Trump's media attacks close to incitement of violence: Top UN official
New York, Aug 13 : Outgoing UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein has singled out US President Donald Trump's repeated designation of the press as "the enemy of the people", terming it "very close to incitement to violence".
Trump's anti-press rhetoric would lead to journalists censoring themselves or being attacked, said Al-Hussein, a Jordanian prince and diplomat, in an interview to the Guardian daily.
Al-Hussein is stepping down in August from the UN post after deciding not to stand for a second four-year term, in the face of a waning commitment among world powers to fighting abuses.
He said the Trump administration's lack of concern about human rights marked a distinct break with previous administrations and that the US President's own rhetoric aimed at minorities and at the press was "redolent of two of the worst eras of the 20th century", the run-up to the two world wars.
"We began to see a campaign against the media … that could have potentially, and still can, set in motion a chain of events which could quite easily lead to harm being inflicted on journalists just going about their work and potentially some self-censorship," Al-Hussein said.
"And in that context, it's getting very close to incitement to violence."
He said that Trump's example was already being followed elsewhere, giving license to authoritarian leaders to crack down on the media in ways they had not previously dared to, the daily said on Monday.
Al-Hussein pointed to Cambodian leader Hun Sen, who he said had used similar language when he closed down independent media organisations.
"The US creates a demonstration effect, which then is picked up by other countries where the leadership tends to to be more authoritarian (in) character or aspires to be authoritarian."
Al-Hussein has also taken on the Trump administration over its policy of separating children from their parents in migrant families arrested at the border and the US President's own long history of rhetoric aimed at minorities.
"The Trump administration seems to have separated itself from previous administrations in its upholding of human rights globally."
"The administration's failure to appoint an ambassador to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, before withdrawing from the council altogether, Al-Hussein added, was "illustrative of the lack of any deep commitment to the human rights".
His advice to his successor, Michele Bachelet, who has been both a political prisoner and President in her native Chile, was to stay courageous and not to run for a second term.
"I would be very suspicious of any commissioner seeking a second term because I'd wonder what deals are being struck and if they'd been struck they've been struck on the back of victims," he said.
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Need to be taught lesson: SC refuses to entertain bail plea of Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case accused
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has refused to entertain the bail plea of Mihir Shah, the son of a former Shiv Sena leader, in the 2024 Mumbai BMW hit-and-run case, saying "these boys need to be taught a lesson".
A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and A G Masih took into account that the accused belonged to an affluent family and his father was associated with the Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena.
"He parks his Mercedes in the shed, takes out his BMW and crashes it and goes absconding. Let him be inside for some time. These boys need to be taught a lesson," the bench observed on Friday while refusing to entertain the bail plea.
Senior advocate Rebecca John, appearing for Shah, said the high court allowed him to seek bail after the testimony of key witnesses was recorded in the case. However, sensing the mood of the court, she sought permission to withdraw the plea, which was allowed.
Shah (24) was arrested on July 9 last year, two days after he allegedly rammed his BMW car into a two-wheeler in Mumbai's Worli area, killing Kaveri Nakhwa (45) and leaving her husband, Pradeep Nakhwa, injured.
The accused allegedly sped off towards the Bandra-Worli Sea Link after the accident, even as the woman remained on the bonnet of the car and then got entangled in its wheels for a distance of more than 1.5 kilometres.
Shah's driver, Rajrishi Bidawat, who was also present in the car at the time of the accident, was arrested on the day of the alleged accident. Both are in judicial custody.
Shah has challenged the November 21 order of the Bombay High Court that denied him bail in the case after noting that he was heavily inebriated and failed to stop the car even after hitting a scooter and dragging the victim under his vehicle.
The high court had said in the order that the conduct of the accused at the time of the alleged offence and afterwards does not inspire confidence in the court to grant him bail. It had said that Shah had accidentally crashed into the scooter but sped away at high speed, dragging the victim underneath the car.
His further actions indicate a clear intent to escape the consequences and evade arrest, the high court had noted, adding that his exchanging seats with his driver, calling his father and leaving the scene of offence indicate the predilection to tamper with evidence and/or intimidate witnesses.
