Global rights body condemns arbitrary demolition of Afreen Fatima’s house in Uttar Pradesh
Prayagraj: The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, an international organization, has issued a strong condemnation of the arbitrary demolition of Afreen Fatima's house, along with the arbitrary detention of her mother and sister, and the ongoing arbitrary detention and criminalization of her father, Javed Mohammad.*
The house of prominent Muslim activists Afreen Fatima and her father, Javed Mohammad, was demolished by the Uttar Pradesh government last week amidst a series of repressive actions against the Muslim minority in the state. The demolition occurred following nationwide protests organized by Muslim communities on June 10, 2022, in response to anti-Islamic statements made by two leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Afreen Fatima, the national secretary of the Fraternity Movement, is a well-known woman human rights defender and Muslim activist who has been vocal against the discriminatory Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) passed in 2019. She has previously served as the president of the students’ union of Women’s College at the Aligarh Muslim University and as a councilor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University students’ union.
The Observatory condemned the human rights violations and acts of reprisals against Afreen Fatima and her family, emphasizing that these actions occurred within the context of an ongoing crackdown against the Muslim minority and their defenders in Uttar Pradesh. The organization noted that Indian authorities in Uttar Pradesh have misused legal provisions to illegally demolish houses and properties of Muslim individuals and families in protest-affected areas. Human rights defenders and activists speaking out against discriminatory policies and laws, including the CAA, have faced criminalization, arbitrary detention, and stigmatization.
The global rights body called on the authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Javed Mohammad and cease all acts of harassment against Afreen Fatima and her family. The organization urged the provision of adequate housing and comprehensive reparation for the illegal demolition of their house. Additionally, it demanded an immediate, thorough, and impartial investigation into the demolition of Afreen Fatima’s house. The investigation aims to identify all responsible parties, bring them before an independent tribunal, and sanction them in accordance with the law.
The letter from the rights body was sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Justice of India, Allahabad High Court Chief Justice, and other top officials in the country, highlighting the international concern regarding the human rights violations and reprisals faced by Afreen Fatima and her family.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
===================
The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
