RUSSIA: A Russian court on Wednesday sentenced a journalist to seven years in prison for criticizing the Ukraine offensive in social media posts.
Roman Ivanov, 51, was found guilty of spreading “false information” about Russia’s armed forces and punished under Moscow’s strict military censorship laws.
Moscow has used laws against “discrediting” the armed forces or publishing “false information” to stamp out public criticism of its full-scale military offensive on Ukraine.
“Peace and freedom,” Ivanov shouted as he left the courtroom after the sentence.
“We’re with you. You are not alone,” his applauding supporters shouted, AFP journalists at the courtroom saw.
In social media posts published in 2022 on the Telegram and VKontake social media sites, Ivanov criticized Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine and its actions in the Ukrainian city of Bucha.
He was arrested last year and pleaded not guilty in court.
In a final statement at a previous hearing he said: “Journalism no longer exists in Russia.”
“We must ask ourselves why we are sowing suffering and unhappiness all around us, why our country has turned into an avalanche of suffering and unhappiness,” he added.
Ivanov used to work for a local state-run TV channel but was fired in 2021 after reporting on alleged corruption, electoral fraud and ecological problems in Korolyov, a town northeast of Moscow.
Ivanov’s wife, Maria Nekrasova, said Wednesday he had proved that his posts “contained no false information” and that he had “no motive for political hatred.”
She said they plan to appeal the ruling.
Speaking outside the court after the verdict, Ivanov’s family said they believed the case against him had been ordered by local authorities as retribution for his reporting.
“What’s in front of him has been completely fabricated,” his mother, Alla Ivanova, said.
“I will continue to fight,” she added, speaking through tears.
“I love my son and I’m proud of him. I’m proud that he fought for people, helped people.”
Russia jails journalist for criticizing Ukraine offensive
https://arab.news/pnahh
Russia jails journalist for criticizing Ukraine offensive
- Roman Ivanov was found guilty of spreading “false information” about Russia’s armed forces in social media posts
- Ivanov that the case was brought up in retaliation for his reporting and lamented that “journalism no longer exists in Russia” during the hearing
TikTok to label AI-generated images, video from OpenAI and elsewhere
- Content Credentials technology denotes how images were created and edited
- For the system to work, both AI maker and platform must adhere to use the industry standard
LONDON: TikTok said on Thursday it would start using a technology aimed at helping it label images and video generated by artificial intelligence and uploaded to the video sharing service.
TikTok said it would adopt “Content Credentials,” a digital watermark that denotes how images were created and edited. The Content Credential technology was spearheaded by Adobe but is open for other companies to use and already has been adopted by companies such as ChatGPT creator OpenAI.
Researchers have expressed concerned that AI-generated content could be used as misinformation in an attempt to interfere with US elections this fall. TikTok was already among a group of 20 tech companies that earlier this year signed an accord pledging to fight it.
YouTube, owned by Alphabet’s Google, as well as Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram and Facebook, have also said they plan to use Content Credentials.
For the system to work, both the maker of the generative AI tool used to make content and the platform used to distribute the contents must both agree to use the industry standard.
If a person uses OpenAI’s Dall-E tool to generate an image, for example, OpenAI attaches a watermark to the resulting image. If that marked image is then uploaded to TikTok, it will be automatically labeled as AI-generated.
TikTok, which is owned by China’s ByteDance, has 170 million users in the United States, which recently passed a law requiring ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a ban. TikTok and ByteDance have sued to block the law, arguing it violates the First Amendment.
TikTok already labels AI-generated content made with tools inside the app but the latest move would apply a label to content generated outside of the service.
“We also have policies that prohibit realistic AI that is not labeled, so if realistic AI (generated contents) appears on the platform, then we will remove it as violating our community guidelines,” Adam Presser, head of operations and trust and safety at TikTok, said in an interview.
Arab League affirms its solidarity with Palestinian journalists
- Ahmed Rashid Khattabi urges global organizations to support freedom of the press
- Khattabi criticized the Israeli authorities for closing down Al Jazeera in Israel and confiscating its equipment
CAIRO: The League of Arab States has expressed solidarity with Palestinian journalists in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and called for their protection.
May 11 has been designated a day of global solidarity with the Palestinian media as it marks two years since the Israeli occupation forces’ assassination of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh while she was carrying out her duties with the Al Jazeera Media Network.
Ambassador Ahmed Rashid Khattabi, the league’s assistant secretary-general and supervisor of the Media and Communication Sector, said the move “symbolizes a powerful demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinian media community.”
This support is particularly significant given the plight of the Palestinians and the continued Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip.
The aggression has resulted in the deaths of more than 34,000 people, including 142 journalists, since October.
This figure exceeds the number of journalists who lost their lives in areas of armed conflict worldwide in 2023, a total of 99, according to the US Committee to Protect Journalists.
Khattabi urged global organizations to support the freedom of the press and protect Palestinian journalists covering the conflict.
Khattabi said it was imperative to ensure journalists’ safety under the principles of international humanitarian law, given the grave conditions in which they work.
He criticized the Israeli authorities for closing down Al Jazeera in Israel and confiscating its equipment, viewing these actions as illegal measures against the Palestinian media and other media institutions, and constituting a blatant violation of international conventions.
He added that it was unacceptable to violate fundamental rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international declarations promoting freedom of opinion and access to information.
These violations acted against the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists’ declaration, he said.
BBC investigation finds half of water facilities in Gaza have collapsed
- Over half of desalination plants and borehole systems have been damaged or destroyed
- Damage to wastewater treatment plants has caused a surge of waterborne illnesses
LONDON: A BBC investigation has revealed that half of Gaza’s water and sanitation facilities have collapsed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
Satellite footage from BBC Verify showed just over half of the 603 desalination plants and borehole systems used to supply water to Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, along with four of the six wastewater treatment plants.
According to an aid agency cited by the BBC, the remaining two treatment plants have shut down due to lack of fuel or supplies. Repair efforts have been severely disrupted by damage to a major depot.
The collapse of facilities has led to a surge in waterborne illnesses, posing serious health risks to the population and particularly to children and pregnant women.
The number of cases of diarrheal disease, hepatitis A, and in some cases, cholera, have all spiked dramatically.
Dr. Natalie Roberts, executive director of Medecins Sans Frontieres UK, said the destruction of water and sanitation facilities had resulted in “disastrous health consequences for the population,” leading to fatalities.
She highlighted Rafah and the southern border region as particularly affected areas.
The BBC said as the exact condition of each facility could not be determined, there was no distinction between classifying them as “destroyed” or “damaged”.
It also acknowledged that not all damage was visible from the satellite images — mostly in northern Gaza or the area around the southern city of Khan Younis — so some affected facilities could have been missed.
The situation has been exacerbated by damage to Gaza’s Coastal Municipalities Water Utility and the main service depot of UNICEF, making repairs challenging.
Human rights experts argue facilities critical to civilian survival should be protected.
Leila Sadat, a former special advisor on crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, suggested the pattern of destruction indicated either a “reckless approach” to civilian infrastructure or intentional targeting.
She added it was possible that “these were not all mistakes.”
In response to BBC’s findings, the Israel Defense Forces said Hamas used civilian infrastructure for military purposes, storing weapons and ammunition.
It maintains water facilities were primarily struck during airstrikes targeting Hamas fighters and denies intentionally targeting civilian infrastructure.
Turkiye’s competition board to fine Meta $37.2 million in data-sharing probe
- The board launched an investigation into Meta in December over a possible violation of competition law
- Last month Meta said it would temporary shut down Threads to comply with interim measure
ISTANBUL: Turkey’s competition board fined Meta Platforms 1.2 billion lira ($37.20 million) on Wednesday after concluding two separate investigations on data-sharing in its Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads platforms.
The board launched an investigation into Meta in December over a possible violation of competition law by linking its social media platforms Threads and Instagram. The board in March imposed an interim measure on Meta meant to hinder data sharing between those two platforms.
Meta said last month it would temporarily shut down Threads in Turkey to comply with the interim order.
The board said on Wednesday it imposed a fine of 898 million lira for the compliance process and the investigations launched into Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, as well as an additional 336 million lira fine for a separate investigation into Threads.
Users will be able to merge personal data between Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp with their own consent and will be notified about data usage, according to the board decision. Users will be able to change their settings later, if needed, using an “accounts centre” on the platforms, it said.
In January, the board also fined Meta $160,000 per day for failing to provide sufficient documentation as part of another previous investigation. It had also imposed a daily fine of 4.8 million lira per day in March over a notification message about data-sharing.
Both those penalties ended May 3.
In 2022, the board also decided to fine Meta 346.72 million lira for violating competition law.
Jordan media authority files complaint against Al-Yarmouk channel for ‘broadcasting without license’
Jordan media authority files complaint against Al-Yarmouk channel for ‘broadcasting without license’
- Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated network closed in past over licensing
- Al-Yarmouk TV had claimed initial approval, waiting for final decision
LONDON: Jordan’s media authority has filed a complaint against Al-Yarmouk Satellite Channel, accusing it of breaching broadcasting regulations, the Jordan News Agency reported on Tuesday.
The Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated network was closed down and referred to public prosecutors on charges of unauthorized activity and broadcasting from Jordan without obtaining government approval.
“The Jordan Media Commission (JMC) had filed several complaints in the past in this regard, a number of which included a general pardon law, while the latest decision was issued by the highest judicial body in the Kingdom (Court of Cassation) and by written order,” the JMC’s Director-General Bashir Momani said in a statement.
Sources close to the channel’s staff reported that security agencies raided the offices, seizing broadcasting equipment and preventing employees from entering. The channel employs 25 people.
Momani explained that the decision was taken in accordance with the country’s Audiovisual Media Law, adding that the broadcasting equipment confiscated would be used as evidence in the case.
This is not the first time Jordan’s authorities have closed the channel for broadcasting without a permit.
Launched in 2013, the channel faced a similar shutdown two years later. Al-Yarmouk then worked with local companies and studios to produce and record its programs before transmitting them via satellite.
In 2016, the Jordan Visual and Audio Authority issued a circular to production and distribution companies in the country, prohibiting “unlicensed” channels from transmitting via third parties without legal approval.
At that time, the commission did not clarify the reasons for not licensing the channel but denied that the decision was politically motivated.
The channel’s then-director, Khader Al-Mashaykh, later claimed that the network received initial approval but that the application was stalled while waiting for approval from Jordan’s prime minister.
He added that authorities informed him Al-Yarmouk TV could continue operations while awaiting a final response.
Momani suggested that the decision was not specifically targeted at the channel, emphasizing that the JMC would apply the law to any parties found in violation.
