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Jumat, 16 April 2021

Raúl Castro steps down as Cuban Communist Party leader - BBC News

Raúl Castro at the Communist Party congress

Raúl Castro says he is resigning as Cuban Communist Party leader, ending his family's six decades in power.

Mr Castro, 89, told a party congress that he is handing over the leadership to a younger generation "full of passion and anti-imperialist spirit".

His successor will be voted in at the end of the four-day congress.

The move, which was expected, ends the era of formal leadership by him and his brother Fidel Castro, which began with the 1959 revolution.

"I believe fervently in the strength and exemplary nature and comprehension of my compatriots," he told party delegates in Havana on Friday.

Although Mr Castro has not endorsed a successor, it is widely believed the party leadership will pass to Miguel Díaz-Canel, who took over as the island's president in 2018.

Not unexpected, but no less historic

By Will Grant, Cuba Correspondent

While the entire island knew this moment was coming, it was no less historic or symbolic when it arrived: Cuba will be officially governed by someone other than a Castro for the first time since 1959.

The reality is that, at least in the short term, little will change.

The man who took over from Raúl Castro as president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, may well succeed him now as the party's first secretary too. It seems likely he will be forced to take further steps to liberalise Cuba's centrally controlled economy. The island is currently in the grip of its worst economic crisis since the period immediately following the end of the Cold War. As a result, private farmers were recently permitted to sell beef and dairy products - goods previously under the sole control of the state.

Any hope of improving ties with the US however may have to wait as the Biden administration has shown little inclination to unpick the Trump administration's harsher sanctions on Cuba at this stage.

One thing is for sure, Raúl Castro's words of keeping "one foot in the stirrup" means he will remain a powerbroker behind the scenes. And by reiterating the island's eternal commitment to socialism it means that political change remains as unlikely under his successor as it was under his late brother, Fidel.

End of an era

His retirement means that for the first time six decades Cuba will not have a Castro formally guiding its politics.

Raúl has been the party's first secretary since succeeding his older brother, Fidel, in 2011.

Fidel Castro and his brother Raul attend a May Day parade December 2, 1996 in Havana, Cuba. (Photo by Sven Creutzmann/Mambo Photography/Getty Images)

Fidel Castro led the communist revolution that toppled the Cuban government in 1959, when Raúl served as one of his commanders.

Fidel Castro was the country's leader until falling ill in 2006 and in 2008 handed over the presidency to his brother. Fidel Castro died in 2016.

Cuba under Raúl

As leader, Raúl Castro maintained the communists' one-party grip on power.

He oversaw an improvement in relations with United States between 2014 and 2016, including historic talks with President Barack Obama in 2016.

Raul Castro (left) with then-US President Barack Obama in 2016

But tensions worsened under Donald Trump, who reinforced sanctions.

Current US President Joe Biden has vowed to relax some of Trump's sanctions, although the White House said on Friday a shift in Cuban policy was not one of his top priorities.

At the congress on Friday, Raúl Castro said his country was willing to "develop respectful dialogue" with the United States but it would not accept having to make "concessions" regarding its "foreign policy and ideals".

What next?

The change at the top of Cuba's governing party comes as the island's leadership is tackling its most serious economic crisis in decades.

The Covid-19 pandemic, financial reforms and restrictions imposed by the Trump administration have hit the economy, which shrank by 11% last year.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel (left) and Raúl Castro

A long-awaited currency reform launched on 1 January has sought to make the economy and state companies more efficient. But it has also badly squeezed the budgets of ordinary Cubans.

Many have been calling for much more economic freedom in the country.

Thumbs-up from the audience

By Grace Tsoi, BBC News, Hong Kong

Some of the most long-standing and well-known activists were in the dock today. Except Jimmy Lai, all of them were elected legislators.

At 82, Martin Lee was the oldest defendant. Often called as the "father of democracy" in Hong Kong, he is also the most senior barrister in the city.

The court was filled with their families, friends and supporters. Before the hearing started, some in the audience stood up, waved to the defendants and gave them a thumbs-up.

Jimmy Lai appeared to be calm during sentencing, even though he had been charged with two additional charges earlier today.

But one of the most striking parts of the hearing came in the speech delivered by Margaret Ng, a barrister who served as a lawmaker representing the legal profession for nearly two decades, after discharging her lawyer during mitigation.

Adapting a quote from Thomas More who was executed by King Henry VIII, she said: "I stand the law's good servant but the people's first. For the law must serve the people, not the people the law."

There was a round of applause from the audience after her speech.

During sentencing, the judge said: "Actions have consequences for everyone irrespective of who they are."

Five of the defendants have to be sent to jail as they didn't get suspended sentences. When they left the dock, many in the audience waved and cried out, "Stay strong!"

What have they been sentenced for?

The sentencing is part of a series of trials all relating to the large-scale pro-democracy protests two years ago.

In 2019, protests culminated in the most tense wave of demonstrations in years, often ending in widespread violence between police and activists.

Pro-Beijing demonstrators celebrate the sentences

The pro-democracy campaigners were already found guilty of unauthorised assembly earlier this month.

Their defence team had argued that freedom of assembly is protected under Hong Kong's constitution, and that authorities had approved a demonstration which only then grew into the unauthorised march.

The prosecution argued that freedom of assembly - while granted in the constitution - was not absolute in Hong Kong.

The sentences

For 18 August

Jimmy Lai - 12 months

Lee Cheuk-yan - 12 months

Leung Kwok-hung - 18 months

Au Nok-hin - 10 months

Cyd Ho - 8 months

Martin Lee - 11 months, suspended

Albert Ho - one year, suspended

Margaret Ng - one year, suspended

Leung Yiu-chung - 8 months, suspended

For 31 August

Jimmy Lai - additional 2 months

Lee Cheuk-yan - additional 2 months

Yeung Sum - 8 months, suspended

source: South China Morning Post

Who is Jimmy Lai?

Mr Lai is one of the most prominent supporters of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement - and faces separate charges under Beijing's national security law.

Estimated to be worth more than $1bn (£766m), he made his initial fortune in the clothing industry and later ventured into media and founded Next Digital.

Next Digital publishes Apple Daily, a well-read tabloid which is frequently critical of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese leadership.

In a local media landscape increasingly fearful of Beijing, Mr Lai has been a persistent thorn for China - both through his publications and writing.

It has seen him become a hero for many residents in Hong Kong but on the mainland he is viewed as a traitor who threatens Chinese national security.

Interviewed by the BBC before his arrest, he said he would not give in to intimidation.

"If they can induce fear in you, that's the cheapest way to control you and the most effective way and they know it. The only way to defeat the way of intimidation is to face up to fear and don't let it frighten you."

Who are the others?

Martin Lee, the veteran of Hong Kong's struggle for more political rights, is the founding chairman of the Democratic Party.

Known as the father of Hong Kong democracy, he said in 2020 he was "very much relieved" by his arrest.

"For so many years, so many months, so many good youngsters were arrested and charged, while I was not arrested. I feel sorry about it," he added.

Many of the others had been at the heart of the pro-democracy struggle for years dating back to the Umbrella Movement in 2014 and even further.

Leung Kwok-hung, known as "Long Hair", was a member of the city's parliament, the Legislative Council (LegCo) and even once tried to run as chief executive, the territory's highest office.

Margaret Ng was a key figure in the Civic Party, another opposition group pitted against Beijing's rising influence and also served several years in LegCo.

What's the background to this?

Britain handed back Hong Kong to China in 1997, and the Basic Law was created under the handover agreement under the "one country, two systems" principle.

This is supposed to protect certain freedoms for Hong Kong: freedom of assembly and speech, an independent judiciary and some democratic rights - freedoms that no other part of mainland China has.

But fears that this model was being eroded led to huge pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Some protests turned violent and in 2020, China introduced a controversial national security law in the territory, criminalising secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces with the maximum sentence life in prison.

Beijing said the law would target "sedition" and bring stability. Since the law has been enacted in June, around 100 people have been arrested, including Mr Lai.

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2021-04-16 11:53:03Z
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Video shows US teen, 13, wasn't holding gun when shot dead by police - Euronews

Bodycam footage released by US police has revealed a 13-year-old boy was not holding a gun at the time he was shot dead by an officer - despite contrary claims.

Adam Toledo, who was Hispanic, is seen in the shaky footage, captured on March 29, appearing to drop a hand gun at his feet and raising his hands around a second before Officer Eric Stillman fired the fatal shot.

Filmed in Chicago, the release of materials comes at a sensitive time in the US due to the ongoing trial of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin over the death of George Floyd, as well as the recent police killing of another black man, Daunte Wright, near the same city.

On Thursday, Chicago business owners were seen boarding up their store fronts in anticipation of potential unrest - but while there were small marches from outside the police station, there were no signs of widespread demonstrations across the city.

"We live in a city that is traumatised by a long history of police violence and misconduct," said Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

"So while we don’t have enough information to be the judge and jury of this particular situation, it is certainly understandable why so many of our residents are feeling that all too familiar surge of outrage and pain.

"It is even clearer that trust between our community and law enforcement is far from healed and remains badly broken."

In the footage, Stillman is seen pursuing Toledo on foot down an alley, shouting: "Police! Stop! Stop right (expletive) now!" He adds: "Hands! Hands! Show me your (expletive) hands!" as Toledo appears to slow down.

Toledo then turns toward the camera as Stillman shouts: "Drop it!" and then shoots the teen shortly after. What follows is Stillman calling for an ambulance and telling Toledo to "stay awake". Another officer says he can't feel a heartbeat and begins administering CPR.

According to lawyer Tim Grace, representing Stillman, the officer had no choice but to shoot after he was "faced with a life threatening and deadly force situation," adding that Toledo "had the gun in his right hand".

"All prior attempts to deescalate and gain compliance with all of the officer's lawful orders had failed," he said.

However, Adeena Weiss-Ortiz, the lawyer representing the Toledo family, said the bodycam and other videos "speak for themselves."

She added: "If he had a gun, he tossed it. The officer said: 'Show me your hands.' He complied. He turned around."

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2021-04-16 07:40:17Z
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Hong Kong: Jimmy Lai sentenced to 14 months for pro-democracy protests - BBC News

Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to 14 months in prison after being found guilty of unauthorised assembly.

Mr Lai was one of several activists in court on Friday who were earlier found guilty of charges relating to large pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019.

The 73-year-old founder of Apple Daily is a fierce critic of Beijing.

The verdict comes as the mainland is increasingly cracking down on Hong Kong's rights and freedoms.

Several other activists were sentenced on Friday for participating in two demonstrations, on 18 August and 31 August 2019.

They include veteran campaigner Martin Lee, 82, and lawyer Margaret Ng, 73, whose sentences were suspended.

Mr Lai was sentenced to 12 months for the 18 August demonstration and another eight months for 31 August. However, the judge ordered for the sentences to be served concurrently except for two months.

He faces another six charges - two of which were imposed under the country's new National Security Law, which can carry a maximum term of life in prison. It is possible that prosecutors could file further charges against him.