Syria Continues Suppression of Dissenters in Defiance of World Leaders

Syria Continues Suppression of Dissenters in Defiance of World Leaders

By Zach Waksman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria – The international community escalated its pressure on embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday.  Numerous countries, including the United States, and the European Union issued statements calling for him to relinquish his post after his use of violence against protesters drew worldwide scorn.  But even in the face of such opposition, Syria continued its efforts to suppress opposition.  Armed forces opened fire on a demonstration in the southern Dara’a Province Friday; at least 18 were killed, including soldiers who refused to fire.

A tank roams the streets of a Syrian city. At least 2,000 people are believed to have been killed since March. (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera)
A tank roams the streets of a Syrian city. At least 2,000 people are believed to have been killed since protests against Assad's regime began in March. (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera)

This new insistence from world leaders comes on the heels of a United Nations report on Assad’s use of force against dissenters that was released on Thursday.  While the investigators were not allowed into the country, they were able to obtain witness accounts of incidents that have taken place in Syria since March of this year.  In addition to descriptions of individual events, the report takes note of the security forces’ modus operendi in crushing opposition to Assad’s government.  Though Syria has repeatedly called the protesters “terrorist armed groups” and similar phrases, the report indicates that participators in the rallies made a point of indicating that they were unarmed.  Despite this, the forces indiscriminately shot to kill civilians, including women and children.  Torture was also used.

U.S. President Barack Obama was one of several world leaders to issue a statement calling for Assad to resign.  “The future of Syria must be determined by its people, but President Bashar al-Assad is standing in their way. His calls for dialogue and reform have rung hollow while he is imprisoning, torturing, and slaughtering his own people,” Obama said.  “We have consistently said that President Assad must lead a democratic transition or get out of the way.  He has not led.  For the sake of the Syrian people, the time has come for President Assad to step aside.”

Obama also announced that he and the European Union had imposed new sanctions against the Syria, including the freezing of assets and a ban on importation of Syrian petroleum.

France, Germany and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement on the matter.  “We urge the Syrian regime to stop all violence immediately, to release all prisoners of conscience and to allow free access to the United Nations for an independent assessment of the situation,” their statement said.

Later Thursday, the UN announced that it would send a humanitarian team to Syria to investigate, having been promised full access.  The country’s UN ambassador and President Assad both promised that military operations had stopped.  But Friday, a new rally was snuffed out, as armed forces again fired at demonstrators.  Gunfire was reported in several provinces.  Today, CNN reported that the Syrian government took steps to clean up evidence of violence at one of the crackdown sites the humanitarian team was to visit.

SANA, Syria’s official news agency, issued a press release today that reiterated Assad’s stance that the Western world, with particular emphasis on the United States, was interfering in the country’s internal affairs.  The release, which cited several legal scholars within the country, considered these actions to be in violation of the UN charter.  With regards to President Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, it called these conspiratorial efforts to take control of Syria a “return to the colonial mentality to save themselves,” making reference to the two politicians’ declining approval ratings.

For more information, please see:

CNN — Source: Syria ‘whitewashing’ bloody crackdown before U.N. team arrives — 21 August 2011

SANA — Intellectuals and Jurists: Foreign Interference in Syria’s Affairs Disrupt Reform, Show Failure of Conspirators — 21 August 2011

Al Jazeera — UN report slams Syria’s use of force — 19 August 2011

New York Times — Syria Said to Fire on Protest in Defiance of Global Rebuke — 19 August 2011

BBC News — Syria unrest: UN to send humanitarian mission — 18 August 2011

BBC News — Syria unrest: World leaders call for Assad to step down — 18 August 2011

British Prime Minister’s Office — Joint UK, French and German statement on Syria — 18 August 2011

White House — President Obama’s statement calling for Syrian President Assad to step down — 18 August 2011

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights — Report of the Fact-Finding Mission on Syria pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution S-16/1 — 17 August 2011

Significant victory for Indigenous women in military rape cases in Mexico

By Brianne Yantz
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – For more than nine years, two indigenous women who were raped by soldiers in the southern state of Guerrero have been fighting for justice. Since Inés Fernández Ortega and Valentina Rosendo Cantú were raped in 2002, both women have been relentless in their pursuit, going so far as to challenge the Mexican authorities and its military.

Inés Fernández Ortega and Valentina Rosendo Cantú as the faces of a Tlachinollan Mountain Human Rights Center poster. (Photo Courtesy of Latin America Herald Tribune)

Ortega and Cantú, both Me’phaa Indians, were raped in separate incidents, but together sought to punish those responsible.

Earlier this month, the decision was made to prosecute the soldiers charged with the rape of both Ortega and Cantú in civilian court, an act hailed by Amnesty International as a “significant step for those seeking justice for human rights violations committed by the military in Mexico.”

According to Fox News, in August of 2010, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruled that the cases by tried in a civilian court. In a press conference last month, Cantú expressed her desire to see the IACHR’s decision upheld.

Finally, on August 12, a year after the IACHR decision was handed down, the Mexico’s Military Prosecutor’s Office declared that the cases would be tried in civilian court as it lacked jurisdiction in cases involving accusations of human rights violations.

This ruling comes after months of increasing pressure on the Mexican government to investigate the growing reports of abuse by Mexican soldiers. The decision is not only a win for Ortega and Cantú, but for Mexico as a whole. Symbolically, it demonstrates greater civilian control over the armed forces.

According to Amnesty International, Vidulfo Rosales, a human rights lawyer at Tlachinollan Mountain Human Rights Center in Guerrero, stated, “for us, this is a significant advance, as civil society has constantly fought for these cases to be transferred into the civilian justice system.” However, Rosales expressed concerns, particularly that the decision was limited in its reach. “We’re worried that there’s a margin for impunity, for those responsible to be exonerated.”

Others concerned with the future of human rights in Mexico shared similar worries. The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights expressed its opinion that “the decision by the Mexican government to transfer the two cases to civilian federal jurisdiction is a positive development, but bringing the perpetrators to justice and ensuring that future cases follow this precedent is crucial.”

While the decision to transfer the cases to civilian court have been commended by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations, there is still a long road ahead to ensure justice is served for Ortega, Cantú, and the countless number of other victims of military-related human rights abuses across Mexico.

For more information, please see:

Amnesty International – Indigenous Women Win First Step in Fight Over Military Rape Case in Mexico, Says Amnesty International – August 17, 2011

Latin American Herald Tribune – Mexican Army Hands Over Rights Cases to Civilian Prosecutors – August 17, 2011

RFK Center – MEXICO: NINE YEARS LATER, CASES OF INDIGENOUS WOMEN RAPED AND TORTURED BY SOLDIERS ARE TRANSFERRED OUT OF MILITARY JURISDICTION – August 17, 2011

Fox News – Mexican women raped by soldiers demand justice – July 29, 2011

Peaceful Land Rights Activists to Remain in Prison Following Court’s Decision to Uphold Sentences

By: Jessica Ties
Impunity Watch, Asia

HANOI, Vietnam – Four  Vietnamese land rights activists who were convicted of “attempting to overthrow the people’s administration” this past May have been ordered to remain in prison after a court refused to grant their appeals and upheld the sentences ranging from five to eight years.

A Vietnamese court has denied the appeals of four land rights activists convicted in May (Photo Courtesy of Human Rights Watch).
A Vietnamese court has denied the appeals of four land rights activists convicted in May (Photo Courtesy of Human Rights Watch).

The court decided not to reduce the eight year sentence of Tran Thu Thuy or the seven year sentence of Pham Van Thong but agreed to reduce the six year sentence of Pastor Duong Kim Khai by one year and the five year sentence of Cao Van Tinh by six months. Three other land rights activists were also imprisoned in May and each received two year sentences which they chose not to appeal.

Prior to their arrests, the activists had dedicated years to helping Vietnamese citizens fight against government confiscations of their land.

The activists were arrested in May after authorities alleged that the four individuals had anti-government documents in their possession that reportedly advocated for a multiple party system. Six of the seven activists arrested in May were also accused of being members of Viet Tan, an opposition group that is based in the United States and has been banned in Vietnam.

While the accusation of Viet Tan involvement was made against all seven activists, the organization confirmed that only three of the individuals arrested were members of Viet Tan and that an unspecified number of the defendants attended Viet Tan courses on non-violent struggle. Despite being considered a terrorist organization by the Vietnamese government, the United States has found no proof of terrorist activity being committed by Viet Tan.

During the May trial, one of the defense lawyers was removed from the courtroom and later disbarred on a recommendation made by court officials for “disrespecting the law” when he attempted to argue against the accusations made against the activists.

Viet Tan reports that the jailed activists have not only been denied visits from family members but were also denied access to their lawyer until one day before the appeal trial was to take place.

Following completion of their jail terms, three of the activists will also have to serve five years of house arrest and one of the activists will be required to serve four years.

The plight of the land rights activists comes on the heels of several other cases involving dissidents who have been jailed by the Vietnamese government for expressing pro-democracy views.  The wave of convictions against peaceful activists prompted Phil Robinson of Human Rights Watch to state that “…Vietnam’s leaders seem to think they can sign international human rights treaties with invisible ink.”

For more information, please see:

Businessweek – 4 Vietnam Land Rights Activists Appeal Sentences – 18 August 2011

Radio Free Asia – Court Upholds Activist Sentences – 18 August 2011

Voice of America – Appeal Opens for Vietnamese Pastor, Land Rights Activists– 18 August 2011

Human Rights Watch –Vietnam: Free Peaceful Land Rights Activists – 17 August 2011

Brazilian Judge known for strict stance against government corruption is Killed after sentencing former policemen

By Paula Buzzi
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America


RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Fourth District Court of Sao Goncalo judge, Patricia Lourival Acioli, was murdered after being shot up to 21 times last Thursday outside her home by hooded gunmen only days after having delivered tough sentences to corrupt policemen.


Patricia Lourival Acioli was well known for her harsh sentences against corrupt police. (Photo Courtesy of Aljazeera)
Patricia Lourival Acioli was well known for her harsh sentences against corrupt police. (Photo Courtesy of Aljazeera)

According to witnesses, the gunmen were traveling on two motorbikes and shot at Acioli as she was arriving to her home in Niteroi. Acioli, 47, was a mother of three.


On Sunday, Rio de Janeiro investigators announced that, although 12 suspects have been named, finding the men responsible for her attack will be difficult due to her numerous adversaries who disagreed with her strong stance against government corruption.


In her 18-years as a judge, Acioli handed down approximately 60 sentences against policemen and former policemen which resulted in multiple death threats against her. Furthermore, Avioli’s name was also among the 12 listed in a handwritten death list issued by a recently arrested militia group.


According to Felipe Ettore, a leading investigator, the bullets used to shoot Acioli were ones typically found in the 45-caliber and 40-caliber pistols belonging to civil and military police as well as the Brazilian Armed Forces.


Patrick Wilcken, a Brazil Researcher at Amnesty International, views the killing of Avioli as a huge blow to the judicial system in Brazil. He urges Brazilian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to bring those rose responsible to justice and provide more protection for those fighting against police corruption.


“Patrícia Acioli’s brutal killing exposes a deeply troubling situation where corruption and organized crime are controlling large areas of life in parts of Rio de Janeiro today,” Wilcken said.


In a statement earlier this week, Brazil Supreme Court President Cesar Peluso called the crimes against magistrates “barbaric” and “cowardly,” and demanded a quick investigation and the rigorous punishment of those responsible.


In recent years, off-duty police and firefighters have joined militias that have contributed to the expansion of drug gangs and organized crime in Rio de Janeiro.

Acioli’s neighbors have hung black protest banners around their neighborhood reading “Who Silenced the Voice of Justice?”

For more information, please see:


Amnesty International – Killing of Brazilian judge exposes police corruption – 16 August 2011

CNN – Brazilian judge known for tough sentences slain – 14 August 2011

Aljazeera – Hardline Brazil judge gunned down – 13 August 2011

BBC News – Brazil judge Patricia Acioli shot dead in Niteroi– 12 August 2011


India’s Anti-Corruption Bill Disappoints Many

By Greg Donaldson
Impunity Watch, Asia

NEW DEHLI, India – After many fierce political debates over government corruption, India officials introduced a bill to parliament on Thursday that would create an independent anti-corruption agency. However, many have described the bill as “toothless.” Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare, who has led the most recent hunger strikes, called the bill a “cruel joke.”

Activists show their anger over the proposed anti-corruption bill (Photo Courtesy of The Times of India)
Activists show their anger over the proposed anti-corruption bill (Photo Courtesy of The Times of India)

The bill would create a powerful ombudsman with the authority to investigate accusations against government officials. The bill excludes the prime minister, members of parliament, and other officials from the jurisdiction of the ombudsman. Many critics of the bill have asked why the President of the United States and other high ranking officials throughout the world can be freely investigated, but the same cannot be said of Indian officials.

Anti-corruption activists have further complaints about the bill. In section fifty-six of the bill, legal assistance paid for by the government will be given to every government official tried before the ombudsman at the request of the accused. If the claims of the accuser are found to be false, then the accuser can be subject to a two to five year prison sentence and a fine of Rs 25,000 but which may extend to Rs 2 lakh.

Activist Arvind Kejriwal told the Times of India the bill was tilted in favor of the corrupt and against the whistleblowers. “The bill is heavily tilted against the whistleblower. There are various stages in the Lokpal’s (Ombudsman) process of inquiry where the accused is allowed to see documents or access records and get assistance that will work against the whistleblower. The accused can also go directly to court and file a complaint that allegations are false,” he said.

The bill also provides if the allegations are found to be false the accuser will have to compensate the accused official and pay for any legal expenses incurred by the official as a result of the accuser’s allegations.

Thousands have rallied to fight the weakness of the proposed bill. The Times of India launched an “Act Against Corruption” campaign a few weeks ago and it is estimated over 100,000 people have joined the campaign.

While India does have a dark history of government corruption, analysts worry that an all-powerful ombudsman, who is not accountable to anyone, could lead to legal chaos.

Anna Hazare has already announced he will begin a new hunger strike on August 16th hoping for a stronger bill that gives the ombudsman jurisdiction over the prime minister and other high ranking officials.

For more information, please see:

DNA — Lokpal Bill must echo people’s views: Justice Santosh Hegde – 6 August 2011

The Times of India — ‘Lokpal Bill tilted in favour of the corrupt — 5 August 2011

The Times of India — Over 1 lakh join Times Online campaign for strong Lokpal – 5 August 2010

BBC – Indian anti-corruption bill tabled in parliament – 4 August 2011

New York Times — Skepticism Over India’s Anticorruption Bill – 4 August 2011