By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – Thousands of Egyptians held protests peacefully on Friday in support of Palestinians in Gaza, calling for an end to the Israeli blockade. Many of the protesters were from Egypt’s largest opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, whose members have been detained for staging protests since the ordeal began. Many of the protesters carried banners that read: “Save Gaza” and “Free Despite Siege.”

On Wednesday, Egyptian authorities arrested scores of Brotherhood members in dawn raids for “illegally organizing protests against the Israeli blockade of Gaza.” The authorities rounded up the men in raids on their homes, including the secretary general of the Cairo doctors’ syndicate, Saad Zaghloul, in the northern port city of Alexandria. Others have also been detained in areas where the Brotherhood has a strong popular base including Giza, north of Cairo, and in Gharbia and Kafr al-Sheikh. They were accused of organizing demonstration without a permit and with belonging to a banned organization.

The crisis began when Palestinian militants first breached the wall between Gaza and Egypt on Wednesday, blowing up part of the wall that allowed tens of thousands of Palestinians to enter into Egypt and stock up on food and fuel. A second breach occurred later, when a bulldozer knocked over a new section of the border wall. Though Egypt has remained idle, allowing thousands to cross the border for humanitarian reasons, the Egyptian government plans to reseal the border in the coming days.

The Muslim Brotherhood, a non-violent group deemed illegal in Egypt, said Egypt should unilaterally open the border with Gaza. For this cause, more than 350 Brotherhood members have been arrested for continuously staging protests. Friday was no exception, where some 2,000 Egyptians protested in support of the Gazans outside the Cairo International Book Fair.

Israel had first blockaded its borders with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip to stop Palestinian militants from firing rockets into southern Israel. The blockade has affected approximately 1.5 million people who live in Gaza Strip.

For more information, please see:

The Jerusalem Post – Protests for Gaza held across Mideast – 25 January 2008

BBC News – Egypt cracks down on Gaza protest – 23 January 2008

Ynetnews – Egypt arrests Muslim Brotherhood members protesting Gaza siege – 23 January 2008

Reuters – Egypt detains 30 Brotherhood men over Gaza protests – 23 January 2008

BEIRUT, Lebanon – Several Shi’a demonstrators were killed when the demonstrators and the Lebanese military clashed on January 27.  The demonstrators were protesting against power shortages in mainly Shi’a neighborhoods in Beirut.  The protestors, mostly Shi’a and supporters of Hezbollah and Amal opposition groups, claim that Shi’a neighborhoods were unfairly targeted in the government’s power rationing.  Violence began when the military intervened as protestors attempted to block a road.  According to a security official, shots were fired by the protestors and the military fired warning shots to disperse the demonstrators.

During this confrontation, Ali Hassan Hamza, an active member of Amal, was killed.  Violence escalated following Hamza’s death as angry opposition supporters took to the streets.  Demonstrators set fire to tires and obstructed streets.  Clashes between the military and the protestors resulted in at least six additional deaths and dozens of injuries.  The rioting led the military to declare Beirut’s first curfew in more than a decade.

The ruling coalition accused the opposition and Syria of manipulating the current economic and social crises to achieve their own political objectives.  Amal officials say that they were not involved in the protests and Hamza was not a party to the demonstration.  Also, Amal has acted to contained the situation by telling their supporters to stop rioting.  Nabih Berri, the leader of Amal and the Parliament Speaker, urged the demonstrators to go home and allow the military to restore order to the city.  Amal MP Ali Hassan Khalil added, “The situation must be contained. We appeal to all the people who are on the streets to go home and leave the matter into the hands of the security forces in order to restore calm to the region.”

The military announced that they plan to investigate Hamza’s death.  While Hamza was shot in the back, the source of the shots remains unclear.

For more information, please see:
AFP – At Least Seven Killed in Beirut Riots – 27 January 2008

Al Bawaba – At Least Four Dead in Lebanon Riots – 27 January 2008

Al Jazeera – Protests in Lebanon End in Deaths – 27 January 2008

Associated Press – Protests in Lebanon Leave 7 Dead – 27 January 2008

BCC – Seven Killed in Beirut Violence – 27 January 2008

Fox News – Shiite Opposition Riots Block Major Roads in Lebanon, 3 Killed – 27 January 2008

Reuters – Eight Shot Dead in Beirut Protests – 27 January 2008

Washington Post – Eight Shot Dead in Beirut Opposition Protests – 27 January 2008

By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – A “sudden death” of a Kurdish law student while in custody in northwestern Iran has raised suspicion among his family and human rights activists regarding the truth of the official report. Officials told the student’s family that he had committed suicide while in prison and died of “suffocation.”

Intelligence Ministry agents arrested Ebrahim Lotfollahi, a political activist in the student movement of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, in front of Payame Nur University in Sanandaj on January 6. He had just finished taking an exam when the officials took him away without charge. Two days after the arrest, Lotfollahi was reportely in good condition when his family visited him, and he remained optimistic that he would be released soon. But on January 15, his parents were told that he was dead. Moreover, when family members went to the city cemetery, they were informed that the 27-year-old had already been buried and that they were not allowed to see his body. A few days after, the officials covered the grave with concrete.

Rights activists say that this case is similar to that of another recent death case which occurred in the town of Hamedan in October. In that case, a 27-year-old female physician Zahra Bani Yaghoub and her boyfriend were arrested for having an “illegal relationship.” Relationships between men and women who are not married are against the law in Iran. On the following day, officials told her family that she had committed suicide in her cell.

Following the two alleged prison suicides, Middle East deputy director at Human Rights Watch said “The sudden death in detention of two apparently healthy young people is extremely alarming. The government only heightens our concern by quickly dismissing them as suicides.” Consequently, Lotfollahi’s family wants the body exhumed for examination by doctors, including one chosen by the family. Bani Yaghub’s family has also called for an autopsy in her case.

United Nations Principles on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extra Legal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions provide that families of the deceased and their legal representatives have the right to exhume body for an autopsy in all cases suspected of unlawful killing, including where the cause suggests unnatural death.

For more information, please see:

Workers’ Liberty – Iranian regime murders student activist – 25 January 2008

Reuters – Family wants Iran student who died in jail exhumed – 20 January 2008

Human Rights Watch – Investigate Detention Deaths – 18 January 2008

AKI – Death of Kurdish student was “suicide” says official – 18 January 2008

RadioFreeEurope – Detained student dies under ‘suspicious’ circumstances – 18 January 2008

By Vivek Thiagarajan
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

Some activists were arrested following protests on December 17.  The activists gathered to remember protesters that were abused by the police abuses in the early 1990’s. These protests escalated after an activist was killed, which led to rioting and the arson of a police vehicle.   The police arrested some rioters to retain the peace.  The detainees were arrested for illegal possession of weapons and theft stemming from the riots.

Those detainees that were arrested in mid-December have complained that they were tortured and even sexually assaulted by their police interrogators.  For example, Maytham Badr al-Shaykh complained to his family on January 16, 2008 that he was sexually assaulted by interrogators.  Maytham told his father, “On New Year’s evening, they ‘celebrated’ with me. They stripped me and gave me shocks and stuck something wooden up inside me,” Al-Shaykh’s father said. “He whispered it to me when the guards allowed me to embrace him.”  Maytham told his brother that “they violated my manhood” by beating him while he was suspended by his hands. (Human Rights Watch)

However, an official from Bahrain has denied the allegations and assured reporters that the allegations have been investigated and that the activists have been examined by a forensic physician and that the physician dismissed found no signs of torture.

Bahrain must protect its citizens and ensure that the imprisoned they are being treated humanely.  “‘Bahrain’s response to allegations of torture against dissidents will show whether it really respects basic human rights,’ said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. ‘Bahrain should launch an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into allegations of grave abuses in detention centers.’” (Human Rights Watch)

For more information, please see:

PR-Inside (AP)- Rights watchdog calls Bahrain to look into detainee torture, sexual assault reports- 22 January 2008

Human Rights Watch- Bahrain: Investigate Alleged Torture of Activists- 21 January 2008

BEIRUT, Lebanon – A car bomb exploded in Hazmieh, a mainly Christian suburb in eastern Beirut.  Local newspapers and television state that at least ten people were killed.  Wissam Eid, a captain in the Internal Security Force, was killed in the attack and is believed to be the target.  In his statement, national police chief, Brig. Gen. Ashraf Rifi said Captain Eid specialized in intelligence and was handling important files, including “all those having to do with the terrorist bombings’” in Lebanon.  Interior Minister Hassan Sabei said there were two previous tries to kill Eid.  No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

This is the most recent attack in a string of politically motivated bombings since former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed in 2005.  Most of the attacks targeted anti-Syrian politicians.  However, there is concern in the increasing attacks on members of the securities services.  In December 2007, General Francois El Hajj was killed in a car bombing.  Hajji was likely to next army chief.  The objective of these attacks is likely to cause further instability in Lebanese politics.

For more information, please see:
Al Jazeera – Death at Blast Rocks Beirut – 25 January 2008

BBC – Blast Rocks Beirut Eastern Suburb – 25 January 2008

The Daily Star – Bomb Kills Security Official in Lebanon and at Least 10 Others – 25 January 2008

The Daily Star – Lebanon’s Deadly Harvest of Bombs – 25 January 2008

The Daily Star – Villagers Block Road to Syria After Lebanon Bombing – 25 January 2008

New York Times – Media Report Explosion in Beirut – 25 January 2008