Bomb Blasts Rock Buddhist Temple in India

By Brian Lanciault

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NEW DELHI, India– A series of blasts tore through the Mahabodhi  Temple, in the Bodhgaya district of India’s Bihar State this morning. The temple is one of India’s most revered sites, where Buddha himself first gained enlightenment, and attracts thousands of pilgrims daily. Reports thus far indicate that only two people were injured from the blasts.

The Mahabodhi Temple is one of India’s oldest and most sacred Buddhist temples. (Photo Courtesy of BBC)

Union Home Secretary, Anil Goswami, confirmed that the blasts were a terror attack. Bihar Police suspect the involvement of the Indian Mujahideen in the blasts. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar condemned the attack at the temple and demanded the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) be deployed to protect the famous Buddhist shrine.

“The serial blasts deserve strongest condemnation in strongest possible words as the perpetrators targeted the place of religious faith of crores of people with an aim to create fear among them,” he told reporters after inspecting the blast sites at the Mahabodhi Temple.

According to Gaya Police, the blasts occurred in quick succession between 5.30am and 6:00am in the temple complex  near the Mahabodhi tree. One of the blasts erupted under the  tree causing partial damage to the Buddha footprints in the shrine. Four blasts occurred inside the shrine, while another three blasts took place in the Tregar monastery area. Blasts also occurred near the great Buddha statue and a bus parked on the Sujata bypass. Arvind Singh, a member of Mahabodhi Temple Management Committee reported that two other bombs, one found near the massive Buddha statue and one at a bus stand were safely defused.

The Secretary of the Bodh Gaya Committee Dorji said, “There were four blasts inside the temple premises. Fortunately, there was no damage to the Bodhi Tree or the main temple structure. In the first blast which took place near the Bodhi tree, a table was blown up because of which two persons were injured. The second blast, I think, was inside the enclosure where books were kept. The furniture was damaged but there was no damage to the monuments or statues.”

Police have since sealed access to the temple, permitting only temple personnel and investigators access the premises. The daily prayers will continue as scheduled, though no members of the general public will be permitted to enter for some time.

The bombs were described as “low intensity” by police, and Indian security personnel have indicated that they had suspicions of an imminent attack at the temple. S K Bahardwaj, ADG, reported “We got information about six-seven months back that there may be a terror attack on the Mahabodhi temple. After that we had beefed up security and deployed extra forces”.

Generally the temple is guarded by minimal security personnel, with a pair of officers stationed at the entrance, and a handful of private security officers patrolling inside the shrine. At this time, no deaths have been reported.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh strongly condemned the blasts, saying “Such attacks on religious places will be never be tolerated.”

For more information, please see:

Times of India — Terror strikes Bodh Gaya, serial blasts rock Mahabodhi Temple — 7 July 2013

NDTV — Bodhgaya: Eight blasts in Mahabodhi temple; two injured — 7 July 2013

Times of India — Prayers continue at Mahabodhi Temple, visitors barred for now — 7 July 2013

New York Times — Bomb Blasts at India’s Buddhis Mecca in Bihar — 7 July 2013

BBC — Blasts at Indian Buddhist shrines of Bodhgaya in Bihar — 7 July 2013

 

Protest to Punish Police Leads Ukrainian President to Support a New Investigation

By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – In response to public outrage over the alleged rape of a woman by two policemen, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych promised that people in privileged positions will not escape justice.

Protest erupts after officials cover up rape of a woman by two police officers. (Photo courtesy of RT News)

On 26 June 2013, two police officers allegedly raped Irina Krashova on her way home. The 29-year-old mother received a fractured skull, cuts and bruises. Krashova provided a clear statement that identified her attackers. However, the first arrest took place four days later, and an accused officer remained free for much longer after claiming he was on duty.

“This is not true,” Krashova said. “I know 100 percent that he was there. Because he was the first to rape me; he beat me and called me all kinds of names.”

On 1 July, a police officer was released from pretrial detention. In response, 1000 protestors stormed a police station with Molotov cocktails. Police fought the protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Locals allege that, to produce better statistics, the initial investigators beat confessions out of innocent people.

Ukrainians are deeply frustrated with official corruption and a sense that the police and state officials sit above the law. Last year, a teenage girl was raped and set on fire in Krashova’s region. Protests were sparked after Ukrainians learned that two released suspects were the children of former government officials.

Many Ukrainians still believe the ruling elite dictates what constitutes justice. At the hospital where Krashova was treated, senior medical officials pressured professionals to falsify her medical records, downplay her injuries, and question her lifestyle. Public outrage intensified upon allegations that senior police officials also attempted to hide key evidence.

Since the protest, three suspects have been arrested, including two police officers.

“I will not tolerate impunity, especially when it comes to those who should protect people and not violate any laws,” President Yanukovych announced. “Those who are guilty have no place in law enforcement. They should be punished with all the rigour of the law.”

By 4 July, Yanukovych appointed Olena Lukash as the new justice minister. Lukash replaces Oleksandr Lavrynovych, who was recently elected as a member of the Supreme Council of Justice of Ukraine.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Vitaly Zakharchenko fired a public prosecutor and two senior regional police officers. However, he offered no apology to the victim’s family.

Investigators believe Krashova’s case could assist several unsolved crimes in the Vradiyevka district. Thus far, investigators have arrested the deputy head of the regional police in connection with the Krashova case as well as four other murders over the past three years, including the murder of a 15-year-old girl.

While protests for Krashova initiated a stronger investigation, one wonders how long President Yanukovych’s promise will last, or if instead the promise will both last and spread to other regions of the country.

For further information, please see:

Scotsman – Rape Claims against Ukranian Police Lead to Riots – 5 July 2013

RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty – Ukrainian President Appoints New Justice Minister – 4 July 2013

Euro News – Ukraine: Two Police Officers Named as Suspects in Rape Case – 3 July 2013

InSerbia News – Ukraine: Policeman Accused of Raping 29-year-old Woman Staying in Jail – 3 July 2013

RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty – Ukrainian Policeman Suspected in High-Profile Rape Case Arrested – 3 July 2013

RT News – ‘I wanted to die’: Police Gang Rape Case Ignites Ukraine – 3 July 2013

RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty — Ukrainian Protesters Demand Justice for Rape Victim – 2 July 2013

Russian Prosecutor Seeks Moscow Court to Declare Sergei Magnitsky Guilty and Not Be Rehabilitated in First Posthumous Trial in Russian History

PRESS RELEASE

3 July 2013 – Today, the Russian prosecutor has asked the Tverskoi court in Moscow to declare that Sergei Magnitsky was guilty and that he should be refused rehabilitation. The request was made during the last session of the trial of Sergei Magnitsky who has been deceased for three and a half years after being tortured and killed in police custody.

The prosecutor asked the court not to apply any punishment to Sergei Magnitsky, and to cease the case with the verdict of guilty and no chance of future rehabilitation.

“Magnitsky is fully incriminated, and there are no grounds for his rehabilitation,” said prosecutor according to Interfax news agency (http://www.interfax.ru/russia/txt.asp?id=316392).

“We are witnessing a Kafka show trial in real time,” said a Hermitage Capital representative.

The court will announce its decision next week, on 11 July. The presiding judge in the Tverskoi District Court in Moscow is Igor Alisov, the same judge who refused in 2011 to hear the application from Sergei Magnitsky’s mother who challenged the posthumous proceeding against her son as immoral and being contrary to the Russian Constitution. Magnitsky’s mother has since received a letter from the Constitutional Court which reiterated that the posthumous proceedings are only allowed at the relatives’ request and only for the purpose of rehabilitation. In this case, the posthumous trial was initiated by the prosecutor’s office against the will of Magnitsky’s family.

Judge Igor Alisov was also responsible in 2011 for exonerating all officials implicated by Sergei Magnitsky in the theft of Hermitage Fund’s companies and their $230 million tax payments. Instead, in a fast-track hearing in which he heard no evidence, he placed the blame for the $230 million theft on an unemployed ex convict, Mr Khlebnikov, relying exclusively on Mr Khlebnikov’s own testimony.

The posthumous trial against Sergei Magnitsky has been condemned by numerous international bodies, including Amnesty International and International Bar Association.

For further information, please see:

Law and Order in Russia

Texas Legislature Limits Constituent Involvement in Proposed Abortion Legislation

by Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – Texas governor Rick Perry called a special session of the Texas Legislature over the weekend to pass four bills that went unresolved at the close of the previous special session.  This new special session, which began Monday, has been heavily protested over attempts to revive a controversial new piece of abortion legislation.

Of the more than 2000 Texas residents who signed up to testify before the sub-committee, fewer than 100 had a chance to speak. (Photo courtesy of NBC News)

Wendy Davis, a state senator from Fort Worth, garnered national attention for the state legislature when she successfully filibustered the new abortion legislation, forcing the build to die at the previous special session’s conclusion.  While pro-choice advocates rejoiced at Davis’s stand last week, this new special session will likely see the bill pass.

This new bill would prohibit abortions after twenty weeks and would require the procedure to be performed at an “ambulatory surgical center.”  Thirty seven of the forty two facilities that preform abortions in Texas do not meet the proposed bill’s requirements.

The bill was referred to the appropriate sub-committee on Monday, which took measures to limit discussion on the bill. House Republicans chose a committee room that seated 64 in an effort to limit the number of resident who would be allowed to testify. BBC reports that the sub-committee chairman, Byron Cook, limited testimony to eight hours, saying that the panel had heard enough from constituents.

The crowd of protestors poised to overwhelm police in the capital on Tuesday until rooms were provided for them to watch the sub-committee proceedings on closed circuit TV.

Republicans on the sub-committee refused to allow amendments proposed by Democratic members. The bill passed along party lines after midnight on July 4 and will proceed to the full House with the same language as the bill filibustered last week.

The bill is set for debate before the House early next week and is expected to pass the Republican-controlled House and Senate against the protests of the Democratic minority and pro-choice advocates.  Governor Perry has vowed to sign the bill as proposed.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Texas abortion bill advances after limited testimony – 3 July 2013

CNN – Texas GOP skirts law on anti-abortion bill – 3 July 2013

International Business Times – Texas Abortion Bill Clears First Hurdle In House As Supporters And Opponents Rally At State Capitol – 3 July 2013

NBC News – Public input limited as Texas anti-abortion bill comes back up for debate – 2 July 2013

CBS News – Texas Senate to revive abortion bill debate – 1 July 2013

Egyptian President Morsi Ousted By Military

By Thomas Murphy
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – Egypt’s military has seized control of the country and forced President Morsi out of office.  Adly Mansour, the Chief Justice of the country’s top court, has been sworn in as the interim president.

Egypt’s new interim president Adly Mansour. (Photo Courtesy of AFP)

The events of the last four days unfolded rather quickly.  Initially, protesters began gathering in Tahrir Square on the night of Thursday, the 28th, for planned weekend protests in opposition of President Morsi.  By Sunday, protesters across Cairo and the entire country reportedly numbered in the millions.

On Monday, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the highest ranking Egyptian military officer, gave President Morsi a 48-hour ultimatum to come to an agreement with the protesters and opposition parties or face military intervention. Morsi balked at the ultimatum and refused offers from the opposition to negotiate until offering a last second plan for a coalition government that the military and opposition leaders saw as too little, too late.

The military’s ultimatum carried with it a 5:00 P.M. Wednesday deadline.  When the deadline passed, the military began deploying armed forces around Cairo and detaining key Muslim Brotherhood political officials including President Morsi.

In a statement posted on the Egyptian Presidency Facebook page, Essam El-Haddad, Egypt’s national security adviser called the on-going situation “a full military coup.”

Late Wednesday, opposition leader Mohammed ElBaradei and religious leaders made a televised a statement regarding the military’s future plans for the government according to the state news agency.  The military’s road map provides for a brief period of rule under a civilian leadership council followed by new presidential and parliamentary elections.  However, it has not been made clear exactly when elections will take place.

Cheif Justice Mansour was sworn in before the Constitutional Court on Thursday and addressed the public.  He emphasized that the Muslim Brotherhood were still a part of the people and would not be excluded.

“I swear by God to uphold the Republican system and respect the constitution and law… and safeguard the people and protect the nation,” he said.  “[…] Nobody will be excluded, and if they responded to the invitation, they will be welcomed.”

To the contrary, Egyptian authorities have ordered the arrests of Muslim Brotherhood leaders and officials.  At least a dozen have already been taken into custody including Saad El Katatni, leader of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, and President Morsi, who is under house arrest.

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Top judge sworn in as Egypt interim president – 4 July 2013

Al Jazeera – Profile: Egypt’s interim leader Adly Mansour – 4 July 2013

Washington Post – Top Muslim Brotherhood officials ordered arrested as Egypt appoints interim president – 4 July 2013

BBC – Egypt army deployed amid Cairo tension– 3 July 2013

New York Times – Before Protests, Morsi Takes Critics Head On – 27 June 2013