The Middle East

Lebanese Women Subjected to Violence

By Brandon Kaufman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BEIRUT, Lebanon-According to Amal Ftoumi, media coordinator with the Lebanese Council to Resist Violence Against Women (LCRVAW), women in Lebanon find themselves largely unprotected from domestic violence.  In fact, some studies estimate that up to ninety percent of women in Lebanon are subject to some form of violence.  Ftoumi fears that few of the women dare to speak up even though they may be facing serious situations of physical abuse.

Ftoumi notes that the hurdles facing women who seek help against violence are enormous.  As she has said, “Society does not approve of women complaining about their husbands.  It is a woman’s job to be there for her husband, which makes it very difficult for women to stand up to abuse.”  Furthermore, many feel that a woman’s chances of receiving fair treatment in a court case are very remote.  Under Lebanese law, domestic violence cases are to be dealt with by one of the country’s religious courts.  Nonetheless, as Ftoumi contends, most, if not all of the country’s courts, rule in favor of men.

According to Zoya Rouhana, the director of an organization that stands against the exploitation of women, “Domestic law is treated in the same way as violence on the street.  It does not take into consideration that the woman has to go back to the one who attacked her in the first place.”  In addition, Rouhana notes that many women are afraid to take their case to court out of fear that they will lose their children.  It is fairly common that Lebanese courts give custody of the children to the husband.  To counteract this, Rouhana says that many women choose to keep silent about the violence even if that means enduring life with their abusive husbands.

On December 2, the Lebanese Parliament is scheduled to hold a session and discuss the possibility of creating a special court to deal with cases of domestic violence.  Additionally, another fundamental change being sought by the parliament is the specific naming of domestic violence as a crime in Lebanese law.

For more information, please see:

Daily Times- Day for End to Violence Against Women Marked– 25 November 2009

The Daily Star- Drive to Protect Women Picks Up Momentum– 25 November 2009

The Daily Star- Lebanese Women Bereft of Protection– 25 November 2009

Men Indicted for Alleged Ties to Hezbollah

By Brandon Kaufman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania– On Tuesday, four men were indicted by a grand jury in Philadelphia for an alleged plot to support Lebanese based Hezbollah through a number of illegal practices, including providing the group with hundreds of weapons.

The indictment filed Tuesday says two suspects sought to provide over a thousand machine guns to Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon.  The indictment states that two of the alleged plotters were to purchase the weapons in Philadelphia and then ship them to a port city in Syria where they would eventually be distributed to Hezbollah.  The two other indicted men were accused of trying to raise funds for the terrorist group with fake passports and counterfeit cash said U.S. Attorney Michael Levy.  According to Levy, “They were selling counterfeit visas.  They were trying to sell counterfeit U.S. currency as a way of raising money for Hezbollah.”  The FBI has said that an undercover agent thwarted the plotter’s plans.

In a released statement, Levy noted that the indicted men were seeking to support Hezbollah with some serious firepower.  He added that “the purchase of stolen goods- or what they believed were stolen goods- was a way of raising money by selling those items.  The purchase of machine guns is clearly buying military weapons, which can only be used in warfare.”

In addition to the four men indicted, eight others were charged with lesser offenses related to schemes to traffic in stolen or counterfeit goods.  In all, federal authorities have said that thirteen suspects are in custody, while eleven more were being sought in connection with the alleged plot to aid Hezbollah.

The indictment comes just a day after officials say they broke up a similar plot.  That plot was disrupted when undercover meetings in Philadelphia unearthed plans to send machine guns and anti-aircraft missiles to Syria.  Said Levy, “We have, in this case, charged a number of people who are basically part of a supply stream for a terrorist organization.  But this is just part of an ongoing fight we’re going to have for a long time.”

For more information, please see:

Associated Press- Feds: Philadelphia Plot to Buy Weapons for Hezbollah– 25 November 2009

Fox News- Grand Jury Indicts Four Men for Alleged Plot to Support Hezbollah– 25 November 2009

KYW Newsradio- Four Indicted in Philadelphia in Alleged Plot to Support Terrorists– 24 November 2009

Iraqi Parliament Amends Election Law

By Bobby Rajabi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq – On November 22 the Iraqi parliament amended an election law that governs the general elections scheduled for January 2010. An earlier version of the law was previously vetoed by Iraq’s Sunni vice president, Tariq al-Hashemi. The amended law, however, fails to address the concerns of Vice President Hashemi.

Hashemi claims that the version of the law passed on November 8 failed to give sufficient voice to Iraqis living abroad. Many of those living abroad are Sunnis. The amendment passed by the Iraqi parliament on November 22 called for Iraqis living abroad to have their vote counted toward their home province. The law also increased the number of member of parliaments elected by the Kurdish region of Iraq.

The changes made differ from Hashemi’s request. The Iraqi vice president request that the new law create seats allocated for voters outside of Iraq. It is expected that Hashemi will veto the law again and send it back to the parliament. Analysts say that even if a law is eventually approved, it now appears unlikely that it will happen in time for elections to be held by the end of January, as required by the Iraqi constitution.

Sunni government officials do not agree with the amendments plan to add seats to the Kurdish-run province. Osama al-Nujefi, a Sunni parliamentarian, said that the amendment would have the effect of stealing seats from Northern provinces where Sunni’s have a strong presence and giving them to the Kurds. According to Nujeifi, the taking of seats would be done in “an illegitimate way.”

A veto by Hashemi would serve as a second veto of the law. Under Iraqi law, if a second veto is used, Iraqi parliamentarians can overturn it with a sixty percent majority vote in the two hundred seventy five seat assembly. An alliance of Shi’ite and Kurdish members would pass threshold with thirty votes to spare.

The United States has linked the pace of troop withdrawal from Iraq to the elections planned for January a hopes to take a more active role in ensuring that they take place on time. Christopher Hill, the US Ambassador to Iraq, has warned against “slippage” in staging the country’s election. US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said that the US will present “a number of ideas” with the goal of ending the stalemate.

For information, please see:

AFP – US Warns Against Iraq Election ‘Slippage’ – 24 November 2009

AP – Iraq Election Law Faces Second Veto – 24 November 2009

Al Jazeera – Iraqi MPs Amend Election Law – 23 November 2009

BBC – Iraq Parliament Passes Amended Election Law – 23 November 2009

United Nations Condemns Iran’s Human Rights Violations

By Bobby Rajabi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – On November 20 the United Nations rebuked Iran for numerous human rights violations. The violations allegedly took place in the wake of the disputed presidential election. The UN’s condemnation came int he form of a draft resolution approved by members of the UN committee on human rights. The resolution passed by a vote of seventy four to forty eight with fifty nine countries abstaining.

A resolution condemning Iran for their treatment of their own citizens is not rare for the UN. However, the current resolution expressed particular concern for the increase of human rights violations that followed President Mahomoud Ahmedinejad’s disputed re-election. Those who abstained from the vote were reportedly concerned with singling out specific countries for condemnation.

In a similar vote last year, Iran garnered slightly more support. Among those who removed their support from Iran was Saudi Arabia, who had voted “no” in 2008. This decision appears to be linked to Saudi Arabia’s displeasure with Iranian support for a Shi’ite rebellion in Yemen. The rebellion has reportedly spilled over onto Saudi territory.

The resolution expressed “particular concern at the response of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the Presidential election of 12 June 2009 and the concurrent rise in human rights violations.” Among the violations listed by the UN were “harassment, intimidation and persecution, including by arbitrary arrest, detention or disappearance, of opposition members, journalists and other media representatives, bloggers, lawyers, clerics, human rights defenders, academics, (and) students.”

Iran’s disputed election lead to street rallies that broke out after the vote. Protesters claimed that Ahmedinejad’s re-election came as a result of a rigged vote. Four thousand individuals were arrested. Among them were one hundred forty senior reformers and journalists who were later shown on television in mass trials. They were charged with seeking an overthrow of the regime.

Iran’s UN ambassador, Mohammad Khazaee, protested against the measure. He alleged that the resolution, introduced by Canada, showed the country’s “ill intentions.” He also criticized bringing such resolutions to the assembly as they have “created an atmosphere of confrontation and polarization.”

For more information, please see:

AFP – UN Blasts Iran’s Human Rights Violations – 21 November 2009

BBC – UN Condemns Iran’s Response to Post-Election Unrest – 21 November 2009

New York Times – In Draft Resolution, United Nations Rebukes Iran For Rights Violations Since Election – 20 November 2009

Reuters – UN Panel Condemns Iran For Post-Election Crackdown – 20 November 2009

Rockets Exchanged Between Gaza and Israel Depite Hamas Truce

By Meredith Lee-Clark
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

GAZA CITY, Gaza – Israel reported that Palestinians fired rockets into Southern Israel on November 21. The Israeli military responded with air strikes in the early morning of November 22.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, had announced soon after the initial Palestinian attack that it had reached a truce with all Palestinian militant groups in Gaza. Since the rocket launch, several militant factions in Gaza have denied responsibility for the attack. An Israeli military spokesperson said that the homemade Qassam rocket landed in Southern Israel’s Negev Desert, and caused no damage or casualties.  The Israeli raids left eight Palestinians injured, one seriously.

The attack damaged the credibility of Hamas’s announcement of a truce among militant groups on November 21. A Hamas spokesperson said that the truce was an effort to reduce retaliatory attacks by Israel and to give Gazans opportunities to continue to rebuild their homes. Much of the Gaza Strip remains in rubble after last winter’s military offensive by Israel, known as Operation Cast Lead. As well as damage to the Gazan infrastructure, approximately 1,400 Palestinians and thirteen Israelis were killed during the three-week offensive during December 2008 and January 2009.

Israel’s air raids were the most comprehensive single-night military action by Israel since last winter’s offensive. An Israeli spokesperson said the raids were aimed at two rocket-building facilities in Gaza. Since the end of Operation Cast Lead, 270 rockets were launched from Gaza into Southern Israel, compared with over 3,300 launched in 2008.

Despite Hamas’s announcement of a truce, many locals fear the exchange of hostilities is a signal of escalating tensions between Gaza and Israel. Hamas political advisor Ahmed Yusuf said that his party has “no interest” in military engagement with Israel, preferring to focus instead on reconstruction. Yusuf added the caveat that Hamas would respond to any attacks by Israel.

“If the Israelis target us, people will react,” said Yusuf. “It’s a normal thing. And [Hamas] can’t stop anyone from fighting back against Israeli attacks.”

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Gaza Groups Deny Rocket Ceasefire – 23 November 2009

Ha’aretz – Gaza Rocket Hits Israel, Despite Hamas Moratorium on Qassams – 23 November 2009

Ma’an News Agency – Israel: Gaza Projectile Falls – 23 November 2009

Christian Science Monitor – Israel Air Strikes in Gaza: Will Hamas Rocket Truce Hold? – 22 November 2009

New York Times – Israeli Aircraft Strike Gaza Targets – 22 November 2009