标签： Asia

The Elders, a distinguished group of former world leaders and officials, have issued a compelling appeal for the immediate release of Marwan Barghouti, a prominent Palestinian politician currently incarcerated in an Israeli prison. Barghouti, who has been detained since 2002 and is serving five life sentences, is regarded as the most high-profile Palestinian prisoner. The Elders, established by Nelson Mandela in 2007, argue that Barghouti’s release could be a pivotal step towards revitalizing the two-state solution. They emphasized his longstanding advocacy for peaceful means to achieve this goal and his consistent popularity in Palestinian opinion polls. The group includes notable figures such as Juan Manuel Santos, Helen Clark, Mary Robinson, and Gro Harlem Brundtland, among others. They condemned the alleged ill-treatment and torture of Barghouti and other Palestinian prisoners, urging Israeli authorities to adhere to international law. Barghouti, a former senior leader of Fatah and elected member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, was convicted in 2004 of multiple counts of murder, charges he has consistently denied. The Elders highlighted that his trial was marred by breaches of international law and lacked fairness. They also noted his role as a unifying figure, with opinion polls suggesting he would likely win the Palestinian presidency if elections were held. The group welcomed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s commitment to free and fair elections within the next year, emphasizing Barghouti’s potential role in this process. They recalled Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s 2013 call for Barghouti’s release, stating that freeing him would signal Israel’s commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Some Israeli figures, including a former Shin Bet leader, have also called for his release. Barghouti’s wife, Fadwa, recently appealed to US President Donald Trump to secure her husband’s release, emphasizing his potential as a partner for peace. Trump has indicated he is considering the matter. The Elders urged global leaders to seize this opportunity to enhance the prospects of lasting peace and security in the region.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed on Wednesday that immigration authorities were unaware of a federal court order halting the deportation of Chanthila “Shawn” Souvannarath, a 44-year-old Alabama resident, until after he had already been sent to Laos. Souvannarath, who claims U.S. citizenship, was deported on Friday, a day after U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick issued a temporary restraining order to prevent his removal. The judge had cited a ‘substantial claim of U.S. citizenship’ as the basis for the order. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that the order ‘was not served’ to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) until after the deportation had occurred, dismissing allegations of procedural violations. Souvannarath, born in a Thai refugee camp, has lived most of his life in the U.S. and was granted lawful permanent residency before his first birthday. His father, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Laos, is the basis for his citizenship claim. Souvannarath was taken into ICE custody in June following an annual immigration check-in. McLaughlin emphasized that Souvannarath had lost his green card in 2006 due to convictions for assault and unlawful firearm possession, asserting he ‘had no right to be in this country.’ His wife, Beatrice, described him as a hardworking father who had stayed out of trouble since his legal issues two decades ago. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), representing Souvannarath, has called for his immediate return to the U.S., labeling the deportation ‘unlawful.’ This case highlights ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the judiciary over immigration enforcement, including previous instances of U.S. citizens being wrongfully deported.

In a significant development for regional security, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media that the United States will share its closely guarded nuclear-powered submarine technology with South Korea. This announcement followed a meeting between Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in Gyeongju, South Korea. During their discussions, President Lee emphasized the importance of modernizing the U.S.-South Korea alliance and highlighted plans to increase South Korea’s military spending to alleviate the financial burden on the U.S. Lee clarified that South Korea’s interest lies in acquiring nuclear fuel for submarines rather than nuclear weapons, addressing a potential misunderstanding from their previous talks in August. He further argued that equipping South Korea with nuclear-powered submarines would bolster U.S. strategic activities in the region. U.S. nuclear submarine technology is considered among the most sensitive and highly protected military assets, with the U.S. historically reluctant to share it even with close allies. Notably, a recent agreement to assist Australia in acquiring nuclear submarine technology did not involve direct knowledge transfer from the U.S. Trump’s announcement comes ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose country already possesses nuclear submarines, and follows North Korea’s March unveiling of a nuclear-powered submarine under construction—a move that poses a significant security threat to both South Korea and the U.S. The Pentagon has yet to comment on Trump’s announcement. Meanwhile, North Korea’s recent successful cruise missile tests underscore its growing military capabilities, adding to the region’s escalating tensions.