Trapped Civilians

By Myriam Clerge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Eastern and Southern Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Today, Ethiopian soldiers entered the northern town of Hodan, where insurgents regularly attack governmental soldiers and bases, and were quickly met with heavily armed insurgents. After a bloody battle involving Ethiopian tanks, machine guns and grenades, 18 people were left dead and dozens wounded. This was one of two violent clashes that took place in the streets of Mogadishu today.

Hundreds of thousands of displaced people have fled the capital since the fighting began late last year, however the number of refugees has increased dramatically in recent weeks as the violence and combat worsen. Those who remained in the capital are trapped in their homes, with no means of receiving police or medical assistance.  Aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has been unable to reach those in need due to the incessant violence, and many of the wounded people bleed to death. According to Colin McIlreavy, the MSF head of mission for Somalia, many people are forced to remain where they are and hope the violence doesn’t reach them.

Later today, Islamist insurgents dragged the dead bodies of two Ethiopian soldiers through the streets of Mogadishu, as a group of people followed chanting “God is great” and pelting the bodies with rocks. The scene was reminiscent of the failed 1993 U.S. operation in which the dead bodies of U.S. soldiers were dragged in the streets after two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down.

The gruesome event was preceded by fighting in the Suqa Holaha neighborhood in northern Mogadishu. Ethiopian soldiers entered the town by the hundreds, according to a local resident, and were again met with fierce resistance.  The total death toll of soldiers today was nine. Thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed since the fighting began. Thus far, the transitional government has been unable to gain control of the country.

For more information please see:

AllAfrica.com – Somalia: 19 People Killed 9 of Them Ethiopian Soldiers After Bloody Battle Erupts in Mogadishu – 8 November 2007

AllAfrica.com – Somalia: Mogadishu Residents Trapped By Violence – 7 November 2007

BBC- Bodies Dragged Through Mogadishu – 8 November 2007

Reuters: Africa – Somali Insurgents Drag Dead Ethiopians in Street – 8 November 2007

Minister and Newspaper Face Contempt Charges in PNG

By Sarah C. LaBelle
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

For background on the Moti affair and its effect on the region, please see theImpunity Watch reports on Moti’s appointment as attorney general for the Solomons, PNG government involvement in Moti’s escape, the Vanuatu case status, Australia’s extradition attempt and the missing PNG inquiry report, PNG court refusal to suppress the inquiry report, and Moti’s fear of assassination attempts.  The inquiry report itself was released to the defense minister on 28 September, and he rejected its findings last week.

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – Last week, PNG Defense Minister Bob Dadae released a statement rejecting the findings of the board of inquiry that dealt with the Moti affair.  (The Impunity Watch report on this statement may be found here.)  Unfortunately, it seems that these statements could for the basis of a contempt of court charge against both Dadae and the Sunday Chronicle, which printed his statements in a six page spread.

Ian Augerea, registrar for the Supreme and National Courts, said that the contempt charges would be based on making public statements “on issues that may be the subject of [an] appeal” before the Supreme Court.  The appeal in question is the one filed by Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and PNG Defense Force officers Captain Tom Ur and Colonel Vagi Oala.  Augerea took out full-page notices in both The National and the Post-Courier in which he said that Dadae’s statement went against advice from the courts and could be in contempt of the Supreme Court.  He also mentioned that the chief justice is in the process of empanelling a bench to deal with the contempt issue.

Augerea warned in his notices that “All issues are under judicial consideration and therefore comments by the public are prohibited.  Continuation of publication or discussion may be regarded as seeking to influence the Supreme Court […] Any further public discussions on the Moti case is to cease immediately.”

Regarding the registrar’s statements, former Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan said in support of the court, “You know, I did warn that when the government becomes so powerful, it has no respect for the separation of powers.”  Opposition leader Sir Mekere Morauta said that the issue was that PNG laws were broken during the Moti flight, and that independent institutions, like the public prosecutor, need to conduct their own investigations.

Today, The National reported that three Supreme Court justices have been chosen to handle the contempt of court hearings, though their names have not yet been released.

For more information, please see:

Pacific Islands Report (PNG Post-Courier) – PNG High Court Threatens Against Moti Disclosure – 05 November 2007

The National – Dadae, paper face contempt charges – 05 November 2007

Islands Business – Courts bar Moti debate – 06 November 2007

Pacific Magazine – PNG Minister and Paper Could Be In Contempt – 07 November 2007

The National – Three SC judges to handle ‘Moti’ – 08 November 2007

Israeli construction in settlements

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel – On November 7, Peace Now, an Israeli NGO, released a report on development of illegal settlements in Occupied Palestinians Territories (OPT).  The report stated that, according to government statistics, the settler population is now 267,500; showing an annual growth of 5.8%.  This is more than three times the annual growth of Israel (1.8%).

The settlements are viewed as a violation of international law, which prohibits occupiers from populating occupied land.  Expansion of settlements is underway, despite Israel’s claims of a “settlement freeze” and its obligations under the US-backed “road-map” to dismantle unauthorized outposts built since March 2001.  According to the report, in 34 unauthorized outposts permanent structures are being built and construction is underway in 88 authorized settlements.  Most of the large projects are being built in settlements located in the West Bank, but on the Israeli side of the Separation Barrier, especially in settlements near East Jerusalem, the Ma’ale Adumim bloc, the Gush Etzion bloc, and Giv’at Ze’ev bloc

The report on the continued settlement expansions has several implications regarding the upcoming peace conference scheduled for later this month.  The settlements are a key issue for Palestinians, who want their future state to include all of the West Bank.  The settlements threaten the continuity of the West Bank, breaking it up into two portions, and will cut it off from East Jerusalem.  Peace Now’s director, Yariv Oppenheimer, said that “if you want to have a two-state solution then you can’t continue to expand settlements.”  The continued expansion of settlements makes an already difficult discussion of borders more difficult.

The report:
Peace Now – Construction in settlements continues – 7 November 2007

For more information, please see:
Telegraph – Israeli settlers increasing in West Bank – 8 November 2008

Al Jazeera – Jewish settler outposts “expanding” – 7 November 2007

Associated Press – Israeli watchdog: Settlements growing – 7 November 2007

BBC – West Bank settlements “expanding” – 7 November 2007

International Herald Tribune – Israel talks peace, but expanding settlement hurts prospects for Palestinian state – 7 November 2007

Jerusalem Post – Peace Now: settlements are expanding – 7 November 2007

International Middle East Media Center – Report: Illegal Israeli settlements rapidly expanding – 7 November 2007

Torture Endemic in Egypt

By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – Torture is endemic in Egypt. In less than a week, two separate incidents of Egyptian torture have surfaced on media, raising concerns over the country’s current human rights condition.

On Monday, an Egyptian court jailed two police officers for three years each for torturing a bus driver during police custody. Although a trial featuring police officers accused of torture was nothing new in Egypt, it was the first case involving a video that was circulated on the Internet.

In January 2006, Emad el-Kebir was detained for trying to stop an argument between his cousin and a policeman. Following his release, he was arrested again and was jailed for three months after a judge found him guilty of resisting arrest. El-Kabir later filed a complaint about his mistreatment during detention.

In November 2006, several Egyptian bloggers posted a video, which also later appeared on the popular video-sharing site YouTube, showing el-Kebir naked from the waist down being sodomized with a stick. As he screamed in pain, the officers ridiculed him. He was also hit with shoes, a whip, and a gun. The video was apparently filmed by the assailants on a mobile phone, and was circulated in order to intimidate others.

El-Kabir, who was in court to hear the verdicts against officers Islam Nabih and Reda Fathi, rejoiced the ruling. “God is great! Thank God!” he shouted. “I regained my right. I don’t want anything more than that.”

Torture is widespread in Egypt because suspects are often held in incommunicado for long time and police interrogations take place without restraint. A few days after el-Kebir’s victory, a man’s body was found on the street in Giza. He had been tortured by police for three days, and eventually died.

The Egyptian authorities deny all allegations of systematic torture in the country and insist that these cases are isolated incidents.

For More information, please see:

BBC News – Egyptian man dies ‘after torture’ – 7 November 2007

News 24 – Man dies after police torture – 7 November 2007

Human Rights Watch – Police officer get three years for beating, raping detainee – 7 November 2007

Associated Press – 2 cops sentenced for torture – 5 November 2007

BBC News – Egypt police jailed for torture – 5 November 2007

BRIEF: Tongan Mother Seeks Inquiry Into Son’s Death

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga – Saane Fifita is calling for an inquiry into her son’s death after seeing footage showing him alive in front of the burning building in which he is said to have died during last year’s riots.  Former Tonga Police Commander Senilau Kolokihakaufisi, who was the police commander at the time of the riots, said that he did believe that Senituli Fifita died in the building, and suggested that he re-entered the burning building to loot it.

However, Saane Fifita has also heard, from a senior police detective, that her son was taken into custody and beaten by police.  A study on the treatment of riot prisoners has shown that 53% of those arrested were abused at the hands of the police.  Kolokihakaufisi does not believe the report to be accurate, though he does concede that it was one of his own men who reported the beating to Saane Fifita.

For more information, please see:

ONE News – Mother seeks independent inquiry over son’s death – 05 November 2007

Pacific Magazine – Tongan Mother Wants Inquiry Into Son’s Death – 07 November 2007