Same Sex Couples Wed in Alabama In Defiance of Judge’s Order

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States of America – Wedding bells are ringing for same sex couples across Alabama despite an order issued by the state’s chief justice, Roy S. Moore, intended to stop local judges from issuing marriage license to same sex couples. Amid conflicting signals from U.S. federal courts and the chief justice of Alabama’s Supreme Court, some Alabama counties began granting marriage licenses to same­ sex couples on Monday. In major counties like Birmingham, Montgomery and Huntsville, same sex couples lined up outside courthouses as they opened and were granted marriage licenses after being wed by clergy or by the judges themselves in defiance of Roy Moore’s ban. A United States district court ruled last month that Alabama must issue same-sex marriage licenses starting Monday.

Robert Povilat, 60, and Milton Persinger, 47 celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision not to stop same sex marriage in Alabama. They were the first in line for marriage licence at their county courthouse. (Photo courtesy of The New York Times)

Roy Moore issued an order attempting to stop judges in the state from issuing marriage licenses as an attempt to stop the licenses when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene. “Effective immediately, no Probate Judge of the State of Alabama nor any agent or employee of any Alabama Probate Judge shall issue or recognize a marriage license that is inconsistent with [state law],” Moore said in the order. He explained his move as “necessary for the orderly administration of justice within the state.”

At least six counties began granting licenses to same-sex couples in defiance of Roy’s order, including the state’s most populous counties. Judge Steve Blair said the issue of judicial authority is “long settled” and “my personal beliefs … are entirely immaterial.” The actions of judges in these counties made Alabama the 37th state with legal same-sex unions. At least eight counties refused licenses to same-sex couples, including Tuscaloosa, Lee, Elmore, Covington, Calhoun, Cleburne, Franklin and Washington. Washington probate judge Nick Williams said of his action, “I’m not worried about following the US constitution.” Also, at least six counties refused licenses to anyone, straight or gay, including Mobile, Bibb, Clarke, Shelby, Pike and Marengo, where a judge will offer papers but won’t sign them. Additionally at least six counties are accepting applications for same sex marriage license but are waiting for the United States Supreme Court to weigh in on the issue.

For some, the conflict between the federal order and the judge’s order, largely seen as a reflection of Roy’s own beliefs, is reminiscent of the legal struggles waged in the state during the Civil Rights era. “I don’t want to see judges make the same mistakes that I think were made in this state 50 years ago, where you have state officials not abiding by federal orders,” said Judge Steven L. Reed of Montgomery County, who added, “The legacy always hangs over us until we show that we’re beyond it.”

For more information please see:

The Guardian – Alabama Same-Sex Marriages Continue As Governor Refuses To Intervene – Live Updates – 9 February 2015

The New York Times – Same­Sex Marriages Proceed in Alabama as State Judge’s Order Is Defied – 9 February 2015

Time – Gay Marriage Begins in Alabama despite Top Judge’s Order – 9 February 2015

The Wall Street Journal – Alabama’s Chief Justice Fails in Bid to Block Gay Marriages – 9 February 2015

 

Death Toll in Ukraine Conflict Now Exceeds 5,300

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Managing Editor

KIEV, Ukraine – According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the overall death toll in the recent conflict in the Ukraine now exceeds 5,358 people. An additional 12,235 have been wounded since mid-April of last year. “The rebel offensive continues and civilians are dying on a daily basis,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement issued by his spokesperson. “Any further escalation will prove catastrophic for the 5.2 million people living in the midst of conflict in eastern Ukraine,” the high commissioner for Human Rights said.

Many civilians have fled fighting in Donetsk. since the start of the conflict more than 600,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, 400,000 of whom have fled to Russia. (Photo courtesy of BBC News)

Indiscriminate shelling has been reported in residential areas in government-controlled territories such as Debaltseve and Avdiivka and rebel-held cities such as Donetsk and Horlivka the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said. “Bus stops and public transport, marketplaces, schools and kindergartens, hospitals and residential areas have become battlegrounds in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine — in clear breach of international humanitarian law which governs the conduct of armed conflicts,” the high commissioner said in a statement. Last, the most deadly single incident involving civilians occurred in the southeastern city of Mariupol when two attacks were carried out using multiple-launch rocket systems that killed least 31 people and injured 112 others, the United Nations said.

Despite mounting evidence the Russian government denies denies accusations that it has been sending troops and supplying the pro-Russian rebels. Russian President Vladimir Putin blames the current conflict in the Ukraine is the fault of the west, he told an Egyptian newspaper that Western countries had broken pledges not to expand NATO and forced countries to choose between them and Russia.

Putin’s comments come amid new hopes for a peace deal this Wednesday. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande flew to Moscow on Friday to discuss proposals to end the fighting. The details of the proposed peace deal have not been released but the plan is believed to include a demilitarized zone of 50-70km (31-44 miles) around the current front lines of the conflict zone. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko reportedly spoke on the phone on Sunday, they announced that a four-way summit could be held Minsk, if the details were agreed before Wednesday.

Chancellor Merkel is expected to brief United States President Barack Obama in Washington D.C. later on Monday on the peace plan as the United considers broadening its role in the region, including the possibility of sending weapons to the Ukrainian government. Some U.S. officials, as well as senior Republicans including Senator John McCain, argue that some form of military support is necessary. However, Chancellor Merkel said she could not “imagine any situation in which improved equipment for the Ukrainian army leads to President Putin being so impressed that he believes he will lose militarily.”

The current crisis in eastern Ukraine began in late February 2014 stemming from an initial internal political crisis and degrading violent clashes in parts of the country and has now reached full scale conflict in the eastern region of the country. Despite the Minsk cease-fire, the situation in Ukraine has deteriorated.

For more information please see

BBC News – Ukraine conflict: Vladimir Putin renews blame on West – 9 February 2015

BBC News – Ukraine crisis: Hollande and Merkel in Putin talks – 6 February 2015

The United Nations News Centre – UN chief ‘gravely concerned’ as civilian death toll from Ukraine conflict continues to rise – 5 February 2015

CNN International – Civilians increasingly under fire as Ukraine devastation grows – 3 February

Push for US to Arm Ukrainian Military with New Minsk Talks Looming

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko are all working towards another meeting in Minsk, Belarus to discuss peace. The first such meeting led to a cease-fire, but that agreement has since broken down as fighting has dramatically increased in Eastern Ukraine once again.

Ukrainian troops positioned around Debaltseve, near Donetsk. (Photo courtesy of The Guardian)

 

One point that Ukraine is pushing for is monitored security on the border between Ukraine and Russia. This is due to evidence that has come in at several points over the past year that suggests Russia has sent weapons, troops, and vehicles to Eastern Ukraine for the rebels to use in their fight against Kiev. Regardless, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is eager to bring back peace to their neighboring country.

While these talks may not include the United States, the US is nonetheless considering sending lethal force to Ukraine to assist in fighting the pro-Russian rebels in Eastern Ukraine. Poroshenko says Ukraine would welcome more non-lethal aid such as “counter-barrage radar …, communications and radio jamming technology,” night-vision goggles, and radios. Further, Obama is set to meet with Merkel before she goes to Minsk for the new round of peace talks, likely to discuss and coordinate the United States’s plan and Europe’s plan.

Pro-Russian rebels in Eastern Ukraine, along with Russia, have been pushing for Eastern Ukraine to gain independence as their own nation – “New Russia.” Recently, rebels in the Donetsk region and the Luhansk region have been discussing working together in making this goal a reality, and Putin has pushed for international recognizance of independence. Kiev agreed in the original Minsk agreement to back off from Eastern Ukraine and grant more autonomy to the rebel-held territory, but given the recent violence and shifting of the front, Kiev is less willing to do so now and it will likely effect Kiev’s willingness to grant this again in the new Minsk talks.

For more information, please see:

Fox – Cruz pushes for US to arm Ukraine, as European leaders push for cease-fire – 8 February 2015

The Guardian – Ukraine conflict: four-nation peace talks in Minsk aim to end crisis – 8 February 2015

Yahoo – Putin-backed rebels just made a huge move right under Europe’s nose – 6 February 2015

BBC – Ukraine crisis: Pentagon ‘chief’ inclined to send weapons – 4 February 2015

Jordan Steps Up Its Role in Fight against ISIS

Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

DAMASCUS, Syria – The Jordanian government claims to have carried out 56 airstrikes against the Islamic State of Syria and the Levant (ISIS) over the past three days marking a major escalation in the state’s role in coalition airstrikes against ISIS. “We achieved what we aimed at,” Air Force chief General Mansour al-Jbour, head of the Royal Jordanian Air Force, said. The airstrikes targeted ISIS logistics sites and suspected hideouts. While Jordan has carried out nearly 20% of all maneuvers by the US-led coalition against ISIS in Syria since the campaign began the recent surge in Jordanian efforts comes just days after a video showing the brutal emulation of a Jordanian pilot was released by the terror group sparking outrage in Jordan and around the world. According to General Jbour Jordan is now “determined to wipe them from the face of the Earth.”

Moaz Youssef al-Kasasbeh, aged 26, was married to engineer Anwar al-Tarawneh in September 2014, just months before he was captured by ISIS fighters. he leaves behind 7 siblings. (Photo courtesy of BBC News)

The video showing the brutal murder of the Jordanian piolet, Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasasbeh, aged 26, who was captured by ISIS late last year, was released on the internet by ISIS earlier this week. The video showed the young hostage being burned alive in a cage. Jordanian officials now believe Moaz al-Kasasbeh was murdered several weeks ago despite ISIS claims that he was still alive and the group’s attempts to use him as a bargaining chip.

“We have achieved our goals in revenge for Muath” after the recent strikes were carried out, Gen. Mansour al-Jbour said at a press briefing. “But this isn’t the end. Airstrikes carried out over the weekend hit several targets including ammunition depots. The goal of the most recent airstrikes was to break the ISIS command structure, disrupt revenue sources, destroy training centers and interfere with logistics.

Recent video footage released by the United States Central Command shows footage of airstrikes carried out by Jordanian forces against an ISIS target. The video was released on 5 February and shows a target hit near Hasaka, Syria. “The destruction of [ISIS] targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group’s ability to project terror and conduct operations,” CENTCOM said in statement posted with the video on YouTube.

General Mansour Al-Jbour claimed that ISIS has lost 20% of its military capabilities since the start of U.S. led coalition airstrikes in September of last year.  Jordan’s King Abdullah has vowed to avenge the killing of Muath al- Kasasbeh and has ordered his commanders to prepare for an increased military role in the fight against ISIS.

For more information please see:

Al Arabiya – Jordan: ISIS Lost 20% of Its Military Capabilities – 8 February 2015

BBC News –D Islamic State Crisis: Jordan Air Strikes ‘Destroy’ IS Hideouts – 8 February 2015

The Wall Street Journal – Jordan Threatens More Strikes against Islamic State – 8 February 2015

Al Arabiya – Syria’s Hasaka – 7 February 2015

Ferguson Police Testing New Device To Minimize Lethal Force

By Lyndsey Kelly
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

 
WASHINGTON, D.C., United States of America – Following protests regarding police brutality in the St. Louis suburbs, police are testing a device that would be attached to a regular handgun that may reduce the use of lethal force by law enforcement. The device is being called “The Alternative.” It consists of an orange cap that mounts onto a handgun, and when the gun is fired, the resulting projectile will have enough force to knock a person down but not kill. This week, five Ferguson police instructors will train to use the device, and will then convey their training to the entire police department.

During the Ferguson protests local police fired tear gas in the direction of unruly crowds (Photo Courtesy of TIME).

Post-protests, many have maintained their criticism for law enforcement agencies’ use of “casual brutality.” Debates over police use-of-force have gripped the country following the grand juries’ decision to not indict Officer Darren Wilson, the police officer responsible for the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. Al Eickhoff, Ferguson’s assistant police chief, has stated that he was looing for a new device that would be a practical alternative to lethal force that might have prevented a deadly result in the case of Michael Brown.

The Alternative can be readily affixed to the standard-issue Glock and Sig Sauer pistols. However, it has not yet been tested on a human, but it has been tested on foam, gel and leather. The Alternative is designed to be used in situations where officers must decide in a split second, whether to shoot someone to protect themselves or others. When the attachment is places on the barrel of a gun, and when the weapon is wired, the bullet embed itself into an alloy projectile, that is designed to send a shock wave of pain through the suspect without causing any internal damage. The device is meant to capture the first bullet, and the next round chambered would fire as a regular bullet, that is lethal. Thus, there is concern that if the Alternative should fail to stop its target, the second bullet may be discharged.

Opponents have considered the product dangerous because not only has it yet to be tested, but also because officers must take time to remove the device from their belts and affix it to their weapon, thus exposing the officers to a “greater risk.” The Ferguson police department has said that the technology has been demonstrated to department officials, but there has not yet been a decision to implement the device.

 

For more information, please see the following:

THE GUARDIAN – ‘Less Than Lethal’? Ferguson Test Of Gun ‘Alternative’ Draws Fire From Police Vets – 4. Feb 2015.

NBC NEWS – Ferguson Police Begin Testing ‘Less Letha;’ Gun Attachment – 4 Feb. 2015.

TIME – Ferguson Police Are Testing ‘Less-Lethal’ Attachments For Guns – 4 Feb. 2015.

WASHINGTON POST – Ferguson, Mo., Police Begin Testing New ‘Less-Lethal’ Attachment For Guns – 4. Feb. 2015.