Mikheil Saakashvili was elected to his second term as president of the Republic of Georgia.  However, his main opposition candidate Levan Gachechiladze claimed that the election was rigged and disputed the results of the vote.

Levan Gachechiladze has promised to challenge the election results through the court system.  He has threatened that he and his supporters would stage hunger strikes and massive protests.  Gachechiladze’s ally, Salome Zurabishvili stated that “the whole of Georgia will be out on the streets” by Sunday,  if the results stood with Saakashavil receiving more than 50% of the vote, which would make Saakashavil the president without having a second round vote.

For more information, please see:

BBC News- Georgia confirms Saakashvili win- 9 January 2008

Guardian Unlimited- Thousands Protest Georgia Election- 6 January 2008

International Herald Tribune (AP)- President Saakashvili says Georgia is on way to democracy- 7 January 2008

The Independent- Hunger strike vow as Saakashvili is declared victor in Georgian poll- 10 January 2008

By Vivek Thiagarajan
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

MOSUL, Iraq- On Sunday, three bombs simultaneously went off targeting two Christian churches and a convent.  The three bombs went off between 11 and 11:30 am injuring four people.  The bombs were possibly coordinated to instill greater fear in Iraqi Christians and to remind them that they are not immune to the violence occurring between the Shiite and Sunni Muslims.

Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Maliki met with Monsignor Francis Assisi Chullikatt, the Vatican’s Ambassador, to reassure him that the Iraqi government is taking every step possible to ensure the safety of Christians.  “The Iraqi government is anxious to ensure the safety of Iraqi Christians,” Maliki assured the ambassador.  (AFP)

Since 2004, Iraqi Christians believed report that they have been targeted solely because of their religious affiliation.  Father Rayan Atto, a Chaldean pastor of an Erbil church, discussed the fate of his fellow Christians. “We have many, many young people — they were killed for any excuse. They were just killed because they were Christians.” (Pittsburgh Tribune- Review)

Some Christians have been kidnapped and forced to convert to Islam.   Faris Mansour Hanna discussed his experience when he was kidnapped by Al-Qaeda operatives.  “They said, ‘We will release you, but we have one condition. You have to convert to Islam.’” However, since Hanna refused to convert “they beat my face and burned me with cigarettes.”  He went on to show the reporter conducting the interview his scars on his arm, hand, left cheek and forehead and significant scarring on his shoulders “from being dragged in the street, whipped and beaten with a metal pipe.”  However, his fellow kidnapped Christians were not released but were beheaded because the Christians had reportedly worked as translators for the Americans.  (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

For more information, please see:

AFP- Iraq working to ensure safety of Christians: Maliki- 8 January 2008

AP- Bomber Kills 11 at Iraqi Army Festival- 7 January 2008

BBC News- Christian sites targeted in Mosul- 7 January 2008

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review- No peace for Iraqi Christians- 23 December 2007

Libyan Ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi became the president of the UN Security Council.  The selection is remarkable, because it is the first month that Libya has been allowed on the security counsel.

Libya’s past will make the council less likely to use sanctions against other nations.  “I might say that as a country that had suffered from sanctions, we will be in a very difficult position when we speak about imposing sanctions against another country,” Ettalhi said. (Yahoo News)

The presidency is a clear sign of the major steps that Libya has taken to make sure that it is made major steps protecting its citizens’ human rights.

For more information, please see:

Yahoo News-  Libya takes charge of UN council- 3 January 2008

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BEIRUT, Lebanon – On January 6, Arab League foreign ministers agreed on a plan to end the political impasse in Lebanon.  The Arab League unanimously agreed that General Michel Suleiman, the current army chief, should be elected to be the next president.  The plan proposes that the president should be the arbitrator of any tied decisions.  In addition, the plan also says that a national unity government should be formed in such a way so that “the composition does not allow any decision to be imposed or blocked by any one party.”

Lebanon has been without a president since November 23, 2007, when Lahoud’s term ended and the parties failed to elect a successor.  Initially, the parties failed to agree on a suitable candidate.  Later, when the parties agreed that Suleiman should be the next president, the parties disagreed over the details of a national unity government.  The Lebanese parliament is set to meet on January 12, for the 12th time, to elect the next president.

Saad al-Hariri, the leader of Lebanon’s parliamentary majority, welcomed the decision.  Hariri stated that the Lebanese should welcome the Arab League’s plan as an opportunity to reach a consensus and elect a new president.  Hezbollah, the main opposition party, was more hesitant to welcome the plan and wanted more clarification on the details of the next government.  Earlier, Hezbollah conditioned any possible resolution on a grant of veto power to the opposition.

While the plan does not overtly grant the opposition veto power, it does not attack Syria and it enhances the role of General Suleiman who is seen as pro-Syrian.  Also, according to Arab diplomatic sources, Syria supports the plan.  This suggests that even though the plan does not grant Hezbollah outright veto power, that an agreement may be reached.

For more information, please see:
Daily Star – Rival Lebanese Leaders Welcome Arab League Proposal to Elect Suleiman – 8 January 2008

Gulfnews – Arabs Strike Lebanon Deal – 7 January 2008

New York Times – Arab League Backs Plan to End Lebanon Stalemate – 7 January 2008

Al Jazeera – Hariri Welcomes Arab League Plan – 6 January 2008

Associated Press – Arabs Back General as Lebanese President – 6 January 2008

BBC – Arab League Backs Lebanon Plan – 6 January 2008

International Herald Tribune – Arab Plan for Lebanon Wins Broad Support – 6 January 2008

BBC – Hezbollah Sets Resolution Terms – 4 January 2008

By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – A British journalist has been expelled from Iran after the government refused to renew his visa and resident permit.

Robert Tait, 43, was the Guardian’s Tehran correspondent for three years until the authorities inexplicably declined to renew his papers. Iran’s culture and Islamic guidance ministry gave no reason for its decision but said the newspaper was free to propose a new correspondent in Iran.

The Guardian report said that Tait was originally ordered to leave the country in March because officials were unhappy with his reporting. But he was allowed to stay after the Guardian successfully appealed against the March decision.

He is the second British journalist to be expelled from Iran in the past six months, and the last British journalist who worked in Iran for an English language newspaper. In July, a journalist working for a different publication was also “expelled” when his documentation was not renewed. Other newspapers mainly employ English-speaking Iranians because foreign nationals have difficulties in obtaining resident press credentials. But even for those who receive necessary documentation, they often face expulsion.

The expulsion comes amid a steep decline of press freedom in Iran. Newspapers and websites critical of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s hard-line policies have been shut down over the past year. Other publications have begun to self-censor for fear of crossing officially decreed “red-lines.” Moreover, several Iranian journalists have been arrested in recent months for various crimes, including publication of “lies.”

The Guardian’s editor appealed to the ministry to no avail. The ministry denies expulsion claims raised by rights groups and diplomats. The authorities also deny recent crackdown on dissenting voices and say that they allow free speech.

Tait is now back in the UK, along with his Iranian wife.

For more information, please see:

Press TV – Iran denies expelling British journalist – 6 January 2008

Guardian Unlimited – Guardian’s Tehran correspondent expelled without explanation – 5 January 2008

Reuters – Guardian journalist forced to stop working in Iran – 5 January 2008

Gulfnews – British journalist ‘expelled’ from Iran – 5 January 2008