News

10 Women Arrested for Wearing Prayer Shawls at the Western Wall

By Ali Al-Bassam
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel — Last Monday Israeli police arrested 10 women for wearing tallits (prayer shawls), at the Western Wall, one of Israel’s holiest sites. In Orthodox Judaism, wearing a tallit at the Wall is a custom traditionally reserved for men.

Rabbi Susan Silverman (L) and her daughter Hallel Abramowitz were part of the 10 women arrested at the Western Wall for wearing prayer shawls at the site. (Photo Courtesy of Russia Today)

The women, all members of an activist group called the Women of the Wall (WOTW), whose mission is to promote gender equality in religious practice.  WOTW visited the Western Wall to pray for the Jewish new month of Adar at a monthly service which featured veterans who fought at the Western Wall during the Six Day War of 1967.  Among the arrested women were WOTW founder Anat Hoffman, Lion Nevo, an 8 month pregnant rabbinical student, and Rabbi Susan Silverman, sister of the comedian Sarah Silverman, and her 17 year old daughter Hallel Abramowitz. The ladies linked arms and sang songs as they were escorted to a police station.  Some women were released after they were questioned for three hours by police, however those who did not agree to a conditional release will have to attend a hearing at the Jerusalem Magistrate Court on Monday.

“They (police) said ‘take off your prayer shawls’, and we said ‘no,'” said Silverman.  Police Spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said that the women were violating a “regulation set by the High Court” a decade ago, which was enacted to uphold Orthodox rules at the site for the sake of avoiding tensions between worshippers.  Silverman said that the regulation amounted to “spitting on the Sinai,” the site in the Bible where God gave Moses the 10 Commandments.  “All Jews are in a covenant with God, regardless of gender,” she said.  Sarah Silverman commended her sister through her Facebook page, saying that she was “SO proud” of her sister and niece for their act of “civil disobedience.”

The police were criticized for the arrests.  “It’s unacceptable that the police are stopping women from wearing a tallitot, it’s like Iran. I can’t believe they are stopping people from praying in one certain way or another, said Llon Bartov, a veteran who fought in the Six Day War. “This is just attrition,” said WOTW Founder Hoffman.  ” They want the group to become frightened.”

The women who were detained claimed that they were amongst hundreds of supporters who came to pray at the Wall.  Dozens of men who supported their cause were also present.  Some of them had even smuggled prayer shawls which they passed over the gender barrier “like contraband goods.”  After their arrest, WOTW moved its Torah reading to the police station where their fellow members were being held.

For further information please see:

Al Jazeera — Israel Detains Women Over Prayer Shawls — 11 February 2013

The Jerusalem Post — 10 Women Arrested at Kotel for Wearing Tallitot — 11 February 2013

Russia Today — Shawl Male Rule: Israeli Police Detain Ten Women Over ‘Improper Attire’ at Holy Site — 11 February 2013

The Times of Israel — 10 Women with Prayer Shawls Arrested at Western Wall — 11 February 2013

Victim’s Suicide Causes Debate Over Court Proceedings

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

LONDON, United Kingdom – Frances Andrade, a respected violinist and mother of four, is believed to have committed suicide days after an aggressive cross-examination in the trial of her former music teacher Michael Brewer.

Frances Andrade committed suicide just days after her cross-examination during the trial of Michael Brewer. (Photo Courtesy of BBC)

On Friday, Brewer, an ex choir teacher, was convicted of carrying out sexual abuse in his office at Chetham’s School of Music between 1978 and 1982. However, simultaneously, the jury cleared Brewer of rape and one charge of indecently assaulting the victim as a child in his home.

During the trial, Brewer’s barrister Kate Blackwell QC, accused Andrade, who did not want to bring the case, of being a liar and a fantasist.

According to her husband, Andrade felt traumatized after being accused of lying in court. Her death, which occurred only days after her cross-examination, prompted a debate on how the court handled Brewer’s case and why the police advised Andrade not to receive therapy until after the trial.

Andrade’s husband explained, “She become really withdrawn. She went to the doctor as she was having trouble sleeping. He suggested she speak to someone and said he could refer her – but she said she’d been told not to by the police. I don’t know if it was Manchester or Surrey [police] but they said psychiatric help might affect her evidence – she might change her mind or it might confuse her. I hope this is something that will be looked at during the inquest.”

Home Secretary, Theresa May, said, “This was a terrible case when you look at the details of this and we all have sympathy with the family and what they have gone through. Obviously this whole question of how the police deal with rape cases is one that is being looked at and we have been trying to improve the police handling of this under both governments, over a number of years.”

She continued, “We all recognize that one of the issues here is the difficulty victims feel in coming forward and sadly when we see incidents such as has happened in this case, I fear others may be put off from coming forward rather than encouraged from coming forward.”

Maura McGowan QC, Chairman of the Bar, stated, “The Bar Council is ready and willing to cooperate fully with the Home Secretary in any closer inspection of how the justice system operates following an allegation of sexual assault. We should ensure that every reasonable measure is taken to protect vulnerable witnesses and to encourage the victims of abuse to come forward.”

For further information, please see:

BBC — Theresa May: Chethams abuse case death ‘may deter victims’ – 11 February 2013

DailyMail — Home secretary announces probe into police handling of the violinist who killed herself after being grilled in choirmaster abuse case – 11 February 2013

The Telegraph — Death of Frances Andrade Will Put Other Victims Off Coming Forward, says Home Secretary – 11 February 2013

The Guardian — Frances Andrade Killed Herself After Being Accused of Lying, says Husband – 10 February 2013

Argentine Government Withdraws From Falkland Islands Talks With Britain

By Pearl Rimon
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America 

 

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina  —  The British Foreign Secretary William Hague, has accused the Argentine government of “bullying” and intimidating behavior towards residents of the Falkland Islands. The Falkland Islands are under British rule but Argentina has disputed since 1945. In June 2012, the Falkland Islands announced they would hold a referendum on its sovereignty status, scheduled for the upcoming month.

 

Hector Timerman at his press conference in London. (Photo Courtesy of Sky News)

The Argentine government has refused to recognize the existence of the Falkland Islands, and refers to the islands as the Malvinas. The Argentine Foreign Minister, Hector Timerman refused a meeting with Hague due to the government not recognizing Falkland Islanders’ existence. Timerman held a press conference during his London visit and said “The Falklands islanders do not exist. What exists is British citizens who live in the Islas Malvinas. The United Nations does not recognise a third party in the conflict. It says there are just two parts – the UK and Argentina.”

The Falkland Islands have shown signs that they want to remain under British rule and reject Argentina’s sovereignty claim. Hague said “This is a community that is nearly 200 years old. They seem very determined to remain British. If there’s any chance they would change their minds, the approach by Argentina is completely counterproductive.

It only fortifies the islanders’ determination to stay British. It is only going to add to the decades and centuries that the Falklands will remain British.”

Timerman withdrew from a scheduled talk with Hague last week after Hague demanded that residents from the islands be represented in the sovereignty discussion. Timerman called the suggestion an ultimatum.

In response to Timerman’s withdrawal, Jan Cheek, representative of the Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands, said “We are disappointed, but hardly surprised. Argentina prefers to disregard our existence, rather than engage constructively with the people who have lived on the Falkland Islands for so many generations.”

Argentina considers people born in the islands to be Argentine citizens. Timerman guarantees that due to this status islanders have “all the social, civil, economic, political rights as any Argentinean citizens born in continental Argentina.”

Argentina’s claim for sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is led by their President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

 

For further information, please see:

 

BBC News — William Hague: Argentina bullying Falklands – 10 Feb 2013

Voice of Russia — New outbreak of Falkland Islands (Malvinas) war – 8 Feb 2013

Sky News — Argentina: Falklands Islanders ‘Don’t Exist’ – 6 Feb 2013

 

Migrant Workers Exploited at Russian Winter Olympics Sites

By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

SOCHI, Russia – Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report, “Race To The Bottom,” last week detailing the exploitation of migrant workers who built sites and infrastructure, including the Central Olympic Stadium, the Main Olympic Village, and the Main Media Center, for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

Workers at an Olympic construction site in the Imereti Valley near the Black Sea port of Sochi. (Photo Courtesy of RFE/RL)

HRW learned that employers cheated migrant workers out of wages, required 12-hour shifts with few days off, and confiscated passports and work permits, which forced migrant workers to stay in their current job.  The watchdog organization stressed a need for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Russian authorities, including the State Corporation OlympStroi, to rigorously monitor worker’s rights in the coming year before the 2014 Olympic Games.

2014 will be Russia’s first Winter Olympics and its first Olympics since the Summer Games of 1980.  As a pet project on which President Vladimir Putin has staked his reputation, Russian officials have promised the games next year will be the most expensive ever, with a price tag exceeding $50 billion (China spent $42 billion on the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing).  Putin’s personal spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov defended the project as an opportunity to develop the Sochi region, while simultaneously comparing the magnitude of the project to the “reconstruction of cities and towns after World War II.”

In Russia’s strive for greatness, the region of the Black Sea coast town of Sochi, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains, is being transformed, necessitating tens of thousands of construction workers, including over 16,000 migrant workers from outside of Russia.  HRW spoke to 66 workers, nearly all of whom had low-wage, low-skill jobs.  They came from countries such as Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine, and earned as little as 55 to 80 rubles (US$1.80 to $2.60) an hour.

Some of the workers interviewed indicated that they did not receive full wages, were never paid at all, or had their wages kept from them as a tactic to keep them on a project.  Working 12-hour day, 7-days a week, they did not receive the benefits of a 40-hour work week, overtime pay, or a day off per week, which are all mandated under Russian law.  Some employers convinced workers to continue to labor for months with the promise that pay would come soon.

For some workers, the lack of salary is particularly trying because in many instances, the migrant workers came to Russia in order to support their families back home as the sole breadwinners.  When they are paid, they send the majority of their earnings home.

Although accommodations and meals were generally provided, housing was overcrowded (e.g., one employer provided a single-family house as living quarters for 200 migrant laborers) and meals were insufficient to sustain people laboring for 12 hours a day.

In several instances, migrant workers who complained of the ill treatment, exploitation, or unfair wages were denounced to the authorities and deported.  It was quickly demonstrated that foreign workers, with limited knowledge of the language, issues with residency, and a fear of legal repercussions proved particularly vulnerable.

The International Olympics Committee (IOC) claimed in a statement that it had raised the issue of worker exploitation.  However, the IOC has by and large praised Russian authorities’ preparation for the Olympic Games.  The IOC has furthermore failed to address numerous other human rights allegations in Russia, such as restrictions on public assemblies, new internet restrictions and a re-criminalization of libel.

Furthermore, while OlympStroi, the state company overseeing official construction, had conducted some 1,300 inspections into exploitation allegations, it found only a small number of violations.

“As the IOC meets in Sochi this week to celebrate the one-year countdown to the 2014 Winter Games, it has a chance to make a strong statement about respect for human dignity by publicly calling on the Russian authorities to put an end to worker exploitation,” said Jane Buchanan, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch and author of the report. “The Olympic Games are about excellence and inspiration. The world should not cheer Winter Games in Russia that are built on a foundation of exploitation and abuse.”

Unfortunately, this is not the first story of abuses in the Stroi region.  Last fall, thousands of residents were forced to move to make way for the present construction.  While most received some form of compensation, at least dozens of homeowners were forcefully relocated and never compensated at all.  Environmentalists have also warned of illegal dumping, destruction of forests and wildlife, and similar violations.

Even athletes currently on site for trial events have been surprised by large numbers of heavily armed riot police, frequent checkpoints, and constant requests to show ID to not only access athletic venues but also to exit, as well as to simply enter their living quarters.

Buchanan further commented: “Like the athletes competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics, Russia has big hopes and dreams for its performance in Sochi as the host.  But exploiting workers is a victory for no one, and Russia urgently needs to change course.”

For further information, please see:

HRW – Russia’s Anti-Olympic Spirit – 8 February 2013

HRW – Russia: Migrant Olympic Workers Cheated, Exploited – 6 February 2013

Huffington Post – Migrant Workers at Russia Olympic Sites Face Abuses, Human Right Watch Says – 6 February 2013

New York Times – Putin’s Vision of Olympic Glory Meets a More Earthbound Reality in Sochi – 6 February 2013

RFE/RL – HRW Criticizes Exploitation at Russian Olympic Construction Sites – 6 February 2013

Peru To Introduce Bill To Broaden Scope Of Domestic Violence

By Brendan Bergh
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

LIMA, Peru – In an effort to curb the rampant violence against women experienced in Latin America, the Executive branch of the Peruvian government is proposing legislation in order to expand the definition to further protect its population. The submitted bill will amend the countries Law on Protection against Domestic Violence (LPDV) expanding the definition of violence to include coercion via sexual, physical, psychological and economic means.

The Executive Branch of Peru is introducing legislature that would broaden the definition of Domestic Violence. (Photo courtesy of Gestion)

According to independent estimates in Peru, 50% of women in urban areas have experienced at least one instance of physical or sexual violence, with that number rising to 69% in rural areas, and with 30 percent of women suffering some sort of psychological abuse as a result of their partners.

This new bill is just the next step that President Ollanta Humala’s fight to bring Peru into the 21st Century. The National Parliament of Peru approved a bill that would modify the National Plan of Reparation in order to include compensation for survivors of sexual violence. This would allow those forced into prostitution, sexual slavery, survivors of sexual abuse and kidnappings that occurred in Peru’s violent wartime past. These victims will be allowed to seek compensation for any sexually based crimes that were forced upon.

The initiative to amend the LPDV would mean that any act or omission, directly or indirectly, produced between household members that could result in any type of impairment of physical, sexual or psychological or economic detriment would be punishable. Earlier domestic violence was hard to identify, with only immediately view able situations or evidence such as bruises was domestic violence easy to punish. Domestic violence has been known to affect not just the abused, but the health of children within violent households. Peruvian children whose mothers suffered from domestic violence tend to weigh less and are more likely to suffer from disease. Seeing as nearly 50% of women in Peru have reported some type of violence, these results have widespread meaning.

Economic violence would be classified as any attempt to coerce the autonomy a household, which would cause financial or property damage through loss, conversion, theft or destruction property of the partnership or owned by the victim.

The reasoning behind the amended bill works under the theory that actions of a sexual nature committed against someone against their consent or during times of duress, even without penetration constitutes a violation of human rights and an offense to human dignity.

With Peru’s less than impeccable past concerning women’s rights, this represents at least an attempt to curb the epidemic of gender inequality that haunts the Latin American country.

For more information, please see:

Gestion – Executive Proposes To Expand The Legal Definition Of Domestic Violence – 10 February 2013

Eval Central – Development That Works: The Costs Of Crime And Violence In Latin America And The Caribbean – 5 February 2013

Womankind – Peru Moves To Bring Justice For Women Survivors Of Sexual Violence During Conflict – 5 June 2012

United States Institute of Peace – Sexual Violence And Justice In Postconflict Peru – 1 June 2012