By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

NABLUS, West Bank – In the beginning of November, Palestinian Authority began to take steps to consolidate control over security in the West Bank.  The Palestinian president, Abbas, is cracking down on militant organizations within the West Bank to demonstrate that he will be able to enforce a future peace agreement made with Israel.  This effort, while occurring across the West Bank, has focused on Nablus, a city notorious for its lawlessness.

Nablus, which is the West Bank’s second largest city, and several surrounding refugee camps are strongholds for militant groups such as Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade.  With Israel’s approval, Abbas deployed more than 300 members of the Palestinian National Security Forces, along with guns, ammunition, and cars, to the city.  Since the beginning of November, the bolstered police force in Nablus have been making near daily arrests.

During the course of the past few weeks, the Palestinian National Security Forces have arrested members of Hamas, Abu Mustafa Brigades (the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)), and al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades (the militant wing of Fatah).  On November 18, Palestinian police forces entered el-Ain refugee camp near Nablus and arrested several members of the Abu Mustafa Brigades, thought to be responsible for several attacks against Israeli military.

In addition to an increase in Palestinian security operations, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continues to carry out near daily operations in the West Bank.  In recent weeks, IOF operations occurred through out the West Bank resulting in several arrests.  Conflicting reports exists as to whether the Palestinian and Israeli forces are working together or separately.  However, Palestinian officials report that these operations are separate from the actions of the IOF and that the IOF operations are detrimental to Palestinian interests.

For more information, please see:

International Middle East Media Center – Israeli army kidnaps five civilians across West Bank – 19 November 2007

International Middle East Media Center – Seven Hamas members arrested across West Bank – 19 November 2007

WAFA – IOF arrests 10 citizens allover West Bank – 19 November 2007

International Middle East Media Center – PFLP’s armed brigades warn of PA crackdown – 18 November 2007

Yedioth – PA security forces carry out mass arrests in Nablus – 18 November 2007

Yedioth – Fayyad threatens al-Aqsa it must cooperate with PA security plan – 14 November 2007

AFP – Security returns to post-gangland Nablus – 13 November 2007

International Middle East Media Center – Security forces kidnap 10 Hamas members – 12 November 2007

Reuters – Palestinian PM vows crack down on outlaws – 11 November 2007

New York Times – Volatile city tests Palestinian police – 8 November 2007

Associated Press – Palestinian police seal refugee camp – 5 November 2007

New York Times – Palestinians clash in West Bank – 5 November 2007

Reuters – Palestinians force enters Nablus in security drive – 2 November 2007

Associated Press – Chaotic Nablus: Testing ground for Abbas – 25 October 2007

By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – Homosexuals deserve torture and execution, an Iranian leader told British MPs during a private meeting at a peace conference. (Times Online)

Mohsen Yahyavi is the highest-ranking official to admit that Iran believes in the death penalty for homosexuality. When the British MPs during the meeting raised questions about public hanging of two boys in Mashhad, Iran widely reported back in 2005, the leader of the Iranian delegation said, “if homosexual activity is in private there is no problem, but those in overt activity should be executed.” (Times Online) He argued that “homosexuality is against human nature and that humans are here to reproduce. Homosexuals do not reproduce.” (Times Online)

Rights groups in Britain regularly challenge Iran about its gay hangings, stoning and executions of adulterers and perceived moral criminals. Furthermore, rights group such as Outrage! accuses Iran of cloaking executions for homosexuality with bogus charges for more serious crimes.

This policy is especially troublesome in light of the fact that an Iranian man accused of raping three boys were almost executed this week despite of retractions from his accusers. Fortunately, a court stepped in this time and a judge stopped the execution because he believed, without further elaboration, it was against Iran’s Islamic Sharia law. The 20-year-old Makwan Mouloudzadeh was 13 when the alleged rape happened.

Other countries that apply the death penalty for homosexuality include Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and Nigeria, according to the International Lesbian and Gay Association.

Sharia “lawbreakers”

— Homosexuals Farbod Mostaar and Ahmad Chooka sentenced to death. Iran said Chooka had kidnapped, knifed and raped a student.

— A woman called Soghra was sentenced to stoning for adultery and being an accomplice to her husband’s murder.

— Two men executed in public after being found guilty of a homosexual relationship. A newspaper said they were convicted of sodomy, rape and kidnapping.

— Zhila Izadi, 13, sentenced to stoning after becoming pregnant with her brother’s child.

— Malek Ghorbany sentenced to stoning for adultery.

— Leila Qomi sentenced to stoning for adultery and assisting a man who killed her husband. He received 100 lashes.

— Jafar Kiana stoned for adultery. His female lover Mokarrameh Ebrahimi sentenced to the same fate.

Source: Foreign and Commonwealth Office documents released under Freedom of Information Act

For more information, please see:

Reuters – Iran reviews execution for accused teenage rapist – 17 November 2007

Gulf News – Iran reviews execution for accused teenage rapist – 17 November 2007

Times Online- Gays should be hanged, says Iranian minister – 13 November 2007

Fox News – Gays deserve torture, death penalty, Iranian minister says – 13 November 2007

By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – A recent report jointly issued by Human Rights Watch and the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights has raised concerns over Egyptian violation of freedom of religion. In “Prohibited Identities: State Interference with Religious Freedom,” they document the Egyptian government’s discriminatory practice of restricting identity to three religions when citizens are required to identify their faith on government documents. Such requirement causes violation of many rights and immense hardship to members of minority faiths such as Bahai as well as converts from Islam by forcing them to lie about their true belief.

In Egypt, all Egyptians over 16 must carry Identification card showing religious affiliation. But the Civil Status Department of the Interior Ministry has limited the choice of affiliation to one of the three recognized religions – Islam, Christianity, or Judaism. Even though no Egyptian law gives the officials the power to authorize such requirement, they had acted on their interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

Without the Identification card, minorities and converts face enormous problems in everyday life including education and employment. For example, it would deny a person’s ability to conduct transactions as basic as opening a bank account, getting a driver’s license, entering a university, getting a job, or collecting a pension. In addition, it may also affect one’s ability to educate children.

Consequently, the 98-page report highlights many who complained that they have been designated as Muslims against their will. While some just get their identification cards listing them as Muslims, others are intimidated or bribed by Interior Ministry officials to identify themselves as Muslims against their express wishes.

“Ministry of Interior officials apparently believe they have the right to choose someone’s religion when they don’t like the religion that person chooses,” said Human Rights Watch’s Joe Stork. “The Interior Ministry’s policy essentially says: ‘If you lie we’ll give you the documents you need, but if you tell the truth about your religion we’ll make your life miserable by withholding them’,” he said.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Egypt ID cards sentence minorities to non-life – 12 November 2007

Human Rights Watch – Allow citizens to list actual religion on ID cards – 12 November 2007

Reuters – Egypt denies ID papers to Baha’is, converts – 12 November 2007

BBC News – Egypt ‘denies minority beliefs’ – 12 November 2007

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi courts doubled the punishment of a rape victim in a verdict delivered on November 14.  The Saudi court in Qatif sentenced the young woman to 200 lashes and six months in prison for violating a segregation law, which forbids unrelated men and women from associating with each other.  She was initially sentenced to 90 lashes, but the punishment was increased on appeal for what the court termed, “her attempt to aggravate and influence the judiciary through the media.”

The court also banned the woman’s lawyer, Abdul Rahman al-Lahem  a famous human rights lawyer in Saudi Arabia, from defending her.  Lahem had his license to practice law confiscated and is required to report to a disciplinary hearing later this month.  Lahem had publicly criticized the previous verdict – claiming that the woman’s sentence was too harsh and that her attackers’ sentences were too lenient.

Following an appeal, the Saudi court increased the sentences against her attackers to two to nine years in prison – for an offense that carries the possible punishment of death.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Saudi gang rape sentence “unjust” – 16 November 2007

New York Times – Ruling jolts even Saudis: 200 Lashes for Rape Victim – 16 November 2007

Reuters – Saudi court orders lashes, prison for rape victim – 16 November 2007

AFP – Saudi punishes gang rape victim with 200 lashes – 15 November 2007

AHN – 19-year old rape victim in Saudi Arabia sentenced to 200 lashes – 15 November 2007

Arab News – Qatif Court convicts rape victim – 15 November 2007

International Herald Tribune – Report: court hands jail term, doubles lashes for woman victim of gang rape – 15 November 2007

By Nykoel Dinardo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

NEW YORK, New York – The Coalition for the International Criminal Court, CICC, has named Kuwait as its target country for October 2008.  CICC is urging Kuwait to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the treaty which created the first international court capable of trying individuals for crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity.  In a letter to Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait on October 1, CICC asked that ratification is made a priority.

According to the CICC, Kuwait has a growing number of human rights organizations; ratifying the Rome Statute would solidify Kuwait’s dedication to international justice.  There are currently over 300 active Coalition member organizations throughout the Gulf region.

There is also a movement within Kuwait.  The Kuwaiti Coalition for the International Criminal Court has made a draft ratification proposal to submit to the Kuwaiti legislature.  Last year, the Kuwait Bar Association (KBA) hosted a meeting about the ICC and the Gulf States.   At the meeting, members of the International Criminal Bar came to give lectures and encourage members of the KBA to become more involved.

Currently, 108 countries have ratified the Rome Statute.  However, in the CICC’s Middle East and North Africa Region (MENA), there are only 3 member states, Jordan, Djibouti, and the Comoros Islands.  Eleven MENA countries have signed the treaty and the CICC hopes to encourage each of these countries to become full ratifying members.

In a statement to the KBA, Hussain Al-Hereti, the Secretary of the National Assembly, encouraged Kuwait to become a member of the ICC.  However, he explained that at least one Kuwaiti parliament member is worried that ratifying will open Kuwaiti Amir to trial in the ICC.  Al-Hereti said that this should not be a concern as the Amir will never commit a war crime so would not be tried.

For more information, please see:

Kuwait Times – Kuwait Urged to Ratify ICC Treaty – 9 October 2008

Coalition for the International Criminal Court – Global Coalition Urges Kuwait to Ratify ICC Treaty – 12 November 2007

Kuwait Times – Lawyers Urge Kuwait to Become ICC Member – 26 March 2007

Coalition for the International Criminal Court –  Issues and Campaigns: Kuwait

Coalition for the International Criminal Court – List of Ratifying Parties