North America & Oceania

Opposing Demonstrators March in Nicaragu

25 November 2009

Opposing Demonstrators March in Nicaragu

By Brenda Lopez Romero
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America desk

MANAGUA, Nicaragua – Last Saturday afternoon, estimates of over 40,000 people demonstrated against and for the government and the bid for reelection President Daniel Ortega.  Local press reported that at least one person died and unknown number was injured when the opposing demonstrators meet each other on the streets.

Nic against(PHOTO: Courtney of Voice of America)

Rafael Anibal Luna Ruiz, Sandinista supporter, died in the northern city of Ciudad Dario from wounds when he was hit with stones thrown by Liberal supporters.  The secretary of the Liberal opposition party reported that three of its members were injured when two buses were attacked by alleged Sandinista stone-throwers and indicated she would file a complaint with the police.

The opposition is party members of the Sandinista and Liberal groups.  They marched to support their position in favor or against Ortega.  The Liberal party demonstrators say they protest the harassment of the current Sandinista government and the Nicaraguan Supreme Court order that will permit Ortega to run for reelection in 2011.  Dora Maria Tellez, former Ortega organizer but now lead the opposition said, “the only way for the government to change, as it has been shown in all these years, is for the people to go to the streets.”   On the other side Sandinistas marched to celebrate the judicial victory and their party’s election victory in the midst of allegations of fraud.  Sandinista supporter insist the Ortega government is acting on country’s behalf.

Ortega served as president from 1985-90, after leading the guerrilla movement that ousted Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1979.  Then, he had three unsuccessful campaigns until he won the presidency again in 2006.

For more information, please see:

Voice of America News – Thousands March in Rival Nicaraguan Rallies – 25 November 2009

CNN – Thousands march for, against Nicaraguan government – 22 November 2009

Latin America Tribune Herald – One Dead, Several Injured in Nicaragua Protests – 22 November 2009

Department of Education Investigating Military College

24 November 2009

Department of Education Investigating Military College

By Stephen Kopko

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

VIRGINIA, United States – For the past sixteen months the federal Department of Education has been investigating allegations that policies and procedures at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) are discriminatory. The probe began over a year ago and will determine whether certain practices are sexist and hostile to women.

The Virginia Military Institute was founded in 1839 as an all male higher educational facility that is partially supported by government money. It is known for its highly regimented and military atmosphere. In 1996, the United States Supreme Court ruled that VMI had to admit females into the school or it would lose its government support. In 1997 VMI admitted its first female students.

The recent investigation of VMI’s policies and procedures centers around a range of issues. The complaint asserts that there is an overall hostile environment to women, that the physical standards are unfair to women, and that the promotion and tenure polices discriminate against women. The Department of Education also is investigating whether the school’s marriage and parenthood policies discriminate against women. Currently, VMI expects those cadets that marry or become pregnant to resign from the school. Promoting this policy, the school wrote that “the responsibilities of parenthood are deemed to begin upon a cadets learning that a child has been conceived.” In regards to the allegations of discriminatory promotion practices, VMI stated that it takes in account teaching ability, scholarly engagement, professional citizenship and contributions to the development of the cadets.

Since VMI admitted women, one hundred and fifty nine females have graduated from the institution. Also, about twenty two percent of current full and part time faculty are female. This past year VMI dropped its fitness requirement of five pull-ups to one pull-up for women. VMI received one hundred and sixty nine female applications this year and admitted fifty females.

Some women at the institution were surprised by the investigation. Senior cadet Elizabeth Dobbins stated that there “was no male model here.” She believed that the school was so open that any mistreatment would be noticed. Professor Mary Ann Dellinger also stated that there was no discrimination in promotion practices. The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education awarded VMI its top honor for recruitment this past June.

For more information, please see:

Inside Higher Ed – Education Department Probes Allegations About VMI – 24 November 2009

MSNBC – Virginia Military Institute Faces Sexism Accusations – 22 November 2009

Roanoke Times – VMI is Subject of Sexism Probe – 8 August 2009

Canadians Protest War in Afghanistan, NATO

23 November 2009

Canadians Protest War in Afghanistan, NATO

By William Miller

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

HALIFAX, Canada – 200 protestors gathered in Cornwallis Park on Saturday to urge Canada to pull its troops out of Afghanistan and to withdrawal from NATO.  Among the protestors included the Halifax Peace Coalition, students, union members, human rights activists, Muslims, and Quakers.

The park is across the street from the Westin Hotel. The international Security Forum was being held there last weekend. Military leaders intended to discuss the possibility of increasing troop levels in Afghanistan.

Police were present to insure that none of the protestors attempted to enter the hotel. Only to protestors did and were escorted away without incident. The majority of interaction between protestors and police was friendly conversation.

Malali Joya , the youngest person elected to the New Afghan Parliament in 2005 spoke at the protest. She told protestors Afghanistan is not yet liberated and is controlled by corrupt officials. She said that Canada and other countries should pull their troops out of Afghanistan and allow the afghan people to run their own country.

“They pushed us of the frying pan and into the fire” she said

Joya further commented that western media was spreading propaganda about the war and that Canadian bombs had killed civilians. She said that civilians are caught in the crossfire between the Taliban and occupation forces.

Toney Seed editor of Shunpiking Magazine also spoke at the protest. He said that the talks of peace at the conference where part of “a well orchestrated disinformation campaign” to disguise a military Champaign under the guise of a human rights mission.

133 Canadian troops had died since Canada first became involved in the conflict. Support for Canada’s involvement in the war has dropped in the county to below 50 per cent. A recent poll found that 45 percent of Canadians supported Canadian involvement in Afghanistan. That number has dropped from 59 per cent in 2006. Prime Minister Steven Harper has said Canada will end its involvement in Afghanistan by 2011.

For more information, please see:

Chronicle Herald – Bring Soldiers Home, Anti-war Activists Urge – 22 November 2009

Globe and Mail – Time Running Out in Afghanistan: Hillier – 21 November 2009

Halifax Media Co-op – Canada Out of Afghanistan – 21 November 2009

Canadian Official Claims Canada Indifferent to Torture of Transferred Detainees

22 November 2009

Canadian Official Claims Canada Indifferent to Torture of Transferred Detainees

By William Miller,

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

Canadian-diplomat-Richard-001
Richard Colvin Testified that Canada was ignoring the torture of detainies transfered to Afganistan custody before a Parlimentary Comittee on Wednesday (PHOTO: Guardian)

OTTAWA, Canada – Richard Colvin, former second in command at Canada’s Embassy in Kabul Afghanistan, testified before a parliamentary committee on Wednesday November 18 that Canada transferred numerous Afghan detainees to afghan authorities despite knowing that they would likely be subjected to torture. Colvin further testified that many of the detainees where not involved in the insurgency.
Colvin implicated Canadian government departments including the Department of Foreign Affairs and international trade the department of defense and the Privy Council headed by the Prime Minister. All had received reports regarding the torture of transferred detainees over an 18 month period from 2006 to 2007 but failed to act on them. It was internationally known that Prisoners transferred to Afghan authorities were being tortured. Both NATO and the United Nations have previously raised concerns of abuse by officials in Afghanistan.

Colvin Testified that lax reporting systems brought Canada very close to being complicit in the torture. Both Britain and the Netherlands transferred detainees to Afghanistan authority but did so in lesser numbers and kept better records and actively monitored prisoners to safe guard them against torture. Canada allegedly went to great lengths not to address the problem and went so far as refusing to take phone calls from The Red Cross for months when they attempted to warn officials of the torture.

Unlike Britain and the Netherlands, Canada filed no reports on prisoner transfers.  Officials claim that this was done for security reasons but Colvin alleges that it was to guard against the press and the public becoming informed of detainee torture. In 2007 government officials issued reports to their department not to write or record any statements about detainee torture and to sensor those in existence after the Globe and Mail reported on the torture of transferred prisoners.

Harper claims that he sent reports to Canadian Government officials himself over a 17 month period when Canadian Officials where denying that detainees were tortured.

Torture methods used on the prisoners included electric shock, beatings, and exposure to open flames, sleep deprivation and several other methods. Prisoners where often tortured for months at a time. If Calvin’s assertions are verified, Canada could face investigation for war crimes by the International Court.

Officials Colvin named in his testimony include Margrete Bloodworth, former National Security Advisor for Prime Minister Steven Harper, David Sproule, former Ambassador to Afghanistan, and half a dozen other high ranking officials.

For more information, please see:

CBC – A Who’s Who of Officials Named in Richard Colvin,s Testimony – 20 November 2009

Guardian – Canadian Diplomat Alleges Troops in Afghanistan Were Complicit in Torture – 20 November 2009

Ottawa Citizen – Grave Allegations – 20 November 2009

Rapp Visits International Criminal Court

November 20th, 2009

Rapp Visits International Criminal Court

By Stephen Kopko

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – On Thursday, the United States ambassador for war crimes spoke to the governing body of  the International Criminal Court in the Hague. It was the first time that a U.S. official has spoken to the governing body of the ICC since its inception. The ICC was created by the 2002 Rome Treaty.  The U.S. supported the creation of the ICC, but has not become a signatory of the treaty.

Before becoming the U.S. ambassador for war crimes, Rapp served as the chief prosecutor for the Special Court for Sierra Leone. Rapp gave a speech to the governing body of the ICC expressing U.S. interests and issues with it.  Rapp stated that the U.S. has concerns with the ICC. Those concerns primarily revolved around the crime of aggression. The first concern was to define the crime of aggression.  The second concern dealt with the ICC’s jurisdiction. Rapp stated that jurisdiction over aggression “should follow a Security Council resolution that aggression has occurred.” Another concern that the U.S. has with the ICC is the threat of politically motivated prosecutions. More specifically, the U.S. was concerned with the ICC prosecuting United States soldiers based upon politics.

Despite U.S. concerns, it still supports prosecuting crimes that go against the basic morals of humanity.  Rapp stated that the U.S. has supported the prosecutions of atrocities dating back to the Nuremberg Trials after World War II. The U.S. also participated in the prosecutions for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

Supporters of the ICC welcomed Rapp’s attendance and speech to the governing body. They saw his appearance as a “sign of re-engagement.” Nevertheless, many of the countries under the ICC’s jurisdiction do not want the Security Council to have sole jurisdiction on when a crime of aggression occurs.

Today, one hundred and ten countries are members of the ICC. Besides the U.S., other countries that are not members of the ICC are Russia, Israel, and China. The ICC can only prosecute those individuals from the countries that are members.

For more information, please see:

AP – Not a Member, US Envoy Attends International Court – 19 November 2009

BBC – US War Crimes Envoy Appears at International Court – 19 November 2009

Reuters – U.S. Makes Debut Attendance at Hague War Crimes Court – 19 November 2009