The Middle East

Egyptian Protest Over Military Rule Unrest Turns Violent

By Tyler Yates
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt — Egyptian protesters are beginning to show signs of unrest towards the Egyptian military rule that began after the fall of Hosni Mubarak.  On Friday a mass rally calling for reforms was held at Cairo’s Tahir Square.  By nighttime what had started as a peaceful protest had turned violent as thousands of people tore down a protective wall around the Israeli Embassy, while others defaced the headquarters of the Egyptian Interior Ministry.

Protesters tear away at wall outside of Israeli Embassy (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera).
Protesters tear away at wall outside of Israeli Embassy (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera).

The Egyptian state news agency reports that 448 people were injured and 17 protesters were arrested in the mayhem.

The rally’s main purpose had been to press the military rulers to keep the promises they made for reform after they took over the country.

“It would be a shame on the Egyptian people if they forget their revolution,” a preacher leading a Muslim prayer section earlier in the day at the protest remarked.

A big sticking point for many protesters is the usage of military trials for civilians.  Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports that almost 12,000 civilians have been arrested and brought before military tribunals since February.  This is more than the total number of civilians who faced such trials under Mubarak.

The military rulers have sad that the trials of civilians before military tribunals will end as soon as the state of emergency is lifted.  After Friday’s incident it is uncertain when this will happen.

The military released a statement saying that it will respect the activists’ right to protest peacefully, but it warned that it would respond to violence with “the utmost severity and decisiveness.”

The interior ministry said that it had withdrawn its riot police stationed in Tahir Square to allow the protest to proceed unhindered.  Reports confirm that police and military personnel were nowhere to be seen in Tahir Square or in the streets surrounding it, but when the protests turned violent they arrived by the truckload.

The scale and attitudes of Friday’s protest mark a departure from the previous Egyptian protests that have occurred since the revolution began.  Mixed with the liberal goals of retribution against Mubarak and an end to military rule were new grievances over recent events, including a border dispute with Israel and a brawl between soccer fans and police at a match the previous Tuesday.

Thousands of ultras –hard-core soccer fans – were a conspicuous presence in the protests and a dominant force in the violence.  Notorious for their obscene chants and pension for brawling, the ultras have become increasingly engaged in the politics of the revolution.

Egyptian politicians at every level have spoken out against the violence.  Some even chided the military for failing to have some sort of presence at the protests until they were forced to respond with brutal force.  Many were careful to distance themselves from any support of Israel.  Among the objections against Mubarak was his steadfast devotion to the alliance between Egypt, Israel, and the United States.  Aspiring political candidates and the military rulers have been careful to stay on the popular side of these sentiments.

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Watch — Egypt: Retry or Free 12,000 After Unfair Military Trials — 10 Sept 2011

New York Times — After Attack on Embassy, Egypt Vows Tougher Stance on Protests — 10 Sept 2011

Al Jazeera — Egyptians protest against military rule — 9 Sep 2011

New York Times — Protest of Thousands in Cairo Turns Violent — 9 Sept 2011

Syrian Protesters Call for Help from International Community as Assad Steps Up Brutality

By Zach Waksman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria – Protests against the regime of embattled President Bashar al-Assad reached a new level in Syria on Friday.  For the first time, activists requested assistance from the international community in dealing with Assad’s crackdowns on public dissidence.  More than 2,200 people are estimated to have died since protests started in mid-March.

Protesters Friday held signs calling for aid from the international community, such as the one at left. (Image courtesy of AFP)
Protesters Friday held signs calling for aid from the international community, such as the one at left. (Image courtesy of AFP)

At the same time, a story of new atrocities by the security forces surfaced.  Thursday, Human Rights Watch reported that security forces stormed al-Barr hospital in Homs, Syria’s third-largest city on Wednesday, and removed 18 wounded people from the facility.  Five of those taken were in the operating room at the time, and two were unconscious.  A doctor at the hospital told Human Rights Watch that security forces were looking for a man named Bilal, but by the time they arrived, a person of that name who had checked in had succumbed to his injuries.  The forces then went through the hospital and took anyone who had a bullet wound.

“When we tried to help the wounded who needed urgent medical care, the security forces pushed us back, saying these were criminals and rapists. They were beating the wounded as they moved them out of the hospital,” the doctor added.  “A woman, who must have been a mother or a sister of one of the wounded, begged them [the security forces] to give her relative his medication but they pushed her. The security forces then put the wounded in ambulances and drove them away. We could see them beating them inside the ambulance as they departed. I don’t know where they took them.”

This new action runs counter to a statement made by International Committee of the Red Cross president Jakob Kellenberger at the end of his visit to Syria on Monday.  Kellenberger said he insisted that members of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent be able to do their work without interference while he met with Assad.  Instead, it continues a pattern of security forces interfering with medical personnel’s ability to provide needed treatment to the wounded.

Friday’s rally, dubbed “Friday for International Protection,” is the latest statement from the regime’s opposition.  Despite near-certain response from the country’s security forces, these protests, with attendance numbering in the thousands, have taken place every Friday after the week’s primary Muslim prayer service.  This one was no different, with troops firing into the crowd once again.  Several people were killed, including a 15-year-old boy, but the death toll is unclear at this time.

“We want international protection!” was heard in several cities across the country.  Others called for Assad’s execution.  Still others held signs that read “Bashar: Game Over!”

A Facebook page titled “Syrian Revolution 2011” has asked the United Nations to send a permanent observer mission.  Such a mission, if deployed, would be at best, “a first step” in the process of calming and stabilizing a rapidly decaying situation, according to the Syrian Revolution General Commission, an umbrella bloc of activists that called for monitoring as an attempt to deter continued attacks.  But such an effort could also backfire, according bloc spokesman Ahmad al-Khatib during an interview with Reuters.

“Calling for outside intervention is a sensitive issue that could be used by the regime to label its opponents as traitors,” said Khatib.

Syria’s own government does not take the protests seriously.  Friday, SANA, the country’s official news agency, issued a press release reporting that Samih Khreis, Secretary-General of the Arab Bar Association, considered the activists’ cries for help from the international community illegitimate. The report also said that the opposition should not make these requests because “’Genuine reform cannot be built on the ruins of the homeland,” but through unity.  This same release also alleged that the same calls were not representative of the people.  Instead, it said, they were “manufactured by a group from the Canadian-Zionist Organization.”

Syria’s allies are rapidly losing patience with Assad’s continued crackdowns.  Russia, who has long opposed sanctions, still feels that Syria is using excessive force in dealing with the protesters, even if they might be “terrorists.”  Turkey, once a strong supporter of the Assad regime, is now one of its most vocal critics.  Even Iran, its closest friend in the international community, has called for the killing to stop.  Wednesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad recommended that Assad start talking to the opposition instead of shooting at it.  Friday, he suggested that the region meet in Tehran, his country’s capital.

“A military solution is never the right solution,” Ahmadinejad told a Portuguese broadcaster. “We believe that freedom and justice and respect for others are the rights of all nations. All governments have to recognize these rights.  Problems have to be dealt with through dialogue.”

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera — Syrians appeal for international protection — 09 September 2011

BBC — Syria unrest: Protesters call for international help — 09 September 2011

CNN — Report: Syrian forces snatched operating room patients — 09 September 2011

New York Times — Group Says Syrian Forces Seized Hospital Patients — 09 September 2011

SANA — Arab Personalities, Political Analysts: Calls for International Protection of the Syrian People Come from Canadian Zionist Organizations — 09 September 2011

Human Rights Watch — Syria: Security Forces Remove Wounded From Hospital — 08 September 2011

Syria Grants Red Cross Access to Detention Facilities

By Zach Waksman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria – Monday marked a step forward for the rights of those detained by the Syrian government since protests against the regime of longtime President Bashar al-Assad began in mid-March.  During a meeting with Jakob Kellenberger, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Syria agreed to grant the ICRC access to its primary prison facility.

A prisoner gives a defiant thumbs up as fellow detainees gather behind him (Image courtesy of Al Bawaba)
Two prisoners give defiant "thumbs up" as fellow detainees gather behind them in their shared prison cell. (Image courtesy of Al Bawaba)

This recent breakthrough comes on the heels of new information on what happens inside the detention facilities.  Last week, Amnesty International released a report on the treatment of detainees, whose number may run into the tens of thousands over just the past six months.  Highlights of the report include eyewitness accounts of beatings using both bare hands and occasionally weapons, and the use of electric shock on prisoners.  A minimum of 88 people are reported to have died in Syrian prisons between April 1 and August 15 alone, including 10 teenagers.  Amnesty International said evidence existed that 52 of those deaths were connected to torture of some form.  Syria denies that torture took place.

The results of the meeting provide limited access for the time being.  For now, the ICRC will only be able see people who were detained by the Minister of the Interior.  Kellenberger was optimistic of the possibility to expand the visits in the future.  “[W]e are hopeful that we will soon be able to visit all detainees,” he said.

Kellenberger also met with Syrian Walid Muallem Foreign Minister.  In a statement released by SANA, the country’s state-run news agency, Muallem emphasized that there was no shortage of access to medical care.  Despite recent claims that people had difficulty gaining such access, he said that the public hospitals were “constantly ready [to] provide the required medical services for all the citizens.”  He also said he was grateful for the efforts of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Organization, which had been invaluable in ensuring present needs were met.

While he spoke with Assad, Kellenberger said they “the rules governing the use of force by security forces in the current situation and the obligation to respect the physical and psychological well-being and human dignity of detainees.”

He reiterated that topic while talking to Muallem and other top Syrian officials.

A news release from SANA issued today said that Assad also embraced the ICRC’s visit.  Assad, it claimed, considered it vital that the detention center be directly examined so that alleged media distortions of what happens there could be rectified.  Continuing further, he said he “welcomed the Committee’s work as long as it remains independent and objective and is not politicized.”

The visit will give the Red Cross the chance to talk directly to detainees about their treatment in the facility.  It will also be able to request that Syrian authorities improve prison conditions and tell families about the fate of those detained.

While this news is promising, do not expect to learn exactly what the ICRC finds.  It told the BBC that, as a general rule, it does not release details of its findings during prison inspections to the public because it thinks revealing that information might limit future access to the facilities.

For more information, please see:

SANA — President al-Assad Affirms to Head of ICRC the Importance of Direct Examination of Situation in Syria in Light of Media Distortion — 06 September 2011

BBC — International Red Cross visits Syrian prison — 05 September 2011

CNN — Red Cross granted access to Syrian detention facility — 05 September 2011

ICRC — Syria: ICRC president concludes visit by holding talks with Syrian president — 05 September 2011

New York Times — Syria Allows Red Cross Officials to Visit Prison — 05 September 2011

Al Bawaba — Amnesty: Huge increase of deaths in Syrian prisons — 31 August 2011

Amnesty International — Deadly Detention: Deaths in custody amid popular protest in Syria — 31 August 2011

A YEAR AFTER FLOTILLA “INCIDENT,” TURKEY PREPARES TO TAKE ISRAEL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE

By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

ANKARA, Turkey–After its disgust and continued severing of ties with Israel, Turkey has formally declared that it will apply sometime next week for an investigation by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This application arises over concerns that Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza is illegal. In addition, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu confirmed, through Turkish state-run television, his nation’s support for efforts to win recognition for a Palestinian state through the United Nations.

The Turkish vessel, Mavi Marmara. (Photo Courtesy of NYT)
The Turkish vessel, Mavi Marmara. (Photo Courtesy of NYT)

“All military agreements have been suspended. Our aim here is not to hurt the historical friendship between Turkey and Israel, but, on the contrary, to redirect the current Israeli government as to correct a mistake that does not correspond with their exceptional friendship.”

On 02 September, Turkey continued to separate itself from Israel by ejecting Israel’s ambassador, Gabby Levy, and freezing military agreements with Israel. This separation comes after a UN report detailed the killing of nine individuals, eight Turks and one American of Turkish-descent, during an Israel raid on a Gaza-bound ship nearly 16 months ago.

The Israeli navy intercepted Mavi Marmara, the Turkish-flagged ship, in international waters as it was trying to reach Gaza’s coast on 31 May 2010. The nine individuals who lost their lives were reportedly pro-Palestinian activists. The deaths of these nine individuals did not elicit an apology from Israel in any fashion.

Israeli military officials reported that its commandos fired live rounds only after being attacked with the likes of clubs, knives, and guns. But activists on board Mavi Marmara said that the commandos started firing from the moment that they hit the deck.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon has held the position since the incident that his country has nothing to apologize for, although expressed “regret for the loss of life.” He shared these sentiments about the developing situation.

“They were not ready for a compromise and kept raising the threshold. I think we need to stay to the Turks: as far as we are concerned, this saga is behind is. Now we need to cooperate. Lack of cooperation harms not only us, but Turkey as well.”

The UN Secretary-General has urged Turkey and Israel to improve their diplomatic ties and that both sides should accept the recommendations of the UN report. Turkey has continually held the position that Israel should end its blockade of Palestinians residing inside Gaza.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer and former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe prepared the UN report. But Turkish Foreign Minster Davutoglu made the point that the report had not been endorsed by the UN and consequently, was not binding. Thus, Turkey is in pursuit of the ICJ.

“What is binding is the ICJ. This is what we are saying: let the ICJ decide.”

The UN report detailed that Israel’s decision to board the vessels “with such substantial force at a great disctance from the blockade zone and with no final warning immediately prior to boarding was excessive and unreasonable.”  The report came to the conclusion that the Israeli blockade was a “legitimate security measure in order to prevent the entering of weapons into Gaza by sea.”

Turkish Foreign Prime Minister Davutoglu firmly disagreed with this conclusion and noted that it directly contradicted the UN Human Rights Council’s findings. Also, Turkish officials have declared that they will pursue criminal charges against Israeli officials responsible for the killings.

“We will start the application process to the International Court of Justice within the next week, for an investigation into what the Gaza blockade really is.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had strong words regarding the situation.

“We do not need to apologize that the naval commandos defended themselves against the violent activists. I hope a way can be found to overcome the dispute with Turkey. Israel never wanted its relations with Turkey to deteriorate and now too Israel is not interested in a deterioration in relations. But as well as this I repeat: The state of Israel expresses regret at the loss of life.”

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, revered in the much of the Muslim world for lionizing the Palestinian plight, is expected to take a trip to Egypt later this month that could further increase tensions with Israel. There is widespread speculation that Erdogan will travel to Gaza through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing as a political statement.

Foreign Minister Davutoglu issued a warning that the dormant democratic forces awakened by popular unrest in the Middle East would certainly fester hostility towards Israel unless it changed its policies.

“Israel has to make a choice; the Arab Spring will bring about a significant enmity against Israel it if fails to change its attitude regarding regional issues.”

It is evident that Turkey’s solicitation of the International Court of Justice may have regional consequences that reverberate much further than its current disagreement with Israel.

For more information, please see:

CNN-Netanyahu: Israel won’t back down in Turkey confrontation-04 September 2011

The Guardian-Israel and Turkey: sailing into choppy waters-04 September 2011

Reuters-Israel’s Netanyahu says won’t apologize to Turkey-04 September 2011

Al-Jazeera-Turkey to take Israel to ICJ-03 September 2011

BBC-Gaza flotilla: Turkey to take Israel to UN court-03 September 2011

NYT-Turkey Expels Israeli Envoy in Dispute Over Raid-02 September 2011

Leaked Israeli Documents Reveal New Insight into Treatment of Palestinians

By Tyler Yates
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEL AVIV, Israel — A recently published cache of documents released by WikiLeaks has revealed new insights into Israel’s political and diplomatic relations.  The documents cover sensitive topics ranging from information about U.S. citizens living in the West Bank settlements to Israel’s difficulty in dealing with non-violent protests in the West Bank.  Perhaps the most damaging information however is not even from a specific document but the new revelations into the relationship of Israel and America, and their intents and attitudes towards the Palestinians.

While knowledge of the two countries’ close relationship is not really a secret, the candor of the documents is something not normally seen by outside eyes.

A document from a 2006 meeting between the U.S. ambassador and the Israeli foreign minister notes that the model for a secure Israel is to keep the Israeli Jews and the Israeli Arabs segregated.  The Israeli foreign minister warns that in two years “Hamas will take over” the Israeli Arab population, and that the only reason why Israeli Arabs wish to remain in Israel is to receive the social benefits. When discussing the possibility of a two state solution the foreign minister advocates more “creative” thinking, including the “transferring” of more Palestinians out of Israel.  The U.S. ambassador gives no response either positive or negative to the idea.

Another group of more recent documents reveals that U.S. officials have been well aware of Israel’s harsh methods of dealing with peaceful protests in the West Bank for a long time.  A February 2010 cable sent to the U.S. ambassador reveals a premeditated effort to use force against such protesters.   In the cable, the U.S. ambassador notes that government officials consider any such rally as grounds for the use of military force.  At a later meeting, Israel informs the U.S. of it’s intention to use “dirty water” to break up protests even if they are non-violent.  “Dirty water is a reference to the IDF’s chemically treated water that duplicates the effects of skunk spray,” reveals a leaked U.S. cable.  In the same document, Amos Gilad, Israel’s director of policy and political military affairs, is quoted as saying, “we don’t do Gandhi very well.”

The scrutiny given to the WikiLeaks release will likely also be stoked by the U.S.’s announcement that it wishes the Palestinians to delay their bid for statehood at the United Nations General Assembly later this month.  The U.S. wants the Palestinians to return to peace talks with Israel so that both entities can be satisfied.

The current plan, based on a broad vision laid out by U.S. president Barack Obama in May, seems to have the favor of Israel, but the Palestinian position remains unclear.  There have been some signs that Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, would forego the UN vote in favor of real talks, but senior Palestinian official Nabil Shaath, dismissed the proposal as inadequate and said a vote would go ahead regardless.  Other Palestinian officials have said that they will not be deterred by the U.S. from seeking UN membership, and that “all [their] papers are ready.”

Currently, the Palestinians expect “more than 150” of the 192 UN member nations to back their bid, but this is still short of the required number needed.

The U.S. has veto power in the Security Council, whose approval is necessary to gain full recognition.  Even with a veto from the U.S. the Palestinians should have enough votes in the general assembly to change their status from a nonvoting entity to a nonvoting observer state.  This status change would allow them to join a number of international committees, and it could strengthen their ability to bring cases against Israel at the International Criminal Court.

A deep concern for many is the effect that an American Security Council veto will have on American-Middle East relations.  Ghaith al-Omari, a former Palestinian negotiator who is now the executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine in Washington, warns “an American veto could inflame emotions and bring anti-American sentiment to the forefront across the [Middle East].”

There is also a “powerful argument…that this will provoke a Palestinian awakening…there will be new violence…and we’ll be blamed,” said Martin S. Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel.

The prospect of new violence taken together with the WikiLeaks revelations of how Israel plans to crack down on future protests casts a somber importance on the diplomatic discussions between the U.S., Israel, and the Palestinians leading up the UN vote.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera — Palestinian statehood bid ‘papers ready’ — 4 Sept 2011

Al Jazeera — US cable tells of Israel’s ‘harsh measures’ — 4 Sept 2011

Bloomberg — Palestinians Expect 140 Nations to Back Bid — 4 Sept 2011

NY Times — U.S. Is Appealing to Palestinians to Stall U.N. Vote — 3 Sept 2011

Y Net News — WikiLeaks: Israel irked by West Bank protests — 3 Sept 2011

Mondoweiss — WikiLeaks: In ’06, Lieberman told US ambassador of need to transfer Palestinians from Israel – and US says nothing — 25 Aug 2011

Salon — WikiLeaks’ revealing information about U.S. citizens living in West Bank — 24 Aug 2011