Asia

ACLU Wins Case to Release Names of Bagram Detainees

By Alok Bhatt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BAGRAM, Afghanistan – For the first time after numerous requests, the Pentagon has released the names of approximately 645 Bagram air-base detainees.  The American Civil Liberties Union was able to secure the release of a names list, completed on September 22, 2009, after filing a successful lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act.  The ACLU was also granted partial fulfillment of their request for information regarding the detainment and treatment of Bagram inmates.

Bagram air-base, a US-run military and detention facility in Afghanistan, has been housing inmates for over five years.  It has often been referred to as ‘Afghanistan’s Guantanamo’ because of myriad issues regarding inhumane treatment, such as torture, sodomy, and other heinous acts against inmates.  The prison is also infamous for affording inmates even less civil rights than the scant liberties given Guantanamo inmates.  Nationals of Afghanistan and other surrounding nations are currently held within the confines of the Bagram complex.  Many of these individuals have no little to no knowledge as to why the US military is keeping them and have no access to the world outside air-base.

The recent refurbishment of the Bagram air-base, which included a structural expansion to accommodate a substantially greater number of US troops, brought with it the promise of greater transparency regarding the treatment of inmates.  The recent release of inmates’ names signifies an integral step towards that end, and may also give hopes of redress to those unjustly detained.  Furthermore, the victory for the ACLU could suggest that courts may inquire into whom the perpetrators of human rights violations are and impose accountability where necessary.

The list of detainees and related documents reveal some disturbing facts about Bagram detainees.  Some of the inmates are actually quite young, and though only a few, it has been confirmed that among them are juveniles under the age of sixteen.

Although the information recently released represents a significant, perhaps unparalleled movement towards transparency regarding the US and its secretive holding structures, it is still only the first stride.  The extent various human rights violations perpetrated against Bagram inmates has still not been revealed, and the Obama administration intends to appeal against the current, minimal rights given to inmates in Afghanistan.

For more information, please see:

Al-Jazeera – US releases Bagram prisoner names – 16 January 2010

Associated Free Press – Pentagon releases names of Bagram prisoners – 16 January 2010

BBC News – US releases names of prisoners at Bagram, Afghanistan – 16 January 2010

Five Detained Americans In Pakistan Complain of Torture

By Michael E. Sanchez
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
SARGODHA, Pakistan- Five Americans being held in Pakistan on suspicion of plotting attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan told a court on Monday that they had been tortured by police- charges that could add to political sensitivities surrounding the case.

They made the allegations during a hearing before a special anti-terrorism court in Sargodha.  The hearing was held in order for police to submit a charge sheet alleging that the suspects had conspired in a terrorist act, a formal legal step that brings them closer to a possible indictment.

The Americans also shouted the allegations to reporters as they were being transported from the building. Prison authorities and police denied any ill-treatment.

The five students were inside a prison van when several of them shouted “we are being tortured” within earshot of reporters, the Associated Press reported.  Senior police officer Usman Anwar, and Aftab Haanif, deputy superintendent of Sargodha jail where the men are being held, denied there had been any torture and said the defendants were receiving better food than regular inmates. Anwar said “We categorically deny that we tortured them at any stage of the interrogation…The court has ordered a medical examination that will make everything clear.”

One officer said “None of the five men said anything of the sort in the court.  As far as I know, one these men had a stomach problem.”

The students, all young Muslims from the Washington area, were detained in December at a house in the Punjabi town of Sargodha not long after arriving in Pakistan. The police have publicly accused them of plotting terror attacks, having links to al-Qaida and attempting to join militants fighting American troops across the border in Afghanistan after contacting militants on the internet.  Defense attorneys for the men say they wanted to travel to Afghanistan and had no plans for attacks.

The five were reported missing by their families in late November after one of them left behind a farewell video message showing scenes of war and casualties and calls for Muslims to be defended.  Two are of Pakistani descent, one is of Egyptian descent and two are of Ethiopian descent.

For more information, please see:

BBC News- Five US Terror Accused In Pakistan Allege Torture– 18 January 2010

The Canadian Press- 5 Americans Detained In Pakistan Tell A Court, Shout To Reporters That They Are Being Tortured– 18 January 2010

Daily Times- Detained Americans Complain of Tortures – 18 January 2010

Police Stop China’s First Mr. Gay China Pageant

By M.E. Dodge
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – One hour before the event was scheduled to begin, police shut down what would have been China’s first gay pageant, Mr. Gay China. Stopping the show illuminates so close to its commencement illuminates the country’s sensitivity surrounding homosexuality, and the struggle by gays to find mainstream acceptance.

The Mr. Gay China pageant attracted a great deal of press attention. Even the normally staid state-run media reported on the event. Tickets, which cost 100 Yuan (US$14.60) and 150 Yuan (US$22.00), sold out three days prior to the event. The popularity and support of the pageant demonstrates a desire to generate knowledge about gay rights and advocate for promoting wide-spread homosexual societal acceptance in China.

China gay pageant

Simon Wang, a contest participant, reacted to news that police had canceled what would have been China’s first gay pageant. Image courtesy of The New York Times.

Despite the pageant’s popularity, organizers said they were not surprised when eight police officers turned up at the upscale club in central Beijing where the pageant, featuring a fashion show and a host in drag, was set to take place. According to Ben Zhang, one of the main event organizers, stated, “They said the content, meaning homosexuality, there’s nothing wrong with that, but you did not do things according to procedures.” Police then told him he needed official approval for events that included performances, in this case a stage show.

Police intervention, however, is not uncommon. Chinese police frequently cite procedural reasons for closing down gatherings that are deemed to be politically sensitive. Though the pageant did not have any overt political agenda, similar events in the past, such as a parade during the Shanghai Pride Festival last year, have been blocked by authorities.

Zhang had said he hoped the pageant would raise awareness of homosexuals in a country where gays are frequently discriminated against and ostracized. Eight men were competing for the title, and a spot in the Worldwide Mr. Gay pageant, to be held next month in Oslo, Norway. Shutting down the event, however, prevented them from not only competing, but from bringing a gay rights event into the mainstream spotlight. Zhang’s parting words as he left the site of the pageant were, “I wouldn’t say it’s a huge step backwards for the gay community,” he said, “but I guess it’s not a step forward, either.”

For More Information, please see:

The New York TimesChinese Gay Pageant Is Shut Down – January 15, 2010

The GuardianChinese police shut down country’s first gay pageant – January 15, 2010

MSNBCPolice shut down Mr. Gay China pageant – January 15, 2010

Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Missing

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – It has been almost a year since the Nobel Peace Prize nominee and leading human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng was taken by the Chinese authorities.

After reports surfaced saying that Gao has been “missing” since September, there is speculation that Gao may have been tortured and killed in a detention center.

Gao’s brother came to Beijing to inquire the whereabouts of his brother and was told by a police official that Gao lost his way while out on a walk and then went missing.

Gao has been under the radar of the Chinese authorities for his work in defending members of the outlawed Falun Gong and for working with underground Christian organizations.  He was also accused of being too pro-American.  Gao’s license to practice law was revoked back in 2005.

Human rights activists are particularly worried about Gao’s disappearance because of the gross mistreatment Gao suffered during his previous incarceration.

Gao published a letter after his release few years ago saying that he was subjected to more than a month of torture where he was jabbed with an electric baton and his genitals were pierced with toothpicks.  He said the guards also urinated on him and beat until he could not stop shaking.

Gao said he was told that he would be killed if he ever spoke publically about his detention.

His wife and two children have been granted asylum in the United States.  His wife, surprised to find out that the police could not account for her husband’s disappearance, said, “If he’s alive, let us see him.  If he’s dead, tell us where his body is.”

Another lawyer and a friend of Gao, Teng Biao, also said, “This is the first time the police have come up with ‘went missing’ as an excuse.  That’s impossible.  Gao was in their custody and could go nowhere.”

Advocates say that Gao is the victim of the “legal system whose corruption he worked to expose.”  In addition to human rights, Gao had been fighting for judicial independence, rule of law and impartiality in Chinese legal system.

Rights group like Human Rights in China are demanding that the Chinese authorities stop acting with impunity and provide full and immediate account of Gao’s whereabouts.

For more information, please see:

The Independent – Did the Chinese security forces kill Gao Zhisheng? – 16 January 2010

NYT – Chinese Lawyer Declared ‘Missing’ After Arrest – 15 January 2010

WSJ – Where is Gao Zhisheng? – 17 January 2010

Afghan Suicide Bombing Kills Twenty

By Michael E. Sanchez
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan- On Thursday a suicide bomber blew himself up at a crowded market in a restive district of southern Afghanistan, killing up to 20 people in the deadliest attack in four months.

The bombing which occurred in the Dihrawud district of Uruzgan province comes as attacks by the Taliban militia increase in frequency. Afghan army General Abdul Hameed, commander of national forces in Uruzgan said, “This was a suicide bomber on foot who detonated himself at the gate of a money exchange market.” He added, “Up to now, 20 civilians have been killed and 13 wounded,”

The bomb could have gone off prematurely as the bomber waited for a military or police convoy to attack, said a deputy police commissioner.

In early September, 22 people were killed by a suicide bomber outside a mosque in eastern Afghanistan, and at least 43 died in an attack in Kandahar in August just days after President Hamid Karzai returned to power, following a fraud-tainted presidential election.

In another attack in the neighboring province of Helmand, a police officer was killed and five others were injured, NATO and Afghan authorities said.

Although there has been no immediate claim of responsibility, both attacks bore the hallmarks of the Taliban.  In the Helmand attack, an explosive-packed car was responsible for killing the police officer and injuring four others.  “According to initial reports one Afghan police officer has been killed and four wounded in a suicide-vehicle IED strike in Musa Qala,” NATO’s International Security Assiatance Force said.  Abdul Salem, the district chief of Musa Qala, confirmed the attack.

Innocent civilians caught in the cross-fire between insurgents and Afghan and Western troops have borne the brunt of the violence.

A UN report released on Wednesday said the number civilians killed in violence in 2009 was higher than in any year since the Taliban were removed in 2001.  The UN Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) reported that civilian casualties rose by 14% in 2009 compared with 2008. In total more than 2,400 civilians were killed in 2009. The report also said that 67 percent of civilian deaths were caused by Taliban attacks, while international troops and Afghan security forces were responsible for 25 percent.

For more information, please see:

BBC News- Suicide Bombing Kills 20 in Afghanistan Market– 14 January 2010

Associated Foreign Press- Afghan Market Suicide Bombing Kills 20 : General– 14 January 2010

Los Angeles Times- Afghanistan Suicide Attack Kills 20 – 15 January 2010