The Middle East

Tunisia Expels Three As Trial of Femen Activists Begins

By Thomas Murphy
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TUNIS, Tunisia – The Tunisian Interior Ministry has said that it expelled three members of the Ukrainian feminist group Femen from the country. Alex Shevchenko was expelled Tuesday night and a Femen representative confirmed her association with the group. However, the two other expelled women, one Ukrainian and one Belarusian, denied any connection with Femen, as did a Femen representative. The two women were expelled as they arrived at the country’s main airport, the Belarusian on Tuesday and the Ukrainian on Wednesday.

One of the Femen protesters outside Tunisia’s Palace of Justice. (Photo Courtesy of Getty Images)

The women were accused by the Interior Ministry of planning to engage in a topless protest in front of the court where the trial of three other Femen activists began on Wednesday. The Femen activists on trial are charged with “debauchery” which entails the use of the female body to seduce. Debauchery carries a possible six month prison sentence. Patrick Klugman, the activists’ lawyer, was sent to Tunisia by the Femen group to defend the women.

Klugman defended the women saying, “Their bodies were not exhibited to seduce but to convey a political message…which is different than debauchery.”

The three women, Pauline Hillier, Marguerite Stern, and Josephine Markmann, appeared at the trial wearing the traditional white Tunisian headscarf, known as a sefseri.

The court denied the women bail and adjourned the case until June 12. It is also considering whether several Islamist groups will be allowed to join the proceedings as a civil party. Tunisian law permits outside groups to join the trial and sue as injured parties. The addition of the Islamist groups would likely cause the trial to be drawn out. Klugman was critical of the court following the adjournment.

“Without giving a word to the Femen activists, the court has right from the beginning listened to the Salafist associations, who are not even a part of this trial,” Klugman said.

The charges against the three women stem from a topless protest in front of Tunisia’s Place of Justice. The three called for the release of Femen member Amina Sboui, also known as Amina Tyler, by waving banners and painting messages on their topless chests. The protest was the first Femen protest of its kind in the Arab world.

Tyler was arrested for possessing pepper spray and has been convicted of carrying an incendiary object. She was also arrested for allegedly writing the word “Femen” near a cemetery in the religious city of Kairouan. Possible charges include indecency and desecrating a cemetery.

Tyler’s actions were in protest of a rally to be held by conservative Islamists known as Salafists. The Salafists have been pushing for a more pious society and are often accused of attempting to limit women’s rights.

For further information, please see:

AllAfrica – Tunisia: Feminist Activists On Trial in Tunisia – 5 June 2013

BBC – Femen activists on trial in Tunisia for topless protest – 5 June 2013

Guardian – Femen protests: Tunisia expels three in Ukrainian feminist group – 5 June 2013

Middle East Online – European Femen activists remain behind bars in Tunisia – 5 June 2013

Washington Post – Tunisia expels 3 Femen activists seeking topless protest at trial of their colleagues – 5 June 2013

Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court rules both parliament and constitution illegal

by Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt-Crowds gathered outside Egypt’s highest court in anticipation of its ruling on the legality of parliament’s Muslim Brotherhood-led upper house, the Shura Council, and the panel that recently drafted Egypt’s constitution.  Signs titled, “No to Muslim Brotherhood terrorism,” waved on as protesters awaited the decision.

 

Supreme Constitutional Court rules Egypt’s parliament illegal (Photo Courtesy of Aljazeera)

On Sunday June 2nd, Egypt’s Supreme Constitutional Court ruled that the laws governing the election of members to the Shura Council were unlawful and against the panel that drafted the constitution.  The invalidity of the upper house election laws follows a similar ruling dissolving the lower house that was issued by the Court last June.

A leading opponent of the Brotherhood led Shura Council, Mohamed ElBareadei, declared the court ruling as “an expected result of a low-level understanding and political thuggery that has toppled the concept of legitimacy and the rule of law.”

Lawyers challenged the Shura Council election laws on the grounds that there were irregularities in the mechanics of the election.  These irregularities included newly enacted civil society laws that were criticized by the West and human rights groups for being a threat to democratic freedoms.  Proposals for judicial reform that increased tension between judges and the Islamists who oppose them were also questioned.

Division and deadly riots in Egypt have resulted from the election of the Shura Council and its panel. Egyptians are separated between the supporters of Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi and the opposition which includes leftists, secularists, deeply religious Muslims, and Christians. The Court’s declaration that the Shura Council is invalid fuels tensions between both sides since it will not be dissolved until a new parliament is in place.

“The Shura Council is continuing to play its complete legislative role until the institutions of the state are completed and legislative power passes to the new parliament,” stated President Morsi’s agency.

Analysts have reported that Islamists would be angered at the rejection of the Council’s legitimacy and the opposition would be displeased with the fact that it was not dissolved.  Nathan Brown, an expert on Egypt and professor at George Washington University stated, “If the Shura Council still has legislative authority, then this is a moral blow but not a legal one.”

The Court’s decision comes about during a time of legal uncertainty that has occurred during a political transition in Egypt.  Previously, the Court ruled unconstitutional President Morsi’s provision to declare states of emergency during violent protests in the three Suez Canal cities.  Doubt was also casted over election polls called by President Morsi when last week the Court struck down parts of the revised parliamentary election law.

For more information, please see: 

Aljazeera – Egypt upper house election declared illegal – 3 June 2013

Globe and Mail – Egyptian court rules upper house of parliament illegal – 2 June 2013

Guardian – Egypt court rules both Islamist-dominated Senate and constitution illegal – 2 June 2013

Reuters – Egypt parliament ruled illegal, but to stay on – 2 June 2013

#OccupyGezi Protesters Defy Bulldozers and Teargas in the Fight to Save Istanbul’s Last Public Green Space

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East Desk

ISTANBUL, Turkey — Turkish authorities detained at least sixty people Friday in relation to protests against the policies of Turkish Prime Minister Recap Tayyip Erdogan. Demonstrations have broken out in several cities including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Bodrum.

Turkish police use teargas and water cannons against peaceful demonstrators in Taksim Square, Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo Courtesy of Aljazeera)

Nationwide protests have occurred since May 28, when activists organized peaceful demonstrations against the proposed demolition of Gezi Park on Taksim Square in Istanbul. Considered the city’s last public green space, the park would be demolished to make way for a development project that would include the construction of a replica of historic military barracks built by the Ottoman Empire. A commercial shopping center would also be built on the property.

Protesters argue that the development plan is not part of a historic preservation project, but rather an excuse to build more malls and commercial shopping complexes in the heart of Istanbul.

Protesters used social media to spread awareness about the proposed destruction of the park as well as organize peaceful demonstrations. On May 28,protesters began setting up tents and sleeping bags to prevent bulldozers from entering the park. Even after authorities cleared the park by using teargas, protesters continued to gather in the park.

On Friday, the term #OccupyGezi was tweeted more than 160,000 times. Several protesters chose to Tweet in English to raise international awareness about the protests and the actions of the Turkish police.

As news of the police reaction to the peaceful demonstration spread though social media and other outlets, demonstrations broke out in other cities across the country. Many people saw the proposed demolition of Gezi Park, and the reaction of the authorities to the demonstrations, as an example of what they claim are the increasing authoritarian policies of Prime Minister Erdogan, who assumed office in 2003.

Many people across Turkey have grown increasingly frustrated with Erdogan’s authoritarian policies, including a law that would ban vendors from selling liquor between 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. The people also show frustration over Erdogan’s policies toward the conflict in Syria.

According to Architecture Historian Ugur Tanyeli, Istanbul is “starved for green space.” Tanyeli argues that it is difficult to see this project as a legitimate historical preservation project because we do not know exactly how the Ottoman Empire barracks would have looked. Like many Turks, Tanyeli sees the project as another example of Erdogan’s authoritarian policies: “the real problem is not Taksim, and not the park, but the lack of any form of democratic decision-making process and the utter lack of consensus. We now have a prime minister who does whatever he wants.”

In response to the increased awareness of the protests and the project, a district court has agreed to hear the arguments against the rebuilding of historic barracks and shopping center, and has called for the project to be put on hold.

For further information, please see:

Aljazeera — Protestors #OccupyGezi to Save Istanbul Park — 31 May 2013

Aljazeera — Turkey Arrests Anti-Government Protestors — 31 May 2013

CNN International — Report: Court to Hear Case at Center of Istanbul Protests — 31 May 2013

The Guardian — Turkey Protesters in Violent Clashes with Police over Park Demolition — 31 May 2013

For real-time developments, follow #OccupyGezi on Twitter

Seven Policemen Injured in Bahrain Bomb Attack; 10 Suspects Arrested

By Joe Murphy
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain – Seven on-duty policemen were injured Wednesday night when a homemade bomb was remotely detonated just outside Bahrain’s capital of Manama. All seven policemen were taken to the hospital for treatment with one in critical condition and two others moderately injured according to Colonel Ibrahim Al Sheeb, General Director of Northern Province Police Department.  He condemned the attacked and praised the policemen for their bravery.

A police tear gas gun damaged in Wednesday’s bombing. (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)

 

Bahrain’s Ministry of Interior also condemned the bomb attack and deemed it a “terrorist act.” The Ministry of Interior’s twitter account reported in two separate posts that a total of ten suspects had been arrested for suspected involvement in the bombing. The posts also stated that the investigation and search for suspects was continuing.

This incident is one of the more severe of its kind in a country which frequently sees protesters, mostly Shi’ite, clash with police and the country’s Sunni rulers. Shi’ite protesters have been pushing for democratic reform and more involvement in government since February 2011 when large scale protests broke out. However, the controlling Sunni government has moved powerfully and swiftly to squash any substantial revolts. At least sixty people including six policemen have been killed in the conflict since the uprising began over two years ago.

The police have accused the “terrorists” of specifically targeting on-duty policemen and increasing their use of homemade explosives since April 2012. Youths around Manama regularly attack police with Molotov cocktails and police respond with stun grenades, tear gas, and bird shot. However, the Shi’ite opposition has frequently accused the police of using excessive force against protesters.

It is evident that tensions are on the rise and the conflict is intensifying after the events of the last few weeks. The attack comes on the heels of the peaceful sit-in last Friday by hundreds of Shi’ite protesters that turned violent after government security forces raided a senior Shi’ite cleric’s home. Shi’ite protesters claim that the raid was in retaliation after the cleric met with U.S. officials. U.S. Ambassador Thomas Krajeski condemned the attack, stressing that dialogue is the only path to reconciliation.

“We strongly condemn this attack on police and extend our deepest sympathies to all those injured. All violence is completely unacceptable and unhelpful in efforts to rebuild trust and pursue meaningful reconciliation in Bahrain,” he said in a statement posted on the embassy’s website.

For further information, please see:

Albawaba News – Bahrain bomb attack injures seven policemen – 30 May 2013

BBC – Bahrain police hurt in explosion near Manama – 30 May 2013

Huffington Post – Bahrain ‘terrorist’ injures 7 policemen; 3 suspects arrested – 30 May 2013

News – ‘Terrorist’ bomb wounds Bahrain policemen – 30 May 2013

Reuters – Bomb injures seven policemen in Bahrain – 30 May 2013

Raid on Bahrain Sheikh’s Home Fuels Tension

By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrian – Angered by a security forces raid on the home of Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Qassim, hundreds of Bahraini Shi’ite Muslims participated in a sit-in protest against their Sunni-led government on May 24th.  Sheikh Qassim, the most senior Shia cleric in the Gulf state, was not present in his home at the time of the raid.  Security forces seized documents but made no arrests.

Protesters carrying images of Sheikh Isa Qassim walk in Diraz 24 May 2013
Protesters carrying images of Sheikh Isa Qassim following a raid on his home. (Photo curtesy of BBC)

Shias make up the majority population in Bahrain, but most of the money and power is controlled by the Sunnis and the Sunni Royal Family.  Tensions and discrimination from this religious sectarianism have long been escalating. Lack of accountability has been regarded as the biggest problem for increasing tensions by Bahrain’s allies.

In February 2011, thousands of pro-democracy protesters gathered in the Capital Manama but were later cleared out by the police force.  Those mostly affected by the police brutality were Shia Bahrainis where more than fifty people died, hundreds were jailed, and thousands lost their jobs.

Over the past two years, Bahrain has experienced numerous democracy protests in a battle for influence between Shia power Iran and Sunni Arab states including Saudi Arabia.  Many mass protests have been abolished, but smaller demonstrations continue where the Bahraini Shia majority wants the Sunni rules to raise elections and create a constitutional monarchy.

Al-Wefaq, Bahrain’s largest opposition political society, organized the May 24th sit-in protesting the raid on Sheikh Qassim’s home and announced that it would withdraw from reconcilliation talks with the Bahraini government.  Jasim Husain, a senior al-Wefaq member, stated that the raid “deeply offended” the Shia community.  The government’s promises to reform the human rights violations and police brutality against protestors have failed, claimed al-Wefaq.

The sit-in was held in Diraz near Sheikh Qassim’s mosque. Protestors waved Bahraini flags and held up images of Sheikh Qassim.  The protest was authorized by the government and the police did not attempt to stop protesters from entering the town.  However, one witness recounted that violence went on for more than an hour.  Protestors threw stones at riot police who then responded with tear gas and water cannons.

Three Sunni political societies issued a statement denouncing a meeting Sheikh Qassim had with Rashad Hussain, a senior U.S. state department official.  These societies have claimed that the Sheikh is responsible for the ongoing unrest in Bahrain and that this meeting was evidence that the position of the American government is “increasingly exposed in its support for terrorist operations in Bahrain.”

Bahraini Shias claim that the Sheikh’s meeting with Rashad Hussain was the driving force behind the raid on his home.  The police rejected notions of the raid on the Sheikh’s home being targeted and claimed that it occurred during a security operation in the same neighborhood.

For further information, please see:

Aljazeera – Bahraini protesters clash with police – 25 May 2013

Reuters – Bahraini protesters clash with police over raid on cleric’s home – 25 May 2013

BBC – Raid on Bahrain cleric’s home draws thousands to sit-in – 24 May 2013

BBC – Bahrain tensions a trigger for Gulf turmoil – 13 December 2013