By Tyler Yates
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran — On 2 March Iran held their first elections since the 2009 election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spurred mass protests.  Human Rights Watch has called Iran’s parliamentary elections grossly unfair due to their arbitrary disqualifications and other restrictions.

The voting for 290 seats came after the disqualification of hundreds of candidates on the basis of vague and ill-defined criteria.  Opposition leaders were either barred from participating, serving suspicious prison sentences, or they voluntarily refused to participate in what they considered sham elections.

On 21 February, the Guardian Council, an unelected body of 12 religious jurists, announced that only about 3,500 of the approximately 5,400 candidates running for parliamentary seats had been approved by Iran’s parliament.  At least 35 of those who were disqualified are current members of parliament.  The Interior Ministry had previously disqualified 750 candidates.

Iran’s opposition and reformist movement called for an election boycott in response to these disqualifications, and other state actions.

“Iranian authorities have stacked the deck by disqualifying candidates and arbitrarily jailing key members of the reform movement,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.“There is no transparency surrounding the vetting and selection of candidates.”

Iran’s vetting process for both parliamentary and presidential elections is comprised of several stages.   Initial cuts come on the basis of election laws, with some concrete criteria such as age and education, but many of the criteria are extremely vague and ambiguous, allowing the authorities to cut applicants without discretion.

Candidates were disqualified for “a lack of adherence to Islam and the Constitution,” for being critical of President Ahmadinejad’s government, and for being allegedly affiliated or supportive of “illegal” parties.

Of note, several of the candidates banned from running are members of the 15 member Sunni bloc in parliament.  The Sunni are a minority in Iran, and on December 19, 2011 the bloc sent Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a letter asking him to protect the political and social rights of Iran’s Sunni minority.

The parliamentary elections have been largely viewed as a contest between President Ahmadinejad’s supporters and those of Ayatollah Khamenei.  The underlying issue has been the growing tension between the president and Khamenei since Ahmadinejad’s controversial 2009 reelection.  Though Khamenei supported Ahmadinejad’s victory as president, there has been uneasiness between the two ever since, including an incident with Ahmadinejad disappearing from public view for 11 days after his decision to fire an intelligence minister was overruled by Khamenei.

It appears that Khamenei was the victor in the most reason battle. Candidates who support Khamenei look to gain about ¾ of the parliamentary seats, Iran’s state-run Press TV reported on Sunday.

The strength of the various parties after this election will set the stage for the, vastly more important,  2013 Iranian presidential elections.

The results of the election are not likely to change Iran’s stance on their controversial nuclear program.

For more information, please see:

CNN — Iran leader consolidates power, vote results suggest — 4 Mar. 2012

Tehran Times — Iran dismisses Hague’s claims on Majilis polls — 4 Mar. 2012

BBC — Iran conservatives contest poll for parliament — 2 Mar. 2012

Human Rights Watch — Iran: Fair Vote Impossible — 1 Mar. 2012

By Carolyn Abdenour
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

RAMALLAH, Palestine – Before dawn on Wednesday, 29 February, about 30 Israeli Defense Force (“IDF”) troops seized transmission equipment, documents, and computers during raids at two private Palestinian TV stations.  Palestinian officials asserted the raids violated media freedom.  Palestinian Prime Minster Salam Fayyad stated the raids were “oppressive and monstrous” and violated “all international laws.”

IDF raided the Ramallah-based Jerusalem Education TV, a station owned by the Palestinian Al-Quds University, and al-Watan TV, a suspected pirate TV station.  Israel’s Communications Ministry initiated the raids claiming the frequencies from the stations interfered with aircraft communications at Ben-Gurion International Airport and legal broadcasters throughout Israel.

Moreover, the Israeli ministry stated the broadcasting frequencies violated Israeli-Palestinian agreements.  IDF spokesperson further reported the raids occurred after the stations ignored several warnings from Israel’s Communication Ministry to stop broadcasting.  He also asserted the IDF legally confiscated the items.

After the raids occurred, the Palestinian Authority emphasized that it did not receive these warnings and that the stations did not violate agreements.

Director of the Institute of Modern Media at Al-Quds University, the operator of the TV station, Lucy Nusseibeh urged, “We have all our licenses through the Palestinian Ministry of Communications and are in constant touch with them.  I never heard anything about Israeli complaints or warnings.”

Ms. Nusseibeh reaffirmed the station is “an education television station, which puts on ‘Sesame Street’, antismoking programs and broadcasts to help integrate handicapped children into the community.”

During his visits to the raided TV stations, Mr. Fayyad said the raids undermined his government and called upon the international community to persuade Israel to cease these raids.  He added, “This is a clear aggression against what remains of the Palestinian Authority.”  Mr. Fayyad promised to provide both stations with replacement transmitters.

Al-Watan, owned by three non-governmental associations, frequently airs Palestinian protests in the West Bank against Israeli policies.  Mustafa Barhouti, legislator of the station’s part-owner Palestinian Medical Relief Society, said, “This is an act of repression of the freedom of the media in Palestine, and of repression of the popular resistance that we believe in.”

Al-Watan’s station director Moammar Orabi recalled an IDF officer told the employees to “say hello to Khader Adnan,” the Palestinian prisoner protesting his detention with a two-month hunger strike.  A worker at the raid stated the raiders “became very angry when they saw Khader Adnan’s photo hanging on our office wall.”

Mr. Fayyad added, “This piracy and raids on Palestinian media institutions are reminiscent of practices by the occupations forces in the beginning of the second intifada, when they stored and vandalized many Palestinian media institutions, including Palestine TV, Palestine Radio as well as Watan TV.”

For further information, please see:

Daily Times – Israel Raids Palestinian Television Stations – 1 Mar 2012

Arutz Sheva – IDF Raids Two Ramallah Pirate TV Stations – 29 Feb 2012

New York Times – Israel Troops Raid Two Palestinian TV Stations in the West Bank – 29 Feb 2012

The Times of Israel  – IDF Raids Ramallah TV Station – 29 Feb 2012

The Times of Israel – IDF Shuts Down Pirate TV Stations In Ramallah – 29 Feb 2012

By Carolyn Abdenour
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain – On Tuesday, 28 February, Human Rights Watch (“HRW”) called upon Bahrain to release hundreds of pro-democracy activists arrested last year and to drop all charges against them.  HRW also urged the country to void people’ convictions from civil and military courts that do not meet international fair trial standards.

HRW’s 94-page report, “No Justice in Bahrain: Unfair Trials in Military and Civilian Courts,” highlighted the county’s due process violations during politically motivated trials in criminal courts since 2010 and high-profile trials by special military courts in 2011. 

In March 2011, King Hamad organized special military courts during the country’s three-month “State of National Safety”, a quasi state of emergency.  Since 4 April 2011, Bahrain’s military officials tried and convicted hundreds of people charged under “national safety” grounds.  Civilian courts began accepting the trials and appeals of these people charged in the uprising on 7 October 2011.

In its report, HRW emphasized the violations through two case studies.  First, the court convicted twenty doctors of inciting to overthrow the government and trying to occupy a hospital.  Second, security forces jailed fourteen political activists for leading protests.  Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, a jailed activist with Danish nationality, has conducted a hunger strike for the past two weeks. 

HRW asserted the violations of fair trial rights include denying defendants the right to present a defense and to counsel along with failing to investigate torture allegations during interrogations. These violations reflect systemic failures in the country’s criminal justice system rather than deficient practices of judges and prosecutors. 

Furthermore, HRW has documented continued exercise of ill-treatment and torture by Bahraini security officers.   In November, the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (“BICI”) published that at least five people detained for engaging in peaceful protests died from torture.  The government pledged to implement recommendations by this Commission, including police and judicial procedural reforms.  However, earlier this month Amnesty International reported the government remained “far from delivering the human rights changes.”

Moreover, HRW requested France, the United Kingdom, and the United State halt military and security-related sales and assistance to the country until Bahrain address these human rights violations.

HRW’s Deputy Middle East Director Joe Stork said, “King Hamad should examine the special military courts he set up by decree before claiming there are no political prisoners in Bahrain…In case after case, people were convicted for their political beliefs, for the slogans they chanted, and for joining large peaceful rallies that the Crown Prince had publicly proclaimed were protected by Bahrain’s constitution.”

For further information, please see:

Dalje – Bahrain Trials Lack Due Processs – 28 Feb 2012

Human Rights Watch – Bahrain: Hundreds Railroaded in Unjust Trials – 28 Feb 2012

The Daily News: Egypt – HRW Calls On Bahrain To Release Democracy Activists – 28 Feb 2012

The Daily Star: Lebanon – Bahrain Should Shelve Trials Linked To Protests: Group – 28 Feb 2012

By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt–The first day of a controversial trial of 43 non-governmental organization workers accused of working illegally and pressing American and Israeli interests in Egypt has adjourned in Cairo. Mohammed Shoukry, the chief judge, stated on Sunday 26 February 2012 that the court would reconvene for the next hearing on 26 April 2012. The court session adjourned after being suspended “until order is restored” due to a brawl between civil claimants and the judge.

The defendants include 19 Americans and 16 Egyptians. Only seven of the US citizens reportedly remain in the country, where they are not permitted to leave. The others include Serbians, Lebanese, Germans, a Norwegian, a Jordanian, and a Palestinian. Only 13 Egyptians and one German defendants actually appeared at the hearing.

A prosecutor at the hearing read the charges against the defendants, alleging that their “acceptance of illicit funds had detracted from the sovereignty of the Egyptian state.” All 14 defendants who were present denied that they had committed the crimes they were charged with. Upon the case’s adjournment, human rights lawyer Hafez Abou Seida told Egyptian State television reporters that the circumstances surrounding the trial do not necessitate allowing civil claimants as plaintiffs in the case. Abou Seida also stated that the defendants’ representatives should begin submitting evidence of innocence by the upcoming hearing on 26 April 2012.

The charging of US citizens has brought relations between Egypt and the United States to their lowest points in almost three decades. US politicians stated they may cut off Egypt’s $1.3M in annual military aid if the US citizens are tried in the case, although none of them appeared at the hearing. Les Campbell, the regional director of one of the accused US organizations, stated tat his group’s foreign employees did not receive official summons from the court. Thus, they saw no reason to present themselves.

On the other hand, Egyptian officials have stated that the trial has absolutely nothing to do with the government and is in the hands of the judiciary. They have blamed the continued unrest in their country on foreign interference and attribute much of it to the organizations from which the workers in this case are charged.

Ashraf El-Ashmawi and Sameh Abu Zeid, two judges also handling the case, stated the charges could lead to up to five-year prison sentences. El-Ashmawi shared these words with Al-Jazeera.

“These organizations conducted unlicensed and illegal activities without the knowledge of the Egyptian government. Documents confiscated during the raids on the NGO offices confirm illegal foreign funding.”

Seven of the Americans remain in Egypt and have been residing on the grounds of the US embassy in Cairo since the charges were filed and they were barred from leaving the country. Outside of the courtroom on Sunday 26 February 2012, approximately 100 protesters called for the release of Omar Abdel-Rahman, the blind Egyptian cleric imprisoned in the US following the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in New York, in exchange for the US defendants.

The main US organizations involved in the trial are the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute.

The activists were charged with the illegal use of foreign funds to stimulate and fester unrest and operating in the country without a license. But the investigation against these workers fits into a much larger framework. There is a campaign within Egypt’s leaders against foreign influence since the collapse of Hosni Mubarak’s regime last year, considered by many as the first real victory for the Arab Spring.

Rights groups have sharply criticized the existence of the investigation into the groups and the charges, stated that they are part of an orchestrated effort by Egyptian authorities to silence all those critical of the current military rulers. Since the ouster of Mubarak, the civilians in Egypt are ready to begin a new era of change and prosperity. They are putting pressure on the country’s military rules over their stewardship of the economy and the transition to a civilian government. The head of the ruling military council, Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantwai, ordered on Sunday 26 February 2012 that parliament convene on 3 March to elect a committee to draw up a new constitution.

Since Mubarak’s ouster, Egypt has run through over 50 percent of its foreign reserves and is currently seeking a $3.2 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, as well as additional help from the World Bank and other foreign donors. The Egyptian people are left wondering how and when this desired loan will be used to address their needs and desires, the same needs and desires that removed Mubarak from power and placed the military in control.

One of the defendants, Islam Shafiq, shared these words with the AFP. He works as a financial manager with the US-based International Center for Journalists.

“Of course this trial is politicized. We proved during the investigation that we didn’t do anything.”

For more information, please see: 

Ahram – Egypt’s NGO Trial Adjourned for 26 April in First Session – 26 February 2012

Al-Jazeera – Egypt NGO Workers Trial Adjourned – 26 February 2012

Bloomberg – Egypt Court Adjourns Trial of Pro-Democracy NGO Workers Until April 26 – 26 February 2012

CNN – Trial Is Adjourned After Americans Fail To Appear in Cairo Court – 26 February 2012

The Guardian – Egypt Opens Trial of 43 Pro-Democracy Workers – 26 February 2012

NYT – Trial of U.S. Nonprofit Workers in Egypt Is Abruptly Put Off – 26 February 2012