By David Sophrin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – Approximately 50 people were arrested Saturday at a protest in Moscow.  The protest, which took place in Triumfalnaya Square in the center of the capital, focused on the efforts of the Kremlin since current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rose to power in 2000 to suppress independent media sources and nongovernmental human rights organizations.  The protest was a part of Strategy 31, which has been a national effort to pressure the government to recognize and uphold the freedom of assembly rights guaranteed in paragraph 31 of the Russian Constitution.

Hundreds of city police and Interior Minister officers surrounded the approximately 100 protesters and 100 journalists who were in attendance.  The leaders of the rally disputed those numbers, claiming that 70 people had been detained and more than 500 people had been in attendance.  Among those in attendance was the United Civil Front and the National Bolshevik Party.  The protest had not received the required authorization, the government citing a prior planned ‘military celebration’ in the same square.

Among the protesters was Lyudmila Alexeyeva, a well known human rights activists in Russia.   Alexeyeva exclaimed that she had come “to defend the constitution.”  She also stated that “the idea to organize the demonstrations on the 31st of the month here in the capital is to attempt to make a tradition of peaceful gatherings to allow citizens the chance to defend the Russian constitution.”  Eduard Limonov, the National Bolshevik Party leader, was also present.

Another protester declared that he “[wanted] Russia to be free, not to rot in a policeman’s nightmare.”

A pro-Kremlin youth group, known as Rossiya Molodoya, were also at the rally.  Leaflets and flares were used by this organization in an attempt to instigate the human rights protesters.  Soon after their actions, the police who were already surrounded the human rights protesters in the square stepped in and arrested the activists.  They were taken to nearby police stations.

For more information, please see:

HUFFINGTON POST – Human Rights Protesters Arrested in Moscow for Demanding Freedom of Assembly – 3 November 2009

ITAR-TASS – Unauthorized rally thwarted in Moscow, 50 people detained – 1 November 2009

PRESSTV – 50 human rights protesters arrested in Russia – 1 November 2009

THE OTHER RUSSIA – 70 Oppositionists Detained in Moscow Rally – 1 November 2009

REUTERS – Russian police detain 50 at human rights protest – 31 October 2009

RUSSIA TODAY – Opposition leaders detained in Moscow while trying to rally – 31 October 2009

By David Sophrin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

VIENNA, Austria – Student groups in Austria protested again yesterday against what they see as poor educational conditions in the nation’s schools.  Approximately 30,000 students marched this past week in Vienna in opposition of proposed educational reforms and in favor of an overhaul in the nation’s educational system.  These marches, which have taken place in many of the country’s largest cities in recent days, have been organized by student organizations.

Students and teachers at the Academy of Fine Arts (AFA) in Vienna protested against this new educational reform proposal that is being adopted across Europe.  These reforms, known as the Bologna Process, are meant to the make it easier for students to study abroad and obtain degrees that can be recognized in other nations.  The AFA protesters alleged, however, that these reforms would prevent their ability to construct personally tailored degree programs.

The lack of funding for Austrian universities that currently exists has caused some of the student leaders to call for an end to free access to higher education.  Student Dominik Karas commented that “to increase the standard of education it would be better to reinstall tuition fees.”

Students at the University of Vienna also are calling for the elimination of entrance exams and fees for foreigners and longterm students.  Students have occupied one the school’s lecture halls for almost a week in an effort to draw attention to the funding issues.

The calls of the students involved in these protests have been directed at the national political leaders of Austria, notably the Prime Minister and Finance Minister.  Sigrid Maurer, Chairman of the Austrian Union of Students, has stated that these leaders must “take the education agenda into their hands.”

The student organizations are also calling for the end to alleged sex discriminations in certain university policies.  Currently females and foreign students are barred from certain university facilities.

This is not the first time that the Bologna Process educational reforms been met with student opposition.  In September students in Barcelona clashed with police over the implication these reforms.

For more information, please see:

XINHAUANET – Austrian students take to streets to demand more rights – 30 October 2009

PRESSTV – Austrian students urge education reform – 30 October 2009

EURONEWS – Austria’a students demand reforms – 29 October 2009

ASSOCIATED PRESS – Austrian students protest poor conditions, reforms – 26 October 2009

By David Sophrin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

CHISINAU, Moldova – The Moldovan presidential elections that were scheduled for October 23 have been postponed by the country’s Constitutional Court.  Since only one party had put forth a candidate, the Court concluded that the election could not go forth.

The political environment of this southeastern European country has been unstable since parliamentary elections were held six months ago.  Following victories by the Communist Party, there were large-scale protests in the capital of Chisinau regarding allegations of election fraud.  Past attempts at holding presidential elections in May and June of 2009 failed, which brought about the most recent election.

As a result of the most recent election, the opposition parties boycotted the parliamentary votes necessary to elect a new president.  This prevented the Communist Party’s candidate from receiving the necessary numbers of votes to take office and forced the dissolution of the parliament.

The Constitutional Court gave a parliamentary commission until November 11 to come to a compromise.  If not, elections may not be held until next year.  The commission has proposed a number of constitutional amendments regarding election law that may resolve future electoral issues.

The only candidate that is currently in the running for the presidency in Marian Lupu.  Lupu, who is the former Communist parliament leader, has become the head of the Democratic Party, which is a part of the Alliance for European Integration (AEI), a four-party political alliance.  The Communist Party has stated that it will not put forth its own candidate nor will it support Lupu.  Due to ambiguity in the Moldovan Constitution, which requires that the election be competitive, it may be the strategy of the Communist Party that by withholding a candidate they can thereby force yet a new round of parliamentary elections.

For more information, please see:

EUROPEAN VOICE – Moldovan election on ice – 23 October 2009

MOLDPRESS – Moldovan presidential election to be held in two weeks – 23 October 2009

RADIO FREE EUROPE – Moldova Postpones Presidential Election – 22 October 2009

RIANOVOSTI – Moldova’s parliament delays presidential election – 22 October 2009

AFP – Official: Moldova presidential vote may be postponed – 19 October 2009

By David Sophrin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain – Thousands of people marched through the streets of the San Sebastian in northern Spain on Saturday to protest the arrests of ETA members and call for their release.  Members of the Basque region’s nationalist political movements, unions, and militant groups were among those who participated in the protest.

A Spanish judge ordered the arrest earlier this week of five men whom are accused of attempts to revive Batasuna, which was the political arm of the Basque-separatist movement ETA.  Among those arrested were Arnaldo Otegi, the former spokesman and leader of Batasuna, and Rafael Diez Usabiaga, a leader of the Basque movement.  They are alleged to be a part of a terrorist sect.  According to the Spanish Interior Ministry the police had been watching the suspects for months.  They were “[following] ETA directives.”

Batasuna has been banned in Spain since 2003 due to alleged links to ETA.  ETA has operated in southwestern Europe for over four decades and is responsible for conducting terrorist attacks, resulting in the deaths of approximately 825 people.  The goal of this decades-old organization has been the independence of the Basque region of northern Spain and southwestern France.  Both the European Union and the United States list ETA as a terrorist organization.

A 15 month cease-fire that the ETA had agreed to in 2005 was called off after talks between the separatist group and the Spanish government broke down.  After the collapse of the negotiations, the Spanish Prime Minister Rodriguez Zapatero has refused in re-engage the Basque separatist movement.  This new stance towards ETA comes at a time when both the Spanish and French governments have increased their efforts at dismantling ETA.

For more information, please see:

BBC – France detains ‘top Eta leader’ – 19 October 2009

SPANISH NEWS – Protests Against Basque Militants Arrests – 19 October 2009

EITB – Thousands turn out in San Sebastian to protest against arrests – 18 October 2009

AFP – Thousands protest arrests of Basque nationalists – 17 October 2009

EXPATICA SPAIN – Basque separatist leader jailed in Spain – 17 October 2009

TAIWAN NEWS – Spain jails 5 outlawed Basque party members – 17 October 2009

By David Sophrin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

PRISTINA, Kosovo – On Friday Kosovo and Macedonia settled a long-term border dispute that has existed since Kosovo announced its independence.  The agreement reached clearly defines a stretch of border between the two nations.  Diplomatic ties between these two countries should be established immediately following the ratification of the border agreement.

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hashim Thaci has stated that this agreement, which had been in the works for months, will “[deepen] regional cooperation and stability.”  The government of Macedonia still needs to ratify the agreement before it can go into effect.

Under this agreement, approximately 6,100 acres of land will become part of Macedonia.  Part of this land is owned by ethnic Kosovo Albanians.  It lies in the same area where other Kosovo Albanians began an insurgency against Macedonia in 2001.  The original border in this area was set up between Macedonia and Yugoslavia in 2001 while the United Nations was administering Kosovo.  In the past this area had been used by Albanian guerrillas for smuggling and gun running.

Following the agreement, U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Christopher Dell noted that the agreement was a positive sign.  “This agreement opens the door to the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the two countries.”  Since Kosovo declared its independence from then Yugoslavia in 2008, 62 countries presently recognize Kosovo as a independent state, including the United States.  A number of eastern European nations, including Russia, have continued to refuse to recognize Kosovo’s independence.

There are still more than 1,000 international peace keepers patrolling this border area of Kosovo.

A similar border dispute still exists between Kosovo and its western neighbor Montenegro.  Negotiations have not begun.

For more information, please see:

RADIO FREE EUROPE – Kosovo Lawmakers Ratify Border Deal With Macedonia – 17 October 2009

REUTERS – Kosovo Lawmakers Back Border Deal With Macedonia – 17 October 2009

RIANOVOSTI – Kosovo says border with Macedonia demarcated – 17 October 2009

AP – Kosovo, Macedonia sign border deal – 16 October 2009

MACEDONIAN INTERNATIONAL NEWS AGENCY – Report: Macedonia, Kosovo to agree on border demarcation, diplomatic relations soon – 16 October 2009

SOFIA ECHO – Kosovo and Macedonia poised for border deal – 14 October 2009