By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

L’AQUILA, Italy – Six prominent Italian earthquake scientists (seismologists) on the Major Risks Commission and a senior government official were convicted of manslaughter on Monday by an Italian court and sentenced to six years in prison each for failure to communicate to the city of L’Aquila the risk of what became a deadly earthquake in April 2009.

The defendants included the deputy director of the Civil Protection Agency, Bernardo De Bernardinis, and prominent scientists Enzo Boschi, the former president of Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology; and Giulio Selvaggi, the organization’s current head.

The defendants were charged with manslaughter and causing a disaster and serious bodily harm, not for failing to predict the earthquake per se, but rather on the grounds of reassuring residents that the danger was low and providing “inexact, incomplete, contradictory advice.”

Although prosecutors asked the court for sentences of four years, the judge handed down sentences of six years in prison for each defendant after.  In addition, they have been ordered to pay more than €9 million (£7.3 million) in damages, and each of the convicted may never hold public office again.

The trial was held in L’Aquila over the past year. Judge Marco Billi considered his verdict for four hours before reading the sentences to the court.

The defendants and their attorneys have expressed their intention to appeal.

Members of the scientific community, particularly fellow seismologists, have spoken out strongly against this ruling.  Seth Stein, an earth scientist at Northwestern University in Illinois, said “I think it’s very unfair and very stupid.  It reflects a kind of fundamental misunderstanding of what science can and can’t do.”

Others have suggested that this ruling will make scientists less likely to make safety calls in the future.  Physicist Luciano Mariani, current chair of the Major Risks Commission, claimed that the sentence “spells death for services rendered to the state by academics and professionals,” and elaborated that “[i]t is not possible to provide consultancy serenely, professionally and disinterestedly under such frenzied judicial and media pressure. This doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world.”

Thomas Jordan, a professor at the University of Southern California, stated directly, “I’m afraid that many scientists are learning to keep their mouths shut.”

In protest, several members of Italy’s National Commission for the Forecast and Prevention of Major Risks resigned have resigned as of Tuesday.

Prior to the April 2009 quake, the seven held at a public meeting in response to a series of small temblors earlier that year at which they stated the unlikelihood that the shaking projected a larger quake, according to the Huffington Post.  This reassurance was backed by a claim by Bernardinis that the small temblors would discharge built up seismic energy, although even some the convicted seismologists found this statement scientifically inaccurate, according to Nature.  However, scientists generally agree that the likelihood of a large earthquake was low, according to the International Herald Tribune.

Several days later, during the early morning of April 6, a 6.3-magnitude quake struck, destroying medieval buildings in L’Aquila’s and killing 309 people, many who were sleeping, according to the International Herald Tribune.  Prosecutors alleged that at least 29 of the dead would have left the city if not for the defendants’ reassurances, according to Nature. More than three years later, L’Aquila is still recovering.

Relatives of the deceased victims of the quake cheered at the verdict, calling it “a tiny bit of justice.”

Marcello Petrelli, one of the defense attorneys described the verdict rather differently: “It’s a jaw-droppingly incomprehensible sentence in law and in its evaluation of the facts[; a] sentence that cannot avoid in-depth examination on appeal.”

For further information, please see:

Corriere – Minister Challenged: Six Years for Multiple manslaughter and Bodily Harm Over Reassurances about Strong Tremor – 23 October 2012

International Herald Tribune – Italy: Officials Quit Over Punishment of Quake Experts – 23 October 2012

ANSA – Earthquake Scientists get 6 Years in L’Aquila Ruling – 22 October 2012

Huffington Post – Earthquake Scientists Jailed Over ‘Inexact’ Statements Preceding 2009 L’Aquila Quake – 22 October 2012

The Independent – Italian Scientists Jailed for Six Years after Failing to Issue Warnings Ahead of Deadly L’Aquila Earthquake – 22 October 2012

International Herald Tribune – Italy Orders Jail Terms for 7 Who Didn’t Warn of Deadly Earthquake – 22 October 2012

Nature – Italian Court Finds Seismologists Guilty of Manslaughter – 22 October 2012

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

ATHENS, Greece – As Greece feels the effects of Europe’s debt crisis and simultaneously experiences a 25 percent unemployment rate,  the number of hate crimes increased.

For example, on September 17, 2012, Ali Rahimi was attacked by 15 individuals. He recalled, “I told them that I am from Afghanistan, and they said that it is time for me to go back to my country.”

Currently, there is a roughly 800,000 to 1 million undocumented migrants that now live in Greece, which has a population near 11 million.

Nikos Demertzis, a professor of political sociology at the University of Athens, described the crisis as, “We have a major socioeconomic crisis in which several hundred thousand Greeks are losing ground, and you have a rising number of immigrants in Greece, many illegal. This is creating a volcanic situation where all the classic parameters for the flourishing of a far-right force like Golden Dawn are present.”

Relying on the recent national frustration with unemployment and immigrants, political party, Golden Dawn, campaigned on a platform of ultra-nationalism and fierce anti-immigrant policies. Along with a growing popularity, Golden Dawn won 18 seats in parliament during June’s national election, becoming the fifth largest political party in parliament.

Golden Dawn campaigned with one major caveat: for Greeks only.

Ilias Panagotiaros, a Golden Dawn politician and a member of Greek parliament, said, “We have to protect 10 million Greeks that are suffering from the very bad economy and from the killings, rapes, shootings and everything else that all illegal immigrants are doing to this country.”

Consequentially, since the party took a seat in national office, many supporters have been accused of various violent attacks, such as the stabbings and beatings of immigrants, ransacking an immigrant community center, smashing market stalls and breaking the windows of immigrant-owned shops.

Judith Sunderland from Human Rights Watch states, “Something must happen quick. Xenophobic hate crimes have reached an alarming proportion in Greece. Victims are often actively discouraged from filing complaints, told by police officers that it is not worth their while or that they should fight back themselves. And many migrants fear that they could be locked up themselves because of their legal status.”

As a result of the numerous assaults against immigrants, Athens is recommending to create stricter penalties against hate crimes, which could include a minimum three-year prison sentence.

For further information, please see:

NBC World News — Hate crimes increase, extreme right strengthens as Greece economy sinks – 22 October 2012

The Washington Post — Anti-immigrant Golden Dawn rises in Greece – 20 October 2012

SETimes — Greece to crack down on hate crimes – 2 October 2012

The New York Times — Right-Wing Extremists’ Popularity Rising Rapidly in Greece – 30 September 2012

By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

Belfast, Northern Ireland – On Thursday, Northern Ireland’s first private abortion clinic opened its doors in Belfast, despite protest.  The Marie Stopes sexual- and reproductive-health clinic will offer abortions and other services within the strict laws of Northern Ireland, where abortion is illegal except when the life or long-term health of the mother is in danger.

Several hundred pro-life protestors lined the street in front of the clinic in pouring rain, to object to its opening.  In particular, Catholics and Protestants were well represented among the crowd, according to the Guardian.  The Catholic Demonstrators sang hymns and recited the Rosary while the Protestants waved posters.

Ciara Coyle, a protestor from Derry said that she believed abortion was wrong “no matter what the circumstances”.   She asserted that there was not a demand in Northern Ireland for abortion services and that “Northern Ireland is a pro-life country, like the whole of Ireland, and we will continue to make our stand against this baby-killing clinic.”

The pro-life protestors later cheered when Bernadette Smyth, spokeswoman for the pressure group Precious Life, predicted their campaign would “run Marie Stopes out of Ireland”.

Most pro-choice activists in Belfast elected to avoid the potential confrontation of a counter-protest.  However, one lone pro-choice campaigner demonstrated, despite attempts to shout her down.

Danni Stanfield, 21, a local student, held up a homemade sign, stating “Been in the situation? Only then does your opinion count.”

She explained, “Many of the people here today who are pro-life, if they were in that situation themselves they might take a different point of view. . . . I am not saying to women who get pregnant unplanned should have an abortion but rather that they be allowed that choice.”

Although Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, its abortion laws are much stricter than those in the rest of the U.K.  In the U.K., a woman may receive an abortion within the first 24 weeks of a pregnancy, provided that continuing the pregnancy carries a greater risk than termination to the physical or mental health of the woman, and that she has the permission of two (one in an emergency) doctors.  Exceptions can be made for extenuating circumstances past the 24 week limit.

However, in Northern Ireland, a woman only has the first 9 weeks of a pregnancy to receive an abortion.  Such abortions may only be performed medically (i.e. chemically, not surgically).

Currently, about 40 abortions are performed in Northern Ireland each year for medical reasons, and about 1000 Irish women travel to Britain or Europe to receive abortions.

By contrast in the Republic of Ireland, abortion is illegal.  An unborn child is considered an Irish citizen with full rights under the Irish constitution.  There is concern in the Republic that if abortion availability increases in Northern Ireland, women will be more likely to cross the border and receive abortions.

The Marie Stopes clinic has already begun to see backlash to its presence.  Northern Ireland Attorney General John Larkin has invited the Stormont Justice Committee to investigate the operations of the Belfast clinic.

Representatives of the clinic have stated they will only provide abortions within the bounds of the law.

Activists are hopeful that the new clinic is a sign Ireland is moving forward, even as some, such as commentator Chris Ryder, suggest that Irish society is unfortunately “groping its way towards the modern era.”

For further information, please see:

Irish Times – Northern Ireland: ‘Groping its way Towards the Modern Era’ – 20 October 2012

BBC News – Marie Stopes: Call for Investigation into Belfast Abortion Clinic– 18 October 2012

BBC News – Protesters at Marie Stopes Private Abortion Clinic in Belfast – 18 October 2012

GlobalPost – Ireland’s First Abortion Clinic Opens, Draws Protesters – 18 October 2012

The Guardian – Anti-abortion Activists Protest at Belfast Clinic Opening – 18 October 2012

The Guardian – Anti-abortion Activists Protest at Opening of Belfast Marie Stopes Clinic –18 October 2012

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – On Thursday, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, publicly opposed Muslim students wearing headscarves in Russian schools. Putin’s statement was in response to a school principal forbidding Muslim girls from wearing headscarves in Russia’s southern Stavropol region.

Putin believes Russia is a “secular state and must create equal conditions for all its citizens.” He added, “any departure from secular rules in public life could eventually lead to the infringement on the rights of followers of other religions. It would be better if all people feel equal.”

However, simultaneously, Putin clarified his statement by saying authorities should respect followers of all religions. Putin also stated, “We must always treat the religious feelings of people with great respect. That must be shown in the state’s activities, in the nuances, in everything.”

Putin’s opposition to headscarves is not the first incident concerning Muslim headscarves. This past month, police in Azerbaijan quarreled with individuals who protested a ban on the wearing of headscarves in the predominately Muslim ex-Soviet nation’s secondary schools.

Roughly 20 million of Russia’s 143 million population are Muslims and nearly make up the majority of the population in many regions. Moreover, if the dispute over headscarves in schools worsens, Russia risks generating tension between the federal government and Muslim-dominated provinces.

For example, Chechnya’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, imposed a strict Islamic dress code on females. Girls and women are required to wear headscarves in public. Kadyrov’s security forces have used paintball guns, threats and insults to ensure that women obey the dress code.

Conversely, countries in Europe, such as France, Belgium, and various towns in Spain, have also banned the wearing of headscarves or face-covering Islamic veils in public areas. Putin states, “We must have a look at how such issues are solved by our neighbors in European countries, and all will become clear.”

For further information, please see:

RFE/RL — Putin Opposes Head Scarves In Schools – 19 October 2012

ABC News — Putin Opposes the Wearing of Headscarves at School – 18 October 2012

Al Arabiya News — Putin opposes Muslim headscarves at schools, says Russia is secular state – 18 October 2012

The Huffington Post — Russia Head Scarf Ban: Putin Opposes Headscarves At Russian School – 18 October 2012

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

LONDON, United Kingdom – On Monday, a wounded teenage activist, who was shot by the Taliban, was airlifted from Pakistan to the United Kingdom for more specialized medical treatment. The teenager was also transferred to the UK to protect her from potential various other militant attacks.

A week ago, in Pakistan, 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai was returning home from school when the Taliban targeted her for promoting girls’ education and criticizing the militant take over of Swat Valley. Two armed men stopped the van Malala was in, asked which girl was Malala, and opened fire. One of the shots hit her in the head and wounded two others.

The Taliban admitted they sent assassins, despite a tribal code forbidding the killing of women. The Taliban threated to continue targeting Malala until she is killed because she promotes “Western thinking.”

Due to continuing threats, the Pakistani military released a statement, “It was agreed by the panel of Pakistani doctors and international experts that Malala will require prolonged care to fully recover from the physical and psychological effects of trauma that she has received.” The military also suggested that Malala be transferred to a center in the United Kingdom that has the ability to provide adequate care to children who have undergone serious injuries.

The decision to relocate Malala was also determined with her family. Malala was flown from Pakistan on an air ambulance and accompanied by a full medical team. She will be treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. The Pakistani government confirmed they would pay for her treatment.

Before Malala was moved to the UK, Pakistani doctors had already removed a bullet from Malala’s body. Malala’s initial recovery was described as satisfactory, and she is able to move her legs and hands.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said, “The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan in its fight against terrorism. Malala’s bravery in standing up for the right of all young girls in Pakistan to an education is an example to us all.”

Yousufzai, a schoolgirl, became a symbol of resistance against the Taliban’s efforts to deprive girls of an education.

Former UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, launched a petition in Malala’s name “in support of what Malala fought for.” He stated, “The petition calls on Pakistan to ensure that every girl like Malala has the chance to go to school.” He also called on the international community to guarantee that all children will have access to education by the end of 2015.

For further information, please see:

BBC News — Malala Yousafzai, schoolgirl shot by Taliban, now in UK – 15 October 2012

The Independent — Pakistani girl Malala Yousufzai who was wounded in an assassination attempt by the Taliban arrives in Britain for NHS treatment – 15 October 2012

Reuters — Pakistani schoolgirl shot by Taliban sent to UK for treatment – 15 October 2012

The Washington Post — Pakistan airlifts girl activist shot by Taliban to the United Kingdom for treatment – 15 October 2012