Palestinian Detainees’ Lives at Stake in Hunger Strike

Palestinian Detainees’ Lives at Stake in Hunger Strike

By Ali Al-Bassam
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel — The International Red Cross issued a warning last Friday that three Palestinian hunger strikers were at risk of death in an Israeli jail.  The three men, Samer Al-Barq, Hassan Safadi, and  Ayman Sharawna, began their hunger strikes on May 22, June 21 and July 5, respectively, to demand better conditions of Israeli prisons, and an end to arbitrary administrative detention and long-term isolation.

Relatives of Al-Barq, Safadi, and Sharawna call for their release during a protest in Gaza City. (Photo courtesy of Ma’an News)

“These people are going to die unless the detaining authorities find a prompt solution,” the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross delegation in Israel and the occupied territories, Juan Pedro Schaerer, said in a statement.

Al-Barq originally began his hunger strike on April 15, when he took part in a mass hunger strike with approximately 2,000 other Palestinian prisoners to protest prison conditions.  He ended his hunger strike on May 14, and resumed it again on May 21 after Israel issued new administrative detention orders.  Al-Barq has been on a hunger strike for 120 days, and due to his current condition he is unable to walk.  He was moved from his prison cell to a civilian hospital last Sunday, but details on his current condition are not available.

Like Al-Barq, both Safadi and Sharawna have suffered physical ailments because of their hunger strikes.

Safadi has been on a hunger strike for 86 days.  Fares Ziad, a lawyer for a prisoner rights group called Addameer, says that Safadi  has been suffering from heart contractions and chronic pain in his kidneys and joints.  Ziad says that Israel has detained Safadi multiple times since the 1990’s without ever raising charges against him.

Sharawna, whose hunger strike has lasted 76 days, was released from prison in 2011 when Israel swapped prisoners with Hamas, yet he was arrested once again by Israeli forces last January without ever being charged.  He has lost 86 percent of the vision in his right eye and was vomiting blood as of last week.

Meanwhile, Zakaria Zubeidi, who was arrested by the Palestinian Authority on May 13, has refused food in protest of his detention without charges or trial.  He told his lawyer that Palestinian authorities had tortured him and denied him access to both a lawyer and his family for an extended period.  Palestinian interrogators claim that Zubeidi knew the location of guns that were used by Palestinian armed groups when they fired shots into the home of the governor of Jenin, in the northern West Bank.

Zubeidi began his hunger strike on September 9, when a judge extended his detention for eight days.  He began accepting fluids after September 11 when he started suffering from kidney problems related to the strike.  Zubeidi said he would resume a total hunger strike until death after the court extended his detention to give the prosecution additional time to build their case.

For further information, please see:

Al Resalah — Fears for Palestinian Hunger Strikers’ Lives — 19 September 2012

Al Jazeera — Palestinian Hunger Strikers ‘Close to Death’ — 18 September 2012

Human Rights Watch — Israel/Palestinian Authority: Charge or Free Palestinian Detainees — 18 September 2012

Ma’an News Agency — Red Cross Warns Hunger Strikers Risk Death — 14 September 2012

Ghanaian Supreme Court Judge Elected as New President of African Court on Human and People’s Rights

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

DODOMA, Tanzania – On Tuesday, September 18, the African Court on Human and People’s Rights (AfCHPR) elected Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo from Ghana as its new President for a two-year term.

Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo replaces Justice Gérard Niyungeko as new President of African Court. (Photo Courtesy of AfCHPR)

Justice Akuffo succeeds Justice Gérard Niyungeko from Burundi who served as the first President of the AfCHPR from 2006 to 2008 and was re-elected for the 2010 to 2012 term.

Justice Sophia Akuffo’s election as President was held during the AfCHPR’s 26th ordinary session. She joined the AfCHPR as a Judge in 2006 and was re-elected in 2008 for a six-year term. The same year she was re-elected as AfCHPR Judge, she was also elected as Vice-President of the Pan-African Court for a two-year term. As soon as her term as Pan-African Court Vice-President ended, she was elected to the same position again in September 2010.

A Judge of the Supreme Court of Ghana, Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo is an active member of several legal organizations in Africa, including the Advisory Committee of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute.

The President of the AfCHPR is elected among serving Judges of the Court for a two-year term. This term is renewable only once based on the Protocol establishing the African Court and the Rules of the Court.

With regard to the position AfCHPR vice-president, the vacancy has yet to be filled. According to Jean Pierre Uwanone, the AfCHPR spokesperson, the election of the vice-president will be announced at a later date this year.

Justice Sophia Akuffo’s election comes a day after the AfCHPR swore in two newly elected judges who were elected by the 19th Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. These two judges, namely Judges El Hadji Guissé and Ben Kioko, were elected on 16 July 2012 for a six year term each. Earlier during the Judges’ swearing-in ceremony, the AfCHPR dedicated a minute of silence in memory of the late Ugandan Justice Joseph Nyamihana Mulenga who passed away last month. The AfCHPR has not named Justice Nyamihana’s replacement yet.

The AfCHPR, an Arusha-based court, was established by African countries to ensure the protection of human and peoples’ rights in the continent. It is a judicial body that aims to complement and reinforce the functions of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

To date, only 26 African states have ratified the AfCHPR Protocol which include Algeria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Comoros, Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Lesotho, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Nigeria, Niger, Rwanda, South Africa, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia and Uganda.

 

For further information, please see:

All Africa – African Court Elects New President – 19 September 2012

Leadership – African Court Elects New President – 19 September 2012

African Court on Human and People’s Rights – Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo Is Elected President of the Court – 18 September 2012

IPP Media – Two new judges elected to Africa Human Rights court – 14 September 2012

African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights – Opening Statement of the Vice-President of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Hon. Sophia Ab Akuffo – 28 April 2011

Peruvian Counter-Insurgency Leaves One Child Dead

By Brendan Oliver Bergh
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

LIMA, Peru – Clashes between the Peruvian Army and the militant remnants of the Senedero Luminoso (also known as the “Shining Path”) left a child dead in the street from gunfire.

In campaign. Counterterrorism operations in Vraem have risen against the camps where they feed and roost terrorists.
Counter-Insurgency troops in VRAEM. (Photo Courtesy of La Republica)

A clash in Valley of the Rio Ene, Apurimac and Mantarao (VRAEM), by counter-insurgency forces and rebels left an 8 year old dead in the province of Junín, Peru. On the morning of September 8th, Army and police personnel descended into the small town of Ranrapata, Peru. Dubbed ‘Operation Mantara’ it’s stated premise was to “dismantle a terrorist camp and not to attack civilians.”

While officially a success, the operation was meant to “identify and destroy a feeding center,” which had been sheltering “supplies and members of Sendero Luminoso.” These centers were reportedly used to indoctrinate children and plan armed attacks in the VRAEM and surrounding areas. Specifically the police were attempting to capture the alleged narco-terrorist known as “Pucañahui” who commanded around 20 rebels.

Details of the operation are hazy. Authorities in Lima initially said the operation resulted in the rescue of three children who were being held by the insurgents and the arrest of two women. One of the women arrested may have been Aquila Paucarcaja Vega, who was either the mother or stepmother of the dead child. The child, Zoraida Case, was hit by a bullet in the back after crossfire between agents against the guerrillas. No one is sure what happened to Zorida Case after she was shot. Some witnesses say they saw her body being dumped in the ravine, while others say she was dragged out of the streets and dropped in the bushes.

The Minister of the Interior Wilfried Pedraza told Congress “The government deeply regrets (the death of the child), whose situation and circumstances are under investigation, but in any case is the Shining Path, the terrorist group, which should respond.” The family of the victim believe law enforcement officials were the ones firing the projectile.

The rebels have reportedly joined forces with drug cartels and producers of illegal coca for the manufacturing of cocaine. They use snipers to attack military bases in the VRAEM and ambush patrols. The guerrilla force has been largely dormant since the turn of the century but has escalated its efforts in recent years. A “truth commission” in 2000, appointed by then-President Alejandro Toledo, blamed the Shining Path for most of  nearly 70,000 deaths in the politically motivated violence during the 1980-2000 period.

For further information, please see:

The Correo – Girl Is Depressed In The Evening VRAEM No Government Presence – 16 September 2012

The Primera – Zoraida Remains Buried Amid Cries For Justice – 16 September 2012

Fox News Latino – Peru President Vows Probe Of Child’s Death In Army Operation – 14 September 2012

RPP Noticias – Sendero Luminoso Must Answer For Death Of Girl In Vraem – 13 September 2012

The Epoch Times – Peru Confronts Its Violent Past – 3 September 2012

Ecuador Arms Traffickers Shut Down

By Margaret Janelle R. Hutchinson
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

QUITO, Ecuador – By moving small quantities of firearms, utilizing safe houses, and employing hundreds of routes, Ecuadorian arms traffickers have long been able to evade capture and supply weapons to the Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and other guerilla groups in Colombia.

Ecuadorian anti arms-trafficking operatives have made 39 busts since summer of 2010, confiscating weapons, ammunition, explosives, etc. (Photo Courtesy El Comercio)

In July, Ecuador and Colombia completed a bi-national training course to combat illicit trafficking in firearms, ammunition and explosives in the border area between the two nations; Ecuador has made notable progress in the past few months.

Ecuadorean police announced yesterday that they have identified the main routes used by arms traffickers in the country. The routes stretch across the country, with most weapons entering via the southern border with Peru.

This success is due, in part, to the capture last month of Edilson Castro Lopez, alias “Chicanero” or “Jairo,” in the province of Pichincha.  Chicanero was responsible for coordinating shipments of weapons to the FARC western command under the command “Pacho Chino” and “Sargent Easter.”

The investigation since Chicanero’s capture has revealed over 175 underground passages from Peru into Ecuador.  Once in Ecuador, guns, explosives, and ammunition are moved overland in small numbers using personal vehicles or other non-conspicuous methods.  Along the route to Colombia, the arms are stored in safe houses.

In September alone, four raids have been conducted at safe houses along known trafficking routes.  Each raid has revealed quantities of ammunition, a few weapons, and gun parts.

It appears that the week-long training involving employees of the Ministry of National Defense of Ecuador, the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Security Coordinator, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Prosecutor of armed forces of Ecuador, Colombia’s Armed Forces, National Police of Ecuador, and Customs had an appreciable impact on Ecuador’s actions.

During the course, research techniques were developed in the tracing of SALW (small arms light weapons) illegal material.  Technical aspects regarding the identification of firearms and ammunition, national and international legal frameworks on the matter and judicial handling of evidence were all covered.  Host organizations addressed a number of cross-cutting issues related to the use of force, the impact of armed violence on children/girls and women, and the protection of women and children.

The training was promoted by the Government of the Republic of Ecuador, in collaboration with the Program for Development and Peace for the Northern Border, of the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP) and the Regional Centre for Peace, United Nations, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC).

For further information, please see:

El Comercio – El tráfico de armas vulnera las fronteras norte y sur de Ecuador – 17 September 2012

InSight Crime – Mapping Gun Smuggling Routes in Ecuador – 17 September 2012

El Tiempo – Traficante de las FARC controlaba 175 pasos ilegales en frontera – 6 August 2012

ONU – PNUD y UNLIREC Asisten a Ecuador y Colombia Para Fortaclecer sus Cpacidades en la Lucha Contra el Tráfico Ilícito de Armas de Fuego en Zonas Fronterizas – 7 July 2012

 

 

 

Syrian Revolution Digest – Monday 17 September

The Darkside!

Some peddle hope and deliver indifference, while others peddle pure unadulterated cynicism. In the face of all this, Syrians are persevering somehow, but the problem with perseverance is that it requires a certain uncompromising if not downright puritan quality, which in our world translates into all different sorts of unsavory isms. Welcome to the Darkside of the Arab Spring.  

Monday September 17, 2012

Today’s Death toll: 142. The Breakdown: 50 in Damascus and Suburbs (among them 10 in Yarmouk Camp), 31 in Aleppo, 30 in Daraa (among them 13 in the shelling of Lajat), 12 in Homs, 12 in Idlib, 2 in Raqqa, 2 in Lattakia, 2 in Hama and 1 in Deir Ezzor (LCC).

News

Special Reports

Op-Eds

Ammar Abdulhamid & Khawla Yusuf: The Shredded Tapestry: The State of Syria Today

Video Highlights

In the village of Kafar Ouaid, Idlib Province, the pounding keeps claiming the lives of more children http://youtu.be/lxTSaPhKrH0 ,http://youtu.be/CEb71phCt7M , http://youtu.be/6sdFVPSC4aI On the previous day, more children were killed as well by pounding and direct slaughter.http://youtu.be/-VmOIc4sc7s , http://youtu.be/U3jeVaJ9kIA This gruesome video shows the body of a little girl who was beheaded http://youtu.be/XOxTVWDVubo

To the North of Damascus, the pounding of the town of Yabroud continueshttp://youtu.be/obxcMnM61Z0

The town of Darat Azzah, Aleppo Province, is pounded by MIGshttp://youtu.be/jLTNWFaWhLM , http://youtu.be/HklBDeZartw

In Homs Province, the pounding of the town of Al-Qusair continueshttp://youtu.be/jaxahQRciFs And Rastan http://youtu.be/j6BdBL6OPY0 ,http://youtu.be/Zxr5uULKbxQ , http://youtu.be/_OZkEboUVvo In Talbisseh, medics try to revive a little girl injured by a shrapnel http://youtu.be/lDyyvWniuqg

The pounding of the town of Kinsafrah in Idlib Provincehttp://youtu.be/UZL5sCHI32U , http://youtu.be/Ug7v0zNyxbQ

Alawites in Antakya, Turkey, rally in support of Assad and demand the repatriation of all refugees. They blame the tragic developments in Syria on Saudi-Qatari-American-Zionist-Erdogan conspiracy, claim all revolutionaries are foreign fighters and say that Assad is goodhearted http://youtu.be/hwbg-Yc1Zi0

In Salaheddine Neighborhood, Aleppo City, rebels claim to have killed an Iranian officer, they show his body and his ID http://youtu.be/jXJRJ6E1iPw

Another activist accidentally films his own death http://youtu.be/3FeV-qByb84

This video shows an FSA fighter blowing up a tank by throwing a hand grenade inside the cockpit http://youtu.be/M33aaZBFmLI

Leaked video showing a ranking officer in pro-Assad militias giving orders to a tank to pound a neighborhood in a Damascene suburb irrespective of the presence of “civilians” http://youtu.be/X1tt1qHDCsM

Another recently leaked video harkens back until last winter and shows the positioning of cannons to pound the town of Madaya in Damascus Provincehttp://youtu.be/4OeZfW93JKA

In South Idlib, a group of defected soldiers announces the formation of new fighting unit called: The Martyr Saddam Hussein’s Brigadehttp://youtu.be/lTe7TlFKRps The choice of name is dictated by the donor involved.

A report by The Syrian Network for Human Rights

The complete legal documentation of the Daraya Massacre

Date of incident: 20/8/2012-27/8/2012

Darya is located in Damascus’ countryside as it is eight kilometers west of Damascus. Only a small distance separates Daraya, the biggest city of in Rural Damascus, from Mu’adamiyet Alsham.

On the second day of Eid Al-Fitr, and as Muslims around the world were celebrating, the military operation against Daraya began. On Monday, August 20th, 2012, the Syrian government cut off electricity and communication from the entire city. That night, the Syrian arm shelled the western part of the city with tens of mortar shells. Homes were completely destroyed and many were wounded by the shelling, which consequently made the residents flee to the centre of the city.

On the following Tuesday morning (21/8/2012), the Syrian army blocked off all Daraya’s exists and entrances with sandbags and barriers. Thirty tanks were deployed on the International Highway to Deraa, thus preventing anyone from entering or exiting the city. The Syrian army started shelling the heart of Daraya, wounding many.

The Syrian forces then attempted to advance through the Kornish Way. However, the forces met resistance from the Free Syrian Army as the two sides clashed causing casualties on both sides. The Syrian Network for Human Rights cannot document or verify the casualties on either side due to the Syrian government’s refusal to issue a license for the network. There are also other difficulties that prevent the network from documenting the casualties from both armed parties.

At 7:00 am, Wednesday, 21/8/2012, the Syrian forces stepped up the shelling, only for Daraya to witness the fiercest wave of shelling. The regime forces used various weapons, including heavy weapons, tanks, mortars, and helicopter rockets, in a very horrific manner. The shelling killed many civilians in their homes and wounded many. All the victims were taken to field hospitals amidst the lack of needed medical equipment.

*Important videos that document the events of that day*

The wounded (all civilians) after three days since the beginning of the military operation:

A surgical operation being conducted on a civilian who was wounded by the shelling:

Thursday (23/8/2012) arrived, as the people of Daraya did not sleep the night before due to the continuos shelling. Our activists conducted field visits to the shelled areas. What caught our attention was the use of artillery weapons and warplane rockets. Witnesses tell us that they could not leave the indoors to retrieve dead bodies due to the fierce shelling that poses a great risk to their lives.

*Videos that document the events of that day*

We note that the original and raw videos are possessed b the Syrian Network for Human Rights.

Videos of the dead (all civilians):

23/8/2012

Anas Alhilou

Amin Huwwari

Other civilians that were killed by the shelling

A child killed by the shelling

Still images of the victims from that day:

Ahmed Alabbar Abu Hussain

Nadia Mohammed/45 years//killed in random shelling

Mohanad Ahmed Alzahr

Anas Alhilou

The Al Sheikh Massacre

Videos documenting the wounded (many of them died due to lack of medical equipment)

Daraya 23/8/2012, people seriously wounded, including children:

Injuries due to rocket fire

Deaths and injuries duet to barbaric shelling

Wounded civilians in serious conditions

A person wounded by sniper fire

A person wounded by shrapnel from a rocket

At 10:00 am, Friday (24/8/2012), forces from the Air-force Intelligence stormed the city form the direction of the Mazzah Airport with the support of fighter jets. The city’s west and centre were shelled and homes were broken into by army personnel as they conducted arrests.

 As the army attempted to reach the centre of the city, the Free Syrian Army resisted as they clashed with the advancing army forces. This resistance caused the Syrian army to resort to the Scorched Earth strategy, as it used all it had to pound the city, causing the death and injury of many civilians. At this point, the FSA withdrew completely from the city.

After the withdrawal of the FSA, and at 3:00 pm on the same day, an enormous amount army forces invaded the city. The burned and destroyed homes, markets, businesses, and farms. Medical storages were also burnt. Snipers were deployed in large number all around the city.

*Videos that document deaths and injuries for that day*

Abu Nidal Qadra, killed in random shelling

Two dead children

Corpses of those who were killed

A photo of Basel Abu Allin

A photo of Majal Albalshah

The child, Adel Alabbar

Photos of victims who were detained then executed

Maan Alzardah

Those wounded by the shelling

Those wounded by rocket fire and the awful conditions

Wounded individuals

On the following Saturday through Sunday, Syrian forces started to break into houses and indiscriminately kill whoever they find. Summary executions and collective killings were tactics that were also used. Entire families were annihilated using such tactics. Some of the families which were documented by the network are the “Saqa” family, which Is known for its righteousness, morality, and knowledge, the “Alon” family, and the “Foqa’ah” family. The murderous forces did not stop there. For they also mutilated the bodies of the dead, distorted them, and burnt them, so that human rights organizations and the families be unable to identify the dead.

It is at this point when the biggest massacre occurred, the massacre of the Abu Sulaiman Aldarani Mosque and its surroundings. Many civilians sought refuge in a home near the mosque. Later, the bodies of 156 people were found piled up in that same place. Nineteen of the dead were women, and three were children.

Videos and photos documenting the events of the 25-26/8/2012

The child, Asmaa Abu Allin

The Abu Sulaiman Mosque Massacre

Big number of victims that were killed by army forces and Shabiha

Pictures of victims 25/8

Photos from one of the massacres

A photo of Zahra Dyoub

Photos of some corpses

Videos from 26/8/2012

Infants killed by the shelling

The massacres that were discovered in Daraya

The Balafsi family

A massacre in an apartment (7 dead)

 Bodies of 14 people who were summarily executed in their home

Discovered bodies

Photo documentation of victims

The burial of victims in mass graves

On Monday, the army forces withdrew and positioned themselves outside the city. The head of the police headquarters in Daraya was executed by army forces along with other policemen for allegedly “aiding terrorists”.

Regime forces also looted the Red Cross’s storages which contained nutritional supplies and medicines.

After the army’s withdrawal, 35 bodies were found of civilians who were detained and then executed by army forces. Four of them are women and three are children.

Videos documenting that days’ events

Corpses of the victims:

Photos of the bodies:

The Syrian Network for Human Rights’ team was able, through the coarse of many days, to document the names of the dead. This was achieved through communicating with witnesses, relatives of victims, and activists on the ground (who can be reached via Skype). The United Nations has to pressure the Syrian regime to allow international committees to come to Syria and investigate.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights documented 524 names, most of whom if not all are civilians, since the FSA withdrew from the city. The presence of 61 dead women proves the regime’s targeting of civilians.