News

Three attacks target Egyptian Security forces after a bloody day of clashes with anti-government activists

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt–Ten people, mostly police offers and soldier, were killed in three separate attacks Monday in Egypt. An attack in the city of Ismailiya on the Suez Canal killed six soldiers when a gunman opened fire on a military patrol. Attackers allows fired rocket-propelled grenades in Maadi, a suburb of Egypt’s Capital.  Four people were killed and 55 injured in a suicide car bombing attack on the security headquarters in the Sinai Peninsula city of El-Tor.

Tires burn as supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi clash with security forces in downtown Cairo on Sunday (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera)

Attacks have escalated in the Sinai Peninsula during the months following the military coup that took President Mohamed Morsi out of power. The latest attack in El-Tor was one of the first attacks to occur in the Southern Sinai region which is a popular tourist destination in Egypt. A senior security official told the Associated Press that Egyptian authorities are “expecting worse” attacks in the future.

The attacks followed a bloody day of demonstrates in Egypt. At least 53 people were killed and 268 more were injured across the country on Sunday. Thousands of Egyptians celebrated the October 6 holiday commemorating the start of the October 1973 War, the Yom Kippur Warm, against Israel in the streets across the country. Anti-government activities organized counter-protests against the military and attempted to occupy Tahrir Square where protesters gathered calling for an end to the Mubarak regime. However, the square was heavily guarded by state security forces.

Egyptian authorities had issued a warning to potential anti-government demonstrates that would protest during the states planned commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the October 1973 War. Ahmed al-Muslimani, a spokesperson for the Egyptian interim president said that protests against the Egyptian state military would not be tolerated on the anniversary of the October War. He said the protesters would be viewed as “carrying out the duties of agents, not activists,” and that “It is not befitting to go from a struggle against authorities to a conflict with the nation.”

On Saturday security forces fired teargas to break up a crowd of an estimated 1,000 anti-government activist who had tried to reach Rabaa al-Adawiya Mosque in northeaster Cairo. The Mosque was the site of the brutal military crackdown on a protest camp in August.

Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi said in a statement that “evil elements” still posed a threat to the nation though they had lost most of their power; this appears to have been a reference to the Muslim Brotherhood, on Monday panel of judges recommended the dissolution of the Muslim Brotherhood’s status as a political organization, the Freedom and Justice Party. The recommendation appears to be another crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist elements with Egypt that have been targeted by state authorities since the ouster of President Morsi on July 3.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Multiple Attacks Target Egypt State Security – 8 October 2013

BBC News – Egyptian Soldiers Killed In Ismailiya And Sinai Attacks – 7 October 2013

New York Times – Egyptian Attacks Are Escalating Amid Stalemate – 7 October 2013

Al Jazeera America – In Egypt, Demonstrations, Death Mark Anniversary Of 1973 War – 6 October 2013

French Court Ruling Validates Police ID Checks on Minorities

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France – A French judged ruled on Wednesday that identity checks by police officers on thirteen people regarded as minorities were not based on racism and were legal.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs, Slim ben Achour (right) and Felix de Belloy have vowed to appeal last Wednesday’s ruling. (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera)

Lawyers for the Plaintiffs, who contend that the law enforcement officers have engaged in racial profiling, vowed to appeal the ruling all the way up to the European Court of Human Rights. Wednesday’s verdict resulted from a one-day trial back in July, which was dubbed the first of its kind in France.

Equality groups say that French minorities, specifically those of African or Middle Eastern descent, are subject to routine discrimination that diminishes their chances of finding employment and gaining a foothold in mainstream society. They contend that this discrimination has led the officers to perform humiliating identity checks on minorities for no reason.

The French ruling comes amid a public furor over stop and frisk policies of the New York Police Department. The NYC case is being closely examined in France, particularly by the Plaintiff’s lawyers. A judge has recently ruled against NYPD practices said to discriminate against blacks and Hispanics.

The plaintiffs sought 10,000 euros ($13,000) each in the case. Their lawyers also sought alterations to the law that would require police to provide written reports of ID checks and specify “objective grounds” for conducting the checks. Currently, the law allows police to issue checks on people they deem “suspicious.” Opponents of the current law believe it affords too much discretion to the police.

Slim Ben Achour, lawyer for the Plaintiffs, stated, “The most obvious consequence [of Wednesday’s decision] is that police in this country… have the right to discriminate. There is a blank check for police to continue these practices.”

The defendants’ lawyers have stated that a person who considers an identity check abusive must prove the action was a gravely serious offence. This is nearly impossible as there is no trace an identity check took place.

The plaintiffs’ lawyers said they are closely watching the similar NYC case and hoping they might weigh on French policy, as their appeal develops.

“Through this decision, French justice says that the law of equality … basically does not apply to French police and we are pretty shocked by that. I would not say that this decision legalizes ethnic profiling, but clearly the judges closed their eyes to ethnic profiling,” Felix de Belloy, lawyers for the plaintiffs stated.

A study conducted in Paris by France’s National Center for Scientific Research and the Open Society Justice Initiative  has recently shown that blacks are six times more likely of being checked and questioned by police than whites, and those of Arab origin are eight times more likely.

For more information, please see:

France 24 – France Struggles to Address Racial Profiling by Police – 4 October 2013

Al Jazeera – French Court Rules Police ID-Checks Legal – 2 October 2013

Fox News – French Court Rules That Identity Checks on Minorities Were Lawful, Rejects Racism Claim – 2 October 2013

The Montreal Gazette – French Court Rules That Identity Checks on Minorities Were Lawful, Rejects Racism Claim – 2 October 2013

 

Mexican Authorities Arrest Guatemalan Drug Lord

By Brandon Cottrell
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – Over the weekend Mexican authorities arrested Eduardo Villatoro Cano.  Cano, who is one of Guatemala’s most wanted men, was wanted for his participation in the murder of eight Guatemalan police officers this past June.

Guatemalan drug lord, Eduardo Villatoro Cano, was arrested over the weekend for his involvement in the murder of eight police officers (Photo Courtesy BBC News).

Authorities identified Cano, who was using a false name while hiding in southern Mexico, by photos and fingerprints.  Cano’s cousin, who is also wanted in Guatemala, was also arrested.  Along with their arrests, authorities confiscated thirty-three handguns, twelve rifles, seventy-five vehicles, and cash.

The murder took place at what investigators describe as a remote police station near the Pan-American Highway.  The Pan-American Highway is routinely used by the drug lords to transport drugs from Columbia to Mexico and from Mexico into the United States.

On the night of the murder, heavily armed men in ski masks entered into the police station where nine officers were on night duty.  According to investigators, the men shot the officers at least forty times.  Eight of the officers were killed instantly, but the gang took the ninth officer, the commander of the station, with them.  Investigators presumed that the commander was dead and believe that they have found his partial remains.

Many believe that the shooting was in retaliation for a recent surge in drug seizures by Guatemalan authorities.  However, the shooting will not reduce drug seizures in the future, as authorities say they will continue to take down assailants.

The murder has had a large impact on Guatemala, which has one of the world’s highest homicide rates.  The Guatemalan authorities have vowed to punish the perpetrators and launched “Operation Dignity”.  As a result of the operation and with the arrest of Cano, who was the mastermind of the shooting, thirty-six people have been arrested for their involvement in the shooting.

Additionally, authorities believe that with Cano’s arrest they have now largely broken down one of the larger drug-trafficking groups in Guatemala. Cano’s gang, is thought to be responsible for over one hundred murders in towns near the Mexican border.

Furthermore, in recent months both Guatemala and Mexico have increased security around the border.  Both hope that these efforts will help reduce the problems and violence that the drug-cartels impose on their countries.  Their efforts seem to be working, as Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina attributed Cano’s arrest to Guatemala’s “excellent coordination with the Mexican authorities” and that it “conclude[d] a successful operation that resulted in the capture of those responsible for the massacre.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Guatemala ‘Drug Lord’ Arrested In Mexico – 05 October 2013

IB Times – Mexican Authorities Capture Guatemala Drug Kingpin – 05 October 2013

Latino Daily News – Mexican Police Arrest Guatemalan Wanted for Cop Killings – 05 October 2013

Updated News – Guatemala ‘Drug Lord’ Arrested In Mexico – 06 October 2013

Brazilian Police Charged With Torturing, Killing, and Hiding the Body of Missing Favela Man

By Ellis Cortez
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASILIA, Brazil – Ten military police officers in Brazil are accused of torturing, murdering, and then hiding the corpse of Amarildo de Souza, a resident of the city’s biggest favela, Rocinha.

Rio's Rocinha favela.
Rio’s Rocinha favela. (Photograph Courtesy of Christophe Simon/AFP)

Souza, 43, was last seen by his family on July 14th, when he went to buy seasoning for the fish dinner he had bought his wife and six children. His family later learned that Souza, a bricklayer, was rounded up in a police sweep of possible drug traffickers and was taken to police headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

Prosecutor Homer das Neves said that Souza, who was an epileptic, was allegedly taken for questioning, then tortured with electric shocks and suffocated with a plastic bag. Mr. Souza’s body is still missing.

Police said that Souza had been brought in for questioning and was released. The officers state they had nothing to do with his subsequent disappearance. However, a prosecutor said there was no evidence from security camera footage that Souza ever left police headquarters. There was evidence that two security cameras were turned off or burned. A court ordered the arrest of the officers who all deny any involvement.

Souza’s wife, Elizabeth, said her husband had lived in the area without any problem for 43 years. She accused the police of “pure evil” and said they had tried to coerce her into dropping the case.

The revelations are a major setback for government efforts to “pacify” favelas by using paramilitary forces to drive out drug-trafficking gangs and replace them with resident-friendly police units known as the Pacifying Police Unit (UPP).

The pacification program is a key element of Rio’s efforts to reduce crime, improve public security, and revitalize the city before the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, which are both being held in Brazil. However, favela residents have long complained that the methods used by the police are excessively brutal.

The incident was allegedly committed by members of the UPP. One of the 10 accused is the commander of the UPP in Rocinha, Edson dos Santos. It is alleged that he attempted to bribe witnesses to blame drug dealers for the killing.

Brazil’s human rights minister, Maria del Rosario, said, “what this investigation reveals is the necessity of changes so that the police are more focused, more accountable to citizens and not oriented towards criminal disregard for human rights.”

Their UPP’s involvement in Souza’s disappearance has led to protests in Rio and other cities both in Brazil and abroad. The case has drawn attention to allegations of police violence in the “pacification” of Rio’s favelas. Critics say it is indicative of a large number of disappearances in Rio and the lack of investigation into them.

For more information please see:

BBC – Brazil police charged with Rio murder over Amarildo case – 5 October 2013

CNN – 10 cops in Brazil accused of killing and hiding body – 4 October 2013

The Wall Street Journal – Police Criticized After Allegations of Torture in Rio – 3 October 2013

The Guardian – Brazil: Rio police charged over torture and death of missing favela man – 2 October 2013

US Raids Tripoli to Capture Embassy Bomber

by Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

TRIPOLI, Libya – US military forces conducted simultaneous raids Saturday that targeted Al-Qaeda leaders in both Libya and Somalia.  In Libya’s capitol, American troops assisted by CIA and FBI captured Abu Anas al-Liby, a man indicted for the 1998 bombings of the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

In response to al-Liby’s capture, Secretary of State John Kerry announced that Al-Qaeda leaders “can run but they can’t hide.” (Photo courtesy of Reuters)

“As the result of a U.S. counterterrorism operation, Abu Anas al Libi is currently lawfully detained by the U.S. military in a secure location outside of Libya,” Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

al-Liby, who will be handed over to the FBI, is expected to be flown to New York where he will stand trial for his involvement in the 1998 embassy bombings.  His suspected participation in those bombings earned him a $5 million bounty during the 15 year manhunt.  In those 15 years, al-Liby traveled between Afghanistan, Sudan, and Iran, where he was detained for a number of years.

The Libyan government has denounced the military operation, calling on the US government to explain the “kidnapping” of al-Liby from Tripoli.  Many parts of Libya have fallen under control of Islamic militia groups since the fall of the Gaddafi government in 2011.

“We hope that this makes clear that the United States of America will never stop in the effort to hold those accountable who conduct acts of terror,” said John Kerry.

Hours before the military operation in Tripoli, a US Navy SEAL team swam into the Barawe, a stronghold for the terrorist group al-Shabaab in Somalia.  The SEAL team members engaged in a fierce firefight and were unable to capture their intended target, whose identity the Pentagon has yet to release.  There have been no reports on casualties for either US military forces or military targets as of yet.

The al-Shabaab terrorist group claimed responsibility for the four day siege of a mall in Nairobi that began September 21.  That attack resulted in 67 casualties.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Libya, Somalia raids show U.S. reach, problems – 6 October 2013

The Wall Street Journal – U.S. Raids Terror Targets in Somalia, Libya – 6 October 2013

The Washington Times – Libya bristles at U.S. raid that captured al Qaeda militant – 6 October 2013

ABC News – US Strikes Double Blow Against Al Qaeda in Libya and Somalia – 5 October 2013

The New York Times – U.S. Raids in Libya and Somalia Strike Terror Targets – 5 October 2013