News

U.N. Weapons Inspectors Return to Syria Wednesday

By Thomas Murphy
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria – U.N. chemical weapons inspectors are expected to return to Syria on Wednesday according to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. Ryabkov addressed the inspector’s return on Tuesday when he spoke to the Russian parliament regarding the unfolding situation in Syria.

U.N. chemical weapons inspectors research the use of sarin gas in Syria following an attack on 21 August. (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)

“We are satisfied that our persistent calls for the return of the UN inspectors for an investigation of the previous episodes have finally borne fruit,”  said Ryabkov.

The weapons experts will be the same team that visited the country during August to investigate the reports of chemical weapons use. The team, led by Ake Sellstrom, presented their report to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon just over a week ago. The report confirmed that a ‘large scale’ sarin gas attack occurred on 21 August just outside of Damascus.

Before the 21 August attack, the UN weapons inspectors were tasked to investigate several other reports of chemical weapons attacks in Syria. However, when the 21 August attack occurred, the team delayed their research and was relocated to focus exclusively on the Damascus attack.

In a statement Tuesday, the U.N. said the investigation will include gathering evidence specifically from the village of Khan al-Assal. The village, just outside of Aleppo, was reportedly the target of a chemical weapons attack on 19 March of this year. Not surprisingly, the rebel opposition and the Assad government adamantly deny responsibility and blame the other.

There have been a total of fourteen alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria since the revolution against the Assad government began in 2011. Two locations of particular interest to United Nations chemical weapons inspectors are Sheikh Maqsoud and Saraqeb. Inspectors received permission from the Assad government to visit the sites back in July, but have been unable to inspect the sites yet.

In late August, the inspectors were to continue there research at sites other than just the Damascus location, but inspectors left the country as the threat U.S. military intervention increased. Since, the U.S. and Russia have come to a general agreement regarding the removal of all chemical weapons from Syria. The passage of an official resolution via the United Nations is expected soon.

For further information, please see:

BBC – UN chemical weapons inspectors ‘to return to Syria’ – 24 September 2013

Huffington Post – UN Chemical Weapons Inspectors Returning To Syria – 24 September 2013

RT – UN chemical weapons experts to return to Syria Wednesday – Moscow –  24 September 2013

Voice of America – Russia: UN Investigators Heading Back to Syria – 24 September 2013

India’s Cabinet Passes Executive Order Protecting Convicted Politicians

By Brian Lanciault

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NEW DELHI, India– India’s cabinet moved to shield politicians found guilty of crimes by passing an executive order on Tuesday that could allow convicted lawmakers to continue to hold office and stand in elections, ahead of national polls due by next May.

People gather outside the Indian Parliament building during its session. (Photo courtesy of Reuters)

About thirty percent of Indian lawmakers across federal and state assemblies have pending criminal charges against them, and following a Supreme Court order in July, many faced being expelled from their seats. In response, the ruling congressional party had already moved a parliamentary bill to partially reverse the decision of the court, which held that any lawmaker found guilty of a crime could no longer hold or run for elected office.

The current ordinance is believed to resemble the content of the parliamentary bill, which would allow lawmakers facing criminal charges to continue taking part in parliamentary proceedings such as debates, but would not permit them to vote or receive a government salary.

The bill has not yet passed through India’s historically slow-moving parliament. Some commentators believe the government sprung to action in light of the possible corruption conviction of a key electoral ally of the majority,  in a case set to conclude next week.

“When it comes to saving their convicted brethren, they act with lightning speed,” said Amulya Ganguli, a political analyst.

Following India’s 2009 general election, some thirty percent of the lawmakers sworn into the federal and state assemblies had criminal charges against them, according to an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms, an advocacy group.

In the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the national assembly, 162 of the 543 MPs indicated that there were pending criminal cases against them in sworn affidavits filed prior to elections. In the state assemblies, 1,258 of the 4,032 lawmakers declared criminal charges. The amount of subsequent convictions remains unknown.

Before July’s Supreme Court order, Indian lawmakers had been able to capitalize on a loophole whereby those who filed appeals within three months of a guilty verdict could stay in office.

The ordinance must be signed by Indian president Pranab Mukherjee in order to become law. The law must be ratified by parliament within six weeks of the next parliament session. Analysts suspect it will pass with ease.

“There is widespread support for this among the political class,” said Neerja Chowdhury, a political commentator and former political editor of The Indian Express newspaper.

The case due to conclude next week involves Lalu Prasad, a former chief minister for the eastern state of Bihar, and a frequent ally of the ruling congressional party. Prasad is accused of participating in a scam where money was allegedly taken from state treasuries to provide fodder for herds of livestock that later turned out to be non-existent.

“Lalu Prasad’s possible conviction could have prompted the cabinet to pass this ordinance,” Chowdhury said. “There are some who feel that…if they get Lalu Prasad on board they can win Bihar.”

Bihar is one of India’s most important electoral states.

Another influential figure, Rasheed Masood, a majority party member of India’s upper house and a former health minister, was found guilty last week in a corruption case. He was to be the first lawmaker to be affected by the Supreme Court order, according to local reports.

Numerous politicians have been charged with serious crimes such as rape and/or murder. Elected office is lucrative in a country where black markets often thrive under political protection. Political parties are often open to criminal syndicates who bring with them campaign financing.

For more information, please see:

Reuters — India’s cabinet moves to protect politicians convicted of crimes — 24 September 2013

Times of India — Cabinet clears ordinance to shield convicted lawmakers — 24 September 2013

Hindustan Times — Gov’t may bring ordinance to save tainted lawmakers — 23 September 2013

Zee News — Cabinet paves way for convicted MLAs, MPs to contest elections — 24 September 2013

Bloomberg — India Cabinet Counters Step to Ban Convicted Lawmakers, PTI Says — 24 September 2013

Mall Seige Over, Mourning Period Declared by Kenyan President

By: Dan Krupinsky
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya – The four-day siege at Nairobi’s Westgate Mall is finally over, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced on Tuesday.

Kenyan soldiers move into position outside of the mall. (Courtesy: Reuters)

In an address to the nation, Kenyatta said that five terrorists were killed, while 11 others believed to have been connected to the attack have been taken into custody. 61 civilians and six soldiers are also among the dead, according to Kenyatta, but more bodies, including possibly those of additional terrorists, may be buried in rubble, after three stories of the mall collapsed during the attack. The Red Cross put the death total at 62, and said that 65 people are still unaccounted for.

Kenyatta praised the people of his nation for their united stance and support during the siege.

“Fellow Kenyans, we have been badly hurt and feel great pain and loss, but we have been brave, united and strong.  Kenya has stared down evil and triumphed,” he said.

Somalia’s al-Shabab militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it was payback for Kenya’s military operations in Southern Somalia.

According to witnesses, the attackers questioned many of the civilians about their religious beliefs, and allowed Muslims to go free.

Remarkably, reports have circulated that a four-year old British boy was spared after he confronted a gunman and told him that he was a ‘very bad man’ as he protected his six-year old sister and mother, who had been shot in the leg.

The gunman then reportedly handed the children candy bars, and said “Please forgive me. We are not monsters.”

While most of the gunmen reportedly spoke English, Kenyatta would not confirm reports that some of the attackers were from outside the region, and possibly Westerners.

“Intelligence reports had suggested that a British woman and two or three American citizens may have been involved in the attack,” he said.  “We cannot confirm the details at present, but forensic experts are working to ascertain the nationalities of the terrorists.”

Reports of the potential involvement of a British woman have caused many to wonder it could be Samantha Lewthwaite, the widow of one of the bombers responsible for the London subway attacks in 2005. She has been dubbed “white widow” by the British press.

Lewthwaite is wanted for planning other attacks in Kenya, and has been linked to terrorist groups in the country.

Kenyatta declared that the attackers will be held fully accountable for the “mindless destruction, deaths, pain, loss and suffering we have all undergone as a national family.”

“These cowards will meet justice as will their accomplices and patrons wherever they are,” he vowed, pledging to work with allies in fighting terrorism.

Kenya will officially have a three-day mourning period.


For further information, please see:

All Africa – Kenya: Govt Says Army in Control of Besieged Mall, All Hostages Free – 24 September 2013

CNN – Attackers defeated in mall siege, Kenya’s president says – 24 September 2013

Daily Mail – Astonishing Moment: British boy, four, confronted Kenyan mall gunman – 23 September 2013

Voice of America – Kenyan President Declares Mall Siege Over – 24 September 2013

Washington Post – Kenyan president says siege of Nairobi mall is over, declares mourning period for the dead – 24 September 2013

Egyptian Court bans all Muslim Brotherhood Activities

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan

Impunity Watch, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt –An Egyptian court issued a verdict Monday effectively banning  the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist political party that was  nation’s most powerful political group under the regime of the democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi. The Muslim brotherhood, its supporters and other Islamist groups in Egypt have been involved in protest against the July 3 coup that took President Morsi out of power.

Muslim Brotherhood supporters protesting in Cairo, Egypt, this month. (Photo courtesy of The Guardian)

The Presiding Judge, Mohammed al-Sayed, said “The court bans the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood organization and its non-governmental organization and all the activities that it participates in and any organization derived from it.” According to MENA, the Egyptian state media, The Cairo Court for Urgent Matters decision to issue a ruling “to ban all activities by the Muslim Brotherhood organisation, the group emanating from it and its non-governmental organisation,” effectively amounts to a ban on the political party and any organization with ties to it. The ruling is a temporary action, it amounts to a preliminary injunction banning the activities of the organization. The ruling will stand until a higher court issues a permanent verdict.

The court was unclear about its reasons for deciding to ban the Muslim Brotherhood but the decision was issued after the leftist party, Tagammu, had sought the immediate action. The Tagammu party accused the Muslim Brotherhood of inciting “terrorism” and of exploiting religion for political gain.

The move has essentially returned the Muslim Brotherhood to its status as an illegal political organization it held under former President Hosni Mubarak. The Muslim Brotherhood has been outlawed for most of its 85 year history.

Ibrahim Moneir, a leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood, called the court’s ruling a “totalitarian decision.” He said that despite the ruling the organization “will remain with God’s help, not by the orders by the judiciary of el-Sisi.” The “judiciary of el-Sisi” refers to General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who led the military coup that resulted in the overthrow of President Morsi on July 3.

The Muslim Brotherhood stated its belief that it will not be destroyed by the courts ruining on its official twitter feed. The tweet read; “The Muslim Brotherhood is part and parcel of Egyptian society. Corrupt and politically motivated judicial decisions cannot change that,” the Brotherhood said via its Twitter feed, in response to the verdict.

More than 2,000 Egyptian Islamists have been arrested over the past two months, the majority of those arrested have were Brotherhood supporters. Protests organized Pro-Morsi protesters, including Brotherhood supporters, have been violently cracked-down by the military government and many of the organizations leaders and supporters, including Morsi, have been arrested for “inciting terrorism.”

For More Information Please See:

Al Jazeera – Egypt Court Bans all Brotherhood Activities – 23 September 2013

The Guardian – Muslim Brotherhood Banned by Egyptian Court – 23 September 2013

National Public Radio – Egyptian Court Bans the Muslim Brotherhood – 23 September 2013

The New York Times – Egyptian Court Shuts Down the Muslim Brotherhood and Seizes Its Assets – 23 September 2013

Israeli Forces Prevent EU Diplomats From Delivering Aid to Villagers in West Bank

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KHIRBET AL-MAKHUL, West Bank – Diplomats from various European countries, representing the United Nations, have spoken out to hold Israel accountable after soldiers from the Israeli Defense Forces prevented them from delivering aid and supplies to citizens in Khirbet al-Makhul in the West Bank.

French Diplomat Marion Fesneau-Castaing being dragged out of her vehicle. (Photo courtesy of BBC News)

The diplomats have reported that as they arrived to the village of Bedouin in Khirbet al-Makhul, they were ordered out of their trucks and instructed not to unload the contents.

Supplies and aid were being delivered by the European diplomats after many homes in the area were demolished pursuant to an order of a High Court. Last Monday, the homes of these villagers were destroyed as Israeli’s High Court ruled that they were built without permits in the first place. Many of the Bedouin villagers have refused to leave the land, however, as their ancestors have lived on the land and grazed sheep there for generations.

The European diplomats reported that a dozen Israeli army jeeps bombarded them when they arrived in the area. A French diplomat, Marion Fesneau-Castaing, said she was forced to the ground from her vehicle.

“They dragged me out of the truck and forced me to the ground with no regard for my diplomatic immunity. This is how international law is being respected here,” Fesneau-Castaing has stated.

A spokesman for the British Consulate General in Jerusalem stated it was “concerned at reports that the Israeli military authorities have prevented the affected community from receiving humanitarian assistance. We have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our concerns over such demolitions, which we view as causing unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; as harmful to the peace process; and as contrary to international humanitarian law. 

The Israeli Defense Forces have contended that the diplomats may have abused their privileges, and reported that that dozens of Palestinians, foreign activists and diplomats had tried to set up tents, which it called a “provocation.”

UN Humanitarian Coordinator James Rawley stated that the Israeli authorities should “live up to their obligations as occupying power to protect those communities under their responsibility.”

Last month, the first Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in three years were held in Jerusalem.

In 2010, the discussions disintegrated amid disagreement on the issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Middle East war, and the talks are aimed at reaching a permanent peace settlement with the Palestinians.

For more information, please see:

Russia Today – EU Calls for Explanations From Israel Over Diplomat Scuffle – 22 September 2013

Fars News Agency – Israeli Troops Attack EU Diplomats, Seize West Bank Aid – 21 September 2013

BBC News – Diplomats Protest Over West Bank Clash With Israeli Troops – 20 September 2013

Reuters Canada – Israeli Forces Manhandle EU Diplomats, Seize West Bank Aid – 20 September 2013