by Zachary Lucas
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt — An Egyptian Court sentenced six people to death including two Al Jazeera journalists. The six people convicted were accused of espionage in relation to leaked documents to Qatar.

The presiding judge in the case, Judge Mohammed Shirin Fahmy, recommended the death sentence for the six people accused of leaking secret documents to Qatar. All capital offense cases are then delivered to Egypt’s Grand Mufti, the nation’s top Muslim theological authority, for approval. Judge Fahmy quoted the Mufti’s office saying that the six defendants brought harm to their country by providing Qatar with documents concerning the Egyptian army. Judge Fahmy stated they betrayed their country for ideology.

The two Al Jazeera journalists were identified as Ibrahim Mohammed Helal, former director of news at Al Jazeera’s Arabic channel, and Alaa Omar Mohammed Sablan, former Al Jazeera producter. The other journalist convicted was Asmaa Mohammed al-Khatib, a reporter for Rasd. Rasd is a media network widely suspected of having ties with the Muslim Brotherhood. All three journalists were tried in abstentia.

Al Jazeera condemned the verdicts against their former employees stating that the sentences were “politicized” and  “legally baseless.” Amnesty International also called for the “ludicrous charges” to be dropped. Both organizations stated these kinds of convictions of journalists are an affront to freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

Along with the six death sentences, the Egyptian Court also sentenced ousted President Mohammed Morsi to life in prison. Morsi, the first democratically elected Egyptian president, was ousted by the Egyptian army in 2013 following a popular uprising against Morsi’s leadership. Morsi was found guilty of being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a political party that is now-banned in Egypt. Morsi was acquitted of espionage charges.

Since Morsi’s ouster by the military, Egypt’s relations with Qatar have been strained. During Morsi’s time in power, he was supported by Qatar, a tiny but wealthy nation in the region. Egypt claims that Qatar undermines its national security by supporting Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. Qatar stated that the convictions went “against the truth” and that they harm relations between the two countries.

For more information, please see

ABC News — Egyptian Court Sentences 2 Al-Jazeera Employees to Death — 18 June 2016

Chicago Tribune — Egyptian court sentences 2 Al-Jazeera journalists to death, former president to 25 years — 19 June 2016

CNN — Egypt sentences 6 people to death, including 2 Al Jazeera journalists — 19 June 2016

The Star — Qatar slams Egypt over death sentences in Al Jazeera espionage case — 19 June 2016

Yahoo — Egypt sentences 2 Al-Jazeera journalists to death, ousted president Morsi gets life — 19 June 2016

by Zachary Lucas
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DOHA, Qatar – – A Dutch woman was arrested after making a rape claim to local authorities in Qatar following her alleged rape. The woman has been held since mid-March and could face charges of having sex outside of marriage.

A Dutch woman, who’s identity has not been revealed and was referred to as “Laura” by the Dutch foreign ministry, was on holiday in Doha when the incident occurred. Laura was having drinks at a bar in a hotel with friends. After one of the drinks Laura stated she felt “unwell.” She woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar apartment and realized she had been sexually assaulted.

Laura immediately reported the incident to local authorities and was subsequently arrested. She has been detained by Qatari authorities since mid-March and could face charges of adultery and alcohol-related offenses. Laura’s attorney, Brian Lokollo, says that no charges have been officially filed and that she will appear before a judge on June 13. The alleged assailant has also been arrested and denies the rape allegations. He stated that the sex was consensual and that she had asked for money. Laura denies those accusations.

Adultery, or having sex outside of marriage, is a crime in Qatar like many other Gulf Arab nations. Under Qatar’s Penal Code, “anyone who copulates with a female above sixteen without compulsion, duress or ruse is convicted to no more than seven years in prison. The same penalty is also imposed on the female for her consent.”

Qatar’s former justice minister, Najeeb al-Nauimi, says to convince a judge her defense will have to prove that there were “no voluntary actions” between her and the alleged assailant. Even evidence that would suggests she walked next to the alleged assailant might give a judge doubt to the actions not being voluntary. Signs of force would need to be proven.

There have been similar incidents in the Gulf Arab region. In 2013, a Norwegian woman reported a rape in the United Arab Emirates and was subsequently arrested, charged, and convicted of indecent behavior, perjury and alcohol consumption. She received a sentence of 16 months, but was later pardoned and returned home.

For more information, please see:

Aljazeera-Qatar: Dutch Woman Who Alleged Rape to Appear in Court-12 June 2016

BBC-Dutch Woman Arrested in Qatar After Making Rape Claim -11 June 2016

CNN -Dutch Woman Jailed in Qatar After Reporting Rape May Face Charges – 12 June 2016

The Guardian-Dutch Woman Arrested in Qatar After Reporting Rape to Appear in Court-12 June 2016

by Zachary Lucas

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

KABUL, Afghanistan — In the northeastern province of Kunduz in Afghanistan, armed Taliban gunmen stopped two buses on their way to the provincial capital of Kunduz. At least ten people were killed in the incident and nearly 200 people were kidnapped.

The incident occurred in the early morning when two buses were traveling to the city of Kunduz on the highway in the Ali Abad district. The Taliban had set up a roadblock and seized the passengers on the bus. About 10 people were killed immediately and 185 of the passengers were kidnapped. The people kidnapped included women, children, and seniors.

The people kidnapped were taken to a village called Omarkhil in the province of Chardara where they were being held in a church. An unknown number of abductees were killed after arriving in the village. Residents reported that the Taliban was questioning them to see if they had connections to the government. Around 160 of the people kidnapped were rescued by Afghan forces although some reports suggest that the Taliban released them. Some 20 people still remain hostage.

The identity of the victims have not been identified nor is it known why these passengers were the target of this kidnapping. It is thought that the victims might be Shi’ite Hazaras. The Taliban discriminated against this group when they controlled the government in the 1990s and discrimination against them has increased in the last year. The hard-line Sunni Taliban consider the Hazaras to be heretics.

The Taliban have stepped up their attacks in recent weeks. One week ago they claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Kabul that killed ten people and injured four others. They have also kidnapped numerous people in similar highway abduction incidents of both locals and foreigners. In early May, the United States warned American travelers in Afghanistan to be vigilant following an attempted abduction of an American citizen.

Following the death of Afghan Taliban leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, in a drone strike, Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada was announced as the new leader. The new leader vowed to continue the militant policies of the founder of the Taliban that was killed in a drone strike in 2011. Akhundzada stated that there would be no peace talks with the current Afghan government.

For more information, please see:

ABC News — Taliban Kidnap Afghan Bus Passengers Killing at Least 16: Provincial Official — 31 May 2016

BBC — Afghan Conflict: Taliban Kidnap Bus Passengers and Kill 10 — 31 May 2016

CNN — Afghan Police: Taliban Kidnap 200 Travelers, Keep 20 Hostage — 2 June 2016

Reuters — Afghan Taliban Kill Nine, Kidnap 20 Bus Passengers, Army Rescues 140 Others — 31 May 2016

by Zachary Lucas

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

SANA’A, Yemen — Amnesty International has reported that British made cluster bombs were used by Saudi coalition forces in the current conflict in Yemen. The British government has denied that they are supplying Saudi Arabia with cluster munition and are seeking reassurances with the Saudi government that cluster munitions are not being used.

Field research by Amnesty in Sa’da, Hajjah, and Sana’a governorates led to the discovery of a partially exploded British manufactured BL-755 cluster bomb. According to Amnesty, the bomb had malfunctioned and scattered numerous unexploded “bomblets.” The cluster bomb was found near a farm in al-Khadhra village in the Hajjah governorate, close to the Saudi Arabian and Yemeni border.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond stated that there was no evidence that Saudi Arabia had used cluster munitions in the current conflict. Hammond, while responding to British Parliament, said that is illegal to supply cluster munitions under British law. The munition that was found was decades old and that Britain no longer supplied or manufactured the BL-755 cluster bombs. Hammond said that the cluster munition found was probably used in one of the the past conflicts in the region.

The Foreign Secretary stated that there will be an investigation into the report by Amnesty. The Saudi Arabian government in response said that cluster munitions are not being used nor have they been used in the conflict. The British government has said it will seek “fresh assurances” from Saudi Arabia that cluster munitions are not being used.

Saudi Arabia and its allies began a military campaign in Yemen in March 2015. The goal was to prevent Iran-allied Houthi rebels and forces loyal to the former Yemeni president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, from seizing control of the country. The civil war in Yemen has also seen attacks from groups loyal to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

The BL-755 cluster bomb was original manufactured in the 1970s by Bedfordshire company Hunting Engineering Ltd. The bomb contains 147 bomblets that are designed to scatter on impact and explode. They are intended to be dropped out of British Tornado fighter jets to pierce tank armor.

Cluster munitions were banned under the Convention on Cluster Munitions signed in 2008 and effective in 2010. Over 100 countries have signed the convention including the United Kingdom, but not Saudi Arabia. Oliver Sprague, Amnesty International UK’s Arms Control Director, called cluster munitions one of the “nastiest weapons” used in warfare. The concern with cluster munitions is that not all of the bomblets explode on impact. Amnesty documented instances in Yemen where unexploded cluster munitions blew up after being picked up by children.

For more information, please see:

Amnesty International — Saudi Arabia-led coalition has used UK-manufactured cluster bombs in Yemen — 23 May 2016

BBC — UK seeks Saudi cluster bomb assurances over Yemen — 24 May 2016

Guardian — MoD to investigate claims Saudis used UK cluster bombs in Yemen — 24 May 2016

Reuters — Britain investigating reports its cluster bombs used in Yemen — 24 May 2016