SAN SALVADOR  – The attorney general’s office of El Salvador announced on Friday it will appeal last month’s acquittal of a young woman accused of killing her stillborn son, marking what would be her third trial in the socially conservative Central American country.

Evelyn Hernandez was exonerated in an August retrial after an earlier judgment found her guilty of homicide and sentenced her to 30 years in prison. Hernandez, 21, said she was raped by a gang member and was unaware of her pregnancy until just before delivering a stillborn son in early 2016.

But prosecutors want another shot at returning Hernandez to prison, where she has already severed three years behind bars, due to what they describe in a statement as “overabundant” proof of her criminal responsibility. “There’s no reason to consider her a victim of anything. On the contrary, the only victim is her son,” the statement said.

Hernandez was rushed to hospital after complications during the birth. Once there, medical staff accused her of attempting an illegal abortion and handed her over to authorities, her defense says.

El Salvador’s Supreme Court overturned the original conviction in February, ordering Hernandez released, and concluding that the judge’s decision was based on prejudice and insufficient evidence. Women prosecuted under El Salvador’s hardline abortion laws, which ban the procedure in all circumstances, include those who have suffered stillbirths after home deliveries as well as abortions induced because of medical emergencies.(Reuters)…[+]

Norway’s domestic security agency has warned about the possibility of a terror attack from rightwing extremists “in the coming year”. In a statement, the PST said its heightened assessment stemmed from the fact that several Norwegian rightwing extremists had recently expressed support for the perpetrators behind attacks in New Zealand, the US and the failed attack in the Norwegian capital Oslo last month.

On 10 August, Philip Manshaus allegedly stormed an Oslo mosque with guns before being overpowered. Several shots were fired and one person was slightly injured, but the suspect was held down by others in the mosque. The suspect has also been linked to the death of his stepsister.

The attack is believed to have been inspired by similar incidents this year in New Zealand and the US. In Christchurch, 51 people were killed in a mass shooting at two mosques on 15 March, while in El Paso, Texas, a gunman left at least 22 dead on 3 August.

The PST agency said “meeting places for Muslims and non-western immigrants”, political parties or persons, Jews and LGBT communities were “symbolic targets”.

The service updated its assessment hours after it said a Norwegian citizen in his 20s had been arrested for “terrorist association” on Thursday afternoon. It was not known whether that case was linked to the heightened assessment.(TheGuardian)…[+]

A leading secular politician in Turkey has been sentenced to nearly 10 years in jail for “terror propaganda and insults” against the Turkish state. Canan Kaftancioglu, 47, was convicted mainly over tweets which date back several years.

She has said the charges were politically motivated and remains free pending an appeal. She heads the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Istanbul, the country’s largest city. Kaftancioglu played a key in the CHP’s triumph in Istanbul’s mayoral election in June, defeating the governing AKP party.CHP’s Ekrem Imamoglu beat the AKP candidate in the re-run poll, delivering a stinging blow to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

On Friday, she was sentenced to nine years, eight months and 20 days in prison.

She was accused of “insulting” President Erdogan and the Turkish state in the posts, as well as “spreading terror propaganda”. The charges related to 2013 anti-government protests and the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK). The hashtag #TurkiyeSeninleCananBaskan (Turkey Stands With You, Chief Canan) trended online during Kaftanciouglu’s trial in Istanbul.

Speaking shortly after the court’s verdict, Mr Imamoglu said: “There is no justice in this country. In Turkey, instead of listening to their conscience, judges look towards the palace (the President’s office).” He said Ms Kaftancioglu was sentenced “because of her success in İstanbul elections”.(BBC)…[+]