LANDMARK DEATH SENTENCE FOR SHOOTER OF UNARMED CIVILIAN

by Hibberd Kline
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — On August 12, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court sentenced Shahid Zafar, a member of the Sindh branch of the Pakistan Rangers paramilitary force, to death in what many have hailed as an unusual rebuke of Pakistan’s powerful security establishment.

Unarmed youth begs for mercy moments before being fatally shot. (Photograph Courtesy of Reuters).
Sarfaraz Shah moments before his death. (Photograph Courtesy of Reuters).

According to attorneys, the speedy trial for the 29 June killing of eighteen-year-old Sarfaraz Shah in Karachi marks the first time that a Pakistani civilian court has sentenced a serving member of the military to death.

The Rangers paramilitary group technically falls under the control of the civilian Ministry of the Interior. However, the Rangers are commonly considered to be a part of the armed forces.

Six other men, including five Rangers and a civilian, were charged with murder and terrorism and sentenced to life in prison.  Zafar was fined 200,000 rupees and the other individuals were each fined 100,000 rupees to be paid to the victim’s family.

The shooting was caught on video and was broadcast on Pakistani TV. Against the background of already widespread criticism of the Pakistani military establishment’s failure to detect the American commando raid that killed Osama Bin Laden, the shooting sparked a rare public outcry leading to the replacement of the Sindh police chief and the director-general of the Sindh branch of the Pakistan Rangers paramilitary force.

However, prosecution lawyer, Muhammad Khan Buriro, took care to distinguish the court case from an attack on the military; “I would like to say that it was the personal action of the soldiers involved, and not an act by the Rangers,” Buriro said.

Attorneys for the defense argued that Shah was shot after trying to rob someone and have vowed to appeal the court’s ruling.

Death sentences are rarely carried out in Pakistan.

The televised shooting of an unarmed man has also instigated criticism of Pakistan’s human rights record and of its government for what many see as its failure to reign in security forces.

Human rights groups say that the approximately 10,000 Rangers in Karachi are not sufficiently trained to keep order amongst civilians. Human Rights Watch (HRW) applauded the verdicts. HRW’s Pakistan director went even further to say that he hopes that the verdict will help to address “the impunity with which Pakistan’s trigger-happy security and paramilitary agencies perpetrate abuses.”

However, some believe that the military may be attempting to increase public accountability of its own accord following the US raid on Osama Bin Laden. Last week, a Pakistani naval official announced that three senior naval officers will face courts martial on charges of negligence relating to the US commando raid in May.

For more information, please see:

Arab News – Death sentence for soldier in Karachi killing – 12 August 2011

BBC – Pakistani shooting film paramilitary sentenced to death – 12 August 2011

Guardian – Pakistani Ranger sentenced to death for killing unarmed civilian – 12 August 2011

Reuters – Pakistan court hands death penalty to soldier for civilian killing – 12 August 2011

48 Hour Strike in Chile Leads to Looting, Death and General Unrest

By Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile – A growing discontent has spread across Chile as citizens publicly demand reforms from a conservative government.  Last Tuesday, protestors called for a “paro nacional” (national strike) on Wednesday and Thursday.  Other administrations have confronted 24 hour strikes but this was the first 48 hour strike to occur in Chile since the days of Pinochet’s dictatorship.

A Chilean protestor waving the national flag is confronted by police. (Photo Courtesy of CNN)
A Chilean protestor waves the national flag as he is confronted by police. (Photo Courtesy of CNN)

Union leaders for Chile’s labor union, The Unitary Central for Workers (CUT), who organized and publicized the strike stated, “[t]his will be the biggest national strike of the last decade.”  What began a few months ago, as students’ calling for educational reform, has now segued into a much larger protest against President Sebastian Piñera’s government in general.  Demands for equal and quality education across the nation, government position transitions, pension reforms, healthcare reforms and better labor laws are being made.

The strike began on Wednesday morning with a traditional “caceroleo” or pot-banging in the streets.  Citizens throughout Santiago stood outside their homes, banging pots as a show of support for the protests.  Burning barricades of tires were erected in many of the streets to stop transportation.  Police responded with tear gas and water cannons to dispel crowds of protestors.  Wednesday and Thursday nights saw spikes in violence, bringing looting of stores and gas stations across the city. 

On Friday morning, 16 year old Manuel Gutierrez died from a gunshot wound in the chest that he received during the 48 hour protest.  His brother blames the police and the local news reports that he claims the police fired shots into a crowd of protestors Thursday night.  Chilean police deny that they used firearms at any point during the conflict.

Chilean government ministers estimated the crowds of protestors at 50,000 and stated only 14% of citizens participated by not working.  Union leaders disputed this, saying the government is minimizing the truth.  They place the number of protestors at 600,000 and claim 80% of workers refused to work for those two days.  The Associated Press placed the number of citizens arrested nationwide at 1,400 and injuries at 200, including both citizens and police officers. 

Other protestors have taken to hunger strikes.  About 40 students in schools around Chile are striking in this manner.  One of them, Gloria Negrete was hospitalized and near death after 37 days of hunger striking in an effort to pressure the government into recognizing demands for educational reform. 

Workers at copper mines in Chile are also striking.  At BHP Billiton’s Escondida, the top producing copper mine in the world, workers just ended a two week strike that kept tensions high about maintaining the global supply of copper.  Workers were asking for a more equitable distribution of the profits from the recent copper boom. 

Although Chile’s economy is projected as expanding at 6.6% this year the general populace feels that they are not sharing in the benefits of this prosperity.  The current administration’s maintenance of a policy of fiscal austerity and private sector benefits has spurred this sentiment.  The strong disparities between the wealthy and economically challenged; combined with a middle class that is not expanding or able to move upwards, make reforms appealing.

Piñera’s current approval rating stands at just 26%, the lowest of any Chilean president since the country returned to democracy in 1990.  Since his election, just eighteen months ago, two major reshuffles of his cabinet have occurred.  Both were failed attempts to quell the growing unrest in the nation.

On Friday, Piñera finally made a move towards conciliation, “[a]fter more than three months in which we’ve seen violence and conflict flourish, now is the time for peace, the time for unity, the time for dialogue, the time for agreements.”  In order to foster discussion Piñera reached out to students, teachers, parents and professors; asking them to participate in education reform talk both at Congress and the Presidential Palace. 

Prior to this, Piñera has avoided any direct communications with protestors.  The change in his approach and attitude coincides with his 21-point education reform proposal being sent to Congress.  However, simply considering education reforms might not be sufficient at this point.  Protestor demands have morphed into a call not only for reforms in education but also reforms in healthcare and employment sectors.  As well, a more general call has come out of this movement for a more accessible democracy in Chile and an end to the top-down power structure that currently exists.

No final decision has been made by student protest leaders or union leaders as to how they will respond to Piñera’s overtures.  The Chilean House President and Chilean Senate President, which represent the left and right wing political parties have offered to sponsor talks but both Piñera and protestors remain cautious and neither has formally agreed to this mediation.

For more information, please see;

The Associated Press – Chile Leader Wants Talks; 1 Dead, 1,400 Arrests – 27 August 2011

CNN – 210 Arrested in Chilean Protests, Government Says – 26 August 2011

San Francisco Chronicle – Thousands in Chile Take to Streets Demand Change – 26 August 2011

The Financial Times Limited – Teen Shot in Chile Anti-Piñera Protest Dies – 25 August 2011

Reuters – Looting, Unrest as Chileans Strike Against Piñera  – 25 August 2011

MercoPress – Two-Day Strike Takes Off in Chile with Piñera Increasingly Debilitated – 24 August 2011

MSNBC – Clashes, Disruptions as Strike Begins in Chile – 24 August 2011

The Economist – We Want the World: A Trial of Strength Between Students and the Government – 13 August 2011

Cheney Stands by the Use of Waterboarding Tactics

By Brittney Hodnik
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, United States – Former Vice President Dick Cheney told the Associated Press this week that he has “no regrets” about waterboarding and the other harsh interrogation tactics used during his time in office.  After September 11, 2001, the government, specifically the CIA, used controversial waterboarding policies against “high value detainees” to extract important information.

Vice President Dick Cheney during his time in office. (Image Courtesy of The New York Times)
Vice President Dick Cheney during his time in office. (Image Courtesy of The New York Times)

Waterboarding is a highly criticized and widely debated technique used to obtain information from enemies or detainees.  The process involves pouring water over the mouth and nose of an immobile individual, simulating the feeling of drowning.  Along with profound psychological damage, waterboarding can cause lung damage, brain damage, dry drowning, and in extreme cases, death.

President Bush and his colleagues argued that this was not a form of torture, while many still believe that it is.  The CIA admitted to using waterboarding techniques post-September 11 attacks.  Since then, President Obama has banned the use of such tactics.

In his interview with NBC, former Vice President Cheney says that he stands by the use of waterboarding and would use it again if the situation arose.  “I would strongly support using it again if we had high value detainee and that was the only way we could get him to talk.”

Cheney’s recent schedule has been full of media appearances, promoting his new book, “In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir,” scheduled to hit bookstores Tuesday, August 30.  The book unleashes a fury of inside information from Cheney’s time in the White House with then President, George W. Bush.  Cheney admitted that the memoir will “have heads exploding all over Washington,” as reported in The Los Angeles Times.  The memoir will discuss Cheney’s health, the September 11 attacks, and his thoughts on George W. Bush, among other topics.

In addition to his support for waterboarding, Cheney admits to urging President Bush to bomb a nuclear plant in Syria, as reported by The New York Times.  He was the lone voice proposing the attack, citing the fact that “not a single hand went up around the room” when asked by President Bush who agreed with Vice President Cheney.

Overall, the book defends the Bush administration’s decision to use “tough interrogations” – refusing to classify such techniques as torture, according to The New York Times.  Cheney stands by the use of such techniques suggesting that the CIA extracted information that saved lives.

Cheney’s full interview with NBC Dateline will air Monday, August 29 at 10:00 p.m., Eastern Time, discussing his thoughts on waterboarding and other issues.

For more information, please visit:

The Atlantic — Powell: Cheney’s Book is Full of ‘Cheap Shots’ – 29 Aug. 2011

The Associated Press – Cheney ‘No Regrets’ About Waterboarding Suspects — 25 Aug. 2011

The Los Angeles Times — Dick Cheney Says Memoir Will Have “Heads Exploding” — 25 Aug. 2011

The New York Times — In Book, Cheney Says He Urged Bush to Bomb Syria Nuclear Site — 24 Aug. 2011

Russia Condemns Syria’s Human Rights Violations

By Greg Hall
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – Russia was initially reluctant to intervene in the Syrian conflict because of the way in which the United Nations handled the Libya crisis.  In addition, Russia has been a long time ally of Syria.  However, on August 3, 2011, the Russian government joined the United Nations Security Council and condemned the widespread human rights violations committed by the Syrian government.  Russian President Dmitry Medvedev issued a statement to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, implying that a “sad fate” would await him if he does not implement reforms and make peace with the opposition.

Syrias President Bashar al-Assad (R) and Russias President Dmitry Medvedev review the honor guards at al-Shaaeb presidential palace in Damascus, Syria on May 10, 2010. (Photo courtesy of Reuters)
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (R) and Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev review the honor guards at al-Shaaeb presidential palace in Damascus, Syria on May 10, 2010. (Photo courtesy of Reuters)

The Syrian people’s quest for dignity and liberty has been sustained and unflinching for the five months since the civil unrest began. They have no armed forces or organized militias, nor have the people received outside support to help their cause. An estimated two thousand people, including children, have been killed by their own government and more than ten thousand have been detained, many of them tortured, for peacefully demanding an end to repression. Tanks also are being deployed against civilians.

Russia’s statements demonstrate a perceived shift in Moscow’s position on the Syrian crackdown.  However, Russia and China were two of four countries out of thirty-seven countries in the United Nations Human Rights Council that were opposed in condemning the violence by Syrian authorities and dispatching a team to investigate the alleged human rights violations.

Russia stated that it generally opposed intervention into the affairs of other countries. Hillel Neuer, director of U.N. Watch, stated that “the world’s top human rights body shouldn’t be appeasing Syrian allies like Moscow and Beijing; the E.U. and the U.S. should make sure not to sacrifice moral clarity on the altar of consensus.”

Russia’s cooperation in the Syrian affair is necessary.  The United States, like other European governments, seeks consensus.  Either way, Russia will be closely watched by many in the Arab world as more and more Arab communities continue to demand greater freedoms.

For more information, please see:

Humans Rights Watch – Russia should help Syrians – 25 August 2011

CNS News – U.N. Human Rights Council Condemns Violence in Syria Without Support From China and Russia – 23 August 2011

KING OF BAHRAIN OFFERS PARDONS TO DETAINED PROTESTERS

By Adom M. Cooper
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain–In a televised speech to his nation, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa made a pledge on Sunday 28 August to release protesters. The Bahrain government will dismiss charges against some people detained during a deadly government crackdown against pro-democracy demonstrators earlier this year.

Anti-government protesters in the capital of Manama.(Photo Courtesy of Al-Jazeera)
Anti-government protesters in the capital of Manama before their removal.(Photo Courtesy of Al-Jazeera)

The king gave this address as the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan comes to a close. This month has greatly contributed to the restoration of the unity and structure of the nation. The recalling of traditional exchanges, compassion, and brotherhood has peaked hope among the rift that exists in Bahrain between Sunni and Shia Muslims.

King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa’s pledge comes more than six months after his regime attempted to thwart the efforts of protest demonstrators in pursuit of holistic change for the nation.

“There are those who are charged with abusing us and senior officials in Bahrain, we today announce that we forgive them. Although I do not like t0 interfere in the course of justice, I would like to confirm that all cases of civilians will have their verdicts issued by a civil court.”

While this pledge by the leader of Bahrain appears generous, he made a point of not mentioning any concessions towards Bahrain’s Shia population. The Shia population holds a majority in Bahrain and helped head up the protests against the al-Khalifa’s regime as well as setting demands. Some of these key demands are the easing of the Sunni dynasty’s stranglehold on power, the process of policy formation, and hand picking government officials.

The Shia population makes up about 70 percent of the island nation’s 525,000 citizens. Despite the majority, widespread discrimination from a multitude of situations, such as exclusion from top political and security posts, is a concern for the Shia population. It is evident that the Shia’s current situation is a stem for discontent in Bahrain and that displeasure will stay the norm until the Shia believe that the discrimination gap has closed.

Human rights groups reported that at least 32 individuals have lost their lives since the protests against al-Khalifa’s regime began. After the government crackdown, thousands of demonstrators were forced from their jobs, an apparent punishment for supporting those against the regime. Students were dismissed from schools and universities.

But al-Khalifa’s regime has seemingly attempted to make visible strides to try and repair the damage. The University of Bahrain and the Bahrain Training Institute have allowed some 340 students back while several employees were allowed back to work by their employers. But several large companies have dragged their feet to incorporate the reinstatement process.

In addition to dismissing all charges, King al-Khalifa implored all individuals who had been mistreated in custody to file a formal complaint. He confirmed that the law grants them compensation.

“Bahrain has a law that allows victims of ill-treatment to ask for compensation. The decision to setup independent fact-finding commission is the best indication of our full commitment to knowing the whole truth and to giving people their rights.”

“There are those who were arrested, and investigations proved that they were the victims of individual behavior and were ill-treated in custody. This is not tolerated by God and we do not condone it. The recent period was painful to all of us. Although we live in one country, some have forgotten the inevitability of co-existence. Therefore, we should not abandon our belief in having the same and common future, and should not lose trust in each other as brother, colleagues, and citizens.”

Bahraini security forces, bolstered by Saudi led troops from around the Gulf, demolished protests earlier this year in March after allowing demonstrators to camp out in central Manama for about thirty days.

The protests in Bahrain are sort of viewed differently by the international community than the rest of the Arab Spring. The crackdown on protests was heavily criticized by the US but the rest of the international community did not show the same level of support as it has done for protests in other countries. The West has traditionally blamed Iran for instigating the protests in an effort to cause dissent within Bahrain. But the Shia majority within the country has harshly denied this claim.

In July, Bahrain officials opened reconciliation talks with Shia leader in an effort to assuage the anxiety and hear the Shia party’s demands. But unsatisfied with the progress, the Shia party walked out and threatened to bring further protests.

Perhaps some of this dissatisfaction comes from the continued turmoil of the 20 doctors and nurses arrested earlier this year for treating demonstrators from protests. These doctors and nurses were also accused of stockpiling medical supplies and weapons. On 28 August, a special security court resumed the trial for these 20 doctors. The court adjourned the trial until 07 September, when it will begin hearing defense witnesses.

The 20 doctors and nurses in this situation are among at least 45 medical personnel whom face charges stemming from the anti-government protests. Various human rights groups have heavily scrutinized Bahrain’s usage of a special security court for this manner.

For more information, please see:

Al-Jazeera-Bahrain king pardons some protesters-28 August 2011

Associated Press-Bahrain’s king pardoning some protesters-28 August 2011

CNN-‘Arab Spring’ becoming the Arab Year?-25 August 2011

Gulf News-Bahrain king calls for more tolerance-28 August 2011

Human Rights First-Bahrain Government Makes U-turn on Military Courts-22 August 2011

Impunity Watch-Military Court in Bahrain Pursues Physicians For Giving Treatment to Protesters-16 June 2011

Human Rights Watch-Bahrain: Stop Military Court Travesty of Justice-14 June 2011

The Guardian-Bahrain doctors deny stealing medicines or stockpiling arms-13 June 2011