News

Kenyan Police Accused of Abusing Somali Refugees in Nairobi

By Erica Smith
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

NAIROBI, Kenya — A new 68-page report from Human Rights Watch alleges that some 1,000 Somali refugees have been abused and arbitrarily detained by Kenyan police over the course of 10 weeks. The police abuse is believed to be retaliation for grenade attacks carried out in a mainly Somali section of Nairobi.

Ubah Abdi Warsame in her Nairobi apartment. (Photo courtesy of Aljazeera)

The police raids were carried out in accordance with a government plan to relocate Somali refugees from Eastleigh, or “Little Mogadishu”, to a large refugee camp outside of the city. Kenyan officials believe that moving the refugees will improve national security in the wake of attacks that are believed to have been carried out by Somalis.

Somalis report that police ransacked their homes, carried out beatings, and demanded cash payment. Seven women are believed to have been raped by the police and the refugees were repeatedly called ‘terrorists’.

Ubah Abdi Warsame, a 32 year-old mother of five, told Aljazeera that she was beaten by the police and then detained in squalid conditions for eight hours until a friend could pay the $60 bribe to get her released. “We’d got used to hassle from the police and paying small bribes,” Warsame, 32, said. “But when they started searching houses, beating Somalis and taking them to the cells, it was quite terrifying. I have nightmares because of the beatings I got from police.”

The police refute the allegations contained in the report. Police spokesman Masood Mwinyi told Sabahi that “The allegations by the refugees against [police] who protect them are total lies and unbelievable… It can never be that our way of operation is through torture, rape, extortion, arbitrary arrests and detentions. Our orders and policy is to protect everyone within our borders irrespective of social standing. If we were that bad as the report puts it, then I doubt we would be the largest hosts of refugees worldwide.” The police are to release a more comprehensive statement in the coming days.

Police in Kenya have a history of human rights and impunity issues that instigated police reform in 2010. Before the reforms the president had the power to hire and fire police chiefs which often lead to the harassment of political enemies and dissenters. A culture of corruption and bribe taking still exist as police officers are often underpaid, live in poor conditions, and are under-equipped and understaffed.

 

For more information, please see:

Washington Post — Kenya police accused of abuse, torture, rape of Somali refugees after terror attacks — 29 May 2013

Aljazeera —  ’10 weeks of hell’ for Somalis in Kenya — 29 May 2013

Sahabi — Kenyan police deny abuse allegations, watchdog agency to weigh in — 31 May 2013

Human Rights Watch — Kenya: Police Abuse Nairobi’s Refugees — 29 May 2013

Human Rights Watch — “You Are All Terrorists” — 30 May 2013

#OccupyGezi Protesters Defy Bulldozers and Teargas in the Fight to Save Istanbul’s Last Public Green Space

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East Desk

ISTANBUL, Turkey — Turkish authorities detained at least sixty people Friday in relation to protests against the policies of Turkish Prime Minister Recap Tayyip Erdogan. Demonstrations have broken out in several cities including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Bodrum.

Turkish police use teargas and water cannons against peaceful demonstrators in Taksim Square, Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo Courtesy of Aljazeera)

Nationwide protests have occurred since May 28, when activists organized peaceful demonstrations against the proposed demolition of Gezi Park on Taksim Square in Istanbul. Considered the city’s last public green space, the park would be demolished to make way for a development project that would include the construction of a replica of historic military barracks built by the Ottoman Empire. A commercial shopping center would also be built on the property.

Protesters argue that the development plan is not part of a historic preservation project, but rather an excuse to build more malls and commercial shopping complexes in the heart of Istanbul.

Protesters used social media to spread awareness about the proposed destruction of the park as well as organize peaceful demonstrations. On May 28,protesters began setting up tents and sleeping bags to prevent bulldozers from entering the park. Even after authorities cleared the park by using teargas, protesters continued to gather in the park.

On Friday, the term #OccupyGezi was tweeted more than 160,000 times. Several protesters chose to Tweet in English to raise international awareness about the protests and the actions of the Turkish police.

As news of the police reaction to the peaceful demonstration spread though social media and other outlets, demonstrations broke out in other cities across the country. Many people saw the proposed demolition of Gezi Park, and the reaction of the authorities to the demonstrations, as an example of what they claim are the increasing authoritarian policies of Prime Minister Erdogan, who assumed office in 2003.

Many people across Turkey have grown increasingly frustrated with Erdogan’s authoritarian policies, including a law that would ban vendors from selling liquor between 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. The people also show frustration over Erdogan’s policies toward the conflict in Syria.

According to Architecture Historian Ugur Tanyeli, Istanbul is “starved for green space.” Tanyeli argues that it is difficult to see this project as a legitimate historical preservation project because we do not know exactly how the Ottoman Empire barracks would have looked. Like many Turks, Tanyeli sees the project as another example of Erdogan’s authoritarian policies: “the real problem is not Taksim, and not the park, but the lack of any form of democratic decision-making process and the utter lack of consensus. We now have a prime minister who does whatever he wants.”

In response to the increased awareness of the protests and the project, a district court has agreed to hear the arguments against the rebuilding of historic barracks and shopping center, and has called for the project to be put on hold.

For further information, please see:

Aljazeera — Protestors #OccupyGezi to Save Istanbul Park — 31 May 2013

Aljazeera — Turkey Arrests Anti-Government Protestors — 31 May 2013

CNN International — Report: Court to Hear Case at Center of Istanbul Protests — 31 May 2013

The Guardian — Turkey Protesters in Violent Clashes with Police over Park Demolition — 31 May 2013

For real-time developments, follow #OccupyGezi on Twitter

Seven Policemen Injured in Bahrain Bomb Attack; 10 Suspects Arrested

By Joe Murphy
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain – Seven on-duty policemen were injured Wednesday night when a homemade bomb was remotely detonated just outside Bahrain’s capital of Manama. All seven policemen were taken to the hospital for treatment with one in critical condition and two others moderately injured according to Colonel Ibrahim Al Sheeb, General Director of Northern Province Police Department.  He condemned the attacked and praised the policemen for their bravery.

A police tear gas gun damaged in Wednesday’s bombing. (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)

 

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior also condemned the bomb attack and deemed it a “terrorist act.” The Ministry of Interior’s twitter account reported in two separate posts that a total of ten suspects had been arrested for suspected involvement in the bombing. The posts also stated that the investigation and search for suspects was continuing.

This incident is one of the more severe of its kind in a country which frequently sees protesters, mostly Shi’ite, clash with police and the country’s Sunni rulers. Shi’ite protesters have been pushing for democratic reform and more involvement in government since February 2011 when large scale protests broke out. However, the controlling Sunni government has moved powerfully and swiftly to squash any substantial revolts. At least sixty people including six policemen have been killed in the conflict since the uprising began over two years ago.

The police have accused the “terrorists” of specifically targeting on-duty policemen and increasing their use of homemade explosives since April 2012. Youths around Manama regularly attack police with Molotov cocktails and police respond with stun grenades, tear gas, and bird shot. However, the Shi’ite opposition has frequently accused the police of using excessive force against protesters.

It is evident that tensions are on the rise and the conflict is intensifying after the events of the last few weeks. The attack comes on the heels of the peaceful sit-in last Friday by hundreds of Shi’ite protesters that turned violent after government security forces raided a senior Shi’ite cleric’s home. Shi’ite protesters claim that the raid was in retaliation after the cleric met with U.S. officials. U.S. Ambassador Thomas Krajeski condemned the attack, stressing that dialogue is the only path to reconciliation.

“We strongly condemn this attack on police and extend our deepest sympathies to all those injured. All violence is completely unacceptable and unhelpful in efforts to rebuild trust and pursue meaningful reconciliation in Bahrain,” he said in a statement posted on the embassy’s website.

For further information, please see:

Albawaba News – Bahrain bomb attack injures seven policemen – 30 May 2013

BBC – Bahrain police hurt in explosion near Manama – 30 May 2013

Huffington Post – Bahrain ‘terrorist’ injures 7 policemen; 3 suspects arrested – 30 May 2013

News – ‘Terrorist’ bomb wounds Bahrain policemen – 30 May 2013

Reuters – Bomb injures seven policemen in Bahrain – 30 May 2013

Guatemalan High Court Overturns Rios Montt’s Genocide Conviction

By Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

 

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala – The trial of former Guatemalan dictator General Efrain Rios Montt took a surprising turn on Monday when the Constitutional Court overturned Montt’s 80-year sentence for genocide. Citing illegal proceedings at the trial level, the Constitutional Court struck all proceedings in the trial subsequent to April 19.

Rios Montt’s time as dictator of Guatemala is believed to be the most violent period of the Guatemalan Civil War. (Photo Courtesy of BBC News)

Trial judges dismissed Rios Montt’s attorney, Francisco Garcia, multiple times throughout the trial for attempting to have the judges recused “for bias”. The Constitutional Court noted that the trial should have been suspended to hear appeals rather than delaying them until after a conviction. Following the Court’s decision, Rios Montt’s attorney told a Washington Post reporter that he would be seeking his client’s freedom on Tuesday.

Rios Montt was on trial for the deaths of 1,771 Ixil Mayans during his 18-month rule as dictator from 1982-83. He originally gained power after a military coup during the 36-year Guatemalan Civil War. Over 100 witnesses came forward to testify at trial about rapes, killing of women and children, and other human rights violations committed by government forces during the period when Rios Montt was in power. The Civil War is estimated to have resulted in more than 200,000 deaths and over a million refugees. However, Rios Montt’s time in power is believed to have been the most violent of the War.

Rios Montt’s conviction marked the first time in history that a head of state was tried and convicted of genocide in a domestic court. His trial was met with heavy opposition from the Foundation Against Terrorism and the Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial and Financial Associations (CACIF). Both groups ran advertisements denouncing both the trial and it supporters. The Foundation also brought hundreds of supporters from the Ixil region, including former military and indigenous people, to protest the trial.

Mario Polancko, director of a Guatemalan human rights group, told CNN that the Constitutional Court’s decision had “served the interests of those in power, and when it is one of the representatives of those in power who is on trial, they will resort to any means.” Polancko added, “I think there has been an abuse in the interpretation of the law.”

The Constitutional Court’s ruling does not signal the end of Rios Montt’s legal battle, however. The Court’s Secretary, Martin Guzman, told the Washington Post that the trial must be rolled back to April 19 to address the numerous appeals. Both sides will now have to return to court to redo the final weeks of the trial.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Guatemala annuls Rios Montt’s genocide conviction – 21 May 2013

CNN – Guatemala genocide conviction overturned – 21 May 2013

The Washington Post – Guatemala’s top court overturns genocide conviction of former leader Efrain Rios Montt – 21 May 2013

Al Jazeera – Guatemala: Rios Montt genocide trial ends with historic verdict – 15 May 2013

French Soldier’s Stabbing Believed to be Act of Terrorism

by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France – A French soldier was stabbed while on patrol in La Defense, a business district west of Paris, on Saturday. Private First Class Cedric Cordier, 23, was approached from behind and stabbed in the neck with a small-bladed knife.

23-year-old Cordier was stabbed while on duty on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of The Local)

The suspect, described as being a bearded, athletically-built man of North African origin, was captured on security cameras before fleeing into a crowded shopping area and evading detention by police and the other patrolling-soldier.

Reports indicate that the suspect was seen “praying” before the knife attack, increasing fears that the attack was an act of terrorism.

French Interior Minister Manuel Valls told reporters, “…there are components which could lead you to think we’re dealing with an act of terrorism.”

Last Wednesday, a British soldier was killed on a London street by two men allegedly acting out of revenge for violence against Muslims.

Valls told reporters that, “there are elements- the sudden violence of the attack- that could lead one to believe there might be a comparison with what happened in London…But at this point, honestly, let us be prudent.”

Similarly, French President Francois Hollande said there was no sign of a direct link with the London killing, but that authorities are “exploring all options.”

France is on high alert for attacks by Islamic militants following its military intervention in Mali in January, which prompted threats by the North African wing of al Qaeda. Jihadist rebels threatened to “strike the heart of France.” France’s Vigipirate anti-terrorist alert system was raised to “reinforced red” as a result.

The higher state of alert is one of the reasons why some 450 soldiers are on patrol at metro and train stations and other vulnerable locations in Paris. The Vigipirate scheme sees troops deployed at high-profile tourist, business and transport sites.

Cordier, who was in uniform patrolling the underground corridors where shops and crowded public transport lines converge under the Arch of La Defense, was released from a military hospital on Monday morning. The stab wound was reportedly just two centimetres away from his carotid artery. The 23-year-old soldier had lost a considerable amount of blood, but remained stable.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian vowed to continue France’s “implacable” fight against terrorism. Anti-terrorism investigators are handling the case.

Currently, a police hunt is under way for the suspect. He is described as being 1.90 metres tall, and though initially thought to be wearing a djellaba (a traditional North African robe), later reports indicated he was wearing a black pullover.

For more information, please see: 

The Local – Suspect ‘prayed’ before knifing French soldier – 27 May 2013

Al Jazeera – French anti-terrorism police probe stabbing – 26 May 2013

BBC News – Knife attack on soldier in Paris treated as terrorism – 26 May 2013

France 24 – French soldier stabbed on patrol outside Paris – 25 May 2013