War Crimes Court Expedites Trial

By Greg Donaldson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – The Khmer Rouge tribunal explained Thursday that the four former Cambodian leaders accused of genocide will be tried on a charge-by-charge basis.

Nuon Chea attends a trial in his sunglasses and ski cap (Photo Courtesy of Phnom Penh/Reuters
Nuon Chea attends a trial in his sunglasses and ski cap (Photo Courtesy of Phnom Penh/Reuters)

“Separation  of  proceedings  will  enable the chamber to issue  a  verdict  following  a  shortened trial,  safeguarding  the  fundamental  interest  of  victims  in  achieving  meaningful  and  timely justice, and the right of all accused in Case 002 to an expeditious trial,” the opinion read.

The court’s desire to accelerate the trials stems from the fact that defendants range in age from seventy-nine to eighty-five. The court is attempting to avoid the result of the 2006 trial of Slobodan Milosevic in which Milosevic died in his cell during trial.

Defendants have already cited their health as obstacles to upcoming trials. It has been reported that Ieng Thirith, the youngest of all the defendants, has dementia and memory loss. A health expert told the court that Thirith was no longer fit for trial.

Another defendant, Nuon Chea, has told the court that it is very difficult for him to focus and he cannot sit for long periods of time.

Clair Duffy, a trial monitor for the Open Society Justice Initiative admitted that the decision to break up the charges into separate trials is not perfect but explained the clock is ticking for the court to sentence the defendants before they die.

“I guess it’s an exercise of weighing competing interests. The question is, is it better to see some form of justice in a shorter period of time that only involves some allegations? I think the answer to that has to be yes,” she said.

While public appearances by the defendants have been limited, the media has kept a close watch on how the defendant’s act while in public. During a bail hearing in 2009, Ieng Thirith said that anyone accusing her of a crime would be cursed “to the seventh circle of hell.”

Nuon Chea has been wearing sunglasses and a stripped ski cap throughout the trial. On the first day of trial he announced that he was not happy with the trial. After a judge denied Chea’s request to hear hundreds of Chea’s witnesses, Chea staged a three day walkout.

Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. In addition to being accused of genocide, it is also alleged that the regime authorized torture, executions, starvation, and child labor camps.

For more information, please see:

Phnom Penh Post — Khmer Rouge trial split — 23 September 2011

AFP – War crimes court splits KRouge trial charges– 22 September 2011

Voice of America — Khmer Rouge Court to Try Former Leaders Crime by Crime — 22 September 2011

The Atlantic — Scenes From a Khmer Rouge Trial Gone Wrong — 21 September 2011

Vice Presidential Candidate Accuses Incumbent of Buying Votes for Upcoming Election

By Carolyn Abdenour
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MONROVIA, Liberia – On Thursday, 22 September, vice presidential candidate and soccer star George Weah accused Liberia’s incumbent president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of buying votes and using government funds to campaign for the country presidential election on October 11, 2011.  On Friday, President Sirleaf’s spokesperson denied the allegations.

President Sirleaf accused of buying votes for the next presidential election. (Photo Courtesy of The Liberian Dialogue)
President Sirleaf accused of buying votes for the next presidential election. (Photo Courtesy of The Liberian Dialogue)

Weah made these allegations at a press conference held at the headquarters of his party, the Congress for Democratic Change (“CDC”), in Congo Town.  Cyrus Badio, President Sirleaf’s secretary, called the allegations “reckless and unsubstantiated.”

The allegations followed a report tht Weah and former prosecutor of the Special War Crimes Court for Sierra Leone Alan White signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to stir conflict if the CDC did not win the elections.  They believe former Secretary General Eugene Nagbe will damage the CDC’s chances of winning the election.  Last week, police charged three CDC members for throwing a gasoline bomb that burned Mr. Nagbe’s vehicle.

Weah asserts the CDC will win the election “very massively, because we carry the confidence of the people.”  He also calls upon the international community to monitor the elections to safeguard from fraudulent results.

Sirleaf face Weah and his running mate Winston Tubman along with fourteen additional challengers in the election.  The CDC is Liberia’s leading opposition political party to Sirleaf’s Unity Party (“UP”).

In 2005, Liberia elected Harvard-trained economist President Sirleaf as the first democratically elected female president in Africa.  Since the civil war in Liberia ended in 2003, United Nations (“UN”) Peacekeepers assist Liberians in maintaining peace in their country.

During the election’s debate, campaign, and candidate interactions, Liberian commentators call upon the candidates to mutually respect one another, behave civilly, and speak honestly to each other.  They also call upon the Ministry of Justice to investigate Weah’s claims against Sirleaf.

Weah demands free, fair, and transparent elections in Liberia.  However, when asked what his reaction would be if CDC lost the election, Weah answered “Freely and fairly, we will accept the result, because that will be the decision of the Liberian people and we will not overturn the decision.”

For further information, please see:
The Liberian Dialogue – The Ensuing Liberian Elections: A Word to the Candidates – 25 Sept 2011
The Liberian Dialogue – Weah’s Claims Must be Investigated – 24 Sept 2011
MENA FN – Weah – Ellen Will Be Defeated Massively – 23 Sept 2011
The Washington Post – Liberia Candidate Accuses President of Buying Votes; Spokesman Denies Claim – 23 Sept 2011

ICRC of Washington, DC Launches “Intercross” Blog

From the News and Notes newsletter of the International Committee of the Red Cross: “[T]oday we Launch Intercross, the blog of the the ICRC in Washington, DC. At a time when conflict-related issues are at the forefront of so many important debates, we need to continue to find new and creative ways to inform and engage those interested in these issues. We join the digital conversation to make our voice and the voices of those who care about humanitarian action better heard. We will do this by featuring colleagues working in the field and by showcasing the work of outstanding photojournalists and reporters working in conflict. When you visit Intercross, we hope you will see that we have interesting things to say about war, its realities and the laws that apply when people take up arms.


[The content on Intercross] includes an interview with George Comninos, our head of delegation in Tripoli. Mr. Comninos explains that while the ICRC has been able to operate in many parts of Libya, some cities, including Sirte, where heavy fighting has been taking place, remain off limits. He once again calls for access to civilians in those cities and provides an overview of our delegation’s priorities amidst ongoing hostilities.


An important part of Intercross will be an exploration of law and policy issues. Here we share an interview with Vincent Bernard, Editor-in-Chief of the academic journal International Review of the Red Cross. Mr. Bernard speaks about the most recent edition of the Review, which examines legal, policy and humanitarian issues in Afghanistan.


Finally, Intercross will regularly dig into the rich archives of the ICRC. The first historical post looks at the role the ICRC delegation in Washington from 1941 to 1947.


We invite you to take a look, read a few posts, become a subscriber and let friends know about Intercross if you like what you see. . . . We are excited about this new way to connect with you, and look forward to staying in touch. As always, we welcome your feedback and comments.”


Visit the new Intercross blog at http://intercrossblog.icrc.org/

Georgian President Saakashvili addresses the role of the UN and Georgia-Russia Relations

By Greg Hall
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

NEW YORK, United States – President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia addressed the United Nations Assembly accusing Russia of violating human rights, international law, and a 2008 ceasefire between the two countries. In addition to addressing Russia-Georgia relations, Saakashvili’s speech focused on the efforts of the international community to punish perpetrators of human rights violations, efforts, he noted, that validate the UN’s essence.

President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia. (Photo courtesy of the UN)
President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia (Photo courtesy of the UN).

Thousands of people were displaced when a five-day war erupted between Georgia and Russia on August 7, 2008 after Georgia tried to retake control of South Ossetia.  As a result, Georgia and Russia relations have suffered.

“As I speak, more than 450,000 IDPs [internally displaced persons] and refugees continue to suffer because they are denied their rights, a right reaffirmed over a dozen times by this very house, to return to their homes and villages,” Mr. Saakashvili said, referring to ethnic Georgians who fled the fighting.  “They cannot go back because, in Moscow, a foreign leader has decided that their home is no longer their home.”

Saakashvili claims that dozens of terrorist attacks targeting Georgia have been directly linked to Russian secret services.  The Georgian president also said that for over a year, Georgia has pursued peaceful negations and a diplomatic approach to the conflict.  He now calls on the UN to take action.  Currently, Georgia claims that Russia is occupying over 20 percent of its sovereign territory.

Finally, Mr. Saakashvili stated, “the Cold War is over, but the old Soviet habit to play on ethnic and religious hatreds is still alive.”

Russia’s deputy justice minister, Georgy Matyushkinl, said that Russia’s involvement was in response to illegal and deliberate attacks launched by Georgia.  Michael Swainston, a lawyer representing Russia, said, “nothing allows me to say that the Russian soldiers could have engaged in abuse, or that they were instigators.”

Europe’s Human Rights Court has received over 1940 complaints related to the conflict between Georgia and Russia since 2008, most of which have been against Georgia.

For more information, please see:

UN News Centre – Trying Tyrants for Human Rights Abuses Validates UN, Georgia Tells Assembly – 23 September 2011

UN News Center – Transcript of President Saakashvili Speech – 23 September 2011

Georgian Daily – Russia Acted in Defense, Court Hears – 22 Septmber 2011

The Death of First Syrian Woman in Custody Cuts Mortal Wound Into the Arab Spring

By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

HOMS, Syria–A young woman used as a puppet by Syrian security forces to entice the surrender of her activist brother has been found beheaded and dismembered, according to activist and human rights groups. The body of eighteen-year-old Zainab al-Hosni was discovered by her relatives at a morgue in the city of Homs.

A photograph of 18 year-old Zainab al-Hosni. (Photo Courtesy of CNN)
A photograph of 18 year-old Zainab al-Hosni. (Photo Courtesy of CNN)

The discovery was pure chance. The family had been called to the military hospital to pick up her brother’s body three days after his arrest. When they arrived at the morgue, the family was slapped in the face with a very unwelcome discovery, compounding the already existing grief over Mohammed al-Hosni.

The family had gotten word from a Homs military hospital that Mohamed’s body could be retrieved. When they arrived at the hospital, medical officials informed the relatives about another unclaimed body with a label bearing the name ‘Zainab al-Hosni’ that had been kept in a hospital freezer for some time.

Several days later, the al-Hosni family received the woman’s headless and limbless corpse according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Amnesty International, and the Homs Quarter Union. Regime authorities forced Zainab’s mother to sign a document saying that both Zainab and Mohamed had been kidnapped and killed by an armed gang.

The Syrian government has insisted that armed gangs with foreign agendas, not anyone associated with al-Assad’s regime, are responsible for the violence that has descended upon Syria in recent months.

The number of in-custody deaths has risen to 103 since the protests began in March. Overall, the UN estimates that some 2,600 individuals have been killed in Syria since March.

Zainab al-Hosni is the first woman known to have died in custody during the recent displeasure and demonstrative dissent against Bashar a-Assad’s regime.

Mohammed was slain on September 10, when security forces opened fire on demonstrators in Homs.

Amnesty International, a London-based human rights group, reported that Zainab’s body has been decapitated, her arms cut off, and her skin removed. Philip Luther, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, shared these sentiments.

“If it is confirmed that Zainab was in custody when she died, this would be one of the most disturbing cases of a death we have seen so far. We have documented other cases of protesters whose bodies were returned to their families in a mutilated state during recent months, but this is particularly shocking.”

The last time that her family saw her alive, Zainab al-Hosni was running a quick errand to the grocery store last month.

Zainab’s brother, Mohammed al-Hosni, was a prevalent opposition activist lauded by his colleagues and peers for heading up anti-government protests and treating the wounded. He had successfully evaded regime authorities for weeks when his sister disappeared, according to the Homs Quarter Union activist group. A union media coordinator relayed this statement to CNN.

“The secret police kidnapped Zainab so they could threaten her brother and pressure him to turn himself into the authorities. The government often uses this tactic to get to activists.”

The Local Coordination Committees of Syria, an activist group, claimed that security forces called Zainab’s family to trade her “freedom for her pro-democracy activist brother’s surrender.”

Amnesty International has reported as many as 15 in-custody deaths since publishing its 21 August report, Deadly Detention: Deaths in Custody Amid Popular Protest in Syria. The organization has list with a running tally of more than 2,200 individuals reported to have died since the anti-regime protests began. Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Philip Luther said these words concerning how the international community should respond.

“The mounting toll of reports of people dying behind bars provides yet more evidence of crimes against humanity and should spur the UN Security Council into referring the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court.”

The ban on international journalists in Syria is still in full effect, making it extremely difficult to independently verify reports coming from within the country. Now that the first female in-custody death has been reported, one can only hope that it will also be the last. The unrest with al-Assad’s regime cannot continue and the demands of Syria’s citizens must be met. Or unfortunately, the news of the next in-custody death, female or not, will worsen the tensions inside Syria even further.

For more information, please see:

Ahram – More Deaths as Sanctions on Syria Widen – 23 September 2011

Al-Jazeera – More Deaths in Syria as Sanctions Tighten – 23 September 2011

Amnesty International – New Evidence of Syria Brutality Emerges as Woman’s Mutilated Body is Found – 23 September 2011

BBC – Syria Unrest: ‘First Woman Dies in Detention’ – 23 September 2011

CNN – Mourning, Outrage, Disbelief Over Woman’s Mutilation in Syria – 23 September 2011

The Guardian – Syrian Teenager Believed to Be First Female to Die in Custody Since Uprising – 23 September 2011

NYT – Syria: Woman Held by Security Is Beheaded, Rights Group Says – 23 September 2011