Russian Natural Gas Monopoly Raises Prices Again

Russian Natural Gas Monopoly Raises Prices Again

By Yoohwan Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – On Monday, June 21 Russia’s state-controlled gas monopoly, Gazprom, started to limit the amount of natural gas deliveries to Belarus and warned that supplies could be reduced by as much as 85 percent during the next couple of days.  Despite talks between the two countries on Monday morning, it is reported the Belarus owes $192 million to Gazprom for gas supplied over the last six months.

Belarus offered to pay their debt through exchange of machinery, equipment, and various other products.  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev rejected Belarus’s offer and stated, “Gazprom cannot accept payment for debt in pies, butter, cheese or other means of payment.”  President Medvedev then ordered Gazprom to start restricting gas deliveries by 15% of daily deliveries starting Monday.  Belarus is a major gas transit country and provides to Central and Western Europe.  The pipelines through Belarus supply about a fifth of Russia’s gas exports westward to Europe, and provides gas to Lithuania, Poland, and Germany.

Russia has been criticized for using their energy supplies as a political weapon.  Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko refused to sign a customs union with Russia and Kazakhstan, which was planned to start July 1.  Belarus had refused to sign off on the customs reunion, in protest of Russian oil tariffs.  The proposed customs union was a Kremlin incentive that was created in 1991, in hope of solidifying a permanent economic alliance with former Soviet republics.

Belarus had previously stated that due to the customs union deal, Russia had provided them with cheap oil prices.  After the former post-Soviet ally refused to sign off on the union, Russia increased the price of gas.  Russia increased the price of gas supplied to Belarus from last year’s rate of $150 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas to $169.20 during the first quarter of 2010.  Russia further raised the price in the second quarter to $184.80.

During a news conference in Minsk, Belarusian first deputy prime minister, Vladimir Semashko, stated, “We will pay – not today perhaps, but possibly within two weeks.  We will find a way.  Maybe we will have to borrow, but we will pay.”

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Belarus ‘To Pay for Russian Gas Debt’ Within Two Weeks – 21 June 2010

The New York Times – Russia Cuts Gas Deliveries to Belarus – 21 June 2010

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty – Russia Reduces Gas Deliveries to Belarus Over Debts – 21 June 2010

RIA Novosti – Belarus Warns Europe of Possible Gas Transit Disruptions – 21 June 2010

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN ZIMBABWE’S DIAMOND MINES

By: Eric C. Sigmund
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

President Robert Mugabe accused of human rights violations in Zimbabwean diamond mines. (Photo courtesy of the Times Live)
President Robert Mugabe accused of human rights violations in Zimbabwean diamond mines. (Photo courtesy of the Times Live)

HARARE, Zimbabwe – The Partnership Africa Canada (PAC), an international organization seeking to prevent human rights violations in Africa, is in an intense struggle against the government of Zimbabwe to stop human rights abuses in the country’s diamond mines.  In its June report entitled “Diamonds and Clubs: The Militarised Control of Diamonds and Power in Zimbabwe,” the organization observed that government sponsored smuggling operations have led to numerous human rights violations in a diamond mine in Chiadzwa.  In addition to numerous other claims, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is being accused of using his military to intimidate, manipulate and murder citizens.

PAC has taken a more direct and hard-line stance against the government after the recent arrest of Farai Maguwu, a rights activist who is currently facing charges of “communicating falsehoods” about the violence at the Chiadzwa diamond fields.  Rights groups including Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights are concerned that Mr. Maguwu is being tortured and that the government will keep him incarcerated indefinitely.

In an attempt to stem the violence, international organizations led by PAC are asking the Kimberly Process Certification Scheme to redefine the scope of the term “blood diamonds” to cover those diamonds and gems mined in Chiadzwa.  The Kimberly Process is a joint government, industry and civil society initiative designed to stop the flow of conflict diamonds around the world.   The Kimberly Process imposes strict requirements on member states and only certifies for trade those gems which are “conflict-free.”  Zimbabwe is one of 49 member nations to the Kimberly Process.

PAC claims that the current definition is outdated and too narrow in scope.  Representatives noted that the definition “erroneously assumes all governments are legitimate and does not recognize that such governments in whole or part could engage in acts of terror or criminality as egregious as any rebel movement.”  PAC further noted that the Kimberly Process has lost credibility on the world stage and fears continued inaction against the government of Zimbabwe.  PAC is also pushing the United Nations to emplace an embargo and all Zimbabwean diamonds until the government can properly control the mining and trade of its diamonds.  This seems unlikely however, as a similar attempt to inhibit the trade of Zimbabwean diamonds was rejected last year by China, Russia and South Africa.

The government however, contends that it is being treated unfairly.  Government officials have protested that Zimbabwe’s inability to get trade certification has slowed economic growth and has taken power away from the government.  In fact, the government’s Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu argued that the PAC is simply trying to “demonise their country” and is working against the people of Zimbabwe.  Minister Mpofu concluded that the government of Zimbabwe would handle the situation independently and legally.

The United States has also come out against the rights violations however; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted that the U.S. is “trying to walk a fine line between supporting the people and keeping the pressure on the Mugabe leadership.”  President Obama recently renewed “targeted sanctions” against 220 officials and agencies associated with the Mugabe regime.   According to Clinton, the United States recognizes that Zimbabwe’s ruling elite is corrupt and are profiting from the country’s diamond exports at the expense of the poor.

An official review will take place next week in Tel Aviv however the Kimberly Process monitor to Zimbabwe has already recommended that the nation be allowed to sell diamonds mined from Chiadzwa.

For more information, please see:

The Herald (Harare) – Government Mines Prompts ‘Blood Diamond’ Review – 16 June, 2010

SW Radio Africa – No Agreement From KP Monitoring Group on Diamonds – 16 June, 2010

BBC Monitoring Africa – Clinton Says U.S. Renewed Sanctions Imposed Against Zimbabwe to ‘Pressure’ Mugabe – 15 June, 2010

BBC Monitoring Africa – South African Based group Concerned About Possible Torture of Zimbabwean NGO Chief – 15 June, 2010

Global Witness  – Mugabe Elite Grab Diamonds, Says NGO – 14 June, 2010

SW Radio Africa – Report Says Diamonds Sustain Mugabe Regime – 14 June, 2010

The Kimberly Process

Peru: Human Rights High Court Too Lenient On Security Force Members

By Ricardo Zamora
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
By Ricardo Zamora
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

LIMA, Peru – Human rights groups in Peru are complaining about setbacks in trials and leniency of punishments for security force members responsible for crimes against humanity during the Peruvian Counterinsurgency War.

The court dealing with these trials is the Sala Penal Nacional, the highest-level court dealing with human rights cases against members of the armed forces.  Since 2009, the tribunal has acquitted 65 accused and convicted only 15.  The rate of impunity within these trials is worrying human rights groups all over the country.

“There’s a clear tendency towards impunity on the part of the Sala Penal Nacional in cases of extremely serious human rights violations, that benefits members of the military and police who should be punished for the crimes they committed,” said Ronal Gamarra, executive secretary of the National Human Rights Coordinating Committee.

Many facing the tribunal have committed several crimes against humanity pursuant to orders from former Peruvian president, Alberto Fujimori.  Gamarra, who took part in the trial against Fujimori, said that those defending the accused are, in essence, “paving the way for an amnesty for the members of the criminal commandos that acted under the former president’s orders.”

While support of the military is one of the main causes of delay in judicial proceedings, military supporters allege that the delay is actually caused by human rights groups and the judiciary.  Peruvian Defense Minister and military supporter, Rafael Rey, recently reported that there is no information on the members of the military who were posted at a number of army counterinsurgency bases.  The report noted that “there are no documents because in the counterinsurgency period military personnel were given their orders verbally, using aliases as a security measure.”  Therefore, Rey concludes, military members being accused are victims of “judicial persecution.” But the lack of documents raises the inference that there was an attempt at hiding crimes against humanity.

Legal Defense Institute lawyer, Carlos Rivera, said that “in many cases, the trials drag on because the armed forces refuse to hand over information about the identity of the members of the military, who operated under aliases, or because they resist putting the accused at the disposal of the justice system.”  In lights of these facts, the military nevertheless accuses human rights groups and the judiciary of dragging out the trials, he added.

In a related investigation of several acquittals, Rivera found an “alarming” willingness of the Sala Penal Nacional to acquit defendants based on “questionable arguments.”  He noted that when perpetrators could not be identified for whatever reason, the tribunal would just assume the murders never happened.

Floria Cano, a lawyer with the Association for Human Rights, said that “Rey asks us to be tolerant of the [military].  Our response is that we are, and we will remain, intolerant of impunity.”  She added that the survivors remain eager to find out the truth and to see justice done.

For more information, please see:

Terraviva – Peru Faces Severe Setbacks for Justice in Cases Involving Military – 21 June 2010

Global Issues – Rights-Peru: Severe Setbacks for Justice in Cases Involving Military – 19 June 2010

IPS – Severe Setbacks for Justice in Cases Involving Military – 19 June 2010

Iran hangs Sunni militant group leader

By Polly Johnson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

Sunni militant group leader Abdolmalek Rigi was hanged on Sunday. [Photo Courtesy of BBC.]

TEHRAN, Iran – The leader of a former Sunni militant group was hanged in Iran on Sunday after being convicted of seventy-nine crimes in Iran, including murder, terrorist activities, armed robbery, kidnapping, and assassination attempts, among other serious crimes.

On the orders of the Islamic Revolution Court, Abdolmalek Rigi was hanged at dawn at Tehran’s Evin prison in front of family members of the victims of his crimes. Intelligence agents arrested him in February over the Persian Gulf while on a flight from Dubai to Kyrgyzstan.

His younger brother, Abdulhamid, was executed last month in Iran.

Jundallah (Soldiers of God) has been blamed by Iran for carrying out bombings, abductions, and killings in the southeastern Sistan-Balochistan province, which borders Pakistan and is about seven hundred miles southeast of Tehran. The group says it is fighting to defend the rights of ethnic Baluchis, the majority of whom live in Sistan-Baluchistan. Iran has accused the group of trying to destabilize Iran. Jundallah claims that it just wants freedom from persecution.

Sistan-Baluchistan is a center of drug trafficking, kidnappings, and armed clashes. Iran claims that Jundallah is similar to Al Qaeda, and also that Jundullah receives support from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Pakistan. All three countries have vehemently denied such allegations.

On October 18, 2009, Jundallah killed forty-two people, including six senior Revolutionary Guards commanders, in Sistan-Baluchestan. A bombing in a Shia mosque in Zahedan killed twenty-five people in May 2009.

Tehran authorities said that Rigi was en route to a meeting with U.S. or Western officials in Kyrgyzstan. Ragi, in a video statement broadcast on Iranian television said, “They said they would cooperate with us and would give me military equipment.”

According to a court statement, Rigi “collaborated and ordered fifteen armed abductions, confessed to three murders, and order the murders of tens of citizens, police and military personnel through bombings and armed actions.”

“The execution of Abdolmalek Rigi is the result of his shameful acts, and other criminals should be aware that if they continue with their outrageous acts against Islam in the country, they will meet the same fate as this criminal,” state news agency IRNA quoted Nazir Ahmed Salami, a top Sunni cleric who represents the province in the Assembly of Experts, as saying.

For more information, please see:

Tehran Times – Terrorist mastermind Abdolmalek Rigi hanged – 21 June 2010

BBC – Iran hangs Sunni militant leader Abdolmalek Rigi – 20 June 2010

CNN – Iran executes militant group leader – 20 June 2010

Los Angeles Times – Iran hangs leader of outlawed Sunni militant group – 20 June 2010

Jakarta Globe – Iran’s top Sunni rebel hanged – 20 June 2010

FOX News – Iran hangs man accused of leading insurgent group active near border with Pakistan – 19 June 2010

War Crimes Prosecution Watch, Vol. 5, Issue 6 – June 21, 2010

War Crimes Prosecution Watch is prepared by the International Justice Practice of the Public International Law & Policy Group and the Frederick K. Cox International Law Center of Case Western Reserve University School of Law.


INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

Central African Republic & Uganda

Darfur, Sudan

Democratic Republic of the Congo (ICC)

Kenya

AFRICA

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda

Special Court for Sierra Leone

EUROPE

European Court of Human Rights

Court of Bosnia & Herzegovina, War Crimes Chamber

International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

Serbia

TOPICS

Terrorism

Piracy

Universal Jurisdiction