By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain–A special military court has begun trial of some 48 medical professionals, accused by the local government of supporting weeks of pro-democracy protests throughout the country. The Court of National Safety held its initial sessions in politically motivated cases against opposition members of parliament and a well-known defense lawyer. The proceedings took at Salmaniya Medical Complex, without notifying the lawyers or the families of those on trial.

Most of the convictions against the individuals on trial were charges such as “participating in unauthorized demonstrations and incitement of hatred against the regime.” These charges yielded prison sentences from one to five years. One of the lawyers for the doctors said they had been tortured, forced to confess, and denied access to counsel during the initial hearings. Bahraini officials denied any allegations of systematic torture and asserted that any incidents of abuse would be properly investigated and prosecuted.

Human Rights Watch reports that it is aware of at least 82 individuals for whom verdicts had been delivered in the Court of National Safety as of June 13, while several dozen more cases are pending. Out of the 82 cases, 77 were convicted on some charges and only five were completely acquitted. There is evidence that most of the charges are originating from hospital staff choosing to treat hundreds of wounded protesters. Bahraini officials have accused the doctors from stealing medicines from the hospitals and stockpiling arms to support the protesters.

Many international human rights groups have expressed serious concern with hauling civilians in front of a military court, especially when wounded civilians are the catalyst of the investigation. David Michalski, of Medecins Sans Frontiers, shared these sentiments with an Al-Jazeera correspondent:

“The net effect of this, including the detention of the doctors and the medical personnel, the net effect for the patient is some patients are very fearful, and they don’t know where to go when sick and injured, [or] if they are injured in these protests. Medical personnel should be allowed to deliver treatment in an impartial manner.”

The preliminary sessions of the Court of National Safety against these individuals came just days after the Crown Prince, Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, met with US President Barack Obama in Washington, DC, to garner support for a “national dialogue” with opposition forces.

Bahrain is host to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet and has called on its fellow Sunni-led Gulf neighbor Saudi Arabia to help disrupt the pro-democracy protests that began in March. The ruling royal family consists of Sunni Muslims while the majority of the nation is made up of Shiite Muslims. Its leaders have placed the onus for the protests on sectarianism and Iran’s involvement.

For more information, please see:

CNN-Rights group urges Bahrain to stop military tribunals-14 June 2011

Human Rights Watch-Bahrain: Stop Military Court of Travesty Justice-14 June 2011

Al-Jazeera-Bahrain medics on trial over protests-13 June 2011

The Guardian-Bahrain doctors deny stealing medicines or stockpiling arms-13 June 2011

New York Times-Bahrain-Doctors Seized in Crackdown Say They Were Tortured in Custody-13 June 2011

by Tyler Yates
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAKU, Azerbaijan – A government led “beautification” project in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, has resulted in forced evictions, house demolitions, and illegal expropriations.

The project was begun in 2009 to address what President Ilham Aliyev has called an “issue…of biggest concern to people,” the growing disrepair of the capital city and its suburbs.

The long-term plan began with the laying of roads and the building of new infrastructure.  Water and sanitation are to be improved, as are the condition of schools and cultural monuments.

Ilham Aliyev cited the renovations as a necessary step in familiarizing the rest of the world with Azerbaijan, and bettering their position internationally.

In the continuation of the project, the government has begun to expropriate and demolish the homes of many of its private citizens living in the city center.  Human Rights Watch puts the number of displaced homeowners and residents somewhere from in the hundreds to possibly the thousands, creating widespread violations of private property rights.

The “so-called ‘beautification’ project…isn’t just destroying homes in Baku, it’s destroying people’s lives,” said Jane Buchanan, Europe and Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch.  “The Azerbaijani authorities need to put an immediate halt to forced expropriations, evictions, and demolitions in Baku.”

On 13 June 2011 police were called to a building slated for demolition after the owners and tenants of the building painted a message on the interior walls: “This is private property and the destruction of this house violates the Constitution, and the European Convention on Human Rights.”

The house is owned by Leyla Yunus, a leading human rights defender in Azerbaijan, and it offices numerous human rights groups that provide crucial legal and other support to victims of human rights abuses in Azerbaijan.  Its destruction would be a huge blow to Azerbaijani human rights.

There have been reports from other Azerbaijani homeowners that demolition crews have begun demolishing some homes with the residents still inside.  Other residents have been forced out by police and detained only to come home to a pile of rubble with most of their possessions destroyed and valuables missing.

Compensation in many of the cases has been far below market value for property in Central Baku.  Authorities have designated a price of 1,500 manat (US $1,900) per square meter, regardless of the land’s use, age, or condition.  Independent appraisals have found the land to be worth around 4,000 manat (US $5,605) per square meter.  Compensation does not include the destruction of possessions.

There is no basis for the expropriations in Azerbaijani law, which guarantees the rights to private property, and allows expropriations only in limited cases with a court order.

For more information, please see:

Human Rights Watch – Azerbaijan: Halt Illegal House Demolitions, Forced Evictions – 13 June 2011

Human Rights Watch – Open Letter to President Aliyev Regarding House Demolition and Expropriation – 13 June 2011

News.AZ – All social and economic issues to be settled in Baku suburb – 25 May 2011

News.AZ – President inspects development work in Baku villages – 20 May 2011

by Zach Waksman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

AMMAN, Jordan – In a speech marking his twelfth year as the leader of Jordan, King Abdullah II announced today that he would be making new efforts at reforming the country’s government, which has long been plagued by corruption.  The promise comes on the heels of protests calling for democracy that have been ongoing for the months since last November’s Parliamentary election, which was boycotted by several opposition groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood.

This latest initiative began after Jordan’s National Dialogue Committee released its recommendations for political reform last Saturday.  The Committee, established in March, was asked to reach a consensus on numerous issues on that topic, some of which were raised by Abdullah himself.  Among the recommendations is the establishment of an independent panel of former judges to oversee elections.  The Committee also proposed a law on political parties to make them easier to form by reducing the number of people required to do so from 500 to 250.  Out of those founding members, the draft law would require at least 25 of them to be women.

Senate President Taher Masri, who chaired the 52-member Committee, considered the effort a success.  “Our mission is accomplished and the ball is in the court of the government to continue the reform process and translate the recommendations into action.”

In his address to the nation, Abdullah set out his vision for Jordan as a model constitutional monarchy.  He foresaw a clear separation of powers so that all parts of the government would be accountable to the nation.  “Elaborating on this vision, and on political reforms in particular,” he emphasized, “our guiding principles will emanate from the recommendations produced by consensus of the National Dialogue Committee…that reflect the aspirations of Jordanians…”  A key part of this initiative would be conduction of new elections to replace the current Parliament.

Despite the king’s lofty rhetoric, not all Jordanians are as optimistic about the possibility of success.  According to 28-year-old Ahamad Sami, a fruit salesman, this effort will be no more effective than the one that took place five years ago.  “It’s all lies,” Sami told the New York Times.  “The Parliament will not approve these recommendations, because it’s not in their own personal interest.”

That 2006 initiative, called the National Agenda, went nowhere due to lack of pressure from within the Parliament or from the public.  It was one of many reform efforts that Abdullah has made since taking the throne in 1999.  None of them have truly succeeded.

In the opinion of Marwan Muasher, the former Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan, Abdullah is part of the reason for this failure by not convincing society to follow his lead.  “All efforts to open up the political system have been thwarted by a resilient class of political elites and bureaucrats who feared that such efforts would be move the country away from a decades-old rentier system to a merit based one,” Muasher explained.  And whenever those people opposed Abdullah’s policies, he capitulated to them, thus undermining his own initiatives.

Whether this will happen again is unclear.  Every past effort came up short due to lack of support, but Abdullah is not backing down.  He seems to finally have the support he needs from inside the government.  “We have democrats and we have conservatives and people who believe that proceeding with these changes may undermine the authority of the state,” said Masri.  “Implementation is a process and it will be a tough road ahead.”

For more information, please see:

Petra — King Addresses Nation — 12 June 2011

Washington Post — Jordan’s king bows to popular demands for elected Cabinets, constitutional changes — 12 June 2011

New York Times — Jordan Tries to Remake Its Political Machinery — 8 June 2011

Al Arabiya — Failure of Jordanian reform offers roadmap for Arab leaders — 16 May 2011

by Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

ZINJIBAR, Yemen–Only days after President Ali Abdullah Saleh left his country after being injured in an attack on his compound, opposition forces in Yemen have ramped up their offensive in an effort to see real change happen. High government officials in Yemen routinely blame the violence on al-Qaeda operatives on such attacks. President Saleh is currently in Saudia Arabia, recovering from burns over 40% of his body and a collapsed lung, according to a U.S. government official briefed on the situation.

In the major city of Zinjibar, reports have surfaced that both government troops and opposition fighters lost their lives during overnight clashes. The government’s troops moved into the city in an attempt to recover control of it, as major sections of the city have been held by opposition gunmen since late May.

The head of the tribal council in Taiz, Sheikh Hammoud Saeed Al-Mikhlafi, relayed this message to an AFP news agency correspondent via telephone:

“We the tribes, in support to the oppressed and in retaliation against the illegitimate government have deployed around government installations, which we now control in order to protect from thugs.”

In the country’s capital Sanaa, approximately 4,000 protesters gathered in front of Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s residence, calling for President Saleh to create a transitional council to allow a new government to be born. A young activist named Omar al-Qudsi relayed this sentiment to a Reuters’ correspondent:

“We will remain in front of the residence of the vice president for 24 hours to pressure him for the formation of a transitional council. The era of Saleh has ended.”

The developing situation in Yemen has become a concern for Western powers due to its geographical location, its oil shipping lanes, and its oil-giant neighbor, Saudi Arabia. If the chaos in the country continues, al-Qaeda operatives could benefit the most from the freedom of movement. As recent as 9 June 2011, the US has launched airstrikes against designated al-Qaeda targets in Yemen to disrupt their efforts to gain from the ongoing turmoil.

Zinjibar was once home to approximately 50,000 residents. But as a result of the continual clashes, it is reported now to resemble a ghost town. The continual clashes of the Saleh regime and its opposition are coming at the expense of its residents, the very people that the government is supposed to protect. One can only wonder where this large number of displaced individuals has gone and if they are able to find access to basic resources, such as food and water.

For more information, please see:

Boston Globe-AP sources: US planes hit Yemeni militants-09 June 2011

Bloomberg-Yemen Opposition Seeks Formal Declaration That Saleh is No Longer President-08 June 2011

CNN-Witnesses: Tribal fighters take over major city in Yemen-08 June 2011

Al-Jazeera-Yemen opposition offer for talks rebuffed-07 June 2010

BBC Yemen-30 dead in Zanjibar and ‘clashes’ in Taiz-07 June 2010

Reuters-Yemen’s Saleh injuries believed more serious-07 June 2011