Egyptian Politicians Express Concern over the Legitimacy of Upcoming Presidential Elections

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

 

CAIRO, Egypt – Former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik has pulled out of the nation’s upcoming presidential elections calling the election a “farce” that has been fixed to allow Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a formal military chief, to take control of the country.

Banners proclaiming support for for Field Marshal Abdul-Fattah al-Sisi, have become common in Egypt. While he has not officially announced his candidacy al-Sisi is favored to win the upcoming presidential elections. (Photo courtesy of The New York Times)

Under the administration of Hosni Mubarak, Shafik served as a military leader and was appointed to serve as Prime Minister of the country shortly before the youth-led revolt sparked by the Arab Spring led to the resignation of President Mubarak. Shafik came in second behind President Morsi during the 2012 Presidential elections.

In a leaked recording of a private conversation released by Al Jazeera on Thruway Shafik, who had stated earlier he would endorse al-Sisi if he ran for the presidency, said “I know very well they will fix all the ballot boxes. I have taken myself out of this loop because the election is going to be a farce.” Shafik confirmed the authenticity of the recording.

He went on to say, “of course whether other candidates withdraw will depend on the nomination of Sisi. I said if he’s going to run in the presidential election I will not run but I will get my papers ready (and) if he is going to run I will not submit them.”

Sami Anan, another leading politician and former Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Military, announced his withdrawal from the presidential camping on Thursday saying his decision was “rooted in the nation’s highest interests” and “out of the realisation of the dangers facing it.” His decision will mean that al-Sisi will run with only one significant rival candidate, the leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi, from the Nile Delta town of Kafr el-Sheikh.  Sabahi who came in third in the 2012 presidential elections

Hamdeen Sabahi, a formal journalist, says he doubts Egypt would be governed according to democratic principles is al-Sisi is elected. Sabahi supported the coup led by al-Sisi that resulted in the removal of Egypt’s first democratically elected leader, Mohamed Morsi, last year. However, he now feels that the culture of political repression that characterized the Mubarak regime still remains rampant in the country. “The current transitional system did not respect the values of democracy and plurality, and violated the constitution … in the way it dealt with its opponents,” he said. “It did not implement the freedoms the Egyptian people want and deserve.”

Despite his concerns, Sabahi is convinced that the Egyptian people will no longer tolerate dictatorship. “Any attempt to reproduce the old regime will not work. The people are very smart,” Sabahi said. “The future of Egypt is in the revolution. There will be no future for anyone who tries to bring back a former regime.”

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Egypt ex-PM: presidential poll will be fixed – 14 March 2014

Malta Today – Egypt ex-PM claims presidential poll will be fixed – 14 March 2014

The New York Times – Former Egyptian General Calls Promise of Free Elections a ‘Farce’ – 13 March 2014

Reuters – Egyptian candidate questions Sisi’s commitment to democracy – 13 March 2014

Air Strikes Continue Despite Gaza Israeli Truce Claims

By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

Gaza City, Palestine-The Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group, reported on Thursday that it had agreed to stop a series of rocket fire on Israel, prompting an end to the most active fighting between the two sides since 2012.

An Islamic Jihad underground rocket launcher (photo courtesy of The Jerusalem Post)

Over two days of violence, Palestinian militants have fired more than sixty rockets into Israel, while Israel responded by caring out a series of air strikes in Gaza.  Fortunately, no serious casualties have been reported.

“After the Egyptian brothers initiated contacts with us in the past few hours, we agreed to restore the calm.  As long as the occupation honors the calm, we will honor the clam and instructions are being given right now to Al Quds brigades, our military wing, about this understanding,” stated Khaled Al Batch, the Islamic Jihad leader.

Before the truce was reached, the Islamic Jihad resumed its rocket fire on Israel, striking outside areas of two major cities.  The previous day saw dozens of rockets being fired on Israel, the largest barrage on Israel since an eight-day assault in late 2012

It was reported by an Egyptian senior security official, who brokered similar truces in the past that Egyptian intelligence officials had been communicating with the sides in brokering an agreement.

Israeli military officials stated it retaliated with renewed air strikes on “seven terror sites in southern Gaza.  Until this week, both sides largely observed a ceasefire that ended the Israeli offensive against rocket launchers in November 2012.

“Since yesterday, there has seen a substantial deterioration in the safety of the residents in southern Israel.  We have responded and will continue to do so to eliminate threats as they develop,” said Lt. Colonel Peter Lerner.

During this latest attack, Gaza’s ruling Hamas movement has not been involved.  Israeli leaders, however, say that they hold Hamas responsible because it rules the coastal Palestinian territory.  Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, responded by saying “Israel bears full responsibility fo the escalation.”

Gaza has been controlled by Hamas since them overrunning the forces of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007.  Currently, Abbas governs in the West Bank located on the opposite side of Israel.

“We condemn the aggression and all forms of military escalation, including rockets,” stated Hamas at a meeting in Cameron in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.

For more information, please see the following: 

Aljazeera-Attacks continue despite Gaza truce claims-14 March 2014

National-Rockets fired from Gaza despite ceasefire with Israel-14 March 2014

BBC News-Gaza militants and Israel exchange strikes despite ‘truce’-13 March 2014

Jerusalem Post-Sporadic rocket fire from Gaza continues to hit South despite ‘ceasefire’-13 March 2014

 

Holder Calls for Reduced Reliance on Mandatory Minimums

by Michael Yoakum
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, D.C., United States – US Attorney General Eric Holder on Thursday called for shorter sentences for defendants in most of the nation’s drug crimes. Holder endorsed a proposal that would result in shorter sentences for non-violent drug trafficking offenses, citing the rising cost of operating federal prisons and fairer administration of justice.

Holder’s position appears consistent with statements he made last August about the “vicious cycle of poverty and incarceration” gripping communities. (Photo courtesy of BBC News)

The proposal, created by the U.S. Sentencing Commission, is part of a larger move by the Department of Justice to lessen the penalties for non-violent drug offenders.  Holder has spoken out against mandatory minimum sentences, arguing for judicial discretion in developing appropriate sentencing guidelines.

“This overreliance on incarceration is not just financially unsustainable, it comes with human and moral costs that are impossible to calculate,” said Holder in a hearing before the Commission.

Holder insisted that removing these mandatory minimums would not prevent application of harsher sentences to violent drug offenders.

This proposal is just the latest step in an on-going move by the Justice Department to reduce the prison populations.  In August, Holder instructed prosecutors to stop charging non-violent drug traffickers with offenses that carried these mandatory minimum sentences.  The Sentencing Commission took notice, convening in January to consider eliminating mandatory minimums altogether.

Justice Department officials said the proposed amendment would result in a 17 percent decrease in the average length of prison sentences for non-violent offenders.  Moreover, it would shrink the federal prison population by 6,550 inmates over the next five years.

Holder’s proposal has been met with criticism from Raymond Morrogh, director-at-large for the National District Attorney’s Association, who considered the proposal to be “[r]ewarding convicted felons with lighter sentences because America can’t balance its budget.”

The seven member Sentencing Commission is expected to vote as soon as April to amend the sentencing guidelines.  The mandatory minimums will remain in effect, however, until such time that the Commission votes on the proposed amendment.

For more information, please see:

BBC News – Eric Holder to push for shorter US drug sentences – 13 March 2014

CNN – Holder: I back a plan to reduce some drug-related sentences – 13 March 2014

Fox News – Holder backs reduced sentences for some drug traffickers – 13 March 2014

The New York Times – Holder Endorses Proposal to Reduce Drug Sentences – 13 March 2014

The Washington Post – Holder calls for reduced sentences for low-level drug offenders – 13 March 2014