Europe

Another Russian Abduction in the Baltics as NATO Increases Activity in Eastern Russia

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

VILNIUS, Lithuania – Russia has made yet another aggressive move towards Eastern Europe, this time targeting Lithuania. A fishing boat off the coast of Lithuania was seized yesterday by Russia while in international waters. Russia’s Federal Security Service says that border guards were correct by seizing the boat, claiming that it contained an illegal 15-ton haul of crab and strayed into Russian waters. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius states that the vessel’s satellite system proves that it was in international waters.

This Russian AN-72 military transport plane was photographed by Finland’s air force while flying in Finnish airspace. (Photo courtesy of Vox)

Sweden also claims further aggression by Russia took place this week when two Russian warplanes entered into Swedish airspace. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt called this a “grave violation”, prompting him to lodge a formal protest with the Russian ambassador in Stockholm. In addition to this incident, Russian warplanes also entered into Finland last month, and were intercepted close to Canada and also the United States. Part of the concern for Finland and Sweden is that they are not currently NATO members, which has prompted both nations this month to upgrade their level of cooperation with NATO members.

There are three actions NATO members will be taking part in this week that may be prompting further Russian aggression. First, NATO is conducting exercises in the Black Sea, likely in response to Russia’s first Varshavyanka-class submarine entering into Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. NATO’s exercises will include Romania, Bulgaria, the United States, the UK, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, and Turkey.

Second, NATO’s new rapid reaction force, created earlier this month in direct response to Russia’s involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, is going to be discussed this weekend in Vilnius. This new force is meant to provide a fast response to any possible Russian military action in the Baltics against NATO members. The meeting this weekend is for the purpose of going over details of the force.

Third, Ukraine, Poland, and Lithuania have agreed to create a joint military force this year. The force will be headquartered in the Polish city of Lublin, near the border of Ukraine. Interfax-Ukraine news has reported that this joint force will contain 545 Ukrainian troops, 3,000-3,800 Polish servicemen, and 150-350 soldiers from Lithuania. While this idea was first tossed about in 2007 but never agreed on, Russian aggression this year has made the necessity for such a force all the more apparent.

As militarization on both the east and west continues to grow, signs of successful diplomacy to settle tensions seems to be growing weaker. However, fighting in Ukraine appears less severe than two weeks ago, partly due to two negotiations between the parties involved. Fighting has yet to altogether seize, but it seems that diplomacy may still be a realistic option.

For more information, please see:

DW – US fighter planes intercept Russian combat jets off Alaska, Sweden protests ‘violation’ – 20 September 2014

Bloomberg – Lithuania Says Russia Seized Ship as Baltic Tensions Grow – 19 September 2014

RT – Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania to form joint military force – 19 September 2014

The Wall Street Journal – Sweden Complains to Russia Over Airspace Violation – 19 September 2014

The Guardian – Baltic states wary as Russia takes more strident tone with neighbours – 18 September 2014

RT – NATO stages Black Sea naval drills – 17 September 2014

 

Despite Ukraine-Russia Truce Holding, Tension Between Russia and Baltic States Remains High

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

VILNIUS, Lithuania – In Russia’s most recent move against the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, Moscow has sought to reopen criminal investigations into Lithuanian residents who refused to serve in the Soviet army after Lithuania declared dependence in 1990. An estimated 1500 young people refused the orders nearly 25 years ago, and now Russia wants them to pay.

NATO jets fly over Lithuania as part of Operation Reassurance. (Photo courtesy of Ottawa Citizen)

While Russia has already made this same request once prior, roughly ten years ago, the surrounding context now makes the situation more dire. The recent abduction of the Estonian border guard, coupled with Russia’s current attempt to prosecute him for allegedly spying, has forced the Lithuanian State Security Department to advise Lithuanians who withdrew from the Soviet army in 1990 to refrain from traveling outside of Lithuania, or at least outside of any European Union or NATO countries.

Lithuanian President, Dalia Grybauskaite, has taken the additional step to establish certain strategic sectors of the Lithuanian economy as those that should have major investments first vetted to the government. This comes as a matter of national security after a Russian-led company leased two large plots of land next to Siauliai airport, where NATO planes patrol the Baltic skies. NATO currently has Operation Reassurance based in Siauliai, and the aims of this operation are to preserve NATO European airspace and safeguard NATO nations from air attacks, specifically in response to Russia’s recent aggressions in eastern Europe.

Russia has also flown jets close to Baltic borders over 140 times this year, and recently successfully tested its new Bulava Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (“ICBM”) with a range of 8,000 kilometers. Russia has recently spoken out about securing the rights and interests of ethnic Russians. Russia’s Foreign Ministry chief monitor of human rights overseas, Konstantin Dolgov, in a speech in Latvia’s capital, Riga, said, “It has to be stated with sadness that a huge number of our compatriots abroad, whole segments of the Russian world, continue to face serious problems in securing their rights and lawful interests.”

As long as the military remains involved on both sides of the border, there will remain worry and uneasy feelings for all parties involved. On the one hand, worries in the Baltics are completely justified, as the situation in Ukraine prior to both Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the subsequent invasion by Russia of eastern Ukraine draws many parallels to what we are seeing now in Russia’s behavior towards the Baltic States. On the other hand, the situation in the Baltics differs from Ukraine in that NATO has already stated that a military response would come for the Baltic States in the event of a Russian invasion, citing Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty as justification of such an event.

So while concerns that this may be Crimea all over again carry heavy weight, they may not be entirely justified. While the situation began very similarly, the implications here if events continue down the same path would result in a very different, and potentially much bloodier, outcome. Perhaps this will deter either side from pushing too far, or perhaps this will allow for a much greater escalation in events.

For more information, please see:

Ottawa Citizen – Photos: CF-18 and F-16 Falcons over Lithuania – 17 September 2014

Reuters – Lithuania to vet more investments for national security risks – 17 September 2014

Baltic Review – Lithuanians Strongly Advised to Refrain from Traveling to Countries Outside the EU or NATO – 17 September 2014

The Baltic Times – More Russian jets near Baltic borders cause for concern, says army chief – 17 September 2014

The Moscow Times – Russia Sees Need to Protect Russian Speakers in NATO Baltic States – 16 September 2014

Canada National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces – Operation REASSURANCE – 12 September 2014

The Moscow Times – Russia Proves Nuclear Muscle With Ballistic Missile Launch – 10 September 2014

 

Scottish Nationalism: A House of Cards for Europe and the World

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Managing Editor

EDINBURGH, Scotland – On September 18 the Scottish People will go to the polls to determine the future of their country. The Scottish people will close whether to maintain their more than 300 year political union with England or to dissolve the political bands that have bound them to the United Kingdom and enter the international community as an independent state. The United Kingdom’s Tory Prime Minister David Cameron spent part of the day on Monday in Aberdeen, the heart of the Scottish Oil industry, which if Scotland become independent would control the largest known reserves in Europe, trying to urge voters to maintain the union. While the vote remains too close to call, what is clear is that, no matter the outcome, the Scottish independence referendum will have far reaching consequences for nationalist and independence movements within the United Kingdom and the European community as a whole. European governments fear that with a single vote the Scottish people could bring down old empires and fragile unions like a house of cards.

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Edinburgh Castle, one of the Scottish capitals most iconic landmarks, dominates the city’s skyline, its home on Castle rock has been inhabited since the Iron Age nearly 2,000 years ago. Castle rock and its castle fortress has ben involved in several conflicts including the Scottish wars for Independence in the 14th Century. (Photo: Kathryn Maureen Ryan, 2013)

The Scottish Nationalist Party has campaigned promising that an independent Scotland will maintain a closer relationship with the European Union than Westminster, which has historically opposed further European integration, fiercely fighting open immigration policies  as well as integration into the Eurozone. Ironically an Independent Scotland could face difficult in building a stronger relationship with Europe because it will likely face strong opposition from EU members that fear that a successful, peaceful secession of Scotland from the United Kingdom could renew calls for independence from separatists and nationalists movements within their own countries.

Spain has promised it stand against an application for EU membership from an independent Scotland likely out of fears that a successful, peaceful, Scottish independence movement could awaken calls for independence from the Catalan and Basque separatists’ movements in Spain. Several other EU member states face nationalist campaigns of their own, France likely fears that an independent Scotland could encourage supporters of an independent Brittney to call for their own referendum, while Belgium leaders likely fear calls for independence could tear apart the fragile union between the Walloons and Flemish populations of Belgium. The vote may also become a symbol of nationalism outside of Europe, where independence movements from the Tibetan and Uyghurs in China to the Quebec independence movement in Canada as well as the dozens of ethnic nationalism movements throughout Africa, Latin America and Oceania, which may call for their own chance for a democratic referendum after the Scottish people make their historic vote.

The vote will also have implications elsewhere in the United Kingdom, especially in Northern Ireland where Unionists and Irish Republicans alike are watching the elections in Scotland closely, knowing that the outcome could affect the ultimate outcomes of their own movements. Northern Ireland has lived under a fragile peace since the Good Friday Agreement, brokered by then Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President Bill Clinton, was signed in 1998 establishing a power sharing government for Northern Ireland. While the power-sharing government brought great changes to the region, helping Northern Ireland move beyond the darkest and bloodiest days of the troubles tensions can still be felt between catholic and protestant communities in some areas throughout the country, especially in Belfast where the Peace Walls, now the world’s oldest actively maintained apartheid walls, still divide working class catholic and protestant neighborhoods and where several schools remain segregated on the basis of religion.

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The Belfast Peace Walls, plastered in propaganda from both Catholic and Protestant political activist, class for peace and understanding in the community and covered in the signatures of visitors from around the world, are today considered the oldest apartheid walls in the world, active longer than the Berlin Wall. While the walls are a symbol of a fragile peace many believe they divide the society more than unite it, serving as a constant reminder of perceived differences in the community (Photo: Kathryn Maureen Ryan, 2013)

The Republic of Irelands former European Affairs Minister Lucinda Creighton believes that if Scotland votes to secede from the United Kingdom new demands for a referendum on a united Ireland will be ‘inevitable. “I think it would inevitably lead to demand for such a referendum (in Northern Ireland). I don’t know what the outcome of such a referendum would be. We are all committed now to the principle of consent in Northern Ireland, respective of both communities and that’s something I would feel very strongly about,” she said. “That would be a pretty unbelievable move that I don’t think anybody could have contemplated 10 years ago. It will have major political consequences for Ireland if it is carried.”

Northern Ireland’s  Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, a former commander in the Irish Republican Army and member of the Sinn Fein party which ultimately supports union with The Republic of Ireland, has said he is “staying out” of the independence debate, which he believes is a “matter for the people of Scotland,” however he added that he believes the independence movement will have a far reaching effect on the politics and future of Northern Ireland. “If Scotland gets, in the context of there being a No vote, power over social welfare and the ability to decide their own social welfare payment rates then that has big implications for us and I think that I would hope that we can benefit from the outcome of that,” he added “Whatever way it goes I think it will have a profound impact on the situation in Ireland, and specifically in the North of Ireland, particularly in relation to the battle that we’re having with the British Government at this time over the swingeing cuts that they have brought in.”

The Scottish Independence movement was not born overnight, nor was it born out of the Devolution process which led to the creation of the Scottish Parliament under the Blair premiership. In many ways the Scottish independence movement is older than the United Kingdom itself. In 1320 the Declaration of Arbroath, often cited as the most important document in Scottish history, was signed issuing a declaration of the independence of the Scottish people, promising that “as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom – for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself.” No matter the outcome of Thursday’s vote it is clear that the centuries old flame of Scottish nationalism has never dimed and with a single vote it may ignite a flame of nationalism that will spread across Europe and the World.

For more information please see:

Aberdeen Evening Express – Cameron Flies into Aberdeen to Deliver Final Better Together Pledge – 15 September 2014

Al Jazeera America – Scotland to Hold Referendum on Independence from the UK – 15 September 2014

Irish Independent – Martin Mcguinness: Scottish Independence Referendum Would Have a ‘Profound Impact’ On Northern Ireland – 11 September 2014

Reuters UK – Why Scottish Independence Matters For Europe – 9 September 2014

Irish Independent – Referendum Moves In North ‘Inevitable’ If Scots Secede – 8 September 2014

BBC History – The Declaration of Arbroath, 1320

 

Murder on the High Seas: Traffickers Suspected of Ramming Refugee Ship

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Managing Editor Impunity Watch

BRUSSELS, European Union – 700 refugee’s fleeing Africa for Europe are feared dead in the Mediterranean after two separate shipwrecks last week. the International Organization for Migration (IOM) fear the refugees likely drowned in the Mediterranean which would bringing the death toll for Mediterranean crossing deaths to nearly 3,000, making 2014 the deadliest year on record for refugees making the dangerous water crossing from North Africa to the shores of southern Europe.

In a photograph released by the Italian Navy migrants sit in a boat during a rescue operation off the coast of Sicily, the Mediterranean crossing from Africa to Europe as become a deadly risk for refugees from Africa and the Middle East who have taken to the sea in crammed, unsafe boats in an attempt to reach Europe and the safety and economic opportunity they hope it will offer (Photo Courtesy of The Hindustan Times)

The most recent shipwreck occurred of the cost of Libya where a ship crammed with as many as 250 African emigrants sank. The Libyan navy said that while 26 people survived the shipwreck most of the migrants are feared dead. Four days later, on September 10th a ship carrying hundreds of migrants was sank off the cost of Malta by traffickers in the region.  As many as 500 migrants ae believed to have died after traffickers rammed their ship off of the cost of Malta last week. The victims were Syrians, Palestinians, Egyptians and Sudanese refugees hoping to find safe haven in Europe. Only nine people survived the incident, two of the survivors testified that the trackers ordered the migrants to change vessels in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. According to the testimony, when the migrants refugee the traffickers confronted the ship and rammed into the migrant’s vessel.

The ship had left Damietta, Egypt for Europe on Saturday September 6th and sank after being rammed by traffickers on September 10th. “In all, nine people survived and were picked up boats,” Berthiaume said. IOM officials interviewed two Palestinian survivors who were taken to Sicily, Italy, while other survivors were taken to Malta and to Crete, Greece, IOM Spokesperson Christiane Berthiaume said.

According to the IOM, after the boat sank, the survivors spent a day fighting for their lives in open water. According to the two survivors who testified, both of whom Palestinian refugees, the victims were tried to hold on to life buoys to survive. One of the survivors was in a lifejacket while the other was holding onto one of the life buoys with other victims who did not survive. One of the survivors said that among the diseased was a young Egyptian boy who hoped to raise money in Europe to pay for his father’s heart operation.

The survivors say their ship was deliberately rammed because, fearing for their lives, the refugee refused to leave the ship under the orders of the human trafficking vessel. “If this story, which police are investigating, is true, it would be the worst shipwreck in years… not an accident but a mass murder, perpetrated by criminals without scruples or any respect for human life,” IOM said in a statement Monday.

For more information please see:

CBS News – 700 Feared Dead In Mediterranean Boat Wrecks – 15 September 2014

The Guardian – Migrant Boat Was ‘Deliberately Sunk’ In Mediterranean Sea, Killing 500 – 15 September 2014

Hindustan Times – Traffickers ‘Sink’ Ship Carrying Migrants in Mediterranean, 500 Feared Dead Off Malta Coast – 15 September 2014

Reuters – Over 500 Migrants Feared Dead After Human Traffickers ‘Deliberately Sank the Boat’ – 15 September 2014

All Eyes on Scotland This Week as Vote for Independence Draws Near

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

EDINBURGH, Scotland – On Thursday September 18, Scotland will vote for whether to remain a part of the United Kingdom or separate and declare independence. Regardless of the outcome, the results will have a heavy impact throughout Europe.

A look at Scotland’s location within the UK, along with a projected breakdown of how the vote will go. (Photo courtesy of NY Daily News)

If Scotland’s vote for independence results in a vote to stay with the United Kingdom, Scotland will still receive some new benefits, in addition to keeping some old benefits. Britain has promised that in the event of a vote to remain in the UK, Britain would decentralize some power to Scotland. It is entirely possible that Northern Ireland and Wales could also receive similar benefits should Scotland remain united.

The political impact this vote in Britain could be huge, as Scotland has been united with England for 307 years. The loss of Scotland would be disastrous to British Prime Minister David Cameron and would make him appear weak and reckless to the British people for allowing Scotland to leave. Even if Scotland stays, to give Scotland more power and possibly have to give Wales and Northern Ireland more power would have a similar effect. Either way, England’s next elections will focus greatly on this event.

In addition to decentralized powers, Scotland would also continue receiving benefits from the rest of the UK, including, and likely most importantly, European Union membership and use of the euro currency. Should Scotland vote ‘yes’ for independence, Scotland would likely be promptly left outside of the EU and without a currency. While such a scenario would likely be followed with steps on how to apply for EU membership, it would entail time where Scotland is on its own to effectively establish a military and currency, two issues that are no small feat.

An independent Scotland would put the EU into a tough position, as the UK is already one of the more powerful economies in the world and would be weakening some. This move would also cause problems within other member States, as it would encourage independence referendums throughout Europe. Particularly, Italy’s Northern League, Flemish separatists in Belgium, and the Catalans and Basques in Spain would pose an immediate threat to the independence of those nations. The Catalans pose a particularly significant risk that Spain is worried may pan out should Scotland succeed in their movement.

This same threat is also felt in Eastern Europe in nations such as Latvia or Ukraine, where Russian-ethnic citizens could push for independence referendums, perhaps even backed by Russia who has shown it is willing to act militarily to support such movements.

As with most major decisions, while the act itself of Scotland separating from the UK may appear to be a good idea, it could have serious and unplanned impacts that may lead to major changes throughout Europe on the whole, with results that are impossible to foresee. For now, the only thing left to do is wait for Scotland’s vote on Thursday.

For more information, please see:

Daily Times – Europe changing shape whichever way Scotland goes – 15 September 2014

Business Insider – Europe fears Scottish independence contagion – 14 September 2014

The Independent – Scotland independence vote: Everything you ever wanted to know about life after the result – 14 September 2014

The New York Times – Scottish Independence Would Ripple Through Europe – 11 September 2014