By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – Last Wednesday, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) found Mico Stanisic and Stojan Zupljanin guilty of participating in murder, torture, and persecution of Bosnian Muslims and Croats during Bosnia’s 1992-1995 war.

Stanisic was the interior minister of the Bosnian Serb republic and Zupljanin was a senior security official. Stanisic turned himself over to the court in 2005. However, after 9 years of hiding, in 2008, Zupljanin was arrested in Budva, Montenegro.

During Stanisic and Zupljanin’s trial, which lasted 365 days, 199 witnesses testified and more than 4,000 pieces of evidence were offered.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia stated the two men contributed to a “joint criminal enterprise with the objective to permanently remove non-Serbs from the territory of a planned Serbian state.”

The United Nations’ war crimes court sentenced the two former Bosnian Serb officials to 22 years in prison for crimes against humanity, including acts of murder, torture, unlawful detention, deportation and plunder in various parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992.

Nedeljko Mitrovic, president of the RS Organisation of Families of Captured, Killed Soldiers and Missing Civilians, stated, “With this judgment, The Hague proves it did not change its earlier policy towards the Serbs. They prove, once again, their intention to blame the Serbs responsible for everything. We all know how many crimes were committed against the Serbs, but, unfortunately, there is still no justice for those people.”

However, Sonja Biserko, director of the Belgrade Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, said, “It is good this judgment was passed, especially since it points to Serbia’s involvement in the war in Bosnia, because these charges are, in some way, part of the indictment against Slobodan Milosevic. Relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia are still low, and to improve them is much work.”

Furthermore, Murat Tahirovic, president of the Bosnia and Herzegovina War Camp Prisoners Association, said, “This is definitely a positive decision of The Hague tribunal and we hope the appeals chamber of court will not reverse this judgment. These men are responsible for mass killings and torture. It’s good that the court proved this as a joint criminal enterprise, because it shows that top police officials knew what was happening on the ground during the war in Bosnia.”

Zupljanin and Stanisic are among 163 individuals sentenced by the ICTY for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia.

For further information, please see:

Southeast Europe Times – Hague Convictions Sparks Mixed Reactions – 1 April 2013

Aljazeera – War Crimes Court Convicts Bosnian Serbs – 27 March 2013

BBC News – War Crimes Court Jails Bosnian Serbs – 27 March 2013

RFE/RL – Two Former Bosnian Serb Officials Jails for 22 years — 27 March 2013

By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina – On Friday, a war-crimes court in Bosnia- Herzegovina handed down its longest sentence yet of 45 years for the crimes committed by Veselin Vlahovic, 44, during the 1992-1995 Balkan conflict, which killed some 100,000 people and left some 2 million refugees.  Vlahovic, nicknamed “Batko” was a former member of the Bosnian Serb paramilitary forces “White Angels,” allied to the Bosnian Serb Army, and was known to his victims as the “Monster of Grbavica” and “Master of Life and Death.”

Prosecutors presented the court with a 66-count indictment against Vlahovic, which was also the most extensive list for 1992-95 Bosnian war crimes.  Prosecutor Behaija Krnjic said of the indictments, during his closing arguments, “He killed 31 people, took 14 people who have still been considered missing, raped 13 women,” having earlier stated Vlahovic’s “name was the synonym for evil”.  Vlahovic pled “not guilty.”

In a verdict that took two hours to read, Vlahovic was found guilty on 60 of the counts (and acquitted on 6 due to lack of evidence) for 31 murders, rapes of at least 13 women and torture and robbery of dozens of civilians in Grbavica and Vraca, Serb-occupied areas of Sarajevo, in 1992.

The verdict drew loud applause from victims’ associations in the heavily guarded and packed courtroom, while Vlahovic sat emotionless through the proceedings.  Earlier, he had insulted a witness, a local journalist who reported on his crimes during the war, and according to the prosecution, sent an intimidating letter to a victim’s family.

The 45-year sentence is the maximum that can be given for such crimes.  Bosnia-Herzegovina does not practice indefinite imprisonment or the death penalty.  Both sides intend to appeal.  Although the prosecution received the maximum sentence as requested, it wishes to readdress some of the specific points of the verdict.

Vlahovic is from Montenegro, which was united with Serbia during the Balkan wars.  During the war, many Montenegrins supported the Serbs against the Bosnian Muslims, Croats and Kosovo Albanians.

Judge Bozic said Vlahovic’s horrific acts took place between May and July 1992 in three districts of Sarajevo controlled by Serb forces – Grbavica, Kovacici, and Vraca.  The judge graphically described several of Vlahovic’s crimes.

Bozic said Vlahovic would often demand ransoms of money or gold for his captives and, “Victims who could not pay for their lives would be typically taken to a recognizable location on Trebevic hill and shot in the head.”

“It was a typical pattern [of his] behavior.  Those who had nothing to offer in turn for their lives were typically killed by a shot in the forehead, mouth or temporal bone, according to forensic accounts,” said Judge Bozic.

In one particularly brutal example, “In June 1992, he forced 13 members of the Pecar family out of their home and ordered three male relatives to run across a front line street planted with mines.”  Vlahovic ordered his soldiers to open fire, which he knew would result in return fire from the combat lines.  In the cross-fire, one woman died and three family members, including a girl, were wounded and left on the street.

Judge Bozic further described Vlahovic’s rape of a seven month pregnant woman in front of her young daughter in their apartment, and another sequential rape in which Vlahovic raped a daughter and then her mother as the daughter was forced to watch.

Judge Bozic concluded that Vlahovic carried out “horrid, cruel and manifold criminal acts”.

Vlahovic has been sent to prison before, only to escape.  12 years ago in Montenegro, he was jailed for robbery, but went on the lam.  He then hid in Spain under a Bulgarian passport until 2010 when he was arrested and extradited in August to Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Vlahovic is also wanted for armed robbery in Spain, and murder in Serbia.

Perhaps this time, the monster will stay locked away.

For further information, please see:

24 Sata – FOTO: Tužilaštvo i odbrana ulažu žalbe na presudu Veselinu Vlahoviću [PHOTO: Prosecution and Defense are Appealing the Veselin Vlahovic Ruling] – 29 March 2013

24 Sata –  VIDEO / Maksimalna kazna za “Monstruma sa Grbavice”: Batko osuđen na 45 godina [VIDEO / The Maximum Penalty for the “Monster of Grbavica”: Batko Sentenced to 45 Years] – 29 March 2013

Al Jazeera – Bosnia’s ‘Monster of Grbavica’ Gets 45 Years – 29 March 2013

BBC News – Bosnia Jails Serb Veselin Vlahovic for War Crimes – 29 March 2013

RFE/RL – Bosnia’s ‘Monster of Grbavica’ Gets 45 Years For War Crimes – 29 March 2013

Sky News – Warlord ‘Batko’ Jailed For Sarajevo Killings – 29 March 2013

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

LONDON, United Kingdom – Two Libyans were arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting three British aid workers. The three women were abducted at a checkpoint near the city of Benghazi and held for hours. The British women were finally released on Wednesday.

This attack is the latest in a series of vicious assaults on aid agencies and diplomatic missions in Benghazi, which is considered a controversial area for most foreigners.

Libyan security officials believe the attacks happened Tuesday morning. A British-Pakistani family – a father with his two daughters – and another man and a woman decided to leave the convoy, which was delayed at the Libyan-Egyptian border. They intended to return to the UK.

The group took a taxi back to Benghazi, but they were stopped at the Sidi Al-Faraj checkpoint. From there, they were kidnapped and taken to a farm in the Sellouk area, which is where it is believed that the three British women were sexually assaulted.

Four Britons managed to escape and located a local police station. Subsequently, the fifth was rescued.

Deputy Prime Minister, Awadh al-Barassi, stated, “It is not clear how many of the three kidnapped women were abused. It has been reported that one was raped. I express my very deep sorrow at what happened. This heinous incident does not under any circumstances reflect the genuine generosity and morality of the Libyan people or the traditions of Arab-Islamic culture, and I demand the authorities to take the necessary action.”

However, Abdul Barghathi, commander of preventative security in the Libyan defense ministry, said the women were sexually assaulted; however, they were not raped. He also stated that it did not appear that the three women badly wounded, and consular staff is attending them from the UK.

He stated, “There was no rape, just touching (sexual assault). Because there is no British consulate here they were handed to the Turkish consulate.”

Four Libyan soldiers, who are understood to be members of the First Infantry Brigade of Libyan regular army, were arrested in connection with the abduction and rape. Another is wanted.

The group is currently safe in the Turkish consul and expected to return to the UK.

For further information, please see:

BBC – Libyans Held for “Sex Attacks’ On Britons in Benghazi – 29 March 2013Br

SkyNews – British Women in Aid Convoy Rapped In Libya – 29 March 2013

The Guardian – Britons in Aid Convoy Kidnapped and Sexually Assaults in Libya – 28 March 2013

Libya Herald – Kidnap and Sexual Assault of Aid Convoy Britons in Benghazi – 28 March 2013

By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – The Justice Ministry’s inspections of Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) this week have been compared to the Great Terror during the Soviet government’s campaigns in the 1920s-30s that closed down religious institutions and foreign organizations.  It is estimated that at least 100 organizations from 25 regions across Russia have been inspected so far, and the inspections are expected to continue.

Authorities in Russia have claimed that the purpose of the checks is to ensure that the activities of the NGOs match those the organizations have declared.  Justice Ministry stressed in a press release the legality of the Ministry’s actions and the importance of the checks in light of a November law requiring NGOs in Russia that receive forging aid to register as “foreign agents.”

While the Prosecutor General’s Office says that the inspections are scheduled, several groups have reported surprise inspections by the Justice Ministry, the fire-safety service, the Health Department, prosecutors, and tax police.  It is possible as many as 2,000 organizations have been visited in the last month for the collection of registration and financial documents.

Lev Ponomaryov, director of For Human Rights, believes the raids are illegal, and would only be permissible “only if there is information about the organization violating existing laws and no grounds for [such accusations] were presented to us.”

Memorial, one of Russia’s oldest and most respected rights groups, which was required to submit over 600 documents, called the audits “worrying and unprecedented.”  Amnesty International and the movement For Human Rights say that officials requested documents that should already be on file with the government.  The inspections have slowed the effectiveness of some top rights watchdog groups in Russia, and some activists fear that audits will eventually force them out of the country.

The term “foreign agent” which the law passed in November requires NGOs receiving foreign funding to identify themselves as, has its roots in the Stalin Era, when it was used to discredit enemies of the state.  Many NGOs, including Amnesty International, believe the label will be used to “to harass and seek closure of those [organizations] highlighting abuses and critical of the government.”  In spite of the law, all NGOs have refused to register as “foreign agents.”  It is estimated that in 2011, Russian NGOs received about $613 million (19 billion rubles) in foreign funding.

A wide variety of organizations have been raided by the Justice Ministry and others, including women’s rights groups, environmental advocates, and Roman Catholic parishes.  A number of rights groups known for their criticism of the government have also meet with various inspectors.  These groups include: Transparency International, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International, the movement For Human Rights, the Public Verdict Foundation, the Agency for Social Information, Memorial, Agora, the Moscow Helsinki Group, and two German NGOs: the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), which caused backlash in Berlin.

Analyst Dmitry Oreshkin say the raids are an attempt by Putin’s (who described the ongoing inspections as “routine measures”) government to regain clout.

“It reflects the intense nervousness of authorities over the fact that their popularity is falling, that Putin’s popularity is falling, that United Russia’s popularity is falling,” says Mark Urnov, head of the Political Behavior Department at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics.  “Authorities are very scared of all organized protests and groups that gather information to this effect, on issues such as corruption, for instance. This is why these organizations are being targeted. This is the behavior of a regime that is becoming increasingly insecure.”

“The State Duma has been passing laws that contradict the spirit of the constitution, the spirit of the law,” said Lev Ponomaryov, emphasizing the tactics that the government has taken to boost its power. “The new law on high treason, in particular, has transformed the legal system. It is a Soviet-style law. What is now happening with nongovernmental organizations is a continuation of this. Hundreds of nongovernmental organizations are being subjected to unlawful actions by the Prosecutor-General’s Office.”

For further information, please see:

The Moscow Times – NGO Checks ‘Unprecedented’ in Post-Soviet Russia – 29 March 2013

RFE/RL – Russian Rights Council Members Criticize ‘Unprecedented’ NGO Searches – 28 March 2013

BBC News – Fears for NGOs in Russia as Tax Raids Multiply – 27 March 2013

RFE/RL – Raids On NGOs In Russia Suggest ‘Increasingly Insecure’ Kremlin – 26 March 2013

RFE/RL – Russian NGOs Subjected To Continuing Searches – 25 March 2013

RT – Amnesty International Probe Lawful, Pre-Scheduled – Ministry – 25 March 2013

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – A Russian-born teenager who was adopted by an American couple fled back to his grandmother in Russia. He claims that his American adoptive family treated him badly and he was forced to live on the streets of Philadelphia.

Steve and Jackie Salotti adopted Alexander Abnosov, now 18, around five years ago. The teen attended the Methacton School District in Pennsylvania. However, he withdrew in 2012. Abnosov returned to the Volga river city of Cheboksary, where his 72-year-old grandmother lives.

Alexander Abnosov’s allegations will likely commence outrage over Russian children adopted by Americans. The Kremlin has already expressed anger with past American adoptions to justify its recent controversial ban on U.S. adoptions.

Futhermore, Moscow’s government also expressed anger over the US official’s decision not to prosecute Texas parents after their Russian’s son’s death was determined accidental.

Abnosov said his adoptive mother was “nagging at small things. She would make any small problem big.” He also stated he fled home because of the frequent quarrels with his adoptive mother and was forced to stay on the streets. He stated, “I was stealing stuff and sold them to get some food.”

He continued, “They threw me out. Probably they had stopped receiving benefits for me. To save money, they thought up how to do it.”

He also stated that he “wants to forget the five years he spent in America as soon as possible.” The teenager “now plans to start a new life, to get a job, finish studying and in spring pass the medical commission to serve in the army.”

Abnosov’s story was broadcasted on Russian state television, which tried to cast it as an example of what happens when Russian children are adopted by U.S. parents.

Abnosov’s grandmother stated, “I’ve been asking [child welfare officials] to give me the boy, but I was very ill then, and they told me I was too old and ill to raise him.”

Abnosov announced he plan to stay in Russia and is currently trying to find his place within the education system.

Although the Russian government banned all American adoptions of Russian children, in the past two decades, Americans have adopted around 60,000 Russian children. Various Russians disagree with the ban and believe it is politically driven.

For further information, please see:

GlobalPost – Russian Teen ‘Flees US Adopters Back to Grandmother’ – 26 March 2013

NBCNews – Adopted Teen Returns to Russia, Claims on State-Controlled TV He Was Badly Treated by US Couple – 26 March 2013

PerkiomenValleyPatch — Teen Adopted by Local Couple Claims Cruelty, Returns to Russia – 26 March 2013

USAToday – In Russia, Teen Complains of Adoptive US Parents – 26 March 2013