Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale has slammed the Prime Minister’s decision to formally recognise West Jerusalem as the Israeli capital as a foolish move that undermines genuine efforts at peace.

“The Prime Minister was roundly condemned when he first flagged this irresponsible thought bubble during the Wentworth by-election.  The fact that he has refused to back down in the face of overwhelming criticism, including from his own hand-picked advisory panel, is Trumpesque in its stupidity,” Di Natale said.

The Australian Greens are deeply worried by the deteriorating human rights situation in Bangladesh, in particular the ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression and assembly against the media, students, activists and the opposition.

Leader of the Australian Greens Senator Richard Di Natale said problems were only worsening as Bangladesh approaches its general elections on 30 December. 

The Greens will move for responsibility and funding to be restored to the ABC to share content with the Asia-Pacific region in the Senate next week.

As we get closer to the election, it becomes more and more obvious that the Prime Minister is trying to reinvent himself as a mini-Trump. After his party voted to support a white supremacist motion, he is now floating the idea of moving Australia's embassy to Jerusalem. This puts him in fine company with the far right of the Senate, with Senators Anning, Leyonhjelm and Bernardi. How deeply hollow, empty and nasty are the politics of the Liberal Party? Let's be clear: this is a deliberate strategy by the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, to pander to the extreme right.

Greens Leader Senator Richard Di Natale expressed his deep concern at news that 24 Yemenis of the Baha’i faith, including a child, continue to face serious charges for nothing more than their expressing beliefs and for conducting peaceful activities. Some of the charges may result in the death penalty.

Cambodia’s weekend elections are a ‘sham’ and an indictment of the corrupt Hun Sen regime, the Australian Greens said today, calling on the Turnbull Government to refuse to recognise the anti-democratic and bogus results.

“Cambodia’s election yesterday was a complete sham. Hun Sen has been systematically dismantling independent voices and political opposition in Cambodia. An election is completely illegitimate when you throw the Leader of the Opposition in jail and dissolve his party," Leader of the Australian Greens Dr Richard Di Natale said.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale today expressed deep concern at reports that the vessel Al Awda – part of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla coalition’s boat – was detained by the Israeli Navy in international waters late last night.

“I understand that the vessel and the crew, including Australian journalist Chris Graham, were intercepted in international waters, and that they have been towed to the Israeli port of Ashdod," Di Natale said.

Leader of the Australian Greens Richard Di Natale has today condemned reports Australia may be providing assistance to the United States in preparation for an attack on Iran.

“Under no circumstances can Australia be dragged into more bloodshed in the Middle East just to please the United States,” Dr Richard Di Natale said.

“If Trump attacks Iran, we risk seeing a repeat of the Iraq War catastrophe that saw the senseless killing of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, destabilised an entire region and has only resulted in further conflict.