Amid heavy shelling, Ukraine's Mariupol city uses mass grave
Mariupol, Mar 10: With bodies piling up in Russia's nine-day siege of Mariupol, the port city of 430,000 in southeastern Ukraine, local authorities are hurrying to bury the dead in a mass grave.
City workers made quick signs of the cross gestures as they pushed bodies wrapped in carpets or bags into a deep trench some 25 meters (80 feet) long on the outskirts of the city.
More than 70 bodies have been interred in the common grave since it was opened Tuesday.
About half of those buried were killed in the intense shelling of the city, estimated an AP journalist who visited the burial ground.
Others died at home from natural causes, but authorities were unable to arrange for the collection of the bodies or their burial.
Mariupol has suffered at least 8 major airstrikes in the past 48 hours, with a children's hospital and the central fire department among those hit.
City residents are staying in shelters as much as possible as temperatures dip to minus 9 degrees Celsius (15 degrees Fahrenheit).
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Journalist assaulted, locked in room for questioning BJP workers in Amit Shah’s UP rally
Lucknow: Journalist Raghav Trivedi, affiliated with the digital platform Molitics, was allegedly assaulted and confined by workers associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while covering a rally addressed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh. Trivedi sustained injuries and was subsequently admitted to a hospital for medical treatment.
Trivedi reported that he had interviewed several women at the rally who claimed they were paid Rs 100 to attend and were unaware of Amit Shah's identity. When he confronted BJP workers with these allegations, he was instructed to delete the recorded videos and then physically assaulted.
Describing the ordeal, Trivedi recounted being forcibly taken to a secluded area where he was pressured to delete the footage. Despite refusing to comply, he was subjected to physical violence. Trivedi further stated that despite his pleas, neither the police nor bystanders intervened during the assault. Additionally, he mentioned that the attackers used anti-Muslim slur against him.
“Initially, they denied any wrongdoing but when I informed them I had recorded statements of women, a group forcibly took me to a secluded place and demanded I delete the recording. When I refused, they began to assault me… I pleaded with police and bystanders for help, but no one intervened… I lost consciousness. When I regained consciousness, I found myself in hospital,” Trivedi told The Indian Express.
An FIR has been filed against six unidentified individuals under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code based on a complaint lodged by Trivedi's colleague and cameraperson, Sanjeet Sahni. Video footage of the incident shows police personnel present at the scene but failing to intervene.
“I kept requesting people to stop. There were 40-50 police personnel too, but no one came to my rescue as they called me ‘mullah’ and ‘attanki’ and punched me 150-200 times,” he told Newslaundry.
Trivedi's ordeal has sparked widespread condemnation from opposition parties, leaders, and senior journalists. The Congress party denounced the incident, attributing it to frustration within the BJP ranks over impending electoral defeat.
The Press Club of India issued a statement strongly condemning the assault and called for stringent action against the perpetrators by electoral authorities and local law enforcement.
The incident underscores the challenges faced by journalists in India, as highlighted by the country's low ranking in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, where it placed 159th out of 176 nations. Reporters Without Borders criticized India's position, stating that it does not align with the principles of a democratic society.
ये वो वीडियो क्लिप है जिसको बचाने के लिए मुझे अमित शाह की रैली में लिंचिंग का शिकार होना पड़ा, ये वो क्लिप है जो 400 पार के खोखले दावे की सच्चाई दिखा रही है, वो भाजपाई साथी जो मुझे पीट रहे थे उन्हें बस ये क्लिप चाहिए थे जो मैंने उनको नहीं दी और अब उपलोड कर रहा हूँ.
— Raghav trivedi (@RaghavTrivedi18) May 13, 2024
हां ये सच है… pic.twitter.com/AoUB6BdKZT
देखिए हमारे पत्रकार @RaghavTrivedi18 को किस तरीके से गृहमंत्री अमित शाह की रैली में भीड़ द्वार घेर कर मारपीट की गई।
— Molitics (@moliticsindia) May 12, 2024
सत्ता नशा अब पत्रकार पर सीधे हमले पर आ चुका है, सच्ची पत्रकारिता से डरने वाले आज इस कदर गुंडे बनकर बैठ गए है।
हम लड़ेंगे जीतेंगे pic.twitter.com/rpEem5qMDQ
