Egypt’s Mansour Will Expedite Trial of Detained Australian Journalist

By Thomas Murphy
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – In a rare move, Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour, has committed to expediting the trial of Australian journalist Peter Greste. The interim President made this known in a recent letter written to Greste’s family. Mansour is also the current Chief Justice presiding over the Supreme Constitutional Court, Egypt’s highest court.

Peter Greste and his colleagues are detained in a metal cage during their appearance before the trial court on March 5.

“I would like to assure you in my capacity as president of Egypt, that I will spare no effort to work towards the speedy resolution of the case, in a fashion consistent with the law and that guarantees the reunion of the family in the near future,” Mansour wrote in the letter, seen by The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The Al Jazeera Network has called the gesture an “encouraging sign.” Additionally, a spokesperson for the organization stated that it demonstrates the actions of their journalists in Egypt were legal and that there is no case against them.

Greste, was arrested with two Al Jazeera producers, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, on December 29. They have now been detained for 81 days. The three are charged with joining a terrorist organization, the Muslim Brotherhood, and broadcasting false information without proper working permits. They have all plead not guilty.

It remains unclear if the letter mentions Fahmy or Baher, even though they arrested together with Greste and thus, under the same circumstances. The trial also includes seventeen other journalists charged with similar crimes.

The trial has drawn criticism from international human rights groups who say that Egypt is merely attempting to suppress free speech. Institutions including the White House, the European Union and the United Nations have called for the release of the journalists, and for press freedoms to be upheld.

The arrests occurred at the same time as a crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood. Egyptian authorities accuse the Al Jazeera Network of aiding the Muslim Brotherhood. As a result, Al Jazeera has been banned from reporting in the country.

The trial has been adjourned until March 24.

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Egypt’s Mansour to expedite Al Jazeera trial – 19 March 2014

CNN – Egypt President will ‘spare no effort’ to resolve case of Al Jazeera journalist  – 19 March 2014

Montreal Gazette – Egypt leader says will try to expedite trial of detained Australian journalist – 18 March 2014

Al Jazeera – Al Jazeera journalists appear in Egypt court, see trial adjourned – 5 March 2014

al-Shabab Suicide Bomber Kills Many at Hotel

By: Danielle L. Gwozdz
Impunity Watch News Reporter, Africa

African Union and Somali government forces march around Buloburde

 

A car bomb exploded by the hotel where African Union and Somali officers were staying. Gunfire continued afterwards for five hours.

The al-Shabab suicide bomber rammed a car into the gates of the hotel before gunmen sprayed the building with bullets, killing many.

This attack occurred at nighttime in Bulobarde yesterday (Tuesday). al-Shabab abandoned Bulobarde last week when African troops advanced on the town in a new offensive aimed to flush the militants from the area.

Six soldiers were killed, including a top Somali army commander, the African Union stated.

However, the al-Shabab, who have claimed responsibility for the attack, have said that 30 African Union and army officers were killed in the attack.

A spokesman for the African Union has stated that all al-Shabab fighters involved in the attack have been killed, but he did not specify how many this was.

Local elder Hassan Nur said his nephew, a military commander, was among the killed.

“Most of the troops and civilians inside the hotel died or were wounded. We couldn’t count how many died because AU (African Union) and Somali forces swarmed all over the place,” Nur said.

The African Union force, known as AMISOM, said it stood with the “fallen soldiers” but did not state how many were killed.

al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has waged an eight-year insurgency to overthrow the weak UN-backed government and create an Islamic state in Somalia.

Bulobarde, which has a bridge over the River Shabelle and is a crossroads linking various regions of the country, was an important and strategic point for al-Shabab.

al-Shabab lost control of Mogadishu in 2011, but has intensified bombings and mortar raids in the city in recent weeks.

The militants, who seek to impose their version of Islamic law, were driven out of bases in the capital, but have continued to control swathes of countryside and smaller towns, which they use as launch-pads to carry out attacks at home and abroad.

Tuesday’s strike by al-Shabab followed an attack on Monday on a military convoy near the capital Mogadishu, which killed four Somali soldiers, according to an army captain.

al-Shabab said it carried out the attack to punish Kenya for sending troops to Somalia. Kenya said it had arrested two suspected al-Shabab militants on Monday with bombs that might have targeted the coast, which is popular with tourists.

For more information, please visit:

BBC News – Somalia’s al-Shabab attacks army hotel in Bulo-burde – 18 March 2014
The Frontier Post – Al-Shabab attack army hotel – 19 March 2014
Reuters – Somali militant strike kills peacekeepers, government troops – 18 March 2014
The Guardian – Somali militant strike kills peacekeepers, government troops – 19 March 2014

Former Rebel Wins El Salvador Presidential Election

By Brandon R. Cottrell 
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America 

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – El Salvador’s Electoral Court confirmed yesterday that Sanchez Ceren, the former rebel and left wing presidential candidate, won the March 9th presidential election by securing 50.11% of the votes.  As a result, Ceren becomes the first former rebel to serve as president in El Salvador.

Sanchez Ceren was just recently confirmed as the winner in El Salvador’s presidential election (Photo Courtesy Al Jazeera).

Ceren, who defeated conservative candidate Norman Quijano (who received 49.89% of the vote), will serve a five-year term beginning June 1, 2014.  Quijano, who had challenged the election result on the basis of fraud and other foul play, ultimately could not produce enough evidence to prove fraud.

Ceren, who was a guerrilla commander during El Salvador’s Civil War in the 1980’s and 1990’s, has served as the vice president for the past five years.  As vice president, he was behind many of the social spending programs in El Salvador and during his campaign he pledged that there would be even more spending, with the hope that such spending will combat the inequality that plagues the country.

In Latin America, there is an emerging trend of leftist candidates, who had been involved guerilla movements, being elected president.  Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and Venezuela are all countries that have such presidents.  Quijano, whose campaign ads attempted to characterize Ceren Hugo Chavez, warned that the election of Ceren would result in chaos and violence.  Ceren has combated such allegations by maintaining that he wants to position himself in the center of the political spectrum and has called for reconciliation and unity of the left and right.

As Ceren prepares to take office, there are numerous issues that he will be tasked with facing.  Foremost, with the country averaging nine murders per day in 2014 and the continued rise of gang related extortion, security (and reducing the violence) is a must and was cited as the biggest concern for most voters.

Additionally, a 2012 gang truce, which had cut the murder rates, is reportedly in trouble—yet Ceren has remained silent on the subject, which will need to be addressed.  Closely related, are El Salvador’s prisons, which are categorized as overcrowded and inhumane.  While the left wing has spent considerable resources trying to rehabilitate its criminals as a means of crime prevention, many others “prefer the idea of locking [the criminals] all up and throwing away the key.”

Lastly, there are numerous human rights related issues that must be dealt with.  Such issues include an amnesty law regarding former military leaders, the investigation of a 1981 massacre (where the army killed over 800 civilians), and women’s rights—including a complete ban on abortions.  Almudena Bernabeu, an international lawyer, has said that “you cannot rebuild a society by excluding the majority of the citizens … and [f]ailing to provide justice to them (victims of the civil war and women generally) means excluding them. This is a very interesting moment for human rights in El Salvador.”

Meanwhile, Jose Miguel, president of the Institute of Legal Medicine, has said that “the most worrying thing is the intolerance and deep divisions within the population, so the biggest challenge for the new government is [unite the country].”

 

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – El Salvador’s Post-Poll Challenges – 17 March 2014

BBC – El Salvador Ex-Rebel’s Presidential Victory Confirmed – 17 March 2014

Reuters – El Salvador Court Ratifies Ruling-Party Presidential Candidate’s Win – 17 March 2014

Washington Post – Former Guerrilla Commander Wins El Salvador Presidential Election – 14 March 2014