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.
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.
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 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.
By Tyler Yates Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
TRIPOLI, Libya — Rebel forces making sweeps around Tripoli to clear out the last of Qaddafi’s forces have found a warehouse containing the charred remains of a large number of prisoners who were killed and burned.
The site was located near the southern Tripoli headquarters of the Khamis Brigade, Libya’s most notorious military unit. Residents who lived near the warehouse say they heard shooting and explosions on Tuesday evening. Due to the continued fighting no one was able to investigate until Saturday when residents and rebel forces discovered the remains of at least 53 people.
In addition to the news of the horrific find, Libyan rebels are also concerned over the fate of thousands of other prisoners, who had been held in Tripoli by the Qaddafi regime. Rebel military spokesman Colonel Ahmed Omar Bani said almost 50,000 people arrested in recent months are still unaccounted for.
It is believed that prisoners of the Qaddafi regime were kept in underground bunkers, which were subsequently abandoned during the rebel push into Tripoli. Human rights groups have noted evidence of human remains near prisons, but the rebels have yet to accuse anyone of killing the prisoners.
Specifically, Human Rights Watch has documented evidence of at least 17 detainees who were killed in a makeshift prison in Tripoli around August 21. “Torture was rife in Qaddafi’s prisons but to execute detainees days before they would have been freed is a sickening low in the government’s behavior,”said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The evidence we have been able to gather so far strongly suggests that Gaddafi government forces went on a spate of arbitrary killing as Tripoli was falling.”
Despite the hesitation from the rebel forces to label the missing prisoners as dead they are still attempting to get information on them. “Between 10,000 and 11,000 prisoners have been freed up until now…so where are the others?” asked Colonel Bani. Rebel forces are attempting to gather intelligence in hopes of finding clarifying information. Bani further noted that it would be “catastrophic” if the prisoners had been killed.
This harrowing news, which likely adds evidence for any future war crimes prosecution against the Qaddafi regime, was announced simultaneously with an admittance from the rebels that they have no real leads on where Qaddafi might be hiding. Rumors place him everywhere from Tripoli to his hometown of Sirte.
An offer was made over the weekend by a spokesperson for Qaddafi to open talks with the rebel government. It was flatly denied, and described by observers as “delusional.” The rebel government identifies Qaddafi as a war criminal, and has expressed their desire to put him on trial for war crimes upon his arrest.
NEW YORK, NY – According to several news outlets, the New York City Department of Corrections does not have an evacuation plan for the approximately 12,000 prisoners held at Rikers Island, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg clearly stated at a news conference on Friday that “We are not evacuating Rikers Island.”
Aeriel view of Rikers Island (Photo Courtesy of Julia Robertson, AP).
These revelations have revived stories of prisoners that were not evacuated when hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana in 2005. Solitary Watch quoted the following excerpt from an American Civil Liberties Union Report:
[A] culture of neglect was evident in the days before Katrina, when the sheriff declared that the prisoners would remain “where they belong,” despite the mayor’s decision to declare the city’s first-ever mandatory evacuation. OPP even accepted prisoners, including juveniles as young as 10, from other facilities to ride out the storm.
As floodwaters rose in the OPP buildings, power was lost, and entire buildings were plunged into darkness. Deputies left their posts wholesale, leaving behind prisoners in locked cells, some standing in sewage-tainted water up to their chests…
Prisoners went days without food, water and ventilation, and deputies admit that they received no emergency training and were entirely unaware of any evacuation plan. Even some prison guards were left locked in at their posts to fend for themselves, unable to provide assistance to prisoners in need.
Further heightening the level of concern and indignation amongst critics, the prisoners housed at Rikers Island include juveniles, a large number of mentally ill persons, and even pre-trial detainees, with the latter group not convicted of any crimes. Also adding to the concerns is that more that three-fourths of the island is built on a landfill, which is believed to be more vulnerable to natural disasters.
The Office of the Mayor has responded to criticisms by asserting that the prisoners safety is not being compromised, and that no part of Rikers Island is in Zone A (the mandatory evacuation area). The Wall Street Journal quotes the Mayor’s spokesman as saying, “[w]e are focused on the areas where real dangers exist.” However, Rikers Island is reportedly one of the only islands in the area that is not listed in any of the areas zoned for evacuation.
The Office of the Mayor reasoned that the prisoners do not need to be evacuated because the island, like other islands in New York City, does not actually touch the Atlantic Ocean. The Mayor’s spokesperson was also quoted as saying that the jail is able to sustain itself and is “prepared to operate and care for inmates in extended emergency conditions,” with a full staff to remain on the island.
These words of reassurance have done little to satisfy those concerned about the plight of the Rikers Island prisoners. The Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights said that “[i]t is appalling that the City administration is abandoning the men and women at Rikers even after the lessons of hurricane Katrina.” He called on the Mayor to “take appropriate action immediately to protect the life and safety of everyone confined at Rikers Island and all vulnerable corrections facilities in New York City. Their lives should not be treated as less valuable than those of other New Yorkers.”
By Alexandra Halsey-Storch Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
Mladic was arrested in May of this year, and is awaiting trial at the Hague (Photo Courtesy of MSNBC).
THE HAGUE, Netherlands–On Thursday, notorious genocide suspect and former commander of the Serbian Army, Ratko Mladic appeared at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal of Yugoslavia (ICTY) for a pre-trial hearing at The Hague. He wore a gray suit, crème colored shirt and “sober black tie.” Lead defense attorney Branko Lukic, to whom Mladic left most of the talking, accompanied him.
At his arraignment in July, Mladic was thrown out of court after shouting at the judges. Pursuant to international law, A plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf by the presiding judges.
On May 26, after 16 years of hiding, Mladic—one of the United Nation’s most wanted fugitives—was found north of Belgrade in the small farming town of Lazarevo. Officials arrested him after receiving a tip. He was thereafter indicted on 11 counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity that were committed during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war. He has been incarcerated at The Hague prison. Should he be found guilty, Mladic faces life in prison.
At the hearing, presiding Judge Alphons Orie explained that the purpose of the hearing was to set deadlines for pre-trial procedures. He expressed concern over the inevitably long length of the trial and Mladic’s purported bad health, and asked when prosecutors would be ready to turn over evidence to the defense that could demonstrate Mladic’s innocence.
While the pre-trial hearing on Thursday was largely procedural, at controversy was Mladic’s health and its potential effect on the trial; however, due to privacy rules, the conversation was conducted without the media being present, in a closed session.
What is known is that the defense attorney argued that Mladic, whose poor health has been a persistent issue since his arrest, might be too ill to stand trial.
When Mladic appeared in court on May 27, his questioning was postponed to the following day as a result of illness. Furthermore, according to the defense, Mladic was committed last week to a hospital in The Hague for a hernia operation; however, the court claimed that to the contrary, Mladic had not left the detention center.
In response to Mladic’s poor health, the prosecution proposed in a motion that the trial be set up into two phases. First, the prosecution would try Mladic as the mastermind behind the worst genocide since World War II: the death of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in July of 1995, who were “mowed down” with their “hands behind their backs” by the Serbian Army. The prosecution said that sufficient evidence for this atrocity could be collected within a year as ICTY had already collected relevant evidence from the preceding trials of Mladic’s subordinates and Radovan Karadzic.
The prosecution further proposed that once a decision had been entered for the first crime, Mladic would be tried in a following trial for the remaining crimes, foremost, the three and a half year siege of Sarajevo where 10,000 people died, including 1,500 children.
Lukic responded that this procedure would not be conducive to the defense’s argument; however, he has until August 31 to respond in greater detail to the motion before the judge makes a ruling.
