By Ben Turner
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq—The Iraqi Interior Ministry launched a nationwide campaign on February 19, ordering Iraqi police officers to round up beggars, mentally disabled and homeless people for fear that they would be used as suicide bombers by insurgent groups.

“These [insurgent] groups are either luring those who desperate for money to help them in their attacks or making use of their poor mental condition to use them as suicide bombers” said Maj-Gen Abdul Karim Khalaf, a spokesman of the Iraqi Interior Ministry.

Khalaf said that beggars under the age of 18 would be brought to shelters and adult professional panhandlers would be charged with crimes. The mentally disabled would be taken to hospitals, he said.

“These people with mental defects can cause a lot of damage if they are left on the streets and taken advantage of by al-Qaida,” Khalaf said. “Their proper place is in the hospitals.”

Iraqi law forbids begging, but police have been too busy dealing with insurgent attacks to expend much energy taking care of panhandlers.

This crackdown is in response to a series of suicide bombings where insurgents have used the mentally disabled for suicide bomb attacks.  On February 1, two mentally disabled women were strapped with explosives in a crowded pet market in Baghdad.  The bombs were detonated by remote control, killing almost 100 people.

It was originally thought that the women suffered from Down syndrome, but that is not the case.  U.S. military spokesman for the Baghdad area, Lt. Col. Steve Stover, said, “Both [women] had recently received psychiatric treatment for depression and/or schizophrenia. From what we know now there’s no indication that they had Down syndrome.”

After news had spread about the crackdown, homeless and disabled people disappeared from the streets.  Police in central Baghdad detained eight beggars, three women and five men on February 20, but they found few other street people a day after the campaign was announced.  Those detained in the sweep were to be taken to social welfare institutions and psychiatric hospitals.  According to the Ministry, they will be safe there, as the hospitals can provide shelter and care.

It is not clear, however, how safe they would be in the hospitals.  American and Iraqi troops recently detained the acting director of the al-Rashad psychiatric hospital in eastern Baghdad on suspicion of helping supply patient information to al-Qaida in Iraq.

For more information, please see:
Los Angeles Times – IRAQ: Rounding up the poor – 21 February 2008

Associated Press – US: Bombers Didn’t Have Down Syndrome – 20 February 2008

BBC – Iraqi police detain street people – 20 February 2008

CNN – Iraq to round up homeless, mentally ill, to prevent bombings – 20 February 2008

The Guardian – US: Bombers Didn’t Have Down Syndrome – 20 February 2008

Lebnanews – IRAQ: Government moves to curb suicide bombings – 20 February 2008

The Washington Post – Iraq Moves To Halt Use of The Disabled In Bombings – 20 February 2008

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

LONDON, United Kingdom – On February 19, the BBC reported that British police feared an armed confrontation if they tried to arrest an Israeli general accused of war crimes in 2005.  BBC report cited documents prepared for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), a police watchdog, which investigated the failure to arrest Israeli Major General (retired) Doron Almog.  In September 2005, Almog remained on an El Al plane at Heathrow airport when he was tipped off that British police were waiting to arrest him.  The El Al plane later returned to Israel, with the general on board.

According to the BBC report, the police were concerned that if they stormed the plane, it would lead to an armed confrontation with El Al’s air marshals or the general’s security guards.  In the police log, Detective Superintendent John MacBrayne, who was in charge of the operation, commented that he was concerned whether the police had a legal right to board the plane after El Al refused entry.

The plan was to intercept Almog at the immigration desk, where he would be escorted to the Heathrow police station.  However, the plan was leaked to the Israeli Embassy and Almog was warned of the arrest.

Daniel Machover, of the British solicitors Hickman and Rose, which represents the alleged victims, said “We are astonished that the legal position wasn’t clear in the minds of the officers at the airport.”  Hickman and Rose also criticized the police for not keeping the arrest warrant secret.  They filed the complaint that led to the IPCC investigation into the failed arrest.

The IPCC completed its investigation in summer 2006 and stated that it found no evidence that the police were guilty of “improperly disclosing information.” The IPCC also stated that they were satisfied that there was no breach of the police code of conduct by not boarding the plane to execute the warrant.

The arrest warrant was issued in relation to a complaint filed by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights.  The human rights group filed a complaint against Almog under Britain’s Universal Jurisdiction Legislation, a law that allows Britain to charge foreign nationals with war crimes, even if British citizens were not involved.  The group claims that the Israeli Defense Force, commanded by Almog, destroyed 59 houses in the Rafah refugee camp in Gaza in 2002, in retaliation for attacks against Israel.  The arrest warrant has since been dropped for procedural reasons.

The attempt to arrest Almog resulted in outrage and concern among Israeli officials.  In December 2007, former Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief, Avi Dichter, turned down an invitation to visit Britain out of concern that he could be arrested for his role in the 2002 assassination of a senior Hamas militant in Gaza.

For more information, please see:
Ha’aretz – Report: UK Police did not Arrest IDF General Fearing Shootout – 20 February 2008

The Times (London) – Israeli General Escaped Arrest at Heathrow “Because Police Feared Gunfight” – 20 February 2008

BBC – Police Feared “Airport Stand-off” – 19 February 2008

Guardian – UK Feared Clash with Israeli General – 19 February 2008

Independent – Why Israeli General Avoided Heathrow Arrest – 19 February 2008

Jerusalem Post – British Police Halted Almog Arrest – 19 February 2008

Telegraph – “Stand-off fears” Stopped Israeli General’s Arrest – 19 February 2008

BIERUT, Lebanon – On February 11, a Lebanese military prosecutor charged 19 soldiers, three of them officers, and 60 civilians in connection with the violent riots that resulted in seven deaths.  The incident, which occurred on January 27, began as Shia residents took to the streets to protest against electricity rationing.  The demonstration escalated into violence as the Lebanese military attempted to contain the demonstrators and shots were fired.

Military Tribunal Magistrate Jean Fahd charged two officers and 11 soldiers with involuntary manslaughter for violating military orders by opening fire at demonstrators.  Although they did not intend to kill, their actions “caused the death of six civilians and wounded several others.”  If convicted, they face a sentence of five years with hard labor.

Fahd also charged one officer and five soldiers with disobeying military orders but without causing any casualties.  If convicted, they face a sentence of two years with hard labor.  The tribunal also charged two civilians with carrying unlicensed weapons and 58 civilians were charge with rioting and treating army troops “harshly”.

No one was charged in connection to the death of Ahmed Hamza, a supporter of Amal, one of Lebanon’s main opposition groups.  According to military officials, it is still unclear whether the bullet that killed Hamza was fired by the military or by a civilian.

For more information, please see:
Daily Star – 19 Soldiers among 79 Charged in Protests – 13 February 2008

BBC – Charges over Lebanon Riot Deaths – 12 February 2008

International Herald Tribune – Prosecutor Charges 79 in Lebanese Riots that Killed 7 – 12 February 2008

Reuters – Lebanon Charges 19 Soldiers over Protest Shootings – 11 February 2008

Speaking to 10,000 of his fellow protesters of the Georgian Opposition party, Levan Gachechiladze, vowed to engage in a hunger strike, if the governing party does not comply with more of his party’s demands.

The disgruntlement of Gachechiladze’s party with the government arose from the presidential elections on January 5, 2008.  The presidential incumbent, Mikheil Saakashvili, was reelected amidst allegations of possible voting irregularities.  The results indicated that Saakashvili won 53.47% of the vote.  However, the opposition contested whether Saakashvili actually won the majority vote, but instead believed that Saakashvili should have only won a plurality.  Because if Saakashvili had only won a plurality, then he would have had a runoff election with the second place contestant, which was Levan Gachechiladze.

Thus, the opposition has fiercely contested the results and promised their supporters that they will not stop their movement until the government complies with many of their 17 demands.  Initially, the opposition reported that the government would comply with 15 of the 17 demands.

However, the official response from the governing party has shocked the opposition. “‘Even those who are less radical within the opposition [coalition] were shocked by this response,’ Kakha Kukava, Conservative Party MP, Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB). ‘This response means that we have received a No to 16 of our 17 demands and on one demand – concerning how majoritarian MPs are elected – there is only a tentative readiness from them to compromise. This document is cynical.’” (Civil Georgia- ‘We are Shocked by Ruling Party Response’ – Opposition Leader)

The opposition stated that they may begin a hunger strike and turn would Georgia into a place of tents.

For more information, please see:

AFP- 10,000 protest against Georgia government- 15 February 2008

Civil Georgia- Opposition Sets Ultimatum, Warns of ‘Town of Tents’- 15 February 2008

Civil Georgia- Chart: Opposition Demands/Ruling Party’s Response- 16 February 2008

Civil Georgia- New Rights Call for Opposition Unity to ‘Defeat Authorities’- 15 February 2008

Civil Georgia- Opposition Rejects Ruling Party’s Response, Calls for Protests- 14 February 2008

Civil Georgia- ‘We are Shocked by Ruling Party Response’ – Opposition Leader-14 February 2008

By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel – Tel Aviv District Court has ordered the Israeli Finance Ministry to compensate Tunisian-born Israeli Jews who suffered under Nazi occupation during World War II. After five years of litigation, 19 claimants have finally prevailed over the ministry who has refused to pay Tunisian Jews the same Israeli government stipends as European survivors of the Holocaust. Approximately 20,000 Tunisian Jews are now entitled to claim the monthly benefits of roughly $330.

German troops occupied Tunisia between November 1942 and May 1943. During the six month occupation, around 5,000 Jews were rounded up and were subjected to forced labor, and at least 20 Jewish activists were sent to extermination camps in Europe. Jews were also forced to wear infamous “yellow star” on their clothing, and were often harassed and forced to pay fines.

By 1960s, the vast majority of around 100,000 Jews who lived under the Nazi occupation left Tunisia. Most emigrated to Israel, but some moved to France, the former colonial ruler of Tunisia. Many of those who moved left everything behind. Today, only 1,500 Jews remain in Tunisia.

Up until the court’s decision, the Israeli government has maintained that Tunisian Jews did not qualify for payments from a fund set up from German reparations for Nazi victims because they were not forced to flee their homeland. The claimants, however, argued that they deserve equal standing to the European counterparts who received reparations under a German law, which provided compensation for those who were unable to flee Nazi persecution to a country of refuge.

The court agreed with the claimants, and said “no justification was found for denying the eligibility of the Jews of Tunisia for compensation.” David Etzion, an attorney for the claimants, said, “For more than five years our Finance Misnistry has rejected claims by the Jews of Tunisia. Now the Finance Ministry has to pay.”

For more information please see:

Associated Press – Tunisian Jews win Holocaust claim – 11 February 2008

Ynetnews – Tunisian Jews eligible for reparations – 9 February 2008

Infolive – Jews who lived in Tunisia to receive benefits given to Shoah survivors– 9 February 2008