By Brittani Howell

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria –On Friday, over the course of 24 hours, Russia launched 18 airstrikes in Syria. The Russian Defense Ministry reported 18 attacks against 12 Islamic State facilities.

There is doubt in the International Community that Russia is only attacking the Islamic State. Many of the targeted areas are located in the western and northern parts of Syria. The Islamic State is mostly present in eastern areas in Syria.

The US-led coalition urged Russians, “to immediately cease its attacks on the Syrian opposition and civilians and to focus its efforts on fighting ISIL.” It continued, “We express our deep concern with regard to the Russian military build-up in Syria and especially attacks by the Russian Air Force on Hama, Homs, and Idlib since yesterday which led to civilian casualties and did not target Da’esh.”

Da’esh, ISIL, and ISIS are all acronyms for the Islamic State.

Russian warplanes flew over the Homs province on Friday. Homs province, which was under attack earlier this week, is held by anti-Assad rebels, but lacks an Islamic State presence. Prayers were cancelled Friday in fear that the mosques would be targeted.

On Thursday, a mosque located in Jisr al-Shughour was destroyed by a Russian airstrike. The mosque had been taken over by Islamic insurgents earlier this year.

Khdaier Khushfa, a Syrian activist, spoke with CNN and reported 17 civilian deaths in Talbiseh and 11 civilian deaths in Zafaraniya, as a result of Russian airstrikes on Wednesday.

Russia’s Defense Ministry spokesman, Igor Konashenkov, stated, “I would like to stress that there were no strikes against civilian infrastructure, especially against buildings where there could have been or were peaceful residents.”

The U.N. Special Envoy to Syria had to suspend humanitarian operations as a result of the attacks. The operation would have allowed for safe passage out of Zabadoni for Sunni insurgents and their families, in return for the safe passage for Shi’ite families in Foua and Kfarya.

Syrian rebel training camps were struck by two Russian airstrikes on Thursday. The rebel group in Idlib is backed by the CIA and is tasked with aiding in the fight against the Islamic State. No deaths were reported for the attacks on the training camps.

Russian’s support for Assad stems from ties between Assad’s father and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Russia believes Assad should be at the center of the efforts to fight militants. The coalition, on the other hand, blames Assad for attacking citizens, which led to radicalizations of the rebels.

It is alleged that Russia’s support for Assad may be a driver for the airstrikes that were conducted in areas with very little to no Islamic State presence.

For more information, please see:

CNN – Spokesman: Russia Launches 18 Attacks in Syria in the Last 24 Hours – 2 October 2015

Reuters – U.S., Allies Demand Russia to Halt Syria Strikes Outside IS Areas – 2 October 2015

The Associated Press – The Latest: Hollande: Only 1 of Russia’s Raids Hits IS – 2 October 2015

The New York Times – Russia Hits ISIS Territory in Syria with Airstrikes but Ignores Western Demands – 2 October 2015

By Brittani Howell

Impunity Watch Reporter, The Middle East

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – France and experts from the United Nations, join rights groups in urging that Saudi Arabia cancel the execution of a young man because he was a minor when he was arrested. Ali Mohammed Baqir al-Nimr was sentenced to death in May for taking part in a protest three years ago.

Al-Nimr could be executed, by beheading, and then crucified at any time. Crucifixion is a public display of the body after the execution to warn others not to commit the same crime. The execution is likely to happen at any times, as al-Nimr’s final appeal was rejected last week. His family does not even know when the execution is to occur because Saudi Arabia does not give the families notice.

When he was only 17 years old, al-Nimr was arrested for protesting in the Arab Spring protests in 2012. The protestors demanded equal rights and democracy for the province of Qatif. Al-Nimr was convicted for various charges including, attacking police with Molotov cocktails, being a member of a terrorist cell, incitement, encouraging sectarianism, breaking allegiance with the king, robbing a pharmacy, and rioting.

A source who is close to the al-Nimr family, spoke to CNN and stated that Ali was innocent of the charges. The source told CNN, “Ali’s young. He just went (to the demonstrations) with people from his school and chanted with the guys and took pictures.” The source claimed that al-Nimr’s sentence was only used as a means to seek “revenge against his uncle.” Ali al-Nimr’s uncle, a Shi’a cleric,  is also condemned to death for charges including, sedition, breaking allegiance with the ruler, and encouraging sectarianism.

The final appeal was heard in court without al-Nimr or his lawyer being present. Sadeeq al-Jabran, al-Nimr’s lawyer, tweeted on Tuesday, “We as a defense team have not been able to visit Ali al-Nimr at the detention center to prepare his defense.” Many rights groups allege that al-Nimr had not received a fair trial and may have been forced to sign a confession to the charges. It is also alleged that al-Nimr may have been tortured.

France, who rarely comments on Saudi Arabia’s death penalties because of the shear frequency, is “opposed to the death penalty in all cases and circumstances, we call for the execution to be called off,” stated the Foreign ministry spokesman, Romain Nadal.

Saudi Arabia is a signatory on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits capital punishments for individuals who commit crimes under the age of 18. Donald Campbell, spokesperson for the international human rights charity Reprieve, stated, “The international community – particularly Saudi Arabia’s closest allies, the UK and the U.S. – must stand with the French government and U.N. experts against this outrage, and call on Saudi authorities to halt this unjustified killing.”

A Saudi Ambassador, Faisal Trad, has recently been appointed to a consultative group for the U.N.’s Human Rights Council. A spokesperson for the Human Rights Council, told CNN, “Members of the Consultative Group are appointed by their regional groups” not the U.N. body and “these members serve in their personal capacity, not their national capacity.”

In August, a report published by Amnesty International alleged that 102 people had been executed in Saudi Arabia in the first half of 2015.

For more information, please see:

BBC – The young Saudi who Could be Executed at any Time – 23 September 2015

CNN – U.N., Rights Groups Call on Saudi Arabia to Spare Man From Beheading, Crucifixion – 23 September 2015

Reuters – France Urges Saudi Arabia to Cancel Death Penalty for Young Shi’ite – 23 September 2015

The New York Times – France Urges Saudi Arabia to Cancel Death Penalty for Young Shi’ite – 23 September 2015

The Huffington Post UK – Ali Mohammed al-Nimr Sentenced to Crucifixion in Saudi Arabia for Attending Pro-Democracy Protest– 22 September 2015

By Brittani Howell

Impunity News Desk Reporter, The Middle East

SANA’A, Yemen – Saudi led warplanes bombed Yemen’s capital city, Sana’a, on Friday killing at least 29 people. Bombing continued in Sana’a through Sunday, becoming one of the heaviest bombardments since the coalition began.

On Sunday, 10 people were killed in the province of Ibb as air strikes targeted a military compound. Coalition forces are trying to retake Sana’a from the Houthi rebels so that exiled president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi may return.

On Friday the home of an Omani ambassador was attacked during the fighting, The Saudi-led coalition denies that they attacked the ambassador’s residence.

Brigadier-General Ahmed al-Asiri, military spokesperson for the coalition, stated that he would welcome an investigation as the ambassador’s house could have been hit by a Houthi mortar shell. He stated “One would be able from the beginning to distinguish between a mortar strike and plane strike.”

Friday’s airstrikes targeted Yemen’s Interior Ministry building, but apartment buildings and under passes, of no apparent military value, were also struck.

An apartment building in the UNESCO world heritage site was struck, killing a family of nine. A neighbor, Taha al-Maghribi stated that he did not know why the family had been targeted as they had remained neutral throughout the conflict. In addition, he stated that the apartment building was not close to any military installation.

Critics of the coalition believe the airstrikes that hit the residential areas are part of a deliberate policy to terrorize the population, in hopes that citizens will turn against the Houthi rebels.

On Saturday a 100 people protested in front of the Houthi rebel’s headquarters. The protesters demanded for the release of Mohammed Qahtan, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as for the release of others.

Five people were arrested as a result of the protest. Ahmed Moslah, a protester, stated, ”They beat us with batons and heaped insults on us.”

UNICEF, the United Nations child agency was appalled that water supplies, intended to help as many as 11,000 were destroyed in the bombing of a warehouse in Sana’a on Friday. Blame was not assigned, but it is suspected that coalition airstrikes were responsible.

For more information please see:

Al-Jazeera – Coalition-led bombings hit Yemen’s Capital – 20 September 2015

Reuters – Saudi-led Coalition Denies Attacking Home of Oman Envoy to Yemen – 20 September 2015

The Associated Press – Saudi-led Coalition Airstrikes in Yemen’s Capital Kill 29 – 19 September 2015

The New York Times – Arab Coalition Bombs Yemen’s Capital, Killing Dozens – 19 September 2015