Another teenager has been sentenced to death in Iran as Tehran authorities show no sign of giving in to international pressure and halting the execution of anti-regime demonstrators.
Arshia Takdestan, 18, received the death sentence after being convicted of “moharebeh” and “corruption on earth”, the judiciary's Mizan news agency said on Thursday.
It said the teenager was a leader of “riots” — referring to months-long popular protests — in the city of Nowhshahr.
Moharebeh — which translates as enmity against God — and corruption on earth are vague charges commonly levelled against those who speak or act against the regime, which has been shaken by countrywide protests calling for an end to the government's decade-long reign.
Two people have already been executed for their participation in the protests, and protesters are often accused of killing members of the security forces. Since the protests began, more than 500 people are thought to have lost their lives, and more than 18,000 have reportedly been sent to prison and secret detention centres.
On Wednesday another two teenagers were sentenced to death, also 18. If carried out, they will be the youngest protesters so far to be executed.
Iran, one of the world's biggest executioners, is still known to execute children and those convicted of a crime carried out as minors. In December, a 22-year-old man convicted of a murder that he was accused of committing at the age of 16 was hanged, according to Iran Human Rights.
The group says at least 100 people are at risk of death sentence charges. Some protesters have been granted retrials but there is no guarantee of acquittal, with cases handled by hardline revolutionary courts.
In one case, a man has been sentenced to death for an interview with an Israeli television channel — the judiciary then accused him of spying for its arch foe.
'No lessons' to learn from Iran
Meanwhile, Iran and France have clashed over the publication of cartoons insulting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Tehran summoned the French ambassador on Wednesday after the images were published in a special edition by the magazine, marking the eighth anniversary of an attack on its offices in which 12 people were killed in 2015.
The cartoons were slammed by Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian as “insulting and indecent,” and he said the publication “has definitely chosen the wrong path.”
In response, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said Paris has no lessons to learn from Tehran over press freedom and human rights.
“Let's remember that in France press freedom exists contrary to what's happening in Iran,” she said on Thursday, also hitting out at Tehran's lack of an independent judiciary.
On Thursday, Tehran announced it had closed a French institute in the capital in response to the cartoons, with the foreign ministry claiming the issue was linked to Israel. It has also tried to blame Israel for the protests.
It is not the first time France and Iran have been at loggerheads.
President Emmanuel Macron sparked anger in the Muslim world in 2020 following the beheading of French schoolteacher Samuel Paty.
Mr Paty was killed after showing images depicting the Prophet Mohammed during a discussion on free speech and the attack on Charlie Hebdo.
The French President's ensuing comments on Islam and defence of the cartoons led to protests in several countries and a call to boycott French products.
Mr Khamenei hit out at Mr Macron while Iranian newspapers published cartoons of him depicted as the devil.
France has also called on Iran to release several of its citizens held in Iran on trumped-up charges.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
On the menu
First course
▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water
▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
Second course
▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo
▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa
Third course
▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro
▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis
Dessert
▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate
▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
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