DAKAR: A Spanish activist who alerts coast guards to migrants drowning at sea appeared in court in Morocco this week and could face trial for human trafficking, her lawyer and colleague said, as celebrities rallied to support her.
Working with the charity Walking Borders, Helena Maleno helps to rescue boats stranded in the Mediterranean by alerting naval authorities.
“Helena is responsible for saving the lives of thousands of migrants,” Gema Fernandez, one of her lawyers, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“We are hopeful that this investigation will end soon and that she will be able to continue with her human rights and humanitarian work that is so important,” said Fernandez of Women’s Link Worldwide, another group that Maleno works for.
At least 45 humanitarians have been prosecuted under anti-smuggling or immigration laws in Europe over the last two years amid growing hostility toward those who work with migrants, according to the London-based Institute of Race Relations.
More than 200 Spanish writers, musicians and celebrities, including Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem, have signed a petition condemning the investigation.
“We share the principles of defending a right to life at the borders and we reject the harassment and criminalization of Helena’s work,” it said.
Maleno appeared in court in Tangier on Wednesday to defend herself against allegations of human trafficking brought by Spanish and Moroccan authorities, Women’s Link Worldwide said.
She is due to appear in court again on Jan. 31. If the case moves forward, she could be formally charged and stand trial, Fernandez said.
“I hold onto the solidarity that you offer me on the other side of the border, but above all the example of the brave migrant communities,” Maleno tweeted after testifying.
More than 3,000 migrants died attempting to cross the Mediterranean in 2017, the fourth straight year that the death toll has topped this figure, according to the UN Migration Agency (IOM).
Most migrants attempting to reach Europe from Africa take the sea route from Libya to Italy, but last year saw a spike in the number of people departing from Morocco to Spain instead.
“It is appalling that Helena is being put through this,” said Viviana Waisman, head of Women’s Link Worldwide.
“It is a clear criminalization of human rights defenders and one more step in the criminalization of migrant people.”
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Actor Javier Bardem backs Spanish activist facing trial for saving migrants
Actor Javier Bardem backs Spanish activist facing trial for saving migrants
Indonesia targets illegal mining on 190,000 hectares of forest land
JAKARTA: The Indonesian government could potentially seize mining activities across 190,000 hectares (733.59 square miles) of illegally cleared forest, the deputy forestry minister told a parliamentary hearing on Monday, as authorities tackle what they say is unlawful extraction in the resource-rich archipelago. Indonesia’s unprecedented crackdown, which has seen military-led teams take over palm plantations and mines, has unnerved the industry, pushing up global palm oil prices over concerns it will hit output, and more recently, powering rallies in the prices of metals like tin. “There were 191,790 hectares (mines) that do not have forestry use permits, which could be considered illegal,” Deputy Forestry Minister Rohmat Marzuki said. He did not name any of the companies involved or say how many were involved. Neither did he elaborate on what was being mined or provide any timeline for the seizures.
“The forestry task force has already obtained 8,769 hectares and this is still ongoing to reach 191,790 hectares,” he added.
“Along with the forestry task force, the forestry ministry remains committed in obtaining back the forest areas from illegal oil palm plantations and illegal mines,” Marzuki said.
The military-backed forestry task force said last week it had taken over 8,800 hectares of land where nickel, coal, quartz sand and limestone were being mined. It has also seized palm plantations across 4.1 million hectares (10.1 million acres), an area roughly the size of the Netherlands. Indonesia’s Attorney General has assessed potential fines of 109.6 trillion rupiah ($6.47 billion) for palm oil companies and 32.63 trillion rupiah for mining companies, for operations in forest areas.
“The forestry task force has already obtained 8,769 hectares and this is still ongoing to reach 191,790 hectares,” he added.
“Along with the forestry task force, the forestry ministry remains committed in obtaining back the forest areas from illegal oil palm plantations and illegal mines,” Marzuki said.
The military-backed forestry task force said last week it had taken over 8,800 hectares of land where nickel, coal, quartz sand and limestone were being mined. It has also seized palm plantations across 4.1 million hectares (10.1 million acres), an area roughly the size of the Netherlands. Indonesia’s Attorney General has assessed potential fines of 109.6 trillion rupiah ($6.47 billion) for palm oil companies and 32.63 trillion rupiah for mining companies, for operations in forest areas.
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