News

British High Court Denies Right-to-Die Appeal

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

LONDON, England – A British Court of Appeal upheld a ruling on Wednesday that the country’s law on assisted suicide cannot be changed by the courts, which quashed an appeal by a paralyzed man named Paul Lamb, and the family of the late Tony Nicklinson.

Paul Lamb exits the High Court in London on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Yahoo News)

The Lord Chief Justice, sitting with the Master of the Rolls Lord Dyson and Lord Justice Elias, affirming a High Court ruling, rejected the Nicklinsons’ and Mr. Lamb’s right-to-die challenges.

The Lord Chief Justice stated Parliament represented the “conscience of the nation” as applied to life and death matters, such as capital punishment and abortion.

The late Tony Nicklinson suffered from locked-in syndrome, where an individual is aware and awake but is paralyzed and cannot communicate. Mr. Nicklinson passed away in 2012 after refusing food following the initial High Court decision to reject his right-to-die claim

“We will carry on with the case for as long as we can so that others who find themselves in a position similar to Tony don’t have to suffer as he did. Nobody deserves such cruelty,” stated Nicklinson’s widow, Jane.

Paul Lamb, 57, who has been paralyzed from the neck down after a car accident 23 years ago, joined the right-to-die cause shortly after Nicklinson’s death. Lamb stated he is in constant pain, and has to be injected with drugs, including morphine, on a consistent basis due to his spinal injuries.

“I was hoping for a humane and dignified end- this judgment does not give me that,” Lamb stated.

Lamb and the Nicklinson family stated they will now take their case to Britain’s Supreme Court, and the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.

“I am doing this for myself as and when I need it. I’m doing it for thousands of other people living what can only be described as hell. Many of them have been getting in touch with me begging me to continue this fight. The more it goes on the stronger I am getting,” Lamb stated.

As the law stands currently in Britain, anyone who aids another individual in killing themselves commits an offense of assisted suicide, while a person who carries out euthanasia commits murder.

In a separate case on Wednesday, however, the Judges ruled that another locked-in syndrome sufferer should be allowed to take his case to the Supreme Court. The man is seeking clarification of whether a medical professional would face trial if they helped him travel abroad to a Swiss suicide clinic.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Right-to-Die Campaigners Nicklinson and Lamb Lose Battle – 31 July 2013

The Independent – Barbaric and Inhumane: Paralyzed Man Paul Lamb Hit Back After Judges Dismiss His Right to Die Appeal – 31 July 2013

The Telegraph – Right-to-Die: Laws Must Clarify Whether Doctors Can Aid Euthanasia – 31 July 2013

Yahoo News – British Court Dismisses Landmark Right-to-Die Appeal – 31 July 2013

 

 

Wave of Deadly Car Bombs Targeting Shia Neighbourhoods Have Killed Dozens in Iraq Highlighting Rising Sectarian Tensions in the Country

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq – A recent wave of car bombs left at least 51 people dead and more than 200 wounded in mostly-Shia neighborhoods in cities across Iraq after 18 car bombs were detonated on Monday.

Recent civilian deaths approach 2008 levels. (Photo courtesy of BBC News)

The majority of the attacks were carried out in Baghdad, the nation’s capital. Explosives were also detonated in the cities of Kut, Basra, Tikrit, Smawa and Muthanna Providence. The attacks targeted Shia communities and populated centers including a hospital, a bus station, a restaurant and several markets.

Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki has tightened security in the nation’s capital in response to fears that more bombs have yet to be detonated. There were long lines at checkpoints in Baghdad as the security services searched vehicles for explosives.

While there has been no immediate claim of responsibility for Monday’s attacks, they have largely been seen as an attempt to widen the gap between Iraq’s Shia and Sunni communities. The Iraq Interior Ministry has placed blame on Al-Qaida and accused the terror organization of trying to widen the rift between Sunnis and Shiites. Following the attacks, the United Nations envoy to Iraq, Gyorgy Busztin called for an end to the senseless bloodshed because the violence could push Iraq back into a sectarian war, saying, “Iraq is bleeding from random violence, which sadly reached record heights during the holy month of Ramadan.”

According to the United Nations, more than 2,500 Iraqis have been killed in attacks since April of this year, the surge in violence marks the highest level of violence since U.S. military forces pulled out of Iraq in 2011.

The surge in violence since April followed a violent crackdown by Iraqi security forces on a Sunni protest camp which left more than 40 civilians dead. Sunnis across the country have protested the Shia led government of Prime Minister Nouri Kamal al-Maliki, claiming an unfair distribution of power and discrimination against the Sunni minority. Under the regime of Saddam Hussein, the country was under the control of the Sunni minority until the U.S. led invasion of Iraq in 2003. While the violence level in Iraq remains below the peak levels it reached during the height of the insurgency in 2006 and 2007 violence remains at its highest levels since 2008, bombings remain common and at least 700 people are believed to have been killed in July.

The recent surge in violence has largely been under-covered by American media outlets, likely as a result of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region. However, The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad condemned the attacks, saying that United States “stands firmly with Iraq in its fight against terrorism.”

For further information please see:

Al-Jazeera – Deadly Wave of Car Bombs Strikes Iraq – 29 July 2013

Associated Press – Wave of Car Bombings in Iraq Kills at Least 58 – 29 July 2013

BBC News – Iraq Violence: Wave of Beadly Car Bombs Targets Shias – 29 July 2013

The Guardian – Baghdad Car Bombs Kill Dozens – 29 July 2013

Suicide Bomber Attacks Turkish Mission

By Danielle L. Gwozdz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia – A car loaded with explosives drove into an office housing Turkish embassy staff in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, killing three people and injuring nine.

An injured Turkish nationalist is carried out on a stretcher (photo courtesy of Reuters)

Al-Shabaab, the Somali Islamist group, claims it carried out the attack on its Twitter feed.

“Mujahideen forced in Mogadishu have just carried out an operation targeting a group of Turkish diplomats in Hodan district,” al-Shabaab posted.

Al-Shabaab state they targeted Turkey because of their support for the Somali government and wanted to stop the establishment of Sharia.  This has not been the first time this group has targeted Turkish institutions.

A diplomat in Istanbul told AFP that the Turkish guards were able to kill two of the attackers before a third was able to detonate his vehicle.

One Turkish security officer was killed when the mission’s guards clashed with the attackers as they tried to enter the complex, one Turkish government official told Reuters.

“Turkey is very active in Somalia and when you are very active you become a target quite easily,” the diplomat told AFP.

Somalia’s government is being backed by international aid aimed at preventing al Qaeda-linked militants from entering in east Africa.

Turkey has given Somalia more than $400 million in aid since 2011 in an effort to help Somalia, most of the money coming from private companies.

These Al Qaeda-linked Shebaab insurgents have carried out multiple bombings and attacks that have ended in many deaths in an attempt to overthrow the internationally backed government.

Later this same day, unknown insurgents carried a bomb into a nearby hotel in central Mogadishu killing two people and wounding around ten.

In June this group attacked a main UN compound in Somalia’s capital, killing 22.

“All the Mujahideen who carried out the operation have returned safely back to their bases inside Mogadishu, preparing for the next operation,” al-Shebaab also stated on its Twitter feed.

“This cowardly act will not shake our commitment to continue working for the brighter, more democratic and prosperous future the people of Somalia deserve,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

 

For more information, please visit:

 

The Peninsula — Attack on Turkey mission in Somalia kills three — 28 July 2013

The Times of India — Suicide attack on Mogadishu Turkish compound kills two — 28 July 2013

Reuters — UPDATE 4-Al Shabaab claim attack on Turkish mission in Somalia, three dead — 28 July 2013

The Jerusalem Post — Car bomb hits Turkish staff building in Somali capital, 3 dead — 27 July 2013

BBC News — Deadly bomb hits Turkish target in Mogadishu — 27 July 2013

Yahoo! News — Suicide attack on Mogadishu Turkish compound kills two — 27 July 2013

 

M23 Rebels in Democratic Republic of the Congo Accused of Human Rights Violations

By Erica Smith
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo — A new Human Rights Watch report detailing recent abuses carried out by the rebel group M23 in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has been released.

An M23 camp commander inspects new recruits during a training session in eastern Congo in May. (Photo Courtesy of CBC)

According to the report, the group has executed at least 44 people and raped at least 61 women since March. It is believed that the instances of rape may be higher than reported because of social stigma surrounding rape.  Women are also often threatened with reprisal if they report the crime or seek medical attention.

The report also details the coercive recruiting tactics of M23 in Congo and Rwanda, often young men in Rwanda are promised jobs in the Congo only to end up forced into the militia.  One man was killed for refusing to turn over his sons to the group.

The Rwandan military has been accused of directly supporting M23. Rwandan army officers have been sighted at M23 bases training new recruits and actively participating in recruitment efforts in Rwanda. Former M23 members reported seeing weapons, ammunition, food, and phone credit delivered from the Rwandan army.

“Not only is Rwanda allowing its territory to be used by the abusive M23 to get recruits and equipment, but the Rwandan military is still directly supporting the M23,” said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “This support is sustaining an armed group responsible for numerous killings, rapes and other serious abuses.”

The report came a day before the US Department of State called on Rwanda to stop supporting M23 and other rebel groups in the Congo.  The State Department also urged the Rwandan government to follow through on its commitments to a peace and security cooperation agreement signed by regional governments in the beginning of the year.

The U.N. has also previously accused Rwanda of supporting rebel groups in Congo.  An expert panel at the UN reported in June that Rwanda’s support for M23 had declined in recent months.  Human Rights Watch contends that the support coming from the Rwandan army is still significant. “It does appear the support is more limited than it was last year, but what we have documented in terms of support is still quite significant,” said researcher and report author Ida Sawyer.

M23 spokesman Kabasha Amani called the report very partisan and based on rumor. “It’s not a report, these are just rumors,” Amani said. “We have grown used to this. It isn’t the first time they’ve said these things.”

On Friday the Congolese government issued international arrest warrants for four former members of M23.  The warrants are for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and torture.

 

For further information, please see:

AFP — DR Congo issues warrants for Rwanda-based rebels — 26 July 2013

San Fransisco Chronicle — Congo issues warrants for former M23 rebel leaders — 26 July 2013

CBC News — Rwandan arms, fighters still sustaining M23 rebel forces in Congo — 23 July 2013

International Business Times — M23 Rebel’s Reign of Terror, Rape and Murder in DR Congo ‘Aided by Rwanda’ — 23 July 2013.

Voice of America — Human Rights Watch: M23 Abuses Continue — 23 July 2013

Voice of America — US Presses Rwanda to End Support for M23 Rebels — 23 July 2013

Human Rights Watch — DR Congo: M23 Rebels Kill, Rape Civilians — 22 July 2013

 

INTERPOL REJECTS RUSSIA’S SECOND REQUEST TO ARREST WILLIAM BROWDER

Press Release

26 July 2013 – Today, the General Secretariat of Interpol has announced that Interpol cannot be used by the Russian Federation to arrest William Browder, who is running a global justice campaign to sanction Russian officials responsible for the torture and murder of 37-year old lawyer Sergei Magnitsky.

“INTERPOL cannot be used by the Russian Federation to seek the arrest of Mr William Browder,” said Interpol’s General Secretariat in the official announcement posted on its website (http://www.interpol.int/News-and-media/News-media-releases/2013/N20130726).

The public statement from Interpol came a day after the Russian Interior Ministry announced that it had sent a request to Interpol to search for Mr Browder on orders from the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office. The news of the Russian authorities targeting Mr Browder with one more international search warrant was covered by 139 news outlets in several hours since its release.

This morning Interpol’s General Secretariat refused the Russian Federation’s request to search for and arrest Mr Browder in order to extradite him back to Russia because the Russian proceedings in relation to Mr Browder have already been found by the Interpol’s governing bodies to be “of a predominantly political nature” and “contrary to INTERPOL’s rules and regulations” following a review held in May 2013 by the Interpol’s Commission for the Control of Files. In accordance with the Commission’s recommendation, the General Secretariat of Interpol has deleted all information related to the Russian request concerning Mr Browder from its information systems.

“All information related to this request for Mr Browder’s arrest has been deleted from INTERPOL’s databases and all INTERPOL member countries have been informed accordingly,” said Interpol’s General Secretariat in its official statement.

“It is remarkable that Putin has become so desperate to persecute whistleblowers that he is ready to humiliate himself and Russia in front of key international organizations. The fast response from INTERPOL in this case is an indication that it has put in place effective systems to protect themselves from Putin’s attemtps to draw them into his own corrupt political vendettas”,said a Hermitage Capital representative.

For further information, please see:

Law and Order in Russia