By Meredith Lee-Clark
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – In the wake of the first session in state security court, Human Rights Watch called on the Egyptian government to move the trial of twenty-five suspected terrorists to criminal court.  The twenty-two Egyptians and two Palestinians of the so-called “Zeitoun” cell were arrested and charged in connection with an armed robbery and murder in Cairo in May 2008 and a planned attack on the Suez Canal.  One additional defendant is abroad and is being tried in abstentia.

Human Rights Watch and other rights organizations have criticized the Egyptian government’s handling of the twenty-four defendants since their arrest in July 2009.  The members of the Zeitoun cell are accused of setting up a terrorist cell targeting Coptic Christians and foreigners in Egypt, with possible connections to Al Qaeda.  The twenty-four men were held without charge for several weeks without being charged, as State Security Investigations (SSI) officers were granted consecutive fifteen-day detention orders under Egypt’s emergency law.  Defense lawyers have filed multiple applications to visit with their clients in private; the defense attorneys reiterated their requests at the first session of the trial on February 14.

Since the case was moved to the State Security Court on July 22, 2009, some of the defendants’ lawyers were not allowed at the prosecution’s interrogations.  Additionally, during the first session, several defendants told the state security forces that they had been tortured during their interrogations, obtaining several confessions by torture.

The case is drawing heavy media attention in Egypt and throughout the Middle East.  The trial opened under tight security, as security officers prevented late-arriving journalists and family members from entering the courtroom.  Defendants’ family members who were in the courtroom were prevented from talking with the defendants, even though many have seen their relatives only once or twice in nearly two years.

After the initial court session on February 14, the judge adjourned the trial until March 20 to allow defense attorneys an opportunity to examine police documents.  Sarah Leah Whitson, Human Rights Watch’s Middle East director, called on the Egyptian judiciary to ensure that the defendants are granted a fair trial.

“The government’s reliance on a state security court that lacks fair trial protections means that the verdict will be unsound,” said Whitson.  “If the prosecution feels it has sufficient evidence, if should bring this case before a regular Egyptian criminal court.”

For more information, please see:

Gulf News – Egypt Accuses Terror Suspects of Links with Al Qaida – 16 February 2010

Al-Masry Al-Youm – “Zeitoun” Cell Suspects Claim Police Torture – 14 February 2010

Human Rights Watch – Egypt:  Transfer Zeitoun Trial to Criminal Court – 14 February 2010

TMCnet.com – Zeitoun Terrorism Case Begins Amid Heavy Security Presence – 14 February 2010

By Bobby Rajabi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – On February 11 Iranian opposition demonstrators clashed with security forces throughout the country. The clashes took place as the country celebrated the thirty first anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Opposition protesters chanted anti-government slogans in Tehran’s (the Iranian capital) neighborhoods. Security forces fired teargas at large crowds in major city squares to disrupt the actions of the protesters

Opposition leaders Mir Hossein Moussavi, who lost the greatly contested June 2009 Presidential election to incumbent Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and Mehdi Karroubi both aksed supporters to turn out for a peaceful demonstration to mark the anniversary of the revolution. Karroubi’s son reported that his father was attacked by pro-government agents. Additionally, Karroubi’s brother was arrested by government agents.

Unconfirmed reports said that Moussavi was prevented from joining a rally against the Ahmedinejad government. Additionally, the reports claim that Mousavi’s wife, Zahra Rhanvard was “beaten” by government forces. Reformist former President Mohammad Khatami was also reportedly attacked. His brother, Mohammed Reza Khatami, and wife, Zahra Eshraghi, the granddaughter of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, were reportedly arrested but later released.

Witnesses report that the protests that too place throughout Tehran only turned violent after security forces began firing teargas at the members of the crowd. Additionally, security forces chased down opposition protesters with motorcycles.  In other parts of town reports came that protesters tore down pictures of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Clashes between security forces and opposition protesters also took place in a number of other cities in Iran. One such clash took place in the southern city of Shiraz where violent clashes took place between security forces and students who had turned out in the main square to demonstrate. Other anti-government protests were reported in the cities of Tabriz and Isfahan.

The disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad in June 2009 plunged Iran into its worst political crisis since the 1979 revolution. The election was surrounded by reports of voting irregularities and rigging. The opposition to the Ahmedinejad government has repeatedly refused to the fight off the streets despite deadly crackdowns.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Rallies Mark Revolution Day – 12 February 2010

AFP – Iran Marks Revolution Day Amid Tight Security – 11 February 2010

BBC – Hundreds of Thousands Back Iran Revolution – 11 February 2010

Voice of America – Iran Protesters Clash With Security Forces – 11 February 2010

By Brandon Kaufman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia– In what could become a test case for banning child marriage in Saudi Arabia, a twelve-year-old girl is seeking to divorce her eighty-year-old husband.  It is believed that the girl will receive legal assistance from the government.

The state run Human Rights Commission has hired a lawyer to represent the girl when she takes her case to court in Buraidah, a conservative town near the capital Riyadh.  Currently, Saudi Arabia has no minimum legal age for marriage and it is fairly common for girls in the poorer, tribal areas to be married off.  Nonetheless, it is rare for a child bride to challenge the arrangement.

The young girl was married to her father’s cousin last year against both the wishes of her and her mother.  Locally, reports suggest that the marriage was sealed with a dowry of 85,000 riyals and subsequently consummated.  The girl’s mother filed for divorce, but withdrew her case earlier this month without explanation.

A draft law prohibiting child marriage is under discussion within the Saudi government, and activists hope that the case will be a watershed moment for the eventual implementation of an age minimum.  While no minimum currently exists, the draft law is expected to establish a minimum age for marriage between sixteen and eighteen.  Until a decision is reached, the government is seeking to ban notaries from sealing marriages for girls under the age of eighteen.

The government’s proposal of legal assistance would be the first time that the Human Rights Commission has publicly intervened in a case.  Alanoud al-Hejailan, a lawyer for the commission, said “Our main concern is to safeguard the child’s rights; it is in the hands of the court but the commission is firmly on the child’s side.”  It is believed that the court will have a ruling within the next few days.  If the divorce is not granted, the commission has suggested that it will pursue the matter through the appellate process if need be.

For more information, please see:

AOL News- Saudi Arabia Shifts Course on Child Marriage– 9 February 2010

Times Online- Twelve-Year-Old Saudi Girl in Divorce Battle with Eight-Year-Old Husband– 9 February 2010

Reuters- Saudi Rights Panel Takes Up Child Bride Case– 8 February 2010

By Meredith Lee-Clark
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

GAZA CITY, Gaza – Khaled Mashaal, the leader of Hamas, said he sees “no prospects” in the near future for a Middle East peace settlement, saying that Israel promotes “war and occupation, thus blocking meaningful negotiations regarding the Palestinians, Syria, and Lebanon.”

Mashaal made his statements after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia has tried to restart peace talks among the parties in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Mashaal expressed his doubt at any success by the Russians.

“We appreciate any role that Russia and other countries could play in the Mideast peace process, but only Egypt has the real capability to settle the problem,” said Mashaal.

Hamas has remained defiant of international attempts at restarting peace talks both between the Palestinians and the Israelis, as well as between the two opposing Palestinian factions. Hamas, which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2006, has long been at odds with the other Palestinian party, Fatah, which governs the West Bank. Egypt has proposed a comprehensive peace deal between Hamas and Fatah, though Hamas has refused to sign.

The dispute between Hamas and Fatah could have serious consequences for the residents of Gaza, as the hostilities have spilled over to local infrastructure. Gazans, already beleaguered by the continuing effects of the war between Hamas and Israel during the winter of 2008-2009 and the ongoing Israeli blockade, may be hit by increasingly frequent power outages. The Palestinian Authority, which is governs the West Bank and is predominantly made up of Fatah members, is in a financial dispute with the Gaza-based distribution company. Critics have accused the Palestinian Authority of using the dispute as leverage against Hamas.

In a rare conciliatory move, Hamas has expressed regret for Israeli civilian deaths that resulted from Hamas rockets during the 2008-2009 Gaza War. In a response to the U.N. Goldstone Report, Hamas released a statement saying, “We regret any harm that may have befallen any Israeli citizen…We hope the Israeli citizens understand that their government’s continued attacks on us were the key issue and the cause.”

For more information, please see:

Los Angeles Times – Power Struggle Could Portend a Cold, Dark Winter in Gaza Strip – 10 February 2010

Associated Press – Hamas Sees “No Prospects” for Mideast Peace – 8 February 2010

Reuters – Hamas Regrets Civilian Deaths, Israel Unmoved – 5 February 2010

Christian Science Monitor – Hamas Threatens to Take Fight Against Israel Beyond Gaza – 2 February 2010

By Ahmad Shihadah
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

SA’NA, Yemen – Yemen’s president said Thursday the military will halt operations against northern rebels after reaching a cease-fire agreement that ends the country’s six-year conflict.

Ali Abdullah Saleh made the announcement on Thursday after reports that the Yemeni government and the group were close to reaching a deal to end six months of fighting. The truce was made possible after the group, belonging to the Zaidi Shia sect, accepted six conditions put forward by the government for the cessation of hostilities.
Yemen said last week it had handed the fighters a timetable for implementing the ceasefire terms, a week after rejecting a Houthi truce offer because it did not include a promise to end hostilities with neighboring Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom was drawn into the conflict in November when the group seized some Saudi territory, complaining that Riyadh was letting Yemeni troops use its land for attacks against them. Riyadh declared victory last month after the Houthis offered a separate truce and said they had withdrawn from Saudi territory.
The rebels announced a unilateral cease-fire with Saudi Arabia in late January. However, the Saudis responded cautiously to the rebel announcement, and demanded militants pullback from border positions and return five missing soldiers.
The Yemeni announcement comes after the rebels reportedly accepted several conditions, including a pledge not to attack Saudi Arabia, put forward by the government to end the hostilities. Houthi rebels from the minority Shia Zaidi sect based in the North-Western Sa’ada district have been battling the government since 2004.

The UN refugee agency says 250,000 Yemenis have been displaced by fighting in the region.
For information, please see:

Al-Jazeera – Yemen Announces Truce With Houthis – 11 February 2010

Fox News – Yemen Announces Truce With Rebels – 11 February 2010

BBC – Yemen Announces Truce With Northern Rebels – 11 February 2010

AFP – Yemen president declares ceasefire to war with Shiite rebels – 11 February 2010