News

Protest Spawned by Ukrainian Police-Rape Dispersed by Riot Police

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – A protest in Kiev spawned by the rape of a 29 year old woman last month was broken up by riot police last Friday.

Protestors in Kiev were dispersed by riot police on Friday after demonstrating Krashkova’s assault. (Photo courtesy of The West Australian)

Irina Krashkova, a single mother living in Vradiyevka, about 250 miles south of the capital city Kiev, implicated two police officers as her attackers last month, spawning widespread outrage over the perceived impunity of local officials and their friends.

Kiev’s city government had initially authorized the protest to occur on the city’s main square on Thursday, but after protestors erected tents to stay the night, police in riot gear arrived to remove the crowd of roughly 150 individuals. The riot police ultimately detained about ten people.

Krashkova was walking home from a bar in Vradiyevka late in June when she forced into a car by two police officers- 1st Lt. Evhen Dryzhak and Lt. Dmitry Polishchuk, and their friend. They then allegedly drove Krashkova to the woods where they beat her to the point of a fractured skull, and took turns raping her.

Krashkova immediately identified Dryzhak as the leader of the assault, but he wasn’t arrested for a week. Residents of Vradiyevka were enraged due to a history of abuse by Dryzhak and suspected an attempted cover-up, as Dryzhak was closely connected to a top regional police official. These residents then stormed the police station, believing Dryzhak sought refuge inside.

The protestors threw rocks, smashed windows and used firebombs. Dryzhak was soon arrested after the incident, and the other two individuals involved in Krashkova’s assault were detained as well.

“I am 100 percent sure that had the people not risen up, this Dryzhak guy would have come out clean, he would be investigating this very case. They would have scared [Krashkova] into keeping her mouth shut,” a local opposition activist stated.

Reports of police abuse involving both bribery as well as violence have been prevalent in Ukraine since 2010, when President Viktor Yankovych took office. Opposition politicians believe that the police impunity is a result of protection from corrupt politicians in President Yankovych’s ruling party.

“The police force is rotting. The police have become dangerous to society…The most terrible thing is that an institution that should be entirely apolitical is now political,” stated an opposition lawmaker.

President Yankovych, however, ordered a top-level inquiry into the Krashkova case last month, and the regional prosecutor and heads of the regional and town police have all since been fired.

For more information, please see:

Yahoo News – Ukraine Rape Draws Outrage Over Official Impunity – 21 July 2013

The West Australian – Ukraine Police Disperse Protest Over Rape Case – 19 July 2013

Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty – Ukrainian Police-Abuse Protests Come to the Capital – 17 July 2013

Impunity Watch – Protest to Punish Police Leads Ukrainian President to Support a New Investigation – 7 July 2013

The West Australian – Outrage in Ukraine Over Police Accused of Raping Woman – 3 July 2013

 

 

 

UAE Ruler Pardons Norwegian Rape Victim Sentenced to 16 Months in Prison in Dubai

Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Marte Deborah Dalelv, an interior designer from Norway who was given a 16 months in prison sentence after she reported to Dubai police that she was raped while in Dubai on business last March was granted a pardon by the United Arab Emirates’ prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The 24-year-old had been charged with the crimes of having extramarital sex, drinking alcohol, and perjury after she reported the attack. Her alleged attacker, who received a 13 months sentence, was also pardoned.

After receiving a longer sentence than her rapist, 24-year old rape victim is ‘pardoned’ in Dubai. (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera)

The pardon follows cries of outrage from the international community for the charges to be dropped. Her sentence has been condemned by the Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide who said that the court’s ruling “flies in the face of our notion of justice” and was “highly problematic from a human rights perspective.”  He also criticized Dubai’s legal system, which allows the victims of rapes and other violent assaults to be punished for being victimized, saying, “[i]t seems very strange that a person who reports rape is sentenced for acts which in our part of the world is not even a crime.”

The 24-year old reported the incident to police, believing she would find help. Immediately following the alleged incident, Dalelv fled the scene and asked the hotel staff at the lobby desk to contact the police. Before contacting the police, the staff asked her if she was sure she wanted to involve the police in the situation. Dalelv reportedly said, “[o]f course I want to call the police,” in dealing with the incident because that was “the natural reaction” where she is from.

While the UAI attracts large numbers of western expatriates and tourists each year because of its modern cities and lifestyle, the state maintains little-publicised conservative laws regarding sexual activity and alcohol consumption. As a result, western women, like Dalelv, encounter legal trouble when reporting their rapes to police, believing they will be treated victims instead of being treated as criminals.

In January 2010, a British woman reported that she had been raped by an employee at a Dubai hotel was charged with public intoxication and having extramarital sexual intercourse. In December 2012, a British woman who reported being gang raped by three men in Dubai was found guilty of unlicensed alcohol consumption and received a fine. And in 2008, an Australian woman was convicted of having sex outside of marriage and of drinking alcohol, receiving an 11 month sentence, after she reported to police that she had been drugged and gang-raped. Emirati women fear going to police to report sexual violence for the same reasons. Three years ago, an 18-year-old Emirati woman who reported that she had been gang-raped by six men including a police officer was sentenced to a year in prison.

Human rights groups have criticized the Gulf State’s history for criminalizing the victims of rape; Human Rights Watch has called Dubai’s record on handling rape cases, which has led to a fear of reporting rape, “shameful.”

For more information, please see:

CNN – Dubai Ruler Pardons Norwegian Woman Convicted after She Reported Rape – July 22, 2013

Los Angeles Times – Norwegian Who Reported Rape in Dubai ‘Pardoned’ But Laws Still Target Victims – July 22, 2013

Al Jazeera – UAE Pardons and Frees Norwegian Rape Victim – July 22, 2013

Al Jazeera – Expat Appeals UAE Sentence after Rape Charge – July 19, 2013

BBC – Dubai Sentences Norwegian Woman Who Reported Rape – July 19, 2013

Huffington Post – Marte Deborah Dalelv, Alleged Norwegian Rape Victim, Sentenced To 16 Months Jail In Dubai For Sex Outside Of Marriage – July 19, 2013

USA Today – Norwegian Convicted over Rape Report Issues Gulf Caution – July 19, 2013

Panama Charges North Korean Freighter Crew With Arms Trafficking

By Ellis Cortez
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

PANAMA CITY, Panama – Panamanian authorities have charged the crew members of a North Korean ship, the Chong Chon Gang, detained at the Panama Canal after it was found to be carrying weapons.

North Korean ship
A Panamanian police officer stands guard aboard the North Korean-flagged freighter Chong Chon Gang. (Photo Courtesy of Arnulfo Franco / AP)

Police authorities found a large supply of outdated Soviet-era weapons systems, and two MIG fighter jets buried beneath 200,000 bags of Cuban brown sugar. The ship’s crew, armed with what officials called sticks, tried to fend off Panamanian marines investigating whether the vessel was carrying contraband. They forcefully resisted being boarded and sabotaged the ship’s cranes to make the search and cargo movement more difficult. The captain was also reported to have attempted suicide during the confrontation.

State prosecutor Javier Caraballo accused the 35 crew members of endangering public security by attempting to traffic undeclared weapons. Caraballo also reports that the weapons trafficking charges could result in sentences of up to six years if the crew members are tried and convicted. The crew was expected to remain in detention while the Panamanian authorities finished unloading the vessel, which could take days.

The 450-foot Chong Chon Gang had been awaiting permission to cross the canal for the voyage home after a visit to Cuba. The ship was impounded on July 14th, and on July 17th North Korea asked Panama to release the ship and its crew. A statement by the North Korean Foreign Ministry asserted that the ship had been transporting the Cuban weapons to North Korea for refurbishment under a legitimate contract. The North Korean statement also criticized Panama for using what it called the pretext of searching the vessel for narcotics and for Panama’s violent treatment of the crew.

The Cuban government admitted being behind the supply of weapons found on board the ship. They said the weapons were Soviet-era arms from Cuba headed for repair and upgrading in North Korea. The Cuban foreign ministry said the Chong Chon Gang was carrying two anti-aircraft missile batteries, nine missiles in parts and spares, two MiG-21bis fighter planes and 15 MiG engines.

Panama has requested that the United Nations Security Council investigate whether there has been a breach of the sanctions against North Korea. The United Nations sanctions prohibit the supply of arms to Pyongyang in the dispute over its controversial nuclear program.

Panama’s Security Minister Jose Raul Mulino said the ship and its cargo had broken Panamanian and international law. “This is not an official or military ship belonging to the North Korean government. It’s a commercial ship which wanted to pass through the Panama canal with a [cargo] declaration which failed to reflect what it was carrying, turning a blind eye to the fact that its cargo could be violating UN resolutions,” he said.

For more information please see:

Los Angeles Times – Panama charges ‘contentious’ North Korean crew with arms trafficking – 18 July 2013

BBC – Panama charges North Korea weapons ship’s crew – 18 July 2013

New York Times – Panama Charges North Korean Freighter Crew – 18 July 2013

La Prensa – El buque norcoreano transportaba un radar de control de tiro, según Jane’s  – 17 July 2013

Gay Rights Activist Killed and Tortured in Cameroon

By Erica Smith
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

YAOUNDE, Cameroon — Eric Ohena Lembembe, a gay rights activist, was found dead in his home on July 15. Lembembe was the executive director of the Cameroonian Foundation for AIDS (CAMFAIDS), which campaigns for AIDS sufferers in the country. Lembembe was an outspoken activist for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people.

Eric Ohena Lembembe (photo courtesy of 76Crimes.com)

 

Mr. Lembembe’s body was found by his friends Monday evening after he had not answered phone for two days. His friends founds his door padlocked from the outside but could see his body laying on a bed. The police were called and the door was kicked in. According to a witness, Lembembe’s neck and feet appeared to have been broken, and his face, hands, and feet had been burned with an iron.

Mr. Lembembe was one of Cameroons most well known gay rights activists. With CAMFAIDS he worked with Human Rights Watch (HRW), Alternatives-Cameroun, and the Association for the Defense of Homosexuals (ADEFHO), in researching and launching a March 2013 HRW report on prosecutions for consensual same-sex conduct. He and CAMFAIDS also meticulously documented arrests and violence against LGBTI people in Cameroon. Lembembe was also a contributor to the blog “Erasing 76 Crimes” and authored chapters in From Wrongs to Gay Rights about LGBTI rights around the world.

Homosexuality is punishable by a 5-year prison sentence in Cameroon. When anti-LGBTI prosecutions began to increase in Cameroon starting in 2005, Lembembe was one of the first to criticize the actions and shed light onto the issue. Lambembes death comes on the heels of other human rights organizations attacks in Cameroon in recent months.

The motive for his killing his unknown at this time but it is widely believed and speculated that he was murdered because of his sexuality and his work campaigning for LGBTI rights. “We don’t know who killed Eric Lembembe, or why he was killed, but one thing is clear: the Cameroonian authorities’ utter failure to stem homophobic violence sends the message that these attacks can be carried out with impunity,” said Neela Ghoshal from Human Rights Watch. “The police should not rest until the perpetrators of this horrific crime are brought to justice. President Biya should break his silence on the wave of homophobic violence in Cameroon and publicly condemn this brutal attack.”

There is fear among human rights groups that Lembembe’s murder will not be fully investigated by the police. “The friends who found Lembembe’s body have made a statement to the police, but at this point it’s hard to tell whether the police are really investigating,” said Ghoshal.

UNAIDS and the US Department of State both issued statements condemning the murder and urging Cameroonian authorities to fully investigate the case and speak out against violent actions taken toward LGBTI people.

 

For more information, please see:

Guardian — Cameroon gay rights activist found tortured and killed — 18 July 2013

UNAIDS — UNAIDS condemns killing of AIDS activist Eric Lembembe — 17 July 2013

Voice of America — Cameroon Urged to Assure Protection Following Death of Gay Activist — 17 July 2013

Advocate — Gay Rights Activist Killed in Cameroon — 16 July 2013

Human Rights Watch — Cameroon: LGBTI Rights Activist Found Dead, Tortured — 16 July 2013

U.S. Department of State — Murder of Cameroonian LGBT and AIDS Activist Eric Ohena Lembembe — 16 July 2013

 

 

 

Mayoral Candidate’s Release Pending Appeal Makes Unclear Whether Putin Wants Navalny Put out of Political Process

By Ben Kopp
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – Anti-Putin blogger and Moscow mayoral candidate Aleksei Navalny is released from detention pending an appeal of his five-year prison sentence. Deputy Director Rachel Denber of the Europe and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch stated that she was shocked at Navalny’s sentence, but not his guilty verdict.

Aleksei Navalny and Pyotr Ofitserov released from detention, pending appeal of their embezzlement convictions. (Photo courtesy of Reuters)

Aleksei Navalny is considered a charismatic Russian blogger and anti-corruption activist who, in November 2010, claimed that an embezzlement scheme drained a state-owned oil pipeline company of $4 billion. Russian President Putin and the head of the company denied Navalny’s allegations.

In 2009, as an advisor to the Kirov Regional Governor, Navalny allegedly imposed a deal on a state-owned company, Kirovles. The resulting contract required that timber be supplied through a commercial intermediary. Navalny’s old acquaintance, Pyotr Ofitserov owned the intermediary company. Prosecutors charged Navalny and Ofitserov with embezzling over $500,000 from the state.

Although an initial investigation found Navalny not at fault, head of the Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin re-opened the case after Navalny released several documents suggesting that Bastrykin acquired a right to reside in the Czech Republic based on property unknown to Russian officials.

On 17 July 2013, Navalny became officially registered as a mayoral candidate in Moscow’s September 8 elections. The following day, a trial court found Navalny and Ofitserov guilty of embezzlement. Navalny received a five year sentence, and Ofitserov four years.

In Moscow, between 2500 and 5000 activists appeared to protest the conviction. Across Russia’s nine time zones, 25 similar rallies were reported.

Human rights activists quickly drew parallels between Navalny in Russia and Edward Snowden in the US.

“Of course, there were other cases that made that parallel obvious,” said Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central Asia director for Human Rights Watch. “On the day before Snowden met human rights groups in Moscow airport, Russia found Sergei Magnitsky guilty of tax fraud, after he died. And Magnitsky was also a whistleblower. It’s certainly a dark day today. We knew that it was going to happen, but that doesn’t prepare you for the shock of seeing him led away in handcuffs.”

However, the prosecutors who argued to place Navalny in detention soon argued to release Navalny and Ofitserov until their appeals were decided. While Navalny thanked the protestors who “forced them to release Pyotr” and himself, analysts saw the prosecutors’ change of heart more likely the result of Navalny’s mayoral candidacy, which ends if he is imprisoned.

“For now, he is still a candidate — he can campaign, his headquarters can work. Even the Moscow Election Commission has said this on the basis of the law,” explained Russian election-law expert Leonid Kirichenko. Nevertheless, if upheld, Navalny’s conviction would bar him from holding public office.

Currently, Navalny is the strongest Putin opponent, and is speculated to become a presidential candidate if elected mayor.

Absent an upheld conviction, Navalny will have difficulty showing that Putin himself wants to remove Navalny as opposition. With a conviction, such showing is a fruitless endeavor.

For further information, please see:

RadioFreeEurope Radio Liberty – Criticism of Navalny Trial Pours in from Russia, West – July 20, 2013

Bloomberg BusinessWeek – Putin Foe Navalny Vows Battle for Power on Return to Moscow – July 20, 2013

CNN International – What’s Behind Conviction of Russian Opposition Activist Aleksei Navalny? – July 20, 2013

Reuters – Navalny Embodies Generation of Rebellious Russians – July 20, 2013

RadioFreeEurope Radio Liberty – News Analysis: Twists in Navalny Case Leave Heads Spinning – July 19, 2013

Huffington Post UK – Alexei Navalny Jailed: Fury in Moscow as Demonstrators Protest Five-Year Sentence – July 18, 2013

RadioFreeEurope Radio Liberty – Explainer: What Comes Next for Aleksei Navalny? – July 18, 2013

Telegraph – Anger as Russian Activist Aleksei Navalny is Sentenced to Five Years – July 18, 2013