by Shelby Vcelka

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

 

DUBLIN, Ireland–

Voters in the Republic of Ireland are set to partake in a national referendum on 22 May to legalize gay marriage. The measure Ireland will ask its citizens to vote on is whether “marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.” If the measure passes, it will be the first time gay marriage has been legalized through a national vote, rather than through the legislature or the court system.

The referendum marks a profound change in Irish politics, as the power of the Catholic Church has collapsed in recent years. Although 85 percent of the population still identifies as Catholic, priests no longer have unchallenged authority on political issues. Ireland, a historically socially conservative country, has been “one of the toughest places in the western world to be gay” because of its religious roots. As recently as 1993, homosexuality was criminalized, and was only legalized because of pressure from European authorities.

The changing political atmosphere and growing separation of Church and State has placed religious leaders against political leaders. Though the Catholic Church has not been incredibly active in the gay marriage referendum, they have encouraged Catholics to vote No.

In statements read out during Sunday Masses, the Catholic Bishops challenge claims from Yes activists that the measure would not substantially affect anyone besides members of the LGBT community. The Bishops argue that, while they do not want to alienate or belittle anyone, a Yes vote would abolish the traditional institution of marriage that is fundamental to the sustaining of human life and of a functioning society.

Conversely, the Yes activists argue that Ireland is ready to legalize gay marriage, as the younger generations are more tolerant and accepting.

Besides the Catholic Church, there are very few Irish establishment organizations that oppose same sex marriage. The government, major political parties, media organizations, unions and business groups all support a Yes vote.

Currently, polls show Irish voters favor a Yes vote by 58%, with 25% voting No, and 17% undecided. Although the polls appear solidly Yes, turnout could be an issue for same sex marriage legalization. In 1995, with the referendum to legalize divorce, a Yes vote passed 51% to 49%. Previous to that referendum, the vote showed most citizens favored legalization of divorce. Voter apathy and lack of turnout ended up making the vote that close.

If Ireland votes Yes, it will be the 18^th country to legalize gay marriage. 13 of those countries are in Europe, with Slovenia being the most recent in March 2015.

For more information, please see–

BBC- Ireland’s divisive referendum on same-sex marriage— 01 May 2015

Independent–Alan Shatter: The majority of people will support the equality marriage proposal— 06 May 2015

Washington Post– Ireland could be first nation to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote— 16 May 2015

Al Jazeera– Ireland appears set to say ‘yes’ in gay marriage vote— 17 May 2015

BBC– Same-sex marriage: Catholic bishops pen letters ahead of referendum— 17 May 2015

The Guardian–The same-sex marriage referendum has transformed Ireland before it’s even begun— 17 May 2015

by Shelby Vcelka

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

 

BERLIN, Germany–

Four members of a right-wing extremist group have been arrested in Germany for terrorism charges and procuring explosives. The extremist group, the “Oldschool Society,” was planning to attack asylum-seeker housing, mosques, and members of Salafi, an ultra-fundamentalist branch of Islam. The German authorities conduced raids following intelligence from domestic agencies, the federal prosecutor’s office stated.

The four group members arrested, identified only as Andreas H., 56, Markus W., 39, Denise Vanessa G., 22, and Olaf O., 47, are said to have formed the OSS, which is a relatively new organization. The group started on Facebook, and appears to be an offshoot of the far-right National Democratic Party. Postings on the OSS’s Facebook page feature neo-Nazi symbolism, racial epithets, and references to previous attacks on refugee centers. While not much is known about the OSS’s politics besides the Facebook posts, the NDP’s ideology is similar to neo-Nazism, despite the group’s evasion of any blatant reference to Nazism.

The raids uncovered “pyrotechnic materials with large explosive force” with additional evidence of future attacks against Muslims. Lutz Bucklitsch, a journalist who specializes in right-wing extremist activities in Germany, stated his belief that the group began to plan for an attack within the last four to eight weeks. The OSS had planned to meet within the next week to plan the specifics of the attacks. Police are currently investigating whether or not those attacks were planned to target against any particular groups or individuals.

In recent years, conflicts between radical right-wing groups and Salafists and other Muslim groups have broken out into violent street fights. In 2013, German authorities said they foiled a Salafist plot to assassinate a high-ranking member of a right-wing radical group.

The xenophobic, anti-Semitic and racist shift Germany has taken is a direct result of the rising number of refugees the country has taken in. Because the country is engaged in a larger discussion about immigration, these right-wing groups have seized the opportunity for recruitment and to agitate immigrants and refugees. German authorities have been increasingly watchful of these groups, as the amount of violence against immigrants and refugees have grown profoundly in the past couple of years. German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizier noted that the number of attacks against immigrants has gone up from 58 attacks in 2013, to 175 attacks in 2014. No data is available yet for 2015, but the trends demonstrate a significant rise in extremist violence, which will likely continue for this year.

 

For more information, please see:

CNN– 4 suspected right-wing extremists arrested in Germany— 06 May, 2015

WSJ– German Police Arrest Four Suspected of Planning Mosque Attacks— 06 May, 2015

The Independent– Four people arrested in Germany over planned terror attack on Muslims and asylum seekers— 06 May, 2015

ABC– Germany: 4 Arrests in Alleged Plot to Attack Islamic Targets— 06 May, 2015

Daily Beast– In Germany, the Rise of Anti-Islam Terrorism— 08 May, 2015

 

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – The most recent truce agreed upon between Germany, France, Ukraine, and Russia while in Minsk appears to be threatened yet again by intensified fighting in Eastern Ukraine. In the past week, 8 Ukrainian soldiers were killed, as well as 40 other Ukrainian soldiers wounded.

The truce, made only three months ago, is at risk of collapsing due to increased fighting. Shyrokyne, a village just 12.5 miles east of Mariupol where both sides anticipate a large fight may be looming, has been shelled over the past several days more than at any point since fighting began in that area in mid-February. Donetsk also saw 550 explosions in just one day, according to OSCE monitors who also reported a “seriously deteriorated” security situation at the rebel-controlled airport in Donetsk. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and NATO military chief Gen Philip Breedlove reported on Wednesday and Thursday that they worry the pro-Russian forces are preparing for an offensive to begin in a couple weeks and that these forces have been taking preparatory action “consistent with the possibility of an offensive.”

A landmine in Luhansk, which is also heavily controlled by pro-Russian rebels, killed two Ukrainian soldiers today. One civilian was also killed by rebel shelling of a Ukrainian army checkpoint in Marinka, which lies just four miles west of Donetsk. In addition to this location, 16 army positions have been shelled in the past 24 hours by guns of a caliber of at least 100mm, which were supposed to be pulled away from the front based on the Minsk agreement from February.

This adds to the nearly 6,200 already killed in fighting since last year between the rebels and Ukrainian soldiers. In response to renewed fighting by both sides, there will be a meeting in Belarus on Wednesday including representatives from both sides to discuss the intensifying situation.

For more information, please see:

Fox News – 2 dead as fighting in Ukraine intensifies – 4 May 2015

Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty – Two Ukrainian Soldiers Killed By Land Mine In Luhansk – 4 May 2015

Yahoo News – Ukrainian soldier and civilian killed in intensifying clashes – 3 May 2015

The Guardian – Upswing in fighting in Ukraine sends civilians fleeing and puts truce in doubt – 3 May 2015