“False Positive” Scandal Leads to Sentencing of Colombian Colonel

“False Positive” Scandal Leads to Sentencing of Colombian Colonel

By Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BOGOTÁ, Colombia –   The Colombian government has faced public international outcry since 2008 when what has been termed, the “false positives” scandal, first surfaced.  A false positive occurs when the army kills innocent civilians and passes them off as enemy guerilla combatants in order to falsely inflate their kill counts.  A number of recent convictions and indictments of army officials and soldiers are the most recent developments in the “false positives” scandal.

Colombian soldiers lining up bodies of rebel combatants. (Photo Courtesy of Colombia Reports)
Colombian soldiers lining up bodies of rebel combatants. (Photo Courtesy of Colombia Reports)

On June 29, 2011, eight Colombian soldiers were sentenced for killing four innocent men in the province of Antioquia back in June of 2006.  The four farmers were pulled out of their homes by the soldiers, shot in the back and then the soldiers disguised the bodies by placing guerilla uniforms on them.   All eight soldiers were given 60 years in prison, the maximum sentence, for their participation in the “false positives” slayings.

Major Orlando Arturo Cespedes Escalona was indicted just a week later on July 5, 2011 for the murder of 11 innocent civilians in Sucre.  Back in the summer of 2007, the 11 farmers were offered $426 in order to do some work on a farm but when they showed up they were murdered.  The 11 deaths were falsely reported months later as guerilla fighters who were killed in a skirmish.

Escalona’s commander Colonel Luis Fernando Borja was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his participation in the 11 murders in Sucre.  Borja admitted that in 2007 two men were enticed by soldiers from his unit offering paid work opportunities and then killed.  Borja is the most senior official sentenced so far in this scandal which has been linked to almost 1,500 members of the military.

The “false positives” scandal evolved out the body bag culture of the Colombian army where soldiers are rewarded with extra pay, days off and promotions when they kill a high number of rebel combatants.  Currently, there are over 1,400 cases of “false positive” murders being investigated in Colombia. 

For more information please see:

BBC News – Colombian Colonel Sentenced for Faking Civilian Murders – 14 July 2011

BBC News – Colombians Soldiers Jailed for “False Positive” Killings – 6 July 2011

Colombia Reports – 8 Soldiers Convicted of “False Positive” Murders Receive Maximum Sentence – 6 July 2011

Colombia Reports – Army Major Indicted for “False Positive” Killings – 5 July 2011

Colombia Reports – Seven Colombian Military Members Sentenced for “False Positives” – 30 June 2011

ESTONIAN HOSTAGES IN LEBANON LIVE TO TASTE FREEDOM AGAIN

by Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BEIRUT, Lebanon–Seven Estonian cyclists who were abducted on 23 March 2011 in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley have been released, according to the Estonian foreign ministry. All seven men are in their 30s and entered Lebanon from Syria on a bicycle tour.

A map of Lebanon. (Photo Courtesy of BBC)
A map of Lebanon. (Photo Courtesy of BBC)

Security sources reported that on 23 March 2011, the seven men were cycling in Lebanon’s Easter Valley when masked gunmen in a black Mercedes and two white vans with no license plates kidnapped the foreigners on a road between Zahle, a predominantly Christian town, and Kfar Zabed, a town with a healthy Sunni-Christian mix.

Kfar Zabed is located some 10 kilometers (approximately 6.21 miles) southeast of Zahle and five kilometers (approximately 3.11 miles) from Lebanon’s border with Syria. The Bekaa Valley is notorious for engaging in unlawful activities including kidnappings.

A group known as Haraket Al-Nahda Wal-Islah (Movement for Renewal and Reform) claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and demanded an undisclosed ransom. This group was previously unheard of according to Lebanese security officials.

The case to recover the seven cyclists had been covered in mystery for months, although several individuals were arrested in Lebanon in connection with the kidnapping. Lebanese Interior officials confirmed that 9 people implicated in the abduction had been arrested, including Lebanese suspects and those of other nationalities.

The Estonians were shown asking for help on video three times: 20 April, 20 May, and 8 July. The first two videos were posted on the Internet while the third video was sent to the relatives of the hostages. The seven men were seen calling on the leaders of Lebanon, Saudia Arabia, Jordan, and France for assistance. None of the videos released made political demands, although it has not been made public whether a ransom was actually paid to ensure the release of the hostages.

Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet shared these sentiments followed the release of the seven cyclists;  “The main thing now is for our seven fellow countrymen to get home to their families and loved ones as quickly as possible.”

The cyclists were freed in the town of Arsal. As Estonia lacks diplomatic representation in Lebanon, the cyclists were taken directly to the French embassy in the capital, Beirut. French diplomats have already begun to work on an official release for the hostages.

Lebanese Interior Minister Marwan Charbel expressed that “Our sole priority right now is to ensure that they arrive at the embassy safe and found, and then we will hear whatever details they have.”

Although relatively prominent before, the kidnapping of Westerners in Lebanon has become less common since the end of the civil war in 1990.

For more information, please see:

Al-Jazeera-Kidnapped Estonians freed in Lebanon-14 July 2011

BBC-Seven Estonian hostages freed in Lebanon-14 July 2011

CNN-Army:Estonian cyclists abducted in Lebanon are released-14 July 2011

Reuters-Estonia confirms kidnapped men released in Lebanon-14 July 2011

Eritrean Footballers Seek Asylum in Tanzania after Tournament

By Carolyn Abdenour
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – Thirteen members of the Eritrean Red Sea FC football team are seeking political asylum after losing a semi-final championship game of a regional tournament sponsored by the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations in Tanzania on Saturday.  Of the twenty-six members of the team, only half arrived at Mwalimu Nyerere International Airport to depart from Tanzania.  The remaining players are attempting to escape a repressive government, national military service, and poverty under the regime of the Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki.

Eritrean striker during a Kagame Castle Cup game at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam. (Photo Courtesy of The Citizen)
Eritrean striker during a Kagame Castle Cup game at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam. (Photo Courtesy of The Citizen)

Tanzania Football Federation Secretary General Angetile Osiah reported that the returning Eritrean football players attempted to stamp the passports of their missing team members at the airport’s immigration checkpoint.  Ms. Oshiah stated that law enforcement authorities were notified about the missing players for investigation.

Isaac Nantanga, spokesperson for Tanzania’s ministry of Home Affairs reported “[t]he 13 Eritrean footballers went directly to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) offices in Dar es Saleem and sought protection as refugees.”  Nantanga noted that authorities were unable to arrest the defecting players since they had received international protection.

Since Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993, the government has repressed the population; prohibiting political opposition, an independent media, and freedom of worship.  President Afewerki also keeps the country in a constant state of insecurity, preventing international mediators from deciding a common border between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Eritrean youth are forced to serve decades in the army or low-wage government positions and face extreme challenges gaining exit visas.  The Guardian has reported that “the [youths’] situation seems so hopeless that the only option is to make perilous journeys on foot to Ethiopia or Sudan, and onwards.”

Eritrean football players have previously absconded four times different times.  Most recently, twelve members of the Eritrean football team disappeared in 2009 after completing a regional football tournament in Kenya.  These players received asylum in Australia to continue their football careers.

While the defection of Eritrean football players may create international headlines, the emigration of Eritrean citizens to surrounding countries is nothing new.   Human rights reports indicate that thousands of Eritrean citizens flee from “the most repressed African nation” annually.  Although Eritrea has a population of only five million persons, it has one of the largest ratios of asylum seekers in the world.  Playing sports has often been used as a method for Eritrean citizens to dodge military conscription and leave the country.  However, to prevent sports related defections, the Eritrean government charges each traveling athlete a $6,700 deposit which the government returns only upon their arrival home.

Although the players are currently being held by Tanzanian authorities for questioning, Mr. Nantanga  stressed that the “interviews are in line with Tanzanian and international laws and the objective is to establish reasons for the applicants to seek asylum in the country.”

For more information, please see:
BBC – Eritrean Red Sea FC footballers seek Tanzania asylum –12 July 2011
Global Post – Eritrean footballers go missing (again) – 12 July 2011
The Citizen – Eritrean team players now seek TZ asylum – 12 July 2011
The Guardian – Eritrean footballers go missing in Tanzania after tournament – 12 July 2011
SomaliNet Forums – Eritrean Football Players Missing in Tanzania – 12 July 2011

Second Brazilian official resigns this month after accusations of corruption

By Paula Buzzi
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SÃO PAULO, Brazil — The transportation minister of Brazil, Alfredo Nascimento, resigned on Wednesday after corruption allegations appeared in the Brazilian news magazine, Veja, earlier that week. According to Veja, Nascimento used his position of power to solicit bribes and transfer payments from federal infrastructure contracts to his own political party.

Alfredo Nascimento denies any wrongdoing. (Photo Courtesy of BBC News).
Alfredo Nascimento denies any wrongdoing. (Photo Courtesy of BBC News).

O Globo, another Brazilian newspaper, also accused Nascimento of using his ties to enrich his son’s construction company which suspiciously grew in wealth from $38,500 to $32 million in only five years. O Globo attributed the rapid growth to contracts the company had reached with public entities, including a contract in particular which was directly tied to his father’s Transportation Ministry.

Nascimento, however, denies the accusations and remains that he has not done anything illegal. Nascimento stated that he hopes to clarify everything on Tuesday when he appears in front of the Senate.  In the meantime, he states that he will remain cooperative with the Attorney General’s investigation, allowing investigators access to all his personal financial data.

Nascimento is the second minister of President Dilma Rousseff’s cabinet to quit this month.  Antonio Palocci, Rousseff’s chief of staff, resigned earlier this month after questions arose over his rapidly increasing wealth.  Palocci also denied any wrongdoing.

President Rousseff’s reaction to these recent scandals has taken both criticism and praise from the public.  Some people are beginning to question her ability to handle her own coalition. Others, however, are praising her willingness to question her own ministers’ spending and believe the departure of the corrupt officials will give her administration a much needed fresh start.

Reports show that both Nascimento and Palocci served in the same post under Rousseff’s predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva. Lula’s administration, albeit successful in stimulating the Brazilian economy, was constantly under scrutiny for apparent corruption within the administration.

David Fleischer, a political science professor at Brasilia University, is satisfied with Rousseff’s stance against corruption. “She is gradually reducing the number of Lulalistas that he imposed on her,” he says. “She is branding her own government rather than making this a third term for Lula.”

For more information, please see:

NY Times – 2nd Brazilian Official Quits in Graft Case, Giving New Leader a Chance to Clean House – 9 July 2011

BBC News – Brazil’s transport minister quits in corruption scandal – 7 July 2011

International Business Times – Brazil’s Transport Minister Quits Amidst Corruption Probe – 7 July 2011

National Turk – Brazilian President Aims Fire at Corruption – 4 July 2011

Rally for electoral reforms in Malaysia results in mass arrests

By Brianne Yantz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – More than 1,400 protestors were arrested this past Saturday during a rally for electoral reforms.  According to the Malaysian Insider, an estimated 50,000 people gathered in the streets of the capital city to take part in the ‘illegal’ protest.  Yet many doubt the accuracy of that approximation; BBC News reported that the number of protestors was actually closer to 10,000.  Nevertheless, many rally organizers believe the campaign was a success.

Police handcuffing protestors at the election reform rally in Kuala Lumpur (Photo Courtesy of CNN).
Police handcuffing protestors at the election reform rally in Kuala Lumpur. (Photo Courtesy of CNN).

The event was organized by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, also known as Bersih 2.0, which means “clean” in Malay.  It is compromised of 62 nongovernmental organizations.

Despite tensions between Bersih 2.0 and the Malaysian government, the New York Times reported that Prime Minister Najib Razak stated the rally could take place if it was held in a stadium rather than on the streets. Coalition organizers agreed to those terms after meeting with the Malaysian king, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, on Tuesday.

However, authorities then said that Bersih could not proceed without a police permit. Under Malaysian law, the government will not grant permits to organizations which have been declared illegal.  One week before the rally, the government declared Bersih illegal for failure to register and for purporting to cause public disorder.

Angered by the government’s actions, Bersih announced that the rally would go forward. As a result, police arrested over 200 activists in the days leading up to the protest. Furthermore, a court order barred 91 demonstrators, including various opposition leaders, from entering the capital on Saturday and roadblocks were set up to prevent protestors from accessing the stadium where the rally was set to take place.

Although the city was on a 24-hour lockdown, thousands of protesters managed to slip through the security net early Saturday afternoon. As the crowds began marching down the streets towards the stadium, riot police began volleying tear gas into the masses. Those gathered around the city’s main bus station were hosed down by water cannons.

Ultimately, Bersih organizers were unable to hand over a memorandum that calls for the creation of a royal commission to look into electoral reform. Still, the rally was deemed a success.

The Malaysian Insider reported that one Bersih leader and national laureate, Datuk A. Samad, stated, “I have never seen all the races in Malaysia so united for one cause before.”

In 2007, a similar attempt was made to hold a rally for clean elections.  BBC News reported that as a result, supporters of electoral reform had “won an unprecedented number of seats in the last general election.”

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Malaysia: Police fire tear gas at banned rally – July 9, 2011

CNN – Mass arrests as Malaysia police and protesters clash – July 9, 2011

The Malaysia Insider – Bersih says 50,000 protested, declares rally ‘great success’– July 9, 2011

NY Times – Hundreds of Protesters Held in Malaysia – July 9, 2011

Sydney Morning Herald – Malaysia police arrest 1400 protesters – July 9, 2011

NY Times – Malaysian Opposition Digs In – July 7, 2011