United Nations Condemns Iran’s Human Rights Violations

United Nations Condemns Iran’s Human Rights Violations

By Bobby Rajabi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – On November 20 the United Nations rebuked Iran for numerous human rights violations. The violations allegedly took place in the wake of the disputed presidential election. The UN’s condemnation came int he form of a draft resolution approved by members of the UN committee on human rights. The resolution passed by a vote of seventy four to forty eight with fifty nine countries abstaining.

A resolution condemning Iran for their treatment of their own citizens is not rare for the UN. However, the current resolution expressed particular concern for the increase of human rights violations that followed President Mahomoud Ahmedinejad’s disputed re-election. Those who abstained from the vote were reportedly concerned with singling out specific countries for condemnation.

In a similar vote last year, Iran garnered slightly more support. Among those who removed their support from Iran was Saudi Arabia, who had voted “no” in 2008. This decision appears to be linked to Saudi Arabia’s displeasure with Iranian support for a Shi’ite rebellion in Yemen. The rebellion has reportedly spilled over onto Saudi territory.

The resolution expressed “particular concern at the response of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the Presidential election of 12 June 2009 and the concurrent rise in human rights violations.” Among the violations listed by the UN were “harassment, intimidation and persecution, including by arbitrary arrest, detention or disappearance, of opposition members, journalists and other media representatives, bloggers, lawyers, clerics, human rights defenders, academics, (and) students.”

Iran’s disputed election lead to street rallies that broke out after the vote. Protesters claimed that Ahmedinejad’s re-election came as a result of a rigged vote. Four thousand individuals were arrested. Among them were one hundred forty senior reformers and journalists who were later shown on television in mass trials. They were charged with seeking an overthrow of the regime.

Iran’s UN ambassador, Mohammad Khazaee, protested against the measure. He alleged that the resolution, introduced by Canada, showed the country’s “ill intentions.” He also criticized bringing such resolutions to the assembly as they have “created an atmosphere of confrontation and polarization.”

For more information, please see:

AFP – UN Blasts Iran’s Human Rights Violations – 21 November 2009

BBC – UN Condemns Iran’s Response to Post-Election Unrest – 21 November 2009

New York Times – In Draft Resolution, United Nations Rebukes Iran For Rights Violations Since Election – 20 November 2009

Reuters – UN Panel Condemns Iran For Post-Election Crackdown – 20 November 2009

Youth Separatists Linked to ETA Arrested in Basque Region

By David Sophrin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MADRID, Spain – On Thursday Spanish police arrested 36 members of Segi, a youth group with ties to ETA across the Basque and Navarre regions.

These arrests were part of a larger investigation coordinated by Supreme Court Judge Fernando Grande-Marlaska and the Spanish government targeting the separatist movement in the region.  The youth suspects, including suspected leaders of Segi have allegedly been involved with militant activities associated with the larger goals of ETA.  According to Spanish officials, Segi followers have also been involved in acts of vandalism and attacks on government buildings, banks and opposing political parties.  Segi was outlawed by the Spanish government in 2007.  In addition to documents and computers, explosive-making materials were also confiscated in the police raids that included 46 houses.

There has been a ceasefire in place between ETA (meaning Euskadi ta Askatasuna, or “Basque Homeland and Liberty”) and the Spanish central government since 2007.  ETA, which was founded in 1959 to achieve independence for the mountainous region along the border between France and Spain, has been listed as a terrorist organization by the Spain, as well as the United States and the European Union.  It has been weakened in recent years, however, by the increased efforts of law enforcement in France and Spain.

According to Christian Aguerre, a former journalist who has covered the ETA movement, stated that despite these efforts, it would be difficult to ever completely eradicate the Basque separatist movement since the nationalist ideals will always draw in new members.  However, waning support for ETA was evident in the recent elections, when a non-nationalist party gained power in the Basque region parliament for the first time in decades.

For more information, please see:

BARCELONA REPORTER – 34 Basque separatists suspected supporters of ETA detained – 24 November 2009

CANADIAN PRESS – Spanish police arrest 34 suspected ETA supporters – 24 November 2009

CNN – Dozens arrested over ‘Basque separatist ties’ – 24 November 2009

EITB – Basque operation against Segi: 36 arrests made – 24 November 2009

IOL – 36 arrested over ETA-link youth group – 24 November 2009

VOICE OF AMERICA – Spanish Police Arrest Suspected ETA Members – 24 November 2009

More than 300 West Papuans Repatriated to Jayapura

By Cindy Trinh
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – More than 300 West Papuans living in Papua New Guinea (PNG) were repatriated to Jayapura under a joint program organized by the governments of PNG and Indonesia.

West Papuans have had a long history of hardship, which has forced them to scatter throughout PNG and other Melanesian countries, such as Indonesia. Many of these West Papuans suffered gross human rights violations because of ill treatment by the Indonesian government, and disregard from the PNG government.

However, a bilateral approach between the Indonesian government and PNG to repatriate West Papuans has given hope to the West Papuan refugees.

Earlier this month, three PNG politicians joined an international campaign to support West Papuans allegedly persecuted by Indonesian authorities. The international campaign yielded a charter that calls for the United Nations to “restore the right of the indigenous people of West Papua to self-determination.”

Now, more than 300 West Papuans were repatriated to Jayapura under the bilateral approach of the Indonesian government and PNG.

On the first trip, the Indonesian Air Force lifted a total of 142 men, women, and children out of Wewak’s Boram Airport to Indonesia. Those boarded on the aircraft consisted of refugees from Manus, Bulolo, Goroka, Lae, Madang and Wewak.

On the second trip out of Port Moresby, 170 West Papuans from the Southern Region and Lae were boarded. Many of them were from Kiunga and Daru.

PNG Foreign Affairs officials, who were in Wewak to coordinate the first departure of the West Papuans, said that the West Papuans volunteered to be repatriated. More than 700 were listed for repatriation, but only 312 decided to leave while others decided to remain in PNG.

The joint program is funded by the Indonesian government. This program aims to repatriate West Papuans who were willing to return to their country of origin.

A West Papuan named Roby Merauje said he was willing to go home, but was still uncertain about his future. He stated that the West Papuans volunteered to return to Jayapura because of the better living conditions.

For more information, please see:
Islands Business – Over 300 West Papuans go back home – 24 November 2009

Pacific Islands News Association – Over 300 West Papuans go back home – 24 November 2009

InfoPapua – United Nations must relook West Papuan cause – 21 November 2009

Impunity Watch – PNG Politicians Join International Campaign to Support West Papuans – 16 November 2009

Rebel Leaders Accused of War Crimes and Human Rights Violations Begin Trial Tuesday

By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The trial against two former Congolese rebel leaders accused of authroizing the attack on civilians, the rape of women, and the enlistment of child soldiers in “the greatest armed conflict” since Word War II is set to begin tomorrow.

Germain Katanga, 31, and Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui, 39, are to appear before the International Criminal Court (ICC) tomorrow.  They are accused of an attack on the village of Borgoro in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) northeastern region.

Katanga is a senior commander from the group known as the Force de Resistance Patriotique en Ituri (FRPI).  Ngudjolo is a former commander of the rebel National Integrationalist Front (FNI).

The men are faced with ten counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.  Katanga and Ngudjolo are both of Lendu ethnicity, and the the Bogoro residents were mostly Hema.  Chief prosecutor of the ICC, Luis Moreno-Ocampy described that “[t]he women of the Hema community were raped before they were killed.  They pillaged the entire village.  They kept some women as sex slaves.”

“This specific attack was part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population in Ituri,” continued Moreno-Ocampy.  This attack is said to have killed over 200 people in February 2003.

Defense council reports that both of the accused men have denied the charges against them.  The men have been described as relieved and happy the trial will begin on Tuesday.  Both men have also wished to express their sympathies to the victims.

“The victims have the right to know the truth and the defense has the right to a fair trial, so we are all seeking the same thing.  We are all seeking the truth,” says Katanga’s lawyer, Andreas O’Shea.

Jean-Pierre Kilenda, defense council for Ngudjolo said, “At no time did he [Ngudjolo] concoct a criminal scheme to raze Bogoro village.  He disputes the fact that he was ever the supreme commander of the FNI.”

The defense council also contends that the war in these regions had its roots in the Rwanda conflict.  He believes the international community failed to prevent a genocide there and allowed armed groups to take control, supported by Rwanda and Uganda.

Victims of these horrible events can participate in the trial by expressing their views and concerns, provided it is done in a manner consistent with the rights of the accused and a fair trial.  Ten child soldiers will be among these 345 people authorized to take part in the trial.

This is the second trial to be held at the ICC with regard to the situation in the DRC.  The first was that of Thomas Lubanga Dyllo, a Congolese warlord accused of recruiting child soldiers, whose trial began in January 2009.

The DRC’s information minister, Lambert Mende, says that the countries official radio and TV stations will provide live coverage of tomorrow’s trial.

“[w]e are also prepared to dispatch it by our national radio and national television.  So that every Congolese in Kinshasa and all the eleven provinces and Ituri where the atrocities have been committed can follow it and see that we are very committed to punish everybody who violates human rights in our country,” said  Mende

For more information, please see:

AFP – ICC Trial of Congolese Militiamen to Reveal “The Truth” – 23 November 2009

ReliefWeb – DR Congo: Press Conference on the Opening Tomorrow of the Second Trial Before The International Criminal Court – 23 November 2009

Reuters – PREVIEW-Congolese Warlords to Stand Trial at World Court – 23 November 2009

VOA – DRC Government to Broadcast Live ICC Trial – 23 November 2009

UN News Centre – International Criminal Court Trial of Two Former Congolese Leaders Opens Tomorrow – 23 November 2009

Rockets Exchanged Between Gaza and Israel Depite Hamas Truce

By Meredith Lee-Clark
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

GAZA CITY, Gaza – Israel reported that Palestinians fired rockets into Southern Israel on November 21. The Israeli military responded with air strikes in the early morning of November 22.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, had announced soon after the initial Palestinian attack that it had reached a truce with all Palestinian militant groups in Gaza. Since the rocket launch, several militant factions in Gaza have denied responsibility for the attack. An Israeli military spokesperson said that the homemade Qassam rocket landed in Southern Israel’s Negev Desert, and caused no damage or casualties.  The Israeli raids left eight Palestinians injured, one seriously.

The attack damaged the credibility of Hamas’s announcement of a truce among militant groups on November 21. A Hamas spokesperson said that the truce was an effort to reduce retaliatory attacks by Israel and to give Gazans opportunities to continue to rebuild their homes. Much of the Gaza Strip remains in rubble after last winter’s military offensive by Israel, known as Operation Cast Lead. As well as damage to the Gazan infrastructure, approximately 1,400 Palestinians and thirteen Israelis were killed during the three-week offensive during December 2008 and January 2009.

Israel’s air raids were the most comprehensive single-night military action by Israel since last winter’s offensive. An Israeli spokesperson said the raids were aimed at two rocket-building facilities in Gaza. Since the end of Operation Cast Lead, 270 rockets were launched from Gaza into Southern Israel, compared with over 3,300 launched in 2008.

Despite Hamas’s announcement of a truce, many locals fear the exchange of hostilities is a signal of escalating tensions between Gaza and Israel. Hamas political advisor Ahmed Yusuf said that his party has “no interest” in military engagement with Israel, preferring to focus instead on reconstruction. Yusuf added the caveat that Hamas would respond to any attacks by Israel.

“If the Israelis target us, people will react,” said Yusuf. “It’s a normal thing. And [Hamas] can’t stop anyone from fighting back against Israeli attacks.”

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Gaza Groups Deny Rocket Ceasefire – 23 November 2009

Ha’aretz – Gaza Rocket Hits Israel, Despite Hamas Moratorium on Qassams – 23 November 2009

Ma’an News Agency – Israel: Gaza Projectile Falls – 23 November 2009

Christian Science Monitor – Israel Air Strikes in Gaza: Will Hamas Rocket Truce Hold? – 22 November 2009

New York Times – Israeli Aircraft Strike Gaza Targets – 22 November 2009