by Yesim Usluca
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt — On January 11^th, an Egyptian court approved freezing the assets of three prominent human rights activists in connection with the ongoing case in which NGOs are accused of receiving foreign funds in an attempt to destabilize the country.

In its holding, the court froze the assets of prominent human rights activists Mozn Hassan, director of the Nazra for Feminist Studies, Mohammed Zaree, head of the Arab Penal Reform Organization, and Atef Hafez, director of the Arab Organization for Judicial Reform, as well as five other rights activists. Hassan spoke out against the decision, and stated this was the “first time in history [in which] a feminist or women’s rights organization” had its assets frozen.

The case against Hassan and her organization had been initiated in March 2016, and led to widespread criticism from women’s rights groups. 43 organizations had condemned the investigation decision, and declared that the country should “acknowledge the important and pivotal work” undertaken by Hassan in the “advancement of women’s rights [and] provision of support services for survivors of sexual violence[.]”

President Sisi has long defended the country’s dedication to human rights by indicating that Egypt “should not be judged by Western standards.” The European Union (EU), however, criticized the Egyptian court’s decision to freeze assets. In its statement, the EU indicated that the “decision continues a worrying trend of restricting space for civil society to operate in Egypt.” The British Foreign Office Minister also issued a statement declaring his concern over the decision, while urging the country to “lift restrictions on civil society organizations, and allow them to operate freely in line with the constitution.”

In response, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s “sharply worded statement” accused both countries of “double standards,” while “telling them to mind their own business.” The statement further declared that the comments made by the EU and UK “amounted to flagrant interference in the country’s affairs.”

For more information, please see:

Haaretz—Egyptian Court Approves Freezing Assets of Three Human Rights Activists—11 January 2017

The Guardian—Egypt court ruling upholds decision to freeze assets of women’s rights activists—12 January 2017

Albawaba—EU condemns Egypt for freezing NGO directors’ assets—13 January 2017)

ABC News—Egypt Slams EU, UK for Criticizing Ruling on Activists—14 January 2017

Ahram Online—Egypt says EU and UK statements on NGO asset freeze shows ‘double standard’—14 January 2017

 

by Yesim Usluca
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran — A United Nations expert on Iranian human rights issued a warning regarding the health risks faced by prisoners of conscience who have been on a prolonged hunger strike protesting their legality of their detention.

The United Nations expert, Ms. Asma Jahangir, reported that in recent weeks, at least eight prisoners of conscience have been “on life-threatening hunger strikes.” She called upon Iranian authorities to “immediately and unconditionally release [prisoners] who have been arbitrarily arrested, detained and prosecuted for exercising their rights.”

Among the prisoners of conscience is Mr. Arash Sadeghi, who ended his three-and-a-half month hunger strike last week after his spouse was released from prison on bail. Ms. Jahangir reported that the spouses are “human rights defenders who have been imprisoned for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association.” She stated that Mr. Sadeghi is being kept in his cell and denied treatment at a specialized medical facility despite his critical health. She called upon Iranian authorities to comply with international human rights standards and medical ethics.

Ms. Jahangir expressed concern over the continued detention of Iranian human rights defenders who have been “tried [based on] vaguely defined offenses and heavily sentenced following trials marred with due process violations.” She indicated that such prisoners have no alternatives other than “to put their life at risk to contest the legality of their detention.”

Mr. Ali Shariati, another prisoner, has been on a hunger strike since October 31, 2016. He was sentenced to five years in prison for peaceful activism, which included a “non-violent protest to condemn acid attacks against women in Iran.” Ms. Jahangir expressed concern over the health issues faced by Mr. Saeed Shirzad, a children’s rights activist who has been on a hunger strike since December 7, 2016, and Mr. Mohammed Ali Taheri, who cannot be located after starting a hunger strike on September 28, 2016 and being transported to a military hospital in October 2016. A further prisoner, Mr. Hassan Rastegari Majd, is reportedly being held in solitary confinement as retaliation for undertaking an extensive hunger strike.

For more information, please see:

Fox News—UN flags risks faced by prisoners on hunger strikes in Iran—9 January 2017

National Council of Resistance of Iran—“Prisoners of Conscience at Risk of Dying …” – United Nations Expert Warns—9 January 2017

United Nations News Center—Iran: UN rights expert warns prisoners of conscience at risk of death after prolonged hunger strike—9 January 2017

Sputnik—UN Concerned Over Hunger Strikes of Iran ‘Prisoners of Conscience’—9 January 2017

Jurist—UN rights expert condemns Iran for continued imprisonment of activists on hunger strike—9 January 2017

by Yesim Usluca
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel — An Israeli soldier was convicted of manslaughter on January 4^th after he fatally shot an unarmed, wounded Palestinian attacker laying on the ground. The trial, which lasted for several months, was one of the most divisive in Israel’s history.

The Israeli soldier, Sgt. Elor Azaria, was caught on video shooting the 21-year-old Palestinian, Mr. Abdul Fattah Shariff, as he was lying on a road. The incident occurred at a military checkpoint, where Mr. Shariff and a “companion,” Mr. Ramzi al-Qasrawi, attacked the Israeli troops with knives, injuring one Israeli soldier. The Israeli troops retaliated by shooting both individuals, upon which Mr. al-Qasrawi was killed, and Mr. Shariff was injured. In the recording, Sgt. Azaria is then seen calmly walking up to Mr. Shariff’s motionless body and shooting him in the head.

During the trial at a military court, the prosecution argued that Sgt. Azaria was in full control of his actions when he shot Mr. Shariff, and that he was acting in retaliation for the stabbed Israeli soldier. Sgt. Azaria’s lawyers, however, argued for self-defense, stating that he feared Mr. Shariff could have detonated a concealed suicide vest.

The trial for Sgt. Azaria was presided over by a three-judge panel, which delivered its verdict in two-and-a-half hours, holding that he had “needlessly” shot Mr. Shariff in the head. The panel held that Mr. Shariff had been subdued after the knife attack, and did not pose a threat at the time he was fatally shot. The court indicated that Sgt. Azaria had stated “he deserves to die” immediately after shooting Mr. Shariff. While delivering the verdict, the court stated “the fact that the man on the ground was a terrorist does not justify a disproportionate response.” It further indicated that “one cannot use this type of force, even if we’re talking about an enemy’s life.”

Sgt. Azaria’s trial has created a sharp divide within Israel. A member of the prosecution, Lt. Col. Nadav Weissman, stated that despite the favorable ruling, “there were no grounds for celebration.” He added that the “offense was severe,” and the ruling was “important, clear, [and] decisive.” On the other hand, while the verdict was being read, hundreds of Israelis protested outside the military court, demanding Sgt. Azaria to be released. Furthermore, others believe Sgt. Azaria is innocent of any crime, and sympathize with Israeli soldiers because of the mandatory military service for the Jewish majority.

While Sgt. Azaria’s family condemned the verdict, Israeli officials urged the public to remain calm following the verdict. Ms. Sharon Gal, the media adviser for Sgt. Azaria and his family, stated that the court did not “give any weight to the evidence.” She further indicated that the court ignored the “fact that this was the area of an attack,” and treated Sgt. Azaria’s act as if he had “picked up the knife from the ground and stabbed it in the back of all the soldiers.” Mr. Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli Defense Minister, however, stated that everyone must “honor the court’s decision and [] show restraint.”

Furthermore, Human Rights Watch had issued a report on January 2^nd, in which it claimed that “some senior Israeli officials have been encouraging Israeli soldiers and police to kill Palestinians they suspect of attacking Israelis even when they are no longer a threat.”

Sentencing for Sgt. Azaria will be held at a later date. Israeli law provides for a maximum prison sentence of 20 years for individuals convicted of manslaughter. However, it is anticipated that Sgt. Azaria will be sentenced to a shorter term.

For more information, please see:

USA Today—Court convicts Israeli soldier who killed wounded Palestinian attacker—4 January 2017

The Wall Street Journal—Israeli Soldier Convicted in Death of Palestinian Attacker—4 January 2017

BBC News—Israeli soldier Elor Azaria convicted over Hebron death—4 January 2017

Huffington Post—Israeli Soldier Convicted Of Manslaughter In Killing Of Immobile Palestinian Assailant—4 January 2017

by Yesim Usluca
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

ANKARA, Turkey — The Islamic State (“ISIS”) released a video showing terrorists filming themselves burning two captured Turkish soldiers.

The 19-minute video released by the terror group is being described as “gruesome,” while the killers are being characterized as “barbarians.” It showed two servicemen with freshly-shaved heads, dressed in fuel-doused camouflage army gear, being dragged from a cage and forced to crawl on their hands and knees by two armed, unmasked ISIS militants, dressed in black clothing and brown suicide vests. Standing barefoot in the middle of a desert with chains around their necks, the soldiers were “connected by the neck to a torched fuse.” With a third terrorist standing guard, the executioner criticized Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and called for “destruction to be sowed” in Turkey. The men were made to stand a few feet from each other, with their backs to the long fuse. One of the militants then pressed a button on a small device, and both men were engulfed in flames shortly thereafter.

The video, titled “The Cross Shield,” was released shortly after Turkey vowed to combat terrorism in Syria when 16 of its troops were killed in battle. Amaq, a news agency linked to ISIS, stated last month that the terror group had captured two Turkish soldiers. The Turkish army had subsequently issued a statement indicating that it had lost contact with two soldiers. The video purportedly accused the Turkish government and President Erdogan of “burning Muslims.” ISIS stated that the executions were “payback” for Turkey’s involvement in the “war against Muslims.”

Following the video’s release, Turkey allegedly blocked access to Twitter, YouTube and Facebook to prevent the victims’ families and loved ones from seeing the execution. Turkey Blocks, a website that identifies and verifies reports of mass online censorship, stated that the blocks appeared to be implemented at the ISP level. It further indicated that this blackout was the second in one week, following a shutdown that occurred after the assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey.

Turkish troops had entered Syria in August with the aim of overthrowing ISIS and Kurdish militia from the border region.

For more information, please see:

New York Post—ISIS burns Turkish soldiers alive—23 December 2016

AlJazeera—ISIL video shows ‘Turkish soldiers burned alive’—23 December 2016

Daily Mail— Sick ISIS savages film themselves burning two Turkish soldiers alive in disturbing new execution video after capturing them in Aleppo—22 December 2016

Reuters—ISIS burns 2 Turkish servicemen alive, releases gruesome video—23 December 2016

 

by Yesim Usluca
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

ANKARA, Turkey — An off-duty Turkish police officer shot and killed the Russian ambassador to Turkey while shouting “don’t forget Aleppo! Don’t forget Syria!” in an attack that appeared to be backlash against the Russian military’s involvement in Syria.

 

The attack on the ambassador, Andrei Karlov, occurred in the capital city of Ankara on the evening of December 19^th. Mr. Karlov was shot while delivering a speech at the opening of an art exhibition entitled “Russia Through Turks’ Eyes” at Cagdas Sanat Merkezi. Footage from the scene showed a man dressed in a suit and tie standing calmly behind the ambassador. He then pulled out a gun, and fired eight shots. Mr. Karlov was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

While shooting the ambassador, the man shouted in Arabic: “Allahu akbar! Those who pledged allegiance to Muhammad for jihad!” He then continued shouting in Turkish: “Don’t forget Aleppo! Don’t forget Syria! Unless our towns are secure, you won’t enjoy security. Only death can take me from here. Everyone who is involved in this suffering will pay a price.”

After the attack, which has been described as an “embarrassing security failure,” Turkish special forces surrounded the gallery, and killed the attacker during a shootout. The Turkish Interior Ministry identified the shooter as 22-year-old Mevlut Mert Altintas, a police officer in Ankara’s riot police squad. Three others were also injured by Mr. Altintas in the incident.

The assassination took place days after Turkish protests over Russia’s support for the Syrian government, and Russia’s role in the killings and destruction in Aleppo. As a precaution, all Russian tourists in Turkey had been advised against leaving their hotel rooms or visiting public places. The Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, announced that Turkey would increase security measures around Russian diplomatic buildings and people.

The Turkish Interior Minister, Mr. Suleyman Soylu, offered his condolences to the Russian federation, while Mr. Erdogan called the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to brief him on the attack. During their conversation, Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Putin agreed to cooperate in investigating the assassination and combating terrorism.

Mr. Putin called the killing a “provocation” aimed at sabotaging strengthening ties between Russia and Turkey. He further stated that the attack was an attempt at disrupting Russia’s peace advancement in Syria undertaken with Turkey and Iran.

Russia’s head of the foreign relations committee, Mr. Konstantin Kosachev, stated that the repercussions of the attack would depend on the details of the incident. He noted that while “it could have been a planned terrorist attack by extremists,” it could also have been “the work of a lone maniac.” He indicated that the future of Russia’s relations with Turkey would depend on the motives behind the attack.

The attack on Mr. Karlov cast doubt upon the ongoing evacuation attempts for civilians in Aleppo, which was secured by Russia and Turkey. Mr. Karlov had participated in the discussions with Turkey which had led to the evacuation deal.

For more information, please see:

New York Times—Russian Ambassador to Turkey Is Assassinated in Ankara—19 December 2016

CNN—Russia’s ambassador to Turkey assassinated in Ankara—19 December 2016

The Guardian—Russian ambassador to Turkey shot dead in Ankara art gallery—19 December 2016

The Washington Post—Turkish police officer, invoking Aleppo, guns down Russian ambassador in Ankara—19 December 2016

Hurriyet Daily News—Russian Ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov assassinated in Ankara—19 December 2016