News

U.S. to Establish Drone Base in Niger

By Hannah Stewart
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

NIAMEY, Niger — The United States signed an agreement with the central Africa nation of Niger that will allow for the deployment of surveillance drones to monitor Islamic militants in the region.  Currently, reports state that United States seeks only to deploy surveillance drones to Niger; however, the agreement could lay the legal groundwork for armed drones in the future.

U.S. Predator drone that can be used for surveillance or air strikes. (Photo Courtesy of The Guardian)

The use of drones, even if solely for surveillance purposes, remains controversial given the deadly drone strikes in countries such as Pakistan, Yemen, Afghanistan and Somalia.  The use of drones by the United States has caused outrage among civil liberties groups over the secrecy that surrounds their operation and the high incidence of civilian casualties.

The drones could be stationed in Niger’s northern desert region of Agadez, which borders Mali, Algeria and Libya.  The goal is to improve intelligence on al Qaeda-linked Islamist fighters in northern Mali and the wider Sahara.  The United States has drones and surveillance aircraft stationed at several points around Africa.

Niger government sources reported that U.S. Ambassador Bisa Williams asked Niger’s president, Mahamadou Issoufou, for permission to use surveillance drones and had been granted it.  The United States has reportedly been negotiating with Niger for some time, but France’s intervention in Mali increased the urgency of the deal.

Earlier this month French forces intervened to stop Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) move toward Mali’s capital.  AQIM originated in Algeria and remains active in northern Mali.  AQIM has been connected to the recent assault on the natural gas facility in Algiers.  Moreover, the group has been linked to the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

On Monday, French and Malian troops retook control of the ancient trading town of Timbuktu, as they pushed deeper the desert region seized by Islamist fighters last year. Currently, the U.S. is aiding France by sharing intelligence, flying French troops to neighboring countries, and refueling French jets.

Proponents of the agreement argue that in the short run, a drone base in Niger would allow the U.S. to aid France by supplying intelligence on the militant troops in Mali.  In the long run, the drone base would bolster American intelligence gathering and help strengthen Niger’s own security forces.

For more information please see:

CNN – U.S. to Base Surveillance Drones in Niger, Ambassador Says – 29 January 2013

Fox News – US Planning to Establish a Drone Base in Africa for Better Surveillance of Region’s Militants – 29 January 2013

The Guardian – US Signs Deal with Niger to Operate Military Drones in West African State – January 29 2013

Huffington Post – U.S. Drone Base in Africa Approved by Niger – 29 January 2013

Former Guatemalan Dictator Faces Trial for Genocide

By Mark O’Brien
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala — A former dictator who ruled during one of the bloodiest periods of Guatemala’s 36-year civil war will stand trial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

On Monday, a Guatemalan court ordered former dictator Efrain Rios Montt to face trial for genocide, accused of ordering the deaths of 1,700 indigenous people during a blood period of the country’s civil war. (Photo Courtesy of Latin American Herald Tribune)

A Guatemalan court ruled on Monday that the trial of Efrain Rios Montt would convene this week.  Montt, 86, is accused of ordering the murder, torture, and displacement of more than 1,700 indigenous people between March 1982 and August 1983.

Judge Miguel Angel Galvez also threw out 13 appeals presented by Montt’s defense, finding sufficient evidence to prosecute Montt and retired Gen. Jose Mauricio Rodriguez for the killings.  Rodriguez is accused of ordering the mass killings, known as the “scorched earth” campaign.

Neither defendant reacted to the judge’s ruling, but families of victims, along with human rights workers, cheered and applauded before setting off fireworks outside, according to the Latin American Herald Tribune.

Human rights advocates called the Montt’s prosecution a symbolic victory for victims of one of the most devastating and horrific conflicts in Central America.

“Until recently, the idea of a Guatemalan general being tried for these heinous crimes seemed utterly impossible,” said Jose Miguel Vivianco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch.  “The fact that a judge has ordered the trial of a former head of state is a remarkable development in a country where impunity for past atrocities has long been the norm.”

Montt, who became de facto president during a coup in 1982 before being ousted in another coup in 1983, is the first former president to be charged with genocide by a Latin American court.

“It’s the beginning of a new phase of this struggle,” said Paul Seils in an interview with the Associated Press.  Seils is vice president of the International Center for Transitional Justice, which has worked on war-crimes cases in Guatemala.  He said the decision to prosecute was “a good step forward,” but he expected the trial would face stiff resistance from loyalists to government-allied forces during the civil war.

A United Nations commission estimated 200,000 people were killed during the war, which lasted from 1960 to 1996.  The commission attributed 93 percent of the human rights abuses it documented to government forces, concluding the military committed “acts of genocide.”

Montt will stay under house arrest until his trial, according to the Judge Galvez’s order.  He is currently in custody at a military hospital, where he was admitted last year for health problems.

The trial is scheduled to convene on Thursday.

For further information, please see:

Human Rights Watch — Guatemala: Rios Montt Trial a Milestone for Justice — 28 January 2013

Latin American Herald Tribune — Guatemalan Ex-Dictator to Stand Trial for Genocide — 28 January 2013

National Public Radio — Guatemala Ex-Dictator to Stand Trial on Genocide — 28 January 2013

Reuters — Guatemala Court Orders Trial of Former Dictator, Rejects Appeals — 28 January 20

Vicious Murder Emphasizes Need For Domestic Violence Law In Russia

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – On January 3, Alexei Kabanova murdered his journalist wife, Irina, after a fight. Kabanov, a well-known opposition figure, confessed that during a state of anger, he murdered his wife, dismembered her body in the heat of passion, and could not remember anything of what he had done.

Irina Kabanova’s murder raised awareness for domestic violence victims all over Russia. (Photo Courtesy of RFE/RL)

Irina is just one of thousands of women in Russia who are killed in domestic violence incidents every year. An estimated 10,000 to 14,000 women die each year from spousal abuse.

Currently, Russia has no law concerning the issue of domestic violence. Specifically, police cannot intervene in a dispute until a crime has been committed. However, publicity of Irina’s murder generated awareness to an issue that is widely belittled and ignored.

Olga Kostina, head of the Moscow-based group Resistance, which advocates for domestic-violence victims, said, “The key is for us to battle for a law to defend the victims of these crimes and to provide them with social guarantees that in any case are supposed to be ensured by the Russian Constitution.”

A proposed legislation, which has been in creation since September, recognizes domestic violence as a crime, empowers police and courts to issue restraining orders, and requires offenders to undergo counseling.

Mari Davtian, an attorney with the ANNA Center, which assists victims of domestic violence, said, “A woman herself has to file a case to the court and prove that she was subjected to a crime. As you understand, that is practically impossible in conditions of domestic violence. If a woman lives with the person she is taking to court, then she is in danger.”

Although there have been few attempts to introduce domestic violence legislation in Russia over the past few decades, each time failed.

United Russia lawmaker Saliya Murzabayeva, believes each failure stemmed from a lack of understanding of domestic violence issues. She states, “There probably is not enough awareness of this problem. And there are those who believe that the government should not interfere in family matters.”

Kabanov is charged with murder and faces a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison. If convicted, Kabanov will also be deprived of his parental right.

For further information, please see:

RFE/RL – Brutal Killing In Russia Highlights Lack of Domestic Violence Law – 28 January 2013

The Moscow Times – Another Day, Another Dismembered Body – 21 January 2013

Pravda – Journalist Brutally Strangled and Dismembered by Her Husband – 15 January 2013

The Moscow Times – Project O.G.I. Co-Founder Charged with Wife’s Murder – 13 January 2013

Prison Riots Leaves 57 Dead In Overcrowded Venezuelan Prison

By Brendan Oliver Bergh
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela – 57 prisoners were killed in one of the bloodiest prisoner riots to strike Venezuela.in a routine and peaceful inspection prison guard met armed resistance from irate prisoners in the Uribana prison in Venezuela’s Lara province.

The National Guard taking action against rioters in Venezuela’s Uribana prison. (Photo Courtesy of CNN)

Early Friday prison guards and the National Guard planned an operation in an attempt to disarm prisoners from the violent prison facility. Sparked by a surge of prison violence earlier in the week as internal gangs battled for control, the guards had hoped for a peaceful inspection. Instead, as the sun rose Guardsmen were met with gunfire from an entrenched inmate position. When the dust settled and the National Guard had quelled the riot Nearly 60 people were dead, with another 120 wounded. While the official reason for this uprising is being investigated, human rights experts note that Venezuelan prisoners are notoriously overcrowded and filled weapons and drugs that have been smuggled in by corrupt prison guards and gang ‘mafias.’ Beyond the dead inmates, two protestant pastors and one soldier was killed in firefight.

Originally designed in 1997, the model prison of Uribana was built to hold 850 prisons, however when violence erupted the 23,500 square meter penal colony was holding 2,400.

Criticism has been levied on the nature of the inspections and the administration itself. Humberto Prado, leader of the activist group Venezuelan Prisons Observatory stated “It’s clear that the inspection wasn’t coordinated or put into practice as it should have been. It was evidently a disproportionate use of force.” He continued that while necessary, they should not be carried out in the warlike attitude that they have been.

Since peace has been restored, the surviving 2003 male and 132 female inmates have been moved to nearby prisons, and while another 49 inmates were discharged, 46 prisoners remain hospitalized.

The National Assembly has since begun investigating the causes of the riot at Uribana and what protocol steps can be taken in the future.

With allegations from abuse from prisoners, Correctional Service Minister Iris Varela has officially denied any allegations that inmates were run over by the National Guard, or that the population was naked while the National Guard was hitting them. Henrique Capriles, opposition leader against President Chavez’s levied heavy criticism on the administration. Stating that the vice-president ordered an investigation and then went to summit in Chile in contrast to President Rousseff of Brazil cancelled his trip. Taking advantage of the situation Capriles continued “Here, they go away to a summit. They dispose of it as if it were one more matter, one more little problem.”

For more information, please see:

Venezuela Al Dia – Parliament Began Research On Violent Events In Uribana – 28 January 2013

El Universal – Uribana Was Designed As A Model Prison – 28 January 2013

US News – Inmates Moved After Bloody Venezuela Prison Clash – 27 January 2014

El Nacional – Varela Announced That 58 Prisoners Were Killed By Violence In Uribana – 27 January 2013

CNN – Report: Prison Riot Kills Dozens In Venezuela – 26 January 2014

TV Director Convicted for Criticizing President

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

PORTO-NOVO, Benin – Last Thursday, human rights groups and press organizations demanded the Benin government to release a TV director who was imprisoned for airing a program that criticized President Boni Yayi.

President Yayi Boni accused several TV stations of disturbing public order after they criticized his administration for corruption last year. (Photo courtesy of Afriqueenelles)

On September 18, 2012, TV station Canal 3 broadcasted a press conference where former Presidential Adviser and Spokesperson Lionel Agbo accused the President of enabling his cabinet members’ corrupt practices.

The following day, President Yayi filed a complaint against the director of Canal 3, Berthe Cakpossa, before the High Authority for Broadcasting and Communication (HAAC), Benin’s media regulatory body. In the complaint, President Yayi denied all of the accusations Agbo made against him, claiming that these were mere fabrications. According to him, by airing the press conference, Canal 3 “disturbed public order” and “undermined national cohesion”. Two months later, the HAAC suspended two of the TV station’s programs:  “Actu matin” and “Arbre à Palabre” for two weeks and three months, respectively.

On January 16, a Cotonou court found Cakpossa guilty of “offending the head of state”, sentencing the director to three months in prison with hard labor. Cakpossa was also ordered to pay a fine of 500,000 francs CFA (US$1,000), and symbolic damages of 1 franc CFA. In its decision, the Cotonou court cited the country’s 1997 press law which states that journalists are considered the author of third-party statements they report.

Agbo was likewise arrested for the same charges.

According to Cakpossa’s lawyer, Claret Dedie, they recently appealed the court’s decision which they hope will suspend the execution of the sentence. In an interview with the local news, Dedie said that she was surprised to learn about her client’s arrest since prison terms of less than six months do not require immediate incarceration in Benin. She also found it peculiar that out of all the cases filed against Cakpossa in connection with the controversial broadcast, Cakpossa had been convicted only in the case in which the complainant was the President.

“President Yayi retaliated against a journalist who conveyed a message he did not like and then pressured the courts to impose his will. He is sending a message that his government is off-limits to critical scrutiny,” noted Committee to Protect Journalist (CPJ) Coordinator Mohamed Keita. “We call on the appeals court to overturn this verdict, which is a stain on Benin’s image as a free, democratic nation.”

Other human rights and media organizations such as the Media Foundation for West Africa (MWFA), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and the Union of Media Professionals of Benin (UPMB) have joined the CPJ in urging the appeals court to set Cakpossa free.

 

For further information, please see:

Horn Portal – Benin TV chief jailed for program slamming presidential palace – 26 January 2013

Spy Ghana – Berthe Cakpossa sentence was illegally motivated by the Benin government – William Gomes – 26 January 2013

IFEX – TV station director sentenced to hard labour in Benin – 25 January 2013

Committee to Protect Journalists – Benin TV director convicted for offending president – 24 January 2013