Israeli Teenagers Arrested on Suspicion of Assaulting Palestinians

Israeli Teenagers Arrested on Suspicion of Assaulting Palestinians

By Ali Al-Bassam
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel — Several Israeli teenagers were arrested last Sunday on suspicion of assaulting a group of Palestinians in Jerusalem’s Zion Square last Thursday.  The attack left one 17-year-old, Jamal Julani, unconscious and hospitalized.  The police said that hundreds of bystanders had witnessed the beating, but no one intervened.

Israeli teenagers are brought into court on suspicion of assaulting Palestinian Jamal Julani, 17, last Thursday night. (Photo Courtesy of BBC News)

Several of the suspects, including a 13-year-old girl, appeared in court last Monday.  A 19-year-old who was arrested last Saturday for his involvement in the attack against four young Palestinians was brought in front of a judge in Jerusalem’s Magistrate Court, and was sentenced to spend three additional days in jail.  Their identities have not been disclosed.

“For my part, he can die,” one of the suspects, who admitted to having taken part in the assault, said to assembled media.  “He’s an Arab,” he added. “He cursed my mother.  If it were up to me, I would have murdered him.”

Authorities say that Julani remains in a serious condition.  The East Jerusalem resident was admitted to Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem, in critical condition, and is on a respirator.  His mother told Haaretz that he woke up from his coma, but that he had no recollection of the attack and was confused about being in a hospital.  The other three  victims, who were not seriously injured, are cousins of Julani.

“There were four of us,” Mohammed Mujahad, a cousin of Julani, said as he described the attack.  “We were walking and suddenly maybe 50 Jews came toward us shouting, ‘Arabs, Arabs.’  I don’t understand what they said.  They weren’t calling us.  They were generally just shouting.”

According to eyewitnesses, the mob of teenagers looked as if they were on a witch hunt for Arab victims, yelling “Death to Arabs,” and other anti-Arab slurs.  The Jerusalem Post reported that one bystander wrote on her Facebook page that “When one of the Arab teenagers fell to the floor, the teenagers continued to hit him in the head, he lost consciousness, his eyes rolled, his angled head twitched, and then those who were kicking him fled and the rest gathered in a circle around, with some still shouting with hate in their eyes.”

Israeli politicians immediately condemned the attacks.  Prime Minister Benjamin Netenyahu said that this was a “very serious incident.” Last Sunday, the Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs, Moshe Ya’Alon, described the assault as “a terrorist attack.”

“The hate crimes committed over the weekend against Arabs in Judea and Samaria [the biblical terms for the West Bank] and Jerusalem are intolerable, outrageous and must be firmly dealt with,” Ya’alon said. “These are terrorist attacks. They run contrary to Jewish morality and values, and constitute first and foremost an educational and moral failure.”

For further information, please see:

BBC News — Israeli Youths Arrested Over Assault on Palestinians — 20 August 2012

New York Times — Young Israelis Held in Attack on Arabs — 20 August 2012

The Guardian — Jewish Settler Attacks on Palestinians Listed as ‘Terrorist Incidents’ by US — 19 August 2012

Haaretz — Israel Police Arrests 3 More Suspects in Connection with Jerusalem ‘Lynch’ — 19 August 2012

Jewish Telegraphic Agency — Jewish Youth Accused of Attacking Arabs in Jerusalem — 17 August 2012

Australia Stands by Plan to Reopen Offshore Detention Centers for Asylum-Seekers

By Mark O’Brien
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

CANBERRA, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Sunday that the decision to send asylum-seekers to detention centers on Pacific Islands rather than letting them on Australian soil could result in saved lives.

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the controversial plan to send asylum-seekers to reopened detention centers on Pacific islands could result in saved lives. (Photo Courtesy of Bloomberg Businessweek)

Australian leaders announced last week that they plan to reopen the camps on Nauru and Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island, a move critics called regressive.  The asylum-seekers would remain in the detention centers while their immigration cases are processed.

“Yes, this is a tough policy,” Gillard told Sky News.  “I understand for many people that it’s hard for them, that it’s emotionally hard for them.”

Gillard said the move could result in preventing lives from being lost at sea.  According to a report released last week by a former Australian Defense Force chief, nearly 1,000 asylum-seekers have drowned in the waters between Indonesia and Australia in the last decade.  More than 60 percent of them have drowned in the last three years.  These numbers helped prompt the policy change.

“We stood on a policy of not having offshore processing, but we’re seeing large numbers of people losing their lives at sea because they are enticed by people smugglers,” Gillard told Sky News, admitting that she compromised her position “in the nation’s interest.”

“We’ve got to be very clear with asylum-seekers that they will get no advantage by having paid a people smuggler,” she added.  Gillard said people could wait in the island camps for “an extended period of time,” but she would not say how long that might be.

But many have expressed concerns about the change, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.  Navi Pillay said there is no evidence the effort would dissuade asylum seekers and could even lead to human rights violations.

“[Australian leaders must] break an ingrained political habit of demonizing migrants and asylum-seekers,” he said.

In fact, people smugglers have already adopted a new effort to counter Australia’s changed policy.  The West Australian reported that smugglers are telling asylum-seekers that Nauru is “just another Christmas Island,” in reference to Nauru being just a different stop on the path to be resettled in Australia.

The West Australian said Nauru and Manus Island processed 1,637 people between 2001 and 2008, the vast majority of whom were resettled in Australia or New Zealand.

Since Parliament approved the policy change last week, 10 boats of asylum-seekers have arrived.  These are just the latest in what has been a record year of immigrants attempting to reach Australia, mostly from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Iran, and Iraq.  The centers at Manus and Nauru can hold up to 600 and 1,500 people, respectively.

For its part, Nauru has indicated it wants to exert some level of control over the process.  According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the island country’s foreign minister, Kieren Keke, told the Sunday Age that “his country would have ‘no problem’ with giving journalists access to report the stories and conditions of asylum seekers in its care who wanted to speak publicly.”

For further information, please see:

News.com.au — Australia out of Reach for Resettled Refugees — 21 August 2012

The West Australian — People Smugglers Using New Sales Pitch — 21 August 2012

Bloomberg Businessweek — Gillard Says Australia Asylum Policy Change in National Interest — 19 August 2012

The Daily News — Australia Defends ‘Tough’ Asylum-Seeker Policy — 19 August 2012

The Sydney Morning Herald — Nauru Demands Rights, Freedom for Asylum Seekers — 19 August 2012

Kidnapping in Nigeria Continues

By Vicki Turakhia
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

ABUJA, Nigeria – Police in Nigeria have denied the accusation that almost 1,000 people have been kidnapped from January of 2008 until August of 2012, but a group called Campaign for Democracy states differently.

Nigeria has a reputation for kidnappings. (Photo Courtesy of George Esiri/Reuters)

Previously robberies were more common than kidnappings, but criminals are learning that there is a higher chance for profits in a kidnapping. These kidnappings have led to ransoms costing people a total of 1.2 billion naira during that time period. The costs range anywhere from 5 million to 30 million naira per person kidnapped.

Victims of the kidnappings include singing and dancing Nigerian stars and prominent members of society, which is a change from the foreign oil company officials previously kidnapped. The Enugu State University Vice Chancellor was abducted on August 15th,  causing the University’s security to be questioned.

The Vice Chancellor is known for his hard work and dedication to the school, he has brought about change and reform to Enugu State University. The authorities are hopeful about his release.

Nigeria is the eighth highest in kidnapping around the world. In 2010, 512 people had been kidnapped compared to the 353 for the total of 2009. In January of 2008 the average rate of reported kidnappings was about one every 10 days.

Not only is there a rise in kidnappings, but in other crimes as well such as assassinations, armed robberies, and arson. These criminal acts are said to occur due to joblessness, homelessness, and the decreasing access to education. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) blames the government for the difficulties that spread across the nation.

A U.S. based social group has stated that the insecurity has led to a lack of foreign investments. The group calls for a permanent solution otherwise the instability in Nigeria will continue to hurt the economy.

Solutions to the kidnappings include removing the buildings used for housing kidnapped victims. The local government is looking to increase the penalties for kidnapping. The government has also included development centers, these centers provide greater knowledge and communication about the growing rise in kidnapping.

However, the police do question the source of information obtained by the Campaign for Democracy, so the numbers are being confirmed by the Deputy Force. But, the U.S. State Department maintains that a majority of kidnappings go unreported.

 

For further information, please see:

All Africa – Nigeria: 938 Persons Kidnapped in South East – Campaign for Democracy – 17 August 2012

All Africa – Nigeria: ASUU Blames Bombings, Kidnappings on Injustice – 14 August 2012

All Africa – Nigeria: U.S. Based Group Wants Govt to Tackle Kidnapping – 29 July 2012

Global Post – Nigeria’s Kidnapping Culture on the Rise – 30 May 2010

The Guardian Nigeria – Pharmacists Seek Release of Kidnapped ESUTH VC – 18 August 2012

 

Moscow Court Upholds 100-Year Ban on Gay Pride Events

By Connie Hong
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – On Friday, the Moscow City Court affirmed for the second time, its decision to ban gay pride parades for the next century. The ruling came after Nikolay Alexeyev, Russia’s best-known gay rights advocate, challenged the city council’s ban on gay pride parades after the city rejected his application for a parade license. According to the city court’s decision, any public gathering that could be classified as a gay pride march or celebration is prohibited from March 2012 until May 2112. In support of its position, the city government argued that gay pride parades might instigate public disorder, and that most Muscovites do not support such marches.

Russia's best-known gay rights advocate, Nikolay Alexeyev. (Photo Courtesy of BBC News) Russia’s best-known gay rights advocate, Nikolay Alexeyev. (Photo Courtesy of BBC News) Continue Reading

Angry Mob Lynches Brazilian Prisoners in Bolivia

By Heba Girgis
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SUCRE, Bolivia—A rebel mob in the town of San Matias, Bolivia dragged two Brazilian murder suspects from the Bolivian jail, beat them and burned them alive. Allegedly, the Brazilians had shot to death three Bolivians and wounded two others in a drunken dispute in Tuesday, August 14. The reason for the dispute still remains unclear.

The Town of San Matias Lies on the Border of Bolivia and Brazil and is Occupied by Many Drug Traffickers and Car Thieves. (Photo Courtesy of BBC News)

The seven police officers who were responsible for keeping the Brazilians in custody were completely overwhelmed by the mob that attacked the prison and were unable to control the situation. They fired several shots into the air with no avail.

The two bodies of the Brazilian prisoners were delivered to Brazilian police late Tuesday night. Col. Lily Cortez, Bolivia’s regional police commander has vowed to arrest and prosecute the members of the mob responsible for the deaths. As of today, no one has been arrested.

The lynching of the alleged criminals occurred in the town of San Matias, a town located on the border of Bolivia and Brazil with an active community of drug traffickers and car thieves. Bolivian police officers noted that the town of San Matias has now become a kind of refuge for Brazilian criminals and that violent behavior is not altogether uncommon in this particular part of the country.

In many areas of rural Bolivia, these types of lynchings are common, as law enforcement officers and judicial workers are rare.

Claudio Rojas, the town councilman, told the Associated Press that, “It’s barbarous what occurred Tuesday night, but people are tired of so much insecurity. No one is in charge of this town, where criminals do whatever they please.”

In the past, there have been many instances where innocent individuals have been injured or killed by angry mobs. According to these groups, they wanted nothing more than to simply bring swift justice. While Bolivia’s constitution did legalize “traditional justice,” the Bolivian legislative assembly passed a law in 2010 making it clear that lynching and any form of the death penalty are strictly forbidden.

The Brazilian foreign ministry now voices its deep concerns over the situation and demands that its embassy in La Paz, Bolivia call upon Bolivian authorities to establish new measures to protect prisoners and prevent this kind of incident from occurring again in the future.

The Brazilian ministry has also strongly urged the Bolivian authorities to carry out a “swift and rigorous” investigation into these types of criminal activities.

 

For further information, please see:

BBC News – Bolivia Lynching: Brazil Condemns Deaths in San Matias – 16 August 2012

International Business Times – Mob Justice in Bolivia: Two Brazilian Murder Suspects Burned Alive – 16 August 2012

The Guardian – Bolivian Mob Lynches 2 Brazilian Murder Suspects –  15 August 2012

The Province – Bolivian Mob Drags 2 Brazilian Murder Suspects From Jail in Border Town, Burns Them Alive – 15 August 2012