Free Republic

In Germany's Lower Saxony and Bavaria, citizens are now barred from publicly displaying the letter "Z," which has become a symbol used by the Russian army during the war. Anyone who displays the symbol at demonstrations or publicly showcases it on cars or buildings could now face a fine or up to three years in jail, according to the Moscow Times. "It is incomprehensible to me how this symbol 'Z' could be used in our country to condone this crime," Boris Pistorius, Lower Saxony's interior minister, said in a statement, according to the news outlet. Similarly, Bavaria's Justice Minister Georg...

Angela Merkel’s new government got off to a rocky start on Friday as the chancellor and her interior minister clashed publicly over the role of Islam in Germany society. Horst Seehofer, who became interior minister this week under a coalition deal, used his first interview since taking office to declare “Islam does not belong in Germany”. Mrs Merkel lost no time in slapping down the minister, telling a press conference: “Muslims are also part of Germany, and so their religion is just as much a part of Germany”. Mr Seehofer’s controversial remarks echoed last year’s election slogans from the nationalist...

An Egyptian court has convicted a top official in the former government of ex-President Hosni Mubarak of corruption. Former Interior Minister Habib al Adli was jailed for 12 years for money laundering and profiteering, a judicial source said. The court also fined al Adli £1.5m and ordered that his assets be seized. Many Egyptians have been closely watching the fate of one of the most hated members of the administration because of the brutality of his police force during the uprising that deposed the former President in February. Al Adli is also facing separate charges of killing pro-democracy protesters during...

SNIPPET: "According to the report, the funds, from IRGC opium sales, reached the Bahraini minister from Colombia, eastern China, and Azerbaijan, and were transferred to Europe. According to the report, Ali Jannati, the son of senior Iranian Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati , is also involved; he is Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait."

PARIS - Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said he will run in France's presidential elections next year, according to comments posted Wednesday on the Web site of the newspaper Liberation. Sarkozy, the charismatic leader of Jacques Chirac's ruling conservative party UMP, has long been expected to announce the move and is considered one of the two top contenders for the job. He's best known for his tough stance on immigration and youth crime. The report of his intentions accelerates the campaign for the April-May elections in what is likely to be a tight race. It follows the Socialist Party nomination two...

Iranian Interior Minister 18 October 2006 Iranian Interior Minister (MP3) Iranian Interior Minister (Real Player) - Download Listen to Iranian Interior Minister (Real Player) The Iranian government sent interior minister Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi as its representative to a meeting of the Tripartite Commission of Iran, Afghanistan, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland. Mr. Pour-Mohammadi is notorious for his role in the Iranian clerical regime's abuse of human rights. In a written statement, the U.S. State Department says the decision to send Mr. Pour-Mohammadi "underscores the [President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad government's open embrace of repressive policies and those...

WITNESSES have reportedly told an Australian journalist how new Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi shot and killed up to six prisoners just days before his government took control of the country. A newspaper report today said the two witnesses saw Dr Allawi pull a pistol and execute suspected insurgents at a Baghdad police station. Dr Allawi's office has denied the claims and branded them "outrageous". The witnesses said the handcuffed and blindfolded prisoners were lined up against a wall in a courtyard next to the maximum-security cell block in which they were held at the Al-Amariyah security centre. They say...