By Jenilyn Brhel
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – FIFA’s anti-discrimination advisers are warning LGBTQ soccer fans that displays of affection at next year’s World Cup games could be met with violence.

Fare, an anti-discrimination organization that campaigns for equality in soccer, is partnering with FIFA to control fan behavior at the World Cup games next year.

Hate crimes against LBGTQ people in Russia have doubled since the country instituted a law banning “gay propaganda” in 2013. The law has thwarted gay pride marches and allowed gay rights activists to be detained. It is also believed to have incentivized and condoned violence against LGBTQ people.

Similar concerns were raised at the 2014 Winter Olympics Games in Sochi following the enactment of the “gay propaganda” law.

The legislation was deemed illegal by Europe’s top human rights court in June, but Russia says it will not honor the ruling.

“(Offenders) have become more aggressive and less fearful,” said Svetlana Zakharova, a Russian LGBT Network Board Member. “It seems to them that, to some extent, the government supports their actions. Many perpetrators openly talk about their crimes as noble deeds.”

Researchers say that the number of hate crimes that has occurred in the country in recent years is likely to be much higher than documented, as many crimes go unreported or are not investigated or prosecuted.

Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993 but remained classified as a mental illness until 1999. Russia was ranked the second least-LGBT friendly nation in Europe, behind Azerbaijan, in 2016.

For the first time in FIFA’s 113 year history, the organization has added a human rights element to its statute.

“If there are any cases of abuse, or even possibility of human rights defenders or journalists being forced into a difficult corner, then according to our statutes and human rights policy FIFA will intervene,” said Federico Addiechi, Head of Sustainability and Diversity at FIFA.

FIFA and Fare will have crowd-monitors at the games. They will be on the lookout for displays of racism, political extremism and homophobia. Matches will be stopped or abandoned if such displays occur and persist.

Fare plans to administer cautionary guides to fans traveling to the tournament. The guides will include information about the current LGBTQ situation in Russia and will advise people to use caution when traveling in areas not considered to be welcoming to the LGBTQ community.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – LGBT Hate Crimes Double in Russia After Ban on ‘Gay Propaganda’ – 21 November 2017

Newsweek – Anti-LGBT Hate Crimes Double Since ‘Gay Propaganda’ Law in Russia – 23 November 2017

The Guardian – Gay Fans Warned Holding Hands at Russian World Cup Will be Dangerous

The New York Times – Ahead of World Cup, Fans Are Warned About Homophobia and Racism in Russia – 28 November 2017

NBC News – ‘Danger’ for Gay Fans at World Cup in Russia, FIFA Advisers Warn – 29 November 2017

By Jenilyn Brhel
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Cheers erupted as Ratko Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb army commander responsible for mass murder and other crimes against humanity during the Bosnian War, was sentenced to life in prison by an international tribunal on Wednesday, November 22^nd.

The verdict was read by presiding judge Alphons Orie, who called Mladic’s crimes “among the most heinous to humankind.”

Between 1992 and 1995, Mladic oversaw some of the most brutal and horrific crimes against humanity carried out in Europe since World War II. During these years, he lead the Bosnian Serb forces on a relentless ethnic cleansing campaign to rid the country of non-Serbs and became known as the “Butcher of Bosnia.”

The war began after Bosnian Muslims and Croats voted for independence in a referendum strongly opposed by Bosnian Serbs. The country soon descended into war between Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Serbs.

Mladic was in charge of the army until the conflict came to an end in 1995, at which time he was indicted on war crimes and went on the run. He was captured in 2011.

In the worst atrocity committed in Europe since World War II, Mladic directed the massacre of more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslims at a town called Srebrenica in July 1995. Men and boys between the ages of 12 and 77 were rounded up and machine-gunned by troops in a field outside of town and then buried in mass graves.

Other crimes committed under Mladic’s unrelenting reign included mass rapes of Bosnian Muslim women and girls, the indiscriminate murder of civilians, deportations and destructions of homes and mosques. Many were imprisoned in camps where they died of malnourishment and disease. Upwards of 100,000 lives were lost between 1992 and 1995.  Another 2.2 million people were displaced.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia found him guilty on one count of genocide and nine crimes against humanity. The trial lasted for 530 days and included over 500 witnesses and 10,000 exhibits. Mladic has denied all the charges against him and plans to appeal.

U.N. Human Rights Chief Zeid Ra’as al-Hussein called Mladic “the epitome of evil,” and said that his prosecution was “the epitome of what international justice is all about…Mladic presided over some of the darkest crimes to occur in Europe since World War II, bringing terror, death and destruction to thousands of victims, and sorrow, tragedy and trauma to countless more.”

For more information, please see:

BBC  News – Ratko Mladic, the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’ – 22 November 2017

CNN – Ratko Mladic Guilty of Genocide, Sentenced to life in Prison – 22 November 2017

NPR – Remembering the ‘Monstrous’ Legacy of Ratko Mladic – 22 November 2017

The New York Times – Mladic Conviction Closes Dark Chapter in Europe, but New Era of Uncertainty Looms – 22 November 2017

The Washington Post –  Ratko Mladic, the ‘Butcher of Bosnia,’ Guilty of Genocide in Last Balkan war Crimes Trial – 22 November 2017

BBC News – Ratko Mladic Jailed for Life Over Bosnian War Genocide – 23 November 2017

Huffington Post – Ratko Mladic Sentence – 26 November 2017

By Jenilyn Brhel
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

WARSAW, Poland – An estimated 60,000 far-right demonstrators marched through Warsaw on Poland’s 99th Independence Day.

On Saturday, November 11^th, tens of thousands of people gathered in what is being described as one of the biggest gatherings of far-right supporters in recent years.

The march, organized by far-right groups, is held annually on Poland’s Independence Day. The march has become an international magnet for far-right supporters and white supremacists.

The crowd welcomed far-right leaders from Britain and Italy. Richard Spencer, the American white nationalist who organized the Charlottesville, Virginia protest that killed a young counter-protester, was scheduled to attend but cancelled his plans after the Polish government advised him that he was not welcome in the country.

The National Radical Camp (NRC) was one of the lead organizers of the march. The NRC has previously marched against Muslim immigration into the country, gay rights and the European Union. Anything that is considered to undermine Polish Catholic values is a target of the nationalists.

Tomasz Dorosz, a member of the NRC, took the stage on Saturday. “Europe and the world is in decay: culturally, politically, economically. We Poles have to be the alternative,” said Dorosz. “There will be a national Poland or none.”

Demonstrators wearing masks carried signs containing such phrases as “Clean Blood”, “Pray for an Islamic Holocaust” and “Europe Will Be White.”  They threw red-smoke bombs as they marched.

One far-right demonstrator interviewed by a Polish television station said he was on the march to “remove Jewry from power.”

“It’s 50,000 to 100,000 mostly football hooligans hijacking patriotism,” said one counter-protester. “For me, it’s important to support the anti-fascist coalition, and to support fellow democrats, who are under pressure in Poland today.”

The march has grown in numbers steadily since it began in 2009. Nick Loweles, member of the anti-extremism group Hope Not Hate, said that “the numbers attending this year seem to be bigger and, while not everyone on the march is a far-right activist or fascist, it is undoubtedly becoming more significant and is acting as a magnet for far-right groups around the world.”

A smaller group of about 5,000 counter-protesters showed up at the march. Several counter-protesters carrying a banner that read “Stop Fascism” were injured when nationalists pushed and kicked them. A heavy police presence and separation of the groups kept further violence at bay.

Many criticize the Polish government and believe that its behavior has fostered intolerance and xenophobia and emboldened the nationalists.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Warsaw Nationalist March Draws Tens of Thousands – 11 November 2017

The New York Times – Nationalist March Dominates Poland’s Independence Day – 11 November 2017

Aljazeera – Why 60,000 People Joined a Nationalist March in Poland – 12 November 2017

CNN – Thousands of Nationalist Protesters Disrupt Poland Independence Day – 12 November 2017

The Guardian – ‘White Europe’: 60,000 Nationalists March on Poland’s Independence Day – 12 November 2017

The Washington Post – ‘Pray for an Islamic Holocaust’: Tens of Thousands From Europe’s Far-Right March in Poland – 12 November 2017

By Jenilyn Brhel
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BERLIN, Germany – Young refugees are being pushed into prostitution in Germany by the people hired to protect them, a new report finds.

A program by public broadcaster ZDF called “Frontal 21” ran in Germany on Tuesday, November 7th. The broadcast alleges that employees of security companies in Berlin are pushing refugees at accommodation centers into prostitution.

The security guards reportedly meet with refugees – including minors –  in shelters and encourage them to take up prostitution. The guards earn commissions for each referral.

ZDF interviewed several security guards who admitted to the practice and indicated that young men are particularly vulnerable. One guard indicated that “they need to be of a certain age, attractive. From 16 years and up; the younger they are, the more expensive they are.”

Another guard responsible for the oversight of several shelters admitted to a network of pimps within the refugee homes.

Several refugees corroborated the guards’ statements. A 20 year-old Afghan migrant told ZDF that after his refugee application was rejected, he was approached by a security guard with an offer. He was told that  “for sex with a woman you get €30, maybe even €40”. He stated that he had to earn money to survive but that “I’m ashamed of what I do.”

A social worker in Berlin interviewed by ZDF stated she has been monitoring the situation. She witnessed guards giving money to residents at a shelter and confirmed with the residents that prostitution is occurring.

Berlin’s Department for Integration, Labor and Social Affairs have advised that the allegations are being taken seriously and are under investigation.

“We have to take this very seriously, because it is totally unacceptable to exploit the material hardships that many refugees and migrants are in,” said Steffen Seibert, spokesman for the German government. “It would be morally reprehensible if they were forced into prostitution.”

The allegations against the guards come after the United Nations reported in September that 75% of youth migrants coming into Europe are victims of forced labor, sexual abuse, child marriage and other exploitation.

“If the allegations of security staff profiting from and driving refugees into prostitution are true, these would be very serious charges,” said Steffen.

The allegations come amidst concerns over how to accommodate migrants in Germany. Between 2015 and 2016, over one million refugees arrived.

For more information, please see:

Deutsche Wells – Berlin Security Guards Pushed Young Refugees Into Prostitution – 25 October 2017

Gulf News – Berlin Security Guards Pushing Refugees Into Sex Work: Report – 25 October 2017

The Local Germany – Security Guards in Berlin are Pushing Refugees Into Prostitution: Media Report – 25 October 2017

Reuters – Germany Investigating Reports of Refugees Forced Into Prostitution – 26 October 2017

USA Today – Young Refugees Pushed Into Prostitution in Germany – 26 October 2017

By: Sara Adams
Impunity Watch News Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – Several protesters were arrested by the Russian police in Moscow on November 5th.

News outlets are reporting anywhere from 86 to 260 have been arrested at an unauthorized gathering at Manezh Square.

The rally was allegedly planned by a group known in Russia for their anti-Vladimir Putin stance. The group, called Artpodgotovka, has been labeled an “extremist” group by a Russian court.

Russia’s security agency also reported that it had arrested several group members suspected of plotting to firebomb government buildings.

This is not the first time President Putin has sent in law enforcement to arrest people who oppose him.

In early October, 290 protesters were arrested among 26 cities. The protests were marches against Mr. Putin, taking place on his birthday.

Thousands reportedly marched against Mr. Putin’s government.

Free speech and assembly rights in Russia have been severely limited since Mr. Putin took presidential power in 2012.

Before that, Mr. Putin served as prime minister since 1999.

Much of the anti-Putin sentiment is stoked by fears of another revolution.

This year marks the 100-year anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution, the event that led to a massive civil war with millions of casualties.

The Russian government, the Kremlin, will not commemorate this event for fears of stoking anti-government sentiment.

Dima Litvinov is the great-grandson of Maxim Litvinov, who was a Soviet foreign minister after the Bolshevik revolution.

He says that his great-grandfather would be “horrified by the extreme nationalism and religious intolerance that is going up in Russia.”

He adds, “Russia, in a way, hasn’t moved on. People feel detached from the ability to affect their fate and the government. The authorities like it that way.”

Mr. Litvinov may not be far off.

The November 5th protesters are alleged to have been led by nationalist politician Vyacheslav Maltsev. Mr. Maltsev is an outspoken critic of Mr. Putin.

Mr. Maltsev has called publicly for Mr. Putin to be impeached. He also has said that a “revolution is imminent.”

While several of the protesters are being released from detainment, Mr. Maltsev is reportedly living abroad after a Moscow court issued an arrest warrant for him.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Russia protests: At least 260 nationalist Putin opponents held – 5 November 2017

The Washington Post – Russia struggles with legacy of 1917 Bolshevik Revolution – 5 November 2017

ABC News – At least 86 Russian nationalist protesters reported arrested – 5 November 2017

Reuters – Police detain dozens in Moscow amid fear of anti-government attacks – 5 November 2017

The New York Times – At Least 86 Russian Nationalist Protesters Reported Arrested – 5 November 2017

CNN – Russian police arrest hundreds in protests on Putin’s birthday – 8 October 2017