Israel Approves Building New Settlements in East Jerusalem Ahead of John Kerry’s Visit to the Region

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited a controversial Israeli settlement in the West Bank on Monday where he dedicated a school named for his late father. The Netanyahu visit to the West Bank was played down by Israeli officials; however, the visit drew the Israeli settlement program into the limelight just ahead of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to the Middle East. The Secretary of State’s visit to the region is an attempt to reignite peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Jerusalem construction prepares new homes in two Palestinian-populated districts. (Photo courtesy of Aljazeera)

An Israeli planning committee has introduced a plan to build an additional sixty-nine housing units in Har Homa, a Jewish settlement of East Jerusalem originally constructed more than a decade ago with a population of roughly twelve thousand Israelis. The municipality has said that this plan is not new and has already been passed through initial planning stages.

Kerry’s visit will be his fifth to the region since being sworn in as Secretary of State in February. Kerry is expected to visit Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramalhal. Patrick Ventral, acting deputy spoken for the State Department decided to answer any questions about the announced settlements, but stated that on his trip Kerry will “sit down with both sides.” Kerry mentioned that he is not concerned with setting any deadlines for specific actions to be taken by either side, including limits on settlement development.

Kerry said “I’m not setting any deadlines. We purposefully wanted to avoid deadlines. Deadlines can become self-imposed hurdles and, in fact, impediments to actually making progress.” However, Kerry stated that this is an urgent time in the Middle East peace process and a critical moment to make difficult decisions because ultimately “time is the enemy of a peace process.”

Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be recognized as the Palestinian state, which was annexed by Israel but never recognized by the international community. Palestine also feels that Israel must stop the development of new Jewish settlements in the occupied regions of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, lands that Palestinian hope will encompass the new Palestinian state. Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of the state they seek in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. They say that Israel must stop building settlements before peace talks resume.

Palestinian officials condemned Netanyahu’s controversial visit to a Jewish Settlement and plans for continued construction in Har Homa as “message” to Secretary of State John Kerry intended to underpin the Israeli government’s possession in regard to continued settlement development in the West Bank.

For further information, please see:

Guardian – McDonald’s Israel Rejects West Bank Branch Proposal – 27 June 2013

Aljazeera – Israel Approves Settlements in East Jerusalem – 26 June 2013

CNN International – Israel Okays East Jerusalem Settlement Just before Kerry’s Peace Visit – 26 June 2013

Washington Post – Ahead of Kerry Visit, Israeli Leader Dedicates School in West Bank Settlement – 24 June 2013

Tunisia Frees Femen Activists After Apology

By Thomas Murphy
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TUNIS, Tunisia – Josephine Markmann, Pauline Hillier,  and Marguerite Stern, the three Femen activists arrested last month for a topless protest, were released on Wednesday after a Tunisian court heard their appeal.  The women had been sentenced to four months in jail for public indecency and offending public morals after protesting Amina Tyler’s arrest.  The women left Manouba prison late Wednesday night in the midst of small protest and arrived back in Paris on Thursday.

The three Femen activists held in Tunisia raise their fists triumphantly as they arrived at Orly airport on Thursday in Paris. (Photo Courtesy of Getty Images)

The women, dressed in the traditional Tunisian veil or sasfari, apologized for their actions during the appeal on Wednesday.

“I didn’t think it was going to shock Tunisians to that extent. Given the consequences, I would never do it again. We want to return to our country and our loved ones,” Ms Hillier told the court.

Local Islamist associations were attempting to join the trial as a civil party, which is allowed under Tunisian law, in an attempt to seek damages and delay the appeal.  Their lawyers asked for an extension and unsuccessfully argued that there had not been sufficient time to review the case file.

The activists’ French lawyer, Patrick Klugman, argued that the Islamist associations were merely trying to delay the appeal in an effort to keep the women imprisoned.  The court agreed and allowed arguments to proceed.  Klugman appealed to the court  that the protest was not sexual in nature and that the women did not exact such significant backlash as a result of their actions.

“You cannot pervert the message of Femen. Their breasts were visible to the public but they were carrying a message you can’t ignore. Stop looking at their breasts… and listen to them,” Klugman told the court.

The ruling comes after the Tunisian government came under pressure from Germany, France, and the European Union to reform its freedom of expression laws.  These governments along with international human rights groups had criticized the punishment as harsh and unjust.

The three activists had also received support from fellow Femen members.  Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Larayedh had been visiting Brussels on the eve of the hearing when three topless Femen protesters jumped on the hood of his car demanding the jailed Femen protesters be released.

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Tunisia frees European Femen activists – 27 June 2013

Reuters – Tunisia frees trio who staged topless protest against Islamist-led government – 27 June 2013

BBC – Tunisia frees Femen topless protest activists – 26 June 2013

Daily Star – Jailed activists apologize for topless Tunisia protest – 26 June 2013

 

Snowden Travels to Moscow on Way to Ecuador

By Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MOSCOW, Russia – Since revealing classified intelligence on June 6, former NSA contractor Edward Snowden has been on the run from the US government.  News outlets began reporting Monday that Snowden left Hong Kong heading for Ecuador with a layover in Moscow.  Reporters, believing Snowden to be bound from Moscow to Havana, Cuba, booked flights on Aeroflight SU150 only to find that Snowden was not on board.

An estimated two dozen journalists booked tickets Aeroflight SU150 to Havana for a chance to interview Edward Snowden. (Photo Courtesy of Yahoo News)

Snowden stayed behind in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport where he remained Tuesday and Wednesday.  During that time, Secretary of State John Kerry wasted no time expressing his concern that Snowden was able to leave Hong Kong, stating it would be “deeply troubling” to find that China had intentionally allowed Snowden to fly to Russia.  Kerry, joined by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, urged Russia to “do the right thing” and extradite Snowden back to the United States.

As of Wednesday, Russian Prime Minster Vladamir Putin has not acquiesced to US demands, stating that the Russian authorities may not take action against Snowden, who, by remaining in Sheremetyevo Airport, has not technically entered Russian borders.

Since fleeing Hong Kong, Snowden has been formally charged in the US with espionage for disclosing classified information, a crime which carries a prison sentence of up to ten years and may also include a fine.  Snowden may never stand trial, however, since Ecuador has invited Snowden to apply for political asylum.

Ecuador famously provided political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in their London embassy.  NBC News reports that Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa “sharply criticized” the US government for drawing attention away from the sweeping NSA intelligence programs by focusing attention on finding and prosecuting Snowden.

Ecuador may not be Snowden’s only option for political asylum.  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro praised Snowden’s courage and offered to allow him to apply for political asylum in Venezuela.

 

For further information, please see:

ABC News – Edward Snowden Steps Into Secret U.S.-Russia Spy Scuffle – 26 June 2013

NBC News – Hagel calls on Russia to return Edward Snowden to answer for ‘serious security breach’ – 26 June 2013

NBC World News – Chavez successor praises Snowden, offers to consider asylum – 26 June 2013

CBS News – Russia: Edward Snowden hasn’t “crossed the Russian border,” and U.S. demands “unacceptable” – 25 June 2013

BBC News – Edward Snowden: US anger at Russia and China – 24 June 2013

CBS News – Reporters chasing Edward Snowden stranded on Cuba-bound plane – 24 June 2013

 

Former UK Undercover Cop Alleges Police Spying on Murder Victim’s Family

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

LONDON, England – British Prime Minister David Cameron ordered an investigation into a former undercover police officer’s claims that he was ordered to spy on the family of the black victim of one of Britain’s most notorious racially-motivated murders.

New controversy has come to light in the murder case of Stephen Lawrence (pictured above) (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera)

The former police officer, Peter Francis, has stated that superior officers at Scotland Yard, formally the Metropolitan Police Service, ordered him to investigate and find any information that could be used against the members of the victim’s family, specifically to determine whether any individuals were political activists, involved in public demonstrations, or drug dealers.

The victim, 18 year old Stephen Lawrence, was stabbed to death at a London bus stop on April 22, 1993. He and his friend, Duwayne Brooks, were waiting for a bus on their way home from night classes, and were victimized by a white youth-gang.

Francis, who reported to The Guardian newspaper on Monday, said that he posed as an anti-racist activist with three other officers and infiltrated the Youth Against Racism in Europe, a group led by Lawrence’s parents that held protests.

Francis said that the spying was to discredit the Lawrence family’s campaign against racial violence because senior officers believed that the public protests could trigger Rodney King-esque rioting similar to the events in Los Angeles in 1992.

“They wanted the campaign to stop. It was felt that it was going to turn into an elephant,” Francis stated.

These allegations are the latest controversy in a case that has had its fair share. An official report by a high court judge found that “institutional racism” via insensitivity and lack of investigative rigor tainted the original investigation. Last year, 19 years after the killing, two men were convicted of the murder.

Cameron has promised that government investigators would “get rapidly to the bottom of what’s happened” and “get the full truth out.”

“To hear that, potentially, the police that were meant to be helping them were actually undermining them-that’s horrific,” Cameron stated.

Home secretary Theresa May, the overseer of policing in Britain, has stated that two existing probes into police misconduct would investigate Francis’ claims.

Bugged Meetings

Amid these assertions by Francis, an additional claim has surfaced, suggesting that the Metropolitan Police secretly recorded its officers’ meetings with Brooks, the friend of Lawrence who was with him the night of the killing in 1993.

BBC reported on Tuesday that a senior police source from the Metropolitan Police stated that orders were given to record two meetings between Brooks, his lawyers, and the police officers.

Brooks’ lawyer, Jane Deighton, stated that she was under the impression that the purpose of the meetings were to brief Brooks and her colleagues on the progress of the investigation into Lawrence’s murder.

“Under the guise of briefing us they were covertly recording us.”

Scotland Yard said it was investigating these additional claims and treating them with “huge seriousness.”

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Lawrence Friend Duwayne Brooks “Bugged by Police” – 25 June 2013

The Guardian – Stephen Lawrence’s Mother to Meet Home Secretary Over Smear Claims – 25 June 2013

The Independent – Stephen Lawrence Case Witness Was Secretly Recorded by Police – 25 June 2013

Al Jazeera – UK Police Spied on Race Victim’s Family – 24 June 2013

New York Times – In Britain, New Inquiry is Ordered in Bias Killing – 24 June 2013

New York Times – Two Sentenced to Prison in Racial Killing That Scarred Britain – 4 January 2012

SNHR: Talkalakh – Ethnic Cleansing Operation by Takfiri Terrorists, Lebanese Hezbollah, Accompanied by the Shabiha and Syrian Government’s Armed Forces

Report Prepared by Syrian Network for Human Rights

Period covered: 18 June 2013 to 25 June 2013

Introduction:

Talkalakh is in-between Homs city and Tartous city, almost 45 km west of Homs and nearly the same distance east of Tartous city.

It has a strategic importance, since it is located on the Homs Tartous highway, adjoined to the Lebanese border just five km north of Lebanon.

Talkalakh is surrounded by villages that are comprised of an Alwite majority.

It had a population of almost 55,000 before its residents were displaced due to the frequent shelling and destruction of homes especially within the last few months, when most of its residents fled out.

Lebanese Hezbollah accompanied by Shabiha and Syrian Government’s Armed Forces initiated a wide attack in the period between 18 June 2013 and 25 June 2013. Many massacres occurred during these attacks, where at least fifteen victims who were killed included two women, and three SFA members. 60 civilians are currently missing and more than 200 victims were killed in the attack. In addition, looting and destruction occurred during this period.

Report details:

Tuesday 18 June 2013 – Lebanese Hezbollah militia accompanied the Shabiha from the Alawite villages surrounding the city, and the Syrian Government’s Armed Troops started a siege on the city where the Syrian Government had cut off communication, electricity, and water.

Thursday 20 June 2013 – After the siege, where they prevented civilians from entering and leaving, they started a very heavy shelling using artillery, rocket launcher, and warplanes. The shelling lasted for two days, and led to 40 injuries.

Saturday 22 June 2013 – Those same troops launched a ground offensive attack accompanied with a large number of tanks and armored vehicles on the north and west side of Talkalakh city. Many neighborhoods fell immediately, including: Tal-Alshamali, Mahata and the western neighborhood. We were able to document five victims, including four civilians: two women; one famous media activist, Mohamd Ahmad Maisara Aldandashi, who was filming the looting and shelling; a lawyer; and one Syrian Free Army. In addition, eighteen victims were killed in the attack.

We received many frequent reports, where we were not able to check the news regarding field executions, and resident kidnapping due to the cut off of communication and the ban imposed on all media and human rights organizations.

Video shows random shelling in the city:

Other video shows the shelling of civilians houses:

Names of victims that we could document:

1- Mohamd Ahmad Maisara Aldandashi, media activist
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=544120545629147&set=a.196446397063232.46168.196429423731596&type=1&theater

2- Ahmad Ramez Methqal: Syrian Free Army
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=544122372295631&set=a.196446397063232.46168.196429423731596&type=1&theater

3- Lawyer Nawaf Alaakari

4- Ms. Hanadi Aldarzi

5- Ms. Iman Ibrahim

Troops that stormed the city also destroyed the only medical point that existed there and prevented the entry of drugs and ICRC members into the city.

Sunday 23 June 2013 – They started the siege on the rest of the neighborhoods such as the eastern neighborhood, Ghalion mountain neighborhood and Alsook neighborhood, and tried to storm into them. Violent clashes took place between the Syrian Free Army Soldiers and them. The clashes led to many victims and injured persons.

Monday 24 June 2013 – The shelling occurred again in the city of Ras Alnaaba villages, killing many victims, then troops stormed the city and started mop up operations. Many houses were looted and burned. There were also reports of troops raping women.

Tuesday 25 June 2013 – Invasive forces controlled most of the neighborhoods in the city after the Syrian Free Army soldiers pulled from the city to the neighboring countryside. They killed eight civilians in field executions, and residents in city center. More than 30 victims disappeared. Soldiers arrested them and took them to unknown places.

The SNHR documented the victims’ names. It recognized that there are at least fifteen victims: three SFA, twelve civilians, two women, and one media activist:

1- Ali Haidar: Homs / Talkalakh

2- Mahomd Husain Borghali: Homs / Talkalakh

3- Ammar Husain Borghali: Homs / Talkalakh

4- Khudur Hamadi: Homs / Talkalakh

5- Sinan Halom: Homs / Talkalakh

6- Khaled Halom: Homs / Talkalakh

7- Mostafa Shahwan: Homs / Talkalakh

8- Ayman Hasan Hanof: Homs / Talkalakh

9- Ms. Iman Ibrahim: Homs / Talkalakh

10- Lawyer Nawaf Alaakari: Homs / Talkalakh

11- Mohamd Ahmad Maisara Aldandashi, media activist: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=544120545629147&set=a.196446397063232.46168.196429423731596&type=1&theater

12- Ms. Hanadi Aldarzi

Syrian Free Army victims:

1- Zakaria Yahia Albasha: Homs / Talkalakh

2- Ahmad Ramez Methqal: Homs / Talkalakh Ahmad Ramez Methqal : Syrian Free – -Army :https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=544122372295631&set=a.196446397063232.46168.196429423731596&type=1&theater

3- Bashar Alharb: Jablah / Lattakia defeat soldier

The invasive troops established many checkpoints inside the city. Most residents fled out of fear of execution and rape. The city is almost empty, and paralyzed with a lack of movement. Terror and panic prevailed there, contrary of what the Syrian Government said, that they re-secured and stabilized the city allegedly under siege by gangs like Al-Qaeda and Nasra.

Responsibility of States

Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts

Responsibility of states for internationally wrongful acts, similarly Customary IHL provides that the state is responsible for all acts committed by the members of its military and security forces. Thus, the state is responsible for wrongful acts committed by its military and security forces, including crimes against humanity.

Prohibition of crimes against humanity are among the rules of jus cogens or peremptory, and punishment of such crimes is compulsory according to the General principles of international law. Moreover, the crimes against humanity are the height of violations against basic human rights, such as the right to life and the prohibition of torture or other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. In accordance with the principles of the State’s responsibility in international law. Syria, an Arab Republic holds responsibility for such crimes and violations. It has a duty to ensure punishment of the perpetrators individually and a duty to provide compensation to victims.

SNHR holds all violations committed by Syrian Government Armed Forces to the Syrian government and the General Commander of the army and the armed forces, Bashar Al-Assad. To all the officials of security branches, and to all the financial and moral supporters of those forces, with the legal, judicial, and material consequences to the victims and their families in addition to all the reactions that will come from the families or their friends.

Conclusions:

1- SNHR emphasizes that the collective and individual killings as reported previously was deliberately targeted against unarmed civilians, despite government claims that Al Qaida and other terrorists committed these crimes. Thus, Syria Government’s Armed Forces and Shabiha violated international human rights laws that protect the right of life. In addition to being committed in non-international armed conflicts, the crimes are tantamount to war crimes and violate all the conditions.

2- SNHR emphasizes that the killings that happened in Talkalakh are crimes against humanity, and contain elements of systematic and widespread attacks against the civilian population in that town, where there was a siege, shelling and ground attack, where houses were searched, and executions occurred.

The same applies on rape, kidnapping, looting, and thefts, even if it is relatively minimal when compared to Extrajudicial killings.

3- Random Attacks committed by Syrian Government’s Armed Forces are considered violations of customary international humanitarian law, where it shelled a populated area and not a specific military target.

4- Those attacks, especially the bombings, caused the occasional loss of civilian life, and injury or damage to civilian objects. There are very strong indications to believe that the damage was too excessive when compared to the expected military advantage.

5- Syrian Government’s Armed Forces and Shabiha committed various types of cruel and inhuman acts of torture against people in violation of the State’s obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

6- SNHR emphasizes that the Syrian Government’s Armed Forces and Shabiha committed the war crime of looting, and contributed to the destruction and burning of property during the search of homes in the events of Talkalakh.

7- The volume of the massacre and repeated nature of the massacres, the excessive force used and random nature of the shelling and coordinated nature of the attack couldn’t occur unless they were instructed by a high authority. This is a state policy.

Recommendations:

Syrian Government:

1- Immediately stop all human rights violations.

2- Respect international obligations of protection of civilians in time of war, and respect the rules of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

Human Rights Council:

1- Demand the Security Council and concerned international institutions to uphold their responsibilities for what’s happening to the Syrian People regarding the killing, rape, displacement, and arrests.

2- Pay more serious attention to cases involving death by torturing, which are considered as the worst type of crimes at all.

3- Pressure the Syrian Government Troops to stop torturing and killing civilians, and to release those who were kidnapped and arrested.

4- Hold allies and supporters of the Syrian Government Troops: Russia, Iran, and China, morally and physically responsible for what’s happening to the Syrian people.

Security Council:

1- Decide to refer all the criminals and others involved to the ICC.

2- Warn the Syrian Government Troops of the repercussions of using brutal methods to rupture the stability of civil peace and coexistence between the people of the same society.

Arab League:

1- Demand the Human Rights Council and the United Nations to give serious and right attention in order to stop the daily killing.

2- Political and diplomatic pressure on the Syrian Government Troops’s main allies -Russia, Iran, and China – to prevent them from continuously providing cover and international and political protection for all the crimes committed against the Syrian people, and hold them morally and physically responsible for all the excess violence caused by the Syrian Government Troops.

3- Serious attention of this case and give it a high priority, and try to take care of victims’ families psychologically, materially, and educationally.