Moti Extradited to Australia to Face Rape Charges

By Sarah C. LaBelle
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

HONIARA, Solomon Islands – Julian Moti, former attorney general for the Solomon Islands, was extradited to Australia on Thursday, where he was promptly arrested.  The Fiji-born Moti is an Australian citizen who is facing a charge of child sex tourism for an incident in Vanuatu in 1997.  Moti eluded Australian authorities in Papua New Guinea before fleeing to the Solomons, where he was made attorney general.  However, last week the government changed over and the new government is not as friendly to Moti as their predecessor and has said for their entire campaign that they intended to return Moti to Australia.

Moti has maintained throughout the affair that the charges were dropped in Vanuatu and that the Australian government has been pursuing the charge for racial or political reasons.  [There is some debate over the actual case status in Vanuatu regarding whether the charges are pending or lapsed.  Please see theImpunity Watch report here for more.]  He is not well-liked in Australia, and a recent article in The Australian described him as “better known for hubris than any show of humility.”

Moti’s supporters rallied at his house on Thursday, confronting police and immigration officers who had come to escort him to the airport, delaying Moti’s departure for an hour and a half.  He was flown to Brisbane, where he was detained by Australian Federal Police, who handed him over to Queensland police.

After his arrest, Moti reiterated his belief that the charge against him is political and nature.  He has accused the Australian Federal Police of coaching witnesses and claims that he has not been given adequate time to raise his defense.  He is charged with engaging in sexual intercourse with a person under sixteen years of age, which has a maximum penalty of seventeen years of imprisonment.

Former Solomon Islands prime minister Manasseh Sogavare, who appointed Moti, has accused the Solomons government of “evading law and proper procedures” in the deportation process “merely to please Australia,” according to the Solomon Times.  Sogavare said that international human rights protocols were not observed, and that it was improper for the same judge to hear the case on appeal.

For more information, please see:

The Australian – Moti arrested at Brisbane airport – 27 December 2007

The Australian – Moti faces court after eviction – 28 December 2007

The Australian – “Victim of political conspiracy” – 28 December 2007

Solomon Times – Sogavare Accuses Government on Moti Deportation – 28 December 2007

Solomon Times –  Moti to Face Rape Charge – 28 December 2007

Sydney Morning Herald – Moti forced onto Brisbane flight to face charges – 28 December 2007

BRIEF: Kurds Promise to Continue to Fight

The Kurds have promised to continue fighting Turkey until they are promised equal rights including the right to teach the Kurdish language in public schools.  Suzdar Avista a local Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) leader stated that “We will not surrender, and if Turkey continues its aggression against our bases and kills civilians we will respond, we’ll begin fighting inside Turkey.” (International Herald Tribune)

Some locals have remained in the area despite the constant shelling.  They have condemned the Turkish actions.  They believe that the purpose of the attacks has only to improve the morale of the Turkish people, rather than actually eliminate the PKK rebels.

For more information, please see:

International Herald Tribune (AP)- Kurdish rebels in Iraq vow to carry out more attacks against Turkey if airstrikes continue- 30 December 2007

BRIEF: Bahrain Extends Amnesty Deadline

Bahrain has extended its amnesty deadline for illegal workers to January 31, 2008.  The purpose of the extending the deadline is enable illegal workers to stay in Bahrain or leave the country without having to pay high penalties for violating their contracts.  The amnesty was issued as a response to the reported abuses of migrant workers.

The government stated that the amnesty has been successful and that 80% of the illegal workers have benefited from the amnesty.  Around 12,000 workers have already left the country and 22,000 workers legalized their stay.  However, the government is committed to helping the remaining 20%  of illegal workers through amnesty and has promised to launch an “inspection campaign next week to ensure that no one is working in Bahrain illegally.”

For more information, please see:

Gulf Daily News- New deadline for amnesty seekers- 31 December 2007

Human Rights Watch Urges Morocco to Investigate Rights Activists Beating

By Kevin Kim
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

RABAT, Morocco – Human Rights Watch on Friday urged the Moroccan Ministry of Justice to investigate the police beating and intimidation of two human rights activists in Western Sahara. More importantly, the New York-based rights organization expressed “concern that the action is part of a broader attack on human rights monitoring by the authorities in the Western Sahara region.”

Police allegedly detained Dahha Rahmouni and Brahim Alansari, members of two nongovernmental human rights organizations in El-Ayoun, on December 14 and beat them while in custody. Two days later, the authorities released both without charge, but threatened to use statements they were compelled to sign if they continued their activities. Rahmouni is a member of unrecognized organization based in El-Ayoun called the Sahrawi Association of Victims of Grave Human Rights Violations. Alansari is a member of the legally recognized Moroccan Association of Human Rights.

Rahmouni and Alansari are known as sympathizers of the independence movement Polisario Front in Western Sahara. In 1976, Morocco annexed the northwest African territory of 260,000 people after Spain withdrew from what is known as “Spanish Sahara.” Although the Moroccan government has offered it autonomy, Polisario Front movement is calling for full independence.

Currently, talks between the two sides are at stalemate. Two rounds of talks to resolve the 32-year-old dispute were held in June and August this year, but each side had stuck to “rigid position.” January 7 negotiation is impending, but many believe the outcome is not hopeful based on past history.

Human Rights Watch said “the Moroccan authorities tightly restrict independent human rights activities in the contested Western Sahara region on the pretext that several rights organizations there violate Moroccan law by espousing independence for Western Sahara,” and added that “authorities frequently keep activists in these organizations under police surveillance and subject them to various forms of harassment.”

The Morrocan government denies all allegations of mistreating independence activists.

For more information, please see:

The Washington Times – Endless conflict in West Sahara – 30 December 2007

Reuters – Morocco urged to probe beating of rights activists – 29 December 2007

Human Rights Watch – Investigate police beating of rights activists in Western Sahara – 28 December 2007

BRIEF: Kibaki Re-elected as President of Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya – The electoral commission has declared that Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki won Thursday’s contested election, amid accusations by opposition leader Raila Odinga that Mr. Kibaki used electoral fraud to win.  Opposition protesters in Nairobi began riots minutes after the announcement.  Mr. Kibaki won with 4,584,721 votes, more than 230,000 more than Mr. Odinga. 

President Kibaki was sworn in for his second five-year term an hour after the announcement was made.  He described the election as “free and fair” and urged all political parties to “accept the verdict of the people.” 

At least 14 people have died in the Nairobi rioting since the vote on Thursday.  The electoral commission suspended announcing the results until Sunday, promising to look into the allegations of fraud.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Kibaki named victor in Kenya vote – 30 December 2007

AP – Kenya Candidate Claims Rigging in Vote – 30 December 2007

Reuters – Kibaki wins Kenya vote, protests erupt – 30 December 2007