ֱ

Russia condemns Israeli strike on Qatar as ‘gross violation’ of UN charter

Russia condemns Israeli strike on Qatar as ‘gross violation’ of UN charter
A damaged building, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders, according to an Israeli official, in Doha, Sept. 9, 2025. (Reuters)
Short Url
Updated 10 September 2025

Russia condemns Israeli strike on Qatar as ‘gross violation’ of UN charter

Russia condemns Israeli strike on Qatar as ‘gross violation’ of UN charter
  • “Russia considers this incident a gross violation of international law and the UN Charter,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said
  • Lavrov said there was a danger the Israeli action could “lead to further destabilization in the Middle East“

MOSCOW: Russia on Wednesday condemned an Israeli attack against Hamas members in Qatar’s capital Doha and urged all parties to refrain from actions that would further escalate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Russia considers this incident a gross violation of international law and the UN Charter, an encroachment on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent state, and a step leading to further escalation and destabilization of the situation in the Middle East,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Such methods of fighting those whom Israel considers its enemies and opponents deserve the strongest condemnation.”
US President Donald Trump said he was “very unhappy about every aspect” of the Israeli strike and would be giving a full statement on the issue on Wednesday.
“The rocket attack on Qatar ... cannot be perceived as anything other than an action aimed at undermining international efforts to find peaceful solutions,” Russia said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in a later telephone call with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, described the attack as “a violation of international law and an unacceptable encroachment on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of friendly Qatar.”
A Russian Foreign Ministry statement quoted Lavrov as saying there was a danger the Israeli action could “lead to further destabilization in the Middle East.”
The statement said the Qatari prime minister noted Russia’s “clear and principled position” in support of Qatar’s sovereignty and independence.


Syrian authorities arrest Sednaya Prison guard linked to torture

Syrian authorities arrest Sednaya Prison guard linked to torture
Updated 30 sec ago

Syrian authorities arrest Sednaya Prison guard linked to torture

Syrian authorities arrest Sednaya Prison guard linked to torture
  • Interior Ministry announces capture of Mahmoud Ali Ahmad in Aleppo
  • Amnesty International described facility as ‘human slaughterhouse’

LONDON: Syrian authorities have arrested a former guard accused of involvement in torture and executions at Sednaya Prison, as part of their efforts to deliver justice for victims and hold officials of the Bashar Assad regime accountable for crimes against civilians.

The Interior Ministry on Thursday announced the capture of Mahmoud Ali Ahmad in Aleppo governorate, in the north of the country.

While at the prison Ahmad was part of a special security detachment and later assigned to its notorious Red Section, where political prisoners and opponents were held, tortured and killed.

He is accused of taking part in the torture and execution of prisoners and transporting and burying the bodies of victims in mass graves.

The ministry reiterated its commitment to pursuing all individuals implicated in human rights abuses during the Assad regime, which fell in December last year, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported.

Amnesty International has described Sednaya Prison as a “human slaughterhouse,” where an estimated 30,000 people have been detained since 2011. Of those, only about 6,000 have been released, with the rest still missing.

Syria’s new authorities have initiated a process to close the prison near Damascus which was operated by the Ministry of Defense during the Assad era.

Since December they have invited several Western, UN and rights groups officials to visit the facility and witness the inhumane conditions that detainees endured.