Uruguayan Peacekeepers in Haiti under investigation for the physical and sexual assault of a local

September 5, 2011

By Paula Buzzi
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay – Several Uruguayan troops on a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti are being investigated after a video captured on a cell phone revealed what appears to be a young local man being physically and possibly sexually assaulted by at least five Uruguayan troops.

Video captured on a cell phone show graphic images of physical and sexual abuse by Uruguayan peacekeeping troops. (Photo Courtesy of Aljazeera).

The video, which lasts approximately one minute, shows a half-naked man of approximately 18 years of age being pinned down and physically assaulted on a mattress by several Uruguayan troops in camouflage. The video was filmed at a U.N. base in Port-Salut and was recently posted on the internet.

Kieran Dwyer, U.N. peacekeeping spokesman, in a statement said that the U.N. acted immediately after first hearing about the incident and has launched an urgent investigation.

Uruguayan Defense Minister, Eleuterio Fernandez Huidobro, confirmed that the National Defense Ministry has also opened up an investigation and is ordering the return of the Armed Forces members from Haiti as well as the replacement of the Chief of the Naval Contingent. The navy commander in charge of the troops involved has also been recalled to Uruguay.

According to a statement made by Uruguayan Defense Ministry, if found guilty, those involved could face dishonorable discharge from the navy and lose their retirement rights.

Haitian President Michel Martelly, in a statement released late on Sunday, stated that: “The Presidency vigorously condemns this act which revolts the nation’s conscience and awaits a detailed report establishing the exact facts and circumstances.”

Martelly has urged that a meeting be set up between Haitian authorities and U.N. mission leaders to discuss ways to prevent any more acts of abuse.

U.N. began the peacekeeping mission in Haiti in 2004 after former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was forced into exile.

Tensions between the locals and the U.N. peacekeepers, however, have been on the rise for the past couple of years. Last year, peacekeepers from Nepal were accused of causing the deadly cholera epidemic, which resulted in over 6,200 deaths and hospitalized more than 438,000.

Angry over the recent events, local residents have already begun demonstrations calling for the ousting of all U.N. peacekeepers.

For more information, please see:

Aljazeera – Uruguay recalls troops over Haiti ‘sex abuse’ – 05 September 2011

BBC News – Haiti anger over alleged Uruguay UN rape – 05 September 2011

CNN – Uruguayan peacekeepers in Haiti investigated for alleged assault – 05 September 2011

The Telegraph – Uruguayan peacekeepers investigated over Haiti sexual assault – 05 September 2011

Trinidad Declares State of Emergency Due to Violent Crime Wave

September 5, 2011

By Ryan T. Elliott Impunity Watch Reporter, North America/Oceania

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad–Over the years, Trinidad has earned a reputation as one of the most prosperous countries in the Caribbean due to its large petroleum and natural gas production, international business investment, and growth rate per capita. But, as of late, Trinidad is making headlines not for its economic prosperity, but as a country trying to deal with a dramatic increase in violent crime. Trinidadian Prime Minister Kamla Perad-Bissessar has declared a state of emergency due to the country’s extensive crime wave.

Prime minister Kamla Perad-Bissessar (Photo courtesy of the Trinidad Express)

In a formal statement reported by the Trinidad Express, Prime Minister Perad-Bissessar declared that “The entire nation has been rocked with the recent tragic news of the spate of murders over the past few days. The situation has reached proportions which the government must respond to in the most definitive manner possible.” Accordingly, a strict 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew has been imposed, which started on August 21st in Port of Spain and includes major towns and cities. The emergency grants special powers to the police and army, including making searches and issuing arrests. 5,000 military members will be assisting in the implementation of the curfew.

The previous minister refused to declare a state of emergency due to rising violent crime because he believed that it might worry investors and hurt the growing economy. However, last year the murder rate was 36 per 100,000. For a country of only 1.3 million people, that rate is substantially higher than other countries. It is nearly seven times the rate of murders experienced in the United States, for example. Due to the recent swell in violent crime, Trinidad is expected to have an increase in its murder rate from the previous year.

Many recognize Trinidad as a transshipment point for South American drugs headed to the U.S. and Europe. Authorities advised Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that Trinidad’s increase in murders was due, in part, to the discovery of large drug hauls including one seizure of cocaine valued in excess of twenty million dollars. When that amount of money disappears from the drug trade, it does not happen without consequences.

Trinidad may be imitating Jamaica’s response to gang violence. In May of 2010, Jamaica was forced to impose a similar state of emergency for nearly two months. As a result, the government of Jamaica detained a number of criminals, reducing the murder rate by more than 40%. While the success of Trinidad’s measures remains to be seen, the assertive measures have already achieved some impressive and promising results. According to a telephone interview with the New York Times, foreign minister, Surujrattan Rambachan stated that killings stemming from the drug trade have slowed dramatically and enabled authorities to arrest 58 gang leaders.

Residents of Trinidad are supportive of the measures; however, some remain skeptical because of the limitations being placed on their rights and liberties. While the government of Trinidad and Tobago insists that this aggressive strategy is necessary in order to prevent the nation from being held ransom by gang violence, the Prime Minister is “confident that they will recognise and appreciate the need to protect them and bring the current crime surge affecting them under control.”

For more information please visit:

Taking on the gangs — August 27, 2011

Trinidad and Tobago Declares Emergency Over Drug Crimes — August 24, 2011

State of emergency an inevitable response — August 22, 2011

Breaking News: State of Emergency Declared — August 21, 2011

A YEAR AFTER FLOTILLA “INCIDENT,” TURKEY PREPARES TO TAKE ISRAEL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

September 5, 2011

By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

ANKARA, Turkey–After its disgust and continued severing of ties with Israel, Turkey has formally declared that it will apply sometime next week for an investigation by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This application arises over concerns that Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza is illegal. In addition, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu confirmed, through Turkish state-run television, his nation’s support for efforts to win recognition for a Palestinian state through the United Nations.

The Turkish vessel, Mavi Marmara. (Photo Courtesy of NYT)

“All military agreements have been suspended. Our aim here is not to hurt the historical friendship between Turkey and Israel, but, on the contrary, to redirect the current Israeli government as to correct a mistake that does not correspond with their exceptional friendship.”

On 02 September, Turkey continued to separate itself from Israel by ejecting Israel’s ambassador, Gabby Levy, and freezing military agreements with Israel. This separation comes after a UN report detailed the killing of nine individuals, eight Turks and one American of Turkish-descent, during an Israel raid on a Gaza-bound ship nearly 16 months ago.

The Israeli navy intercepted Mavi Marmara, the Turkish-flagged ship, in international waters as it was trying to reach Gaza’s coast on 31 May 2010. The nine individuals who lost their lives were reportedly pro-Palestinian activists. The deaths of these nine individuals did not elicit an apology from Israel in any fashion.

Israeli military officials reported that its commandos fired live rounds only after being attacked with the likes of clubs, knives, and guns. But activists on board Mavi Marmara said that the commandos started firing from the moment that they hit the deck.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon has held the position since the incident that his country has nothing to apologize for, although expressed “regret for the loss of life.” He shared these sentiments about the developing situation.

“They were not ready for a compromise and kept raising the threshold. I think we need to stay to the Turks: as far as we are concerned, this saga is behind is. Now we need to cooperate. Lack of cooperation harms not only us, but Turkey as well.”

The UN Secretary-General has urged Turkey and Israel to improve their diplomatic ties and that both sides should accept the recommendations of the UN report. Turkey has continually held the position that Israel should end its blockade of Palestinians residing inside Gaza.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer and former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe prepared the UN report. But Turkish Foreign Minster Davutoglu made the point that the report had not been endorsed by the UN and consequently, was not binding. Thus, Turkey is in pursuit of the ICJ.

“What is binding is the ICJ. This is what we are saying: let the ICJ decide.”

The UN report detailed that Israel’s decision to board the vessels “with such substantial force at a great disctance from the blockade zone and with no final warning immediately prior to boarding was excessive and unreasonable.” The report came to the conclusion that the Israeli blockade was a “legitimate security measure in order to prevent the entering of weapons into Gaza by sea.”

Turkish Foreign Prime Minister Davutoglu firmly disagreed with this conclusion and noted that it directly contradicted the UN Human Rights Council’s findings. Also, Turkish officials have declared that they will pursue criminal charges against Israeli officials responsible for the killings.

“We will start the application process to the International Court of Justice within the next week, for an investigation into what the Gaza blockade really is.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had strong words regarding the situation.

“We do not need to apologize that the naval commandos defended themselves against the violent activists. I hope a way can be found to overcome the dispute with Turkey. Israel never wanted its relations with Turkey to deteriorate and now too Israel is not interested in a deterioration in relations. But as well as this I repeat: The state of Israel expresses regret at the loss of life.”

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, revered in the much of the Muslim world for lionizing the Palestinian plight, is expected to take a trip to Egypt later this month that could further increase tensions with Israel. There is widespread speculation that Erdogan will travel to Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing as a political statement.

Foreign Minister Davutoglu issued a warning that the dormant democratic forces awakened by popular unrest in the Middle East would certainly fester hostility towards Israel unless it changed its policies.

“Israel has to make a choice; the Arab Spring will bring about a significant enmity against Israel it if fails to change its attitude regarding regional issues.”

It is evident that Turkey’s solicitation of the International Court of Justice may have regional consequences that reverberate much further than its current disagreement with Israel.

For more information, please see:

CNN-Netanyahu: Israel won’t back down in Turkey confrontation-04 September 2011

The Guardian-Israel and Turkey: sailing into choppy waters-04 September 2011

Reuters-Israel’s Netanyahu says won’t apologize to Turkey-04 September 2011

Al-Jazeera-Turkey to take Israel to ICJ-03 September 2011

BBC-Gaza flotilla: Turkey to take Israel to UN court-03 September 2011

NYT-Turkey Expels Israeli Envoy in Dispute Over Raid-02 September 2011

Leaked Israeli Documents Reveal New Insight into Treatment of Palestinians

September 4, 2011

By Tyler Yates
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEL AVIV, Israel — A recently published cache of documents released by WikiLeaks has revealed new insights into Israel’s political and diplomatic relations. The documents cover sensitive topics ranging from information about U.S. citizens living in the West Bank settlements to Israel’s difficulty in dealing with non-violent protests in the West Bank. Perhaps the most damaging information however is not even from a specific document but the new revelations into the relationship of Israel and America, and their intents and attitudes towards the Palestinians.

While knowledge of the two countries’ close relationship is not really a secret, the candor of the documents is something not normally seen by outside eyes.

A document from a 2006 meeting between the U.S. ambassador and the Israeli foreign minister notes that the model for a secure Israel is to keep the Israeli Jews and the Israeli Arabs segregated. The Israeli foreign minister warns that in two years “Hamas will take over” the Israeli Arab population, and that the only reason why Israeli Arabs wish to remain in Israel is to receive the social benefits. When discussing the possibility of a two state solution the foreign minister advocates more “creative” thinking, including the “transferring” of more Palestinians out of Israel. The U.S. ambassador gives no response either positive or negative to the idea.

Another group of more recent documents reveals that U.S. officials have been well aware of Israel’s harsh methods of dealing with peaceful protests in the West Bank for a long time. A February 2010 cable sent to the U.S. ambassador reveals a premeditated effort to use force against such protesters. In the cable, the U.S. ambassador notes that government officials consider any such rally as grounds for the use of military force. At a later meeting, Israel informs the U.S. of it’s intention to use “dirty water” to break up protests even if they are non-violent. “Dirty water is a reference to the IDF’s chemically treated water that duplicates the effects of skunk spray,” reveals a leaked U.S. cable. In the same document, Amos Gilad, Israel’s director of policy and political military affairs, is quoted as saying, “we don’t do Gandhi very well.”

The scrutiny given to the WikiLeaks release will likely also be stoked by the U.S.’s announcement that it wishes the Palestinians to delay their bid for statehood at the United Nations General Assembly later this month. The U.S. wants the Palestinians to return to peace talks with Israel so that both entities can be satisfied.

The current plan, based on a broad vision laid out by U.S. president Barack Obama in May, seems to have the favor of Israel, but the Palestinian position remains unclear. There have been some signs that Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, would forego the UN vote in favor of real talks, but senior Palestinian official Nabil Shaath, dismissed the proposal as inadequate and said a vote would go ahead regardless. Other Palestinian officials have said that they will not be deterred by the U.S. from seeking UN membership, and that “all [their] papers are ready.”

Currently, the Palestinians expect “more than 150” of the 192 UN member nations to back their bid, but this is still short of the required number needed.

The U.S. has veto power in the Security Council, whose approval is necessary to gain full recognition. Even with a veto from the U.S. the Palestinians should have enough votes in the general assembly to change their status from a nonvoting entity to a nonvoting observer state. This status change would allow them to join a number of international committees, and it could strengthen their ability to bring cases against Israel at the International Criminal Court.

A deep concern for many is the effect that an American Security Council veto will have on American-Middle East relations. Ghaith al-Omari, a former Palestinian negotiator who is now the executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine in Washington, warns “an American veto could inflame emotions and bring anti-American sentiment to the forefront across the [Middle East].”

There is also a “powerful argument…that this will provoke a Palestinian awakening…there will be new violence…and we’ll be blamed,” said Martin S. Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel.

The prospect of new violence taken together with the WikiLeaks revelations of how Israel plans to crack down on future protests casts a somber importance on the diplomatic discussions between the U.S., Israel, and the Palestinians leading up the UN vote.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera — Palestinian statehood bid ‘papers ready’ — 4 Sept 2011

Al Jazeera — US cable tells of Israel’s ‘harsh measures’ — 4 Sept 2011

Bloomberg — Palestinians Expect 140 Nations to Back Bid — 4 Sept 2011

NY Times — U.S. Is Appealing to Palestinians to Stall U.N. Vote — 3 Sept 2011

Y Net News — WikiLeaks: Israel irked by West Bank protests — 3 Sept 2011

Mondoweiss — WikiLeaks: In ’06, Lieberman told US ambassador of need to transfer Palestinians from Israel – and US says nothing — 25 Aug 2011

Salon — WikiLeaks’ revealing information about U.S. citizens living in West Bank — 24 Aug 2011

Chilean Commission Uncovers Nearly 10,000 More Victims of Augusto Pinochet’s Rule

September 3, 2011

By Ryan T. Elliott
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America/Oceania

SANTIAGO, Chile— A report released last week by a Chilean commission found that there were many more victims under Pinochet’s rule than previously suspected or documented. In fact, the commission’s director, Maria Luisa Sepulveda, said the commission had identified an additional 9,800 people who had been held as political prisoners and tortured. This brings the total of people killed, tortured or imprisoned for political reasons to 40,018.

: General Augusto Pinochet (Photo Courtesy of Political Pathologies)

As part of this most recent report, the commission examined 32,000 new claims of human rights abuses over the past year and a half. In order to be recognized as a victim during Pinochet’s rule, the person must have been: (1) detained or tortured for political reasons by agents of the state or people at its service; (2) victims of forced disappearances or been executed for political reasons by agents of the state or people at its service; (3) or been kidnapped or been the victims of assassination attempts for political reasons.

During the latter part of the Cold War, and Chile’s 1970 presidential election, the United States became more and more troubled at the prospect of a Socialist by the name of Salvador Allende who seemed likely to prevail in the upcoming election. This fear was rooted, among other things, in Allende’s economic plan, which involved the nationalization of the country’s industry, including U.S.-owned companies.

Not much of this was definitively known until 2000 when the CIA released a document entitled “CIA Activities in Chile,” which outlined the CIA’s role in trying to deter and ultimately prevent Allende from becoming Chile’s next president. Despite their effort, when the ballots were cast and counted, the CIA had failed and Salvador Allende succeeded.

On September 11th 1973 a bloody coup, supported by the United States, took place. The Chilean presidential palace, La Moneda, had been bombed and Allende had subsequently committed suicide. Shortly after the bombing, the military appeared on television with General Pinochet, the newly appointed army commander.

While a majority in Chile’s Congress supported the coup, many Chileans believed that the army would restore social and economic order and then hold democratic elections. With the backing of the army, however, Pinochet did not secure democratic elections, but a dictatorship. In short order, Congress was dissolved, political parties were banned, and opposition leaders were exiled. While many of Allende’s nationalization efforts were thwarted, most Chileans watched in horror as a democracy that stretched back to the 1930s faced a swift death at the hands of Pinochet

For seventeen years, Pinochet ruled, and the violence he let loose was unprecedented in Chile. Pinochet’s first order of business involved capturing, torturing and killing thousands of Allende supporters across Chile. Government-sponsored reports, including the National Commission on Political Imprisonment and Torture Report, found that 3,200 people were murdered under his dictatorship, half of them in the first year. Some 30,000 more were tortured. These reports were much more than attempts at unearthing an unsavory past, it was hoped that they would give Chile an opportunity to reach some sort of reconciliation with its past. However, reconciliation was made difficult by the fact that Pinochet, as a life long head of state, was never brought to justice.

As a result of the recently released report, survivors and victims of abuses under Pinochet will receive a lifetime pension of about $260.00 a month. Meanwhile, relatives of those killed receive about triple that amount. Victims are also entitled to health, education and housing benefits. In sum the government will have to increase its compensation by roughly $123 million a year to victims.

The report was presented to the current Chilean President, Sebastian Pinera, earlier this week at his presidential palace. Neither the details of the kind of abuses faced by the victims nor the names of the victims were released, however. These details are expected to remain confidential for the next fifty years.

This is the fourth report of its kind examining the human rights abuses under Pinochet since 1990. The report doesn’t alter the material facts known about the abuses during Pinochet’s rule, but it does change what is known about the number of abuses during this era, and it is yet another step toward accurately capturing this historical period of Chile.

While the commission has completed its work, the investigation is far from over as there are still hundreds of cases pending before Chilean courts.

For more information, please see:

Chile recognizes 9800 More Victims — August 18, 2011

Chile recognizes 9,800 more Pinochet victims – August 18, 20011

Chile recognizes 9,800 more victims of Pinochet’s rule — August, 2011

After Pinochet — December 13, 2006

Augusto Pinochet – December 13, 2006

Augusto Pinochet: The passing of a tyrant – December 13, 2006

Pinochet’s legacy to Chile: The reckoning – September 16, 1999