News

Brazilian Rancher Convicted for 2005 Murder of an American

By: Brandon Cottrell
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

BRASÍLIA, Brazil – In 2005, Dorothy Stang, age 73, was murdered after being shot six times near the northern state of Para, Brazil.  Vitalmiro Bastos de Moura, a rancher who had been arguing with Stang at the time over land use, was convicted and sentenced to thirty years in prison for the third time.

Vitalmiro Bastos de Moura sits in a courtroom during his trial for the murder of U.S.-born nun and activist Dorothy Stang. (Photo Courtesy Reuters)

Prior to her death, Stang spent over thirty years trying to save the rainforests in Brazil.  In particular, she wished to prevent wealthy landlords from exploiting the rainforests.  She also defended the rights of the poor settlers, who were being confronted by ranchers trying to take their land. Her continually campaigning resulted in an attempt to prevent Moura from seizing land.

Prosecutors say that Moura is one of several who hired gunmen to kill Stang.  This is also not the first time that violence has plagued a conflict involving Brazil’s natural resources.  Over the past thirty years, at least one thousand people have been murdered and many others have been kidnapped, with many of these crimes occurring in Para.  These crimes, which are generally carried out by gunmen hired by the loggers, ranchers, and farmers who wish to silence protestors like Stang are very rarely prosecuted and those that are prosecuted rarely result in convictions.

While prosecutors were able to convict Moura of murder in 2007 and in 2010, Moura’s lawyers were able to get the conviction overturned both times.  Moura’s lawyers argued that there was not sufficient evidence linking him to the crime in 2007 and that they did not have enough time to prepare his defense in 2010.

Of the others involved in the murder of Stang, one is appealing his thirty-year sentence and the self-confessed killer is serving the remainder of a twenty-seven year sentence under house arrest.  Another suspect, however, is still at large.

Barbara Richardson, Stang’s sister, said that while the repeated trials have been upsetting that it at least “keeps the injustice of the system before the people’s eyes.”  Additionally, many of Stang’s fellow activists were happy to see justice in this case, as they have “fiercely criticized Brazil’s judiciary system as moving to slowly and being too lenient.”

Others also tout the conviction as “a symbol of the end of impunity for the killings of landless squatter farmers who often have clashed with big landowners.”

 

For more information, please see:

BBC – Rancher Convicted Over Murder Of US Nun Dorothy Stang – 20 September 2013

Global Post – Brazil Rancher’s Conviction Upheld In US Nun’s Death – 20 September 2013

Reuters – Brazilian Rancher Found Guilty Of Ordering American Nun’s Death – 20 September 2013

USA Today – Rancher Gets 30 Years In Death Of U.S. Nun – 20 September 2013

 

Most Nairobi Mall Hostages Rescued

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

NAIROBI, Kenya – Most of the hostages caught in the Nairobi mall attack in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, have been rescued. Kenya’s military reported that it has secured “most parts” of the upscale shopping mall where al-Qaeda linked militants armed with assault rifles and grenades killed 68 people in an attack and two-day siege.

Military and police trying to capture the gunmen (photo courtesy of AP)

The assault began before sundown on Sunday.

The militants are believed to be from Somalia’s al-Shabab movement. Now only a small number of hostages remain under the control of the militants.

“All efforts are underway to bring this matter to a speedy conclusion,” the government’s defense forces statement reported.

Officials have not immediately released the number of hostages that were rescued or the number of hostages that remain in the mall. Four Kenyan military personnel were wounded in the rescue operation, the military said.

Many of the rescued hostages, mostly adults, were suffering from dehydration, a military spokesman told The Associated Press. The military spokesman, Col. Cyrus Oguna, also refused to release the number of hostages rescued or that remained, but did state that some of the attackers had “most probably” been killed in the operation.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called the attackers “ruthless and completely reckless terrorists.” Kerry spoke Sunday with Somalia’s foreign minister and U.N. ambassador.

There are now reports that the gunmen are currently holed up in a supermarket. Civilians in the complex are believed to be held as hostages or in hiding.

Correspondents say the full extent of the attack will not be known until the military is back in control.

The BBC’s Gabriel Gatehouse says he cannot see or hear anything that suggests a “final push” by security forces that surround the complex.

The Somali militant group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility on Twitter for Saturday’s attack, which was allegedly carried out by 10 to 15 gunmen with AK-47s and other sophisticated weapons. Al-Shabaab, which said the attack was retribution for Kenyan forces’ 2011 push into Somalia, threatened more violence.

“The Mujahideen entered #Westgate Mall today at around noon and are still inside the mall, fighting the #Kenyan Kuffar inside their own turf,” the group said on Twitter.

“What Kenyans are witnessing at #Westgate is retributive justice for crimes committed by their military,” the group said.

Some witnesses said the militants released Muslims, but non-Muslims were targeted.

This is one of the worst incidents in Kenya since the attack on the U.S. embassy in 1998.

For more information, please visit:

BBC News – Nairobi Westgate attack: ‘Most hostages are rescued’ – 22 September 2013
Huffington Post – Most Nairobi Mall Hostages Rescued, Kenyan Army Says – 22 September 2013
USA Today – Kenya military says most hostages rescued in mall siege – 22 September 2013
Ryot – Kenya Military Says Most Hostages Have Been Rescued Following Bloody Attack at Westgate Mall (GRAPHIC PHOTOS) – 22 September 2013
Chicago Tribune – Kenya says it’s in control of Nairobi mall, ‘most’ hostages freed – 22 September 2013
CNN – 39 killed and more carnage feared as Kenya mall attackers face off – 21 September 2013

Dozens Killed in Nairobi Mall Attack

By Erica Smith
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya — At least 68 people were killed and 200 wounded in a terror attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi this Saturday and Sunday.

Kenyan police officers search for gunman in the Westgate Mall (photo courtesy of The Guardian)

The attack started around lunch time yesterday when grenades were thrown into the crowd. Lunch time is peak foot time traffic at the mall. After the grenades were thrown gunman started firing indiscriminately into the panicked crowd. Shoppers took cover and hid in shops and under tables, the grocery store that spans most of the mall was a main hiding place for many people, and the main scene of a fire fight between security forces and attackers.

Reports indicate that different groups of armed men attacked the mall in coordinated groups. Kenyan officials say that about 10,000 people shop at the mall on the weekend and that it is a popular destination for the wealthy and foreigners.

Al-Shabab, an Islamist group from Somalia, has claimed responsibility for the attacks. The attackers also took hostages and a standoff  has ensued.

“Waiting ambulances are parked outside while sporadic gunfire can be heard coming from inside Westgate Mall,” NPR’s Gregory Warner reported from Nairobi early Sunday. “Kenyan police said that the gunmen have been ‘contained’ but there are still hostages in unsecured locations. Special police forces are securing the building.”

As of the writing of this article, there are still hostages in the mall and the standoff  between the attackers and security forces is still ongoing. Kenyan security forces are reporting that the mall is mostly under their control and that most of the hostages have been rescued.”Our concern is to rescue all hostages ALIVE and that is why the operation is delicate,” the Kenya Defense Forces said on Twitter.

For further information, please see:

Guardian —  Nairobi siege: some hid, others played dead as gunmen stalked the mall — 22 September 2012

NPR — Nairobi Mall Attack: Civilians Remain Hostages; Dozens Dead — 22 September 2013

Yahoo News — Most hostages rescued, shopping mall mostly secure: Kenyan army — 22 September 2013

BBC News — Nairobi Westgate shoot-out kills 11 in Kenya — 21 September 2013

Guardian — Nairobi mall attackers could not have picked a better target — 21 September 2013

 

Presidents Obama and Rouhani Open to a Face to Face Meeting

by Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – President Obama faces potential diplomatic inroads with Iran, Syria, and Palestine as he prepares to head to the UN General Assembly Monday. With a new President of Iran, progress towards a peaceful disarming of Syria, and restarted talks in Palestine, things are looking much different than last year.

Hassan Rouhani ousted Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last month on the promise of greater personal freedoms for the Iranian public. (Photo Courtesy of The Guardian)

The biggest change is the newly elected President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, who has reopened communication with the United States through his Foreign Minister, Javad Zarif.  While President Obama is not scheduled to meet directly with Rouhani, the two have left open the possibility of talking during the gathering.  Rouhani recently expressed his willingness to meet with the US in an interview.

“The problem won’t be from our side,” Rouhani stated, adding “We have sufficient political latitude to solve this problem.”

Some western diplomats believe Rouhani is taking a big risk by favor diplomatic talks with the US over anti-American rhetoric.  There are concerns that Rouhani could face resistance from hard-liners in Tehran if his approach does not yield an easing of sanctions on Iran.

Ben Rhodes, a deputy White House national security adviser, told reporters that he still believes there is time for a diplomatic solution to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

In line with Rhodes’ view, Rouhani said in an interview with NBC that Iran would never seek to acquire nuclear weapons and he had “sufficient political latitude” to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.  Rouhani derives his new political latitude from statements by Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali- Khamenei, who said that diplomacy sometimes calls for “heroic flexibility.”

If Presidents Obama and Rouhani were to meet at the General Assembly, this would be the first time for the US and Iranian heads of state to meet face to face since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

For more information, please see:

The Washington Post – On eve of UN session, Obama finds unexpected diplomatic openings on Iran, Syria, Mideast peace – 22 September 2013

ABC News – 4 Things to Watch for at the UN General Assembly Next Week – 21 September 2013

The Guardian – White House indicates Obama could meet Iran president Rouhani at UN – 20 September 2013

Fox News – Iran’s Rowhani makes new overtures towards the West – 19 September 2013

Reuters – Analysis: Obama may extend his hand to Iran’s Rouhani at U.N. – 19 September 2013