U.S. Aid Worker and Two German Film Makers Arrested in Niger for “Espionage and Terrorism”

U.S. Aid Worker and Two German Film Makers Arrested in Niger for “Espionage and Terrorism”

By Meryl White

Impunity Watch Reporter, Central and Western Africa

NIGER DELTA, Nigeria- A U.S. aid worker, Judith Asuni, and two German film makers, Florian Alexander Opitz and Andy Lehmann, have been arrested in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta on charges of “espionage and terrorism.” The German nationals without a government clearance have been filming masked youths from the Ijaw region in the Niger Delta. The Germans were preparing a possible TV documentary about the string of violence in the oil rich region. The Germans were detained last week by the State Security Service.

Judith Asuni has lived in the Niger Delta for 36 years. The United States embassy has released the following statement, “All we know is that Judith Asuni is a peace worker who got funding from academics and international donor agencies to work for peace in Nigeria.” Asuni is in charge of an organization called Academic Associate Peace Work as organization that conducts mediations between the government and militant groups and encourages disarmament In the past, she has organized workshops with the Nigerian police on conflict management.

Asuni was arrested for giving assistance to the German filmmakers. Now all three suspects face accusations of carrying out an act of terrorism against the Nigerian government. Addo Mwazu stated, “The lady is suspected of espionage by exploiting the situation in the Niger Delta.” Other people believe that the arrests were a result of the Nigeria’s fear of the embarrassment following the worldwide release of the documentary.

While members of the government may be uncomfortable with the German filmmaker’s work, Port Harcourt journalist Ibiba Don Pedro believes that these filmmakers “are playing a crucial role in getting information out about the region’s problems.”

The U.S. embassy is presently in touch with Nigerian officials. Meanwhile, Germany’s ambassador to Nigeria has rejected the charges that the Germans are spies and terrorists. German officials insist that the two filmmakers are only journalists.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Nigeria arrests foreign ‘spies’ – 28 September 2007

VOA – American Peace Worker, 2 Germans Detained as ‘Spies’ in Nigeria’s Niger Delta – 29 September 2007

Afriquenligne – Germans arrested in Nigeria are not spies’ – 29 September 2007

Iran: College Student Activists Tortured

By Vivek Thiagarajan
Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran-  In May 2007, three pro-democratic student protesters were arrested regarding their actions protesting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech at the Amirkabir University.

In December, President Ahmadinejad launched scientific research to determine whether the Holocaust existed.  On the same day he came to the Amirkabir University to display his ability to silence his critics.  However, President Ahmadinejad’s speech to the Amirkabir student body was shortened because of the crowd’s disapproval with the president.  The pro-democratic student body was filled with protesters who chanted “Death to the Dictator” while hurling items at the Iranian president. The Iran security detail used flash grenades to ensure Ahmadinejad’s safe removal from the premises.  Allegedly during his removal, Ahamdinejad threatened student leaders of possible future retaliation.

Following the protest, three Amirkabir University students Ehsan Manouri, Ahmed Ghasaban, and Majid Tavakoli, were arrested as political prisoners.  However, reports show that the evidence used to indict the students may have been falsified by the police.

The Iranian government accused the students of being paid by the US government for beginning a velvet revolution to overthrow and destabilize the Iranian government.  A velvet revolution is also called a soft revolution, which indicates a bloodless revolution through the expansion of certain ideas rather than a revolution through force.  This may be a contributing reason to the new Iranian declaration that the CIA and the US military are terrorist organizations.  (International Herald Tribune)

The students were mistreated.  For example, reports show Mansouri was beaten so brutally that the prison guards would not initially accept Mansouri as a prisoner, unless he was taken to the hospital for immediate attention.

The students were taken to Evin, which is an Iranian prison for political prisoners where they were interrogated. They were placed in solitary confinement and supposedly beaten while in prison. The Guardian Observer reported that the college students “had undergone marathon interrogation sessions lasting up to 48 hours and frequently involving severe beatings. Interrogation teams of up to eight men have subjected the students to physical assaults interspersed with insults and psychological abuse. The students have been made to lie on the floor while interrogators stood on their backs. They are also said to have been beaten with electric cables. When they fainted from stress, the interrogators revived them by throwing cold water over them.”

The students have recently been released and reportedly did not have connections to the US government.

For more information, please see:

Guardian Observer- Tyranny in Tehran- 30 September 2007

International Herald Tribune- Iran government backs parliament’s ‘terrorist’ label for US army, CIA- 30 September 2007

Radio Free Europe- Iran: Former Inmates Shed Light On Secret Prison Ward- 27 September 2007

Controversy over Moroccan Bread Price Hike

By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CASABLANCA, Morocco – The Moroccan government canceled a 30 percent price hike of bread due to violent protests that left at least 50 people injured. The protest was reminiscent of bread riots in 1981 that resulted hundreds dead in Casablanca. Breads and pastries are widely consumed during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as families hold large feasts after daytime fasting. The government had authorized the price rise back on September 10.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Morocco rolls back bread price hike – 25 September 2007

Huston Chronicle – Moroccan unrest over bread price – 25 September 2007

U.S. Aid Worker and Two German Film Makers Arrested in Niger for “Espionage and Terrorism”

By Meryl White

Impunity Watch Reporter, Central and Western Africa

NIGER DELTA, Nigeria- A U.S. aid worker, Judith Asuni, and two German film makers, Florian Alexander Opitz and Andy Lehmann, have been arrested in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta on charges of “espionage and terrorism.” The German nationals without a government clearance have been filming masked youths from the Ijaw region in the Niger Delta. The Germans were preparing a possible TV documentary about the string of violence in the oil rich region. The Germans were detained last week by the State Security Service.

Judith Asuni has lived in the Niger Delta for 36 years. The United States embassy has released the following statement, “All we know is that Judith Asuni is a peace worker who got funding from academics and international donor agencies to work for peace in Nigeria.” Asuni is in charge of an organization called Academic Associate Peace Work as organization that conducts mediations between the government and militant groups and encourages disarmament In the past, she has organized workshops with the Nigerian police on conflict management.

Asuni was arrested for giving assistance to the German filmmakers. Now all three suspects face accusations of carrying out an act of terrorism against the Nigerian government. Addo Mwazu stated, “The lady is suspected of espionage by exploiting the situation in the Niger Delta.” Other people believe that the arrests were a result of the Nigeria’s fear of the embarrassment following the worldwide release of the documentary.

While members of the government may be uncomfortable with the German filmmaker’s work, Port Harcourt journalist Ibiba Don Pedro believes that these filmmakers “are playing a crucial role in getting information out about the region’s problems.”

The U.S. embassy is presently in touch with Nigerian officials. Meanwhile, Germany’s ambassador to Nigeria has rejected the charges that the Germans are spies and terrorists. German officials insist that the two filmmakers are only journalists.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Nigeria arrests foreign ‘spies’ – 28 September 2007

VOA – American Peace Worker, 2 Germans Detained as ‘Spies’ in Nigeria’s Niger Delta – 29 September 2007

Afriquenligne – Germans arrested in Nigeria are not spies’ – 29 September 2007

China Bans Bra and Underwear Ads

By Juliana Chan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – In an attempt to “purge the nation’s airwaves of social pollution,” China communist government has banned television and radio advertisements for push-up bras, figure-hugging underwear, and sex toys.

This comes days after banning “sexually provocative sounds” on television.

According to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), among other targets are commercials featuring experts of famous people demonstrating the efficacy of medicines.

Further, this measure is just the latest in a slew of bans imposed by the government.  Other measures have included canceling reality shows featuring sex changes and plastic surgery, and banning advertisements for sexual aids that claim to boost performance in bed and talent contests during prime-time.

A SARFT notice explained that not only do these ads mislead consumers, harm people’s health, pollute the social environment, and corrupt social mores, it also affects the credibility of public broadcasting and the image of the Communist Party and the government.  Tian Jin, the deputy head of the regulator, said that advertisement management and television stations must reinforce their political consciousness and responsibility to society.

This comes weeks before the 17th Party Congress meeting where national leaders are appointed and policy is set for the next few years.

For more information, please see:

Yahoo! News (AP) – China bans bra, underwear, sex toy ads – 30 September 2007

Reuters – Bra ads banned ahead of political party meet – 28 September 2007

FOX News – China Bans TV, Radio Ads for Bras, Underwear – 30 September 2007