaties are “expert-oriented”.

Canada’s lack of accountability in country-based mechanisms

Mohebali continued: As a result, in country-based mechanisms, we see more politicization, and the impact of the elements of power and interest in them is greater than the expertise-based mechanisms. Under these circumstances, Canada is not only responsible for indigenous killings and genocides, but also for any issues in country-based mechanisms, and countries never engage with Canada, and over politicization plays a major role in this regard.

Mohebali added that mechanisms could be put on the agenda regarding Canada’s crimes, but could not be pursued due to the Human Rights Council’s involvement in politicization.

Necessity of pursuing Canadian human rights abuses in international organizations

The international expert of the Judiciary Human Rights Headquarters said that Iran should not remain silent about this human rights violation in Canada, saying: Iran should, in accordance with its constitution, which emphasizes protection of the rights of the oppressed around the world as a duty, use the existing capacities in this regard.

He reminded that the killing and burial of the indigenous people in mass graves took place from 1883 to 1997, and the law prohibiting genocide dates back to 1948, and in fact, this issue still existed from 1948 to 1997, and reference to the convention is relevant in this regard.

Saying that Iran and Canada are members of the 1948 Convention against Genocide, Mohebali stressed the need to pay attention to Article 9 of the Convention on the possibility of referring to the International Court of Justice if there is any dispute over the interpretation or implementation of the treaty and said: This is a capacity for Iran to refer the matter to the Court as an important issue for the international community, as both sides have accepted the Court’s jurisdiction.

He added that a similar lawsuit was filed by Gambia against Myanmar over genocide at the Hague tribunal last year, and the tribunal accepted its initial jurisdiction, as genocide is one of the issues that overshadows the public interest of the international community; therefore we have jurisdiction to sue Canada.

Biden continues America's anti-Cuba policy, imposes more sanctions

US President Joe Biden meets with governors virtually at the South Court Auditorium at the White House complex in Washington, July 30, 2021. (Reuters photo)

The administration of US President Joe Biden has announced so-called human rights sanctions against Cuba targeting the country's police force and two of its leaders as Biden meets with a group of Cuban-American anti-Havana government individuals at the White House.

The US Treasury Department said on Friday the sanctions were a reaction to "actions to suppress peaceful, pro-democratic protests in Cuba that began on July 11,” referring to recent foreign-backed anti-government protests in the country.

Cuban leaders have held the decades-long US embargo responsible for the economic difficulties of the people.

The US sanctions targeted two Cuban police force leaders as well as the Cuban interior ministry's national police force.

Biden had promised additional sanctions against Cuban leaders, a move supported by many Cuban-Americans who have lobbied against the Cuban government.

There will be more sanctions: Biden 

"There will be more, unless there's some drastic change in Cuba, which I don't anticipate," Biden said during a meeting with Cuban-American leaders at the White House.

He claimed, "The United States is taking concerted action to bolster the cause of the Cuban people."

Biden said he had asked the Treasury and State departments to report back in a month on how to allow remittance payments from Americans to Cubans without the Cuban government profiting.

Earlier this month, protests erupted against the government of President Miguel Diaz-Canel as the country experienced its worst economic crisis in 30 years, with shortages of electricity and food exacerbated by the US embargo.

Biden accused the Havana government of “repressing their citizens.” He said that his administration “was considering ways to force open internet restrictions in Cuba.”

The Cuban president said in response, “If President Joseph Biden had sincere humanitarian concern for the Cuban people, he could eliminate the 243 measures implemented by President Donald Trump, including the more than 50 cruelly imposed during the pandemic, as a first step toward ending the blockade.” 

Last week, the US Treasury announced sanctions on Cuba's defense minister and an interior ministry special forces unit over allegations of human rights abuses during anti-government protests this month.

Biden said at the time that more sanctions would be coming against "individuals responsible for the oppression of the Cuban people."

What the Cuban refugees in Miami are called

Press TV asked American journalist Don DeBar what the Cuban refugees in Miami are called. He said, “There's a derogatory term that is used to describe the Cuban refugees in Miami, Florida. The term is ‘Gusano’.”

“It is a slur and is not really appropriate for journalism. However, the history of that migrant community is essentially they are the comprador class that left after the revolution when their property was seized. This includes the people that owned the distilleries for rum, the manufacturers of cigars, the big agricultural firms (mostly from the US) that pretty much owned the Cuban people, having taken title to them from the Spanish in 1898," he said.

"The Spanish essentially murdered the bulk of the inhabitants beginning with Christopher Columbus's arrival in 1492 and then used it as a center for the transatlantic slave trade -  servicing, among other places, the US and Brazil. So whatever term you use, these are the children and grandchildren of the complicit ones to that ugly history, now in Miami and used to attack the Cuban Revolution,” he added.

Commenting on the latest US sanctions against Cuba, Debar said, “You will note that the really difficult sanctions imposed by the US require first that the property seized from the wealthy and from US corporations by the Revolution must be returned before those sanctions can be lifted, which makes clear the actual purpose of the sanctions and US antipathy towards Cuba.”

Advanced Project 885M nuclear-powered submarine Krasnoyarsk launched to serve Russian Navy

A ceremony is held for the Yasen-M class nuclear-powered submarine Krasnoyarsk at the Sevmash shipyard in Russia’s northwestern region of Severodvinsk on July 30. (Photo by Sevmash)

A fourth-generation advanced Project 885M nuclear-powered submarine has joined the Russian Navy's fleet.

The Krasnoyarsk Yasen-M class submarine, equipped with advanced cruise missiles and torpedoes, was taken out of the huge ship hall at the Sevmash yard in Russia’s northwestern region of Severodvinsk and floated in the White Sea on Friday, the cointrry's TASS news agency reported.

The launch ceremony was led by Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy.

“The Sevmash shipbuilders have confirmed their professionalism. Plans have been drawn up for this vessel and its crew has been trained. I am confident that the Sevmash Shipyard will deliver it on schedule,” he said at the ceremony.

The Krasnoyarsk is the Project Yasen-M second serial-built submarine that was laid down in 2014, the report said.

The St. Petersburg-based Malakhit Design Bureau of Machine-Building has developed Project 885M nuclear-powered submarines.

Currently, seven Project 885M submarines are at various stages of their construction at the Sevmash Shipyard, the report said.

Project 885/885M submarines are armed with Kalibr-PL and Oniks cruise missiles as their basic strike weapons.

The Oniks, also known as Yakhont, is a Russian-made supersonic anti-ship cruise missile developed by NPO Mashinostroyeniya, which is a rocket design bureau based in Reutov, Russia, it added.

The Oniks missile has an operational range of 600 kilometers.

Russia: New Pacific Fleet submarine floated out in St. Petersburg

A third-generation submarine for Russia’s Pacific Fleet, the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, equipped with Kalibr cruise missiles, was launched at the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg on Thursday.

According to the press center of the Russian Defense Ministry, subsurface speed of Krasnoyarsk is 31 knots, surface speed is 16 knots, and maximum diving depth is 600 meters, with endurance of 100 days.

Krasnoyarsk follows the Novosibirsk submarine, which was launched from the ship hall at Sevmash in late December 2019, said Alexey Rakhmanov, the head of United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC).

He added that Novosibirsk commenced sea trials in the White Sea a few weeks ago and if all goes well it should be handed over to the Pacific Fleet by the end of this year.

Bahrain opposition slams acquittal of top officer found guilty of murdering journalist

This file picture shows female Bahraini sports journalist Eman Salehi's body after she was shot once in the head in front of her six-year-old son in the city of Riffa, Bahrain, on December 23, 2016. (Photo via Twitter)

A Bahraini protest movement has denounced the acquittal of a high-ranking military official and member of the kingdom’s ruling Al Khalifah regime, who has been found guilty of shooting dead a female sports journalist in front of her young son more than five years ago.

The February 14 Youth Coalition — named after the date when a popular uprising against Bahrain’s ruling Al Khalifah regime was born — said in a statement on Friday that it condemns in the strongest terms the move in favor of Hamad Mubarak al-Khalifah who has Eman Salehi’s blood on his hands.

“The measure indicates that Bahrain’s occupying royal family values its members above the blood, honor and dignity of other Bahraini nationals. The pardon sends a clear message to those who mistakenly believe this criminal regime can be reformed. The only option ahead of the Bahraini nation is to overthrow the regime, and later try and expel dictator Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah,” the statement read.

Bahraini opposition urges ‘political leap’ in push to end dictatorship

A Bahraini opposition protest movement underlines the need for “a real political leap” and a new constitution drafted by the will of the people to put an end to dictatorship in the Persian Gulf country.

“We are absolutely certain that the entire Bahraini nation, activists, scholars and particularly prisoners, who are being subjected to severe forms of torture as well as mental and physical abuse, have reached the conclusion that the Al Khalifah regime can never be reformed as it does not respect the law,” the Bahraini opposition movement said.

“The only option for everyone, especially the opposition, is to work in solidarity towards overthrowing the ruling regime, prosecuting authorities and purging the homeland of corrupt officials,” it pointed out.

The February 14 Youth Coalition highlighted that the Bahraini nation has realized that the Al Khalifah regime has failed over the past decades to implement genuine reforms in the country.

“The royal family will not abandon committing crimes. It is dictating its authoritarian rule, and is restricting public freedom with each passing day,” it concluded.

Salehi, a Shia Muslim woman, worked as a sports journalist for Bahrain's state-run television broadcaster.

Deceased female Bahraini sports journalist Eman Salehi (Photo via Twitter)

The young mother was gunned down in the street on December 23, 2016 as her six-year-old son watched through the car window.

The journalist was shot once in the head. The killer immediately turned himself into police in the city of Riffa, which is popular with both military officers and members of the royal family.

The motive for the murder of Salehi is not yet clear.

Activists urge release of hunger-striking opposition figure

Meanwhile, human rights groups and activists are calling on Bahraini officials to release a key jailed opposition figure, who has been on hunger strike for weeks over his “ill-treatment.”

Sixteen organizations – including the Britain-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) – released a statement on Friday urging Bahrain to release Abduljalil al-Singace, who went on hunger strike earlier this month. 

Singace was among 13 anti-regime protesters a decade ago, who were arrested and convicted on trumped-up charges that included “setting up terror groups to topple the regime.” He was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The 59-year-old pro-democracy campaigner launched his hunger strike on July 8 “in response to degrading treatment he was subjected to by a prison officer, to protest the restriction of being permitted to call only five numbers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” the groups said in Friday's joint statement. 

Singace is also demanding a book he has been working on for at least four years be returned to him. It was confiscated by prison guards on 9 April.

Singace, an academic and blogger, has said the book was about linguistic diversity in Bahraini Arabic dialects, and has no political content at all. 

BIRD called the confiscation of Singace's book “an unjust punishment,” adding “authorities must ensure the protection of his rights, including the return of his intellectual property.” 

“The confiscation of Dr. al-Singace's research is yet another cynical attempt to humiliate a brave leader who refuses to be cowed in the face of abuse,” Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, director of BIRD, said in an email. 

Alwadaei added, “He has now spent a decade in prison for his peaceful resistance to Bahrain’s dictatorship and it is time for Bahraini authorities to end this petty persecution, return Dr. al-Singace's book and order his immediate and unconditional release.”

Husain Abdulla, executive director at Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB), has also called on the United States and the United Kingdom – both Al Khalifah regime’s close allies – to take action on Singace's case. 

“Bahrain's allies in the US and UK continue to remain silent in the face of Dr. al-Singace's unlawful imprisonment and the many abuses he has been subjected to. This glaring double standard exposes how shallow their professed commitment to human rights really is,” Abdulla said.

Demonstrations in Bahrain have been held on a regular basis ever since a popular uprising began in mid-February 2011.

Bahrain's top cleric calls for immediate release of political prisoners

Bahrain’s prominent cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim calls for the immediate release of political prisoners.

The participants demand that the Al Khalifah regime relinquish power and allow a just system representing all Bahrainis to be established.

Manama, however, has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of dissent.

On March 5, 2017, Bahrain’s parliament approved the trial of civilians at military tribunals in a measure blasted by human rights campaigners as being tantamount to the imposition of an undeclared martial law countrywide.

King Hamad ratified the constitutional amendment on April 3, 2017.