A spokesman for the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) has called on the European Union and Germany to ban the far-left extremist group Antifa after U.S. President Donald Trump declared it would be designated a terrorist group.
AfD Spokesman on the Foreign Policy Committee of the German Bundestag Petr Bystron commended President Trump’s announcement made over the weekend in response to the ongoing riots raging across the United States.
“Donald Trump is doing the right thing in designating these violent extremist groups as terrorists. Antifa is an anti-democratic hate group whose radical left-wing ideology rejects the free market and freedom of speech,” Bystron said in a press release seen by Breitbart London.
The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.
“American Antifa is modelled on German Antifa and finds its supporters in the German mainstream media and politics. German Antifa stages regular violent attacks on AfD members like Frank Magnitz, hunted U.S. journalists like Tim Pool on the street in Hamburg at the G20 summit, and just two weeks ago put a union activist a coma in Stuttgart,” he added.
Bystron also noted that there had been alleged cases of meetings between the German branch of Antifa and members of American Antifa groups in Hamburg with members of the Islamic State terror group.
“The AfD, the largest opposition party in the German Bundestag, has been attacked and terrorised by Antifa for years, to the applause and encouragement of left-wing media and politicians,” Bystron said.
'Assassination Guide' Directed at German Populists Posted on Antifa-Linked Site https://t.co/m6SzWmqqCw
The AfD has recorded hundreds of violent incidents directed at members and supporters in recent years, from assaults to property damage and arson attacks.
Last year, Antifa extremists went as far as posting an “assassination guide” on the popular far-left platform Indymedia, directing others to kill AfD politicians.
“We urge the U.S. government to examine the international Antifa terror network all the way up to the highest levels in press and government, and issue travel bans and international arrest warrants where necessary and appropriate,” Bystron said.
While Bystron and the AfD expressed support for the designation of Antifa as terrorists, the German Social Democrats, one half of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s grand coalition government, disagreed, stating on Twitter that the party itself was Antifa.
“157 and Antifa. Obviously,” the party’s official account wrote, referencing its 157-year age in response to co-leader Saskia Esken who wrote: “58 and Antifa. Obviously.”
The global threat of far-left extremism across Europe and North America has dramatically risen in recent months, from suspected large-scale sabotage of infrastructure and the discovery of a bomb-making headquarters in France to a recent attempt by far-left extremists to bomb the home of a Greek conservative former government minister.
Mr. Nomtoibayar Nyamtaishir runs in the Parliamentary elections scheduled to be held on June 24th, but his campaign has been ruined by his arrest on charges he claims to be fabricated. Photo: Supplied
Since the fall of communism in 1989 Mongolia has grown into a developed democracy, but alarming signs are beginning to appear. The prominent politician Nomtoibayar Nyamtaishir was arrested, despite the fact that according to Mongolian law he has immunity until the election on June 24.
Nomtoibayar Nyamtaishir had fought corruption within the ruling Mongolian People’s Party, but was then expelled from this party and deprived of his parliamentary immunity. He then launched a campaign as an independent candidate, where he very quickly reached the number of required signatures. He needed 801 signatures, but in five days he managed to get support from almost a third of the 97 000 voters in his constituency in Ulan Bator. His opponents were, however, successful in sabotaging his campaign.
The young politician was accused of abuse of power during this time as Minister three years earlier, an accusation he claims is fabricated. He was arrested and indicted. The proceedings are scheduled to be held on June 26, two days after the election, which obviously makes any campaigning impossible.
Candidates have been arrested on two occasions before, only to be released shortly after the elections. One was the former Prime Minister Mendsaikhany Enkhsaikhan, the other the former President Nambaryn Enkhbayar. Both were accused of corruption, but never charged.
The international lawyer Dr. Arildiipurev Tsevelragchaa points out that the arrest of Mr. Nyamtaishir is in itself a crime against the constitution, since all candidates enjoy immunity precisely in order to prevent the legal system from being used as a tool against political opponents:
“By arresting Nomtoibayar Nyamtaishir before the election campaign begins, the judge himself violated the Constitution of Mongolia (Article 16.9) by ignoring his basic human right to be elected, dishonored his candidate’s immunity protected by the Law on Parliamentary Elections of Mongolia (Article 35.2; Article 35.2.1) and violated due process described in the Criminal Procedure Code (Article 35.2.1) which is the essence of the country’s rule of law,” she said.
The story goes back to November 2018, when a number of investigative reporters revealed the Prime Minister, several of his ministers and a number of Members of Parliament had embezzled 1,3 million dollars, funds intended to support small businesses. Nomtoibayar Nyamtaishir demanded that the guilty be held accountable.
In December 2019 the parliament introduced a law that prevents officials who have been found guilty of abuse of power from running again. Just a few days later the new law was used against Nomtoibayar Nyamtaishir. He was charged with suspected abuse of power during his tenure as Minister of Labour and Social Protection in 2017. Dr. Tsevelragchaa points out that the current minister has not been accused of anything, in spite of having made the same kind of decisions as Nyamtaishir a year later. When police investigated the accusations against Nyamtaishir they were unable to find any proof of the accusations and the issue was shelved. As soon as Nyamtaishir announced that he would run as an independent candidate in this year’s election, however, it was decided to look into the case again. He was interrogated on 28 May and charged the same day. He is now locked up, unable to do any campaigning. An interesting aspect is that he intends to run against the Minister of Justice, Tsendiin Nyamdorj.
The story had further implications for the Mongolian rule of law. The Parliament decided in March 2019, in an emergency session without hearings or public consultations, to introduce amendments to laws concerning the judicial system and corruption. These changes would mean that the National Security Council can suggest removals of judges and other key officials who work against corruption. The controversial law has attracted internationalcriticism.
“This fundamental change in the legal framework would seriously undermine the balance of power, erode checks and balances and limit the possibility for the judiciary to fight corruption,” says Dr. Tsevalragchaa.
In May 2019 the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, visited Mongolia. In his report he concludes that the new law sends a clear sign intended to intimidate people who demand justice and wish to speak out against corruption. He also asserts that the law violates the UN conventions on political rights.
Yet another questionable law, from a democratic standpoint, was introduced in 2017. Then ”slander” was made an offence that could be punished be either prison for three to six months, or a fine which amounts to between 50 and 150 times the average monthly salary. Since officials often report journalists for slander, this law could lead to journalists censoring themselves.
Dr Tsevelragchaa emphasizes that an independent legal system is necessary to have checks and balances and to prevent the executive power from arbitrarily abusing its position. When a government can fill a legal system with its own appointees, dismiss judges and use the legal system as a weapon to punish political opponents, democracy will suffer. She continued: “Eliminating the judiciary’s independence is not the first sign of democratic erosion.”
Just a month before election day, Mongolia’s two major parties — the MPP and the DP — changed the country’s election rules from a mixed system that uses proportional and majoritarian voting to a “winner takes all” system that made it more difficult for independent and third-party candidates to win seats.
Dr Tsevalragchaa’s says it is essential for Mongolia to have international monitoring regarding MP Momtoiyar Nyamtaishir’s case to protect and promote the fulfilment of human rights and to monitor the conditions as to implementing international human rights conventions and obligations in the country.
Her closing words are: “Many observers have considered Mongolia an unlikely ‘oasis of democracy’ since 1990. Now it’s the latest nascent democracy to begin sliding toward authoritarian rule. Mongolian laws cannot insulate judges from political pressure. The judicial power may turn into a monster that serves government to hunt down leaders who demand justice. Taking aim at the strongest leaders creates fear and turns them into vulnerable subordinates. In a country without an independent judicial system, democracy cannot survive.”
“They Aimed at My Son’s Head” @ICHRI‘s 66-page report documents state violence against hundreds of peaceful protestors in Iran in Nov 2019 & Jan 2020. Including women, children & bystanders. https://t.co/GVXBeyLZB5
A young man has provoked a large police operation and riots in Stuttgart. The 18-year-old called the 911 last night and said that he had been injured with a stabbing wound, police reported on Sunday. When the first police car crews arrived in the street Büchsenstrasse at 2 a.m., the officers noticed that the young man was uninjured. The 18-year-old pretended his emergency call was a joke. When the officers wanted to record his personal details for simulating a crime, tumultuous scenes had erupted. The young man with dark skin had fought back fiercely, so that police brought him to the ground and put handcuffs on him. In the meantime, several hundred bystanders had appeared and surrounded the officers. Among other things, the policemen had been insulted as racists. A spokesperson for the Stuttgart police said that “these are conditions like in the USA” could often be heard by the crowd. About 30 police car crews had been necessary to get the situation under control. According to initial investigations, the Stuttgart police headquarters assumes that the young man caused the situation intentionally. The criminal investigation department has taken over the investigation and is also evaluating the recordings of the body cams of the officers on duty. Witnesses of the incident are asked to contact the criminal investigation department by calling 0711/8990-5778.
St. John’s Episcopal Church at Lafayette Square in the District of Columbia burned Sunday night, having been set ablaze by rioters in another long night of nationwide protests over the killing of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer dug his knee into the handcuffed man’s neck until he stopped breathing.
St. John’s, built in 1816, has been called the church of presidents—every president, beginning with James Madison, has attended a service there. It’s located a stone’s throw from the White House.
Benny Johnson notes that President Lincoln prayed in St. John’s. That didn’t stop the violent mob from torching it.
Terrorist group ANTIFA outside the White House lighting St. Johns Church on Fire and ripping down its American flag. St. John’s was built in 1816 every president since Madison has worshiped there. Abe Lincoln prayed in this building. Send ANTIFA to GITMO!pic.twitter.com/iUfnZV9yhl
Meanwhile, more than 50 Secret Service agents have been injured tonight by the “peaceful protesters.” The city is under a curfew and under the protection of the National Guard, but that hasn’t stopped the rioters from causing mayhem and destruction across the city.
Things are heating up back at Lafayette Park. I’m seeing way more water bottles thrown at Secret Service and Park Police than earlier.
A lot of people here tonight want to avoid another escalation and I’m hearing protesters trying to talk bottle throwers out of it. pic.twitter.com/CfAglGixu9
— Alejandro Alvarez 🫡 (@aletweetsnews) June 1, 2020
Now we’re seeing unconfirmed reports that the White House guardhouse is on fire:
The guardhouse at the White House has been set on fire. The police rushes forward and gassed the crowd. pic.twitter.com/Hi9XcSbpiJ
