By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran-The White House issued a statement on Monday saying that the U.S. will start easing economic sanctions on Iran as soon as Tehran begins closing tis most sensitive nuclear work.  Jay Carney, White House spokesman, added that Washington will continue to aggressively enforce sanctions that remain in effect.

“These actions represent the first time in nearly a decade that Iran has verifiably enacted measures to halt progress on its nuclear program and roll it back in key respects,” Carney said.

Carney continued saying, “Iran has also begun to provide the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with increased transparency into the Iranian nuclear program, through more frequent and intrusive inspections and the expanded provision of information to the IAEA.  Taken together, these concrete actions represent an important step forward.”

The United Nations nuclear agency confirmed that the higher-level uranium enrichment at a facility located in central Iran has ceased.  As such, the European Union also announced its suspension of sanctions.

The deal that went into effect on Monday was discussed by EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton.  “This is an important day in our pursuit of ensuring that Iran has an exclusively peaceful nuclear program,” Ashton added.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement would not stop Iran from “realizing its intention to develop nuclear weapons.”

Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said, “The sanctions iceberg against Iran is melting.”  The IAEA confirmed that Iran had ceased enriching uranium above 5% and also begun diluting its stockpile of uranium enriched to 20%.

Providing a note of caution, former IAEA deputy director Olli Heinonen said that if Iran decides to default on the deal, it would only need two to three weeks to produce sufficient highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon.

The sanctions will be suspended for six months allowing Iran to resume export of its petrochemicals.  Sanctions affecting the trading in gold, other precious metals and the car industry will also be lifted.

The payoff to Iran will result in an influx of billions of dollars over the next six months into the Islamic republic’s unstable economy.

For more information, please see the following: 

ABC News-US to Begin Easing Economic Sanctions on Iran-20 January 2014

Al Jazeera-EU and US ease some sanctions against Iran-20 January 2014

BBC News-Iran nuclear: Curbs on uranium enrichment begin-20 January 2014

York Dispatch-U.S., EU lift some sanctions on Iran-20 January 2014

 

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – A senior Egyptian official claimed that an overwhelming majority of the Egyptians who voted in the country’s constitutional referendum earlier this week voted in favour of the draft constitution supported by the military led government in Cairo. Though the results he cited when talking to the Associated Press were unofficial the official claimed that more than 90% of voters who participated in the election voted in favour of the constitution.

While unofficial results cited by officials show a victory for the military led interim government thousands of supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and former President Mohamed Morsi boycotted the elections, dozens of Brotherhood supporters were arrested during the voting process after taking to the streets in demonstrations against the election. The Muslim Brotherhoods and other Islamist supporters felt they were unfairly kept out of the drafting process of the constitution, which is a heavily edited version of the constitution written under Morsi’s regime ratified in December 2012, and that the removal of president Morsi was an illegal coup against the nation’s first democratically elected leader.

Election monitors voiced concerns over serious violations and irregularities in the voting process. There complaints included concerns over reported incidents of voter intimidation, specifically intimidation of the constitution’s opponents. However, monitors have not formally accused authorities of fraud or ballot-stuffing. While state officials claim more than 90% of voters voted yes for the constitution only about 38% of eligible voters turned out to vote this week. However, the voter turnout and percentage of voters supporting the constipation was higher in this round of elections than in the constitutional referendum held under Morsi. The Mediterranean province of Matrouh, an area with high support for Islamists reported the lowest turnout Tuesday and Wednesday with only 20% of eligible voters turning out to vote.

In a statement made Thursday by the Berlin-based global corruption watchdog Transparency International the origination said; “politically motivated violence, intimidation and repression from state and non-state actors limited and conditioned citizens’ political and electoral participation,” a local anti-corruption group called Shayfeencom (“We Are Watching You”) reported that one of its election observers was arrested and tortured by Egyptian security forces in the Suez Canal city of Port Said after an altercation at a polling station Wednesday.

The passage of the draft constitution is a critical milestone for the Egyptian interim government, the next major step for the Egyptian government will be the Presidential and Parliamentary elections expected later this year. The passage of the document may signify that despite claims of corporation, intimidation and human rights violations by the military led government many Egyptians supported the new Constitution in hopes that it will lead Egypt out of a period of instability and turmoil in favour of stability and economic growth.

For more information please see:

CBS News – Egypt’s constitution passing with flying colors: official – 16 January 2014

The New York Times – Egypt’s Crackdown Belies Constitution as It Nears Approval – 16 January 2014

Reuters – Egyptians back constitution, opening way to Sisi presidential run – 16 January 2014

The Washington Post – Egyptians approve new constitution, according to unofficial referendum results – 16 January 2014

By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has made an unscheduled statement on Thursday to address the necessity of participation in next week’s peace talks.  The U.S. has accused the Syrian government of “revisionism” by characterizing the peace talks as tackling terrorism instead of the departure of President Bashar al-Assad.

Kerry’s intervention follows a letter sent by Syria’s foreign minister that questions the initial agenda which is aimed at ending the three-year civil war.  He is expected to arrive on the eve of a crucial meeting by the Syrian Opposition Coalition on Friday which is still deciding whether to attend the peace talks.

Walid al-Muallem, Syria’s foreign minister, stated in a letter to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, “It should be noted that we do not agree with certain points mentioned in the letter of invitation, simply for the reason that they are in conflict with the legal and political position of the State of Syria

Kerry noted that the letter appears to have prompted anger in Washington where diplomats are anxious to see that the talks are not disrupted or that further rebel groups choose not to attend.

Kerry further stated that the talks were expected to establish “a process essential to the formation of a transition government body-a governing body with full executive powers established by mutual consent.”

“That sole purpose could not have been more clear at the time it was announced and it could not be more clear today,” added Kerry.  “It has been reiterated in international statement after international statement that the parties have signed up to and venue after venue, in resolution after resolution.”

U.S. State department spokeswoman Jen Psaki stated that Syria’s letter to the UN was a “good example” of what Kerry has been referring to.

The odds of three peace talks causing a breakthrough in the long and bloody civil war are slowly dwindling.  Growing concern in Europe and the U.S. about the role of Islamic extremists in the rebellion is starting to prove that the peace talks won’t be as effective as needed.

However, Kerry has insisted that selecting new mutually agreed upon leaders in the conflict was the only way of to ensure that Syria did not continue to attract more extremists.  “We too are deeply concerned about the rise of extremism,” he said.

Ali Haider, the national reconciliation minister, “The solution has begun, and will continue through the military triumph of the state … and through the staying power and resilience of the state and all its institutions, in the face of its enemies who were betting on its collapse.”

For more information, please see the following: 

Al Jazeera-Kerry urges all sides to attend Syria talks-17 January 2014

BBC-John Kerry urges Syria opposition to attend talks-17 January 2014

Guardian-John Kerry urges Syrian rebel groups to attend upcoming peace talks in Geneva-17 January 2014

Reuters-U.S. urges Syria rebels to attend peace talks, slams government-17 January 2014

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East

Cairo, Egypt – Egyptian State media has reported that after the second day of voting polls across Egypt have officially closed after the second day of voting on a draft Constitution drafted after the overthrow of democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi. If the vote leads the adoption of the new constipation the next step in the road map to democratization set up by the military backed government will be Parliamentary and presidential elections, expected sometime this year.

About 200,000 security forces and 160,000 military personnel were deployed across the country to stifle any interruption of the voting process across the country. Demonstrators rallied in several cities including the capital Cairo, Al-Sharqiyah, Fayoum and Delga. Shadi Hamid; research director at Brookings Doha Centre said “Any sense of stability is an illusion. That’s what people think General Sisi might offer.” He added that “if we look at the last six months, Egypt has seen one of the worst spills of violence in its modern history.”

While Tuesday’s voting took place in relative peace on Wednesday at least 11 people were killed on Tuesday, the first day of voting across the country. Egyptian police arrested dozens of supporters of President Morsi protesting the referendum, believing the vote is an attempt to grant legitimacy to a coup against a democratically elected government.

Following the Egyptian states crackdown on supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the interim government, and other Morsi supporters the new constipation was expected to pass easily, though official results have yet to be reported.

Egyptian Newspapers, the majority of which are supporters of the military government, claimed that there was a “heavy” turnout on Tuesday and that the cote symbolized a “defeat” of the Morsi regime and the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Muslim Brotherhood called for a boycott of the vote. The organization accused the pro-military government media in Egypt of falsifying its reports about the turnout. In a statement from the Brotherhood-led Anti-Coup and Pro-Democracy Alliance the organization said “They are trying to cover-up their early defeat, “they claimed that only 15% of eligible to vote in Southern Egypt turned up to vote. Potential monitors suspected of ties to the Muslim Brotherhood were not granted permission to oversee the vote.

The last constitution referendum was held in December 2012 while Morsi was still in power. However, this constitution was suspended after the military coup that removed Morsi from power in July 2013.

Some claim that the draft constitution proposed in this referendum vote would improve human rights and freedom of expression, stating explicitly that men and women are equal and have the right to hold public office and judicial posts. However, critics of the draft constitution claim the document grants too much power to the military without civilian oversight, which many fear could lead to a return to the pro-military statuesque that existed under President Mubarak and his “state of emergency,” a government that lead to the 2011 uprisings across the country.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Egypt Referendum Polls Close – 15 January 2014

CNN International – Egypt Votes on New Constitution, Tests Legitimacy of Military-Backed Government – 15 January 2014

CNN International – Violence Erupts as Egyptians Vote on New Constitution – 14 January 2014

Al Jazeera – Comparing Egypt’s 2012 and 2013 Constitutions – 14 January 2014

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – According to the White House said Sunday that the Iranian government has pledged to begin eliminating some of its uranium stockpile on January 20, marking the official start of the six-month interim deal with Iran that was announced in November of last year. That date was also confirmed by Iranian State media.

United States Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement that “As of that day, for the first time in almost a decade, Iran’s nuclear program will not be able to advance, and parts of it will be rolled back, while we start negotiating a comprehensive agreement to address the international community’s concerns about Iran’s program.”

As part of the agreement Iran has agreed to start eliminating its stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium, used in the production of nuclear weapons, and to dismantle some of the infrastructure that is used in the enrich higher-level uranium enrichment possible. Iran has also agreed not to construct new centrifuges. This will be done in exchange for the easing of some sanctions. The deal could result in the easing of sanctions totalling about $7 billion — $4.2 billion of which, US officials say.

“The $4.2 billion in restricted Iranian assets that Iran will gain access to as part of the agreement will be released in regular instalments throughout the six months,” John Kerry said. “The final instalment will not be available to Iran until the very last day.”

Shortly after the deal goes into effect Iran will likely enter into talks with world powers in February to negotiate the future of its nuclear program. the next round of talks is being led by European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, the actors involved in the talks will have to address the challenge of defining an accepted scope of Iranian nuclear activity that will adequately addressed the concerns of members of the international community that Iran’s nuclear ambitions could lead the state to develop an atomic weapon.

A diplomatic sources told Reuters that the next phase of diplomacy between Iran, the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany will include Ashton and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The source said that while the talks will begin soon, they will not “happen in January, because of the Chinese New Year, but it is very, very, very likely in February.”

United States President Barack Obama said over the weekend that he has “no illusions” about how hard it will be to secure a comprehensive agreement with Iran.

On Monday the Obama Administration voiced concerns about reports that Iran and the Russian Federation will enter into an ‘oil-for-goods’ agreement  to exchange worth $1.5 billion a month. Under this agreement Russia receive up to 500,000 barrels or Iranian oil per day and in exchange Iran will receive Russian equipment and goods. The White House said this deal could potentially trigger U.S. sanctions.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – US Concerned About Iran-Russia Oil Deal – 14 January 2014

The Jerusalem Post – Iran Using Opening with West To Improve Its Relations Worldwide – 14 January 2014

CNN International – Iran to Start Scaling Back Nuclear Program January 20, White House Says – 13 January 2014

Reuters – World Powers, Iran Eye February Start To Nuclear Settlement Talks – 13 January 2014