Blackwater Employees Convicted of 2007 Nisour Square Massacre

By Lyndsey Kelly
Impunity Watch, North America

 WASHINGTON, D.C., United States of America – On September 16, 2007, three dozen unarmed civilians were gunned down on the streets of Baghdad by Blackwater Worldwide Security firm, a now notorious private contractor, hired to guard U.S. diplomats. The event now known as the Nisour Square massacre became one of the most controversial moments in a very controversial war. The company was subsequently ejected from Iraq and had to pay compensation to the 17 victim’s families who were killed and 20 who were wounded by machine guns and grenades.

An Iraqui police officer investigates the aftermath of a car bomb in Nisour Square in 2007 (Photo courtesy of the Guardian).

While America’s record for prosecuting war crimes is nominal, on Wednesday, 22 October, four Blackwater employees were successfully convicted of 32 counts of manslaughter, murder, attempted manslaughter and weapons charges. A jury consisting of four men and eight women deliberated for 28 days before convicting Nicholas A. Slatten, Paul a. Slough, Evan S. Liberty and Dustin L. Heard. Three of the men face a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years imprisonment, whereas Slatten faces a mandatory life sentence. Reports indicate that the defendants displayed little emotion while sitting in court to hear the verdicts.

The founder and former CEO of Blackwater, Erik Prince, stated that the convictions of his former employees for their role in the 2007 shootings was unexpected, and raised questions as to whether they received a fair trial. Prince states, “Well, there was certainly a lot of politics surrounding this and the fact that the federal government spent tens of millions of dollars on this, now trying it seven years after the event, and 7,000 miles from where it happened.” Defense attorneys stated that they plan to appeal the convictions, maintaining that their clients acted reasonably at a time when they were providing necessary security for U.S. diplomats and Baghdad was plagued by acts of terrorism. The prosecutions strategy prevailed over the defendant’s claims of self-defense, stating that the men showed “a grave indifference” to the carnage of their actions.

It is doubtful that the United States can rehabilitate its reputation for overseas accountability, especially when allegations of CIA torture have surfaced. However, the convictions of the Blackwater employees were a step in the right direction, appropriately addressing what some are calling the worst atrocities of the war and comparing it to the My Lai massacre in Vietnam.

 

For more information, please see the following:

 CNN – 4 Ex-Blackwater Guards Guilty in Nusoor Square Shooting – 23 Oct. 2014.

HUFFINGTON POST – Jury Issues Guilty Verdicts For Blackwater Guards – 22 Oct. 2014.

THE GUARDIAN – Blackwater Verdicts Seen as Watershed For Accountability in War Zones – 22 Oct. 2014

THE WASHINGTON POST – Erik Prince on Blackwater Verdicts: ‘A lot of Politics Surrounding This’- 23 Oct. 2014.

Christian Pakistani Woman Sentenced to Death Appeals the Case to the Highest Court

By Hojin Choi

Impunity Watch Reporter

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Asia Bibi, a Christian Pakistani woman, is taking her blasphemy case to the highest court of Pakistan. She was sentenced to death in 2010 for allegedly making derogatory expressions about the name of the Prophet Mohammed while having an argument with her Muslim co-workers. An intermediate level court rejected her appeal and upheld the decision.

Bibi is a mother of five and a resident of Punjab province in Pakistan. In 2009, she had an argument with her fellow workers. According to her, the workers refused to drink water in a bucket because she was not Muslim and because she had touched the bucket of water. She was arrested and accused under the blasphemy law which can impose death or life imprisonment according to Pakistan’s penal code. She had been jailed more than a year and sentenced to hang. In 2010, the Lahore High Court upheld the decision.

Bibi’s attorney, Naeem Shakir, told CNN that “there is no concrete evidence against Asia Bibi, and the courts are only relying on the statement of those two women, [the fellow workers.]” The attorney expected the Supreme Court’s relief for Bibi.

Daughters of Asia Bibi standing in front of their house with a photo of the mother (Reuters)

The blasphemy law has been the center of a huge controversy domestically and internationally in the wake of Bibi’s case. In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI officially requested Bibi’s release. A group of human rights activists filed a petition to the U.N. Human Rights Council for her. Human Rights Watch pointed out that the law largely targets religious minorities in Pakistan and it is often manipulated to interfere with personal disputes. In fact, Bibi has been insisting that her fellow workers falsely incriminated her based on lies because they simply did not like her.

Amnesty International described her case as “a grave injustice.” The spokesperson said that she “should never have been convicted in the first place.” Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia Pacific Director, David Griffiths, added “those who speak out against the laws face terrible reprisals. However, the blasphemy laws violate international law and must be repealed or reformed immediately . . .”

There have been additional victims related to Bibi’s case. Shabaz Bhatti, who was Pakistan’s Minister of Minority Affairs, had investigated Bibi’s case and concluded that her charges were based on personal and religious enmity followed by a recommendation to release her. Bhatti also held a position against the blasphemy law. In 2011, she was assassinated by the Taliban as “a message to all of those who are against Pakistan’s blasphemy law.” Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab province where Bibi is from, was killed by gun-shots from one of his own security guards. Accordingly, Taseer had opposed the blasphemy law and supported Bibi’s release.

Shakir, Bibi’s attorney, also expressed concerns about his own safety. During her trial, there were dozens of people who were against Bibi, and he did “feel threatened” even in the court.

Protesters demanding release of Asia Bibi (Reuters)

Spokesperson of Pakistan’s Presidential Office, Farahnaz Ispahani, delivered an opinion that Pakistan remains committed to protecting religious minorities. “Pakistan is a nation of many faiths and religions, and all Pakistanis, no matter what their religion, are equal under the law,” he said. He added that the president will issue a pardon “if necessary” after carefully examining the Bibi’s case. However, two prominent Muslim leaders of Pakistan threatened to call nationwide protests if the president pardons Bibi, “if the president pardons [her], we will raise our voices across the country until he is forced to take his decision back.”

For more information please see:

CNN – Pakistan president urged not to pardon Christian woman – 24 November 2010

CNN – Condemned Christian woman to take blasphemy case to top Pakistani court – 20 October 2014

Amnesty International – Pakistan: Upholding blasphemy death sentence against Christian woman ‘a grave injustice’ – 16 October 2014

Newsweek – Christian Pakistani Women Sentenced to Death Will Take Case to Highest Court – 23 October 2014

Philippines: The Last Country without Legal Divorce

By Hojin Choi

Impunity Watch Reporter

MANILA, Philippines – If people have a legal right to be together, they should be allowed to be legally separated. However, there is one country left in the world that has not yet granted a lawful right of divorce. In Philippines, legalization of divorce is still a controversial issue, and a recently filed bill ignited the nation’s dispute once more.

Divorce is not a new concept in Philippines, but the procedure for obtaining one is too restrictive for average individuals to proceed with. Filipino Congresswoman Luzviminda Ilagan is the representative of the Gabriella Women’s Party and a co-author of the divorce bill. The proposed bill “would be the empowerment of women, particularly the poor,” she said. The purpose of the bill is to promote efficiency within the divorce process by making it quicker and cheaper. It is expected to reduce 30-40% of the current costs of legal separation or annulment.

Congresswoman Luzviminda Ilagan, the co-author of the divorce bill, says the bill will improve rights of low-income women in Philippines (AKP Images)

In Philippines, 28% of its total population is classified as “extremely poor.” These people live off less than $1.25 a day. About 40% of the population survives on a meager $2 each day. Therefore, as people need at least $4,000 to end their marriage legally, most people of low-income have no means to get divorced.

Paolo Yap, a graphic designer in Manila, told the Washington Post that he needed $6,700 to hire a lawyer for counseling in his divorce issues, and he eventually dismissed the lawyer because there would be additional costs, at least twice as much. “You know, it’s only about [$2,000 – $3,000] to hire a hit man to kill your spouse” in Philippines, he added as a joke.

Another barrier to the divorce process is the nation’s religious background. Divorce had been legal in Philippines until the enactment of the 1949 Civil Code. Professor Solita Monsod, from the University of the Philippines, explained that the legal prohibition was based on religious grounds. “It is because of a very powerful and conservative church hierarchy, and the dominance of very conservative segments of the Catholic laity,” he said.

The Catholic Church in Philippines officially denounced the bill. “We are opposed to legislation which would enable the state to break the marriage bond so that the couple can each remarry,” said Bishop Teodoro C. Bacani Jr. He also expressed a unique view toward domestic abuse cases. When there is a violent husband who abuses his wife and when divorce is legally allowed, then the man “is free to marry another woman and continue the abuse.” He argued that people could choose to be separated instead of getting a legal divorce.

The law of Philippines is more generous to people who observe other religions in terms of divorce. For example, the law allows legal divorce to Muslims, who constitute 11% of the population.

A number of news media outlets pointed out problems relating to Filipino workers abroad. The Philippines government encourages people to work overseas and forces them to live apart from their family. 70% of those workers are female. Therefore, the women in Philippines, especially who have low or no income, are more vulnerable in the current legal system.

Even though the bill has support in the Congress, it also faces strong opposition. Congressman Elpidio Barzaga Jr. insisted that a strong family makes a strong society, and the strong society will lead to a strong nation.

“We can have this only if there are laws that solidify and strengthen it,” Barzaga announced in opposition to the bill. He also added that “marriage is not merely a personal contract between husband and wife, it is a social institution which public policy cherishes and protects.”

For more information please see:

The Washington Post – World’s last legal ban on divorce doesn’t keep Philippines couples together – 10 October 2014

CNN – The fight to make divorce legal in the Philippines – 6 October 2014

“It’s a lie”- Boko Haram leader denies negotiations with Nigerian government

Abuja, Nigeria-

After assurances by the Nigerian government late last month that Boko Haram was engage in cease fire talks with the government and had agreed to release the more than 200 school girls abducted from their boarding school in April. A government aid to President Jonathan Goodluck expressed that officials were cautiously optimistic that these ceasefire negotiations would be successful. Families of the girls anxiously awaited reunion with their loved ones.

Boko Haram denies cease fire
Mother of Monica Mark, a young woman abducted by Boko Haram (photo courtesy of ABC 7 News, Chicago)

But as of yesterday, when a video of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, was given to the Nigerian government, this optimism was shattered. In the video, Shekau, dressed in military fatigues and flanked on both sides by militants, announced that the ceasefire deal was a lie, and that there was never any deal with the Nigerian government to release the girls, or carryout any of the other alleged agreements pursuant to the ceasefire. He also stressed that if there was a negotiator among them, he will be found out and “slaughtered,” and that Boko Haram will never negotiate with the government that it is unnecessary because Allah has told Boko Haram leaders that they do not need to partake in such engagements.

As for the fate of the kidnapped girls, Shekau laughed during the video when he announced that the girls will not be released. According to him, the girls have converted to Islam, have been married off, and are now in their marital homes. The girls have also, allegedly, memorized two chapters of the Qur’an.

The Nigerian government is in the process of trying to salvage the situation and determine a way to return the girls home. Needless to say, the recent video denying the existence of any negotiations between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government is embarrassing for the government, which had released the news of the cease fire and the terms. Certainly the situation undermines the credibility of the government, as well as the negotiating capacity it may have.

Recent attacks carried out by Boko Haram, which have included the kidnap of young women and girls, and left dozens dead, further substantiate Shekau’s assertions in his video that there were never any negotiations, and that the militant group has no intention of ceasing attacks. The group’s goal is to establish a caliphate in Nigeria and administer to the country through Sharia law. The group has also been fairly consistent in following through on threats, which is troubling, particularly in light of the Shekau video addressing the marriage, and conversion to Islam, of the kidnapped girls.

For more information, please visit:

BBC News- Boko Haram denies ceasefire claim by Nigeria’s government- 31 Oct., 2014

The Wall Street Journal- Boko Haram denies Nigeria’s cease-fire claim– 1 Nov., 2014

Al Jazeera- Missing Nigerian school girls married off– 1 Nov., 2014

CNN- Boko Haram leader denies ceasefire deal, says 200 abducted girls married off– 1 Nov., 2014

Yazidi Target of Sexual Violence and Other War Crimes Committed by Islamic State  

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Jana, a 19 year old girl, was finishing her final year of secondary school with hopes of one day becoming a doctor when her village was taking over by fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). Jana belongs to Iraq’s Yazidis religious minority. The Yazidis are a Kurdish community who practice Yazidism, an ancient faith with strong ties to Zoroastrianism and ancient Mesopotamian religions that has been heavily influenced by both Islam and Christianity. Yazidism is practiced by Kurdish communities that are practiced in both Iraq and Syria.

 

According to a United Nation’s report ISIS fighters “gathered all the males older than 10 years of age at the local school, took them outside the village by pick-up trucks, and shot them.”Among those believed to have been murdered by ISIS fighters were Jana’s father and eldest brother.

“I was hiding behind a water tank in the front yard and saw them killing my father and brother and [taking] away my mother and sister. I don’t know anything about them since” a 14-year-old Yazidi girl living in a refugee camp in Iraq’s Duhok governorate. A19 year old Yazidi said “They put us in trucks and drove us to a big building, before transferring us to a hall across the road. She continued, “Then their seniors came and started condemning our religion and asking us to convert to Islam … They separated me along with other young ones and ordered us to stay there while taking away the elderly women. She added, “The man I was given to raped me several times and then left me in the room on my own. I was shaking from pain and fear in that hot room, my entire body sweating. Suddenly, another man came and did what he wanted to do despite me crying and begging him, kissing his foot to leave me alone …”

Thousands of Yazidi women and girls have abducted by ISIS fighters, many were taken during their attack on the Sinjar district on 2 August 2014. 2,500 girls and women were abducted during the attack on Sinjar. Since then, one hundred girls and women have managed to escape their jailers and rejoin their community.

The enslaved women have become a source of income for the ISIS group. Treated like cattle, they are trafficked in markets in Mosul in Iraq, and Raqqa in Syria. The women and girls are often sold for between $25 and $1,000. Women who resisted are killed and many have committed suicide, some Yazidi who managed to get their stories out of ISIS controlled territories have said they would rather face death than life as a sex slave.

Enslavement of women has been used as a weapon of war by ISIS, it is used as a means of subjecting the community, dissolve family units and even pollute the bloodlines of the populations targeted by ISIS. Some young girls were “cheaply sold” and mainly given to young boys as a way of recruiting them into the ISIS ranks.  ISIS itself publically encourages that taking of women as spoils of war and as a form of punishment of those they consider “infidels.” The organization claimed “One should remember that enslaving the families of the kuffar — the infidels — and taking their women as concubines is a firmly established aspect of the Shariah, or Islamic law,” in the ISIS propaganda publication “Dabiq.”

Kurdish authorities say they have rescued around 100 Yazidi women, in part through the payment of ransoms to Arab tribesmen who acted as intermediaries. However, thousands of women remain enslaved by the ISIS group.

For More Information Please See:

CNN International – ‘Treated Like Cattle’: Yazidi Women Sold, Raped, Enslaved By ISIS – 30 October 2014

CNN International – Why ISIS’s Treatment of Yazidi Women Must Be Treated As Genocide – 30 October 2014

International Business Times – ISIS News: ‘Raped, Abused’ Yazidi Women Beg West To Bomb Their Brothel and Kill Them [VIDEO] – 30 October 2014

Al Jazeera – Traumatized By ISIL, Yazidis Seek Help – 28 October 2014