Sixth Annual Meeting of the Global Network of R2P Focal Points

July 1, 2016

Bahrain Strips Top Cleric of Citizenship

July 1, 2016

by Zachary Lucas
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain — The Kingdom of Bahrain stripped top Shiite Cleric, Sheikh Isa Qassim, of citizenship on Tuesday. Iran has issued a statement saying the revocation of leadership could lead to an overthrow of the government.

Supporters Protest Sheikh Isa Qassim’s Loss of Citizenship (Photo Courtesy of CNN)

The government of Bahrain stripped Qassim of his citizenship, stating he helped to divide the country. The Bahrain News Agency said Qassim helped create “an extremist sectarian environment and worked on dividing the society.” The government also stated that Qassim formed groups that were loyal to foreign religious groups and governments, purportedly in reference to Iran.

Following Qassim’s revocation of citizenship, hundreds of Bahraini protesters have gathered outside the cleric’s home to support him. The protesters denied the allegations against the cleric. Clashes between the protesters and police have been sporadic following the sit-in outside the cleric’s house. The Bahraini government has warned that legal action will be taken against those who incite “security disturbances.”

The Iranian government warned Bahrain that these actions could lead to an overthrow of the government. Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, warned that this could set the” whole region on fire” and lead to armed resistance against the government.

This is one of a string of actions taken by the Bahraini government against the opposition groups in the country. Earlier in the week a Bahraini court suspended the main Shiite opposition party, al-Wefaq, along with freezing its assets. The government also more than doubled a prison sentence for Al-Wefaq’s secretary-general, Sheikh Ali Salman. In response to the government crackdown on the opposition, more protests and violence have emerged including a gasoline bomb that killed a police officer.

Human rights organizations are concerned about human rights violations by the Sunni ruled Bahraini government and actions against the majority Shiite population. Brian Dooley, the director of the Washington-based group Human Rights First, said, “the targeting of the theological side of things, I think, is particularly worrying.”

In 2011, Bahrain saw mass protests during the Arab Spring as predominantly Shiite protesters argued for more political and civil liberties. During the protests, Qassim supported the protesters in their cause. The government along with help from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates crushed the protests.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Iran general warns Bahrain after Shia cleric stripped of citizenship – 20 June 2016

CNN – Iran: Bahrain’s leadership could fall over cleric’s treatment – 21 June 2016

Reuters – Bahrain summons senior Shi’ite clerics for questioning: lawyer – 23 June 2016

ABC News – Rally Outside Shiite Sheikh’s Home Reflects Bahrain Unrest – 23 June 2016

Historic Ceasefire Between Colombia and Farc

June 29, 2016

By Cintia Garcia

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BOGOTA, Colombia— A historical bilateral ceasefire was signed on Thursday June 25th between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) and the Colombian state. After 52 years of fighting both parties have agreed to put down their arms—a step closer to final peace accords.

Colombians in Bogota celebrate the end of war. (Photo Courtesy of BBC)

According to BBC, Farc leader Rodrigo Londono proclaimed, “let this be the last day of the war.” Although Farc previously committed to a unilateral ceasefire a year ago and the government has ceased its actions against Farc, this ceasefire officially puts an end to civil war. At the signing on Thursday both parties agreed that FARC will put its arms down within 180 days of the final peace agreements, transition programs will be in place for the 7,000 FARC members which includes 23 temporary zones and 8 camps, civilians will not be allowed to enter FARC camps, and the United Nations will monitor and receive the weapons.

Although the details of the ceasefire implementation need to be approved, the signing on Thursday in Havana, Cuba is one step closer to closing a bloody chapter in Colombian history. Approximately 220,00 people were killed due to the conflict and millions have been displaced as a result. The civil war is one of the longest wars in history. Many Colombians poured out to the capital in Colombia to see this historic day as a nation. For many like Graciela Pataquiva, a retired school teacher has never seen peace, “I’m 76 and have lived this war all my life—I never thought the time would come when these characters would sign peace.”

FARC is the largest most powerful non-military organization in the western hemisphere. The organization was created in 1964 by farm workers and land workers against socio-economic inequalities, which the state responded against. FARC has had an estimated 20,000 fighters including children soldiers. Over the past few years FARC has lost funding, reduced in numbers, and lost key leaders which made this a pinnacle time to reach peace agreements.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Who Are the FARC? – 23 June 2016

NPR – Farc Reberls, Colombian Government Sign Cease-Fire Deal – 23 June 2016

REUTERS – Tears of joy as Rebels Sign Ceasefire With Colombian Government – 23 June 2016

BBC – Colombia Farc: Celebrations After Ceasefire Ends Five Decades of War – 24 June 2016

The Economist – Peace, at Last, in Colombia – 25 June 2016

PILPG: War Crimes Prosecution Watch Volume 11, Issue 8 – June 27, 2016

June 28, 2016

FREDERICK K. COX
INTERNATIONAL LAW CENTER

Founder/Advisor
Michael P. Scharf

War Crimes Prosecution Watch

Volume 11 – Issue 8
June 27, 2016

Editor-in-Chief
Kevin J. Vogel

Technical Editor-in-Chief
Jeradon Z. Mura

Managing Editors
Dustin Narcisse
Victoria Sarant

War Crimes Prosecution Watch is a bi-weekly e-newsletter that compiles official documents and articles from major news sources detailing and analyzing salient issues pertaining to the investigation and prosecution of war crimes throughout the world. To subscribe, please email warcrimeswatch@pilpg.org and type “subscribe” in the subject line.

Opinions expressed in the articles herein represent the views of their authors and are not necessarily those of the War Crimes Prosecution Watch staff, the Case Western Reserve University School of Law or Public International Law & Policy Group.

WORTH READING

The Killing of no Less than 12,679 due to Torture, 99% of them at the Hands of the Syrian Regime Forces

June 28, 2016

SNHR has published its annual report on torture practices inside detention centers and the victims of torture toll. The report was published on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture entitled: “The Rest of detainees must be Rescued”
The report methodology is based on SNHR archive that have been built through ongoing and daily monitoring and documenting since 2011. All statistics and numbers are recorded with names, pictures, place and date of death or detention and other details. In light of the exceptional difficulties and the huge magnitude of violations, this report only contains the minimum of the violations that we were able to document. Also, the report contains eight accounts of survivors of torture from the various conflict parties.
The report notes that the toll of victims of torture who died between March 2011 and June 2016 is 12,679 individuals at least including 163 children and 53 women; among them were 12,569 individuals killed by government forces including 160 children and 38 women. The report also recorded that 18 individuals were killed by the self-management forces including one child and one woman while 29 individuals were killed by ISIS including one child and 13 women. Additionally, 15 individuals were killed by Al-Nussra Front and 19 were killed by armed opposition factions including one child and one woman. The repost also recorded the death of two individuals due to torture by unidentified groups.
The report holds the Syrian regime responsible for 99% of the victims who died due to torture inside detention centers.

Read the entire Report here:

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