By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – “Women on Waves” (WoW), a Dutch organization that provides abortions and contraception information outside territorial waters, was met with harsh protests in Morocco on Thursday.

“Women on Waves” is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1999 by Dutch physician Rebecca Gomperts, that provides abortions to women in countries where abortions are illegal.

WoW’s travel to Morocco is the first trip into a Muslim country. The pro-choice organization also planned trips to Ireland, Poland, Portugal and Spain.

Although a local youth group, the Alternative Movement for Individual Liberties, invited the Dutch organization to raise support for the legalization of abortion in the country, Moroccan protesters targeted the Dutch abortion-rights activist at a port where the WoW ship was expected to dock.

Protesters carried pictures of bloody embryos and screamed words such as, “terrorist” and “assassin.” Police  were eventually forced to block persistent protesters as they tried to get closer to the activists. The Moroccan government maintains that the Dutch boat was not permitted to visit, abortion is illegal in the majority of cases in Morocco, and it also is forbidden to give out information about the medical procedures.

Abdelmaik Zaza, a Moroccan lawyer, stated, “Moroccan law forbids abortion. Moroccan religious identity says it is forbidden and so does Islam. So the government cannot allow this ship to come to Morocco.”

In addition, Chafik Chraibi, head of a Moroccan NGO that believes abortions should be performed legally, also resisted the Dutch abortion boat’s visit. He says, “It’s true that the initiative is symbolic, to defend the rights of women to have abortions, but to practice abortion at sea, in international waters, is for me a way of circumventing the law and is something clandestine.”

WoW argues that the purpose of the visit is to offer women “safe legal medical abortions” in a country where the practice is illegal and taboo. WoW also intends to set up hotlines to inform women about safe medical abortions.

Doctor Rebecca Gomperts, the founder of “Women on Waves”, supports her cause by determining around 600 to 800 Moroccan women have an abortion every day. She says, “The problem is that only about 200 cases are done properly, by women who have money. This leads to the deaths of 78 Moroccan women each year on average.”

However, Hannan Idrissa, a member of a Moroccan pro-life group was quoted saying, “The figures on abortion are not right.”

For further information, please see:

The Huffington Post — Dutch Abortion Ship: ‘Women on Waves’ Boat Heads For Morocco – 4 October 2012

International Business Times — Dutch ‘Abortion Boat’ Is Blocked From Entering Morocco – 4 October 2012

The Raw Story — Moroccans voice opposition to Dutch ‘abortion boat’ – 3 October 2012

BBC News — Dutch abortion boat heads to Morocco – 1 October 2012

 

By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BELGRADE, Serbia – Citing security concerns and called upon to do so by Patriarch Irinej, head of Serbia’s Orthodox Christian Church, Serbia’s Interior Ministry has banned the Belgrade Gay Pride Parade planned for Saturday to cap off Pride Week.

Along with the parade, all other public events scheduled for Saturday have been banned in order to preserve the peace and security of citizens, according to the government.

“Conflicts and victims are the last thing Serbia needs at the moment.  All conditions to ban public meetings scheduled for October 6 are in place, including the rally which is part of the so-called Pride Parade, as well as all rallies against the parade,” said Ivica Dacic, the Serbian Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.

Tensions were heightened on Wednesday afternoon, as 2,000 police in riot gear were deployed to the Center for Cultural Decontamination where a controversial exhibit opened: “Ecce Homo.” the same evening.  The art exhibit received threats from right-wing groups, angry at the exhibit’s portrayal of Jesus Christ.

Serbia has a strong orthodox Christian tradition.  Acceptance of homosexuality has been slow, and many gay rights events have ended in violence.

Patriarch Irinej, called Saturday’s planed parade a “parade of shame” that would cast a “moral shadow” on Serbia.  He characterized it as a threat to Serbia’s centuries-old Christian culture and the model of the heterosexual family as the foundation of humankind.

The LGBT community in Serbia has attempted pride rallies in the past, but has been met with violence, when the rallies were not banned outright.  In 2001, a small gathering was broken up by ultranationalists.  In 2009, gay activists wanted to hold a pride parade, but authorities canceled at the last minute due to safety concerns.

In October 2010, the Pride Parade went forward.  5,000 police in riot gear were deployed to protect a fraction of as many marchers.  They were met with violent right-wing, anti-gay protestors.  About 100 police were injured; dozens of right-wing protestors were arrested.  There was also extensive property damage across the capital Belgrade.

Officials banned the Pride Parade last year, fearing a repeat of violence.

There is concern that the government should be doing more, or is even obstructing reform.  “The state isn’t doing enough to educate, to take a stand,” Aleksandar Skundric, a 28-year-old gay Belgrade native says.  “A lot of politicians said they were eager to take the ‘blame’ for canceling the [2011] pride parade.”

Part of Serbia’s application for European Union membership is a pledge to respect human rights.  However, there is concern by activists that the government, headed by former nationalists, has little interest in protecting the LGBT community.

Goran Miletić, program director of the Civil Rights Defenders and an organizer of the Pride Parade, has condemned the government’s failure to carry out the parade.  “If last year [the decision to ban the pride] represented the capitulation of the state, today it shows an open coalition [of the state] with hooligans because the authorities have fully adopted the arguments of the extremist organizations, as well as their demands,” Miletic said.

Before the parade ban was announced, Miletić had said that the LGBT community “will not just sit” this year, and planned to take certain steps if the parade was banned.

For more information, please see:

B92 – “All Eyes on Serbia Ahead of Gay Pride Parade” –3 October 2012

B92 – Serbian Authorities Decide to Ban Gay Parade – 3 October 2012

Balkan Insight – Serbia Bans Gay Pride Amid Security Concerns – 3 October 2012

Global Post – Serbia Bans Gay Pride Parade – 3 October 2012

The Independent – Gay Pride March Banned in Serbi – 3 October 2012

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty – Belgrade Braces Itself for Gay-Pride Parade – 3 October 2012

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty – Serbian Officials Ban Gay-Pride Parade – 3 October 2012

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty – Serbia Bans Gay Parade, Other Gatherings – 20 September 2011

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty – In Serbia, Gay Activists Prepare For the Worst – 10 October 2010

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Recently, the European Council and the European Parliament have struggled over the lack of women on the European Central Bank’s governing council.

Currently, women hold only 17 percent of the top positions in the central banks of the 27-member European Union. Their representation in higher positions falls dramatically and is non-existent at the top levels.

As of 1998, only two women have occupied positions on the ECB’s executive board. Moreover, unless a woman is appointed to the current vacancy, another woman could not be appointed until May 31, 2018, when ECB Vice President, Vitor Constancio, is expected step down.

Although Parliament does not explicitly hold veto power as to the appointment of council members, Parliament questions candidates through public hearings and floor debates. The European Commission and lawmakers at the European Parliament have strived to push for a woman to be a member of the ECB executive board since 2010.

In a letter to the EU governments, various members of the European Parliament wrote, “We notice that the EU member states’ nominations to some of the most important… EU institutions result in an appallingly monotonous line-up of nominees.”

Sylvie Goulard, a European member of parliament, wrote a letter to Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council, stating, “At issue is discrimination” and requested “that at least one woman is immediately appointed to the ECB Governing Council.”

In a push to appoint a woman to the ECB executive board, Parliamentarians postponed hearings to fill the seat on the executive board of the European Central Bank because not enough women were promoted as candidates. Also, Parliament continues to delay Luxembourg’s Yves Mersch appointment to the ECB.

In order to achieve their goal, the European Parliament will have to produce a satisfactory candidate because their only authoritative power is a limited legislative power over the European Banking Authority. Consequentially, the European Parliament’s wish to appoint a woman could be ignored.

Ironically, this current gender equality struggle occurs simultaneously as the European Commission plans to introduce a potential requirement for private companies’ non-executive boards to be at least 40 percent female by 2020, otherwise facing fines and other sanctions. Nine European states are opposed to this potential quota plan.

Viviane Reding, the European Union’s justice commissioner, said on Monday, “Thankfully, European laws on important topics like this are not made by 10 men in dark suits behind closed doors, but rather in a democratic process with a democratically elected European Parliament, which will decide on an equal footing with the council.”

For further information, please see:

The Commentator — EU Commission quota plan would violate human rights – 1 October 2012

Spiegel — Europe Battles over Gender Equality at the ECB – 1 October 2012

Reuters — EU parliament steps up push for woman in top ECB role – 25 September 2012

The New York Times — European Central Bank Candidacy Delayed Over Lack of Women – 7 September 2012

By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – Russian Parliament’s State Duma has, in its first reading, unanimously approved a bill that would broaden the definition of treason, equating it to espionage and potentially criminalizing many kinds of international advocacy.   According to rights activists, this legislation appears to be part of a widening crackdown on dissent.  Lawmakers claim that it would make law enforcement more effective.

Recently the Kremlin has moved to force the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) out of Russia.  Opposition demonstrators have seen strict criminal charges.  (See Pussy Riots and Osipova.)

In what is seen as the latest crackdown on dissent, the proposed legislation would open up the definition of treason to include financial or consultative assistance to a foreign state or organization.  The definition of high treason would include activities harming Russia’s external security.

This legislation results from Kremlin concern that foreign funding is adverse to the interests of the Russian government.  “We should include international organizations on the list of agents that can be charged with treason due to the fact that foreign intelligence agencies actively use them to camouflage their spying activity,” FSB deputy head Yury Gorbunov told the Duma.

The legislation specifically defines expands treason as “providing financial, technical, advisory or other assistance to a foreign state or international organization . . . directed against Russia’s security, including its constitutional order, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”

Many Russian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) rely on foreign funding; such funding would be difficult to receive under the new legislation.  NGOs may be further inhibited from working with Russian citizens because the legislation would allow Russian citizens providing assistance to foreign states or international organizations to be charged with treason.

And, a person or group could be charged with high treason and sentenced to up to 20 years in prison if found to be relaying a state secret to a “foreign government or international, foreign organization.”

Environment and Rights Center (ERC) Bellona chairman Alexander Nikitin says, “This is yet another bill from the series of recent laws meant to tighten the noose around the necks of Russia’s citizens, especially those who work with NGOS, who work as journalists, who work as researchers as well as those who work as scientists.”

Furthermore, a law passed in July, which takes effect November 20, requires NGOs, or civil society organizations, that advocate and receive foreign funding to register with the Ministry of Justice as “foreign agents.”  Failure to register carries large fines and closure for the NGO and up to two year’s prison time for employees.  Status as a “foreign agent” must be stated on all literature and websites.  As the term has roots to the Stalinist purges, many NGOs are concerned that the measure is designed to destroy their credibility.

Lyudmila Alekseyeva a human rights advocate of the Moscow Helsinki Group, which has also pledged not to register as a “foreign agent,” said the treason bill is aimed at “ending any independent public activism.”

Veteran rights activist Lev Ponomaryov, pointing to the “very broad definitions of treason and espionage” said the legislation could be used to prosecute government critics.  He explained that “everyone who accidentally becomes aware of secret information can be convicted” and that Russian leaders “have now chosen an ideological course — you can even call it a national idea — to search for external and internal enemies.”

Before the legislation becomes law, it must go through two more readings in the Russian Parliament and be signed by President Putin, who is expected to support it.

For further information, please see:

Human Rights Watch – The Kremlin May Call It Treason – 28 September 2012

Bellona – Russian Parliament Votes in First Reading to Expand Treason Laws – Casting a Darker Shadow on the Future of NGOs – 24 September 2012

The Moscow Times – Treason Bill Gains Momentum – 23 September 2012

The New York Times – Russia Moves to Broaden Definition of High Treason – 21 September 2012

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty – New Russian Bill Would Widen Definition of Treason – 21 September 2012