By Tyler Yates Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
SANA’A, Yemen — Protesters demonstrating outside of the Yemeni capital of Sana’a are demanding that outgoing president Ali Abdullah Saleh, as well as many of his compatriots, face trial for the killings of hundreds of protesters in what has so far been a 10-month uprising.
Yemeni protesters with a sign that reads "You will stand trial!" (Photo courtesy of al-Jazeera).
Similar protests are being held across Yemen in at least 18 other cities. Saleh supporters held a counter-rally near the presidential palace on Monday.
Saleh still holds the position of president, but he transferred his powers to his vice-President last month. In turn for stepping down, Saleh signed a deal granting him immunity from prosecution once polls are held in February.
Yemeni protesters have objected to this deal, which was brokered by Gulf Arab nations with the support of the United States. They feel that the deal does not allow for any true broad political changes, or provide any retribution against the crimes committed by Saleh and his loyalists.
“Our message to Ali Abdullah Saleh is there’s no guarantee or immunity for him,” said activist Mohammad Asal.
The government has issued a statement to the Yemeni people asking them to be patient as there will be some turnover time before the people’s demands can be considered by the newly appointed cabinet members.
Part of the deal with Saleh divides up ministerial positions in the government equally between members of Saleh’s government and the opposition. The presence of any members of the old government is what has many protesters again taking to the streets.
Some members of the opposition still suspect that Saleh is going to sabotage his political transition. Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a defected general, who has quickly become one of Saleh’s arch-rivals, notes the “continued bolstering of military units loyal to Saleh,” and the “refusal” by pro-Saleh troops to withdraw from the streets of Sana’a despite orders from the government as evidence of this.
In a statement published by Yemen’s official news agency, Saleh said he would “not allow the collapse of state institutions,” in response to the increased number of protests aimed at unseating his loyalists.
Saleh currently is attempting to travel to the United States for medical treatment on wounds suffered during an assassination attempt in June. This comes after a request to visit the United States to discuss the upcoming Yemeni election was denied
The United States is evaluating Saleh’s request for a visa. Washington is trying to ensure that Saleh is just coming to the country for medical aid and has no plans to stay.
Hundreds of people have been killed in Yemen since February.
by Ryan T. Elliott
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America/Oceania
ANNAPOLIS, United States — Sexual assault is one of the most abhorrent violations to human rights, and according to a report released earlier this week by the Pentagon, the number of reported sexual assaults at the nation’s leading military academies rose nearly 60 percent from the previous year.
Pentagon Report Indicates Sharp Increase in Sexual Assaults at Military Academies
The report entitled “Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies” was produced by the Defense Department as part of the 2007 John Warner National Defense Authorization Act. According to CNN, site visits were conducted at the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy. The site visits looked at policies, training and procedures, and focus groups were held with cadets and midshipmen.
The major finding of the report conducted by the Department of Defense was that there were 65 reports of sexual assault involving cadets and midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy. This number of reported sexual assaults is a marked increase from 41 reports in the previous year. The Air Force Academy saw the largest jump in reports of sexual assault with 33 reports in the latest academic year; an increase from 20 in the previous year. The Naval Academy had 22 reported incidents, compared to 11 the prior year. West Point reported the same number in both years, 10 in each year.
According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon was unable to pinpoint any exact cause for the increase in sexual assaults at the academies. One possible explanation, however, may be the Defense Department’s encouragement for victims to report sexual assault and abuses. While West Point did not return the Washington Post’s call seeking comment, other academy officials told the Washington Post that they believe the increase in reporting indicates a positive step in making cadets and midshipmen feel more comfortable about reporting incidents.
The Service Women’s Action Network, a national human rights organization founded by women veterans, was slightly more critical of the increase in sexual abuse reports among the nation’s leading military academies. Greg Jacob, a policy director at the Service Women’s Action Network, informed the Washington Post that this report underscored the noncompliance on the part of the academies with Pentagon’s policy. In a statement to the Washington Post, Jacob noted that “[e]nding the widespread issue of sexual harassment and sexual assault in the military starts by ending it at the service academies.”
In response to the increased sexual assaults at military academies, the Pentagon adopted two new policies. The policies aim to support victims, and remove sexual assault and harassment from the military, starting with its academies. The first policy permits victims to request a transfer from their unit after they have filed a report alleging sexual harassment or assault. Further, the Pentagon said that service members must receive a response from the unit commander within three days. In the event a victims request for a transfer is denied, then the victim is entitled to review of the request’s denial within three days.
The other policy mandates that the academies hold sexual assault records for 50 years in unrestricted cases, and five years in restricted cases. According to the Washington Post, the Defense Department said this new holding period for records will “ensure victims have extended access to documents related to the sexual assault.” In short, it will provide victims with access to documents related to sexual assault for a longer period of time.
By Carolyn Abdenour Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
BEIT SHEMESH, Israel – After ultra-Orthodox extremists harassed eight-year-old Naama Margolese, rallies erupted against ultra-Orthodox Jewish extremism. On her way to school, these extremists spat on Naama and called a prostitute for her immodest school uniform of long-sleeved shirts and a long skirt.
Naama and her mother in their home in Beit Shemesh. (Photo Courtesy of The Sydney Morning Herald)
Beit Shemesh borders an ultra-Orthodox area and a modern Orthodox Jewish community with many American immigrants, including Naama’s parents. Tensions have increased over the years between secular Jews and ultra-Orthodox Jews who want a strict interpretation of religious law. Naama’s religious school moved to this location in September, and the ultra-Orthodox view the school as a territorial infringement.
Almost daily for months, dozens of ultra-Orthodox men physically confront and verbally harass the 400 school girls asserting the girls’ presence is a provocation.
Naama said, “When I walk to school in the morning I used to get a tummy ache because I was so scared…that they were going to stand and start yelling and spitting…They were scary. They don’t want us to go to school.”
Israel became enraged when they saw Naama crying on her walk to school during a local news report. The Israeli leadership issued statement of outrage, nearly 10,000 people joined a Facebook page to protect Naama, and thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Tuesday in her honor.
President Shimon Peres supported the rally. He stated, “The entire nation must be recruited in order to save the majority from the hands of a small minority.”
Protestor Kinneret Havern added the rally combats “all the extremist elements that are rearing their heads and are trying to impose their worldview on us”. People held signs staying “Stop Israel from becoming Iran” and “Free Israel from religious coercion”.
As journalists came to Beit Shemesh to report on Naama, extremists jeered and threw eggs at them. Furthermore, “modesty patrols” required chaste appearance of female by throwing stones at outsiders and violators and calling women whores. The ultra-Orthodox population has also posted signs for sidewalk segregation of sexes and for a woman’s dress code of closed-necked, long-sleeved blouses and long skirts.
300 ultra-Orthodox men and boys threw eggs and stones at police for requiring the sidewalk segregation sign removed on Monday. Officers detained several people and one officer sustained injuries. Although the ultra-Orthodox activists stated they condemned the violence, they claimed the media initiated the violence to make the obedient residents look bad.
On Thursday, Naama returned to school welcomed by Education Minister Gideon Saar and members of the Knesset’s Committee on the Status of Women. Mr. Saar said Israel will not “back down in the face of bullying and threats.”
MOSCOW, Russia — Protests over the jailing of Russian activist Sergei Udaltsov took place in Moscow today. The protests were not sanctioned but were smaller than expected and passed without incident, perhaps signaling a cooling of political unrest following teeming protests in Russia last month. About two hundred Russians participated in the protests although two thousand indicated their intention to attend on social media outlets.
A demonstrator raises a picture of Sergei Udaltsov, a jailed opposition leader in Russia. (Photo courtesy of The Guardian)
The jailed activist, Udaltsov, is the leader of the socialist party Left Front. He has been arrested over a dozen times but has failed to attract any attention outside a small core of supporters. Udaltsov was arrested on December 5th upon allegations of jaywalking and has been in prison ever since. Twice during his stay in prison Udaltsov has been admitted to the hospital for health problems caused by his hunger strike.
City officials in Moscow had denied the protestors a permit to gather, but Udaltsov’s wife, Anastasia Udaltsov, encouraged people to show up in Moscow’s Pushkin Square for the rally anyway.
There was a worry that the demonstrations would turn violent. A source in the Moscow police department said if the protestors did not comply with prescribed meeting formats the police would intervene. “Any attempts to abuse the format of the meeting will be viewed as violations, which the Moscow police must stop in strict compliance with the law,” he said.
Leaders of the gathering told protestors not to bring placards, chant slogans, or confront the police. Instead participants brought photographs of Udalstov or simply stood silently on the steps of the monument. A few people chanted simple phrases like “freedom for political prisoners” or used mega-phones to demand Udaltsov’s release. Protestors were relieved when the demonstration went off without a single recorded arrest.
The Udalstov protests are the latest in a series of the largest protests Russia has seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The underlying thrust of the protests has been the perceived election fraud that occurred in the December 5th parliamentary elections.
Authorities’ response to the Udaltsov protests were soft, likely as a result of the lessons they learned after early protests resulted in violence and greater turnout. The protests on December 5th were broken up and opposition leaders were jailed. A few days later the crowd swelled to about 40,000 in Bolotnaya Square. On December 24th the protests surged further to a crowd of 80,000 people.
Prime minister Vladimir Putin denied the protestors’ demands for a re-run of the parliamentary elections, but did take a conciliatory turn and said he would be willing to sit down with opposition. His offer, however, was without substance as he followed his offer to meet with opposition by remarking that there was no opposition. “Is there a common platform? No. Who is there to talk to?” he said.
Assistant to a law maker who was behind the demonstration Alexei Sakhnin, 30, said the protests were a statement to authorities that the political unrest was not yet ready to subside.
“The regime wants to clear the movement and divide it up the middle between radicals and moderates — these are their definitions of course — to show that there are people who will never be included at the negotiating table,” said Mr. Sakhnin, who carried his 4½-year-old son to the rally on his shoulders. “That would of course be the death of the movement.”
Anti-corruption protestor Aleksei Navalny said that if violence broke out and riots took place in the street then it would be the judge that presided over Udaltsov’s case who would be to blame. Udaltsov also received support from television host Tina Kandelaki, who is known to have connections with the Kremlin. She wrote an open letter on Thursday calling for his release.
Udaltsov, in a speech delivered from his hospital bed that was projected onto large screens, channeled the Occupy Wall Street Movement. He dubbed the protestors the “99 percent” who were being ruled and oppressed by the corrupt “1 percent” of bureaucrats and oligarchs. He remains in the hospital due to health concerns following his hunger strike.
BEIJING, China – On Monday, an intermediate level people’s court in Guiyang, the capital of China’s southwestern Guizhou province, sentenced 57 year-old activist Chen Xi to ten years in prison for “subversion of state power” and “inciting subversion of state power.”
Chen Xi has been jailed repeatedly for his continued advocacy of human rights and freedom of expression in China. (Photo Courtesy of BBC News).
The court also announced that Chen will be “deprived of his political rights” for three years.
According to a statement by Amnesty International, neither “subversion” or “incit[ing] others to subvert state power,” which are common charges leveled against activists in China, is adequately defined by Chinese law or related regulatory interpretations.
Chen Xi is a former soldier and factory worker, who was previously jailed for three years in 1989 for his support of the student protests in Tiananmen Square. Chen served an additional ten year jail term from 1995-2006 for “organizing and leading a counter-revolutionary group.” Chen is also a prominent member of Guizhou Human Rights Forum, which was outlawed inside China on December 5.
Chen’s conviction follows his arrest on November 29 in what activists claim to be a response to his authoring 36 online articles critical of the state and Communist party. The articles were published both domestically and abroad and called for political reform and improvement of human rights inside China. Chen has also recently incurred the ire of officials by campaigning for the election of independent candidates to the local people’s congress.
Chen Xi’s sentence is one in a series of lengthy prison terms recently handed down to human rights activists by Chinese authorities. Many analysts believe that the arrests, speedy trials, and imprisonments have been deliberately timed to coincide with an annual window of low-key diplomatic activity in the West during the Christmas holiday in order to minimize criticism.
The trial reportedly lasted only a few hours and was punctuated by frequent interruptions of the defense counsel by the judge, whom Chen’s wife, Zhang Qunxuan, claims ignored every point made in Chen’s defense. Though Chen was able to express his contention that he was innocent of all charges, he was prevented from reading out his final statement to the court. According to Zhang, the judge pointed out that Chen was a “repeat offender” deserving of a long prison sentence and said that Chen’s crime was “major” and “had a malign impact.”
Chen Xi’s family was informed of his trial on Saturday. However, according to Zhang the authorities refused to inform her what her husband had been charged with, citing rules against sharing information with family members. Additionally, the family was instructed that only three family members would be allowed to attend the court’s proceedings.
Many activists have suggested that the speed and consistency of the results of the Christmas trials prove that the trials were merely for show and that the verdicts were predetermined.
During the past year, Chinese authorities have clamped down on free expression and have arrested more than 130 activists and human rights lawyers. The government’s crackdown has come largely as a response to the popular pro-democracy protests that broke out across the Middle East. Authorities fear that the “Arab Spring” may spark copycat uprisings, which could undermine governmental authority in China.
Last winter, calls for a “Jasmine revolution” in China did circulate on the internet. However, the online pleas drew little visible support inside China and did not succeed in bringing about any large-scale protests.
Nonetheless, the Chinese Government has continued to tighten its control over free-expression, especially on the internet. The state has strengthened its nationwide firewall to further reduce the number of potentially “subversive” websites available for domestic consumption and has installed new monitoring equipment at many internet cafes.
Additionally, Chinese authorities have tightened restrictions on popular social networking service Twitter, which has been used around the world to advocate and coordinate protests against national governments. Though the use of Twitter in China is officially prohibited, many Chinese have found ways to access Twitter by circumventing the firewall through the use of private networks or other means. Accordingly, many large cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, have recently passed laws requiring domestic Twitter users to register for the service using their real names. However, enforcement of the new laws may prove difficult.
The United States has been joined by the EU and several human rights organizations in repeatedly criticizing China’s decreasing tolerance for dissent. On Monday, UN human rights chief Navi Pillay criticized the Chinese judiciary following the sentencing on Friday of human rights activist Chen Wei to nine years in prison.
Like Chen Xi, Chen Wei was also charged with “subversion” after engaging in political speech critical of the Chinese government on the internet. Pillay called Wei’s sentence “extremely harsh” and indicative of a “further tightening of the severe restrictions on the scope of freedom of expression in China that has been seen over the last two years.” Pillay called upon China to release “any person detained for exercising his or her right to freedom of expression.”
During his trial, Chen Wei asserted that he had merely exercised his right to free expression, which is protected by China’s constitution. Both Chen Xi and Chen Wei claim that the one-sided nature of China’s legal system make appealing their verdicts futile.
Though the two activists are not as well-known as recent Nobel Prize winner Liu Xiabo, who was sentenced to eleven years in prison in 2009, both activists have held prominent positions in human rights movements inside China. Additionally, both Chen Xi and Chen Wei joined Liu Xiabo and thousands of other activists in China in signing the so-called “Charter 08,” which called for political reform.
