BRIEF: Kidnapping in Somalia

BRIEF: Kidnapping in Somalia

BOSASSO, Somalia – French journalist Gwen Le Gouil was kidnapped in Puntland, Somalia. According to conflicting reports either three or five armed men abducted the journalist two days ago after he arrived in the city from Mogadishu. Le Gouil, an Albert Londres award winner for his report on humanitarian workers in Sri Lanka, was researching a story on human trafficking in Somalia when the attack occurred.

The kidnappers have demanded $70,000 (£35,000) ransom for Le Gouil’s release. According to Puntland’s deputy Governor Yusuf Mumin Bidde, government officials and elders were dispatched to Puntland to negotiate with the abductors. However, reports speculate that Le Gouil has been moved to Marero, after kidnappers opened fire on negotiators today.

Once known for its stability, Puntland, a port town of Bosasso, has been the center of recent kidnapping, hijacking and piracy.

In the meantime, there are reports that Somalia pirates attacked an Italian-owned cargo ship, MV Jolly Turchese, today. The Italian Ministry has not received any information or communication from the ship, and Andrew Mwangura, director of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, says the information is sketchy. Mwangura believes the ship was headed to Kenya’s Mombasa port after delivering cargo through the Suez canal when it was attacked off the coast of Somalia. Presently it is unknown if the ship and its crew were captured or if they escaped.

For more information please see:

BBC- French newsman ‘safe’ in Somalia – 17 December 2007

Reuters: Africa- Suspect pirates attack Italian ship – group – 17 December 2007

Reuters: Africa- Gunmen kidnap French journalist in North Somalia – 16 December 2007

AllAfrica.com- Somalia: French Journalist Kidnapped By Armed Men – 17 December 2007

Brief: Catholic Priest Stabbed in Turkey

Italian Priest Adriano Franchini was stabbed following mass by a 19 year old assailant.  The attacker observed mass with the priest’s congregation but became violent and angry following a brief conversation with the Priest.  The stabbing was in the stomach and the injuries were not life threatening.

The stabbing follows a line of similar cases where Christians have been attacked in Turkey.  The recent string of attacks on Christian leaders began in February 2006.  A 16 year old shot a Catholic priest, while he was kneeling in prayer, in response to the European newspaper caricatures of the Muhammad.  There has been many more killings and attacks against priests and clerics in all regions of Turkey.  Recently, the gruesome killing of three Christians who throats were slit has undergone investigation to determine whether police officers aided the killers. (See story)

Christians comprise less than one percent of Turkey’s population.  However, the Christians are committed to staying in Turkey despite the attacks.  A catholic bishop remarked, “our will to remain here is stronger after these attacks. However, while the Turkish population is generally good, such events attest that there is a sick branch in the big tree of the local population.”  (AP)

For more information, please see:

AP- Priest Attacked, Hurt in Turkey- 17 December 2007

Guardian Unlimited- Priest stabbed after Sunday mass in Turkey- 17 December 2007

VOA News- Italian Catholic Priest Stabbed in Western Turkey- 16 December 2007

BRIEF: US Reacts to Azeri Reporter’s Jailing

NAKCHIVAN, Azerbaijan – US Deputy State Secretary Daniel Fried has expressed concern over detention of a journalist working for US-funded radio station in Azerbaijan. Fried’s statement on Saturday comes a week after the United States said it was “deeply disturbed” by imprisonment of Ilgar Nasibov, calling it a sign of deteriorating media freedom in the country.

Nasibov was jailed on December 6 after turning up at court expecting to be released after being cleared of defamation suit brought by Nakhchivan City Police Department Deputy Chief. Instead, a judge tried Nasibov without counsel, and sentenced him to serve three months in jail.

Azerbaijan is the leading jailer of journalist in Europe and Central Asia and has the fifth-highest number of reporters behind bars worldwide. It is also among the places where press freedom has deteriorated the most over the last five years according to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) research.

For More Information, please see:

TODAY.AZ – Daniel Fried: “Strong countries do not send their reporters to jail” – 15 December 2007

Press TV – US condemns Azeri reporter’s arrest – 9 December 2007

AFP – US ‘disturbed by imprisonment of journalist in Azerbaijan – 8 December 2007

CPJ – Tenth Azerbaijani jounalist imprisoned – 6 December 2007

CPJ – Backsliders – 2 May 2007

UPDATE: Papua Human Rights Lawyer Charged

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Sabar Iwanggin, a lawyer working for the human rights organization Elsham, was arrested in October for forwarding a text message that read, “The president has an agenda of wiping out Papuans by poisoning food and hiring members of the army as doctors, restaurant workers, and motorcycle taxi drivers to kill Papuans.”  (Please see the Impunity Watch report on his arrest here.)  Iwanggin was formally charged this week with insulting the president.

Iwanggin will be transferred to a community prison is Abepura to await trial.

Elsham co-worker Paula Makabori said that Iwanggin is being unfairly singled out for a text message that was received and forwarded by thousands of others.  She told Radio New Zealand International, “Why don’t those thousands of other people be put into the jails together with Sabar?  Because they all received the same SMS and for writing to their friends and families because of their concern about human rights in West Papua and the deteriorating situation over there.”

For more information, please see:

Radio New Zealand International – Papua human rights campaigner charged over SMS messages – 12 December 2007

Iraq: 25 Killed in Triple Car Bombing and Mass Grave Found

By Vivek Thiagarajan
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq- On Wednesday three bombs went off simultaneously killing 25 people and wounding 135 others.  Although  initial reports that were released had stated that 45 people were killed, the death count was lowered.

Prime Minister Al Maliki remarked that the bombings were “desperate attempt” to take away from the success that has been ongoing by the Iraqi security forces.  (Gulf Daily News)

Although no group has yet claimed the attack, car bombs are weapon of choice for Al-Qaida and Sunni extremists.  These groups have been forced out of Baghdad and so should not pose a substantial threat to southern Iraq’s stability.

In contrast, there are rumors that the local Shiite militias are linked to Iran.  If they are backed by Iran and are seeking to assert their influence on the region it could be a threat to the Iraqi Security forces.  Especially since British troops have planned on pulling troops from the region by the end of the year.

However, the bombing should not affect the transfer.  An Iraqi official stated that “(The bombing) has nothing to do with Basra.  The handover will go on ahead on December 16.  The quality of the forces in Basra is excellent.”  (Gulf Times)

A bombing also occurred in the Kurdish dominated Town of Khanaquin killing four and injuring twelve.  Three police were among those who were injured.

Also Wednesday, a mass grave containing 16 bodies was unearthed.  All 16 corpses were men.  Twelve of the men were decapitated and the other four were mutilated.  Al-Qaida is reported to have killed and mutilated the men.

For more information, please see:

CNN- Troops discover mass grave in Iraq- 13 December 2007

AP- Iraqi City Mourns After Deadly Bombing- 13 December 2007

Gulf Daily News- Market blasts kill 40 in Iraq- 13 December 2007

Washington Post- Triple Car Bombing Kills 46 in S. Iraq- 13 December 2007

Los Angeles Times- As one Iraqi city reels, others are hit- 13 December 2007