Brazil’s Chief Prosecutor Targets key Political Figures

By Cintia Garcia
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASILIA, Brazil—As suspended Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff presently stands in impeachment trial for failing to comply with fiscal rules, the chief prosecutor has called for new arrests. The chief prosecutor Rodrigo Janot has ordered the arrest of Brazil’s ex-president Jose Sarney, senate speaker Renan Calheiros, ex-lower house speaker Eduardo Cunha, and PMDB leader Romero Juca. All four are members of the PMDB party, the largest political party in Brazil.

At center interim president Michael Temer with Mr. Juca and Mr. Calheiros. (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)

The four politicians are accused of obstructing a two year investigations in the corruption scandal known as Operation Car Wash. The corruption scandal surrounds the state-owned oil company, Petrobras. The order to arrest the four political powerhouses stems from a taped telephone conversation. The alleged voices in the recordings are of Mr. Calheiros, Mr. Sarney, and Mr. Juca in which they discuss derailing the investigation. The conversation was leaked by a Brazilian newspaper. The tapes were produced by senator Sergio Machado who ran a Petrobras-owned logistic company. He made the recordings in return of a plea deal.

Prior to the leaked conversation, Mr. Cunha was removed by the Supreme Court as the lower house speaker for obstructing Justice. He is under investigation for receiving “kickbacks” from Petrobras contracts and for hiding 16 million in Switzerland. Mr. Cunha never declared the bank accounts.

The accused have denied the allegations. Mr. Calheiros stated that the request is “unreasonable, disproportionate and abusive.” If the allegations are true, this would be a severe blow to current interim president, vice president Michel Temer a member of the PMDB party. Since becoming president both members of his party and cabinet members have been removed from office. These events would further support ousted President Dilma Rousseff claim that her impeachment trial is masking a coup led by the opposition party PMDB.

In order for the arrest to proceed, the Supreme Court must approve the arrest. The Supreme Court’s approval is necessary because three of the four men are current members of the senate. The Supreme Court has refused to deny or affirm the truth of the allegations.

For more information, please see:

Aljazeera—Brazil Prosecutor Seeks Arrest of top Politicians—7 June 2016

BBC—Brazil Crisis: A Timeline—12 May 2016

BBC—Brazil Prosecutor Seeks Arrest of top Politicians, Media Report—7 June 2016

Reuters—Brazilian Prosecutors Targets Senior Ruling Party Leaders: Report—7 June 2016

Al Jadid: Syrian Children and the Exit from the Dark Tunnel!

For more than five decades, the Syrian child was subjected to an orderly process of upbringing to control the phases of his growth and maturity. Following the nursery phase, which did not have an ideological formation, the child entered the realm of official popular organizations, along the North Korean model, controlling the child’s consciousness and distorting his growth.
Among the new promised generation, ideological series of “brainwashing” continued while accompanied with the development of an intelligence psychology. A seed planted very early, in the beginning stages of their burgeoning awareness, resulted in the “art” of reporting fellow students to state officials. These practices developed in scope as the students gradually advanced in age, all the way until they entered the realm of practical life.
The training for children of the “Baath Vanguards” kept them away from concepts of childhood like freedom and spontaneity. The children were subject to rounds of military training from their early childhood. Instructional political lessons instilled in their immature imaginations misleading concepts about modernism, openness, accepting the other, and pluralism.
This training forced the student to repeat empty slogans consisting of themes like the worship of the individual, along with concepts irrelevant to the child, leaving him unaware of who drafted them or of their moral or even linguistic significance. Some, mistakenly, have resorted to frivolous defenses of the Syrian regime by providing distasteful examples from totalitarian countries or countries hostile to democracy, like former East Germany. In East Germany, advocates truly believed in a clear ideology, although they tried to disseminate it among the youth through rude and poor methods. The former East German methods differed in their respect for the concept of childhood, through which they infiltrated soft and fresh minds in order to implant concepts they believed in and attempted to maintain. In the Syrian case, those in charge of the content of the message, from Vanguard supervisors, teachers, or guides, were in fact detached from the goals of their tasks, and attached instead to their real habits of flattery, submission, and corruption.
During subsequent periods of training, the Syrian youth, subject to the “Union of the Revolutionary Youth,” grew up with the concepts of “securitocracy.” This meant that their successes and prominence depended on their loyalty proven by reporting their peers and even their parents. In addition, mobilization meetings consisting of stuffing, repetition, and recitation of concepts, did nothing to aid the progression or practice of thought, but instead distanced the youth from the basic sources of consciousness, such as reading, and the development of critical thinking and sensitivity. Regardless of whether the man or woman came from a family known for its progressive and nationalist consciousness, their subjugation to this hellish machine erased everything they dared to keep from their parents’ socialization. Only rarely, if their family upbringing proved exceptionally strong, would students challenge the full swing manufacturing of illusion and intellectual poverty. The mainly security personnel, those in charge of socializing the new generation at the most delicate stage of their age, showed no concern for disseminating values or educating young generations about their roles in the collective future of their country and their people.
To arrive at the perfect conclusion of this training, the students entered the college level in parallel to the development of a political-security apparatus called the “National Union of Syrian Students.” Here, “educators” implemented stages of classification, perhaps humorous in appearance, but destructive in reality. Members would label their colleagues from “neutral” to “positive neutral,” or “negative neutral,” among other classifications, which crowded the files of the Union, as well as those of the security branches in charge of these college organizations. Besides corrupting the students’ relationships with each other, the culture of “treason, condemnation, and complaint,” also applied to their teachers, who found themselves subject to the same evaluative standards, unless they happened to be lucky or acted in blind submission to the will of the state.
Generations graduated through this dark tunnel of successive “popular organizations.” While sending children to religious schools offered the only possible form of societal resistance to these popular organizations, the majority of the administrators of  those  schools  tended to hold extremist views. At  the time, this did not bother the state, as officials believed  that  religious indoctrination would teach the students submission and obedience, and would not incite revolts against their superiors, especially when the state closely watched the religious bodies in question.
The phenomenon of private schools returned at a later stage as a result of the weakening of the influence of the “popular organizations.” However, private schools failed to raise student consciousness or initiate constructive debate. In fact, through the teachings of these schools, the youth came under the influence of the negative aspects of foreign cultures, identifying with spiritual and moral impoverishment, which in turn served a new kind of parasitic bourgeoisie, fully connected to the state.
A whole generation has suffered from this backlog of oppression. Yet, despite all the lapses and imperfections of its creations, the genie of repression eventually demanded its freedom and the freedom of its downtrodden parents. Syrian youth will be able to contribute to the process of reconstructing their country, if it will be built on a clear and transparent basis, dependent on civil peace supported by international will, though that goal may have to wait for a long time.
Translated, from the Arabic, by Elie Chalala. The author has granted Al Jadid magazine the right to translate and publish his essay. 
The Arabic version of Mr. al-Kawakibi’s essay appeared in
https://hunasotak.com/article/20651?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2-1532c616494
This essay appeared in Al Jadid, Vol. 20, no. 70 (2016).

Syrian Network for Human Rights: Levels of killings dating back to what it was before the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement

Levels of killings dating back to what it was before the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement
The Killing of 872 Civilians in May 2016, 498 amongst which were killed by government forces

Introduction

This report encompasses the casualties’ death toll of who were killed by major conflict parties in Syria:
A- Government forces (army, security forces, local militias and foreign Shiite militias)
B- Russian Forces
C- Kurdish Self Management Forces (Mainly Democratic Union forces – People’s Protection Units and Asayish forces)
D- Extremist Islamic Groups
E- Armed opposition Groups
F- International Coalition Forces
G- Unidentified groups
More..

Dutch Woman Arrested in Qatar After Reporting Rape

by Zachary Lucas
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DOHA, Qatar – – A Dutch woman was arrested after making a rape claim to local authorities in Qatar following her alleged rape. The woman has been held since mid-March and could face charges of having sex outside of marriage.

Dutch Woman Was Arrested After Alleging Rape in Doha (Photo Courtesy of BBC)

A Dutch woman, who’s identity has not been revealed and was referred to as “Laura” by the Dutch foreign ministry, was on holiday in Doha when the incident occurred. Laura was having drinks at a bar in a hotel with friends. After one of the drinks Laura stated she felt “unwell.” She woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar apartment and realized she had been sexually assaulted.

Laura immediately reported the incident to local authorities and was subsequently arrested. She has been detained by Qatari authorities since mid-March and could face charges of adultery and alcohol-related offenses. Laura’s attorney, Brian Lokollo, says that no charges have been officially filed and that she will appear before a judge on June 13. The alleged assailant has also been arrested and denies the rape allegations. He stated that the sex was consensual and that she had asked for money. Laura denies those accusations.

Adultery, or having sex outside of marriage, is a crime in Qatar like many other Gulf Arab nations. Under Qatar’s Penal Code, “anyone who copulates with a female above sixteen without compulsion, duress or ruse is convicted to no more than seven years in prison. The same penalty is also imposed on the female for her consent.”

Qatar’s former justice minister, Najeeb al-Nauimi, says to convince a judge her defense will have to prove that there were “no voluntary actions” between her and the alleged assailant. Even evidence that would suggests she walked next to the alleged assailant might give a judge doubt to the actions not being voluntary. Signs of force would need to be proven.

There have been similar incidents in the Gulf Arab region. In 2013, a Norwegian woman reported a rape in the United Arab Emirates and was subsequently arrested, charged, and convicted of indecent behavior, perjury and alcohol consumption. She received a sentence of 16 months, but was later pardoned and returned home.

For more information, please see:

Aljazeera-Qatar: Dutch Woman Who Alleged Rape to Appear in Court-12 June 2016

BBC-Dutch Woman Arrested in Qatar After Making Rape Claim -11 June 2016

CNN -Dutch Woman Jailed in Qatar After Reporting Rape May Face Charges – 12 June 2016

The Guardian-Dutch Woman Arrested in Qatar After Reporting Rape to Appear in Court-12 June 2016

Violent Riots Ensue in the Midst of the Euro 2016 Football Tournament

By Sarah Lafen
Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France — This past week at the Euro 2016 championship football tournament in Marseille, France, English and Russian fans engaged in violent fights at a match between the two countries.  After the match ended in a tied 1-1 score, Russian fans jumped over the barriers separating the two nations’ fans and swarmed the section where the British fans sat.  Some Russians were equipped with fireworks and flares which were subsequently set off within the stadium.  Witnesses stated that some attackers wore mouth guards and fighting gloves during the brawls.

Russian fans smuggled fireworks and flares in to the match (Photo Courtesy of BBC)

According to Marseille’s emergency services, over 30 people were injured in the riots, including three police officers.  As a result of the riots, multiple head wounds were sustained, a significant amount of blood was shed, one man was knocked unconscious, and another suffered a heart attack.  Police used tear gas to break up the riots.

In anticipation of potential violent outbursts, France took extra security measures to prevent riots of this exact nature.  The Minister of Interior denied 3,000 people entry to the country, based on lists of people banned from stadiums in different countries, on suspicions they would bring disruption to the national order of France.  Bars in the Vieux-Port area of Marseille closed hours earlier than they normally do.

The Union of European Football Association (UEFA) has threatened to disqualify both England and Russia if these violent riots continue.  UEFA has already begun taking disciplinary actions against the Russian Football Union, charging them with crowd disturbances, racist behavior, and for the use of fireworks within a stadium.  A decision in regards to the sanctions will be made within a few days, once all evidence has been considered.

Both England and Russia have condemned the fighting.  Russia displayed its support for the launch of an investigation into their participation in the riots, and the United Kingdom Government has offered to send British police to the England’s next match against Wales in Lens, France.  Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA), the governing body of the sport, has also condemned the violence.  FIFA released a statement calling the riots “wholly unacceptable.”

So far, 17 people have been arrested in connection with the riots.

For more information, please see:

BBC — Euro 2016: England and Russia Given Disqualification Warning — 12 June 2016

CNN — Euro 2016: Dozens Injured as Crowds of Rival Fans Brawl — 12 June 2016

CNN — Euro 2016: Russia, England Threatened with Disqualification Over Violence — 12 June 2016

The Guardian — Euro 2016: England and Russia Fans Clash Before and After Match — 12 June 2016

The Guardian — England and Russia Could be Thrown out of Euro 2016 if There is More Violence — 12 June 2016

NY Times — Russia and England Fans Clash Repeatedly at European Championships — 11 June 2016