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LISA JUNG, ZEYNEP ECE KARSLI, KAROLINA KISIEL, SIAVASH GHASEMI, AYCA ZEHRA KARABABA
Oct 17, 20229 min read

WEEKLY OVERVIEW - MAY 1ST, 2021

AUTHOR

BY LISA JUNG, ZEYNEP ECE KARSLI, KAROLINA KISIEL, SIAVASH GHASEMI, AYCA ZEHRA KARABABA

THIS WEEK 5 OF OUR MEMBERS HAVE WRITTEN AN ARTICLE ABOUT CURRENT ISSUES FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THE BLOG COVERS CONFLICTS IN JERUSALEM, A NEW MALARIA VACCINE, PRESS FREEDOM IN RUSSIA, ABORTION REGULATIONS IN ECUADOR AND NEGLIENT BEHAVIOUR IN TURKISH PRISONS.


CONFLICTS IN JERUSALEM

[DISCLAIMER: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL IS NEUTRAL IN THIS CONFLICT]

ON THE 25TH OF APRIL, A ROCKET WAS FIRED FROM THE GAZA STRIP TOWARDS ISRAEL AFTER A DAYLONG PAUSE IN THE CONFLICT. THE UNITED NATIONS HAD CALLED TO STOP THE VIOLENCE, AND ISRAELI LEADERS HAD STATED THEY WOULD RETALIATE. THE ROCKET FIRE IS ONLY THE LATEST MOVE IN THE CONFRONTATIONS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY (OPT). THE ROCKET WAS AN ANSWER TO ISRAEL'S LAUNCHED AIR ATTACKS AT HAMAS TARGETS IN OPT, WHICH ISRAEL AGAIN CLAIMED TO BE A RESPONSE TO ROCKET FIRE THE DAYS BEFORE. HAMAS, HOWEVER, DID NOT CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ROCKETS, BUT ISRAEL CONSIDERS THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL FIRE EMANATING FROM OPT. ON THE 24TH, CONFRONTATIONS BETWEEN PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELI POLICE IN JERUSALEM LED TO SIX INJURIES AND ARRESTS. A JOURNALIST FROM AL JAZEERA DESCRIBED A "DANGEROUS BREW OF FACTORS," IN WHICH THE SLIGHTEST COULD LEAD TO AN ESCALATION IN THE REGION NEAR THE GAZA STRIP. SINCE THE START OF RAMADAN, CONFRONTATIONS HAVE OCCURRED ON A NIGHTLY BASIS IN JERUSALEM, WHICH IS A HOLY CITY FOR MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS, AND JEWS. ISRAELI POLICE PLACED BARRICADES OUTSIDE THE OLD CITY'S DAMASCUS GATE, A POPULAR PLACE FOR MUSLIMS IN THE TERRITORY TO GATHER AT THE END OF THE RAMADAN DAYTIME FAST. IT FUELLED THE ANGER OF MANY AND THEREFORE LED TO THE ONGOING UNREST IN THE AREA. ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU STATED ISRAEL WOULD GUARANTEE "FREEDOM OF WORSHIP" FOR EVERYONE AS HE ASKED PEOPLE TO OBEY THE LAW AND ASK FOR CALMING OF TEMPERS ON ALL SIDES. THE UN STATED THAT THEY ARE ALSO WORKING WITH ALL SIDES TO RESTORE THE CALM AND HALT THE PROVOCATIVE ACTS IN ISRAEL AND OPT. THE ISRAELI MILITARY STATE THAT THEY WERE PREPARING SEVERAL STEPS FOR EVERY POSSIBLE SCENARIO. AFTER DEMONSTRATIONS AFTER PRAYERS ON THE 23RD BY HAMAS, IN SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINIANS IN JERUSALEM, THE ARMED WING OF HAMAS STATED NOT TO TEST "IT'S PATIENCE." GROUPS PROMOTING PEACE HAVE CALLED FOR PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE BETWEEN ALL RELIGIOUS GROUPS. HOWEVER, IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN WHETHER THIS IS A REALISTIC TARGET GIVEN THAT THE CONFLICT HAS BEEN DRAGGING ON FOR MANY YEARS.

NEW MALARIA VACCINE A MALARIA VACCINE DEVELOPED BY RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD HAD UP TO 77 PERCENT EFFICACY IN A SMALL CLINICAL TRIAL AMONG CHILDREN IN BURKINA FASO. THE STUDY RESULTS ARE CLAIMED TO BE "VERY POSITIVE NEWS" BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) GLOBAL MALARIA PROGRAMME. MALARIA KILLS MORE THAN 400,000 PEOPLE EACH YEAR. MOST OF THOSE DEATHS ARE IN AFRICA, AND MOST ARE AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN. PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS TO DEVELOP A VACCINE HAVE BEEN HINDERED BY THE COMPLEXITY OF THE MALARIA PARASITE, WHICH INVADES HOST CELLS AND WHOSE GENOME CONTAINS THOUSANDS OF GENES. THE WHO HAS PREVIOUSLY SET A TARGET OF 75 PERCENT EFFICACY FOR A MALARIA VACCINE. EFFECTIVENESS IN A TRIAL IS MEASURED THROUGH THE REDUCTION IN DISEASE INCIDENCE IN VACCINATED PEOPLE COMPARED TO UNVACCINATED ONES. BEFORE THE CURRENT STUDY RESULTS WERE POSTED, THE MOST EFFICACIOUS VACCINE WAS NAMED MOSQUIRIX, WHICH SHOWED AROUND 56 PERCENT EFFICACY IN PHASE 3 TRIALS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN AFTER A YEAR OF IMMUNIZATION AND IS CURRENTLY BEING DEPLOYED IN SEVERAL SUB-SAHARAN COUNTRIES. THE NEW VACCINE IS STRUCTURALLY SIMILAR TO MOSQUIRIX, CONSISTING OF HEPATITIS B SURFACE PROTEINS THAT SELF-ASSEMBLE INTO VIRUS-LIKE PARTICLES AND PRESENT PART OF A MALARIA PROTEIN. THE OXFORD VACCINE IS ADMINISTERED ALONG WITH AN ADJUVANT CALLED MATRIX-M, MADE BY NOVAVAX, TO BOOST THE IMMUNE RESPONSE. MALARIA VACCINE EFFICACY AMONG CHILDREN WHO RECEIVED A HIGH DOSE OF THE ADJUVANT WAS 77 PERCENT AFTER A YEAR OF FOLLOW-UP. IN COMPARISON, EFFICACY IN CHILDREN WHO GOT THE LOWER AMOUNT OF ADJUVANT WAS 71 PERCENT. IT IS SAID THAT THEY HOPE THE TRIAL "WILL CONFIRM THESE EXCITING FINDINGS AND THAT THIS VACCINE COULD HAVE A REAL IMPACT ON THIS DISEASE AFFECTING MILLIONS OF CHILDREN EVERY YEAR." WHAT IS MALARIA? MALARIA IS A SEVERE AND SOMETIMES FATAL DISEASE CAUSED BY A PARASITE THAT COMMONLY INFECTS A SPECIFIC TYPE OF MOSQUITO WHICH FEEDS ON HUMANS. PEOPLE WHO GET MALARIA ARE TYPICALLY VERY SICK WITH HIGH FEVERS, SHAKING CHILLS, AND FLU-LIKE ILLNESSES.

RUSSIA AND CLOSING DOWN MEDIA FREEDOMS ALTHOUGH THE RUSSIAN CONSTITUTION INCLUDES PROVISIONS ABOUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PRESS, THE GOVERNMENT'S APPLICATION OF THE LAW, BUREAUCRACY, AND POLITICALLY MOTIVATED INVESTIGATIONS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE PRESS TO BE ENTIRELY FREE. THEY FORCED IT TO EXERCISE SELF-CENSORSHIP, HENCE CONSTRAIN COVERAGE OF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IN RUSSIA AND LIMIT ITS AUTONOMY. APRIL HAS BEEN A TERRIBLE TIME FOR FREEDOM OF MEDIA AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN RUSSIA. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH, THE AUTHORITIES RAIDED THE HOME OF RUSSIAN JOURNALIST – ROMAN ANIN. ROMAN IS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF ISTORIES (IMPORTANT STORIES). IT IS AN OUTLET THAT SPECIALIZES IN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM AND UNCOVERING THE GOVERNMENT'S ACTIONS. THE RUSSIAN FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE (FSB) RAIDED ANIN'S DOMICILE AS WELL AS THE ISTORIES OFFICE. THIS RAID WAS CONDUCTED IN CONNECTION TO A 2016 PRIVACY CASE THAT HAD BEEN DORMANT FOR MORE THAN FOUR YEARS. THIS CASE CONCERNED A LUXURY YACHT OWNED BY A COMPANY ON WHICH THE FORMER WIFE OF IGOR SECHIN (HEAD OF THE STARE OIL CORPORATION – ROSNEFT) TOOK VACATIONS. ISTORIES, HOWEVER, DID NOT EXIST AT THIS POINT. OFFICIALS REOPENED THE CASE AT THE END OF MARCH. TWO WEEKS AFTER, ANIN RELEASED AN ARTICLE VIA ISTORIESINCRIMINATING SERGEY KOROLEV (FIRST DEPUTY FSB DIRECTOR APPOINTED BY VLADIMIR PUTIN). MOREOVER, IN DECEMBER 2020, ISTORIES PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE THAT REVEALED THAT PUTIN'S FORMER SON-IN-LAW HAD BOUGHT SHARES OF THIS OIL AND GAS COMPANY. FURTHERMORE, IT WAS REVEALED THAT HE WAS PART OF TOP MANAGEMENT (WORTH 380 MILLION $) FOR 100 $. PUTIN DID NOT ADMIT TO THE ALLEGATION'S ACCURACY. HOWEVER, HE ACCUSED THAT ISTORIES WERE COOPERATING WITH THE US INTELLIGENCE SERVICES AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT. ANIN SAID THAT THE POLICE QUESTIONING WAS FOCUSED ON HIS TIME AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY. OFFICIALS HAVE ALSO TAKEN ALL HIS DOCUMENTS IN ENGLISH. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE RUSSIAN INVESTIGATE COMMITTEE STARTED THE CRIMINAL CASE AGAINST DOXA'S EDITORIAL TIME. DOXA IS A RUSSIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENT MAGAZINE. THE AUTHORITIES CHARGED THE STUDENTS FOR POSTING A VIDEO ONLINE ("THEY CANNOT DEFEAT YOUTH"), WHICH CALLED TEENS TO ATTEND PEACEFUL, PRO-NAVALNY PROTESTS. FURTHERMORE, SEVERAL CASES OF POLICE ABUSE AGAINST JOURNALISTS COVERING PROTESTS WERE REPORTED. FOR EXAMPLE, DURING THE 10TH OF APRIL PRO-NAVALNY PROTEST, POLICE DETAINED (AT LEAST) 10 REPORTS. ALTHOUGH COMPLYING WITH OFFICIAL REQUIREMENTS TO WEAR SPECIAL EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD CONFIRM THAT THEY WERE ON REPORTING ASSIGNMENT, THE JOURNALISTS WERE DETAINED. IN RUSSIA, THE MEDIA THAT ARE NOT FOLLOWING THE STATUS QUO AND CRITICIZE KREMLIN ARE OFTEN CALLED NAMES AS "FOREIGN AGENTS," WHICH COULD BE TRANSLATED AS A PUBLIC ENEMY OR A SPY. THESE WERE THE ACCUSATIONS IN THE CASE OF MEDUZA, A LEADING RUSSIAN NEWS OUTLET, AND PASMI, AN OUTLET DEDICATED TO FIGHTING CORRUPTION. HOWEVER, BEING CALLED A "FOREIGN AGENT" IS MORE THAN JUST A LABEL AND PROPAGANDA. IT IS A TOOL TO MAKE THE PROSECUTION OF THE KREMLIN'S CRITICS EASIER. CURRENTLY, ALL MEDUZA'S WRITERS ARE AT RISK OF BEING UNDER TO SCRUTINIZATION OF THE GOVERNMENT. THIS SCRUTINY IMPLIES REGULAR REPORTING OF THEIR INCOME AND EXPENSES TO THE JUSTICE MINISTRY. CONSEQUENTLY, THIS CREATES A RISK OF BEING FINED AND FACE CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. THE RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES SHOULD STOP THEIR PRACTICES OF RESTRICTING FREEDOM OF MEDIA IN RUSSIA AND LET THE JOURNALISTS DO THEIR JOB.

ABORTION IN ECUADOR THIS WEDNESDAY, 26TH OF APRIL, THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT OF ECUADOR HAS DEMOCRATICALLY DECIDED TO DECRIMINALIZE ABORTION IN EVERY CASE OF RAPE. IT IS NO LONGER LIMITED TO WOMEN WHO SUFFER FROM COGNITIVE LIMITATIONS, AS THE PREVIOUS LEGISLATION STATED. THIS NEWS WAS WIDELY CELEBRATED AMONG CIVIL SOCIETY, ESPECIALLY AMONG LOCAL ACTIVIST AGGRUPATIONS STRIVING FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS AS THE NEW LEGISLATION SEEKS TO ALLEVIATE THE VULNERABLE SITUATION OF YOUNG GIRLS IN THE COUNTRY. ECUADOR IS THE SECOND SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF PREGNANCIES AMONG TEENAGERS, 77,3 OF EVERY 1.000 BIRTHS COME FROM YOUNG GIRLS AND TEENAGERS. ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS USED TO SUPPORT THE NEW LAW WAS THE FACT THAT, BETWEEN 2008 TO 2018, 20 052 GIRLS BELOW THE AGE OF 14 GAVE BIRTH AND WERE ASSISTED IN THE NATIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM EVEN THOUGH THE ECUADORIAN CONSTITUTION CLASSIFIES PREGNANCIES ON GIRLS BELOW THE AGE OF 14 TO BE AND COME FROM RAPE. IN ECUADOR, FIVE GIRLS BETWEEN 10 AND 14 YEARS OLD GIVE BIRTH EVERY DAY. BECAUSE OF THEIR AGE, THE PREVIOUS LAW WOULD CONSIDER THOSE 1.816 ANNUAL PREGNANCIES TO COME FROM RAPE, YET THAT VERY SAME LAW FORCED THEM TO EITHER GIVE BIRTH OR RISK GOING TO JAIL FOR SEEKING AND GETTING AN UNREGULATED ABORTION. THE NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT, GUILLERMO LASSO, WHO BELONGS TO A CONSERVATIVE PARTY AND WHO HIMSELF HAS MULTIPLE TIMES STATED TO HAVE STRONG RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS, HAS INDICATED HIS SUPPORT AND COMPLIANCE TO THE RESOLUTION OF THE CONSTITUTION COURT. WHILE HE IS NOT IN FAVOR OF THE NEW SOLUTION, HE WANTS TO PRESERVE THE DEMOCRACY OF THIS SECULAR STATE.

DEATH OF FORMER POLICE RAISED ALLEGATIONS OF NEGLIGENCE IN PRISON IN TURKEY MUSTAFA KABAKÇIOĞLU DIED ON THE 29TH OF AUGUST 2020 IN GÜMÜŞHANE PRISON, WHERE HE WAS TRANSFERRED FROM ŞEBINKARAHISAR K2 TYPE CLOSED PRISON 4 YEARS AGO. THE PUBLIC LEARNED THAT KABAKÇIOĞLU LOST HIS LIFE IN A SOLITARY PRISON CELL WITH PHOTOS SHARED ON TWITTER. HDP KOCAELI DEPUTY AND HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTIGATION COMMISSION MEMBER ÖMER FARUK GERGERLIOĞLU (WHO IS IN PRISON NOW) SAID, "DEATH ALONE! ALONE, SICK, FINISHED [...] IN A DAMP, DILAPIDATED, SOLITARY CELL [...] FORMER POLICE OFFICER MUSTAFA KABAKÇIOĞLU, WITH THE STATUTORY DECREE, SAID GOODBYE TO THE WORLD." WHILE TAGGING JUSTICE MINISTER ABDULHAMIT GUL, HE ASKED, "THE DEATH WAS FULL OF NEGLIGENCE, HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF IT?." ÖMER FARUK GERGERLIOĞLU SAID THAT ACCORDING TO KABAKÇIOĞLU'S DIARY, HE HAD DIABETES IN PRISON IN 2017 AND THAT HIS HEALTH STARTED TO DETERIORATE AFTER THAT. ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENTS OF ÖMER FARUK GERGERLIOĞLU AND THE GIRESUN CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, KABAKÇIOĞLU'S HEALTH DETERIORATED ON 20, 24, AND 27 AUGUST. GERGERLIOĞLU ARGUED THAT, DESPITE THE LACK OF COVID-19 TESTING, KABAKÇIOĞLU WAS TAKEN TO A SOLITARY CELL ON THE 20TH OF AUGUST. DESPITE HIS REQUESTS, ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES WAS NOT PROVIDED. ACCORDING TO GERGERLIOĞLU, KABAKÇIOĞLU'S REQUEST TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL ON THE 24TH OF AUGUST ALSO FAILED. KABAKÇIOĞLU GOT WORSE ON THE 27TH OF AUGUST AND WROTE A PETITION TO THE PRISON DOCTOR. GERGERLIOĞLU SHOWED THE PETITION TO THE CAMERAS AND SAID: "DEAR PROFESSOR, HE SAYS AND CALLS OUT TO THE DOCTOR. 'I HAVE USED THE DRUGS YOU PRESCRIBED, BUT I THINK THE DRUGS CAUSE SIDE EFFECTS. I HAVE SWELLING, ESPECIALLY IN MY LEFT MOUTH AND LEFT LEG, AND I HAVE TROUBLE SPEAKING. AND I'M HAVING NUMBNESS IN MY ARM. I AM HAVING LOWER BACK NUMBNESS. UNDERBELLY DOES NOT WORK IN ANY WAY, 'HE SAYS." AFTER THIS LETTER, THE PRISON DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY REFERRED KABAKÇIOĞLU TO THE HOSPITAL. NEVERTHELESS, GERGERLIOĞLU SAID THAT KABAKÇIOĞLU WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND QUESTIONED THE REASON FOR THIS. IN THE STATEMENT MADE BY THE GÜMÜŞHANE CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE, IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT KABAKÇIOĞLU WAS ILL ON 20 AND 24 AUGUST. THE REPORT STATED THAT THE 112 EMERGENCY SERVICE TEAMS WERE CALLED TO THE INSTITUTION, BUT KABAKÇIOĞLU DID NOT WANT TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. IN THE PRESS RELEASE, GERGERLIOĞLU QUESTIONED THE PETITION AND SAID, "IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND THIS. A PERSON WHO WROTE A PETITION TO THE DOCTOR ON THE 27TH OF AUGUST AND SAID THAT HE HAS SIGNIFICANT HEALTH COMPLAINTS DOES NOT GO TO THE HOSPITAL WHEN IT IS OBVIOUS THAT HE HAS TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL? THIS PLACE IS EXTREMELY CLOSED." DEFINING KABAKÇIOĞLU'S DEATH AS "A SUSPICIOUS AND VIOLENT DEATH," GERGERLIOĞLU ARGUED THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS NOT SINGULAR: "AS A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT WHO CLOSELY MONITORS PRISONS, WE HAVE REPEATEDLY SEEN PRISONERS DIE IN SOLITARY CELLS, WE TOOK THIS ISSUE TO THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, AND FOR YEARS THE DEATHS IN CELLS WERE COVERED UP. ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE SUBMITTED FOR SUCH DEATHS HAVE BEEN IGNORED." ON THE OTHER HAND, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF CHP RESPONSIBLE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS GÜLIZAR BIÇER KARACA ALSO ASKED THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE ABDULHAMIT GÜL TO ANSWER THE DEATH OF MUSTAFA KABAKÇIOĞLU IN THE CELL WHERE HE WAS HELD IN GÜMÜŞHANE PRISON.

SOURCES:

CONFLICTS IN JERUSALEM:

NEW MALARIA VACCINE:

RUSSIA AND CLOSING DOWN MEDIA FREEDOMS:

ABORTION IN ECUADOR:

DEATH OF FORMER POLICE RAISED ALLEGATIONS OF NEGLIGENCE IN PRISON IN TURKEY:


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