News

Libyan Cabinet Minister Killed by Unknown Gunmen

By: Danielle L. Gwozdz
Impunity Watch News Reporter, Africa

TRIPOLI, Libya – Libya’s deputy industry minister has been shot dead during a visit to his hometown of Sirte, east of the capital of Tripoli.

Since the collapse of Gaddafi’s regime, Libya has been plagued with sporadic violence (photo courtesy of the Telegraph).

Local media quoted officials as saying unknown gunmen “sprayed bullets” at Hassan al-Droui near a central market.

The minister was shot several times.

“They opened fire from another car while he was driving, he was shot multiple times,” an official said, asking to remain anonymous. “Later, they found explosives attached to his car. The theory is, the bomb failed, so they shot him instead.”

The anonymous official blamed Islamist militants who have been trying to extend their influence in Sirte, which has been more stable recently than the coastal capital of Tripoli.

The minister, al-Droui, was a former member of the National Transitional Council, the political arm of the 2011 uprising. He was appointed to his role by the transitional government’s first prime minister and kept his position when Ali Zeidan took over.

Since the collapse of Gaddafi’s autocratic regime, Libya has been plagued by sporadic violence, including a string of assassinations targeting top army and security officials.

The motive behind the killing, however, is unclear.

There is speculation that the assassins were from the self-styled Abu Bakr Unis Jabr brigade, who are supporters of the former regime.

Although Libya has seen continued violence and lawlessness since the 2011 uprising, the killing is the first assassination of a member of Libya’s transitional government. Most assassinations have been of members of the military or police.

Separately, a health official in Libya said 15 people were killed in clashes between two tribes in the country’s south. The fighting is pitting the al-Tabw tribe against the Awlad Soliman tribe in the city of Sabha. A local leader said on Saturday that the fighting was sparked by the killing of a guard of the city’s military leader, a member of the Awlad Soliman group.

The violence is the worst between the tribes since they struck a ceasefire agreement in March 2012.

Southern Libya thrives on the business of smuggling contraband goods as well as human trafficking, a BBC correspondent says.

Many of the clashes between the tribes there are rooted in competition over smuggling routes.

For more information, please visit:

BBC News – Libyan cabinet minister Hassan al-Droui killed in Sirte – 12 January 2014
Yahoo! News – Gunmen assassinate Libyan deputy industry minister – 12 January 2014
menafn.com – Libyan Deputy Industry Minister Killed in Sirte – 12 January 2014
Telegraph – Libya’s deputy industry minister shot dead – 12 January 2014
International Business Times – Libyan Cabinet Minister Assassinated During Hometown Visit – 12 January 2014
The Guardian – Libyan government minister shot dead – 11 January 2014

 

Unrest in Ukraine Erupts into Violent Protests

By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KYIV, Ukraine – Ukraine opposition leader Yuriy Lutsenko was among several injured in protests against a recent ruling that convicted three men of plotting to blow up a statue. The protests came amidst lasting tensions from the government’s refusal to strengthen ties with the European Union.

Yuriy Lutsenko was injured during the recent protest, requiring bandages to his head, as well as a patch to his right eye. (Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Times)

On 10 January 2014, protests erupted after a court sentenced three nationalists to six years in prison.  The convicted persons allegedly conspired to blow up a statue of Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin in 2011. Protesters claimed that the trial was fixed against the men.

During the night of 10 January, protesters attempted to prevent police from taking the convicted men away from the court building. In the clash with police that followed, over ten activists, three Members of Parliament, and several journalists were injured. Some received fractures, brain trauma, and unconsciousness.

“As we see, the authorities do not stop in their acts of repression, it is not enough for them to deprive us of our rights, they want to put people in jail, give them six-year prison terms, just because they were talking about their rights,” said protester Dmytro Bulatov. “And they want to break our bones.”

By early 11 January, the Ukrainian parliament’s human rights ombudsman reported that eleven protesters had been injured, with two of them hospitalized, including former Ukrainian Interior Minister and current opposition leader Yuriy Lutsenko.

Yanukovych pardoned Lutsenko in April 2013, after four years of imprisonment on charges of embezzlement and ordering illegal surveillance. Lutsenko had been a key figure in the 2004 Orange Revolution, which brought Yanukovych’s rival Yulia Tymoshenko to power.

Lutsenko was struck in the head and hospitalized in intensive care during a clash with riot police. He suffered a concussion, requiring bandages and a patch over his right eye.

“The doctors diagnosed a closed head injury, a concussion, three subcutaneous hematoma, and an open wound on the face. There was no breach of the skull, thank God,” said Lutsenko’s wife, Iryna. “He was conscious, but not the whole time. He asked for people not to take revenge, because the Berkut [riot police] just obey orders. So he is asking people not to take revenge.”

Ukrainian tensions have been elevated since President Viktor Yanukovych’s abrupt refusal to sign an association deal with the European Union in November 2013, which would have established closer ties between Ukraine and the Western bloc. Yanukovych’s decision sparked protests into December 2013, which constituted the largest Ukrainian anti-government movement since the Orange Revolution in 2004.

Lutsenko led the organization of the most recent protests, during which pro-EU demonstrators remained in central Kyiv, demanding the resignation of the government and new elections.

The Kyiv prosecutor’s office said it would investigate the actions of both protesters and police.

Leader of Svoboda Union Andriy Ilyenko said that abusive police fighters were photographed after removing their masks, and would be held accountable for their actions.

To ease tensions, Ukrainian officials must acknowledge that citizens have shifted toward an affinity for Western ties.

For further information, please see:

Independent – Ukraine Opposition Leader Yuri Lutsenko Injured in Police Clash – January 11, 2014

Interfax-Ukraine – Three MPs, Over Dozen Activists Seriously Injured in Clash with Berkut, Says Svoboda – January 11, 2014

Los Angeles Times – Ukraine Opposition Leader Injured in Clash with Police – January 11, 2014

RadioFreeEurope RadioLiberty – Former Ukrainian Minister Hospitalized in Clash with Police – January 11, 2014

Telegraph – Ukraine Opposition Leader Injured in Fresh Kiev Clashes – January 11, 2014

French Cities Tell Dieudonne That His Tour Is Done before It Begins

By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France – Despite France’s ability to nationally ban comedian Dieudonne’s tour, the Interior Minister Manuel Valls called on local officials to make similar decisions, based on the content of Dieudonne’s show. Dieudonne threatened to appeal.

Dieudonne vowed to appeal, after French cities and towns banned his comedy tour. (Photo courtesy of Reuters)

Several French towns and cities have banned Dieudonne’s controversial comedy act due to its alleged anti-Semitism, including Marseilles, Tours, Nantes, and Bordeaux. Dieudonne has never paid one of his several fines for anti-Semitic outbursts. He continues to claim bankruptcy from his Theatre du Main d’Or in Paris.

French President Francois Hollande has urged officials to enforce the authorized bans. “I’m calling on all state representatives, especially prefects, to be alert and inflexible. No-one should be able to use a stage show to openly promote anti-Semitic ideas,” said Hollande.

Dieudonne vowed to appeal. While Dieudonne has appeared on stage several times with holocaust denier and historian Robert Faurisson, Dieudonne contended that he is not linked to Faurisson or French right-wing extremists. Instead, Dieudonne claims to be a mere anti-establishment anti-Zionist.

Dieudonne’s attorney, Jacques Verdier said, “The cancellation of a performance is an act of censorship. If there is no public disorder then it is a troubling artist that one wishes to forbid.”

Verdier further stated that he would seek an injunction to overturn the “recommended” bans, which went around French Constitutional provisions leaving the decision to prefects. The comedian has already sold nearly 6000 tickets for his Nantes performance, and remains booked for several French venues until June.

Dieudonne faces six convictions for hate speech against Jewish persons, based on his routine about gas chambers and deriding of Holocaust victims and survivors. He denied completely that his “quenelle” gesture is a variation of the Nazi salute, but rather is an “anti-establishment sign.”

The quenelle consists of a right hand pointing straight down and touching the left hand to that arm. In late-December 2013, West Bromwich footballer Nicolas Anelka performed the gesture during a goal celebration, in what Anelka described as “a dedication to Dieudonne” rather than an anti-Semitic gesture. France’s sports minister criticized Anelka’s action as “disgusting.”

Critics claim French censorship of Dieudonne may cement his cult-like status; especially if the bans against Dieudonne are overturned on legal grounds.

“Rather than embarking on pre-emptive bans with a shaky legal foundation and uncertain political results, the authorities should concentrate on punishing crimes once they are committed,” said a statement by France’s Human Rights League (LDH).

In this light, France must determine whether its ban on Dieudonne is a prior restraint of his future speech, or a fitting punishment for his continued anti-Semitic comments amidst unpaid fines.

For further information, please see:

BBC News – Dieudonne: Hollande Backs Nantes and Tours Bans – January 7, 2014

Euronews – Joke Is on Dieudonne as French Cities Ban His Show – January 7, 2014

The Independent – ‘Anti-Semitic’ Comedian Dieudonné M’bala M’bala Has His Show Cancelled in France after Nicolas Anelka’s Inverted Nazi Salute – January 7, 2014

Reuters – French Cities Ban Comedian Accused of Anti-Semitic Jibes – January 7, 2014

CNN International – Anti-Semitism Row Shines Light on Fractured French Society – January 3, 2014

Protesters Gather in Bangkok in An Attempt to Shutdown The Government

By Brian Lanciault
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BANGKOK, Thailand–Protesters have gathered in an attempt to topple Thailand’s prime minister.  A march was held in Bangkok on Tuesday to rally support for their plans to bring the capital to a halt next week by blockading major roads and preventing the government from functioning.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has announced an election for February 2.  Protesters, aware she would probably win with support in the rural north and northeast, want her to step down, seeking to replace her with an appointed “people’s council” to push through electoral reforms.

Protesters accused Yingluck of being a puppet of her self-exiled brother and former premier, Thaksin Shinawatra, a man they say is a corrupt capitalist who used taxpaye money to buy electoral support with expensive populist giveaways.

The anti-government push is intended to block an election that looks increasingly uncertain. The government’s supporters fear that if protests fail to halt the poll, chaos or violence could erupt and arouse an intervention by either the military or the judiciary.

That prospect became more of a possibility on Tuesday when the National Counter-Corruption Commission lodged charges against 308 former lawmakers, mostly from Yingluck’s Puea Thai Party, for trying to change the constitution to make the Senate a fully elected chamber.

The Constitutional Court ruled the amendment illegal in November.The residual effect of a court ruling against those politicians (not including Yingluck) is not clear, but it could complicate the election, either before or after it takes place.

Puea Thai adviser Prompong Nopparit shrugged off the charges but questioned the timing of the NCCC’s decision to pursue them.

“I’m very curious to know why older legal cases concerning opposition lawmakers still haven’t moved forward, but charges against the government side have been rushed,” he told reporters.

The refusal by the army’s top general to rule out military intervention also puts Yingluck in a precarious position.  Top officers are notably close to the royalist establishment that backs the protests and engineered the overthrow of Thaksin in a 2006 coup, one of 18 successful or attempted overthrows in the past 81 years.

Fears of another coup grew this week when tanks and other military equipment were moved into Bangkok in preparation for an Army Day parade on January 18. Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha says he wants to keep the military above the fray but some of his recent comments have been ambiguous, including those he made on Tuesday.

“Don’t be afraid of things that haven’t yet happened,” he said when asked about a coup. “But if they happen, don’t be frightened. There are rumors like this every year.”

Yingluck threatened that military intervention would be a big mistake.

“We’ve learned from the past that no good comes from coups,” she told reporters. “I’d prefer to see a long-term solution … one that is accepted by the international community.”

Yingluck has refused to postpone the poll, a move that she says would be unconstitutional. Any delay would not only expose her to more criticism, but make it hard to run the country as her caretaker administration is not permitted to make policy decisions that commit the next government.

Several thousand demonstrators, determined to undermine her legitimacy, marched from Bangkok’s historic quarter across the river and back, avoiding the center of the city.

The protests have drawn 200,000 people at their peak and have been largely passive, although violence ensued between police and demonstrators outside an election registration building on December 26. Numerous people were wounded and several were shot by unknown gunmen. Four people, including two police officers, died from the shootings.

Authorities anticipate massive crowds, and have deployed 20,000 police, backed up by troops, for the first day of the planned “shutdown” on Monday.

For more information, please see:

Reuters–Thai anti-corruption body charges members of PM’s party–7 January, 2014

Voice of America–Thai Opposition Protesters Rally Support for ‘Bangkok Shutdown’–7 January 2014

Straits Times–Thailand’s anti-corruption body to charge Puea Thai politicians, but Yingluck in the clear–7 January 2014

Al Jazeera–Thai anti-government protesters march again–5 January 2014

Russian President Putin Nixes Ban on Protests at Sochi Winter Olympics

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

SOCHI, Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin has lifted a ban on demonstrations at the Winter Olympic venue of Sochi.

President Putin was at a rehearsal of the Games’ opening ceremony on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of ABC News)

President Putin amended a decree to allow activist groups to conduct demonstrations and marches at pre-approved sites. In a statement released by the Kremlin, Putin indicated that the sites would be approved by the venue’s security force. The Russian President was at the Olympic venue as recently as Saturday, when he attended a rehearsal of the Winter Games’ opening ceremony.

“Gatherings, rallies, demonstrations, marches and pickets, which are not directly connected to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, could be staged on January 7 – March 21 2014… only after agreeing with… a local security body,” the release stated.

The ban on rallies had been imposed in August as a part of security crackdowns as a direct response to two suicide bombings in Volgograd which killed 34 people. No one has claimed responsibility for the bombings, however there is are groups in Southern Russia who aim to carve a separate Islamic state out of the region (including Sochi) that are thought to have ties to the attacks.

Campaign groups had been advocating for a lift of the bans, pleading that they violated Russia’s constitution. The International Olympic Committee praised Putin’s decision, the latest in a series of gestures aimed at silencing critics of Russia’s human-rights record.

“It is in line with the assurances that President Putin gave us last year and part of the Russian authorities’ plans to ensure free expression during the Games whilst delivering safe and secure Games,” the committee stated.

The Russian President has planned to utilize the Sochi Olympics to show a political turnaround under his administration after the fall of the Soviet Union. Last month, the Putin also freed several of Russia’s most notorious prisoners: former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky and two members of the female punk group Pussy Riot.

Human Rights groups have criticized Russia’s treatment of migrant workers, particularly at Olympic sites, and have advocated for a boycott of the Sochi Games over a law banning the spread of “gay propaganda” among minors, saying it violates basic freedoms.

A December opinion poll showed that President Putin’s public approval rating fell to its lowest level in over 13 years as the country is facing high inflation and a struggling economy.

For more information, please see:

ABC News – Sochi Winter Olympics: Vladimir Putin Lifts Blanket Ban on Political Protests – 4 December 2014

Al Jazeera – Russia Eases Restriction on Olympic Protests – 4 December 2o14

BBC News – Winter Olympics: Russia to Allow Protests in Special Zone – 4 December 2014

Russia Today – Putin Lifts Ban on Protests at Sochi Olympics, Orders Area Specially for Rallies – 4 December 2014