China Prepares to Try Seven More in Crackdown on Dissent

By Brian Lanciault

Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia 

BEIJING, China– Approximately seven Chinese activists who advocated for greater rule of law, fairer access to education and other issues are being put on trial this week as the government once again reinvigorates its campaign to stomp out dissent.

Xu Zhiyong faces trial for “gathering a crowd to disrupt public order” after organizing several rallies demanding educational and political reform. (Photo Courtesy of AP)

The premiere case is scheduled for Wednesday morning in Beijing as lawyer Xu Zhiyong, founder of the loose-knit New Citizens Movement, goes to court on charges of gathering a crowd to disrupt public order.

Xu is the highest-profile activist to be tried since Liu Xiaobo was sentenced to 11 years in prison on subversion charges in 2009. Xu won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. Expectations had risen since then that new President Xi Jinping might be more open to free speech, but those hopes have largely subsided, and a media blackout on Xu’s case has left most mainland Chinese ignorant of the proceedings.

Prosecutors allege that Xu and others incited hundreds of people to gather in front of government buildings, train stations, and universities in Beijing in 2012 and 2013. The demonstrators, according to the government, unfurled banners and handed out leaflets regarding education reform and asset disclosure for government officials. The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

But it is the wider spectrum of Xu’s activities that have probably alarmed authorities, at least according to analysts and Xu’s close allies. Although Xu has been more cautious in his public statements than Liu, he has encouraged events such as dinner gatherings at so-called “dissident” discourse is permitted.

Feng Chongyi, an associate professor at the University of Technology in Sydney, who studies Chinese political movements, suggested that “They have been talking about a new sort of activism, the need to take new action, not only talk. The security people have made the judgment that they could be facing serious demonstrations. This is a preemptive strike…. They want to take out the leaders and organizers, and send a clear signal that no one is allowed to organize street protests.”

Xu’s rose to prominence in 2003 when he became involved in an unexpectedly successful campaign to abolish rules regarding police detentions of people found without urban residency permits.  His Open Constitution Initiative law firm took on several dicey cases, defending the editor of a hard-hitting newspaper and representing parents whose children had been sickened or killed by milk additives. In 2009, the firm was hit with tax evasion charges.

Xu then founded the New Citizens Movement, which he said is aimed at treading “a new path for the Chinese nation, a path toward liberty, justice and love.”

Xu was placed under house arrest in April, detained in July and formally arrested in August. His lawyer, Zhang Qingfang, said he visited Xu on Tuesday morning and that he seemed calm ahead of the trial.

Zhang said he and Xu planned to remain silent throughout the hearing as a means of objecting to what they deem to be an irregular and unfair procedure imposed by authorities. Xu plans to provide a brief concluding statement.

A major concern, according to Zhang, was prosecutors’ decision to hold separate trials for the activists.  Prosecutors have also refused to allow witnesses to appear in court and be questioned. Prosecutors had listed 68 witnesses against Xu, Zhang said, but would permit only their statements to be entered into the official record. Zhang’s efforts to bring five defense witnesses to the courtroom were rejected.

“This whole trial is being conducted in a black box, where we cannot actually see the entire process,” he said. “I always hope and strive to represent my clients in a fair trial, but this is not fair, so I will keep silent.”

For more information, please see:

New York Times–In China, a Week Full of Trials over Dissent–21 January 2014

Global Times–Xu Zhiyong set for Wed. Trial–21 January 2014

Voice of America–Prominent Rights Activist Faces Trial in China–21 January 2014

Los Angeles Times–Activists on trial as China steps up campaign against dissent–21 January 2014

IAEA Confirms Iran’s Compliance with Interim Nuclear Deal

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East

Tehran, Iran – Iran began the process of suspending high levels of uranium enrichment Monday as part of the interim deal, known as the Joint Plan of Action, made between Iran and Six world powers (The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany and the European Union) which officially went into effect on Monday.

Two International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors work , working with Iranian technicians to disconnect the links between the twin cascades for 20 percent uranium production at the Natanz Nuclear Plan. (Photo Courtesy of the New York Times)

The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran has stopped its most sensitive nuclear activity in compliance with the deal the state struck with World powers last November. The IAEA report to member states said: “The Agency confirms that, as of 20 January 2014, Iran … has ceased enriching uranium above 5 percent U-235 at the two cascades at the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP) and four cascades at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP) previously used for this purpose.” The report referred to actions taken at Iran’s two enrichment plants in Natanz and Fordow.

Iranian State-run media quoted Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization as saying “the suspension of 20 percent enrichment has started at the Natanz plant and the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors are going to the Fordow plant.”

As part of the deal Iran stopped the enrichment of uranium to the 20% purity level and disconnected cascades of centrifuges enriching uranium at Natanz. Mohammad Amiri, a director in the Iran’s nuclear agency, said “from now on, the centrifuges which were used for producing 20% enriched uranium will be used for enriching uranium to the 5% purity level.”  Iran has been enriching uranium at 20 percent concentration since early 2010, compliance to the interim deal, reducing the increment of Uranium, signifies a major step away from the nuclear weapons capabilities feared by western powers.

Nuclear power is a common sources of electricity, Nuclear power plants use uranium that is enriched to 5% for the generation of electricity. The Iranian government insists that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes, namely the generations of energy for civilian uses, despite the concerns of many members of the international community who fear the program could lead the state towards the development of nuclear weapons capabilities.

According to the United States Department of State the parties involved in the negations with Iran are reviewing a report prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.M Watchdog Group which oversees nuclear programs. IAEA inspectors were present in Iran when the deal went into effect and have provided details of the nuclear activities in Iran today in its report.

Tero Varjoranta, deputy director general of the I.A.E.A., told the press at the agency’s headquarters in Vienna that Iran has provided “good cooperation” so far and that “we have a very robust system in place with Iran” to ensure that the Iranians will continue to comply with the agreement.

In response to Iran’s actions the European Union and the United States have suspended some of the restrictions placed on the Iran as part of though sanctions placed on the state. These restrictions include the petrochemicals, automotive and precious metals industries. The EU and the United States also began the release of $4.2 billion in Iranian frozen assets frozen.

The temporary deal will expire on July 20, the interim deal is intended to lead to a permanent accord after the parties once again enter into negotiations later this year.

For more information please see:

The Jerusalem Post – Iran Halts Higher-Grade Uranium Enrichment, IAEA Report Shows – 20 January 2014

CNN International – Iran Says It’s Implementing Interim Nuclear Deal – 20 January 2014

The New York Times – Temporary Nuclear Deal with Iran Takes Effect – 20 January 2014

USA Today – The Clock Starts On Iran Nuclear Deal – 20 January 2014

CNN International – 20 Questions about the Iran Nuclear Deal: What It Says, What’s At Stake, What’s Next – 25 November 2013

U.S. and EU Begin Lifting Sanctions on Iran

By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran-The White House issued a statement on Monday saying that the U.S. will start easing economic sanctions on Iran as soon as Tehran begins closing tis most sensitive nuclear work.  Jay Carney, White House spokesman, added that Washington will continue to aggressively enforce sanctions that remain in effect.

The heavy water plant at Arak is one of several Iranian facilities under the international spotlight (photo courtesy of BBC)

“These actions represent the first time in nearly a decade that Iran has verifiably enacted measures to halt progress on its nuclear program and roll it back in key respects,” Carney said.

Carney continued saying, “Iran has also begun to provide the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with increased transparency into the Iranian nuclear program, through more frequent and intrusive inspections and the expanded provision of information to the IAEA.  Taken together, these concrete actions represent an important step forward.”

The United Nations nuclear agency confirmed that the higher-level uranium enrichment at a facility located in central Iran has ceased.  As such, the European Union also announced its suspension of sanctions.

The deal that went into effect on Monday was discussed by EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton.  “This is an important day in our pursuit of ensuring that Iran has an exclusively peaceful nuclear program,” Ashton added.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement would not stop Iran from “realizing its intention to develop nuclear weapons.”

Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said, “The sanctions iceberg against Iran is melting.”  The IAEA confirmed that Iran had ceased enriching uranium above 5% and also begun diluting its stockpile of uranium enriched to 20%.

Providing a note of caution, former IAEA deputy director Olli Heinonen said that if Iran decides to default on the deal, it would only need two to three weeks to produce sufficient highly enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon.

The sanctions will be suspended for six months allowing Iran to resume export of its petrochemicals.  Sanctions affecting the trading in gold, other precious metals and the car industry will also be lifted.

The payoff to Iran will result in an influx of billions of dollars over the next six months into the Islamic republic’s unstable economy.

For more information, please see the following: 

ABC News-US to Begin Easing Economic Sanctions on Iran-20 January 2014

Al Jazeera-EU and US ease some sanctions against Iran-20 January 2014

BBC News-Iran nuclear: Curbs on uranium enrichment begin-20 January 2014

York Dispatch-U.S., EU lift some sanctions on Iran-20 January 2014