Jailed Opposition Leader in Venezuela Ordered to Face Trial

by Mridula Tirumalasetti
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela—Leopoldo Lopez, the Harvard-educated politician, who is the leader of the Popular Will party in Venezuela, has been ordered to stand trial. Lopez has been in jail since February 18 for allegedly instigating violence, damaging property, and arson during an anti-governmental protest on February 12 where three people were killed. Lopez turned himself in after being accused of, by President Nicolas Maduro of the United Socialist Party and other ministers, planning these protests. Lopez, if convicted, faces up to 13 years in jail. The trial is supposed to start in August, according to Lopez’s lawyers.

Cardboard figure of Leopoldo Lopez, the jailed opposition leader (photo courtesy of BBC News).

The Popular Will party, a radical opposition group, seeks to force the resignation of Maduro. Demonstrations began in February over the escalating crime rates, and have continued on over the past few months. The main issues are the collapsing economy, shortages of certain food staples, and political corruption. At least 42 people have been killed since the February 12, the start of the unrest.

Human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, as well as some U.S. congressman have condemned and criticized the imprisonment of Lopez and the case against him. Amnesty International argued the charges Lopez faces are a “politically motivated attempt to silence dissent.”

Even Governor and former presidential candidate, Henrique Capriles, said “Thursday’s decision was brewing for some time.” He agrees that the imprisonment of Lopez is evidence of the deteriorating Venezuelan judicial system. Capriles added, “It’s just another barricade for justice.”

The Venezuelan government has also recently accused another opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, of conspiring with U.S. officials to assassinate the president. Both Machado and U.S. officials have denied these allegations. U.S. officials argued these allegations to be the government’s distraction from the real issue of the Venezuelan economy.

U.S. congressional leaders have, however, drafted a bill that would impose sanctions that would specifically target the Venezuelan government officials who have been accused of human rights abuses. Although the bill was approved in the House of Representatives and is currently awaiting a decision from the Senate, members of the State Department are discouraged from using these sanctions because of the possibility of ending any negotiations between the government and the opposition. Talks between the opposition forces and the government are currently halted, as the opposition demands the release of all prisoners jailed during the protests.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera America–Venezuela opposition leader to remain jailed–5 June 2014

BBC News–Venezuela: Leopoldo Lopez must stand trial, judge rules–5 June 2014

The Wall Street Journal–Jailed Venezuela Opposition Leader to Face Trial in August–5 June 2014

The Guardian–Venezuela opposition leader remains in jail while awaiting trial–5 June 2014

25th Anniversary of China’s Tiananmen Square Protests

By Hojin Choi

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

 

BEIJING, China – June 4th marked the 25th anniversary of Tiananmen Square Protests, also known as the “89’ Democracy Movement” or “Tiananmen Square Massacre.” In 1989, student-led protesters, seeking political reform, occupied Tiananmen Square in Beijing for seven weeks and received broad support from city residents. They were forcibly suppressed by military troops with AK-47s and other assault weaponry, causing thousands of death and injuries. The death toll reflects estimates by various human rights groups, as the government has never released an official report.

On the eve of the 25th anniversary, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lei Hong defended the 1989 crackdown saying it was the right path for the sake of the people.

“In the last three decades and more of reform and opening up, China’s enormous achievements in social and economic development have received worldwide attention. The building of democracy and the rule of law have continued to be perfected,” said Hong.

Hong elaborated that “in China, there are only law breakers . . . there are no so-called dissidents.”

The Washington Post reported that it was a “quiet day” with “no trace of remembrance” in Tiananmen Square.

Many young students said they have no memory of the event, and some others even appeared too afraid to respond. The government has “effectively quashed” the public memory.

As the 25th anniversary approached, the security around the square greatly increased. Police officers were stationed every hundred feet or so throughout the streets, and patrolled the square continuously. According to state media, government officials mobilized thousands of informants to lookout for any suspicious behavior. Foreign journalists were warned and directed away from the square, and passers-by were searched.

Tiananmen Square was tightly guarded on the 25th anniversary (Feng Li/Getty Images)

The internet also saw a surge in censorship. According to the Los Angeles Times, even messages including the number “25” were banned from social networking sites on the date of the anniversary. Creative internet-users instead referred to June 4th as “May 35.” As the anniversary approached, even words like “tomorrow” or “today” were banned.

Chinese news media largely ignored the anniversary; but foreign news media and governments gave due attention.

“Twenty-five years later, the United States continues to honor the memories of those who gave their lives in and around Tiananmen Square and throughout China, and we call on Chinese authorities to account for those killed, detained or missing in connection with the events surrounding June 4, 1989,” the White House announced. The United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, demandedthat China release the pro-democracy activists and dissidents who were recently detained prior to the anniversary. China’s Foreign Ministry responded, calling the statement “a grave intervention of China’s judicial sovereignty and internal affairs.”

In opposition to the silence in Beijing, tens of thousands of people gathered with candle lights for the commemoration in Hong Kong. The vigil organizer estimated the number of participants at 180,000 while the police estimated a more conservative 99,500.

The Victoria Park Candlelight Vigil has been held every year since 1989. In past years, the vigil was dominated by people ages 40 or older, who remember the event in 1989. But, the New York Times reported that the crowd seemed to be “visibly younger” than previous years.

The Candlelight Vigil in Hong Kong (Reuters)
The organizers expected the record number of participants gathering in Victoria Park in Hong Kong (Reuters)

 

 

For more information please see:

Los Angeles Times – Few visitors, heavy security as China marks Tiananmen Square anniversary – 4 June 2014

Los Angeles Times – Marking 25th anniversary of China’s Tiananmen Square takes creativity – 3 June 2014

BBC News – Beijing tense on Tiananmen massacre anniversary – 4 June 2014

The New York Times – Crowds Gather in Hong Kong for Anniversary of Tiananmen Crackdown – 4 June 2014

The Washington Post – In Tiananmen Square, no trace of remembrance on 25th anniversary of protests – 4 June 2014

Reuters – China defends Tiananmen crackdown on eve of 25th anniversary – 3 June 2014

Pope Francis Leads Israeli and Palestinian Leaders In a Peace Prayer At the Vatican

VATICAN CITY- In an effort to re-launch Middle East peace talks, Pope Francis invited Palestine president, Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli president, Shimon Peres to the Vatican for a prayer of peace.

The invitation took place just weeks after the U.S. sponsored peace negotiations collapsed.

The invitation comes at a time where animosity is mounting over a rising Palestinian unity government that Israel will not accept because the government has the support of Hamas, the Islamic group running Gaza that Israel accuses of being terrorists.

Abbas, Peres, and Pope Francis pray at the Vatican.

To add to the animosity, Israel is building more homes in the occupied West Bank, angering the Palestinians and deterring the peace process.

Last month, on a trip to the Holy Land, Pope Francis invited the leaders to Vatican City for prayer, a move that energized many Palestinians, but caused anger among Israelis. During his visit, Francis made an unplanned stop to pray at the wall Israel built to block out Palestine’s West Bank, a move that many thought showed sympathy to Palestinians and further angered Israelis.

Vatican officials have insisted that Pope Francis has no political agenda in inviting the Middle East leaders to pray at his home. His only hope is to re-kindle a desire for peace.

“This pray meeting will not be for mediation to find solutions,” Pope Francis said. “We are just meeting up to pray, and then everyone goes home.” Francis said it would be “crazy” to expect any mediation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

However, many officials think the meeting has potential significance beyond just symbolism, as it shows Pope Francis as a leader who is willing to forgo normal diplomatic and theological protocol and go out on a limb for the sake of peace.

“In the Middle East, symbolic gestures and incremental steps are important,” said Rev. Thomas Reese, a veteran Vatican analyst for the National Catholic Reporter. “Who knows what conversations can occur behind closed doors in the Vatican.”

Abbas and Peres embraced in the foyer of the Vatican hotel and joked together before sitting on either side of Pope Francis in the Vatican prayer garden for an hour-long invocation of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim prayers delivered in English, Hebrew, Arabic, and Italian. The men also planted an olive tree in the garden as a sign of peace.

The prayers focused on three themes common to each of the religions: thanking God for creation, seeking forgiveness for past wrongdoing, and praying to God to bring peace to the region

Francis told the two men, who first signed the Oslo peace accords in 1993, that he hoped this meeting would ignite a “new journey” towards peace. Francis further said that too many children have died from war and violence and that their memory should now instill thoughts of patience, strength, and coexistence.

“Peacemaking calls for courage much more than warfare,” Francis said. “It calls for the courage to say yes to encounter and no to conflict.”

For more information see:

Al-Jazeera- Pope Leads Israeli-Palestinian Peace Prayer– 8 June 2014

CBC News- Pope Francis holds symbolic peace prayers with Middle East leaders– 8 June 2014

Daily Mail- Pope Francis embraces divided Middle East leaders and presides over Christian, Jewish and Muslim prayers at Vatican in bid to revive collapsed peace talks– 8 June 2014

CBC News- The Pope’s modest “prayer meeting” for the Middle East– 7 June 2014

 

 

 

Thousands Take to the Street to Protest Spanish Monarchy

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Managing Editor

MADRID, Spain – Thousands of Spaniards have taken to the streets in dozens of cities across the country to protest the Spanish Monarch. The protesters have called for a referendum to abolish the Spanish Monarch, which they see as out-of-touch and outdated. It only took a few hours after 76-year old King, Juan Carlos, announced he was abdicating the thrown in favor of his son for Anti monarchy protests to take to the streets across the country. According to an El Pais Poll, almost two-thirds of the Spanish population are opposed to the continuation of the Monarchy in Spain.

Protesters flood the streets of Madrid with the color’s of the country’s Second Republic, calling for an end to Spain’s Monarchy and the establishment of a new Republic. (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera)

On Saturday, dozens of left-wing political parties and citizens organizations came to support republicanism. The Protesters chanted ” España, mañana, será republican” meaning “Spain, tomorrow, will be republican,” as they waved the colors of the country’s Second Republic, red, purple and gold, which was established in 1931 but overthrown just ten years later by Generalissimo Francisco Franco at the end of the country’s civil war. In Madrid the protests, were among the largest mass rallies seen in the nation’s capital. Thousands of protesters also gathered in Barcelona, chanting “Dear Felipe, nobody has chosen you.”

The anti-monarchist movement, which has gained popularity in Spain due to the public frustration with the political system, corruption, and high unemployment, views the country’s royal family as a main part of Spain’s political problems. Mercedes Trujillo, an anti-monarchist campaigner said, “we don’t want them to think we are like babies, that we can’t decide what we want. We don’t want a king, we want to choose,”

Supporters of the Spanish Monarchy have held smaller demonstrations. They argue that the monarchy is a uniting force, keeping Spain’s regions together in a way that a President would not. Alberto Nunez, a supporter of the Monarchy, said that the king “has been for socialists, for populists, he has spoken to governors, presidents from all over the world no matter their ideology. A president of a Republic might have issues.”

In the Basque region, which has a unique language and culture and has long sought greater autonomy from Spain, of Northern Spain estimated 100,000 protesters formed a 123km human chain linking the Basque town of Durango to Pamplona, the capital of the Navarre region. The protesters waved Basque flags, calling not only for the end of the Spanish Monarchy but for the right of the people in Basque to vote for their region’s independence. The Protesters linked arms and raised their hands in the air, holding Basque Flags, as helicopters flew overhead. In recent years Basque leaders have negotiated more tax independence from Spain. The Violent separatist group ETA, which has been weakened by arrests and decreasing popular support, declared an end to its armed struggle in 2011. On May 29 adopted a symbolic declaration of self-determination.

Demonstrators participating in the human chain linking the Basque town of Durango with the Navarran capital of Pamplona leap mountain pass of Kanpazar on June 8, 2014 (Photo Courtesy of Reuters UK)

In recent months democratic independence movements have gained popularity in Spain, partially inspired by demonstrations in Catalonia. The Catalan President, Artur Mas, told the press last week that he was forging ahead with plans for an Independence vote to be held on November 9 which the central government has said it will block on constitutional grounds.

For more information please see:

The Guardian – Majority in Spain Want Referendum on Future of Monarchy – 9 June 2014

Al Jazeera – Anti-monarchy Protests Persist in Spain – 8 June 2014

International Business Times – Thousands Stage Anti-Monarchy Protests Across Spain – 8 June 2014

Reuters UK – Basques Form 123-km Human Chain calling for independence Vote – 8 June 2014