By Emily Schneider
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

Middle East – Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda’s top leader, allegedly called for more protests against offensive depictions of the prophet Mohammed and praised the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya last month, according to a recently released audio recording.

Individuals around the Muslim world protested against “Innocence of Muslims,” an anti-Islam movie produced in the United States in the weeks after September 11. The video, which had been available online since July, went viral following the anniversary of the September 11 tragedy and sparked violent reactions throughout the Middle East.

Although many protests were peaceful demonstrations against the offensive depiction of the prophet Mohammed, quite a few protestors blamed the United States government for the film. The low-budget film was privately produced. U.S. officials have condemned the video, stating that it in no way reflects the views or opinions of the government and it was not sanctioned by Washington.

In Egypt, 224 people were injured in protests, according to the Health Ministry. In Yemen, demonstrators were able to breach embassy security and storm the grounds, where they burnt the American flag before being repelled by security forces. In Pakistan, mobs ransacked banks, cinemas, and government offices. Demonstrations also took place in Lebanon, Malaysia, and Bangladesh.

But the most troubling attack occurred in Benghazi, Libya, where four members of the U.S. Embassy were killed, including Christopher Stevens, the U.S. Ambassador to Libya. U.S. officials initially believed the attack on the U.S. mission compound was part of the demonstrations taking place immediately outside the compound. The protest was sparked by the “Innocence of Muslims” video and modeled after similar protests that took place in Cairo earlier that day.

But as more information has become available, U.S. officials have reevaluated their original assumption. It seems now, that the incident was not a spontaneous overflow of the protests, but instead an organized and deliberate, albeit opportunistic, attack. Officials now believe that “extremists” used the protests in Benghazi as a diversion to launch their attack on the compound.

“In the immediate aftermath, there was information that led us to assess that the attack began spontaneously following protests earlier that day at our embassy in Cairo,” Shawn Turner, spokesman for Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, said. “As we learned more about the attack, we revised our initial assessment to reflect new information indicating that it was a deliberate and organized terrorist attack carried out by extremists.”

Now, over a month since the first protests, demonstrations outside U.S. embassies are declining. Al-Zawahiri’s address to “free and distinguished zealots for Islam,” lauding those who have taken part in the demonstrations thus far, was posted on Islamic websites early Saturday and calls for a renewal of the protests.

Although the authenticity of the recording cannot be completely confirmed, al-Zawahiri offered a similar message in his last video in September, when he condoned violence in Syria. That video, entitled “The Lion of Knowledge and Jihad: martyrdom of al-Sheikh Abu Yahya al-Libi,” was released on September 11, 2012 and marked his thirteenth statement of the year. In that video, he confirmed the death of Abu Yahya, who was killed by a U.S. drone in Pakistan.

In the latest recording, al-Zawahari stopped just short of claiming responsibility for the attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi. He did, however, offer support and praise to those who orchestrated the attack.

“May God salute the free honest believers who stood up and stormed the American Consulate in Benghazi and those who demonstrated in front of the American Embassy in Cairo and brought down the American flag and raised the banner of Islam and Jihad instead,” Ayman al-Zawahiri said in the recording.

“In the pretext of personal freedom and freedom of expression, America allowed the production of a movie that was aimed to defame the beloved prophet Mohammed, even though this alleged personal freedom that they boast about didn’t stop the Americans from torturing the Muslim prisoners” at U.S. facilities, the audio recording says.

“I call upon [protestors] to continue their confrontation against the American Zionist crusader transgression and I call upon all Muslims to follow their leads,” he said.

For further information, please see:

CNN- In Message, al Qaeda Leader Purportedly Calls for More Protests – 13 October 2012

The Guardian – Al-Qaida Leader Calls for Holy War on US and Israel over Anti-Islamic Film – 13 October 2012

RT.com – Al-Qaeda Leader Calls for More Anti-US Protests – 13 October 2012

CNN – What We Know About the Libya Attack – 14 October 2012

CNN – Death, Destruction in Pakistan Amid Protests Tied to Anti-Islam Film – 21 September 2012

Al Jazeera – Hate Video, Muslim Protests and Dignified Responses – 20 September 2012

BBC News – Anti-Islam Film Protests Spread Across Middle East – 13 September 2012

By Justin Dorman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – In Egypt, every step President Mohammed Morsi takes towards rectifying a past injustice is accompanied by another step, of his own, in the opposite direction. Morsi recently issued a general amnesty decree that pardoned all political protesters who have been imprisoned since January 2011.

The pardon mainly affects those who were detained for “supporting the revolution” between January 25, 2011 and June 30, 3012, when Morsi began his presidency. Such individuals were mainly civilians who were tried in military courts on charges of possession of weapons, violating curfew, damaging property, and even “thuggery.”  Although this decree frees many detainees, it does not extend to everyone.

It does not cover any individual who has been convicted of murder. While such an exception seems reasonable on its face, it still holds serious implications on the right of an Egyptian to have a fair trial. Approximately 1,100 civilians will remain in jail after being found guilty of charges like murder, rape, theft, embezzlement, and use of force with weapons in military courts.

“Military courts cannot be used to try any civilians and those imprisoned after military trials must be referred for re-trial before the ordinary judiciary or released,” said Amnesty International’s Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme, Hassiba Hadj.  “Equality before the law means that all Egyptians have the right to a fair trial regardless of the nature of the accusations.”

Amnesty International urged Morsi to take further steps in fighting impunity. Though Morsi created a committee to investigate the killings of protesters under Hosni Mubarak and the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF), little of any substance has resulted from this review. Only three soldiers were convicted of manslaughter when dozens of Coptic Christians were killed in last year’s Maspero protests, and only one member of the riot police is being tried for death and injury to protesters.

What President Morsi is actively trying to do is replace Attorney General Abdel-Meguid Mahmoud, regardless of the removal violating Egyptian law. The Attorney General is supposed to be insulated from political pressures, so his removal is prohibited unless he consents to it. Despite this, Morsi has appointed Mahmoud as the country’s ambassador to the Vatican and named Abdul Aziz the new Attorney General. This action came days after Mahmoud, a Mubarak appointee, failed at obtaining judgment against twenty-four members of the Mubarak regime for their connection with the “Battle of Camel.”

Yesterday, Morsi supporters congregated in Cairo’s Tahrir Square to protest these acquittals. Similarly, anti-Morsi protesters went to Tahrir Square to demonstrate against the Muslim Brotherhood’s monopolization of Egypt’s new constitution. The anti-Morsi activists were the first to the square but were kicked out because of their chants. Eventually, they came back in greater numbers, but were then surrounded when more Morsi supporters showed up. After the two factions chanted at each other for hours, violence inevitably broke out.

“They trapped us from both sides after attacking our stage where we were chanting,” claimed Ibrahim El-Sheikhh, an anti-Morsi protester. “As they beat me, they chanted Allahu Akbar [God is Great] and said they’d kidnap me, but I managed to escape. This is the Muslim Brotherhood.”

Additionally, it was reported that stones and Molotov cocktails were thrown as the opposing protesters clashed in Tahrir Square.

For further information, please see:

Alazma – Decision to Sack the Attorney General Spark a Conflict Between Judges and Mercy . . Hundreds of Judges Calling for “Public” to Refuse Emergency Impeachment .. The News Confirmed the Appointment of Abdul Aziz in Office – 12 October 2012

Guardian – Tahrir Square Clashes pit Mohmaed Morsi Supporters Against Opponents – 12 October 2012

Al Jazeera – Egypt’s Morsi Pardons ‘Revolutionaries’ – 9 October 2012

Amnesty International – Egypt: President Must go Beyond Decree and Carry out Greater Human Rights Reform – 9 October 2012