Charles Taylor Trial Update

July 7, 2007

By Impunity Watch Africa

Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president on trial at The Hague for war crimes committed in Sierra Leone, finally broke his boycott of the court Tuesday. At Tuesday’s hearing Taylor plead not guilty to a slightly amended charge and the court explained their reasoning behind delaying the trial yet again until August 20. Taylor has caused delays and problems with the trial since the opening statements in June when he failed to show up and instead sent a letter to the judge firing his lawyer and failing to recognize the court’s authority. The most recent delay was due to the fact that Taylor had not yet been appointed a new attorney.

A court official on Friday released the details of the money Taylor will receive for his defense. Taylor will receive a package worth $100,000 per month. This package includes $70,000 per month for the legal team. He will also get a senior investigator and office space in The Hague, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. This package is almost three times higher than any other case at the special court and twice as high as any at the Yugoslavia tribunal. Taylor is entitled to receive the funds because the court has ruled that he is indigent, despite the fact that United Nations experts suggest he has millions of dollars hidden in bank accounts throughout the world.

Taylor has repeatedly requested that a top-UK attorney known as a Queen’s Counsel represent him. Stephen Kay, a leading British barrister who represented Slobodan Milosevic at the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia until Milosevic’s death in March 2006, has been in talks with the Special Court for Sierra Leone to take over Taylor’s defense.

Meanwhile, the Sierra Leone Court Monitoring Group (SLCMP) issued a statement Tuesday that the Special Court violated a United Nations Security Council Resolution after the Court failed to broadcast the hearing. Resolution 1688 requires the Court to make the trial accessible to the people of West Africa, including Sierra Leone, through a video link. SLCMP stated that Tuesday’s hearing was for yet another delay, which further delayed justice for the people who suffered during the civil war. Those people deserve to hear the proceedings, so that they can understand the workings of the judicial court and know what is going on. Head of Press and Public Affairs at the Special Court responded that the failure to broadcast is not due to a desire to violate the Resolution nor a lack of seriousness by the Court, but rather a technical problem that is beyond their making. He promised that the issued will be solved by the time the proceedings begin in earnest in August.

For more information, please see:

Independent – War Crimes Trial Gives Taylor More Legal Funds – 07 July 2007

Institute for War and Peace – Milosevic Lawyer in Talks Over Taylor Defense – 06 July 2007

International Herald Tribune – Court grants Taylor More Money for Defense in Sierra Leone War Crimes Trial – 06 July 2007

AllAfrica – Special Court Violates UN Resolution – 05 July 2007

Chinese official sentenced to death for corruption

July 6, 2007

Cao Wenzhuang, a former pharmaceutical registration department director at the State Food and Drug Administration in China, has been sentenced to death by the Beijing No. 1 Intermediate Court. Mr. Cao is accused of accepting over $300,000 in bribes from two pharmaceutical companies who were seeking approval to sell their products.

Mr. Cao’s sentence comes less than two months after this same court sentenced the head of the State Food and Drug Administration, Zheng Xiaoyu, to death. Mr. Zheng was sentenced to death in May for taking over $800,000 in bribes to approve substandard medicines, including an antibiotic blamed for at least ten deaths.

Although the sentence may appear harsh, Mr. Cao’s sentence comes with a two-year reprieve, a lighter penalty that may allow him to serve his time as life in prison. These actions by the Chinese government is also a sign that China is determined to crack down on fraud, corruption, and counterfeiting in the country. Four other senior food and drug officials were also sentenced to long prison terms. This comes at a time when China is under increasing international criticism over the quality and safety of its products.

Concerns began when China exported pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical. Soon after, there were recalls of Chinese toothpaste, blocked imports of some Chinese seafood.

For more information, please see:
–http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/06/world/asia/06cnd-china.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
–http://www.wtopnews.com/index.php?nid=385&sid=1177730

Security forces surround Pakistan mosque

July 6, 2007

In Islamabad, Pakistan, hundreds of militant student are inside Lal Masjid (Red Mosque), surrounded by 12,000 Pakistani troops, defying a government order to surrender. The mosque attempted to set up a Taliban-style justice system.

Security forces began their assault on Lal Masjid this week, despite fears that action would inflame people across the country, especially in the pro-Taliban tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan.

At least 24 people have died, including militants, security officers and bystanders. Tanks fired shells at the mosque, destroying its front wall. Circling helicopters received heavy fire from within the mosque. The mosque’s chief was arrested and more than 1,000 of his followers surrendered. Security agents caught him trying to leave the mosque wearing a burqa (head-to-toe women’s gown).

About eight explosions were followed by some gunfire, which was followed by an announcement from security force loudspeakers outside the mosque, calling on the students to surrender, a witness said.

The events followed clashes at the mosque between security forces and the militants, who have been in conflict with the government for months. At least nine people have been killed.

An estimated 1,000 students are still in the building, about half of them female students.

For more information, please see:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IG06Df03.html

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/35ec0ee2-2a49-11dc-9208-000b5df10621,_i_rssPage=5d866f00-6714-11da-a650-0000779e2340.html

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/286205/1/.html

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/286163/1/.html

Young Child Kidnapped in Niger Delta

July 6, 2007

By Meryl White

Impunity Watch, Africa

On Thursday July 5th, Margaret Hill, the three year old daughter of an expatriate worker was kidnapped by gun men in the Niger Delta. Hill was seized on her way to school in Port Harcout. Her kidnapping follows that of five oil workers who were captured on Wednesday. Hill is the third child to be kidnapped by Nigerian militants in the past three weeks, as militants have been targeting children of wealthy oil workers and Nigerian state legislators. The first two children that were captured were set free unharmed after ransom payments were paid on their behalf.

UK’s Foreign Office has called for the “immediate safe release” of young Hill. A spokesman for the office stated, “We do not know who took her. We are in contact with her parents and are providing assistance. High Commission officials are in contact with the Nigerian authorities.”

The kidnappers contacted Mrs. Hill and allowed her to speak to her baby. Mrs Hill reported that the kidnappers arranged a meeting in a town in Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta region to allow for her husband to swap positions with the baby. The kidnappers gave the Hills three hours to arrive or young Hill would be killed. However, the police have not been able to identify the perpetrators or find the place of meeting.

Presently, The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend), which is the region’s most prominent military group has offered to help find the girl. The group wrote in an email sent to the Associated Press that “We will join in the hunt for the monsters who carried out this abduction and mete out adequate punishment for this crime – We abhor all forms of violence against women and children.” Moreover, according to Mrs. Hill, the gun men have demanded money and talks will ensue in order to secure the release of the young child.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Threat to Kill Missing UK Girl – 06 July 2007

CNN – Girl’s Kidnapper’s Demand Money – 06 July 2007

BBC – Three Year Old Seized in Nigeria – 05 July 2007

BBC’s Alan Johnston released in Gaza

July 5, 2007

On July 4, Alan Johnston was released after spending 16 weeks in captivity. His car was found in Gaza on March 12. Prior to being kidnapped, he spent three years as the BBC’s permanent correspondent in Gaza. For 114 days, Johnston was held captive by the Army of Islam, led by the Doghmush clan. The group demanded the release of Muslim prisoners in British custody in exchange for Johnston’s freedom.

According to Johnston, he was held in four different locations, two for only a short period of time. While Johnston was kept in chains and taunted by his captors, he reported that he was not physically harmed until the last half hour of his ordeal. He was able to track global demonstrations for his release by listening to the radio and these demonstrations were a source of comfort for him.

Also, Johnston stated that Hamas played a large role in his release. Prior to Hamas’s takeover of Gaza, his kidnappers were calm. However after Hamas gained control of Gaza his kidnappers became increasingly nervous. While the Army of Islam had associated with Hamas in the past, Hamas neither encouraged nor condoned the group’s kidnapping of Johnston. After Hamas gained control of Gaza, its goal was to restore the laws and wanted to secure the release of Johnston.

After Hamas gained control of Gaza, it immediately called for Johnston’s release. Hamas’s military wing was deployed to the areas where the Dugmush clan’s presence was strong. However, instead of using pure military force and engaging the Army of Islam in direct conflict, Hamas cut of water and electricity and detained at least five members of the Army of Islam. While details of his release is still unclear, it is known that Johnston was escorted from a building and driven directly to the house of Ismail Haniya, the recently fired Palestinian Prime Minister. Later, he arrived at the British Consulate in Jerusalem, where he gave a press conference and rested before returning Britain.

For their role in securing Johnston’s release, Hamas may experience an improved international reception. Since 2005, when they won a majority in the Palestinian parliament, the Quartet (the US, UN, EU, and Russia) and other western countries refused to work with Hamas. However, shortly after news of Johnston’s release reached the UK, twenty British MPs signed a motion, calling for greater engagement with Hamas. The motion recognized that Hamas played a pivotal role in Johnston’s release and that showed that they should be included in reconciliation efforts. It remains too soon to gauge whether Hamas will be treated differently by the UK or by the members of the Quartet.

For more information please see:
Al Jazeera: “Johnston case ‘exposes hypocrisy’” 5 July 2007.

BBC: “MP urging engagement with Hamas” 5 July 2007.

Christian Science Monitor: “Hamas acts to show it’s in charge” 5 July 2007.

Haaretz: “Hamas delivers proof, at last” 5 July 2007.

London Times: “‘I literally dreamt of being free, and always woke up in that room’” 5 July 2007.

BBC: “Hamas role in Johnston’s release” 4 July 2007.

BBC: “Timeline Alan Johnston abduction” 4 July 2007.

BBC: “BBC’s Alan Johnston is released” 4 July 2007.

BBC: “Hamas seeks to gain from release” 4 July 2007.

BBC: “Hamas arrests over BBC reporter” 2 July 2007.

The Jerusalem Post: “Johnston released from 4 month captivity” 4 July 2007.

The Jerusalem Post: “Hamas hopes for legitimacy after Johnston’s release” 4 July 2007.