By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe 

DUBLIN, Ireland – Last week, Nicola Furlong’s family was left “disgusted” when they heard the man who murdered their daughter could only face a five-year jail sentence.

A Tokyo District Court found 19-year-old, Richard Hinds, an American, guilty of strangling Nicola Furlong to death last year. Since Hinds was a minor when he was arrested, the court sentenced him to 5 to 10 years in jail. Furthermore, James Blackston, a 23-year-old, was sentenced to three years for sexual assault.

Nicola Furlong’s mother, Angela, broke down as the jail term was announced. She called the court’s decision “a travesty”. She stated, “It’s not enough, given the pain he caused Nicola. We’re not leaving here believing we have justice. We still don’t know the truth of what happened in that hotel room.”

Nichola’s sister, Andrea, stated the Japanese criminal justice system let her family down. She said, “I’m absolutely disgusted and so angry and so hurt. We had so much faith in the Japanese doing justice for us and I don’t feel we got it.”

Hinds and Blackston met Nicola Furlong and a friend after a concert in Tokyo. According to the prosecution, after the concert, the four traveled to a bar where the two women were drugged.

Furthermore, prosecution entered taxi footage that shows Blackston sexually assaulting Furlong’s friend as they travelled to the Keio Plaza Hotel. The footage also shows the men borrowing wheelchairs to get the unconscious women to a room.

Prosecutors later stated Hinds strangled Furlong with a towel to keep her quiet after she regained consciousness.

Delivering the verdict, the lead judge, Masaharu Ashizawa stated that the fact that Furlong was “strangled with force for several minutes” showed Hinds had murderous “intent.” Furthermore, Judge Ashizawa stated, “the tendency of sentencing in juvenile cases [means that] we can’t choose the death penalty or life imprisonment.”

Nonetheless, Judge Ashizawa, called the murder “atrocious and vicious in nature” and said Hinds’ version of what happened was “not credible”. Judge Ashizawa continued, “The defendant has continually given irrational explanations in his defense that have dishonored the victim.”

Hinds argued that Furlong voluntarily went to the hotel with him and willingly engaged in “rough sex”. His defense also argued that it was a “synergistic combination” of alcohol and prescription drugs that caused her death.

Although Hinds did not react when the verdict was declared, he smiled at his family as he walked out.

For further information, please see:

BBCNews – Richard Hinds Guilty of Nicola Furlong Murder in Tokyo – 19 March 2013

The Independent – Killer of Irish Woman in Japan Gets Light Sentence – 19 March 2013

Irish News – Nicola Furlong Family Angered At Japanese Justice System – 19 March 2013

The Japan Times – A Violent Death, Some Justice, Few Answers in Furlong Case – 19 March 2013

By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

LONDON, U.K. – A decade after the invasion of Iraq, more than a fifth (22%) of the British public believes that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair should be tried for war crimes, according to a recent YouGov survey.  Additionally, over half of Britons (53%) believe the decision to go to war was wrong, while just more than a quarter stand by the decision (27%).  In 2003, at the time of the invasion, just over half of Britons (53%) supported military action.

Critics have claimed that Blair and former U.S. president George W. Bush misled their respective publics by promising that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was illegally hiding weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), that there was an urgent need to liberate Iraq from the control of Hussein, who was purported to be in league with al-Qaeda, and that the Iraqi people would welcome this liberation.  After the invasion, it became clear that there were no WDMs in Iraq, and while Hussein was quickly ousted, military involvement in the country descended into a quagmire due to entanglements with insurgents and militia groups.

Britain sent 45,000 troops to Iraq to take control of the southern provinces, sacrificing the lives of 179 British service personnel.  In the ten years since the invasion, at least 112,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed, in addition to several thousand policemen and soldiers.

The YouGov poll revealed that half of the questioned Britons say Blair deliberately mislead the British public about the threat posed by WMDs, while just less than a third (31%) think he genuinely believed Hussein possessed a stockpile of WMDs, and a little fewer (29%) say Blair was right to warn the public of the dangers of the Hussein regime.  1,684 British adults were polled.

However, Blair maintains that the decision to invade was correct when made, even if when he rarely appears in public he is accosted by protesters who want him tried as a war criminal.

“I still believe it was right to remove Saddam,” Blair told Britain’s ITV television. “We sometimes forget now what the regime was actually like and the devastation it caused.”

Nonetheless, Blair concedes that hindsight suggests the invasion was a mistake, even if his actions were right.  In his 2010 autobiography, “A Journey”, Blair wrote: “Many supporters will acknowledge I did it for the correct motives, but still regard it as ‘the stain’ on an otherwise impressive record.”  He concludes that “All I know is I did what I thought was right.”

Even so, a majority (53%) of the polled Britons expressed concern that the war had increased the risk of terrorist attacks against Britain.  However, two in five believe Iraqis are better off now than they were a decade ago under Saddam Hussein, while one in five maintain Iraqis would have been better off under the dictator.  Nevertheless, over two-thirds (71%) agreed Iraq is likely to suffer permanent instability in the coming years.

As for former U.S. President Bush, he has remained largely out of the public eye in the United States, particularly when compared with the post presidential lives of his predecessors.  He also rarely ventures out of the United States, and in 2011, and trip to Switzerland had to be canceled when human rights groups announced plans to submit a 2,500-page case against the former president to pressure authorities in Geneva to arrest Bush for torture and other human rights abuses.

When asked about his approval of water-boarding,  a method of torture condemned in most countries under the Convention on Torture, Bush defends his approval of the practice.  “I’d do it again,” he says, “to save lives.”

For further information, please see:

Press TV – Bush, Blair Must Stand Trial for Iraq War Crimes: Analyst – 18 March 2013

Global Post – Decade on, Blair Adamant Iraq Invasion was Right – 17 March 2013

The Independent – George W Bush: the President who Started the Iraq War 10 Years Ago is Nowhere to be Seen – 15 March 2013

The Guardian – 53% of Britons Think Iraq Invasion was Wrong, Poll Shows – 14 March 2013

Returns – Bush’s Swiss Visit off after Complaints on Torture – February 5 2011

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

LONDON, United Kingdom – The High Court ruled Transport for London lawfully ban a Christian group’s bus advertisement that suggests gay people could “change their sexuality” because it would “cause grave offense”.

On Friday, a judge found that Boris Johnson, chairman of Transport for London, did not abuse his position last April when he imposed the ban on the advertisement. Johnson denounced the “gay cure” advertisement as “offensive to gays”.

Transport for London refused to carry the Core Issues Trust advertisement because it would “likely cause widespread or serious offence to members of the public”, and it contained “images or messages which relate to matters of public controversy and sensitivity”.

Conversely, the recent court decision is viewed as a defeat for the Core Issues Trust group, a Christian charity. This Christian group funds “reparative therapy” for gay Christians, which it claims can “develop their heterosexual potential”.

Core Issues Trust posted ads on buses that stated, “Not Gay! Ex-Gay, Post-Gay and Proud. Get over it.” Many believe Johnson was “politically driven” when he blocked their ad.

Mrs. Justice Lang ruled that Transport for London’s process in placing the ban “was procedurally unfair, in breach of its own procedures and demonstrated a failure to consider the relevant issues”.

However, the judge stated that the unjust procedure was substantially outweighed by factors, such as, it would “cause grave offence” to those who were gay. It could, furthermore, be perceived as homophobic, “thus increasing the risk of prejudice and homophobic attacks.”

Although Justice Lang said she did not think an appeal would succeed, she acknowledged there were “compelling reasons” to allow one.

Following Justice Lang’s ruling, a Transport for London spokesperson said, “The advertisement clearly breached our advertising policy as it contained a controversial message and was likely to cause widespread offence to the public. This was borne out by the hugely negative public reaction the advertisement generated, including on social media and newspaper websites. We are taking steps to address the Judge’s comments regarding our internal processes.”

A Core Issues Trust spokesman stated, “We are grateful for the opportunity to make an appeal and the recognition of the issues around freedom of speech and conscience. We are particularly concerned about the fact ex-gay minorities are not recognized in the legislation of the Equality Act 2010.”

Gay rights group, Stonewall chief, Ben Summerskill, said, “Many people will be pleased by today’s decision. In a city where over half of gay young people face bullying at school, and where tens of thousands of gay people are subjected to hate crimes every year just because of the way they were born, it’s perfectly proper for a mayor to object to the use of such advertising in an iconic public setting.”

For further information, please see:

BBC – ‘Ex-Gay’ London Bus Advert Ban Ruled Lawful – 22 March 2013

The Guardian — Boris Johnson Ban on Christian ‘Gay Cure’ Ad Did Not Break Law, Court Rules – 22 March 2013

The Independent – Boris Johnson Wins Ruling Over Ban on Christian Group’s Controversial ‘Post-Gay and Proud’ Bus Advert – 22 March 2013

Christian Today – Court Hears Gay Bus Ad Case – 01 March 2013

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia – Nearly 5,000 Slovenians gathered in Ljubljana, despite heavy rain, to protest against the country’s political powers and demanded government changes.

A Facebook group was created in November to demand the resignation of Janez Jansa, leader of the centre-right government. With over 18,000 followers, the Facebook group stated, “We demand the resignations of all incapable and corrupted political elite members.”

The group also demanded the prime minister designate, Alenka Bratusek, to set an early date for elections as soon as she officially takes office.

The protest movement followed various corruption allegations against Jansa over the struggling economy and austerity measures that resulted in declining living standards and unemployment rise.

Furthermore, Jansa’s government started to fall after three of the five parties quit his Cabinet because the prime minister was accused of corruption. He allegedly failed to declare $285,000 of his personal assets.

Protesters carried banners that said, “We do not want a new government but revolutionary changes” and “There will be no peace until there is justice.” Another banner stated, “We are not right and we are not left but we are the people who are sick of you.”

Moreover, protesters placed stickers that said, “This is our property” all over the central bank building and other public institutions.

One protester, Gorazd Mlekuz, who works in transport, said, “The incoming government has the same structure, the same principles as the old one, so we need a new election and we have to vote out the parties that are in parliament at present. We need to create jobs for the young. My son, who is a historian, was an excellent student but there is no job for him. He works as a volunteer now and he was lucky to get even that.”

Another protester, a 21-year-old social science student, said, “I’m protesting because life in Slovenia is getting worse, there is more and more poverty and people are not equal. The government scrapped my scholarship last year so I can only get by with the help of my parents, but I am worried that even an early election might not bring any improvement.”

Despite the corruption allegations, Jansa continues to praise his austerity program and stated he believed the allegations were merely politically motivated to weaken his administration.

He warned that the nation could face bankruptcy after his unseating. He stated, “Greece is slowly turning to recovery, I would be happy to say the same for Slovenia.”

While Slovenia struggles to avoid an international bailout, parliament nominated budget expert, Alenka Bratusek, of the center-left Positive Slovenia to form a new government. If she fails to form a new government soon, Slovenia could face early elections for the second time in less than two years.

For further information, please see:

AFP – Thousands of Slovenians Demand More Changes, Early Vote – 9 March 2013

Aljazeera – Slovenians Take to Streets Against Corruption – 9 March 2013

Reuters – Protests In Slovenia Continue Despite Government’s Fall – 9 March 2013

Inquirer News – Slovenia’s Troubled Government Ousted – 28 February 2013

By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MINSK, Belarus – When Lyubou Kavalyova’s son was executed last March, all she received from the authorities was a letter from the Belarusian Supreme Court containing his death certificate.  A year later, Mrs. Kavalyova still does not know the whereabouts of her son’s remains because of an article in Belarus’ Criminal Executive Code that allows the government to not communicate the burial place of those executed to their relatives.

Mrs. Kavalyova’s son, Uladzslau Kavalyou, and his friend, Dzmitry Kanavalau, both born in 1986, were executed last year in Belarus after having been sentenced to death for an April 2011 subway bombing in Minsk that killed 15 people and wounded more than 300, and two earlier bombings.

Independent investigators, including some from Russia, expressed serious doubts about the evidence used to convict the men.  Their trial was also heavily criticized for failing to meet international fair trial standards.

Mrs. Kavalyova announced at a press conference in Minsk on Wednesday her hope that Belarusian authorities would release her son’s body as she marks the first anniversary since his execution.

Alternatively, according to human rights defender Rasman Kisliak, authorities should release the burial location of the men’s bodies.  Kisliak further explained that, “It is necessary to find out who had conducted the execution in order to plan future activities and find from whom to demand answers.”  He also spoke of plans to demand the annulment of the law under which relatives of deceased convicts are refused access to the body.

The family of Dzmitry Kanavalau has declined to communicate with the press, and human rights activists believe they have been intimidated into silence.  Activist Pavel Levinau claims “[T]he whole Kanavalaus family were arrested after the arrest of Dzmitry – an elder brother and the father. They were kept in custody, as far as I remember, for about three months. Only the mother remained free – a woman who was intimidated. I can only guess what psychological pressure was put on her. Probably psychological and physical pressure was put on other relatives of Dzmitry Kanavalau’s as well. Probably, they were even promised something if they keep silent.”

Belarus remains the only nation in Europe to still sentence people to death.  Prisoners are informed of their pending execution only hours, or even minutes in advance, and the executions are carried out with a shot to the back of the head.

“The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and a human rights violation. Failing to return the bodies of these two men compounds that cruelty,” said David Diaz-Jogeix, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia.

“The complete secrecy surrounding the death penalty denies families the opportunity to bury their relatives according to their traditions and religious beliefs . . . It is unacceptable that authorities in Belarus would not even reveal the burial site to the families, and ban them from saying goodbye to their loved ones,” he further stated.

On Friday, Russia rejected Amnesty International’s request to demonstrate against executions in front of the Belarusian Embassy in Moscow.  Although authorities offered Amnesty International two alternative sites to hold the demonstration, Amnesty International rejected them as remote and having nothing to do with the subject of the protest.

For further information, please see:

Chapter’97 – Pavel Levinau: Kanavalau’s Family Does Not Get in Touch Because of Threats of Special Services – 15 March 2013

RFE/RL – Amnesty International Refused Permission For Belarus Embassy Protest In Moscow – 15 March 2013

Viasna – A Year Has Passed Since the Execution of Kanavalau and Kavaliou: Human Rights Defenders Put New Questions – 15 March 2013

Amnesty International – Belarus: After Death, the Cruelty Continues as Bodies of Two Executed Men Still Hidden – 14 March 2013

RFE/RL – Mother Of Belarusian Executed For Terrorism Wants Son’s Body – 13 March 2013