22 May 2013 – German authorities have refused to grant William Browder, the leader of the global campaign for justice for Sergei Magnitsky, safe passage to Germany from a politically motivated Russian arrest warrant, resulting in the cancellation of the European Magnitsky Law event, scheduled in Berlin on 27 May 2013.

In the latest development concerning the Magnitsky sanctions, the German government has informed the event organisers that Germany is not able to guarantee the safe passage of Mr Browder to Berlin, in light of the recent actions from the Russian government who are seeking assistance from police worldwide to “locate” Mr Browder in retaliation for his campaigning for sanctions on Russian officials.

William Browder was a keynote speaker at the ‘Time for European Magnitsky Law’ event, on the invitation of European Parliament deputy Kristiina Ojuland, and the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy.  The event was to be held in Germany next week within the framework of the Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy & Human Rights 2013 (www.bhrc.de), which has freedom of expression on the agenda.

“It is remarkable that the German authorities, who have refused calls to sanction Russian officials responsible for torturing and killing 37-year old Sergei Magnitsky, are now effectively sanctioning the person fighting for justice for Mr Magnitsky. By doing so, the German authorities are, for all intents and purposes, becoming an accessory to the Russian cover-up of Magnitsky’s killers in Europe,” said a Hermitage Capital representative.

The actions of the German authorities are in contrast to actions from the UK, Belgian and Norwegian governments, who undertook not to act on political and abusive requests from the Russian government in relation to Mr Browder.

For further information, please see:

Law and Order in Russia

Central African Republic & Uganda

MOSCOW, Russia – On Monday, two car bombs, which occurred in Russia’s North Caucasus region, killed eight people and left 20 injured. Officials believe the incident was aimed towards law enforcement officers because the explosion occurred outside a local marshal’s building.

Two successive car bombs kill eight and leaves 20 wounded. (Photo Courtesy of CNN).

Although security officials found one bomb and were in the process of defusing the first car explosive, another bomb in a separate vehicle was detonated soon thereafter.

A spokesman for Daghestan’s Interior Ministry, Vyacheslav Gasanov, stated that no one was hurt after the first explosion occurred outside the headquarters of the court’s bailiffs’ directorate. However, several individuals were killed after the second blast ensued.

Investigators stated that both explosions were set off by remote control.

Although no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, Islamist insurgents launch near daily attacks on police and federal officials in the North Caucasus region.

Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region between Chechnya and the Caspian Sea, is one of the most violent province in the North Caucasus area. Insurgents claim they are battling to create an Islamic state out of southern Russia. As a result tens of thousands of people have been killed.

Car bombs, suicide bombings, and firefights are common in Dagestan. In the past, rebels sought to increase casualties by setting off a blast to attract law enforcement officers and then detonate a second bomb.

In 1999, Putin launched the second war in Chechnya when he was acting as prime minister. In addition, he likes to take credit for preventing the region from splitting from Russia.

Simultaneously, on Monday, Russian militants and security forces announced that they prevented a terror attack planned for Moscow.

The National Anti-Terror Committee expressed that security forces killed two militants and detained another. All three were described as Russian citizens trained in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The operation took place in the Orekhovo-Zuevo region of the Moscow suburbs.

A spokesman stated, “They were planning a terror attack in Moscow.” No civilians were injured. However, one Federal Security Service officer was wounded.

For further information, please see:

Aljazeera – Car Bombings Hit Russia’s Dagestan – 20 May 2013

CNN – 8 Dead, 20 Hurt in Dagestan Bombing, Security Officials Say – 20 May 2013

NBC News – Car Bombs Kill At Least Two in Russia’s Dagestan – 20 May 2013

RFE/RL – Deaths Reported in Dagestan Bombing – 20 May 2013

AMMAN, Jordan – Al-Zaatari, Jordan, the second largest refugee camp in the world, is set to become the largest by the end of this year.  The camp, already home to 500,000 refugees, receives between 2,000 – 4,000 refugees on days when the violence in Syria is especially dire, and will soon overtake the Dabaab camp near the Somali-Kenyan border as the highest-populated refugee camp in the world.  According to Jordan’s Ministry of Interior, al-Zaatari as a city is the fifth largest population center in Jordan.

Al-Zaatari’s refugee camp is estimated to become the world’s largest refugee camp in the world by the end of this year. (Photo Courtesy of Al Jazeera)

Jordanians, struggling to recover from the country’s recent economic collapse, are weary of the increase of refugees, and have resorted to blaming them for a shortage of water and electricity.  ”This is really the first time where we hear people in this country very loudly articulating views against opening our borders to receive more refugees,” said Jordanian Legislator Mustafa Hamarneh.

Jordan, concerned about the long term effects of housing so many refugees, requested the global community to provide immediate aide.  ”We need the UN’s assistance, and we need it immediately,” said Jordanian Minister of Interior Hussein Majali in a press conference.  Majali praised the UN’s efforts thus far, but said that more is still needed to be done.  ”We could see two million refugees in Jordan by the end of the year,” said Majali.  ”The crisis is affecting Jordan on every level, healthcare, economically, education, all our sectors are being stressed.”  Refugee Affairs Coordinator for Jordan’s Ministry of Interior, Saleh al-Kilani, said that the refugee crisis costs the jordanian government 2,500 Jordanian Dinars (approximately $3,500) per refugee per year, and that Jordan has already spent $826 million on the current crisis.

Syrians refugees are also voicing their resentment, as riots and protests now occur regularly within the al-Zaatari camps.  Residents of the camp say that they are tired of the “wretched living conditions,” and that “they are being made to feel like prisoners.”

The al-Zaatari camp itself is comprised of tents and mobile-home caravans.  The caravans create a class-based distinction between refugees who have little, and those who have less.  Refugees turned al-Zaatari into their own community by establishing an unregulated marketplace.  Refugees successfully converted tin stalls into shops and vendors, and created jobs within the camps, where they earn a steady income in teaching in Unicef-run schools, cleaning bathrooms, and pitching tents.

Jordan, a key ally of the U.S., is also concerned about the next state of Syria if the Assad regime falls.  It is weary of what could occur if Syria becomes an extremist state.  Hamarneh believes that no country in the Middle East, including Jordan, would be prepared for that outcome.

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera — Jordan to Host ‘World’s Largest Refugee Camp’ — 16 May 2013

Catholic Online — As Death and Destruction Rain Down in Syria, Refugees Flee With Lives to Jordan — 16 May 2013

CBS News — Tensions Rise as Syrian Refugees Flood Jordan — 16 May 2013

Jordan Times — Jordan Hosting Largest Number of Registered Syrian Refugees — 16 May 2013

New York Times — Syrian Refugees Struggle at Zaatari Camp — 16 May 2013

MOSCOW, Russia – May 17^th is International Day Against Homophobia.  LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) communities around the world plan to mark this day with events such as gatherings and rallies.  However, in Eastern European countries in particular, signs of discrimination against LGBT peoples remain prevalent.

Moldovan gay-right’s activist Artiom Zavadovsky stands by a banner with the promise, “Everything will change for the better.” (Photo Courtesy of RFE/RL)

Last week, a man, age 23, in the southern Russian city of Volgograd was tortured and murdered by several of his companions when he admitted to them he was gay over a few beers, according to investigators.  Close friends and family of the victim deny the allegation he was gay.

At least two men, ages 22 and 27, were arrested in connection with the murder, and are belied to have allegedly beat the victim, sodomized him with a beer bottle, smashed in his skull with a stone, and then dumped his naked body.  A third has been questioned.  Activists in Russia say that it is rare for police to specify homophobia as the motive for a crime.

Local laws banning dissemination of “homosexual propaganda” to anyone under 18 have cropped up across the country, and a bill for a national ban on “homosexual propaganda” will receive a second reading in parliament later this month.

Authorities in Moscow rejected requests by the Russian LGBT community to hold a gay pride march later this month to celebrate 20 years since homosexuality was taken off the books as a criminal offense, despite the flexibility of the request to accept several alternative days for the march.  They claimed the venue the activists wanted was booked.

In St. Petersburg, one of the first cities to ban “homosexual propaganda,” authorities accepted an application for a rally to mark International Day Against Homophobia.  Despite the ban, portions of St. Petersburg and other cities, usually green-spaces, were designated, under the presidency of Dmitry Medvedev, as “free-speech zones” where citizens can hold events by simply notifying authorities in advance, without going through the often difficult process of receiving official permission which typically results in denied applications.  Activists took advantage of this procedure in St. Petersburg in order to hold their rally, despite several cries from anti-gay politicians to ban the event.

In Moldova, activists have been met with some success recently in combating intolerance and this week launched their 12th annual weeklong “Rainbow Over The Dniester” festival to coincide with International Day Against Homophobia in the conservative and predominantly Orthodox Christian country.  Festival organizer Anastasia Danilova believes that access to information has greatly helped people become more tolerant.

Despite the increasingly tolerant attitudes towards homosexuality in Moldova, Festival organizers decided to move the venue of a march scheduled for May 19^th from downtown Chisinau to another part of the city due to pressure from authorities over concerns of clashes and social tensions.  The Orthodox Church has criticized the march and called for a counterdemonstration the same day.

In Ukraine, the parliament is considering two bills that if passed would infringe on the free-speech rights of the LGBT community.  The bills, similar to Russia’s “homosexual propaganda” laws, define propaganda as any public activity that spreads positive information about homosexuality, such as rallies, parades, demonstrations about LGBT rights, discussions, or special courses.  Violators of the laws could be sentenced to several years in prison.

Meanwhile, legislators have postponed discussion on a bill to prevent discrimination  against sexual minorities after about 300 protesters gathered in front of parliament May 14, carrying signs with slogans such as, “We are the majority, and we are against homosexuals!” and, “No to Homosexuals, Yes to Family, Save Ukraine!”  Presently, sexual orientation and gender identity are not prohibited grounds for discrimination.

A report released by the E.U.’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) on Friday, based on a survey of 93,000 LGBT people throughout the E.U. and Croatia, confirmed that East European states had the highest records of  homophobic behavior, while over 1 in 4 respondents reported being attacked or threatened with violence in the last 5 years due to their LGBT identities.  Of those attacked, more than half reported that they did not report the incident to authorities because they believed no action would be taken.

However, despite the findings of the survey, Ioannis Dimitrakopoulos, head of FRA’s equality and citizens’ rights department, said there appeared to be a “pattern across Europe whereby things seem to be improving for the younger generation.”

The FRA survey of 93,000 LGBT persons shows high discrimination in Eastern Europe. (Photo Courtesy of BBC News)

For further information, please see:

BBC News – EU LGBT Survey: Poll on Homophobia Sparks Concern – 17 May 2013

Amnesty International – Ukraine: Discrimination and Violent Attacks in Pervasive Climate of Homophobia – 16 May 2013

HRW – Ukraine: Reject Discriminatory LGBT Laws – 16 May 2013

RFE/RL – Moldovan LGBT March Location Changed – 16 May 2013

RFE/RL – St. Petersburg LGBT Activists To Test ‘Propaganda Law’ With Tolerance Event – 16 May 2013

RFE/RL – Moldova’s LGBT Festival Seeks To Build On Recent Successes – 15 May 2013

RFE/RL – Ukraine MPs Postpone Antidiscrimination Debate After Protests – 14 May 2013

BBC News – Arrests Over ‘Anti-Gay’ Murder in Volgograd Russia – 13 May 2013

REF/RL – Russian Officials Say Volgograd Killing Was Homophobic Attack – 12 May 2013

ABUJA, Nigeria – Militant Islamist group Boko Haram just released a video where the group claimed responsibility for the recent attacks and hostage-taking in Nigeria.

A screenshot from the recent video released by Boko Haram. (Photo courtesy of BOKO HARAM/AFP)

Acquired by the AFP news agency last week, the video features Abubakar Shekau – the alleged leader of the Nigerian extremist group. Speaking in the Hausa language, Shekau personally admitted that it was his group who led the latest attacks on the northeastern region of the country.

“We are the ones that carried out the Bama attack,” Shekau said, referring to the May 7 assault in a village at Borno state near Nigeria’s north-eastern border with Cameroon. During the raid, 55 people, including soldiers and local law enforcers, were killed and 105 prisoners were freed on a police station, military barracks and government buildings.

“We also carried out the attack in Baga,” he added. This time he was referring to the April 16 raid in the town near Lake Chad which caused the death of approximately 200 people.

Seated on a rug with a kalashnikov resting behind his right shoulder, Shekau accused the army of illegally detaining the relatives of Boko Haram members, saying their release was a prerequisite for any truce. He further pointed out the excessive force employed by the soldiers in retaliating to the group.

“It was you, the security agents that went into town the following day and burnt homes and killed people at will,” Shekau said.

The military have reportedly told the press that it killed at least 30 Boko Haram members during the Baga assault. However, Shekau staunchly denied this in the video, saying, “none of our people were killed in Baga.”

Half way through the 12-minute video message, the screen splits, showing Shekau on the left with a group of unidentified women and children on the right.

“We kidnapped some women and children, including teenage girls,” he said.

According to Shekau, these people are currently held hostage in retaliation for the relatives of several Boko Haram members who were arrested by the army. Reports say that soldiers detained women, as well as children and infants, related to the group’s members in Kano, Bauchi and Damaturu.

“In a single house in Damaturu, eight of our women and 14 children were arrested. . . . As long as we do not see our women and children we will never release these women and children,” Shekau threatened.

The Boko Haram leader did not disclose the number and names of the women and children captured by his group.

For further information, please see:

African Spotlight – Boko Haram kidnaps women and children, releases hostage video – 13 May 2013

AFP – Nigeria Islamist video claims attacks, shows hostages – 13 May 2013

BBC News – Nigeria’s Boko Haram releases hostage video – 13 May 2013

TVC News – Nigeria: Boko Haram releases hostage video, claims recent attacks – 13 May 2013

Legal conclusions :

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala – Rios Montt, the former Guatemalan dictator, was found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity last Saturday for killing more than 1,700 Ixil Mayan Indians during Guatemala’s 36-year civil war.  He was sentenced to 80 years in prison.  Montt is the first Latin American ex-leader to be convicted of genocide, and the first former, or current leader in the world to be convicted of genocide in his own country.

Former Guatemalan dictator Ricardo Montt was sentenced to 80 years for Genocide when he commanded troops to kill more than 1,700 people of Ixil Mayan decent. (Photo Courtesy of the New York Times)

The 86-year old Montt held power in Guatemala from 1982-1983.  After overthrowing one leader during a coup, he was was overthrown immediately after.  During his year-long dictatorship, he commanded his troops to rape, torture, and murder thousands of Ixil Mayans when he implemented a scorched-earth policy against leftist rebels.  Troops massacred the indigenous population because they were thought to be assisting the rebels.  Over 200,000 people died during the course of the civil war.

After the civil war ended in 1996, Montt became a member of congress and was immune from prosecution.  Montt was indicted in January 2012 after losing his immunity when he finished his congressional term.  His attorneys tried to delay the trial in hopes that he would die before facing a court, however, attempts were futile when he and his former Chief of Military Intelligence, José Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez, went before Guatemala’s Supreme Court on March 19, 2013.

In a courtroom packed with Ixil Mayan people, garbed in traditional clothing, Judge Yassmin Barrios told Montt that he was “fully aware of plans to exterminate the indigenous Ixl population.”  Montt denied the charge, and proclaimed his innocence, claiming he never had control of the battlefield.  Former U.S. President, Ronald Reagan was a supporter of Montt, believed that Mott was “a man of great personal integrity.”  President Reagan believed that the dictator received a “bum rap” from rights groups when Montt implemented a scorched-earth policy.

The courtroom erupted in cheers after Montt, who claimed he had “never authorized, signed, proposed, or ordered attacks on a racial, ethnic, or religious group,” received his sentence.  ”I feel happy.  May no one else ever have to go through what I did.  My community has been sad ever since this happened,” said Elena de Paz, an Ixil Mayan whose parents were killed and home was burned by soldiers when she was only two years old.  Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu was also satisfied by the court’s decision.  ”Today we are happy, because for many years it was said that genocide was a lie, but today the court said it was true,” she said.

Amnesty International hailed the verdict, and called Montt’s trial “the trial of the decade.”

For further information please see:

Bloomberg News — Former Guatemalan Dictator Rios Montt Guilty of Genocide Charges — 11 May 2013

The Atlantic News Wire — Rios Montt Convicted of Genocide — 10 May 2013

Human Rights Watch — Guatemala: Rios Montt Convicted of Genocide — 10 May 2013

New York Times — Former Guatemalan Dictator Rios Montt Convicted of Genocide — 10 May 2013