News

Mexican Authorities Arrest Members of Rival Drug Cartels

By Brandon Cottrell
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MEXICO CITY, Mexico  – Over the weekend Mexican authorities arrested two members of competing drug cartels.  Mario Nunez, member of the Sinaola drug cartel, was arrested on Friday for the murders of 350 people in 2011.  Alberto Carrillo, member of the Juarez drug cartel, was arrested today for drug trafficking, murder, and money laundering.  Neither Nunez nor Carrillo resisted arrest.

Mario Nunez, of the Sinaola drug cartel, was arrested over the weekend for the murders of 350 people in 2011. (Photo Courtesy MSN News).

Carrillo’s Juarez drug cartel is considered by many as one of the most powerful and violent cartels in Mexico.  As of late, however, the Juarez cartel has lost some of its drug routes to Nunez’s Sinaola cartel.  The rivalry between the cartels has contributed to the drug war in northern Mexico, where large fields of marijuana and heroin-producing poppies are located.  The drug war there has left thousands of people dead over the past few years and minimal arrests have been made in those murders.

Eduardo Sanchez, a federal security spokesman, said that “Nunez played a key role in the wave of violence that has plagued northern [Mexico] . . . and is likely responsible for the murder of more than 350 people found in 23 clandestine graves.”  Authorities believe that Nunez also hired hitmen to carry out some of the killings, which included mutilations and decapitations of the victims.

Nunez, who could face up to 40 years in prison in Mexico, is also wanted in the United States on drug trafficking charges.  It is not clear, however, if the United States will send an extradition request for him.

Over the past six years, over seventy-thousand people have died as a result of drug-related violence in Mexico, with many of the victims being civilians.  However, Carrillo’s arrest marks the third high-profile drug cartel arrest this year as authorities have intensified their campaign against the cartels.

Additionally, with Nunez’s arrest Mexican authorities have captured 63 of Mexico’s 122 most wanted and dangerous criminals.  Many of those arrests can be attributed to President Pena Nieto’s promise to tame the cartels and restore order.  However, nearly half of the Mexicans questioned in a recent poll believe that drug violence has worsened since Nieto took office in December and an another third believe that Mexico is less safe as a result of Nieto’s strategies.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC – Juarez Cartel Boss Alberto Carrillo Caught in Mexico – 2 September 2013

Daily Mail – Drug Cartel Leader Nicknamed ‘Ugly Betty’ is Captured in Latest Round of High Profile Arrests by Mexican Police – 2 September 2013

Fox News – Mexico Captures Suspected Leader Of Juarez Drug Cartel – 2 September 2013

Global Post – Mexico Detains Cartel Operator Mario Nunez Meza Tied to 350 Murders – 30 August 2013

International Business Times – Mexican Drug Lord Mario Nunez Arrested for 350 Murders – 30 August 2013

Dutch-Born Former Nazi Officer Due in Court for Murdering POW in WWII

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

Former SS officer Siert Bruins, accused of murdering a Dutch resistance fighter over 70 years ago, is set to appear in court on Monday in Hagen, Germany.

Bruins is due in German court on Monday. (Photo courtesy of BBC News)

Bruins, now 92 years old, is charged with the murder of Aldert Klaas Dijkema back in September 1944, while Bruins was stationed at the Dutch-German border. Bruins could face life imprisonment if he is found guilty of the murder.

Bruins, originally from Groningen in the north-east of the Netherlands, is one of the last suspected Nazi criminals to be detained in Germany.

Another former SS officer, Heinrich Boere, was convicted of murdering three Dutch civilians during World War II back in 2010.

Bruins is accused of shooting POW Aldert Klaas Dijkema four times in the back, in September 1944 in the Appingedam area east of Groningen. Bruins has admitted being present at the scene of the murder, but denies being the triggerman to the shooting. He contends that he was marching alongside Dijkema when the shots occurred. An alleged accomplice to the murder has recently died.

“I was marching at the prisoner’s side. Suddenly I heard a shot and he fell,” Bruins has stated.

Bruins was one of roughly 30,000 Dutch citizens who worked with the Nazis during the German occupation of the Netherlands.

After the collapse of the Third Reich, Bruins was sentenced to death by the Netherlands in April 1949 for participating in this murder, as well as two other shootings, and the sentence was converted to life imprisonment. However, Bruins had become a German citizen, as Germany conferred German nationality on all foreigners who aided the Nazis during World War II. Accordingly, Dutch authorities failed to detain Bruins because he fled to Germany, as Germany does not extradite its nationals.

Bruins was, however, detained by the German authorities and sentenced to seven years in prison in February 1980 for the murder of two Jewish brothers in Delfzijl in the Netherlands in April 1945.

For more information, please see:

The China Post – Former SS Officer to Stand Trial in Germany – 2 September 2013

BBC News – Nazi Murder Trial: Ex-SS Man Siert Bruins Due in German Court – 1 September 2013

The Gulf Today – Former SS Officer, 92, to Stand Trial in Germany – 1 September 2013

Huffington Post – Siert Bruins, German Man, Charged With Nazi War Crimes – 1 September 2013

 

President Obama Seeks Congressional Authorization to Intervene in Syria

by Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – President Obama announced plans on Saturday to delay military action against Syria, opting to ask Congress to authorize strikes against Syrian chemical weapon depots.  This announcement came days after the United States accused the Assad regime of using sarin gas to kill 1400 of its own civilians.

President Obama spoke from the White House rose garden Saturday, calling on Congress to pass an authorization for the use of military force. (Photo courtesy of The Washington Post)

After laying out evidence that Bashar al-Assad’s forces were responsible for the August 21 attack in Damascus, President Obama explained that a strike against Syria’s chemical weapons depots, while important, is not time sensitive.  President Obama then surprised his advisers on the President’s National Security Council by asking for Congressional approval to make limited strikes to Syrian military targets.

The President explained that he believes a military response is necessary to demonstrate the consequences of ignoring international treaties banning the use of chemical weapons.  He noted that any military action in Syria would not involve “boots on the ground” or a prolonged occupation.

Reactions to President Obama’s decision were mixed.  Secretary of State John Kerry praised the President’s willingness to consult the People’s Representatives, calling his decision “courageous.”  While appearing on “Fox News Sunday” Kerry warned that the President would not wait for Congressional approval if there was evidence of further chemical weapon attacks.

President Obama stated that members of both parties in Congress have agreed to schedule a debate and vote as soon as Congress comes back into session September 9. Some members of Congress praise the President for seeking their authorization for military force.

Presidents are not required to seek Congressional approval for limited military interventions under the War Powers Act.

Political analysts speculate that shifting the decision to Congress allows the President to walk back statements he made to Assad last year. President Obama told Assad last year that the use of chemical weapons would be the “red line” by which the United States would be forced to intervene.

For more information, please see:

The Washington Post – Obama says U.S. will take military action against Syria, pending Congress’s approval – 31 August 2013

CBS News – Obama seeks Syria strike with Congress’ approval – 31 August 2013

The New York Times – Kerry Casts Obama’s Syria Decision as ‘Courageous’ – 1 September 2013

USA Today – Obama surprised staff with decision on Syria – 1 September 2013

CNN – ‘War-weary’ Obama says Syria chemical attack requires response – 30 August 2013

Amidst Death of Self-Proclaimed Roma King, Roma People Remain Repressed

By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BRUSSELS, European Union – Self-appointed Roma king Florin Cioaba’s funeral held thousands of people in the Romanian city of Sibiu less than a week after his death by heart attack on 18 August 2013. Throughout Europe, the Roma people continued to seek basic human rights, including shelter and safety.

Murders of Roma people to receive new investigations in Hungary. (Photo courtesy of Deutsche Welle)

In 1997, Cioaba became the self-proclaimed Roma king following the death of his father, who previously held the title. Popular among the Roma community, Cioaba supported modernization and education.

At Cioaba’s death, an estimated 10 million Roma people lived across Europe, with about two million struggling with prejudice, poverty, and illiteracy in Romania. In addition to being one of Europe’s oldest minorities, the Council of Europe has declared that the Roma are also Europe’s most discriminated against minority.

“We have seen a deeply worrying trend over the past year with entrenched discrimination against Roma reaching new heights. This is a fundamental issue that the Czech authorities can’t ignore,” said John Dalhuisen, Europe and Central Asia Program Director for Amnesty International.

On 27 August 2013, French authorities forced the eviction of 150 Roma people in a manner that Amnesty International claims is against international laws requiring “appropriate procedural protections”, “adequate alternative accommodation”, and compensation for relocated residents.

Since the open of 2013, the Czech Republic has experienced a surge of neo-Nazi activity, including anti-Roma marches and demonstrations. “The marches [are] on the increase, and people are afraid,” said David Tiser, the director of a Prague NGO. “These are not just marches by extremists. Regular citizens are joining in as well. And this is what is dangerous. This is why the foreign media are interested.”

On 24 August 2013, at least 1500 people marched through several Czech communities. In some locations, police arrested demonstrators and confiscated wooden stakes, baseball bats, and machetes. To instill fear in the Roma community, many marchers shouted, “Gypsies to the gas chambers.”

In Hungary, human rights activists and lawyers convinced officials recently to re-open a 2008-2009 series of murders against the Roma community. Throughout both years, right-wing extremists carried out nine arson attacks that resulted in six deaths and fifty-five injuries. At least one suspect remains free. Particularly, authorities will place focus on initial “failures and potential wrongdoing” by investigators. While police investigators overlooked serious suspect possibilities and may have been involved in evidence destruction, Hungarian prosecutors are also looking to military personnel who may have helped facilitate the attacks.

Every ethnicity deserves the dignity and respect granted under international human rights law, and once provided to the Roma, Cioaba’s hopes for greater modernization and education will become reality.

For further information, please see:

Deutsche Welle – Czech Neo-Nazi Marches Target Roma – August 30, 2013

Amnesty International – French Authorities Forcibly Evict 150 People, Including 60 Children – August 27, 2013

Deutsche Welle – New Investigations, Compensation for Roma Murders in Hungary – August 27, 2013

BBC News – Czech Anti-Roma Protests End in Arrests – August 24, 2013

AFP – Romania’s ‘King of Gypsies’ Buried – August 23, 2013

Reuters – Thousands Gather in Romania for Roma King’s Funeral– August 23, 2013

As Violence in Central African Republic Escalates Refugees Flee to Airport

By Erica Smith
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

BANGUI, Central African Republic – More than 5,000 people, mostly women and children, have sought refuge in the main airport of Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), after increased violence in the neighborhoods of  Boy-Rabe and Boeing. The refugees have blocked runways and flights have been diverted to neighboring Cameroon.

Refugees standing by a French armored personnel carrier at the airport in Bangui. (Photo Courtesy of Voice of America)


               The CAR has become increasingly unstable since Seleka rebels ousted President Francois Bozize in March. The new president and former rebel leader Michel Djotodia has so far been unable to stop rebel fighters from killing and looting citizens.

                The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees has issued a statement calling for Djotodia and the government to restore order in the country. “We urge the authorities to use all means to stop attacks against civilians, restore security and protect the population,” said Liz Ahua, the deputy director of UNHCR’s Bureau for Africa.

                The UNHCR has reported that over the past ten days people have been subjected to arbitrary arrests, detention, torture, extortion, armed robberies, physical violence, restriction of movement, and looting. These actions have killed 10 so far in addition to numerous people killed outside the capital city by marauding rebel fighters.

                Many of the refugees inhabiting the airport are there not only for safety provided by peacekeepers but to protest the situation in their country. Residents of Boy-Rabe and Boeing say they have stayed at the airport to protest the lawlessness that has run rampant since March. “Our presence here at the airport has one goal – to get the world’s attention. Because we are fed up with these Seleka,” said Antoine Gazama told Aljazeera.

The African Union is deploying a 3,600 person peacekeeping mission in the CAR, incorporating a force of 1,100 soldiers already present in the country. French President Francois Hollande has called on the UN Security Council and the African Union to work to stabilize the CAR, warning that the country is at risk of completely collapsing. The CAR was at one point a French colony.

There are already more than 206,000 internally displaced persons in the CAR before the recent unrest and some 63,000 people have fled to neighboring countries. The fighting has eroded the humanitarian situation in the CAR, even the most basic services have been interrupted, affecting the entire population of 4.6 million people, half of whom are children.

For further information, please see:

Thomson Reuters — Former rebels sow terror in Central Africa Republic – residents — 30 August 2013

Voice of America — UN Agencies See Security Deterioration in CAR — 30 August 2013

Aljazeera — CAR protesters occupy Bangui airport — 29 August 2013

All Africa — Central African Republic: Thousands Take Refuge At Airport — 29 August 2013

All Africa — Central African Republic: Violence Displacing Bangui Residents — 29 August 2013

All Africa — Central African Republic: Amid Renewed Fighting UN Refugee Urges CAR to Protect Civilians — 29 August 2013