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Vatican Decision Condemns Chilean Priest – Chilean Government Quick to Follow, Opens Investigation

by Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter – South America 

SANTIAGO, Chile – Archbishop Fernando Karadima was sentenced by the Vatican on March 18, 2011 for his sexual assault of minors.  He was moved into retirement far away from his community, immediately upon the release of the decision.  The Vatican stated he was to spend the remainder of his life in “prayer and penitence” for his actions.

Karadima celebrating mass. (Photo Courtesy of Media Project)
Karadima celebrating mass. (Photo Courtesy of Media Project)

The 80 year old priest was an influential religious figure in Santiago.  His parishioners were from the upper -class of the city.  Karadima was a leader and mentor to five bishops and dozens of priests.  He was accused by four men  who were former parishioners.  They claimed they were sexually molested by Karadima as young boys, abuse that began over 30 years ago.

The Vatican decision has spurred the Chilean courts into action.  Karadima has not yet been prosecuted criminally for his sexual abuse of children.  A previous investigation was started back in 2010 but was dismissed shortly after for failure to prove misconduct.  The current investigation started once the Vatican decision came out.

Karadima has consistently maintained his innocence, attributing the claims leveled against him to jealousy and the devil.  Recently he has come forward to the judge, hearing his criminal prosecution, with claims that Cardinal Francisco Javier Errázuriz paid more than $1million US to stop publication of a book about Karadima’s abuse of parishoners. 

Other disturbing news surrounding the delayed investigation and prosecution has emerged.  Allegations have been made by Karadima’s lawyer, Juan Pablo Bulnes, that his office was illegally searched by police forces with no legal warrant. 

Bulnes wanted the transcripts of the Vatican trials, which he had refused to turn over and were confiscated in the serach, deemed inadmissible.  However, the Chilean Supreme Court ruled on 7 September that the evidence will be permitted in future trials, despite the controversial manner in which they were obtained.

The actual court proceedings against the priest ended back on July 19 and two months later there has still not been an announced verdict. 

 

For further information, please see;

The Santiago Times – New Scandal Rattles Chile’s Catholic Church – 11 September 2011

The Santiago Times – Controversial Evidence Permitted in High-Profile Sex Abuse Case – 8 September 2011

Vatican Insider – The Karadima Scandal: The Vatican Model of Justice – 1 July 2011

The New York Times – Chilean Priest Found Guilty of Abusing Minors – 18 February 2011

Former Director of Colombia’s Administrative Security Department sentenced to 25 years in prison for ties to paramilitary group and murder

By Paula Buzzi
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America


BOGOTA, Colombia — Former Director of the Administrative Security Department, Jorge Aurelio Norguera, was ordered to pay a fine of $1.9 million and sentenced to 25 years in prison on Wednesday by Colombia’s Supreme Court of Justice for his ties with far right-wing military groups and his involvement in the murder of a human rights worker in 2004.

Jorge Noguera receives stiff prison sentence for paramilitary ties. (Photo Courtesy of Huffington Post).
Jorge Noguera receives stiff prison sentence for paramilitary ties. (Photo Courtesy of Huffington Post).

Noguera, 47, was found guilty of destroying public documents and giving illegal right-wing death squads names of leftist activists, students and labor union leaders so they could be killed. The Supreme Court specifically held Noguera in connection to the murder of Alfredo Correa de Andreis, a prominent sociologist and human rights worker who was shot by assassins belonging to a paramilitary group in 2004.


According to a former senior deputy at Colombia’s Administrative Department of Security (DAS), Noguera helped coordinate Andreis assassination after Andreis had reportedly investigated suspicious activity by the right-wing military.


In addition to his sentencing and fine, Noguera has also been ordered to pay $89,000 in restitution to Andreis’ family. A lawyer for Andreis’ family said public money from DAS had been used for his murder.


Noguera’s sentencing is one of many scandals to come out of Colombia’s Administrative Department of Security (DAS). Several former officials and staffers of DAS have been investigated and accused of illegally wiretapping opposition leaders and judges.


Former President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, has also been accused of ordering DAS to wiretap his opponents while he was president. Uribe has denied any involvement with the wiretapping, stating last month “I never gave orders to do anything illegal.”


On Wednesday, Uribe referenced Noguera in a tweeter message stating: “I nominated him because of his résumé and his family. I trusted him; if he transgressed the law, it pains me and I offer apologies to the citizenry.” In a speech regarding Noguera in 2006, Uribe famously stated “I put my hands into fire for him.”


Noguera’s sentencing is the stiffest punishment to have been handed out so far to a member of Uribe’s government.


Director of the Americas for Amnesty International, Susan Lee, says Noguera’s sentencing is a critical move in the right direction for justice in Colombia. She calls for all those responsible for crimes under DAS to be promptly brought to justice.


In 2003, Colombia began a program which offered financial and legal assistance to members of paramilitary groups that voluntarily quit.


For more information, please see:


Ahram – Colombian Ex-Spy Chief Gets Stiff Prison Sentence – 15 September 2011


CNN – Colombian Court Sentences Former Spy Chief for Paramilitary Ties – 15 September 2011

NY Times – Ex-Spy Chief of Colombia Is Sentenced to Prison – 14 September 2011

The Huffington Post – Jorge Noguera, Colombia’s Domestic Intelligence Chief, Convicted Of Criminal Conspiracy – 14 September 2011

Protests Against Reigning Monarch Turn Violent in Swaziland

By Carolyn Abdenour
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MBABANE, Swaziland – On Wednesday, 7 September, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disburse crowds during a protest against Africa’s last monarch King Mswati III.  Police action led to the hospitalization of six people for injuries, including head injuries.  Officials attempted to disburse the rally when representatives from the Congress of South African Trade Unions (“COSATU”) attempted to address the crowd.

Protesters in Manzini. (Photo Courtesy of Times of Swaziland)
Protesters in Manzini. (Photo Courtesy of Times of Swaziland)

Sibongile Mazibuko, head of the Swaziland National Association of Teachers, said “When COSATU representatives got up to speak, police gathered to remove them.  The crowd tried to protect them.  There were gunshots (of rubber bullets), teargas.” The organization reports officials beat Swazi union leaders, and they will deport COSATU leaders.

Swazi unions invited COSATU to join their marches for the “Global Week of Action”.  The protests called for an end to Mswati’s twenty-five year absolute monarchy.  Approximately forty-five COSATU representatives traveled to Swaziland to participate in the marches.  The marches began on Monday in Mbabane.  On Wednesday, the security forces used the rubber bullets and tear gas after about 1,000 students threw stones and bottles at them.  Coordinator of the Swaziland United Democratic Front Sikelela Dlamini reports, “Some people were beaten to a pulp.”

A march also took place in Manzini where 5,000 people gathered at a non-violent stand-off with the police.  The police reacted similarly to Mbabene in the town of Siteke towards 3,000 unarmed and peaceful protestors.  However, a police spokesperson stated a police officer was injured in the skirmish.  At these protests, the police arrested and beat several protesters.

On 9 September, COSATU and Swaziland Democracy Campaign will hold marches at South African Reserve Bank branches.  More violence may also arise when activists deliver a petition to end Mswati’s rule.  These activists are inspired by the North African uprisings against autocratic rulers.

Corruption and declining customs revenue have forced Swaziland into a financial crisis.  Custom revenue represented about two-thirds of Swaziland’s revenue.  However, custom revenue diminished during South Africa’s 2009 recession.  This financial crisis had created a shortage of medication in the country.

To combat the crisis, the government has cut student allowances and frozen civil servant salaries rather than royal household or military spending.  The Swazis advocate that Mswati cut the spending that support the his lavish lifestyle and that of his thirteen wives and children.  Mswati’s fortune estimates $200 million.

For further information, please see:
Boston Globe – Protesters against Swaziland king clash with police – 8 Sept 2011
Reuters – Thousands march against Swaziland king – activists – 8 Sept 2011
The Botswana Gazette – South Africa unionists deported in Swazi protest crackdown – 8 Sept 2011
Times of Swaziland – 45 COSATU members here for protest march – 7 Sept 2011

Activist Killed and Opposition Infrastructure Damaged in Pre-Election Violence

By Carolyn Abdenour
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo – On Tuesday, 6 September, police officers shot an activist at the offices of the Union Democracy and Social Progress (“UDPS”) during pre-election violence.  Attackers also damaged UDPS headquarters and a local television station RLTV.  Both organizations oppose the current government.

Activists gather outside their attacked offices in Kinshasa. (Photo Courtesy of BBC)
Activists gather outside their attacked offices in Kinshasa. (Photo Courtesy of BBC)

UDPS asserts the police shot at their offices with live ammunition, but Kinshasa’s police chief General Jean-Dieudonne Oleko did not comment on the claims.  Congo Planet reports the police shot ammunition to disperse a protest involving UDPS members.  Security Minister Adoph Lumanu stated the police fire wounded twelve people.

Current President Joseph Kabila, representing the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (“PPRD”), is up for reelection in November, and UDPS candidate Etienne Tshisekedi is his main challenger.  Tshisekedi, leader of UDPS, registered his presidential candidacy on Monday.  The BBC reports a witness spotted the attackers of the UDPS offices wearing PPRD T-shirts.

Attacks on UDPS headquarters occurred overnight, and tensions between the two candidates are rising.  During the two early morning attacks, people looted and ransacked Tshiekedi’s offices.  Additionally, attackers lit RLTV on fire.  RLTV is an independent television station that supports Tshisekedi.  The government previously attempted to silence the news station.  The news station has been off air since the attacks.  UPDS chief of staff Serge Mayamba reports the attacks occurred around 2 A.M.

UDPS members that followed Tshisekedi to his presidential registration attacked a PPRD building in a similar manner on Monday.  They also set two cars on fire at the PPRD headquarters.

Kabila replaced his assassinated father as leader of this central African country.  Kabila has ruled the country since 2001, and in 2006, he won the country’s first free and fair election.  This election spurred an investment boom in the region, specifically in the southern Cooper Belt.

Tshisekedi fears Kabila will rig the election.  He boycotted the 2006 election, and the UDPS now requests access to the electoral commissioner’s server to review election data and polling stations to ensure a fair election.

DR Congo’s Interior Minister Adolphe Lumanu Mulenda stated at a news conference that “Probably reacting to the attack on the inter-federal seat of the PPRD, some troublemakers have sacked the offices of the UDPS and RLTV television channel.”

The BBC reports the capital remains tense.  However, UDPS Secretary-General Jacquemin Shabani asks his party members and the police cease the violence.

For further information, please see:
BBC – Activist dies in Democratic Republic of Congo unrest – 6 Sept 11
Bloomberg – Congo TV Station Burned in Pre-Election Political Violence – 6 Sept 2011
Congo Planet – Tensions Rise as Tshisekedi Enters Presidential Race – 6 Sept 11
Forbes – Police shoot protesters in Congo; 1 dead, 12 hurt – 6 Sept 11

AS EGYPT AND ISRAEL TRY TO SOLVE THEIR “DIFFERENCES,” EGYPTIAN CIVILIANS ARE LEFT IN THE VOID

By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt–Middle Eastern nations Egypt and Israel claim that they wish to return to normal diplomatic activities. But their actions seem to display ‘a dragging of feet’ towards that goal. Yitzhak Levanon, Israel’s ambassador to Egypt, was flown home on Friday 09 September after the embassy was caught in the middle of violent protests in Cairo.

A suspected protester is detained near the Israeli embassy on 10 September. (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)
A suspected protester is detained near the Israeli embassy on 10 September. (Photo Courtesy of Reuters)

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday 11 September that his government was in the process on working with Egypt to return Levanon to his post. But Netanyahu reiterated that the recent protests have raised new security concerns that must be solved prior to Levanon’s return.

“We are in touch with the Egyptian government over the necessary arrangements for the return of the ambassador, so that he and staff will be appropriately protected in order to maintain Israeli representation in Cairo.”

After Hosni Mubarak’s ouster on 11 February, the Egyptian army took over leadership of the nation. The transition has been hardly seamless, as the army has painstakingly struggled against controlling public discontent towards Israel since five Egyptian border guards were killed last month when Israel prevented cross-border activities with deadly force. Israel claimed that the group was Palestinian and that eight Israelis were also killed in the border skirmish.

Protection of the Israeli embassy in Cairo has become a prime objective for Egypt. Approximately 16 trucks filled with police and security personnel, three buses of military police, two armored personnel carriers, and several other vehicles all were assembled and parked near the embassy on Sunday 11 September. Mohamed Higazy, Egyptian cabinet spokeswoman expressed these words to Reuters about the increase in embassy security.

“The security in front of the embassy has been enhanced. Returning back to normalcy is the objective for both sides.”

Levanon and approximately 80 embassy staff members were evacuated from Egypt on Friday 09 September following on attack on the Israeli embassy. The attack threatened to disengage the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel that has lasted 32 years.

Egyptian officials reported that at least three people were killed and some 1,000 more injured in the clashes that took place on the evening of Friday 09 September between protesters and security forces at the gates of the Israeli embassy. During the day on 09 September, a peaceful demonstration occurred in already renowned protester hub, Tahrir Square.

During the attack on the embassy, protesters destroyed a cement barrier around the high-rise building and dumped hundreds of Hebrew-language documents out of the windows of the embassy. Some 20 suspects were arrested following the attack, reported the Egyptian interior ministry.

Osama Hassan Heikal, Egypt’s information minister, said that those who took part in the attack would be sent to an emergency state security court. He said that Egyptian authorities would apply “all articles of the emergency law to ensure safety following the embassy attack, and respect international conventions regarding the protection of diplomatic missions.

Egyptian police and military forces also remained stationed in front of the Saudi embassy and the Giza security headquarters. Civilians also attacked these two locations on Friday 09 September.

In a statement on the evening of Saturday 10 September, the military-led transitional government said that it would make use of the detested and loathed “emergency law.” This law allows for extra-judicial detentions as part of a new crackdown on disruptive protests and the transitional government had previously promised to eliminate the 30-year-old emergency legislation. The emergency law was considered a cornerstone of sorts for Mubarak’s regime and was one of the protesters’ primary demands when calling for the end of Mubarak’s reign.

The specific implementation of the transitional government’s statement is unknown. A council of officers has already governed the nation for seven months in suspension of the Constitution, taking measures such as hindering the right to a fair trial. As of 11 September, as many as 12,000 civilians have been subjected to swift military trials.

The ability of the transitional government to maintain control has been very difficult. In trying to restore order to the streets of Egypt without jeopardizing its position as “leader,” the council has chosen to pick its spots in dealing with protesters.

Sometimes, protesters are met head-on with heavy military force. Other times, the military council has made a point to avoid direct confrontation with protesters or even going so far as to meet their demands to maintain a strong public image. The decision to avoid direct confrontation and meet demands proved catastrophic in the situation involving the Israeli embassy.

It is evident that many civilians in Egypt have been placed in a position that virtually renders their long-term concerns irrelevant. First, they called for the end of Hosni Mubarak’s rule and were granted it. But the transition came with inevitable uncertainty. Now, the Egyptian army that has taken Mubarak’s place to lead the country is “punishing” its citizens for their actions. This time, outrage over the situation with Israel.

Until the Egyptian people are given a chance to voice their concerns with substantive means to achieve them, this downward spiral does not appear to have a peaceful an end in sight.

For more information, please see:

Ahram-Egypt and Israel after the embassy-11 September 2011

Al-Jazeera-Egypt and Israel seek to return to ‘normal’ ties-11 September 2011

BBC-Netanyahu says Egypt peace stands despite embassy riot-10 September 2011

The Guardian-Israel faces worst crisis with Egypt for 30 years as diplomats flee-10 September 2011

Human Right Watch-Egypt: Retry or Free 12,000 After Unfair Military Trials-10 September 2011

NYT-After Attack on Embassy, Egypt Vows a Tougher Stance on Protests-10 September 2011

Reuters-Egypt, Israel seek normality after embassy storming-11 September 2011