By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – Following an inconclusive election, political parties in the Czech Republic will soon hold negotiations to form a new coalition government to replace the coalition taken down by corruption last June.

In June 2013, allegations of corruption, espionage, and abuse of power broke down the governing Czech coalition, led by Prime Minister Petr Necas. At that time, Necas had an affair with a close aide, who authorities arrested on suspicion of bribery and ordering an intelligence agency to follow Necas’ wife.

Without a proper administration in the coalition’s place, in July 2013, Czech President Milos Zeman angered parties when he created a caretaker cabinet of technocrats to govern the country.

The 25-26 October 2013 election placed the Social Democrats on top. But with only 20% of the vote, the Social Democrats are not powerful enough to form a government on their own. Although the election was meant to resolve months of uncertainty, analysts say the failure to produce a clear winner could lead to another unstable coalition.

Since the 1989 “Velvet Revolution” marked the fall of Communism, Czechs have used the ballot against established parties stained by corruption. The recent election sought a way to reverse the previous administration’s austerity policies, which fueled the longest recession in the country’s history.

Prague resident Petr Janecek said he voted for the new party ANO “because I think that the Czech political scene needs some changes.”

The Czech people join a list of European countries that have toppled established political parties due to austerity measures in recent years.

The centre-right parties removed from power in June suffered a massive defeat.

Social Democrat leader Bohuslay Sobotka stated that he was ready to begin negotiations with all parties, even though the election results were “not what we expected.” On 27 October, Sobotka put sights on new centrist party ANO, which mustered votes on their anti-corruption platform, and the Christian Democrats, a traditional small centrist party.

In the 200-member lower house, the Social Democrats won 50 seats, ANO 47 seats, and the Christian Democrats 14 seats.

If talks last several months, the country will likely begin 2014 with a provisional budget, which limits spending to 2013 levels.

President Zeman holds the right to appoint prime ministers, and will play a critical role in negotiations. While parliament convenes on 25 November 2013, Zemen expected the establishment of a new government to take between two and three months.

To prevent long-term damage, the Czech Republic will need a firm government that lifts the people’s trust and brightens investors’ projections.

For further information, please see:

Reuters – Czech Social Democrats Look to Protest Party to Form Government – October 27, 2013

BBC News – Czech Election: Social Democrats Lead but No Clear Winner – October 26, 2013

RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty – Center-Left Party First in Czech Elections – October 26, 2013

Bloomberg Businessweek – Czechs Vote as Social Democrats Pledge U-Turn on Austerity (2) – October 25, 2013

By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

ATHENS, Greece – Across Europe, Roma faced scrutiny amidst the finding of “Maria.” Some have compared notions of “baby snatching” to anti-Semitic stories from before World War II.

During the week of 14 October 2013, authorities searching the Farsala Roma community for drugs and weapons found five-year-old “Maria.” The couple claiming to be her parents had none of her physical characteristics. DNA tests revealed that Maria is not either adult’s biological daughter.

The couple, Christos Salis and Eleftheria Dimopoulou, were charged with abducting Maria and falsifying documents. In speaking with police, the couple conveyed that a fair-skinned Bulgarian Roma woman gave them Maria because she could no longer care for her. However, police also report that both adults provided conflicting accounts of the child’s origin.

A fair-skinned Bulgarian woman has come forward as Maria’s biological mother to corroborate the couple’s story. A DNA test will be conducted.

“It is a racist presumption on behalf of the Greek authorities… to charge her family with abduction just because they are Roma and because it was proven that [she] is not their own natural child,” says Panayote Dimitras, spokesperson from the Greek Helsinki Monitor.

In Farsala, dozens who knew the family contended that the couple cared for Maria deeply and looked after her well. Currently, Maria—who speaks little Greek—is in a Greek charity hospital undergoing tests to determine her real age. Thousands of parents around the world have called and emailed authorities, hoping that Maria is their lost child.

While the global interest has centered on finding Maria’s biological parents, local interests center on the great divide between the Roma and other Greeks. Indeed, the European Court of Human Rights has found that Greece, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and Hungary have segregated their Roma communities.

Originally of India, the Roma are considered a subgroup of the Romani people. For centuries, the Roma have lived nomadically across Europe. Integration becomes difficult due to the Roma’s strong attachment to their culture, language, and habits.

Some media outlets have shown footage of Maria dancing to music with the implication that her parents forced her to dance for money. Enraged by the suggestion, the Roma community explained that the footage was taken after a baptism and religious celebration.

Admitting to some settlements known to have illegal activities, many Roma protest that criminality is a very small portion of their community.

In this case, Salis and Dimopoulou are an illiterate couple who registered their family in several towns, often claiming fourteen children—ten of whom are unaccounted for. Police stated that the couple received approximately €2500 ($3420) per month in child welfare subsidies from three different cities. However, among all Greeks, it is not uncommon to see such papers falsified.

In Ireland, authorities began taking for DNA testing Roma children, all of whom were confirmed as the biological children of their alleged parents.

Three score and ten years ago, the world saw what racism does, and the world said, “Never again.” Europe must remember that never means never.

For further information, please see:

CNN International – Bulgarian Woman Claims She’s Maria’s Mom: ‘We Gifted Her’ to Roma Family – October 25, 2013

Independent – Old Attitudes Resurface in Greece: Inside the Roma Camp Where Maria the ‘Blonde Angel’ Lived – October 25, 2013

BBC News – ‘Parents’ of Greek Roma Girl Maria Give DNA to Police – October 24, 2013

Huffington Post UK – Do Roma ‘Gypsies’ Really Abduct Children? — October 24, 2013

Irish Times – Shatter Seeks Report as Roma Children Returned to Families – October 24, 2013

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BERLIN, Germany – The White House released a statement on Wednesday indicating that the United States has not been spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel by tapping into her cell phone.

Merkel had called U.S. President Barack Obama after reportedly receiving information that the United States may have tapped in conversation on her mobile phone.

“The United States is not monitoring and will not monitor the communications of the chancellor,” White House Spokesman Jay Carney stated on Wednesday.

Merkel’s spokesman stated that the Chancellor “views such practices… as completely unacceptable”. Germany demanded “an immediate and comprehensive explanation” from the U.S. about what it stated “would be a serious breach of trust”.

Germany also issued a statement, stating, “Among close friends and partners, as the Federal Republic of Germany and the US have been for decades, there should be no such monitoring of the communications of a head of government.”

The United States has been receiving anger and skepticism from allies regarding spying allegations based on sources believed to originate from intelligence leaker Edward Snowden.

During a visit in June, President Obama assured Chancellor Merkel that German citizens were not being spied upon. At the time, Merkel was criticized by political opponents for not being more skeptical.

The German government did not elaborate on how it received the tip about the alleged U.S. spying. However, German news magazine Der Spiegel, which has published stories based on material from Edward Snowden, claimed that the information had come from its investigations.

Carney told reporters that the U.S. was examining concerns over U.S. intelligence practices from several American allies, including Germany and France. Carney did not address whether Merkel’s phone had indeed been monitored in the past.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff recently cancelled a visit to the U.S. this month in protest at alleged electronic espionage by the NSA against her country, including of communications at her office. Rousseff rejected U.S. claims that the interception of information was aimed at protecting nations against terrorism, drugs trafficking and other organized crime, in a speech at the United Nations.

The Mexican government has called the alleged spying on the emails of its former and current presidents, Enrique Pena Nieto – the incumbent – and currently Felipe Calderon, as “unacceptable”.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Merkel Calls Obama About “U.S. Spying on Her Phone” – 23 October 2013

Deutsche Welle – Merkel Calls Obama for Answers Over Reports That the U.S. Spied on her Phone – 23 October 2013

Reuters – Germany Says U.S. May Have Monitored Merkel’s Phone – 23 October 2013

Washington Post – Merkel Calls Obama About Alleged U.S. Monitoring of Her Phone – 23 October 2013

 

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

VOLGOGRAD, Russia – A bus exploded in the southern Russian city of Volgograd on Monday, and is believed to be caused by a suicide bomber, according to Russian authorities.

Russian Investigators have stated that they suspect a woman from the Dagestan region in the North Causasus. She is believed to be the partner of an Islamic extremist, and perhaps carried out the bombing to avenge a death.

Recently Russia has seen an influx in the number of terrorist attacks carried out by women suicide bombers. These women are known as “black widows”, and are believed to carry out these attacks to avenge the deaths of their terrorist-partners.

In 2010, female suicide bombers were responsible for attacks at two underground subway stations in Moscow, killing 38 people. Female suicide bombers are also thought to be responsible for explosions on two passenger jets at a Moscow airport that killed about 90 people back in 2004.

Chechnya Separatists have been fighting wars with Russian forces over the past twenty years, but the violence has spread across the North Caucasus recently. The spread of violence has seen the deaths of hundreds of people.

Monday’s blast killed 5 people and injured more than 20. Reports indicate that all other buses in Volgograd have been ordered back to their stations to be searched for any sign of explosives.

One man whose daughter survived the explosion stated, “It was a powerful explosion, a huge blast. There were lots of students on the bus.”

Vladimir Markin, of Russia’s Investigative Committee stated, “A criminal case has been opened under articles outlining terrorism, murder and the illegal use of firearms.”

Markin later identified the suspected suicide bomber as a woman from Dagestan. “According to preliminary information, the self-explosion was carried out by a 30-year-old Dagestani native, Naida Akhiyalova. According to investigators’ information, the woman entered the bus at one of the bus stops and, almost right after that, the bomb went off. That is also confirmed by one of the passengers who survived.”

President Vladimir Putin recently attempted to beef up security in the North Caucasus region ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics, which open in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on February 7^th of next year.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Deadly Bomb Blast Hits Bus in Southern Russia – 21 October 2013

BBC News – Russia Bus Bomb: Volgograd Blast Kills Five – 21 October 2013

The Independent – Volgograd Bus Blast: Female Suicide Bomber Kills Five in Russia – 21 October 2013

The Moscow Times – Explosion on Bus in Volgograd Kills at Least Four – 21 October 2013

By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

ROME, Italy – Italy’s planned peaceful protests turned violent as extremists attended, prepared for a clash with police.

On 18 October 2013, a transport strike led to an overnight demonstration at the Piazza San Giovanni, in the city centre. Despite grievances, the demonstrators were allegedly in good spirit.

By 19 October, thousands protested throughout Rome’s streets over several issues, including the government’s austerity program and the proposed high speed rail line linking Lyon, France with Turin.

“We are protesting a one-way austerity that is bringing the country to its knees,” said Piero Bernocchi from Italy’s Cobas trade union group. “And it hasn’t achieved what it was meant to by bringing down debt. Meanwhile politicians continue with their privileges.”

Italy’s two-year recession has pushed unemployment to record-breaking heights, shut down thousands of businesses, and forced much of the younger generation to emigrate. Youth unemployment is at 40.1%.

Prime Minister Enrico Letta’s 2014 budget has been viewed as insufficient to ease the current tax burden placed on workers.

Originally, organizers hoped 20,000 would appear for a peaceful protest. While organizers estimated 70,000 to have attended, police put estimates closer to 50,000. Among the demonstrators, nearly 400 immigrants expressed support for asylum-seekers, many of whom have died at sea during their trip from North Africa.

“This protest is to demand basic rights: a job paying a wage, and housing,” said Matteo, a 20-year-old student from the eastern Marche region. “All the most downtrodden people are here to protest, unemployed people, students, immigrants, workers without job security.”

One protester apparently looking for a clash said, “We are not assuming it is going to happen, but we need them because the situation in the country is very serious.”

During the lead-up to demonstrations, police discovered five French members of the “Black Block” movement. According to authorities, the group provoked much unrest throughout Europe in past years; and two of the five were under investigation in France for terrorist activity.

At least 100 wearing hoods and motorcycle helmets attacked the Italian Economic Ministry. Demonstrators in masks threw eggs, bottles, flares, and thunder flashes at a police line guarding the building. As police charged the crowd, demonstrators beat their plastic shields with sticks and poles, and set fire to a trash bin.

Police detained the 15 most violent people after confiscating baseball bats, helmets, teargas, rocks, and a knife. Also, police defused a large firework with a bullet in it.

While most protestors sought a peaceful protest over austerity and low wages and the environment, extremists came prepared for anything. In case of violence, shops were shuttered and Rome authorities deployed approximately 3500 police.

For further information, please see:

Euronews – Thousands Protest in Rome over Austerity Measures – October 19, 2013

Reuters – Italian Anti-Austerity Protesters Clash with Police – October 19, 2013

Telegraph – Protests in Rome Turn Violent as Demonstrators Attack Economy Ministry – October 19, 2013

Gazzetta del Sud – Five French “Block Block” Militants Stopped in Rome – October 18, 2013