Press Release: Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, Our Statment on Omar Khadr

Official Statement

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 8th, 2015

 

Our Statment on Omar Khadr

 

Omar Khadr is free at last on bail. The treatment of Omar Khadr as a terrorist and not as a child soldier was wrong. Despite the efforts of many concerned Canadians, human rights advocates and child protection experts, Omar continued to languish in prison cell after prison cell.  Yesterday, the upholding of Omar’s bail decision is a reminder of the importance of the judicial branch of our government, which upheld the rule of law.

It is crucial to keep in mind that Omar Khadr is a victim in all of this. Recruited at 13 years old, then shot and taken prisoner two years later, the story of Omar Khadr has been nothing if not infuriating. As a child, Khadr was forced to move to Afghanistan and join al-Qaeda by his father. It is believed that during a raid on Khadr’s compound, the 15-year-old threw a grenade, killing Sergeant Christopher Speer, a Delta Force strategic forces soldier and medic. Eight years later, he pleaded guilty under duress.

But over the past decade, Khadr’s rights have been violated time and again. From the very beginning, he has been denied the right to due process and a fair trial, the right to protection from torture and — perhaps most appallingly — the rights stemming from the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

International law and norms, which Canada is signatory to, are put in place so as to protect those children who are unscrupulously used as weapons of war and to hold those who recruit and use them to account. It is not Omar who was the threat, but those who recruit young girls and boys to fight their wars for them who are the greatest threat.  Omar deserves the chance to be educated, to be loved, and to be forgiven, just as hundreds of thousands of other child soldiers around the world who have received rehabilitation funded by the Canadian government.

Yesterday, despite the horrific treatment exacted upon Omar for the past 13 years, he walked out and declared, “there is nothing I can do about the past, but there is something I can do about the future.”  Yes Omar, there is so much you can do to shape your future positively and let us hope that you are “free at last”.

Sincerely,

LGen, the Hon. Roméo Dallaire, Founder of the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative

Dr. Shelly Whitman, Executive Director of the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative

 

VDC: The Monthly Statistical Report, April 2015

Violations Documentation Center in Syria – VDC

 

The Monthly Statistical Report of victims, April 2015

Since the beginning of the Syrian Revolution till the end of April 2015, the Violations Documentation Center in Syria – VDC managed to document the killing of (116166) people, (1557)of whom fell in April 2015, while (2840) fell in April 2014, (3788) in April 2013, (1669) fell in April 2012 and (486) in April 2011.

During this month, the Violations Documentation Center in Syria managed to document the death of (1557) victims, (1387) of whom were documented by names, while (170) i.e. (11%) were unidentified bodies because they had turned into carnages. Still, (20) of them were documented by photo; (15) were documented by video and (135) were documented only by witnessing.

 

Paraguay: Pregnant 10-Year Old Rape Victim Denied an Abortion

By Delisa Morris

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay — A 10-year-old girl in Paraguay has been denied an abortion that could save her life.  The girl, who is more than five months pregnant, was allegedly raped by her stepfather.

Image courtesy of inverdant.com

The child was admitted to the hospital with stomach pains when doctors discovered that she was 22-weeks pregnant.

Amnesty international is called on Paraguay’s government to allow the child to get the abortion for the sake of her health.  The mother also requested that the child be allowed to have an abortion, due to the high risk nature of the pregnancy.

The mother’s request was also denied by officials, as abortion is illegal in the South American country.  The girl’s mother is now in custody facing charges of breaching duty of care and being an accomplice of sexual abuse.

Guadalupe Marengo, America’s deputy director at Amnesty International, said Paraguay’s “restrictive” abortion law is in violation of international law.

“Forcing the girl to continue with the pregnancy would prolong the horror”, he said. “The physical and psychological impact of forcing this young girl to continue with an unwanted pregnancy is tantamount to torture.”

Health Minister Antonio Barrios told Paraguay’s ABC newspaper that a psychologist along with doctors were providing care to the girl.

“[T]here are no indications that the girl’s health is at risk… we are not from any point of view, in favor of terminating a pregnancy,” Barrios was quoted as saying.

Paraguayan health authorities have said that even if the abortion were allowed, they would not go ahead because it could be risky for the girl at such a late stage in pregnancy.

The Catholic church in Paraguay has weighed in on the debate, noting human life is sacred, and it starts at conception.

This isn’t Paraguay’s first run in with a domestic abuse pregnancy.  According to health statistics, 680 Paraguayan girls between 10 and 14 years old gave birth in 2014.

Two births a day occur among girls aged 10 to 14 in Paraguay, and many are the result of sexual abuse by relatives and stepfathers, according to the government.

For more information, please see: 

Reuters – Pregnant 10-year-old rape victim denied abortion in Paraguay –  5 May 2015

The Telegraph – Girl, 10, raped by stepfather, denied abortion in Paraguay – 30 Apr. 2015

CNN – Group presses Paraguay to allow abortion for raped girl, 10 – 4 May 2015

the guardian – To make a 10-year-old give birth isn’t just horrifying – it’s life threatening – 5 May 2015