Amnesty accuses Qatar of abusing World Cup stadium workersMarch 31, 2016 - 17:20 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Rights group Amnesty International has accused Qatar of using forced labor at a flagship World Cup 2022 stadium, BBC News reports. Amnesty says workers at Khalifa International Stadium are forced to live in squalid accommodation, pay huge recruitment fees and have had wages withheld and passports confiscated. It also accuses FIFA of "failing almost completely" to stop the tournament being "built on human rights abuses." Qatar said it was "concerned" by the allegations and would investigate. Amnesty interviewed 231 mostly South Asian migrants - 132 working at the stadium and 99 on green spaces in the surrounding Aspire sports complex. Amnesty said every migrant it had interviewed had reported abuses of one kind or another, including being: - required to pay fees of up to $4,300 to recruiters in their home country to get a job in Qatar - deceived over the type of work and the pay on offer, which was sometimes half as much as they were promised - threatened for complaining about their conditions. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. |