Thousands of Palestinians Lost Residency Rights in East Jerusalem

By Meredith Lee-Clark

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

 

EAST JERUSALEM, Israel/West Bank – The Israeli Interior Ministry stripped 4,577 Palestinians living in East Jerusalem of their residency rights during 2008, according to official state records released on December 3. The total was twenty-one times higher than the average number during the past forty years, and the highest total since the beginning of the Israeli rule over East Jerusalem.

 

The Interior Ministry said the drastic increase was due to an investigation into the legal status of thousands of East Jerusalem residents during March and April 2008. The Ministry said that most of those whose permits were revoked were no longer in Israel; ninety-nine were minors under the age of eighteen.

 

Israel began its rule over predominantly-Palestinian East Jerusalem after the 1967 War. During the first forty years of Israeli occupation, from 1967 to 2007, the Interior Ministry deprived a total of 8,558 Palestinians of their residency permits. Of all the Palestinians who lost their residency rights in the past forty-two years, 35% lost theirs in 2008.

 

Yotam Ben-Hillel, an attorney with Hamoked: Center for the Defense of the Individual, said that Palestinians in East Jerusalem are treated the same as legal immigrants to Israel and are not entitled to citizenship under the Law of Return. Residents can easily lose their status, and once a Palestinian has lost his or her residency status, it can be extremely difficult or impossible to return to Jerusalem for any reason, even for a family visit.

 

“The list may include students who went for a few years to study in another country, and can no longer return to their homes,” said Ben-Hillel.

 

Those who had their residency permits revoked may not be associated with any other nation, so the individuals may now by stateless.

 

Palestinians have attacked the Interior Ministry’s actions, saying it undermines the feasibility of the Palestinian plan to have East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also excluded East Jerusalem from the recent freeze in settlement construction.

 

For more information, please see:

 

Financial Times – Israel Strips Thousands of Palestinians of Jerusalem Residency – 3 December 2009

 

Ha’aretz – Israel Stripped Thousands of Jerusalem Arabs of Residency in 2008 – 2 December 2009

 

Jordan Times – Israel Strips More Palestinians of Their Palestinian Status – 2 December 2009

 

Ma’an News Agency – Thousands in East Jerusalem Lost Residency Rights – 2 December 2009

New York State Senate Votes Against Same-Sex Marriage

03 December 2009

New York State Senate Votes Against Same-Sex Marriage

By Stephen Kopko

Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

NEW YORK, United States – On Wednesday, the New York State Senate defeated legislation that would allow homosexuals to marry. The decisive defeat of the legislation ensures that the issue will not come up again until after the 2011 election when a new state legislature is elected.

After its passage in the New York Assembly, and with the approval of Governor David Paterson, the bill reached the State Senate. Supporters of the legislation hoped that they could garner enough votes to legalize same-sex marriage. However, the bill was defeated by a vote of thirty-eight to twenty-four. The vote was along party lines. All thirty Republican senators voted against the legislation. Those senators who were considered politically vulnerable also voted against the bill. The bill garnered most support from the senators representing New York City and Westchester County.

Supporters of the legislation expressed disappointment after defeat of the legislation. They believed that the bill had a good chance of being passed. The sponsor of the legislation, Senator Thomas Duane, felt betrayed in defeat. Senator Duane is New York’s first openly gay legislator. Governor Paterson and Mayor Michael Bloomberg also expressed their disappointment in the defeat of the bill. State Senator Kevin S. Parker stated that “this is the worst example of political cowardice I’ve ever seen.”

The reason why so many supporters believed that the bill could be passed and felt betrayed in defeat was the actions taken by some conservative members who promised their support before the vote. Many of the previous supporters switched their votes on the floor of the Senate when they saw that bill would not overwhelmingly pass.

The opposition to the legislation was led by Senator Reuben Diaz, a conservative minister. Senator Diaz was the only senator opposing the bill to speak in debate on the legislation. Deputy Republican leader, Senator Tom Libous, believed that the issues surrounding the economy affected the vote.

Seven states have legalized same sex marriage since 2003. If New York passed the legislation, it would have become the eighth state. However, two of those states, California and Maine have rescinded their same-sex marriage laws.

For more information, please see:

AP – Gay-Marriage Opponents Welcome NY Bill’s Defeat – 3 December 2009

Huffington Post – New York State Senate Votes Down Gay Marriage – 2 December 2009

NY Times – New York Senate Rejects Gay Marriage Bill – 2 December 2009

More Mistreatment Allegations at Bagram

By Alok Bhatt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

KABUL, Afghanistan – Although one of President Obama’s first actions in office was to be to eliminate the so-called “black jails” from Afghanistan, it seems a new facility has opened as a separate part of  the recently renovated Bagram Air-Base.  The President’s promise produced significant friction with another statement in which he granted the military commanders in Afghanistan great discretion in how best to execute the U.S.’s agenda in the war-torn nation.  Despite the U.S.‘s deference to its military in making such decisions, the government has come under much criticism on human rights grounds due to the soul-breaking conditions of “black jails.”

The term “black jails”, coined by detainees in such confines, refers to a holding cells with only one light-bulb, no windows, and no amenities whatsoever.  Inmates at Bagram Air-Base, the U.S.’s largest establishment in Afghanistan, have been known to be imprisoned in black jails for weeks at a time.  During this detainment period, black jail prisoners have no access to the Red Cross, media, civilians, or any other significant human contact.  Moreover, the black jails are not actually connected to the large Bagram Air-Base, which currently houses over 700 inmates.  

The practice of placing prisoners in black jails began with the Bush administration and was supposed to have ended with Obama’s entry into office.  The continuing practice of throwing prisoners in black jails also runs afoul of the Obama administrations proclaimed ends of increased transparency regarding operations in Afghanistan and the preservation of the dignity of Afghan detainees.  Particularly after the renovation of the Bagram Air-Base, in response to the sharp criticism of the international community and  human rights organizations, the Obama administration made numerous statements that it would rectify the evils perpetrated by the Bush administration.  However, it seems the tension with the leeway given to military officials has undermined this purpose.

The Bagram Air-Base has been used to house Afghan prisoners since the early 2000’s, and the main facility was infamous for being a worse prison than Guantanamo Bay.  Inmates at Bagram received even less rights than those held in Cuba, and the inhumane practices received far less attention, allowing them to continue much longer and more insidiously.  The facility was renovated earlier this year to accommodate an increase in troops.  The renovation brought with it promises of openness with regards to its operation and fair treatment of inmates.

Following reports of two younger inmates published in the Bagram black jail facing abuse and other mistreatment, there will sure be further scrutiny of the U.S. military practices in Afghanistan to ensure that the rights of prisoners are no longer violated.


For more information, please see:

Al-Jazeera – ‘Black jail’ at Bagram prison site – 29 November 2009

Mother Jones – The ‘Black Jail’ – 30 November 2009

The New York Times – Afghans Detail Detention in ‘Black Jail’ at U.S. Base – 29 November 2009

Banditry and Insecurity in Eastern Chad Continues to Threaten Relief Efforts

By Jared Kleinman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KAWA, Chad – Increased banditry, kidnappings of relief workers and attacks on humanitarian compounds in eastern Chad are threatening crucial aid for nearly 100,000 people, many of them refugees or internally displaced persons (IDP).

Some 70 humanitarian organizations in eastern Chad are assisting 256,700 Sudanese refugees from the strife-torn Darfur conflict, 168,000 Chadian IDPs and around 150,000 people in host villages. Six organizations have temporally suspended their operations in eastern Chad due to the insecurity in the Assoungha and the Dar Sila areas, while others have reduced their activities, depriving over 37,000 people of much needed aid.

Crime in eastern Chad has ‘‘escalated in recent weeks including robbery, kidnapping and attempted kidnapping and murder’’, according to a bulletin which was distributed via the department’s Overseas Security Advisory Council. Bandits responsible for the surge in violence had proved ‘‘difficult to interdict, despite the presence of a United Nations peacekeeping operation in the region,” the bulletin added.

The late start to the rainy season and weak rainfalls has exacerbated the situation, with surveys indicating a 30 percent decrease in national agricultural production. Efforts to assess the situation in Assoungha were impeded by the kidnapping of the Red Cross expert, who was in charge of the exercise, and information on the food situation there is still lacking.

“The kidnapping of relief workers is a new element in bandits’ operations in eastern Chad, Darfur and northern CAR (Central African Republic),” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update, citing the recent kidnapping the international Red Cross expert, attacks on two non-governmental organizations (NGO) and the abduction of two French nationals. “This new security challenge [kidnapping] exacerbates the chronic banditry,” it added. “To date at least 96,500 people in needs are at risk of deteriorating living conditions due to the continued suspensions or reduction of operations by several humanitarian organizations.”

In April, the kidnappers gave their name as the Falcons for the Liberation of Africa. The group’s motives have remained shadowy ever since that abduction. It was unclear whether the appeal for a change of policy was genuine or cover for a ransom demand. “There have not been any clear political demands issued by the kidnappers. The motives have always appeared to be economic,” said a humanitarian source, asking not to be named.

Peacekeepers from the UN Mission in Chad and the Central African Republic (MINURCAT) have increased their patrols in the area, offering escorts to those humanitarians who accept and working with them to better respond to their protection needs, reported OCHA reported.

Assoungha remains the area the most affected, with organizations covering food security, health, water, sanitation and education continuing to suspend their activities. In the Dar Sila area, too, several organizations have decided to temporarily suspend activities or relocate international staff to safer areas, maintaining only minimal services.

For more information, please see:

UN News Centre – Aid Lifeline to Scores of Thousands in Eastern Chad Threatened by Banditry, UN Reports – 1 December 2009

AFP – Suspected Darfur Kidnappers Threaten to Kill French Workers – 30 November 2009

The Post.IE – Violence Escalates for Troops in Eastern Chad – 29 November 2009

VOA News – ICRC Worker Kidnapped in Chad – 10 November 2009

Witness Dies While in Mexico’s Witness Protection Program

02 December 2009

Witness Dies While in Mexico’s Witness Protection Program

By Brenda Lopez Romero
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MEXICO, D.F. – A protected witness was murdered by gun shots in a Starbucks in the Del Valle subdivision, south of Mexico City. Édgar Enrique Bayardo del Villar was former chief of the Federal Police and accused of working with the drug cartel Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. The prosecutor offered Bayardo del Villar witness protection in exchange for his testimony against the cartel.

Bayardo del Villar had been a long time officer and after his arrest for bribery, he turned into a protected witness, with the alias “Tigre,” and a monthly salary of 50 mil pesos (approximately $5,000 U.S.D.). He formed part of the Clean Operation in 2008, one of the biggest political corruption scandals of the year. Bayardo del Villar was the lead witness against the Interim Commissioner, Gerardo Garay Cadena, of the Federal Police.

The Starbucks employees indicated that two men dressed in suits entered the location and one pulled out an automatic weapon and shot Bayardo del Villar. Then, they ran out towards a vehicle.

The District Attorney’s Office stated there is a full investigation into witnesses’ being murdered. They have reviewed the Starbucks surveillance cameras and are working with the Public Transportation System, because they believe that the assassins may have used the subway stations of the North Division and Zapata after they abandoned their green Isuzu vehicle. They have provided the public with sketches of the perpetrators.

The bodyguard, José Luis Castillo, is in the hospital in critical condition.

This is the second time in the last couple of days the State’s District Attorney’s Office has failed to protect its witnesses and have resulted in their deaths. Both witnesses had some connection to investigations into drug cartels in Sinaloa headed by “El Mayo.” On November 21, Jesús Zambada Reyes allegedly committed suicide while under witness protection.

For more information, please see:
Diario de Yucatán – Matan a testigo protegido – 2 December 2009

El Porvenir – Ejecutan en DF a testigo protegido – 2 December 2009

El Universal – Ser testigos de El Mayo los llevo a la muerte – 2 December 2009