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War Crimes Prosecution Watch Volume 11, Issue 5 – May 16, 2016
FREDERICK K. COX
INTERNATIONAL LAW CENTERFounder/Advisor
Michael P. ScharfWar Crimes Prosecution Watch Volume 11 – Issue 5
May 16, 2016
Editor-in-Chief
Kevin J. VogelTechnical Editor-in-Chief
Jeradon Z. MuraManaging Editors
Dustin Narcisse
Victoria SarantWar 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.
CENTRAL AFRICA
- Radio Tamazuj: Security council: grenade attack on UN Bentiu base may be war crime
- ENCA: Armed tribesmen kill 6 civilians in Sudan’s Darfur: UN
Democratic Republic of the Congo
- International Criminal Court: Closing oral statements in Bemba, Kilolo et al. trial to start on 31 May 2016: Practical information
- International Justice Monitor: National Prosecution of Katanga Can Proceed, Says ICC Presidency
- International Justice Monitor: Bishop, Trauma Expert, and Two Victims to Testify at Bemba’s Sentencing Hearing
WEST AFRICA
- Time: The U.N. Is Ending Its Arms Embargo on the Ivory Coast and Planning a Withdrawal
- Amensty International: Ivory Coast should hand former first lady over to International Criminal Court
- Daily Mail: I.Coast’s former first lady to go on trial May 31
- News 24: Ivory Coast says ex first lady Gbagbo getting ‘fair trial’
Lake Chad Region — Chad, Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon
- IB Times: Nigeria: Pro-Biafran protesters ‘not even born’ during civil war, chides President Buhari
- Naiji: Full-Scale war imminent in Nigeria- APC Chief
- Newsweek: Nigeria Must Close Boko Haram Barracks Where Babies Are Dying: Amnesty International
- Reuters:: Mali says Islamist militant arms supplier arrested
- AP: GROUP: 13 PEUHLS KILLED IN LATEST ATTACKS IN MALI
- The New York Times: Confronting Mali’s New Jihadist Threat
EAST AFRICA
- CNN: Uganda’s Museveni extends 30-Year Grip on Power
- U.S. News: Uganda’s Main Opposition Figure Has Been Arrested Ahead of the Inauguration Thursday of the Country’s Long-Time President
EUROPE
Court of Bosnia & Herzegovina, War Crimes Chamber
- Balkan Insight: Croatia Convicts Five Rebel Serb Policemen
- Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Željko Stanarević sentenced to 13 years in prison
- Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Custody of Darko Mrđa and Radenko Marinović terminated and prohibiting measures ordered
- Balkan Insight: Bosnian Serb Acquitted of Crimes against Humanity
- Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Indictment confirmed in the Edin Sakoč case
- Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Zoran Bjelica acquitted, Novica Tripković sentenced to 8 years in prison
MIDDLE EAST AND ASIA
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
- Anadolu Agency : Spain Condemns Syrian Hospital Bombings As ‘War Crimes’: Deliberate Attacks On Hospitals Or Medical Personnel Constitute A War Crime, Says Spanish Foreign Ministry
- The United Nations: Security Council Adopts Resolution 2286 (2016), Strongly Condemning Attacks against Medical Facilities, Personnel in Conflict Situations
- Business Insider: Syria Denies Committing A ‘Deliberate War Crime’ By Bombing Refugee Camp
- The Daily Star: Lengthy cross-examination crawls on at the STL
- The Daily Star: Technical evidence a hurdle for STL judges
Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal
- ABC News: Bangladesh War Crimes Court Sentences 4 to Death
- bdnews24.com: Probe starts against BNP’s Osman Farooq over 1971 war crimes charges
- The Daily Star: Allegations of war crimes against 11 ex-agri univ teachers being probed
- bdnews24.com: Tribunal indicts Brahmanbaria’s Hossain, Kishoreganj’s Moslem for 1971 war crimes
- Al Jazeera: Bangladesh executes Motiur Rahman Nizami for war crimes
AMERICAS
- Expatica: Spain seeks extradition of 4 ex-soldiers from El Salvador
- Inquisitr: On This Day: Former Leader of Guatemala Found Guilty of Genocide
- The Washington Post: Pentagon: 2015 strike on Doctors Without Borders hospital in Afghanistan was not a war crime
- The Columbian: U.N.: Attacking hospitals still war crime
- UN News Centre: UN human rights panel condemns civilian attacks in Syria; calls for accountability
- The New York Times: Lack of Plan for ISIS Detainees Raises Human Rights Concerns
- The Guardian: Abu Ghraib prisoners deserve, finally, their day in court
TOPICS
TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION
- CBC News: Canada removing objector status to UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- República: Conflict victims hold sit-in near PM’s residence against 9-pt deal
- philly.com: Tribal leaders implore Army: Bring our children home
- New York Times: Suicide Bombing Near Historic Mosque in Turkey Wounds 13
- France 24: Salah Abdeslam will break silence over role in Paris attacks ‘at a later date’
- The Guardian: Isis members can now be stripped of Australian citizenship
- The Guardian: France to set up a dozen deradicalisation centres
- International Business Times: Islamic State Terrorism Has Cost Iraq Billions In Damages As ISIS Has Taken More Control
- Reuters: Dozens of terrorism suspects among refugees who entered Germany
- BBC News: Northern Ireland terror threat level raised in Great Britain
- Reuters: Turkey digs in heels over terrorism law, to EU’s chagrin
- The Washington Post: Falling oil prices spark a rise in kidnappings by West African pirates
- Hellenic Shipping News: Nigeria spends $370m to combat piracy
- The Strait Times: Indonesia frees vessel captured by pirates
- AsiaOne: Piracy in SE Asian waters rises; attacks off Somalia fall sharply
- News Ghana: Ghanaians Advised To Report Gender-based Violence
- All Africa: Namibia: Gender-Based Violence Experience Drove Youth to Initiate Organisation
- Vox: The Obama administration is honoring Henry Kissinger today. It shouldn’t be.
- Las Cruces Sun-News: Desert Sage: Have we lost our conscience on war crimes?
- Foreign Policy: Hiroshima, My Father, and the Lie of U.S. Innocence: Why Washington hid Japan’s crimes, and its own, in the reckoning of justice after World War II
Muirfield Golf Club Votes to Continue Ban on Women Members
By Sarah Lafen
Impunity Watch Desk Reporter, Europe
EDINBURGH, Scotland —After a two year consultation process, over 600 male members of the Muirfield Golf Club in Scotland have failed to reach a two-thirds majority vote which would allow women to join the club. While women can continue to use the club as guests and visitors, they will not be allowed to join as members.
This decision is a deviation from the recent trend set by other golf clubs in the United Kingdom. The Royal & Ancient Club of St. Andrew’s and Royal St. George’s have both voted to admit women as members within the last two years. As a result, Muirfield and the Royal Troon club are the only remaining traditional British Open host venues to maintain a ban against women members. Royal Troon is currently reviewing their own membership policies to consider allowing women to join as members.
Among the reasons given for voting against women to join the club, dissenters have stated that they believe women would endanger the speedy play of the game, and would “feel uncomfortable” as members. They also urged that the allowance of women members would go against the very nature of the club – “a gentlemen’s club where golf is played.”
Prominent golfers and various leaders have voiced their disagreement with the vote. Scotland’s first female Prime Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, called the vote “simply indefensible” and urged the club to revisit the vote in the future. Rory McElroy, former British Open champion, stated that the vote would damage golfs image. Lesley Sawers, the Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland commissioner, estimates that the decision will cost the Scottish economy £100m as a result of loss of revenue generated from the Open.
In response to Muirfield’s vote, Royal & Ancient, the organizer of the British Open, has refused to host the British Open at the club for as long as they continue to ban women as members. Muirfield has hosted 16 British Opens in the past.
For more information, please see:
BBC — Muirfield to lose right to host Open after vote against allowing women members — 19 May 2016
CNN — Muirfield banned from hosting British Open after refusing women members — 19 May 2016
New York Times — Muirfield Golf Club Picks Discrimination Over the British Open — 19 May 2016
The Guardian — Muirfield loses right to hold Open after voting to remain men-only — 19 May 2016
Peace Talks Leads to Release of Child Soldiers
By Cintia Garcia
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
Bogota, Colombia— On Sunday March 15 in Havana, Cuba, the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed forces of Colombia (FARC) reached an agreement to release child soldiers from the FARC’s ranks. Both parties have agreed to release all children under the age of 15 from FARC, and FARC has agreed that they will no longer recruit children within this age range. In addition, the government of Colombia and FARC will develop a plan to release child soldiers under the age of 18. Furthermore, the agreement also proposes the creation of a reintegration plan that will assist in transitioning the child soldiers into society.
The priority of the government of Colombia is to ensure the safety and the release of any child under the age of 15. FARC will assist the government of Colombia in finding and identifying any child who falls within this age group for their departure from the non-state military. Although FARC claimed it only had knowledge of 20 children under age 15 currently serving FARC, it has been confirmed that 170 children will be released. Upon the release of the child soldiers, FARC has asked the government of Colombia to not prosecute the child soldiers for crimes they have committed and provide them with “Victim Status.” About 100 boys and 70 girls will be released to UNICEF.
According to UNICEF, since 2013, the number of children soldiers that have been killed or injured under FARC has dropped by 40%. Additionally, in the past 17 years 60% of the 6,000 children that have left the rebel military belong to FARC.
UNICEF has been an integral partner during the peace talks in ensuring the children of FARC are reintegrated with their families and into society. UNICEF representative, Roberto de Bernardi, announced that UNICEF “stands ready to support the release of all children and their reintegration into their families and communities, in accordance with national and international law.”
The historic announcement comes amidst three years of peace talks between the government of Colombia and FARC. The peace talks are being held in Havana, Cuba with the goal of reaching a cease fire by the end of this year. FARC is the most mobilized rebel group in Colombia. Since the peace talks began, the number of fighters within FARC has reduced to about 8,000 through the voluntary disarmament, demobilization and reintegration program.
For more information, please see:
BBC – Colombia and Farc Rebels Agreed Child Soldier Deal—16 May 2016
Colombia Reports—Farc to Release 170 Child Soldiers: Colombia’s Defense Minister—19 May 2016
New York Times—Colombia and FARC Rebels Reach a Deal to Free Child Soldiers—15 May 2016
Newsweek—FARC Rebel Rehab Hopes to Create Lasting Peace in Colombia—24 April 2016
UNICEF—UNICEF Welcomes FARC’s Announcement to Release all Children in its Rank—16 May 2016
Iraqi Forces Retake Rutba; Battle for Fallujah Next
By Zachary Lucas
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
BAGHDAD, Iraq — After a two-day battle with the Islamic State, Iraqi forces reported that they had retaken the remote town of Rutba in the Andar Province. This comes on the heels of other military victories against IS in the northern and western regions of Iraq. This string of victories has been followed by some Iraq military officials stating that plans are being made to retake Fallujah next.
Iraqi forces, backed by United States led coalition airstrikes, entered Rutba on Tuesday. These forces were helped by elite commandos and local tribal fighters to retake the city within two days. Coalition spokesperson, Colonel Steve Warren, stated that there were approximately 200 IS fighters in the town. Colonel Warren and Iraqi military officials added that little resistance was made by IS to defend the city.
Rutba was captured by IS in June 2014 and quickly became a home for IS training grounds and bases due to its remoteness. IS used Rutba as staging grounds for attacks in both Syria and Iraq. Colonel Warren stated that the retaking of Rutba will deny IS a “critical support zone” for future attacks against military forces and civilians.
Retaking Rutba is one of a few victories that the Iraqi military has seen in the last few months. In February, the Iraq military retook Ramadi from IS and last month they retook the town of Hit in Anbar province. Coalition forces estimate that IS has lost more than 30 percent of its territory in Iraq and Syria. Some officials have stated that the loss of territory and supplies has led IS to put up less military resistance and instead focus attacks on civilian populations like the recent bombings in Baghdad.
These recent victories and the strategic victory in Rutba, lead many into thinking that Fallujah is next. Both Iraqi military officials and local, allied militia leaders stated plans for retaking Fallujah are in the works. Fallujah was the first city to fall to IS control in 2014 and was later followed by numerous Iraqi military defeats, including losing the second largest city Mosul. Fallujah and Mosul, where IS has headquartered military operations, attacks on civilians, and sex trafficking of women, have been IS strongholds for almost two years.
For more information, please see:
The Washington Post — Iraqi forces retake Rutba from ISIS and eye Fallujah for next battle — 19 May 2016
BBC — IS conflict: Iraq forces retake remote western town of Rutba — 19 May 2016
Radio Free Europe — Iraqi Forces Retake Remote Western Town From Islamic State — 19 May 2016
Reuters — Iraq says it retakes western town of Rutba from Islamic State — 19 May 2016