German Interior Minister Supports Deportation of Hamas Supporters

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser gives a statement to the press prior to the EU Justice and Home Affairs council in Luxembourg, 19 October 2023. (EPA)
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser gives a statement to the press prior to the EU Justice and Home Affairs council in Luxembourg, 19 October 2023. (EPA)
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German Interior Minister Supports Deportation of Hamas Supporters

German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser gives a statement to the press prior to the EU Justice and Home Affairs council in Luxembourg, 19 October 2023. (EPA)
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser gives a statement to the press prior to the EU Justice and Home Affairs council in Luxembourg, 19 October 2023. (EPA)

Germany's interior minister said on Friday Hamas supporters should be deported from the country where possible, and authorities would keep a close eye on potential threats following the Palestinian militant group's attack on Israel.

"If we are able to deport Hamas supporters, we must do this," Nancy Faeser said following talks with officials at the Federal Criminal Police Office.

"Our security authorities have currently placed an even stronger focus on the Islamist scene," she added, pointing to a recent attack in Brussels as an indication of the threat.

Concerns over antisemitism are growing in Germany, particularly following an attempted attack on a Berlin synagogue with petrol bombs, and clashes between pro-Palestinian protesters and police in Berlin and other cities.

At the same time members of Germany's large Palestinian community have said their voices are being silenced by demonstration bans.

Faeser appealed to citizens to alert authorities of any "propaganda" supporting Hamas.

On Friday, prosecutors in Munich searched the house of a 38-year-old German national over an Instagram post defending Hamas's attack, according to a statement from the prosecutor.

"We will not allow this vile hatred and horrific violence to spread," Faeser told reporters.



Pakistan Military Court Sentences 60 Civilians Up to 10 Years in Prison

Pakistani security officials check people and vehicles at a checkpoint in Peshawar, Pakistan, 24 December 2024. EPA/BILAWAL ARBAB
Pakistani security officials check people and vehicles at a checkpoint in Peshawar, Pakistan, 24 December 2024. EPA/BILAWAL ARBAB
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Pakistan Military Court Sentences 60 Civilians Up to 10 Years in Prison

Pakistani security officials check people and vehicles at a checkpoint in Peshawar, Pakistan, 24 December 2024. EPA/BILAWAL ARBAB
Pakistani security officials check people and vehicles at a checkpoint in Peshawar, Pakistan, 24 December 2024. EPA/BILAWAL ARBAB

A Pakistani military court sentenced sixty civilians to jail time ranging from 2 to 10 years in connection with attacks on military facilities following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in 2023, the military's media wing said on Thursday.
Those sentenced include a relative of Khan as well as two retired military officers. Days earlier, 25 others were sentenced on the same charges, Reuters reported.
Khan’s arrest in May 2023 sparked countrywide protests that saw his supporters attack and ransack military installations in an unprecedented backlash against Pakistan’s powerful army generals.
The military's media wing said, "The Nation, Government, and the Armed Forces remain steadfast in their commitment to upholding justice and ensuring that the inviolable writ of the state is maintained."
The sentences have sparked concerns among Khan's supporters that military courts will play a more significant role in cases related to the former leader, who is facing multiple charges, including inciting attacks against the armed forces.
The international community has also expressed concerns over the sentencing. The United States stated it is "deeply concerned" about the sentences, while the United Kingdom's foreign office noted that trying civilians in military courts "lacks transparency, independent scrutiny and undermines the right to a fair trial".
The European Union also criticized the sentences, saying they are "inconsistent with the obligations that Pakistan has undertaken under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights".
In a press conference on Wednesday, the information minister said the military court sentences do not infringe upon the right to a fair trial, as individuals are granted access to a lawyer, family, and still have the opportunity to appeal twice, both within the military court and civilian court, the relevant high court.
Khan's supporters have denied any wrongdoing, and Khan himself claims that the cases against him are politically motivated.
The military and government have denied any unfair treatment of Khan or his supporters.