News

Drought Worsens as 100 Die in One Region of Somalia

March 8, 2017

By Samantha Netzband

Impunity Watch, Africa Desk Reporter

MOGADISHU, Somalia– The drought has worsened in Somalia leading to 110 deaths in the South Western Bay region, according to Somalia’s Prime Minister, Hassan Ali Haire. The drought is caused in part by the El Nino weather pattern, and is wrecking havoc on an already struggling country. Somalia has experienced low rain fall totals for the last two years. While over a hundred have died, many thousands are still in need of food aid.

Many travel long distances to this river that still has water. (Photo Courtesy of CNN)

Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo declared the drought a national disaster last week, hoping to show the rest of the world how bad the drought truly is. Food is unavailable because of the drought and domestic livestock are also dying. Thousands travel miles to the capital of Mogadishu for food aid, or to rivers that still have water. Some of the water that remains is not clean, which puts citizens at risk for diseases like cholera.

United Nations’ humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, Peter de Clercq said that the drought has the potential to develop into a full blown famine. de Clercq is scheduled to visit Somalia to discuss the humanitarian situation in the country. Somalia is one of four countries, along with Nigeria, South Sudan, and Yemen that is in desperate need of humanitarian aid. With limited resources Somalia will get more aid to help fight this drought, but it will most likely not be enough to save everyone. Somalia is no stranger to drought and has lost over 400,000 citizens in droughts that happened in 2010 and 1992.

For more information, please see:

AOL – Somalia Drought Threatens Thousands – 5 March 2017

BBC Africa – Somalia Drought: More than 100 Die from hunger in One Region – 4 March 2017

CNN – Somalia Drought: At least 110 Die as fears of famine grow – 4 March 2017

NBC – Somalia: 110 Dead From Hunger in Past 48 Hours of Drought – 5 March 2017

Thailand Urged to Criminalize Torture and Enforced Disappearances

March 6, 2017

By: Nicole Hoerold
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BANGKOK, Thailand – On February 28, the UN human rights office urged the government of Thailand to criminalize enforced or involuntary disappearances and the torture of individuals. Thailand has a prolonged history of disappearances, including that of lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit in 2004, and human rights activist Pholachi Rakchongcharoen in 2014. A UN working group on enforced disappearances recorded a total of 82 cases of disappearance in Thailand since 1980.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha at a cabinet meeting in May 2016. Photo courtesy of: Reuters.

Currently, Thailand does not legally recognize torture and enforced disappearances as criminal behavior. In May 2016, Thailand’s government did announce its intention to submit a bill to criminalize the behaviors. Importantly, the proposed bill would be the first Thai law to recognize the illegality of torture and enforced disappearances with absolutely no exceptions for political or national security circumstances. However, the government failed to provide a plan or frame for taking action on the matter.

Torture in Thailand has become increasingly severe since the military coup in May 2014, with many reports of individuals being taken into military custody and being tortured or mistreated. Reports allege that individuals have undergone torture through beatings, electric shocks, and near suffocation. Not only has the government vehemently denied these allegations, but it has blamed individuals for making false statements with the intention of damaging the country’s reputation.

Since October 2007, Thailand has been a party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The Convention requires governments to investigate and prosecute instances of torture and the like. Now, organizations like the UN and Human Rights Watch are urging states to press the Thai government on this issue and protect and enforce fundamental human rights and liberties.

For more information, please see:

Reuters – U.N. says Thailand leaves legal loophole for torture, disappearances – 28 February, 2017

United Nations – UN rights office disappointed with with Thai Government’s refusal to criminalize enforced disappearances – 28 February, 2017

Human Rights Watch – World Report: Thailand – 2016

Bangkok Post – The faces of the disappeared – 3 February, 2017

Report Shows 10 Hate Crimes Per Day on Refugees in Germany in 2016

March 3, 2017

By Sarah Lafen

Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe

BERLIN, Germany — According to a report conducted by the German Interior Ministry, over 2,500 migrants in Germany were attacked in 2016 as the result of hate crimes. 560 migrants were injured, including 43 children. Nearly 1,000 of the attacks were on migrant housing, and 217 of the attacks were on refugee organizations and volunteers. An average of 10 attacks per day occured.

Police in Heidenau secure a refugee center from attacks from far-right extremists opposed to asylum accommodation (Photo Courtesy of The Independent)

In February 2016, a neo-Nazi was sentenced to eight years in jail for burning down a sports hall which housed refugees and caused $3.7 million worth of damage. In another instance, a group of onlookers cheered as an asylum shelter in eastern Germany was engulfed in flames.

German authorities have recently tightened their refugee procedures, practicing stricter benefit rules, speeding up the process of removing failed asylum seekers, and paying refugees to voluntarily return to their home countries. Though the country is still struggling with a backlog of asylum applications, Germany’s intake of refugees fell in 2016 to 280,000 from 890,000 in 2015.

The German government issued a statement strongly condemning the violence on refugees, commenting that “people who have fled their home country and seek protection in Germany have the right to expect safe shelter.”

A left-wing politician with the Die Linke party, Ulla Jelpke, blames the violence on far-right extremism, and called upon the government to take stronger action to eliminate the violence. Jelpke asked whether “people have to die before the right-wing violence is considered a central domestic security problem and makes it to the top of the national policy agenda” and called on the government to “stop giving the impression through new tougher asylum laws that refugees are a threat.”

International human rights group Amnesty International commented that “there are structural problems in Germany with how it prevents and deals with hate crimes.” Amnesty called for “better risk assessments, more protection at certain locations and prosecutions of these appalling racist crimes.”

2016 was the first year in which data was collected on the amount of attacks on refugees, so the total number of attacks cannot be compared with those of previous years.

For more information, please see:

Aljazeera — ’10 Attacks a Day’ Against Refugees, Shelters in 2016 — 26 February 2017

BBC — Germany Hate Crime: Nearly 10 Attacks a Day on Migrants in 2016 — 26 February 2017

The Independent — Nearly 10 Attacks on Refugees a Day in Germany in 2016 — 26 February 2017

International Business Times — Germany sees Hate Crimes Against Migrants Surge in 2016 to 3,500 — 26 February 2017

Kim Jong Nam Killed By Illegal Chemical Nerve Agent

March 2, 2017

By: Nicole Hoerold
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

SEPANG DISTRICT, Malaysia – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s half brother, Kim Jong Nam, was killed on February 13 in a Malaysian airport. Surveillance footage shows two young women smearing a substance in the estranged brother’s face, which led to his immediate death. Officials have now identified the substance as VX nerve agent, a chemical nerve gas derived from organophosphate pesticides.

A VX nerve agent stockpile at the Newport Chemical Depot in Indiana, 1997. Photo courtesy of: AP.

VX nerve agent is internationally recognized as an illegal chemical weapon, and stockpiles have been largely destroyed throughout the globe since the enforcement of the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1997. The chemical agent inhibits the functioning of glands and muscles by blocking an important enzyme which allows the muscles to relax. Only a few milligrams are enough to kill someone in minutes’ time.

The two women who facilitated the attack told officials that they were approached by foreign men and were paid $90 to smear what they thought was a harmless substance in the man’s face. Many believe that the attack was carried out on behalf of Kim Jung Un himself, who has apparently felt threatened by his half brother. The fact that the murder was carried out using a highly toxic and illegal substance encourages the belief that the North Korean government is responsible.

If this is the case, the incident raises new concerns about North Korea’s stockpile of chemical weapons, in addition to long-term concerns regarding the state’s nuclear weapons program.

For more information, please see:

CNN – VX nerve agent used to kill Kim Jong Nam, police say – 24 February, 2017

NY Times – Woman Held in Death of North Korean Leader’s Kin Says She Was Duped – 25 February, 2017

NY Times – In Kim Jong-nam’s Death, North Korea Lets Loose a Weapon of Mass Destruction – 24 February, 2017

NY Times – What Is VX Nerve Agent? A Deadly Weapon, Rarely Seen – 24 February, 2017

Washington Post – Kim Jong Un’s half brother was killed by VX nerve agent, Malaysian police say – 23 February, 2017

Chicago Tribune – Kim Jong Un’s brother was killed by banned chemical nerve agent, police say – 24 February, 2017

South African Court Declares ICC Withdrawal Unconstitutional

March 2, 2017

By Samantha Netzband

Impunity Watch, Africa Desk Reporter

CAPE TOWN, South Africa– The North Gauteng High Court in South Africa has declared that South Africa’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court unconstitutional. The court’s reasoning behind this decision is that because the parliament was not consulted in making the withdrawal, the withdrawal is unconstitutional. The court has ordered that President Jacob Zuma and the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs revoke their notice of withdrawal.

The ICC. (Photo Courtesy of Human Rights Watch)

This ruling comes at an interesting time in the international community. The Gambia, which is under new leadership, just recently revoked its own withdrawal notice. After the ruling in South Africa there is now only one African nation who wishes to withdrawal, the country of Burundi. Many in South Africa are excited about the ruling, mainly because of South Africa’s human rights focused foreign policy. South Africa has worked to keep good human rights record since the end of apartheid.

While this ruling is welcome by many the government can appeal the ruling to a higher court, which they most likely will. The government is still reeling after the visit of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s in 2015. While the Sudanese President was visiting Johannesburg for an African Union summit the South African government openly ignored an ICC arrest warrant for al-Bashir. The Sudanese President is wanted for alleged war crimes.

For now members of the international community are happy with this victory that will help save the International Criminal Court. Until the government appeals South Africa will not be able to withdrawal from the court.

For more information, please see:

Arab News – South African Court rules ICC Withdrawal Unconstitutional – 23 February 2017

BBC Africa – South Africa’s Decision to leave ICC ruled ‘invalid’ – 22 February 2017

Daily Maverick – Hasty, irrational and unconstitutional: High Court’s damning verdict on SA’s ICC withdrawal – 24 February 2017

Human Rights Watch – South Africa High Court Rejects ICC Withdrawal – 22 February 2017