By Zach Waksman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – On Tuesday, the military announced that it was planning to adopt a “declaration of basic principles” that would oversee the drafting of a new Egyptian constitution.  But even as the ruling military council begins this process, public concerns remain over whether the revolution of January 25 has brought about the reforms it sought to achieve.

Despite this apparent show of good faith, thousands of protesters gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Friday, referred to as “The Friday of Final Warning,” to repeat the demands that spurred the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak.  This time, however, their anger was aimed at Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, head of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF), and interim Prime Minister Essam Sharaf.  Once they finished their prayers, the dissidents chanted, “The Military Council is illegitimate” and “Down with Tantawi,” while also using poetry, song, caricature, and graffiti to express displeasure with the current regime.

As of Thursday, at least a dozen Tahrir protesters were in the midst of a hunger strike.  One of the strikers, Mohamed Fawzy, said that he would not accept treatment until the protesters’ demands have been met.  Those demands include the public trial of all officers who participated in killing protesters during the revolution and a public trial of the Mubarak family and other symbols of his regime.  They also want limits on the SCAF’s power and a purge of all government and state institutions, including banks and the media, of corrupt members of the previous regime.

To some, putting new people in power will not be enough.  Mohamed El-Baradei, a former director of the International Atomic Energy Agency who is running for president, opined that the government will have to change its policies.  “The revolution’s demands are clear.  We need an empowered government and a change of policies,” he wrote on his Twitter page.

Even after Tuesday’s announcement, the primary concern among the protesters is that the declaration will provide the military with a broad mission that could limit democracy in the name of preserving a secular state.  Tahani el-Gebali, a judge who is assisting in drafting the declaration, supports a broad role in the new government for the armed forces.  She believes that “[t]he military’s legacy gives it a special credibility.”  This credibility justifies its level of responsibility in protecting the new constitution’s legitimacy.  The military has traditionally had almost total autonomy in Egypt, including a budget that was not disclosed to the Parliament.

Ibrahim Dawrish, who helped create a new constitution that reduced the political role of Turkish armed forces, and who had taken on a broad mandate after a coup in 1980, told the New York Times that the SCAF seemed to be trying to imitate the Turkish model, which created political turmoil in Turkey for years.  “The constitution can’t be monopolized by one institution,” Dawrish said.  “It is Parliament that makes the constitution, not the other way around.”

Frustration appears to be growing within the military.  Even as anger towards them increases, the SCAF remains steadfast in its claim of being only a temporary regime.  Major General Mamdouh Shaheen, a council member, told a news conference that the military would remain in power until an elected government was in place, adding that the SCAF “does not want to stay in power.”

Whether that is true remains to be seen.  The final version of the declaration will provide some answers to that question, but will raise new questions as well.

For more information, please see:

Al-Masry Al-Youm – El-Baradei: Revolution wants policies, not people, changed – 17 July 2011

Ikhwanweb – As Protests Continue, Egyptians Determined to Fulfill Revolution’s Demands – 17 July 2011

New York Times – Egypt Military Moves to Cement a Muscular Role in Government – 16 July 2011

Daily News Egypt – Thousands in Tahrir on ‘Final Warning Friday’ – 15 July 2011

Al-Ahram Weekly – Must do better – 14 July 2011

Al-Ahram Weekly – Protesters’ demands –14 July 2011

Al-Ahram Weekly – Together we stand – 14 July 2011

by Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BEIRUT, Lebanon–Seven Estonian cyclists who were abducted on 23 March 2011 in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley have been released, according to the Estonian foreign ministry. All seven men are in their 30s and entered Lebanon from Syria on a bicycle tour.

Security sources reported that on 23 March 2011, the seven men were cycling in Lebanon’s Easter Valley when masked gunmen in a black Mercedes and two white vans with no license plates kidnapped the foreigners on a road between Zahle, a predominantly Christian town, and Kfar Zabed, a town with a healthy Sunni-Christian mix.

Kfar Zabed is located some 10 kilometers (approximately 6.21 miles) southeast of Zahle and five kilometers (approximately 3.11 miles) from Lebanon’s border with Syria. The Bekaa Valley is notorious for engaging in unlawful activities including kidnappings.

A group known as Haraket Al-Nahda Wal-Islah (Movement for Renewal and Reform) claimed responsibility for the kidnapping and demanded an undisclosed ransom. This group was previously unheard of according to Lebanese security officials.

The case to recover the seven cyclists had been covered in mystery for months, although several individuals were arrested in Lebanon in connection with the kidnapping. Lebanese Interior officials confirmed that 9 people implicated in the abduction had been arrested, including Lebanese suspects and those of other nationalities.

The Estonians were shown asking for help on video three times: 20 April, 20 May, and 8 July. The first two videos were posted on the Internet while the third video was sent to the relatives of the hostages. The seven men were seen calling on the leaders of Lebanon, Saudia Arabia, Jordan, and France for assistance. None of the videos released made political demands, although it has not been made public whether a ransom was actually paid to ensure the release of the hostages.

Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet shared these sentiments followed the release of the seven cyclists;  “The main thing now is for our seven fellow countrymen to get home to their families and loved ones as quickly as possible.”

The cyclists were freed in the town of Arsal. As Estonia lacks diplomatic representation in Lebanon, the cyclists were taken directly to the French embassy in the capital, Beirut. French diplomats have already begun to work on an official release for the hostages.

Lebanese Interior Minister Marwan Charbel expressed that “Our sole priority right now is to ensure that they arrive at the embassy safe and found, and then we will hear whatever details they have.”

Although relatively prominent before, the kidnapping of Westerners in Lebanon has become less common since the end of the civil war in 1990.

For more information, please see:

Al-Jazeera-Kidnapped Estonians freed in Lebanon-14 July 2011

BBC-Seven Estonian hostages freed in Lebanon-14 July 2011

CNN-Army:Estonian cyclists abducted in Lebanon are released-14 July 2011

Reuters-Estonia confirms kidnapped men released in Lebanon-14 July 2011

By Tyler Yates
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran — Since the beginning of 2011, Iran has been executing an average of almost two people a day.  This rise in the use of capital punishment comes as the present governing Islamic regime fights to prevent a pro-democracy movement, similar to those occurring in neighboring countries, from gaining a significant foothold in Iran.

Political uprisings have become a part of Iran’s history so it is surprising that the country has been so silent as Arab Spring revolts break out all over the Middle East.  It now appears that the Iranian government’s harsh and violent crackdown may be one, if not the, root cause for the lack of a similar uprising in Iran.

While Iran is itself reporting a large number of executions, many human rights organizations worry that even more executions are happening in secret.  Amnesty International says that Iran has acknowledged executing 190 people since the beginning of 2011, but there have been reports of at least 130 more.  These numbers are backed by reports from both Iran Human Rights (IHR) and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran (ICHRI).

Hadi Ghaemi, an executive director of ICHRI feels that the executions are “a clear message that the state has no hesitation in using violence and applying it, no matter how arbitrarily, in holding power.”

The use of executions as a means to intimidate and prevent popular uprisings is nothing new in Iran, but the growing number of executions taking place in public is leaving human rights organizations deeply disturbed.  So far this year there have been 13 known public executions.  This is compared with 14 that took place all of last year.  In most instances those who are publicly hanged are left up on construction cranes for all to see.

Iran claims that the executions are related to drug trafficking, but many outside observers have questioned this notion.  Of those executed at least two have been identified as known political activists, and it seems too coincidental that the number of executions has risen when the likelihood of public uprising is also on the rise.

In response to Iran’s rise in executions, United Against Nuclear Iran has launched the Cranes Campaign.  This campaign has the goal of educating crane manufacturers on how Iran is misusing their products, and getting those manufacturers to renounce their business ties with Iran, until it becomes a civilized member of the international community.  The U.S. companies Terex and Caterpillar and Japan’s Komatsu have all ended their business ties with Iran.

For more information, please see:

Philadelphia Inquirer — What’s Keeping Iran Quiet — 11 July 2011

Care2 – Human Rights Groups Denounce Iran’s Rising Execution Rate — 10 July 2011

The Guardian — Iran escalates use of capital punishment — 7 July 2011

Los Angeles Times — Iran’s execution binge — 6 July 2011

by Zach Waksman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEL AVIV, Israel – On Friday, hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists began to fly into Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion International Airport.  The literal mass flight, nicknamed the “flightilla” in reference to a flotilla of aid ships that was denied access to Gaza, was intended to protest the Israeli government’s tendency to bar such people from entering the country.  As of Saturday, six activists, all Israeli citizens, have been arrested by national police, and over 100 others, mostly from Europe, remain in Israeli custody, awaiting deportation to their home countries.

The activists intended to take part in a “Welcome to Palestine” campaign, which was first announced in Paris on March 9 in response to a call from 15 Palestinian civil society organizations on the West Bank.  During the campaign, they would “pay a visit to Palestinian families, share their daily life for a week, visit the towns, villages and refugee camps, discover the difficulties encountered by their inhabitants, [and] also their culture and expectations.”  Because Palestine has no airport, they had no choice but to fly into Ben-Gurion. Though many who wish to visit Palestine lie about their purpose for coming in order to avoid trouble, participants in the initiative stated their intentions to the French Foreign Office, who then forwarded that information to Israeli authorities.

Despite clearly stating the group’s peaceful purpose to Israel months in advance, the country’s immigration department considered participants to be a “security threat.”  Believing this to be the case, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began preparations for their arrival.  Hundreds of security personnel were deployed to the airport.

The six who were arrested had caused a disturbance in the arrivals area of Terminal Three.  They also held up signs that read “Welcome to Palestine.”  According to police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, “Five males and one female are being questioned.”

As another part of the preparations, the Interior Ministry sent airlines in other countries a list of hundreds of names of people, Israel said were “pro-Palestinian radicals” who intended to create chaos at Ben-Gurion.  Those who arrived in Israel would be refused entry, so the airlines were asked not to let them on board their planes.  According to Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor, the no-fly list was compiled by following the organizers’ websites and members’ social networking.  “We did not need the Mossad,” he said.  “It was all out there in the open.”

The decision was not met with kind words from the would-be activists.  One of the more notable incidents happened at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle Airport, where 50 people planned to board a Lufthansa flight, but were banned from boarding.  They then gathered in the terminal and repeatedly yelled “Boycott Israel,” while police observed.  “Charles de Gaulle Airport is under Israeli occupation.  We are peaceful people and have no interest in causing disorder at Ben-Gurion Airport,” Olivia Zemour, leader of one of the organizations that helped put the “flightilla” together, told Israel Radio.  A similar scene took place in Geneva, where 30 people were denied permission to board.

Those who did make it Tel Aviv did not fare much better.  At least two planes were diverted to a different terminal, where suspected activists were taken to a holding area for questioning.

Israel believed it was justified in detaining and denying entry to the activists. Interior Minister Eli Yishal gave credit to the Immigration and Population Authority for preventing their entry.  “We will take a firm hand against anyone disregarding [our] laws, and like any other sovereign state, we will use any means at our disposal to prevent people intent on breaking the law from entering the country,” he said.  Prime Minister Netanyahu added that every country had the right to prevent the entry of potential “provocateurs.”

Despite the setback, organizers still claim victory.  At a news conference in Bethlehem, Palestinian organizer Fadi Kattan said that he was “pleased – sadly pleased” with the Israeli reaction.  In his point of view, it revealed the country’s strong anti-Palestinian policies.

Laura Durkay, an American activist who was being held in a pre-interrogation area at Ben-Gurion with at least 30 other people, was also satisfied.  “What we want is to get into Palestine, but if that’s not going to happen, then the longer we stay here, the more the media will keep paying attention to our story,” she said.  “We want to show how the Israeli government treats people trying to travel to Palestine.”

For more information, please see:

Jerusalem Post — Pro-Palestinian activists plan week of protests in West Bank — 10 July 2011

Ma’an News Agency — Israel deports two activists, 118 still held — 10 July 2011

Al-Jazeera — Israel clamps down on fly-in protest — 9 July 2011

Jerusalem Post — Yishai commends ‘Flightilla’ security forces at B-G airport — 9 July 2011

Arutz Sheva — Six Expelled at Airport; 200 Stopped Abroad — 8 July 2011

New York Times — Israel Blocks Air Travelers to Palestinian Conference — 8 July 2011

Arutz Sheva — Pro-PA ‘Fly-In’ Stymied in Europe — 7 July 2011

Alternative Information Center — Israel Reacts Hysterically to Welcome to Palestine Initiative — 6 July 2011

Bienvenue en Palestine — Press Release, March 9, 2011 — 9 March 2011