Detained Publisher is Freed

By Michael E. Sanchez
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka- A court in Sri Lanka has released the Tamil publisher of a monthly magazine after he was detained in March 2008 under anti-terrorism laws.

Vetribel Jaseeharan, a publisher for North Eastern Monthly, and his wife Vadivel Valarmathi, were charged with conspiracy to discredit the government.  He and his wife were detained for articles they published in their magazine.  They were acquitted of all charges.  

The judge stated that a confession where Jaseeharan admitted to supporting the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels was gained while under duress and that the medical records presented showed signs he had been tortured.  A court official said, “The attorney general withdrew the charges as the judge noted that the confession was not made voluntarily.”

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were a rebel group in Sri Lanka who had been fighting the government for the last two decades, with armed uprising beginning in 1983.  Government troops finally defeated the Tamil Tigers in May, when the Tigers finally laid down their guns, ending a long civil war.  International press groups however, say that Sri Lankan Journalists are still burdened with major restrictions on reporting. 

J.S. Tissainayagam, a reporter for the North Eastern Monthly, and the man who wrote the two articles which Jaseeharan and his wife published, was in August sentenced to 20 years in prison.  The found him guilty of “causing communal disharmony”, “racial hatred” and raising money for “terrorism” through his writings about the victimized Tamils during the war.  The international Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the world’s largest organization of journalists condemned the judgment, which in addition sentenced Tissainayagam to hard labor while in prison. 

The court stated that the only offense of Jaseeharan was to publish the articles written by Tissainayagam.  

Several Sri Lankan reporters have been killed in recent years by unidentified groups.  Lasantha Wickrematunga, a leading anti-establishment editor was among the many victims, he was shot dead near his office.  Government figures show that nine journalists were killed and another 27 assaulted in the past three years, with activists stating that more than a dozen journalists have been killed.

For information, please see:

International New 24/7- Tamil Reporter Jailed for 20 Years on Terror Charges – 31 August 2009

BBC NEWS- Detained Tamil Publisher is Freed  – 26 October 2009

Khaleej Times- Sri Lanka Frees Publisher Held for 19 Months – 26 October 2009

The Peninsula- Colombo Frees Publisher Held for 19 Months -27 October 2009

Global Security.Org- Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

Israeli Police Clash with Palestinians at Al-Aqsa Mosque

By Meredith Lee-Clark

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

 

JERUSALEM, Israel/West Bank – Israeli police clashed with stone-throwing Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on October 25. The incident was the latest in a recent series of tension-building confrontations between Israelis and Palestinians at the holy site.

 

In recent weeks, Palestinian demonstrators have taken to the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City, protesting the Israeli presence in the area and rumors that Israelis were conducting archaeological investigations underneath the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The site is holy to both Jews and Muslims. Jews know the site as the Temple Mount, and they believe it was the site of King Solomon’s temple. Muslims call the site Haram al-Sharif, and believe it was the site where the Prophet Mohammed ascended into heaven.

 

Though it remains unclear what was the catalyst for this most recent clash, early on the morning on October 25, Palestinians threw rocks at Israeli soldiers, who reportedly returned with stun grenades. Israeli police subsequently stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound two times.

 

As many as thirty Palestinians and nine Israeli police were injured, while twenty-one Palestinians were reportedly arrested. A journalist working for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was also reportedly taken to Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem to be treated for a broken jaw. Hatem Abdul Qader, the lead official in Jerusalem for the Palestinian Authority, was among those arrested. Qader was subsequently banned from the Old City for three weeks.

 

One local observer told Australia’s The Age that he watched the day’s events unfold from the Lion’s Gate to the Old City.

 

“I believe there was provocation on both sides,” said Mohammed Khan, a 21-year-old Palestinian. “The Israeli police knew that Palestinian people want to protest the occupation, so they come in large numbers …But many Palestinians see this as offensive, so they start throwing stones and then violence spread.”

 

The Israeli police reported that the Al-Aqsa Mosque was re-opened on the following day, though the re-opening was certainly not a resolution to the tension in Jerusalem’s Old City. A right-wing Israeli group called for Jewish mobilization to construct a third Jewish temple on the site. On the other end of the spectrum, Khaled Meshaal, the exiled leader of Hamas, called for Palestinians to abandon the peace process and respond to any Israeli violence with violence in kind.

 

For more information, please see:

 

The Age (Australia) – Israelis and Palestinians Clash on Temple Mount – 27 October 2009

 

Al Jazeera – Meshaal Urges Arab Action on Aqsa – 26 October 2009

 

Ma’an News Agency – PA Official Banned from Jerusalem After Demonstration – 26 October 2009

 

Ha’aretz – Israel Police Battle Arab Rioters on Temple Mount; PA Official Arrested – 25 October 2009

 

New York Times – Israeli Police Clash with Palestinians at Sacred Compound in Jerusalem – 25 October 2009

EU Imposes Sanctions on Guinea

By Jonathan Ambaye
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa Desk

BRUSSELS, Belgium-Today, the European Union (EU) imposed a sanction on Guinea. The sanctions include an arms embargo, and a visa-ban restricting travel into Europe by members of the Guinean military junta.  These restrictive measures come in response to a massacre of Guinean demonstrators that took place on September 28.

Roughly 160 people were killed, and another few hundred were either wounded or raped resulting from a military response to a September 28 demonstration. Witnesses said, “Soldiers opened fire on demonstrators, stabbed people with bayonets, and gang raped women and little girls.” The demonstrators gathered because they were angered by news that Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara planned to stand for President next year.

Camara was just an unknown captain prior to the military coup that took place last year.  At that time the country was going through difficult times after the death of their long time leader Lasana Conte.  Camara promised genuine democracy along with a safe transition period, and most importantly that he would not only conduct presidential elections but he would not stand in them.

Camara gained popularity early as a result of his unorthodox style of rule which included, forcing national guard soldiers to apologize publicly for roughing up a general, and cracking down on drug trafficking. However, over the course of the past year it has been clear that he does not plan on honoring his promise of a genuine democracy. It is rumored that he plans on doing whatever he can to hold on to his power. News of his plans leaked to the public, which resulted in the demonstration.

The EU is not the only group that has sanctioned Guinea. The West African regional group ECOWAS had already imposed an arms embargo on Guinea who is the largest exporter of raw materials used to make aluminum.

One Guinean official has said that the EU’s decision to sanction Guinea may have been counter-productive at a time where the military junta is seeking to end the crisis. He further said, “ at a time when the two parties are moving slowly but surely towards a resolution of this crisis through AU-backed mediation, we think the EU should have aided us in this direction.” He also said, “much as the imposition of these sanctions by the EU is understandable, this is not however the solution to the crisis in Guinea.”

For more information please see:

All Africa – Europe Imposes Sanctions on Junta – 27 October 2009

AP – EU Imposes Sanctions on Guinea’s Leaders – 27 October 2009

BBC – Guineas Erratic Military Ruler – 27 October 2009

BBC – EU Imposes Arms Embargo On Guinea – 27 October 2009

Reuters – EU Agrees Sanctions On Guinea Over Crackdown – 27 October 2009

Gaston Flosse Alleges French Violated European Human Rights Convention

By Cindy Trinh

Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania


PAPEETE, French Polynesia – French Polynesia’s veteran politician, Gaston Flosse, alleges that French authorities violated the European Human Rights Convention when French investigators detained his partner, Pascale Haiti.


In September of 2009, investigators detained Haiti to question her about the corruption probe of the Office of Post of Telecommunications (OPT). The case involves the misuse of $2 million through the OPT. Flosse is alleged to be the leader of the corruption probe.


Haiti was detained in Paris, France. Flosse stated that he believes the detainment of people close to him was merely a tactic to scare him.


Another person detained in link to the probe of the OPT was a computer technician, who was jailed in Tahiti for suspicion of destroying evidence. The technician was kept awake for two days straight and not allowed to sleep during the questioning.


In early October 2009, investigators searched the offices of the Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party at the assembly to further inquire about the OPT corruption probe.


On October 26, Flosse has stated to the Depeche de Tahiti newspaper that the French authorities violated the European Human Rights Convention when the investigators detained Haiti in Paris, France.


Flosse stated that he is “repulsed by the prolonged jailing of fellow suspects.”


Many of the alleged co-conspirators have been transferred to Tahiti, and are held in prison for months.


Flosse rejects all claims of corruption and continues to assert his innocence.


For more information, please see:

Pacific Islands Report – Tahiti Politician Accuses France of Human Rights Abuses – 26 October, 2009


Radio New Zealand International – Flosse alleges French human rights abuse – 26 October, 2009


Islands Business – French Polynesia’s Tahoeraa assembly offices searched – 9 October, 2009


Radio Australia News – French Polynesia bans Flosse for one year – 25 September, 2009


Radio New Zealand International – Partner of French Polynesia’s Flosse detained in Paris – 24 September, 2009

Zimbabwe Talks End With “No Deal”

By Jennifer M. Haralambides
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

HARARE, Zimbabwe – The former opposition leader, Mogan Tsvangirai, who has temporarily withdrawn from the unity government, and President Robert Mugabe recently held a four-hour meeting for the first time since the split.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai met with Mugabe for the first time since the prime minister pulled out of the unity government on October 16th.   Tsvangirai cited a lack of co-operation as the main reason for the split.  He also claims that Mugabe’s persistent human rights abuses support his reason for withdrawal from the unity government.

Sources say that these two leaders remain “poles apart” regarding the key unity government issues.

“The principals met.  Sadly and tragically the stalemate continues . . . we are poles apart on fundamental issues,” said Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) spokesman Nelson Chamisa.

Although Mugabe’s spokesman said that that this was going to be a “regular Monday meeting,” Tsvangirai spokesman James Maridadi said, “This is not a regular meeting.  The meeting will discuss the issue of disengagement and the other outstanding issues related to the Global Political Agreement.”

After the meeting the leaders did not make any comments on how it went.  But Maridadi said that Tsvangirai would issue a statement this coming Tuesday.

Tsvangirai’s movement, which was in opposition in Zimbabwe for many years, may be meeting in Harare later this week with the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to try to break the deadlock between the two groups.

The MDC leader said that he will only resume cooperation in the unity government once all the outstanding issues regarding the Global Political Agreement are resolved.  These issues include wrangles over key posts and a crackdown on his supporters.

On Saturday, Mugabe was quoted in the state-run Herald newspaper vowing not to give in to the MDC demands, “We will not do that.  They can go to any summit, any part of the world to appeal.  That will not happen,” he was quoted.

A splinter faction from the MDC said that at the very least – the latest talks between Mugabe and Tsvangirai are a step in the right direction regardless of whether or not a resolution was reached.

“At least now they are talking.  These people were not talking.  We are hopeful that a solution will be found eventually,” said spokesman Edwin Mushoriwa.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Zimbabwe Leaders “Poles Apart” as Unity Talks Stall – 26 October 2009

AP – Zimbabwe Leaders in Split Unity Government Meet – 26 October 2009

BBC – Zimbabwe Talks End “Without Deal” – 26 October 2009

VOA – Top-Level Meeting Fails to Resolve Deadlock in Zimbabwe Unity Government – 26 October 2009