News

European Nations Punish War Criminals across Time and Afterlife

By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BRUSSELS, European Union – Across Europe, war criminals were promised punishment regardless of the era in which their crimes were committed. The rest of the West has begun responding in kind.

 

Recently, charges and punishments were dealt to both suspected and convicted war criminals from World War II, the Cold War, and the 1992-1995 Bosnian War. (Photo courtesy of the Budapest Business Journal)

In Bosnia, war crimes charges are sought against many from the Serb minority that armed themselves to expel and kill non-Serbs during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War.

In September 2013, the United States announced that it would extradite Almaz Nezirovic to face war crimes charges for his involvement in beating, humiliating, and traumatizing unarmed prisoners.

On 17 October 2013, prosecutors stated that eight men were arrested in Rogatica, where the alleged crimes occurred in September 1992. The men were suspected of participation in looting, expelling, and killing civilians. One suspect allegedly gunned down 20 Muslim civilians who attempted to hide in a barn from Serbian soldiers.

Based on a July 2013 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, on 9 October 2013, Bosnia’s war crimes court ordered retrials for three men convicted of war crimes related to the Bosnian War.

Their appeal successfully claimed that Bosnian courts improperly tried them under a criminal code that took force when the war crimes court was set up, about a decade after the crimes were committed. The retrials will be based on the 1976 criminal code, which was in effect during the Bosnian War.

In Hungary, for the first time, authorities charged former Interior Minister Bela Biszku with war crimes connected to the suppression of a 1956 anti-Soviet uprising, which threatened Moscow’s control of Eastern Europe for the first time since World War II.

The suppression of that rebellion caused the mass deaths and arrests of civilians, and impacted the world’s perception of communist rule in Eastern Europe. In their statement, prosecutors claimed 46 civilians were killed in Salgotarjan alone.

Prosecutors charged Biszku with abetting a Communist Party committee involved in ordering civilian deaths in December 1956, during Salgotarjan and Budapest protests. Further, in September 2012, prosecutors found cause for additional charges when investigators searched Biszku’s home and seized 11 pieces of ammunition that he kept without permission.

Biszku’s prosecution became possible through a 2011 law that stipulates war crimes and crimes against humanity do not lapse.

In Italy, authorities refused to allow convicted Nazi war criminal Erich Priebke to be buried in their country. Protesters at his funeral suggested a landfill. Since 1998, Priebke spent a life sentence on house arrest for his role in one of Italy’s worst wartime massacres, which involved the killings of 335 civilians.

Similarly, the Vatican issued an unprecedented ban on holding the funeral in any Catholic church—although a Catholic splinter group previously accused of anti-Semitism offered to hold the ceremony.

Although Priebke fled to Argentina after the war, that country refused to allow Priebke’s body burial beside his wife. The German embassy in Rome contacted the family’s attorney, but no details have been provided.

With further support from the world, Hungary’s law that strips war crimes and crimes against humanity of any lapse may become custom.

For further information, please see:

Associated Press – Bosnian Police Arrest 8 War Crimes Suspects – October 17, 2013

The Guardian – Nazi War Criminal Erich Priebke’s Family Demand Return of His Corpse – October 17, 2013

Budapest Business Journal – War Crimes Charges Levied against Former Communist Official – October 16, 2013

Reuters – Hungary Charges Former Top Communist Official with War Crimes – October 16, 2013

BBC News – Nazi War Criminal Priebke’s Funeral Halted Amid Protests – October 15, 2013

Reuters – Bosnia to Retry Three War Crimes Convicts after European Court Ruling – October 9, 2013

United Press International – Virginia Man to Be Extradited to Bosnia to Face War Crimes Charges – September 20, 2013

China Continues Expanding Crackdown on “Rumors”, 2 More Bloggers Arrested

By Brian Lanciault
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China– Police in China have arrested yet another influential blogger and are detaining a cartoonist in the government’s ever-expanding crackdown on online “rumor-mongering”, said friends and a lawyer for one of them on Thursday.

Chinese are pictured above at public computer access facilities. Blogging has become exceptionally popular among the younger generations, despite the intensive government crackdown on content posted. (Photo Courtesy of AP)

Hundreds have been detained since August, according to Chinese media and rights groups, as the government has stepped up its efforts to wipeout rumors. Most have been released, but some are still being held pending criminal charges.

This latest example, targeting bloggers, appears to suggest the new government, led by President Xi Jinping, is expanding its crackdown on dissent, although some critics have warned the move could backfire on Communist Party leaders.

“The use of these dictatorship tools to combat the criticism and grievances within civil society could be counterproductive,” said Zhang Lifan, a historian, adding that it could fuel mistrust. “It may not be beneficial for maintaining the regime.”

Dong Rubin, 51, who runs an Internet consulting company, has been arrested in southwestern Kunming on “suspicion of falsely declaring the capital in his company’s registration”, state news agency Xinhua said late on Wednesday.

Dong was suspected of illegal business operations and the crime of “creating disturbances,” Xinhua added.

Dong, who was previously asked by officials in southern Nanjing to speak about being an “online opinion leader”, is well known for participating in a 2009 online probe into the sudden death of a man in a detention house in Yunnan province.

State broadcaster CCTV showed images of Dong admitting to “exaggeration and selectively publishing information” to benefit clients. In September, state media also aired a confession by Chinese-American venture capitalist, Charles Xue, one of China’s best known online commentators.

In Beijing, cartoonist Wang Liming was taken into custody at midnight on Wednesday and has not yet been released.

Wu Gan, a close friend of Wang, spoke with Reuters. Wu said police told Wang’s girlfriend they summoned him for forwarding a microblog post about a stranded mother holding a baby who had starved to death in the flooded eastern city of Yuyao.

“Suppression of this kind by the Chinese government is of no use,” Wu said. “Rumors arise because there’s no freedom to communicate on the Internet. Arresting people will not solve the problem because the problem does not lie with the people, but with the government.”

The detentions come just over a month after China unveiled tough measures to stop the spread of what it called “irresponsible rumors,” threatening jail terms of up to three years if false online posts are widely disseminated.

China’s top court and prosecutor have said people will be charged with defamation if online rumors they create are visited by 5,000 internet users or reposted more than 500 times.

Liu Hu, a Chinese investigative journalist accused of corruption was arrested on a defamation charge late in September.

The internet censorship reveals the insecurity of the leaders of the ruling Communist Party, said Bo Zhiyue, a professor of Chinese politics at the National University of Singapore.

“They are trying to send China back all the way to the Stone Age,” Bo said. “Where is the hope for political reform? Zero.”

For more information, please see:

Voice of America– 2 Chinese Bloggers Arrested in Crackdown on Rumors — 17 October 2013

Epoch Times– Fight ‘Hostile Western Forces’ on Internet Says Chinese General — 16 October 2013

Jakarta Globe– China Holds Two Bloggers as it Expands Crackdown on Rumors — 17 October 2013

Reuters– China holds two bloggers as it expands crackdown on rumors — 17 October 2013

New York Times– In China’s Campaign Against Bloggers, a Burst of Rumor-Mongering — 16 October 2013

 

Iran Begins Nuclear Talks With World Powers

By Thomas Murphy
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – World powers and Iran engaged in preliminary talks regarding Iran’s nuclear program on Tuesday and Wednesday. The sides described the talks as “substantive” and “forward-looking,” and will reconvene in early November.

Negotiating teams met on Tuesday and Wednesday in Geneva to discuss the controversial Iranian nuclear program. (Photo Courtesy of Al Jazeera)

Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, and Catherine Ashton, the foreign policy chief for the European Union, who is the lead negotiator with Iran issued a joint statement detailing the negotiations. The statement recognized Iran’s presentation of a plan designed to promote productive negotiations as an “important contribution.”

“The participants also agreed that E3+3 and Iranian nuclear, scientific and sanctions experts will convene before the next meeting to address differences and to develop practical steps,” the statement added.

“I’ve been doing this now for about two years, and I have never had such intense, detailed, straightforward, candid conversations with the Iranian delegation before,” said a senior Obama administration official.

“There is more work, much more work to do,” added the official, who declined to be identified under the diplomatic protocol for briefing reporters. “This is a beginning. Beginnings are rarely groundbreaking because you are putting pieces on the table.”

The meeting was the first between the six powers (United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany) since Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, took office in August. President Rouhani, seen as a moderate, has emphasized the importance of resolving international concerns regarding Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran has reiterated for years that it has no intention of creating a nuclear weapon, but it has not eased concerns of the international community. In fact, sanctions have made more severe over the last several years and as a result the Iranian rial lost an estimated 80 percent of its value against the US dollar between March 2012 and March 2013.

Despite positive responses to the negotiations, some difficult and challenging issues remain. Iran maintains that it has a right to enrich uranium and conversely, the U.N. Security Council wants the enrichment program to stop completely.  Meanwhile, Iran would like to see Western powers take a “balanced” approach to easing sanctions, suggesting that each side make concessions throughout the process. Western officials have balked at this proposal and want to maintain sanctions until their demands are met.

For further information, please see:

BBC – Iran nuclear checks most detailed ever – Ashton – 16 October 2013

EU – Joint Statement –  16 October 2013

New York Times – After Talks on Iran’s Nuclear Program, Officials Highlight the Positive –  16 October 2013

Reuters – U.S. says talks intense, serious after Iran hints at atomic concessions – 16 October 2013

Al Jazeera – Iran and world powers begin nuclear talks – 15 October 2013

Senate Reaches Last Minute Deal Over Debt Limit

by Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – A bipartisan compromise proved successful Wednesday when the Democratically-controlled Senate passed a bill to raise the federal debt limit and reopen the federal government. The bill, which passed 81-18, must now pass through the Republican-controlled House, where Republican leaders have reluctantly agreed to see the bill pass.

 

President Obama warned Republican leaders in Congress that he would not allow a “ransom” of the federal budget to prevent passage of routine legislation. (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera)

If the bill passes in the House, it would arrive on President Obama’s desk for signing by Thursday, which is the deadline for the current debt limit.  “I will sign it immediately,” the President said, adding “we’ll begin reopening our government immediately.”

The proposed legislation would fund the federal government through January 15 and allow the Treasury Department to increase the debt limit through February 7.

Speaker John Boehner said he would bring the bill to the House floor for a vote but made no indication that he was giving up on the fight to bring down US debt.

“Our drive to stop the train wreck that is the president’s health care law will continue,” Boehner said.

Amid news of the Senate compromise just hours shy of the debt limit deadline, Wall Street saw stock prices soar.

Wall Street experts have taken the political posturing in the past two weeks in stride, never honestly considering that Congress would allow the government to default on its loan obligations.

Tom Franks, a managing director at TIAA-CREF, a retirement fund management group, said of the potential default: “We knew it was going to be dramatic, but the consequences of a U.S. default are just so severe that the base case was always that a compromise was going to be reached.”

While default was averted, financial experts worry that the shutdown and partisan arguments have damaged faith in US reserve currency. Simon Derrick, a senior analyst at Bank of New York Mellon said foreign exchange investors like China will look for ways to diversify investments beyond an over-reliance on the dollar.

For more information, please see:

ABC News – US Debt Deal Hope Triggers Stock Market Rally – 16 October 2013

Al Jazeera – US Senate announces last-minute debt deal – 16 October 2013

BBC News – US debt ceiling: Senate passes US budget deal – 16 October 2013

CNN – Senate approves bill to end shutdown, avert possible default – 16 October 2013

Time – Stocks Surge After Senate Reaches Deal on U.S. Debt – 16 October 2013

Two Toddlers Found Dead in Toilet

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

PRETORIA, South Africa – The bodies of two toddlers, aged two and three, were found dumped in community toilets on Tuesday morning after they went missing on Saturday.

A policeman walks onto a crime scene in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, where the bodies of little Yonelisa and Zandile Mali were found. Police also sealed off a shack where bloody evidence was found. The community is furious at yet another child killing (photo courtesy of Daniel Born)

South African police are questioning three people over the deaths of the two toddlers who were cousins. The deaths have sparked violent protests and looting.

Residents accused police of failing to protect the girls who were discovered by local resident in Diepsloot township, north of Johannesburg.

The toddlers had disappeared Saturday night with an unknown man when their mothers went to a nearby spaza shop.

“It is not clear how the children were killed,” said police spokesperson Lungelo Dlamini. Unverified local media reports said they were strangled.

President Jacob Zuma has urged the violent protestors to not take the law into their own hands.

“We condemn these murders in the strongest possible terms. Whilst we appeal to the communities not to take the matters into their hands, we also want to urge them to work with law enforcement authorities to find the perpetrators and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law,” Zuma stated.

“These gruesome incidents of extreme torture and murder of our children do not belong to the society that we are continuously striving to build together,” South Africa’s Sowetan newspaper quoted Zuma as saying.

Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said three people had been taken in for questioning and that police were also searching for a fourth person, the South African Press Association reports.

Dlamini also stated that they were investigating a possible link between the murders and that of a five-year-old girl found dead in the same area in September.

“It is suspected that she was sexually violated and strangled. A suspect who was taken in for questioning relating to the murder was later released,” Lt-Col Dlamini said.

Diepsloot, which borders one of the country’s wealthiest gated estates, Dainfern, is among the most impoverished areas of Johannesburg.

Some parts of the township have no running water and residents share pit latrines or mobile toilets.

In a separate case, the bodies of two other children were found in a field in Katlehong township in East Rand, Guateng province.

The children, aged one and two, were found next to their mother, who had been critically injured, according to iAfrica.com.

Police Colonel Katlego Mogale said: “It appears as if they were dropped by the husband in an open place and then the husband drove away. They are all Mozambican nationals.”

The death of a young boy whose body, bearing marks of torture, was found in a field east of Johannesburg is also being investigated by police.

The murders have sparked paranoia and fury in the community.

One Diepsloot mother, Olorato Mokoena, says she no longer trusts men around her three-year-old daughter.

Community leader Lizzie Chauke said police had sealed a shack in which investigators had found evidence of what is believed to have been the girls’ murder.

“It was terrible. There was blood and flies everywhere. Police found their clothes, four blankets covered in blood, feces, and a ‘fake penis’ and crowbar. They had blood on them,” she said.

Childline director Joan van Niekerk said though the government had sufficient laws and policies to protect children with, the challenge was in implementing them.

For more information, please visit:

BBC News – South Africa suspects questioned after toddler murders – 16 October 2013
Yahoo! News – South Africa Toddlers Found Dead In Toilet – 16 October 2013
The Independent – Murder of two toddlers whose bodies were found in toilet sparks riots in South Africa – 16 October 2013
Times Live – ‘What would you do if it was your baby?’ – 16 October 2013
msn news – Toddler deaths shock South Africa – 16 October 2013
iAfrica.com – JZ ‘shocked’ by toddler murders – 16 October 2013