U.S. and EU Begin Lifting Sanctions on Iran

By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran-The White House issued a statement on Monday saying that the U.S. will start easing economic sanctions on Iran as soon as Tehran begins closing tis most sensitive nuclear work.  Jay Carney, White House spokesman, added that Washington will continue to aggressively enforce sanctions that remain in effect.

The heavy water plant at Arak is one of several Iranian facilities under the international spotlight (photo courtesy of BBC)

“These actions represent the first time in nearly a decade that Iran has verifiably enacted measures to halt progress on its nuclear program and roll it back in key respects,” Carney said.

Carney continued saying, “Iran has also begun to provide the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with increased transparency into the Iranian nuclear program, through more frequent and intrusive inspections and the expanded provision of information to the IAEA.  Taken together, these concrete actions represent an important step forward.”

The United Nations nuclear agency confirmed that the higher-level uranium enrichment at a facility located in central Iran has ceased.  As such, the European Union also announced its suspension of sanctions.

The deal that went into effect on Monday was discussed by EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton.  “This is an important day in our pursuit of ensuring that Iran has an exclusively peaceful nuclear program,” Ashton added.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement would not stop Iran from “realizing its intention to develop nuclear weapons.”

Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said, “The sanctions iceberg against Iran is melting.”  The IAEA confirmed that Iran had ceased enriching uranium above 5% and also begun diluting its stockpile of uranium enriched to 20%.

Providing a note of caution, former IAEA deputy director Olli Heinonen said that if Iran decides to default on the deal, it would only need two to three weeks to produce sufficient highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon.

The sanctions will be suspended for six months allowing Iran to resume export of its petrochemicals.  Sanctions affecting the trading in gold, other precious metals and the car industry will also be lifted.

The payoff to Iran will result in an influx of billions of dollars over the next six months into the Islamic republic’s unstable economy.

For more information, please see the following: 

ABC News-US to Begin Easing Economic Sanctions on Iran-20 January 2014

Al Jazeera-EU and US ease some sanctions against Iran-20 January 2014

BBC News-Iran nuclear: Curbs on uranium enrichment begin-20 January 2014

York Dispatch-U.S., EU lift some sanctions on Iran-20 January 2014

 

State Official Reporters More than 90% of Voters Supported the Constitution

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – A senior Egyptian official claimed that an overwhelming majority of the Egyptians who voted in the country’s constitutional referendum earlier this week voted in favour of the draft constitution supported by the military led government in Cairo. Though the results he cited when talking to the Associated Press were unofficial the official claimed that more than 90% of voters who participated in the election voted in favour of the constitution.

Poll workers in Cairo sorted ballots on Wednesday, the last day voting in the nations constitutional referendum (Photo courtesy of the New York Times)

While unofficial results cited by officials show a victory for the military led interim government thousands of supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and former President Mohamed Morsi boycotted the elections, dozens of Brotherhood supporters were arrested during the voting process after taking to the streets in demonstrations against the election. The Muslim Brotherhoods and other Islamist supporters felt they were unfairly kept out of the drafting process of the constitution, which is a heavily edited version of the constitution written under Morsi’s regime ratified in December 2012, and that the removal of president Morsi was an illegal coup against the nation’s first democratically elected leader.

Election monitors voiced concerns over serious violations and irregularities in the voting process. There complaints included concerns over reported incidents of voter intimidation, specifically intimidation of the constitution’s opponents. However, monitors have not formally accused authorities of fraud or ballot-stuffing. While state officials claim more than 90% of voters voted yes for the constitution only about 38% of eligible voters turned out to vote this week. However, the voter turnout and percentage of voters supporting the constipation was higher in this round of elections than in the constitutional referendum held under Morsi. The Mediterranean province of Matrouh, an area with high support for Islamists reported the lowest turnout Tuesday and Wednesday with only 20% of eligible voters turning out to vote.

In a statement made Thursday by the Berlin-based global corruption watchdog Transparency International the origination said; “politically motivated violence, intimidation and repression from state and non-state actors limited and conditioned citizens’ political and electoral participation,” a local anti-corruption group called Shayfeencom (“We Are Watching You”) reported that one of its election observers was arrested and tortured by Egyptian security forces in the Suez Canal city of Port Said after an altercation at a polling station Wednesday.

The passage of the draft constitution is a critical milestone for the Egyptian interim government, the next major step for the Egyptian government will be the Presidential and Parliamentary elections expected later this year. The passage of the document may signify that despite claims of corporation, intimidation and human rights violations by the military led government many Egyptians supported the new Constitution in hopes that it will lead Egypt out of a period of instability and turmoil in favour of stability and economic growth.

For more information please see:

CBS News – Egypt’s constitution passing with flying colors: official – 16 January 2014

The New York Times – Egypt’s Crackdown Belies Constitution as It Nears Approval – 16 January 2014

Reuters – Egyptians back constitution, opening way to Sisi presidential run – 16 January 2014

The Washington Post – Egyptians approve new constitution, according to unofficial referendum results – 16 January 2014

Ukraine Restrains Protesters with New Laws against Anti-Government Expression

By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KYIV, Ukraine – New prohibitions recently signed into law were reported to make anti-government expression more difficult in Ukraine. Strong criticism has come from western countries.

Protesters rallied against Ukraine’s government amidst rising tensions, many taping “dictatorship” over their mouths. (Photo courtesy of Guardian)

In late November 2013, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich sparked massive pro-Europe rallies when he abandoned a free trade deal with the European Union, in favor of stronger ties with Russia. The deal would have been not only a landmark, but also a step toward Ukraine’s future entrance into the EU.

Since the free trade deal collapsed, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians began protesting against the government on the streets of Kyiv; and several hundreds of people began camping out in the city’s Independence Square as well as the area surrounding City Hall.

Action from riot police injured several in the final week of 2013. The United States and EU condemned that violence.

On 16 January 2014, Ukraine’s parliament rushed to pass laws prohibiting nearly all forms of anti-government protests, despite scuffles with opposition lawmakers who attempted to prevent the parliament session. The next day, President Yanukovich signed those prohibitions into law.

“I am deeply concerned by the events in Kyiv,” EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said, adding that the legislation was “restricting the Ukrainian citizens’ fundamental rights.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said, “The steps that were taken yesterday are anti-democratic, they’re wrong, they are taking from the people of Ukraine their choice and their opportunity for the future. We will continue to stay focused on this issue, but this kind of anti-democratic maneuver is extremely disturbing and should be a concern to every nation that wants to see the people of Ukraine be able to not only express their wish but see it executed through the political process.”

Ukraine Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara accused the West of “meddling in the internal affairs of our state.”

The new laws prohibit unauthorized tents, stages, or amplifiers. Anyone, including organizations, providing such equipment or facilities for protests would be liable to a fine or detention of up to fifteen years for “mass violation” of public order.

“The law fully restricts all types of expression, across all platforms. It makes it possible to shut down websites, block access to the Internet. It makes it possible to control all SIM cards so they can track any person who says something bad about the government at a forum, on blogs, or even from a mobile phone,” says Director of Kyiv’s Media Law Institute Taras Shevchenko.

Ukraine’s new bans on anti-government protest added to tensions that were scheduled to appear at a new rally—called by the opposition—in Kyiv on 19 January 2014.

During the laws’ enactment, Yanukovich fired his chief-of-staff, Serhiy Lyovochkin, who allegedly wanted to step down after the 30 November 2013 riot police attack against student protesters. However, reports of Lyovochkin’s desire to leave were officially denied, and Yanukovich’s office gave no reason for Lyovochkin’s departure.

Western states are now left to wonder how much further Ukraine’s government is willing to return to Soviet-era relations.
For further information, please see:

Guardian – Ukrainian President Approves Strict Anti-Protest Laws – January 17, 2014

RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty – Does ‘Black Thursday’ Mark End of Ukraine’s Democratic Decade? – January 17, 2014

Reuters – Ukraine Leader, Defying West, Signs Laws against Protests – January 17, 2014

RIA Novosti – Ukrainian Leader Signs Laws Dubbed “Charter for Oppression” – January 17, 2014