End the War. Stop the Destruction.

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Greenpeace Southeast Asia condemns the escalating war in Southwest Asia and the governments driving it. Since February 2026, military strikes, including those carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran, have intensified a cycle of violence that is killing civilians and destroying the environment at scale.

This is not security. This is devastation.

We condemn the ongoing Israeli military attacks, including those impacting civilians in Lebanon, which continue to expand the war and deepen human suffering. Civilians across the region are being killed, displaced, and stripped of their right to live in peace and dignity.

We stand in full solidarity with affected communities and with Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa and Greenpeace International. We demand an immediate and unconditional ceasefire by all parties.

War is a system of destruction. It destroys lives, poisons ecosystems, and locks the world into fossil fuel dependence. It accelerates climate collapse while governments claim to act on climate. This hypocrisy is costing lives.

There are no justifications for this violence. There is no pathway to peace through war.

We stand with people everywhere who are resisting war and demanding justice. We stand with movements calling for an end to militarization, exploitation, and extraction, and for a rapid transition to clean, decentralized renewable energy systems that put people and planet first.

We demand an immediate ceasefire. We demand protection of civilians and full respect for human rights. We demand unrestricted humanitarian access. We demand accountability for the destruction of communities and ecosystems.

Governments fueling this war must be held to account. Continued military escalation is a choice, and it is the wrong one. The world does not need more weapons. It needs leadership, courage, and an end to violence.

ASEAN leaders must not hide behind silence. Neutrality in the face of injustice is complicity. The region must take a clear stand for peace, human rights, and environmental justice, and act now.

We refuse to accept a future shaped by war, fossil fuels, and destruction. A different future is possible, but only if we fight for it. Together, we will resist. Together, we will defend life. Now.

Tunisia: Authorities must end harassment of Judge Anas Hmedi

Source: Amnesty International –

Judges in Tunisia who spoke out against Kais Said and his government’s attacks on judicial independence continue to face reprisal and harassment for exercising their right to freedom of expression  and defending  the  rule of law,  Amnesty International said today, ahead of the trial of Anas Hmedi, judge at the Monastir Court of Appeal and president of the Tunisian Judges Association on baseless charges of “obstructing freedom to work” scheduled for  26 March.   

“Anas Hmedi is a courageous judge who refused to be silent and stood up for the independence of the judiciary and against executive interference. His prosecution and relentless abuse of the criminal justice system to target and harass him constitute reprisals for exercising his rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and for speaking out for his profession. Judge Anas Hmedi’s case is a stark illustration of the ongoing reprisals faced by judges who dare to speak out,” said Sara Hashash, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.

“Judges must be able, individually and collectively, to participate in public debate on the organization, functioning, and independence of the judiciary without fear of intimidation, harassment, or criminal prosecution. The authorities must immediately drop all charges against Judge Anas Hmedi since they stem solely from the peaceful exercise of his human rights.”

Judges must be able… to participate in public debate on the organization, functioning, and independence of the judiciary without fear of intimidation, harassment, or criminal prosecution.

Sara Hashash, Deputy MENA Director

Since 2022, Hmedi, President of the Tunisian Judges’ Association (Association des Magistrats Tunisiens, AMT), has faced arbitrary disciplinary and criminal proceedings in reprisal for the association’s work challenging attacks on the independence of the judiciary, as well as an online defamation campaign by pro-president Facebook pages. He has been very vocal in defending judicial independence, often appearing in the media and making public statements in civil society events in defense of AMT’s positions. If convicted, he risks a sentence up to three years in prison.

After the summary dismissal of 57 magistrates on 1 June 2022 by President Kais Saied, the AMT, together with other judges’ associations, led a nationwide four-week strike to protest these arbitrary dismissals. Following the strike, as head of the AMT, Anas Hmedi was summoned for questioning four times between July and August 2022.

Trial on unfounded obstruction charges

In October 2022, following a decision to lift his immunity from the High Judicial Council at request of the prosecution, the deputy prosecutor at the Monastir Tribunal of First Instance opened a criminal investigation against Hmedi in relation to his alleged “incitement” of other judges of the Monastir Tribunal to go on strike in June and July 2022.

He is being prosecuted under Article 136 of the Penal Code, for “obstructing freedom to work” a charge frequently use[HM1] d to deter or punish those participating in strikes and social protest.

The case was repeatedly transferred during the investigative stage before Hmedi was eventually referred to trial and indicted without ever being interrogated by the investigative judge, undermining his fair trial rights including the right to a defense.

Hmedi is also facing criminal charges in a separate investigation, though this has not yet reached the trial stage. In December 2025, the AMT issued a statement denouncing the incarceration of human rights lawyer, Ayachi Hammami, who had represented many of the judges. Shortly after Hmedi warned, during an event organized by the Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights, about the risks of undermining fair trial guarantees and the political instrumentalization of the judiciary. He specifically referenced verdicts issued by the Tunis Court of Appeal in late 2025 against members of the political opposition.

The Public Prosecutor at the Court of First Instance in Tunis subsequently opened three investigations against him on criminal defamation-related charges, bypassing the constitutional safeguards governing criminal proceedings against judges.

Risks to the judges association AMT

Since Kais Saeid’s power grab in 2021, the AMT has documented and exposed executive interference in judicial independence, issuing statements, working with human rights organizations in defense of fair trial rights, and supporting judges facing reprisals for upholding their independence.  

With the crackdown on independent associations increasing over the past two years, in January 2026, the AMT received two warnings from the Prime Ministry’s administration claiming the association was non-compliant with some provisions of Association Law Decree 88. The authorities alleged the AMT was operating outside its mandate and supporting political actors and participating in incitement alongside claims of financial and reporting irregularities. While the AMT provided the relevant documentation to refute these claims, it remains at risk of suspension and eventual dissolution, a fate shared by many human rights associations in Tunisia over the past year.

“Since President Kais Saied dissolved the High Judicial Council and dismissed judges based on vague accusations in 2022, the harassment of judges and the unlawful interference in their work has continued in a bid to stifle peaceful dissent and make accountability unattainable,” said Sara Hashash.

“The continued pursuit of proceedings against AMT and its president raises serious concerns about the misuse of the criminal justice system to target and harass individuals for their legitimate professional and human rights activities.  The Tunisian authorities’ targeting of Hmedi through abusive disciplinary and criminal proceedings violates international standards and must cease immediately.

“Authorities must end the harassment of Anas Hmedi and other judges and allow them to freely exercise their rights to freedom of expression and association without fear of reprisal. They must uphold judicial independence and the rule of law.”

Background

On 1 June 2022, President Saied issued Decree-Law 2022-35, allowing him to dismiss any judge based on vague criteria and without due process. He announced the dismissal of 57 judges and prosecutors the same day, accusing them of “obstructing terrorism investigations,” “financial corruption,” and “moral corruption”.

Despite an August 2022 decision by the Tunis Administrative Tribunal ordering the reinstatement of 49 of these judges, the Ministry of Justice has not reinstated a single one. Moreover, judges and judicial institutions that have acted independently continue to face ongoing intimidation and harassment.

The AMT has publicly opposed these measures and denounced the unlawful interference of the executive. In an April 2024 statement AMT said that since August 2023, the Minister of Justice has ordered the appointment, transfer, and suspension of at least 105 judges and prosecutors through executive memos. The AMT also reported several work suspensions occurring outside any formal disciplinary process.

The AMT was founded in 1990 and has long been an outspoken association. From 2011, it became a leading voice in judicial reform, actively participated in the process of reforming the laws pertaining to the judiciary and advocated for transitional justice and accountability.

According to the UN Basic Principles on Independence of the Judiciary “judges shall be free to form and join associations of judges or other organizations to represent their interests, to promote their professional training and to protect their judicial independence”.

In January 2026, UN experts—including the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers—expressed grave concern at this fresh attempt to criminalize Judge Hmedi for statements made in his capacity as AMT President. The experts warned that prosecuting judges for expressing views on matters of public interest undermines the rule of law and constitutes a reprisal for the legitimate exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and association.

For more information or media requests please contact [email protected]

Young people generate ideas for AI adoption in ‘policy hackathon’

Source: Chatham House –

Young people generate ideas for AI adoption in ‘policy hackathon’
News release
thilton.drupal

Members of Chatham House’s Common Futures Conversations community used a fictional scenario to come up with innovative ways in which governments can adopt AI.

Chatham House has completed a ‘policy hackathon’ in which young people produced transferable policy proposals for how governments could benefit from adopting AI.

Twenty-two members of Chatham House’s Common Futures Conversations (CFC) community took part in the online event ‘Intelligent Government: Reimagining Civic Infrastructure’ from 10-19 March.

They were asked to come up with creative proposals for realizing the benefits of AI adoption in government for the fictional country of Valdoria. The winning team presented their idea for an AI-assisted system, ‘Guardian Angel’, which analyses ministry employee access patterns to detect potential security risks. 

The team was comprised of CFC members Daria Bogolyubova, Yunus El-Asri, Sufyan Hatia and Eugenia Obeng-Akrofi.

Other ideas included an AI-enabled care intelligence platform that connects fragmented health and social care systems into a unified structure; an AI platform that detects tariff and trade-risk shocks early; and a predictive analytical model that eliminates the inefficiencies of manual resource allocation within a healthcare system.

‘Valdoria was fictional, but the challenges participants dealt with are very real,’ said Rowan Wilkinson, Research Associate, Digital Society Programme.

‘This policy hackathon demonstrated the complexity of emerging tech adoption in government, and participants really had to wrestle with how to scale these technologies in a transparent, democratic and open way, whilst maintaining secure, sovereign and cost-effective solutions – a difficult and ongoing problem for governments globally,’ she added.

The competition judges were Alex Krasodomski, the director of Chatham House’s Digital Society Programme, Felix Reilly, Senior AI Product Manager at the UK government’s Incubator for Artificial Intelligence, and Dr Stephanie Diepeveen, Senior Lecturer in Global Digital Politics at King’s College London.

Supported by the Ford Foundation, the policy hackathon was hosted by Chatham House’s QEII Academy, Digital Society Programme, and Global Economy and Finance Programme. 

Activism ‘THEY PROFIT, WE PAY’: Rosebank production ship pursued and painted by Rainbow Warrior Pictures, video footage, drone and phone footage of the protest are all available here. As the Rosebank oil field was being discussed in Parliament yesterday in an Opposition Day debate[1], Greenpeace… by Graham Thompson March 25, 2026

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Pictures, video footage, drone and phone footage of the protest are all available here.

As the Rosebank oil field was being discussed in Parliament yesterday in an Opposition Day debate[1], Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior III caught up with the PetroJarl Rosebank, the huge oil industry ship heading to the field near the Shetland Islands, as it left Walvis Bay in Namibia after refuelling. Activists from the Warrior in RHIBs (rigid hulled inflatable boats) and kayaks protested the Rosebank’s plans for the second time in five days. 

Four activists from the Warrior managed to reach the PetroJarl Rosebank in a RHIB and paint ‘THEY PROFIT, WE PAY’ down the side of the hull.

Six more activists in kayaks and RHIBs surrounded the Rosebank with banners protesting their plans, reading ‘OIL WAR PROFITEERS’, ‘STOP ROSEBANK’ and ‘SHELL + EQUINOR PROFIT, WE PAY‘, while the Warrior displayed a giant banner hung between its masts reading ‘STOP ROSEBANK’.

Shell, Equinor and Ithaca, the three oil companies behind the project, have seen their combined market value soar by billions of pounds since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.[2] 

Angharad Hopkinson, a campaigner from Greenpeace UK currently aboard the Warrior, said:

“These oil companies think they can carry on ignoring the reality of climate change and profiteering from disastrous oil wars as their industry always has. But their time dominating global politics is coming to an end. We have the technologies needed for real energy security and independence. Renewables are already providing far more of our electricity than fossil fuels and as the economy electrifies the role and influence of companies like Shell and Equinor will continue to shrink. 

“But we’re still paying over the odds for our energy because we still let fossil fuels set our prices. To protect bill payers, as well as the climate, we need to quit our oil and gas addiction as quickly as possible. The government must stick to their guns on Rosebank and refuse to allow these climate vandals to bounce them into making a big, dirty and very expensive mistake.”

The PetroJarl Rosebank is a 95,000-tonne ‘floating production, storage and offloading’ (FPSO) vessel operated by Adura, a Shell and Equinor joint venture based in Aberdeen. The ship was renamed the ‘PetroJarl Rosebank’ and reflagged to the UK in January while being refitted in Dubai, having previously been the ‘PetroJarl Knarr’ and flagged to the Bahamas. It is being towed to UK waters by large ocean-going tugs. All this activity has taken place despite the Rosebank oilfield not having final permission to operate from the UK government.

The oil and gas resources in the North Sea have been thoroughly explored and around 90% of them have already been extracted and used[3]. What remains is difficult and expensive to extract. But the UK can replace dwindling North Sea fossil fuel supplies with renewable energy more quickly and cheaply than with new drilling licenses. By 2030 the renewable sources commissioned in the last auction round alone should be supplying nearly six times more energy than the extra domestic gas production in 2030 if new licences are issued for North Sea drilling.[4]   

Equinor had to submit a revised Environmental Impact Assessment for Rosebank including carbon emissions from burning the field’s oil (scope 3 emissions) after the permission given by the last government was judged unlawful in a 2025 court case brought by Greenpeace and Uplift. The estimated scope 3 emissions of the field are 249 million tonnes of CO2e – more than the combined annual emissions of Ireland, Belgium and Greece.

Ed Miliband, Secretary for Energy Security and Net Zero, described the last government’s decision to give permission to drill in the Rosebank field as ‘colossal waste of taxpayer money and climate vandalism’[5]. This chimes with the views of the UK public where, according to polling from YouGov, 54% of UK voters think that increasing renewables is the best way to ensure energy security, while only 25% think it is drilling for new oil and gas.[6]

Pictures, video footage, drone and phone footage of the protest are all available here.

Spokespeople are available for interview.

ENDS

Contact

Please call 07801 212 960 for queries or interviews.

Greenpeace UK Press Office – press.uk@greenpeace.org or 020 7865 8255

Pictures, video footage, drone and phone footage of the protest are all available here.

Notes

  1. MPs voted against a Conservative opposition day motion to end the UK Government’s ban on new oil and gas licences for the North Sea, end the windfall tax on energy giants and approve the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields by 297 to 108 votes. https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/mps-vote-against-tory-motion-on-new-north-sea-oil-and-gas-projects-6220509 
  2. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/15/oil-company-shares-soar-to-all-time-highs-as-middle-east-war-turbocharges-price-per-barrel https://www.ft.com/content/e37bed88-adfa-472d-a86b-2167dc7ca705 
  3. https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/around-90-of-uk-north-sea-oil-and-gas-already-drained-dry-analysis 
  4. https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-why-clean-energy-will-cut-uk-gas-imports-by-more-than-north-sea-drilling/ 
  5. https://x.com/Ed_Miliband/status/1639587552553213953?s=20 
  6. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kHctDrTv4-331OsTlWGadZO50W3YIlUf4kbUQhhfPCE/edit?slide=id.g3cc67ac0edb_0_171#slide=id.g3cc67ac0edb_0_171  

From Batasan Island: Why I’m Fighting for Climate Justice

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Everything changed when Odette happened. Our daily routines changed. The seawater rose. Things that used to be simple, like sleeping, cooking, or going out to fish, suddenly felt hard and dangerous. We lived in trauma. It occupied our dreams.

It has been four years. Have we recovered? Not really. Maybe 60–70%, and not everyone has. Little by little, we’re getting back up because of help from NGOs and the like, for which we are grateful. There were microfinance groups that offered assistance. But the losses were huge. I’m thankful to the Lord that no lives were taken—only material things. Those can still be replaced. Still, “only material things” can mean a lifetime of work. My equipment, my appliances, all wiped out. My house was totally damaged. Only one wall left standing.

Annie Casquejo, resident of Batasan Island in Tubigon, Bohol.

© JL Javier / Greenpeace

We used to have this habit: every year we saved for a small project—this year we’ll buy this, next year we’ll build that. Then in one instant, it all disappeared.

I remember when the sea poured into our sleeping area. We didn’t realize it at first. We thought my grandchild peed. But it was seawater….

Take it from us, climate change is already here; it’s been here for years. We can’t pretend otherwise. What matters to us now is making sure it doesn’t get even worse. We can’t stop it overnight, but we can demand accountability and push for solutions that protect communities like ours.

Annie Casquejo poses for a photograph in front of a structure destroyed by Super Typhoon Odette (Rai) in Batasan Island.

© Geric Cruz / Greenpeace

People ask about the case we’re filing. We’re in it to fight a big international company. Am I afraid? Courage comes from my family—from my children and my grandchildren. Whether we lose or win is not the point for me. What matters is that we stand up. Even if it takes many years before results—many years before we know that we’ve won or lost—my grandchildren will remember that their lola stood up for them. I want them to know that as a matter of human rights, we should fight.

Why is it important that we win? Because a win can force payment for damages. At the very least, the possessions we spent years saving up for—our boats, our homes—could be replaced. But even if we lose, at least we did something. We are not “small people.” We are people who fight.

Climate justice can sound like a big, distant phrase, but for us it is simple. It’s the right to sleep without seawater licking the floorboards. The right to fish and come home safe. The right to rebuild once—and not rebuild the same house again and again. It is the right to live with dignity.

If you are reading this from far away, please know that every storm has names and faces behind it. Boats have names. Homes have birthdays. When storms make the news, we carry on with repairs long after the headlines are gone. We need those responsible for this crisis to help pay for the losses and to change their business so others don’t suffer the same.

I fight for my family, my neighbours, and the generations yet to come. I fight so my grandchildren can look back one day and say, “Our grandmother was part of that. She stood up for us.”

No, we are not small. Our hearts are bigger than any storm. And why do we fight for climate justice and accountability? Because beneath the statistics and reports lies the simplest truth of all: our lives are at stake.

Survivors of Super Typhoon Odette (Rai) sent a message using fishing boats, kayaks, and a giant banner: “SHELL, WE’RE SUING YOU FOR ODETTE.”

© Victor Kintanar / Greenpeace


Annie Casquejo is a resident of Batasan Island, one of the “sinking islands” in Bohol, and one of the claimants in the Odette Case. Annie, along with other survivors of Super Typhoon Odette (Rai), is demanding accountability from Shell for climate-induced damages and the great harm they suffered from the storm, which claimed 405 lives and injured over 1,400 others in 2021.

Climate scientists say the extreme weather brought by Odette was made more likely by climate change driven by fossil fuel combustion. This landmark case is the first of its kind and scale against an oil and gas company for deaths, injuries, and property damage that have already occurred.

The case, filed in London where Shell’s global headquarters is located, addresses the company’s historic carbon emissions, as well as its deception and disinformation about climate change, which it has known about since 1965.

Support Annie and other super typhoon survivors in their fight for survival and our common future. Sign the petition.

Georgia: Opposition politician Elene Khoshtaria given politically motivated prison sentence for graffiti

Source: Amnesty International –

Reacting to the sentencing of opposition politician Elene Khoshtaria to one year and six months’ imprisonment for writing a slogan on an election poster, Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director, said:

“For a symbolic act of protest – writing barely visible graffiti on a street poster – Elene Khoshtaria will spend a year and a half in prison. This is yet another example of the criminal justice system being instrumentalized to punish dissent. Criminal sanctions for non-violent minor offences committed while peacefully expressing dissent are likely to be a disproportionate restriction of freedom of expression. In these cases, prison sentences should be avoided.

“In Elene Khoshtaria’s case, the severity of the punishment appears related not to material damage, but to her political opinions and the symbolic damage she has inflicted on the ruling party. The authorities must immediately release her, review her sentence, in particularly by quashing the prison term, and end all politically motivated trials without delay.”

In Elene Khoshtaria’s case, the severity of the punishment appears related not to material damage, but to her political opinions and the symbolic damage she has inflicted on the ruling party. The authorities must immediately release her, review her sentence, in particularly by quashing the prison term, and end all politically motivated trials without delay

Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director

Background

On 24 March, Tbilisi City Court sentenced the leader of the opposition party Droa, Elene Khoshtaria, to 1.5-years’ imprisonment under Article 187(1) of Georgia’s Criminal Code for “damaging or destroying another person’s property which has resulted in substantial damage”. She had written “Russian Dream” with a marker on election posters of the incumbent mayor of Tbilisi representing the ruling “Georgian Dream” party on 14 September 2025. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the damage amounted to 570 GEL (210 USD).

Elene Khoshtaria stated that it was an act of solidarity with activist Megi Diasamidze, who had been detained for a similar act of protest several days earlier. Megi Diasamidze has been released on bail, and her case is still pending.

For over a year, and especially since the widely contested parliamentary elections in October 2025, protests have continued daily. The authorities have responded with ever-increasing repression, including arbitrary arrests, abusive criminal prosecutions, intimidation and harassment of protesters and other critics of the government, as well as a tightening of administrative and criminal legislation that significantly restricts the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association.

Russia: Four-year prison sentence for nightclub owner exposes deepening crackdown on LGBTI rights

Source: Amnesty International –

Reacting to the sentencing of nightclub owner Tatiana Zorina to four years in a penal colony for purportedly organizing the “extremist activity” of a non-existent “international LGBT movement” at her venue, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said:

“Tatiana Zorina’s sentencing is a stark illustration of how Russia’s abuse of ‘extremism’ legislation has spiraled into outright persecution targeting LGBTI people and their allies. Running a private venue intended as a space where LGBTI people can safely be themselves is not a crime. Denying this right is deplorable.”

Running a private venue intended as a space where LGBTI people can safely be themselves is not a crime. Denying this right is deplorable

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director

“The Russian authorities must immediately overturn this conviction and release Tatiana Zorina. They must also repeal laws that arbitrarily label peaceful expression and association as ‘extremism’ simply because they relate to sexual orientation or gender identity that do not align with so-called ‘traditional values.’ This homophobic witch-hunt must end now.”

Background

On 23 March, the Ingodinsky District Court of Chita, Eastern Siberia, sentenced 23-year-old entrepreneur Tatiana Zorina to four years in a penal colony for “organizing the activities of an extremist organization.” In addition, the court banned her from administering online fora or leading public associations for four years upon release.

Tatiana Zorina was detained in late October 2024 following a police raid on the nightclub “Tochka”, formerly known as “Jackson”. The investigation claimed the venue was used to “promote the ideology” of the so-called “international LGBT movement,” a non-existent entity designated as an “extremist” organization in Russia on 30 October 2023 and invoked to arbitrarily target LGBTI people and those who associate with them.

By the end of 2025, at least 23 criminal cases had been opened on “extremism” charges related to LGBTI activities.

IAEA Releases Updated Regulations for Safe Transport of Radioactive Material

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Nearly 300 proposals for changes to the 2018 edition were received from member countries worldwide and were reviewed by an international panel of experts before the revised edition was approved by the IAEA for publication. 

“This collaborative process is fundamental, ensuring that the regulations reflect the collective expertise and broad international consensus of the global transport community,” said Mansoux.

The revised regulations reflect current scientific knowledge and operational experience while providing clear and practical requirements for safe transport. 

Among the key changes are revised A1 and A2 values, which determine packaging regulations of radioactive material such as portable moisture density gauges with sealed sources of Caesium-137 and Americium-241 and radiopharmaceuticals that are used in diagnostic and therapeutic applications such as Technetium-99m and Iodine-131. 

These updates also reflect the latest radiological data, dose coefficients, and modelling techniques. Additional enhancements include deadlines for phasing out packages designed under outdated standards and new provisions that address ageing effects in the design of packages for nuclear and radioactive material. These measures strengthen existing provisions for package durability, thereby ensuring long-term safety.

The revised safety regulations will be incorporated into international modal regulations for maritime transport and transport by air, and into regional modal regulations, such as those that apply to transport by road, rail and inland waterways. Countries also incorporate these regulations into their national regulations, creating a strong, harmonized global framework for transport safety. 

“Türkiye’s legislation on the safe transport of radioactive material aligns directly with IAEA Transport Regulations. This ensures a robust regulatory framework that minimizes radiation risks, enables seamless cross border shipments including fresh fuel delivery to Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant and exports of medical radioisotopes,” said Ibrahim Halil Dere, Vice President of Türkiye’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority. “The latest regulations will further boost clarity, harmonization, and the safe global movement of radioactive material.”

The IAEA supports member countries in applying the transport safety regulations through online and instructor-led training, advisory services and expert missions. This helps establish clear transport protocols that support competent authorities to build sustainable capacity, which helps to ensure that radioactive material is transported under an internationally aligned safety system. 

The IAEA also publishes transport security guidance, which helps to protect against malicious acts during transport. The IAEA safety standards on transport and the nuclear security guidance enable countries to implement a coherent approach to transport oversight for the protection of people and the environment against harmful effects of ionizing radiation. 

For more information on the conference, see here IAEA event page

USA/Iran: Trump’s warning that USA will attack Iran’s power plants is a threat to commit war crimes

Source: Amnesty International –

Responding to statements by United States President Donald Trump that the USA would postpone strikes on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure by five days pending the outcome of discussions on the “resolution of hostilities”, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, said

“President Donald Trump’s must retract deeply irresponsible threats of acts that would unleash catastrophic harm on millions of civilians. The decision to not proceed with such attacks must be based on the USA’s obligations under international humanitarian law to avoid civilian harm – not the outcome of political negotiations.  Going through with such attacks would cause devastating long-term consequences and severely undermine the international legal framework designed to protect civilians in wartime.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s authorities must also retract their threats to retaliate by striking power plants used by the USA and Israel as well as economic, industrial, and other energy infrastructure in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. They must end all unlawful attacks against energy infrastructure and desalination facilities in the GCC states. Desalination plants are critical for ensuring drinking water supply to millions of civilians in an arid region. They must further end unlawful attacks on commercial vessels in Strait of Hormuz. Iranian authorities must also immediately restore full internet access.

President Trump must immediately retract these dangerous threats and commit the US to upholding international humanitarian law.

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International

“Intentionally attacking civilian infrastructure such as power plants is generally prohibited. Even in the limited cases that they qualify as military targets, a party still cannot attack power plants if this may cause disproportionate harm to civilians. Given that such power plants are essential for meeting the basic needs and livelihoods of tens of millions of civilians, attacking them would be disproportionate and thus unlawful under international humanitarian law, and could amount to a war crime.

“By threatening such strikes, the USA is effectively indicating its willingness to plunge an entire country into darkness, and to potentially deprive its people of their human rights to life, water, food, healthcare and adequate standard of living, and to subject them to severe pain and suffering.  

“When power plants collapse, horrific consequences cascade instantly. Water pumping stations would stop functioning, clean water would become scarce, and preventable diseases would spread. Hospitals would lose electricity and fuel, forcing surgeries to be cancelled and life-support machines to shut down. Food production and distribution networks would collapse, deepening hunger and causing widespread food scarcity. Many businesses would also shut down with devastating economic consequences including mass unemployment.  

“Causing catastrophic harm to the civilian electrical capacity – at a time when the Iranian authorities’ deliberate prolonged internet shutdown has already left Iran’s population isolated – would sever people’s last remaining connection to the outside world, including access to satellite television, at a time of extreme danger.

“President Trump must immediately retract these dangerous threats and commit the US to upholding international humanitarian law.”

How do we keep radioactive material safe and secure during transport?

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

Every year, millions of shipments of nuclear and radioactive material move across the globe — by sea, rail, road, and air. How are they protected? 

Used in medicine, research, and clean energy, these materials are essential — and their safe and secure transport is a global priority. (Footage: IAEA/NTS)