by AFP Staff Writers
New Delhi (AFP) Jan 8, 2026
An Indian climate advocacy firm led by a prominent activist has denied allegations by authorities that it misused foreign funds to influence policy and threaten the country’s energy security.
Satat Sampada said in a statement late on Wednesday it had fully cooperated with India’s top financial crimes agency, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which carried out searches on Monday of the organisation’s offices and the home of its co-founders, climate activist Harjeet Singh and his wife Jyoti Awasthi.
The ED said Singh had been detained by the Uttar Pradesh state excise department in connection with the seizure of liquor exceeding permissible limits. Satat Sampada said he had been granted bail, without sharing details of the charges.
The ED has alleged that the company received more than $666,000 in foreign remittances between 2021 and 2025 under the “garb” of consultancy fees.
Instead, the ED alleged, the funds were used to promote the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (FF-NPT), a proposed international agreement to phase out fossil fuel production.
“While presented as a climate initiative, its (FF-NPT) adoption could expose India to legal challenges in international forums like the International Court of Justice and severely compromise the nation’s energy security and economic development,” an ED statement said.
It also alleged that the company functioned as a front for foreign-influenced activism and that some funds were diverted for personal use.
“We categorically state that the allegations being reported are baseless, biased and misleading”, Satat Sampada said in the statement.
The company also rejected scrutiny of Singh’s visits to countries that have tensions with India, including neighbouring arch-rival Pakistan, saying he had travelled internationally for over two decades to attend climate conferences and policy forums in a professional capacity.
The Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, an international civil society campaign that backs the FF-NPT, issued a statement following the raids.
“In light of recent allegations concerning Harjeet Singh’s work as advisor to the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, we reiterate that our work consists of building mechanisms for just, orderly and equitable energy transitions,” it said in a statement.
Turkish environmental journalist beaten to death: forensic report
Istanbul (AFP) Jan 8, 2026 –
A Turkish journalist known for his environmental coverage was beaten to death in a “horrific act of violence”, according to an initial forensic report, his lawyer and family told AFP Thursday.
Hakan Tosun, 50, was found unconscious after being assaulted as he walked home through the streets of Istanbul’s Esenyurt district in October.
CCTV footage showed him being attacked by two people, with police confirming the arrest of two men, aged 18 and 24, over the incident.
Tosun was rushed to hospital but later died of his injuries.
“This report documents that the victim was beaten and died after a prolonged and horrific act of violence, which has been evident from the images from the beginning,” the family lawyer Onur Cingil told AFP.
“There were several beatings especially many kicks to the head area, as seen in the images. And the report shows a skull fracture, leading us to conclude that death occurred due to the fatal blows to the head,” he said.
“There were fractures in many places on his body, a blow to the skull. This was clearly what we saw in the footage. These were proven in the report,” his sister Oznur told AFP.
“To us, the cause of death is clear: the blows he received,” she told AFP, saying the prosecutor had requested a more detailed forensic report.
Tosun was known for his coverage and documentary work focusing on the struggle to protect the environment, urban activism and the fight against gentrification.
Rights activists have demanded a full investigation into his death.
Baris Altintas, director of the MLSA rights group, said the forensic report’s findings “contradict the suspects’ claims and underline that this was not an accident, but a fatal assault.”
“For journalists in Turkey, this case resonates far beyond Tosun,” she told AFP.
“It reflects a broader climate in which violence against journalists is met with delayed accountability and attempts to shift blame onto the victim. Impunity… encourages further attacks.”
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