By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran-As the world powers are set to resume meeting in Geneva, nuclear talks with Iran are resuming.  Discussions center on activating a landmark deal to reign in Tehran’s nuclear program.

“The talks will focus on remaining issues pending a political decision before the deal can go into effect on January 20, a date mooted by both sides,” said Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham.

The two-day meeting began yesterday between Abbas Araqchi, Irans negotiator, and Helga Schmid, the representative of the P5+1 group of world powers.  The U.S. State Department confirmed that Wendy Sherman, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, would also be in attendance.

The last attempt at discussion occurred in mid-December involving technical experts from Iran as well as the U.S., China, Russia, Britain, France, and Germany.

Under the deal discussed, Iran will receive modest relief from international sanctions and a promise of no new measures against Iranian economy if Iran reduces parts of its nuclear drive for six months.

Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, has voiced optimism regarding the regarding the talks, but observes have warned of potential delays.  The European Union, which is chairing the P5+1 group, has kept a tight lid on details surrounding the talks.

The U.S. has been the driving force in implementing the interim deal with Iran.  Western nations have long suspected the development of atomic weapons under Iran’s nuclear program; a claim that has been strongly denied by officials in Tehran.

“We have to make sure our right to research and development is respected,” stated an Iranian government official.  His claim follows alongside officials in Tehran saying that the actions related to Iran’s nuclear program are part of crucial research.

Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has expressed his disdain for the actions of the U.S., referring to the nation as “Satan”.  “We had announced previously that on certain issues, if we feel it is expedient, we would negotiate with the Satan (the U.S.) to deter its evil,” said Khamenei.

However, Javad Zarif, who is also the chief nuclear negotiator, said he was confident of a positive outcome from the Geneva talks.  “The nuclear talks are continuing with serious and strong political will,” stated Zarif.

For more information, please see the following: 

Al Arabiya-Iran’s Khamenei: deterring evil worth talking to Satan-09 January 2014

Al Jazeera-Iran set to resume nuclear talks in Geneva-09 January 2014

International Business Times-West Wary of Iran’s Centrifuge Research as Talks on Nuclear Deal Set to Resume-09 January 2014

Israel National News-Iran, World Powers Resume Talks on Geneva Deal-09 January 2014

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East

Tel Aviv, ISRAEL – More than 30,000 African asylum seekers crammed into the streets of Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, Israel calling for migrant workers to go on strike and demanding the Israeli government recognize their status as refugees with chants of “we need asylum,” “We are all refugees” and “yes to freedom, no to prison!” The demonstration is the largest protests by migrants in the history of the Jewish state.

According to police spokesperson Mickey Rosenfeld, most of the protesters were asylum seekers who had fled Africa and wish to stay in the country. He said “There are thousands of people assembling in central Tel Aviv and they are mostly Africans who are requesting to stay in the country.”

Under new legislation passed by the Knesset on December 10 last year Israel police are able to identify and detain any migrants who have entered the country illegally. Under this legislation these migrants can be held for up to a year without trail in Israel. The state has also opened a new facility in the Negev desert for the purpose of detaining illegal migrants.

Mutasim Ali, of the African Refugee Development Center, entered Israel after fleeing Darfur is among those calling for African migrants to be granted Refugee status by the Israeli government. He says “All of us are fleeing genocide, fleeing dictatorship regimes. Looking for protection,” according to Ali a migrant “doesn’t care where he gets it. We know it’s too difficult to cross the border making our way to Israel, but that’s the only option at the time.”

An Eritrean asylum-seeker who participated in the demonstration said “We have fled persecution, dictatorships, civil wars and genocides.” Arguing that the government of Israel “must study our requests for asylum and treat us like human beings.”

Asylum seekers complain that the new legislation in Israel is evidence that their call for refugee status is being ignored by the Israel government, which is instead trading the migrants as illegal workers, the state’s new legislation treats migrants as illegal workers.

The asylum seekers complain that the Israeli government isn’t viewing their goal as legitimate, but rather sees them as migrant workers. According to activists, more than 50,000 migrants work in illegal, low-wage, positions in Israel, a country of 7.9 million people. Most of these activist have fled violence and feminine in East-Africa.

The fight for recognition of refugees in Israel is an uphill battle. Since the creating of the Jewish state in 1948, Israel has recognised the status of fewer than 200 refugees, human rights groups say.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Thousands Of Asylum Seekers Protest In Israel – 5 January 2014

CNN International – African Migrants Protest, Push for Asylum in Israel – 5 January 2014

Haaretz – Knesset Okays Detention of Migrants without Trial – 10 December 2014

The Guardian – African Migrants Stage Tel Aviv Protests against Israel’s New Detention Law – 6 January 2014

By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt-For the past eight days, three Al Jazeera journalists working for the broadcaster in the Cairo, have been detained by Egyptian police.  They include the Al Jazeera’s chief of the Cairo bureau, Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, producer Baher Mohamed, and correspondent Peter Greste.

Greste is an award-winning journalist who joined Al Jazeera English after working with CNN and BBC.  He won the Peabody Arad in 2-12 for his documentary on Somalia.  Fahmy worked for CNN and the New York Times before joining Al Jazeera.

Egypt’s interior ministry claimed that the journalists had held illegal meetings with the Muslim Brotherhood which was declared a terrorist group this past week.  Al Jazeera denies the accusations against its team and has expressed outrage at the continued detention of its journalists without charge.

“The allegations that are being made are totally false and unfounded,” claimed Al Anstey, managing director of Al-Jazeera English.  Anstey also stated the reporters were operating in Cairo legally, covering a number of other topics besides protests supporting the Brotherhood, including traffic congestion and soccer games.

General Hisham Barakat, Egypt’s top prosecutor, has ordered that the journalists be held for 15 days for suspicions of spreading false news harmful to state security.  Further accusations allege the journalists set up a media network aimed at “tarnishing Egypt’s image abroad and harming its political position.”

Egyptian authorities arrested the journalists in a five-star hotel in Cairo, claiming they confiscated a number of cameras, microphones, computers, gas masks, cash, and statements that include incitement of student protests.

Concern for Mohamed Fahmy’s health has caused him to be moved from the city’s Torah Prison to a hospital facility.  His shoulder, which was already dislocated from a previous fall, was fractured when the journalists were transported to a Cairo police station for interrogation.

“He is in pain and sleeps on the floor in a maximum security prison which is bad for a broken shoulder,” stated Ragia Omran, a lawyer for the Cairo based Arab human Rights Institute.  Both Fahmy and Greste were expected to undergo further questioning today.

Several global media freedom organizations have joined the movement for the immediate and unconditional release of the journalists.  Those organizations include the Committee for Protection of Journalists, Reporters without Borders, and International News Safety Institute.

Al Jazeera’s Cairo offices have been stormed several times and a court order has barred its local affiliate from broadcasting in Egypt since September.

For more information, please see the following: 

Al Jazeera-Al Jazeera team still detained in Egypt-05 January 2014

Guardian-Arrested al-Jazeera journalist’s health causing concern, says Egyptian lawyer-01 January 2014

Washington Post-Egypt: Al-Jazeera journalists’ detention renewed-31 December 2013

BBC-Egypt crisis: Al-Jazeera journalists arrested in Cairo-30 December 2013

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East

Manama, Bahraini–Bahraini officials have accused rebels opposed to the Gulf State regime of receiving training, including explosives training, from members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. According to the regime officials these rebels have received this training in order to carry out terror attacks inside of Bahrain.

Osama al-Oufi, Bahrain’s Chief Prosecutor, reported in a statement that the nation’s intelligence service has reported that “Bahraini Ahmed Mahfuz Moussawi, currently living in Iran, had planned terrorist bombing operations targeting institutions and places vital to the sovereignty and security of the kingdom.”

According to al-Oufi he is also accused of “jeopardising the safety and security of the kingdom, injuring persons, terrorising citizens and residents, disturbing public peace, spreading chaos, and preventing government institutions and authorities from performing their functions.”

According to the Prosecution investigations revealed that the main suspect in this case had attempted to arrange a meeting in Iraq in order to coordinate the smuggling of shipments of explosives and weapons. Al-Oufi said “Based on the findings of the investigations, the public prosecution issued an arrest and search warrant against the accused and search their homes and properties, to seize any weapons and explosives found in their possession, and any items related to their criminal activities. Surveillance of the movements of the terrorist group led to the arrest of two of its members who were on a boat receiving weapons, munitions and explosives to be smuggled from a boat at sea into the country. Three other accused group members were also arrested.”

Al-Oufi stated that five people have been arrested who have “admitted joining a group to carry out terrorist attacks” he added that these suspects have also admitted to traveling to Iran in order to receive “training in Revolutionary Guards camps and then received sums of money.”

The Gulf state is currently led by elite members of the minority Sunni population. However, since members of the Shia majority led an uprising against the state, calling for democratic reforms, members of the majority Shia opposition have continued to call for reforms. Since 2011 the Bahraini state has accused Iran, a Shia regime, of being behind the opposition movement.

Confessions given to Bahraini police officials have been under fire in recent years. Widespread and excessive force, including confessions under duress and torture, was detailed in a report by an international human rights commission led by Cherif Bassiouni. The Bahraini regime has claimed it is taking steps to address these concerns. However, human rights activists claim these abuses continue in the Gulf State.

For More Information Please See:

Al Jazeera – Bahrain Accuses Iran of Training Rebels – 3 January 2014

Gulf News – Bahrain Suspects ‘Trained at Iran Camps’ – 2 January 2014

Reuters – Bahrain Says Probing Torture Claims by Men Jailed in Bombs Case – 31 December 2013

Reuters – Analysis: Bahrain Impasse Risks More Instability in 2014 – 31 December 2013

By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East 

BEIRUT, Lebanon-A suspected car bomb has caused a massive explosion at a Hezbollah stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut.  The explosion occurred in the Haret Hrek district during rush hour.

Images of the explosion appeared on Hezbollah’s Al Manar TV show depicting firefighters putting out multiple cars on fire.  The footage also showed one building with its façade blown off and also damage to several other neighboring buildings.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry has reported that at least five people were killed and as many as twenty wounded from the blast.

“Suddenly, the whole area went bright and we started running away.  I saw two bodies on the street, one of a woman and another of a man on a motorcycle was totally deformed,” reported Ali Oliek, an accountant who works in a nearby office.

Authorities brought in bomb sniffing dogs, and at one point announced that there was the possibility of another bomb in the vicinity, sending crowd members into frenzy.  Hezbollah security agents and Lebanese troop worked together to block off the area to keep out the angry crowds surrounding the blast sight.

“There are a large number of people trying to get to the explosion site but security forces are trying to keep people away.  They fear there might be another bomb, another attack,” reported Rula Amin, an Aljazeera reported located in Beirut.

“This is the heart of the Hezbollah stronghold and it’s considered a safe zone but not anymore.  It seems like the bomb is not big but this area is very crowded and there are a lot of people on the streets at this time of the day.  Security in that area is usually very tight, so to be able to put that car bomb there is a major violation,” continued Amin

This attack is one of several that have occurred in Beirut over the last few months, including one last week.  In November, twenty five people were killed by a suicide bombing at the Iranian embassy in southern Beirut.  Explosions have also occurred in other nearby Hezbollah districts in Sunni Mosques in the northern city of Tripoli.

“This is a big battle against terrorism, it targets everyone.  It doesn’t matter where they are from.  The perpetrators are trying to incite violence among the Lebanese people,” stated Ali Hassan Khalil, the Lebanese health minister.

Tensions between sectarian groups in Lebanon have increased due to the civil war in neighboring Syria.

For more information, please see the following: 

Al Jazeera-Deadly explosion hits Lebanese capital-2 January 2014

Deutsche Welle-Deadly explosion hits Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut-2 January 2014

Sky News-Deadly Blast Rocks Lebanese Capital Beirut-2 January 2014

USA Today-Deadly blast hits south Beirut neighborhood-2 January 2014