Yemen Rejects International Intervention in Rebel Conflict

By Ahmad Shihadah

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East Desk

SA’NA, Yemen – Yemen told outside powers Wednesday to stay out of its battle with the Hutis, a Shi’ite rebel group in its northwest. This came amid concerns that Iran and Saudi Arabia are being drawn into the conflict. The statement was issued by the official state news agency Saba, following a statement of concern for Yemen’s “national unity and territorial integrity” by Iranian Foreign Minister Manoucher Mottaki on Tuesday.

Yemen continued saying the fight between the government and the al-Huthi rebels was an internal issue and that Yemen was able to tackle its own problems without any interference or mediation from others. An unnamed Yemeni foreign ministry official issued a statement saying “as we welcome what Mr.Mottaki said about Iran’s stance towards Yemen’s stability and unity, Yemen affirms that it absolutely rejects any intervention in its internal affairs.”

Yemen has repeatedly accused Iran of supporting the rebels, and in October announced it had captured five Iranians attempting to smuggle a boatload of weapons to them, but no hard evidence was provided.  A Yemeni government official told CNN on Tuesday that Yemen’s navy was ‘on the highest state of alert.”

International concern continues to grow amid the conflict in Yemen, as many view the impoverished nation as a potential safe-haven for al-Qaeda. Further, the stage could be set for a proxy struggle between Shi’ite-dominated Iran and the Sunni-led Saudi monarchy. Yemen has signed an agreement with the United States for co-operation on military intelligence and training, according to Saba, Yemen’s official state news agency. The deal aims to strengthen co-operation in the “extermination of terrorism smuggling and piracy” according to Yemen’s chief of staff Ahmed Ali al Ashwal.

The United Nations continues to express alarm over the fighting and said there has been a “significant increase” in the number of people displaced in recent weeks. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees estimates as many as 175,000 people have affected by the conflict since 2004, U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said Tuesday.

For more information, please see:

CNN – Yemen Warns Against Intervention in Rebel Conflict – 11 November 2009

The National – Yemen ‘Rejects Outside Interference’ – 11 November 2009

WashingtonTv – Yemen Rejects Iran’s “Interference” in its Affairs – 11 November 2009

Sri Lanka and Australia Discuss Human-Smuggling


By Alok Bhatt
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – Officials from Australia and Sri Lanka recently began discussions to inhibit the extensive people-smuggling into Christmas Island and other regions of Australia.  The Australian and Sri Lankan foreign ministers met in Colombo on Monday to discuss maritime security with Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa.  The issue of Sri Lankan refugees seeking asylum in Australian territory became more imminent while the two nations planned discussions on the social detriments and dangers of people-smuggling, as refugee boats bound for Australia were captured just this week.  Many of the Sri Lankan asylum-seekers are of the Tamil minority race, who endure increasing and persistent persecution in Sri Lanka due to the May defeat of the Tamil Tigers rebel group.  Although most of the refugees are civilian nationals with no actual affiliation with the Tamil Tigers, the Sri Lankan government has taken no measures to mitigate rights violations perpetrated against the Tamil minority.  Discrimination in employment and other fundamental rights further push the Tamil minority out of Sri Lanka to seek a decent mode of living.    

The Sri Lankan Tamil minority began emigrating to Christmas Island, which serves as a haven for many people of troubled countries.  However, accumulating an excessive emigrant population due to years of entering refugees, Australia’s border patrol elevated security around the island’s surrounding waters.  

Australian guards also solicited the assistance of the Indonesian border patrol to curtail the influx of refugees into Christmas Island and Australian land.  Indonesian vessels have captured numerous Tamil boats and escorted them to Indonesian docks.  Many passengers on the captured vessels refused to leave the docked boats until Australia granted them asylum, sometimes engaging in hunger strikes and other forms of protest.  

Although the Australian maritime security vessels have saved Tamil boats facing trouble in the water, Sri Lanka and Australia both explicitly express their contempt for human-smuggling.  Both nations argue that the operators of the refugee boats are simply opportunists capitalizing off the dire situation of the Tamil minorities.  Sri Lankan officials also suggest that the Tamils leaving Sri Lanka represent a poor class of people searching for a greater livelihood, denying any allegations of persecution.  

The Australian and Sri Lankan governments mutually agreed to prohibit the use of force to deter or detain Tamil refugee boats.  However, Sri Lanka’s denial of human rights violations raises issues concerning its motives for wanting to keep the Tamil minority within Sri Lankan borders.   


For more information, please see:   

Al-Jazeera – Boat people on Colombo talk agenda – 09 November 2009

The Australian – Tamil economic refugees: Sri Lanka – 12 November 2009

VOA News – Asylum Seekers Adrift on Boat – 27 October 2009   

Taylor Says He Was Tricked By Nigeria Into Leaving Liberia

By Jonathan Ambaye
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa Desk

THE HAGUE, Netherlands-Today, prosecutors at The United Nation’s Special Court for Sierra Leone began their cross-examination of former Liberian President, Charles Taylor. Taylor is facing charges for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Taylor has been the defense’s first witness, and has spent the last thirteen weeks under direct examination of his defense attorneys. During the course of these thirteen weeks, much of it has involved Taylor dismissing the prosecution’s case against him as a series of lies.

With their first opportunity to respond to Taylor’s cries of “lies”, the prosecution opened their cross-examination of Taylor by asking, who was lying? In the course of questioning, the prosecution said, “Now Mr. Taylor, you have said to this bench throughout your direct examination that all of this evidence here before you, it’s all lies. And you have talked about how perhaps, cunning is not the word you used. But Mr. Taylor, it’s true isn’t it that of all the people who have come before these judges, you are the one who has the most reason to lie?”

Taylor subsequently responded by disagreeing with the prosecutor’s assertion that he is the one lying, because he has the most to lose. Taylor says, I have been truthful before this court. Unless you can point to me. I have told this court the truth. And I suggest that you point to me and present the evidentiary fact before this court that I am lying.”

Taylor is pleading not guilty to an eleven count indictment that includes murder, rape, enslavement, and conscription of child soldiers. Taylor’s defense attorneys today questioned the legality of Taylor being turned over to the court after he was granted political asylum in Nigeria. In conclusion of his defense testimony, Taylor said he agreed to resign as Liberian President in 2003 for the sake of peace, but was tricked by the “international community.” Taylor says in reference to the charges against him, “This was about regime change, and everything was put into place to accomplish that regime change.” Taylor later spoke of how he was repeatedly assured by other African leaders, specifically then Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo that he was not going to be turned over to the Special Court.

Taylor is convinced that “Washington” and “London” were determined to see him stand trial, and thus he claims they influenced other African nations such as Nigeria to turn him over to the Special Court.

For more information please see:

BBC  – Charles Taylor “Duped” by Nigeria – 10 November 2009

Charles Taylor Trial – “I Decided That I Will Leave Liberia For The Sake of Peace” – 9 November 2009

VOA – Cross Examination Begins in War Crimes Trial of Former Liberian President – 10 November 2009

Russian Constitutional Court Considers Ending Ban On Death Penalty

By David Sophrin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
MOSCOW, Russia – The Russian Constitutional Court is considering the reinstatement of the death penalty in the country’s criminal justice system.

When Russia joined the Council of Europe in 1996 it agreed to outlaw executions in accordance with Protocol Six of the European Convention.  However, the Council’s proposed ban on the death penalty was never ratified by the Duma, the Russian legislature.  In 1999 the nation’s Constitutional Court found that the death penalty could no longer be used until jury trials were established in all of the country’s regions.  Currently jury trials have been established in every region except Chechnya.  But given the coming expiration of this ban on January 1, when the Northern Republic of Chechnya adopts jury trials, the Constitutional Court has been asked by the Russian Supreme Court to review this ban to see whether it needs to be extended.

In addition to addressing the issue of the moratorium, the Constitutional Court must also address the issue of whether the reinstating of the death penalty would violate Russia’s international obligations.  Russia is currently the only member of the 47 countries that make up the Council of Europe to not ratify the ban.

Although the death penalty remains in the nation’s criminal code, the death penalty moratorium is still adhered to in Russia.

There have been some calls for the reinstatement of the death penalty to be applied to those involved in terrorism in Chechnya.  Polls indicate that a majority of Russians are in favor of the death penalty.  President Dmitry Medvedev and many of the leaders in the Duma, however, have indicated their desire to not see the death penalty re-introduced.  A spokeswoman for the Federation Council, the upper house of the legislature, expressed the sentiment of some legislators.  “The states that kills criminals – its citizens – should not expect an improvement in the moral climate of the country.”

Vladimir Lukin, Russia’s chief human rights ombudsman, noted statistics that the use of the death penalty in other countries has not acted as an effective deterrent to crime.

Not all Russian political leaders are supportive of continuing the moratorium.  Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the investigative committee of prosecutors, is among those supporters.

A spokesman for the Constitutional Court indicated that the court’s decision may come before the new year.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Russia to decide on death penalty moratorium – 10 November 2009

RIA NOVOSTI – Russia’s Constitutional Court hears arguments on death penalty – 10 November 2009

AP – Russian court looks at death penalty ban extension – 9 November 2009

FOCUS NEWS – Top Russian court set to rule on death penalty moratorium – 9 November 2009

REUTERS – Russian High Court Debates Reinstating Death Penalty – 9 November 2009

RT – To kill or not to kill, that’s the Supreme Court’s question – 31 October 2009

Iran Charges Detained U.S. Hikers With Espionage

By Bobby Rajabi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – Three American hikers detained in Iran will be charged with espionage. Tehran’s general prosecutor, Abbas Jafari Doloatabadi confirmed the news on November 9. Doloatabadi also said that the investigation into the actions of the three would continue. Under Iranian law, the hikers face death if convicted of the espionage charge.

The three Americans, Shane Bauer, Sarah Shroud and Joshua Fattal, are thought to have crossed into Iranian territory while hiking in the Kurdish region of Iraq. The area is known to have a poorly marked border and their loved ones insist that this was an innocent mistake on the part of the three hikers.

The three hikers’ friends and families released a statement calling the spy allegations “entirely at odds with the people Shane, Sarah and Josh are and with anything that Iran can have learned about them since they were detained on July 31.” They  have urged the Iranian government to have compassion for the three and release them from custody.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commented on the issue while in Berlin. She stated that there was “no evidence” for Iran to charge the hikers. Clinton urged the release of the hikers based on humanitarian grounds. After meeting with the family members of the three Americans, she explained that her “hear went out to all of them.” Clinton told the families that all options to getting the hikers back were being explored.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs argued that the three were innocent and that their release should come as quick as possible. As the United States does not have diplomatic relations with Iran, Switzerland has done the job of directly appealing for the hikers’ release. A Swiss diplomat has twice been allowed to visit the Americans in prison.

The most recent meeting took place on October 29 at Evin Prison in Tehran. The Swiss diplomat was able to confirm to the State Department that the detained hikers were in good physical shape. A State Department official confirmed a report that the three seemed nervous and scared, but appeared to be in good psychological health.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Families of US Hikers in Iran Deny Espionage Charges – 9 November 2009

Al Jazeera – Iran Accuses Americans of Spying – 9 November 2009

BBC – US Trio ‘on Iran Spying Charge’ – 9 November 2009

CNN – Iran to Charge 3 American Hikers With Espionage, Says Prosecutor – 9 November 2009