Tunisians protest as government shifts
TUNIS, Tunisia -- Hundreds of Tunisians protested outside their country's heavily guarded parliament Tuesday as lawmakers prepared to vote on a new government, after a week of youth protests and riots over poverty and a lack of jobs that left one young demonstrator dead and hundreds jailed.
Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi announced a government reshuffle last week in the midst of the unrest. He promised Tuesday that the new team would concentrate on creating jobs and improving living conditions in the North African country, which has been mired in economic crisis deepened by the coronavirus pandemic.
But four of his 11 proposed new Cabinet members are facing investigations or suspicions of corruption, which threatens to further undermine Tunisians' faith in a leadership accused of failing to live up to the promises of the country's democratic revolution 10 years ago that unleashed the Arab Spring.
More than two dozen human-rights organizations and other groups marched Tuesday afternoon through central Tunis to the parliament building to demand the release of hundreds of people who were arrested in this month's unrest and to denounce repressive measures by police.
Iran sentences American for spying
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- An Iranian-American has been sentenced by Iran to 10 years in prison on spying charges, despite his family alleging he never had a trial or an opportunity to defend himself.
A family spokesman Tuesday confirmed the sentencing of Emad Shargi, the latest dual citizen to be held in Iran during tensions with the West.
Iran's judiciary acknowledged the sentence without naming him or saying how many years in prison he'd face. Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili alleged that Shargi had been free on bond and rearrested while trying to flee the country.
While saying he had no information on the details of Shargi's arrest, the family spokesman described him as initially being cleared of all charges in December 2019, only to discover he had been convicted in absentia later.
"He was called to court one day in late November 2020 and simply shown a judgment finding him guilty, having never been presented any evidence, given an opportunity to respond or being put on trial," the spokesman said. "He was not even allowed to keep a copy of the judgment."
The spokesman talked to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.
Esmaili, speaking to journalists Tuesday, said Shargi had been convicted on espionage charges and of providing military information to foreign countries. Esmaili did not elaborate.
Tajik gets 7 years in German terror case
BERLIN -- A German court on Tuesday convicted a Tajik man of membership in the Islamic State for co-founding a cell of the extremist organization in Germany and supporting two planned attacks.
The Duesseldorf state court sentenced 31-year-old Ravsan B., whose full name wasn't released in keeping with German privacy rules, to seven years in prison.
The court said that the defendant, who lived in the western German city of Wuppertal and has been in custody since March 2019, founded an Islamic State cell along with other suspects of Tajik origin. It said that he gave another member a semi-automatic pistol to shoot a man in Germany who had made critical comments about Islam -- an attack that was foiled by authorities.
He also was involved in preparing a contract killing in Albania that was intended to finance the Islamic State, the court said. That killing was called off because doubts arose over the intended victim's identity. In addition, the defendant participated in a money transfer to the Islamic State in Syria.
The court convicted the defendant of membership in a foreign terrorist organization, along with preparing an act of violence and unauthorized possession of a weapon, among other things.
In setting the sentence, it took account of the fact that he largely confessed to the offenses and gave information on other alleged cell members, who also face trial.
Central African Republic: 44 rebels slain
BANGUI, Central African Republic -- Central African Republic soldiers killed at least 44 rebels in an offensive against the fighters who have been attacking the government of President Faustin-Archange Touadera, the government said.
The fighting occurred in the village of Boyali, about 56 miles from Bangui, the capital, Prime Minister Firmin Ngrebada said on his Facebook page Tuesday.
"Everything will be done to put an end to this adventure aimed at the destabilization of the country's institutions," he said.
The army also regained control of Boda in the southern part of the country, with the support of Rwandan and Russian soldiers, according to Bienvenu Ali, the director of the Central African Institute for Statistical, Economic and Social studies and an ally of the president.
The army's offensives give the military control over two main roads to the capital.
-- Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports