Impunity Watch

Russian Investigative Committee Has Formally Exonerated Olga Stepanova, the Tax Official Who Approved the Fraudulent $230 Million Refund Uncovered by Sergei Magnitsky

November 9, 2013

PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Distribution

8 November 2013 – The Russian Investigative Committee has informed U.S.
lawyer Jamison Firestone, Sergei Magnitsky’s former law partner, that it
found no grounds to prosecute Olga Stepanova, the former head of Moscow Tax
Office No 28, and the person who approved the majority of the $230 million
illegal tax refund uncovered by the late Sergei Magnitsky. The Russian
Investigative Committee has exonerated all other tax officials involved in
approving the fraudulent tax refunds which cost Sergei Magnitsky his life
for exposing.

“No evidence was obtained which is sufficient to charge O.G. Stepanova or
other persons under Articles 286 or 285 of the Russian Criminal Code
[overstepping authority or abuse of authority],” the Investigative
Committee reported in their letter.

The Investigative Committee also said that it failed to question a number
of witnesses.

“The investigative actions that are possible without an accused, have been
completed except for a series of questioning of witnesses whose whereabouts
have not been established,” said the Investigative Committee in its letter.

Earlier, the Russian authorities informed Jamison Firestone that they were
not able to question two of Ms Stepanova’s deputies, Ms Olga Tsareva and Ms
Elena Anisimova, because they had left the country. These were the same
people who purchased luxury apartments in Dubai, along with Ms Stepanova’s
ex husband Vladlen Stepanov, shortly after the approval of the illegal $230
million refund in December 2007.

Jamison Firestone filed a complaint seeking a criminal investigation to be
opened into the tax officials, including head of Moscow Tax Office No 28
Olga Stepanova, on 15 April 2011, two years and a half ago. In his
complaint, Mr Firestone cited evidence of their role in the approval of the
fraudulent $230 million refund, and the use of illicit proceeds for foreign
real estate purchases. During this time, the Investigative Committee has
refused to conduct a proper investigation, and now informed him that they
have effectively exonerated all the tax officials involved. Earlier, the
investigative department of the Russian Interior Ministry informed Jamison
Firestone that they also found no evidence of wrong-doing by the tax
officials. Appeals to the General Prosecutor’s Office seeking to compel a
proper investigation of tax officials in the Magnitsky case have been
refused.

“All branches of the Russian law enforcement with direct supervision from
the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office have exonerated the tax officials
who were clearly involved in one of the largest refund frauds in Russian
history. This can only be explained that the cover up is ordered and
approved at the highest level of the Russian government,” said a Hermitage
Capital representative.

For further information, please see:

Law and Order in Russia

SJAC Weekly Update: Friday, 8 November 2013

November 9, 2013

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John Kerry: Israeli Settlements “Illegitimate”

November 8, 2013

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

RAMALLAH, Palestine – The Israeli/Palestinian peace process has been threatened by Israeli moves over the past week to move forward with the construction of more than 3,700 new illegal settler homes in occupied Palestinian territories.

Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, said . Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are “illegitimate.” (Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera)

Several international leaders have called upon Israel to restrict the construction of settlements in Palestinian territory seeing the construction of these settlements could derail peace process between Palestine and the state of Israel.

On Wednesday United States Secretary of State John Kerry called for Israel to limit the construction of settlements in occupied Palestinian territory. Kerry said that Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are “illegitimate” and are serving as a hindrance to the ongoing peace talks between Israel and Palestine. He said “Let me emphasise that the position of the United States is that we consider now, and have always considered, the settlements to be illegitimate.” He also said that there was no deal that the Palestinians accept that would recognize illegal settlements in return for peace, saying; “I want to make it extremely clear that at no time did the Palestinians in any way agree, as a matter of going back to the talks, that they could somehow condone or accept the settlements.”

Kerry’s statement reflects the growing feeling amongst the international community that Israel’s government sanctioned settlement program is preventing any real progress in talks between Palestinian and Israeli leaders.

On Thursday Catherine Ashton, the head of foreign affairs for the European Union addressed Europe’s concerns over the announcement that Israeli’s decision to allow the construction of more than 1,5000 homes in the West Bank, which she feels can damage the peace process. She said “The EU deplores the latest settlement announcement and calls on the Israeli government to reverse its decision.”

Ashton also said in a statement that the European Union has “repeatedly stated that settlements are illegal under international law and that bold and decisive leadership is needed for the current peace negotiations to succeed,” and that the planed actions that “could hamper or undermine the ongoing negotiations must be avoided.”

Secretary Kerry met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday. According to his spokesman, President Abbas told the Secretary of State that “the Palestinians are committed to negotiations that would lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.” He also said that the Palestinians consider all Israeli settlements to be illegitimate.

An anonymous senior Palestinian official said that Palestinian officials would refuse to continue the talks with Israel as long as Jewish settlement on the West Bank are allowed to continue to proliferate. He said “The Israeli side is determined to continue its settlement and we cannot continue negotiations under these unprecedented settlement attacks,” he said after a meeting of Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – EU Deplores Israel’s New Settler Homes Plan – 7 November 2013

Al Jazeera – Kerry: Israeli Settlements are Illegitimate – 6 November 2013

The Jerusalem Post – Kerry: US Considers Israeli Settlements to Be Illegal – 6 November 2013

The New York – Kerry Presses Israel on Settlement Construction – 6 November 2013

IHRDC: Denied Identity: Human Rights Abuses Against Iran’s LGBT Community

November 8, 2013

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Major violations of media freedom in Syria, October 2013

November 8, 2013

Special report: documenting the most prominent violations against media activists in Syria regarding murder, torture, arrest, and abduction.

Killing 22 media victims including 2 who were tortured to death by security forces

Prepared by Syrian Network for Human Rights:

Date of Report: 4 November 2013

Subject: documenting major violations against Media Activists in Syria.

Period covered: from 1/10/2013 to 31/10/2013

Report consists of five basic paragraphs:

===================================

First: Summary

Violations committed against media activists for this month distributed as follows:

1- Killed: 22 victims of media activists and journalists, Syrian regime killed 21 of them including 2 under torture, Islamic state of Iraq and Levant killed one.

2- Detention and Abduction: 6 media activist have been abducted this month: 2 of them were kidnapped by the Islamic state of Iraq and Levant and the other 4 by unidentified armed groups.

3- Injured: 7 media activists were injured while covering the fight in Dier ez-Zoor.

====================================

Second: Introduction

The continuous violations committed against media freedom and the workers in this field and method caused fear and anxiety, especially with the increased quantity and quality of those crimes that lasted daily and instantaneously for long months with the intensification of the armed conflict between the two parties on the Syrian territories.

It seems that we are not saying any new fact or information if we point out to the Syrian government as being mainly responsible of the huge loss in souls and properties, as nothing is new when we mention the superiority of government forces against armed and extremist groups in the quantity and quality of targeting media activists with systematic and widespread killing, arbitrary arrests, and torture. In what appeared to be a State policy since the beginning of the Syrian revolution and until this moment in gagged, block reports and picture, and pursuing journalist and media activists.

SNHR reaffirmed its condemnation of the continuous violations against media freedom and convey the truth of any party and whatever type or size disparity.

As the network seeks actively from all parties, to respect media freedom and to ensure the safety of media activists, with accounting involved in violations against journalists and media activists.

SNHR also underlines the need to hard and fast move for civil society organizations and bodies to press on the Syrian Government and armed opposition, and deter them by appropriate means.

===================================

Third: Major violation against media freedom committed by government forces in Syria during October 2013:

SNHR monitored during October 2013, raise of media activists’ victims number in Syria, where 21 media activists including 1 under the age of 18 were killed and 2 have been tortured to death, and at least 6 were injured.

The arrest context:

On the other hand government forces released the French writer journalist Jean-Pierre Duthion in Paris Match magazine after detention lasted for 4 days, as they issued a decis! ion to release the blogger Tal Almalohi, but it didn’t carried out until this moment.

1- The bloody events of this month started with the murder of media activist Odai Mohamad Bardan: a founder of Tafas city coordination of Daraa governorate, 1/10/2013.

2- Media activist Abdulnaser Alshanbour affected in his wounds after he was injured in Tafas of Daraa, 2/10/2013.

3-Media activist Siwar Marwan Alissa, cause of shelling his town Noaemah of Daraa , 4/10/2013

4-Media activist Mohammad Deiri, Media office manager of Furqan Brigade, during covering clashes in Mork of Hama , 6/10/2013.

5- Media activist Mohamad Sharifa, responsible and media office manager of Qabon free congregation, on shelling on Qabon , 6/10/2013.

6- Media activist Maher Hamzah, shelling during covering massacre in Hamoria of Damascus countryside , 7/10/2013.

7-Media activist Ayham Aldimashqi, a member of Media office south Damascus during covering clashes in Saida Zainab of Damascus countryside , in 8/10/ 2013

8- Journalist Abdulhadi Katish , tortured to death in Air force intelligence branch of Aleppo , 8/10/2013.

9-Child Media activist Ahmad Saleh, killed during covering clashes in Abu Jirin of Aleppo countryside , 10/10/2013.

10-Media activist Osama Swidani, killed in a mine explosion between villages of Nawa and Jasim of Daraa , 12/10/2013.

11- Media activist Amine Kojo, killed during covering clashes in Hfiria of Damascus countryside, in 13/10/2013.

12-Media activist Khair Abdulrahman Alkhair, killed during covering clashes in Rashidiah neighborhood of Dier ez-Zoor, 14/10/2013.

13- Media activist Moumen Dalati, shelling on Zabadani 14/10/2013.

14-Media activist Abu Abdulrahman, killed during covering clashes in Alaasali neighborhood of Damascus, 14/10/2013.

15- Media activist Abdullah Abu Mohamad , shelling on Moazameah of Damascus countryside , 15/10/2013.

16-Media activist Yousef Alsaer , killed during covering clashes in Sinaa neighborhood of Dier ez-Zoor, 15/10/2013.

17-Media activist Mohamad Khalaf Alazzo ” the small media activist”, killed during covering clashes in Sakhour neighborhood of Aleppo , 21/10/2013.

18- Media activist Abdullah Barghout, killed in shelling on Nabk of Damascus countryside , 26/10/2013.

19-Media activist Mohanad Obaid ” known as Mohamad Hababina”, after one day in his kidnapped, suspected to be killed by elements of the regime in Raqqa, 21/10/2013.

20- Media activist Hasan Othman, during covering clashes in Nubbal and Zahraa villages of Aleppo, 28/10/2013.

21- Media Activist Hasan Qasem, correspondent in Qalamon media centre, tortured to death in Harasta military branch after transferring him from Branch 148 of Damascus, 30/10/2013.

====================================

SNHR also documented at least 7 injuries, in during covering clashes in Dier ez Zoor , and they are:

Media activist Abo Marouf correspondents in Sham News Network in Hamidiah neighborhood 13/10/2013

Media activist Hamoud, known as freedom prisoner “a founder of Dier ez-Zoor rebel brigade, and member of Media office of Dier ez Zoor free radio station “, shelling on Takaya neighborhood, 14/10/2013.

Correspondent of Dier ez Zoor channel Nedal Alharbi in Sinaa neighborhood, 15/10/2013.

Media activist Issa Harb ,Almojahidne fi Sabil Allah brigade in Rasafa , 15/10/2013.

Media activist Rami Abdulaziz, Mouata brigade media activist, 15/10/2013

Media activist Ahmad Alhajr, Rashidiah neighborhood, 18/10/2013

Media activist Rabeaa Hmidi in military airport, 27/10/2013.

===================================

Fourth: Major violation against media freedom committed by armed opposition in Syria during October 2013:

It looks that the incidents during this month is the least bloody and violence when compared with the last few months, although dramatically violations committed by armed opposition against free practice of media work in Syria.

One media has been killed and six have been kidnapped.

1- Kill of Media activist Mohammad Saed Alkhatib, correspondent of Al Arabiya channel , shot by masked gunmen, elements of Islamic state of Iraq and Levant are suspected of his kill, in Hritan of Aleppo countryside, 26/10/2013.

As kidnapped the following:

– Rami AlZarrouk, “media activist and responsible in Radio Ana’ by elements of Islamic state of Iraq and Levant in Raqqa 1/10/2013, then they broke into Ana organization and confiscation of transmission devices and especial equipments of the office 15/10/2013.

– Photographer Ziad Homsi , by elements of Islamic state of Iraq and Levant in the North of Syria, 12/10/2013.

– Russian Photographer Constantine Juravljev, by armed groups in Aleppo countryside , 12/10/2013.

– Media activist: Hazem Alhusain in Raqqa by masked armed groups 9/10/2013

– Mauritanian journalist Isaac Mokhtar “Sky News correspondent” and his colleague Lebanese correspondent Samir Kassab by unknown armed groups, while covering the field events in Aleppo.

===================================

Fifth: Attachments:

Pictures and videos of media activities that are mentioned in the report

A- Victims and wounded by Government’s forces :

activist Odai Mohamad Bardan

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9Bj18tlYYKBaDRyMW5IYXR1SXc/edit?usp=sharing

Abdulnaser Alshanbour

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9Bj18tlYYKBSDFEMmpJQkpncEU/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9Bj18tlYYKBaDVYOVJTRnVRN3c/edit?usp=sharing

Abdulnaser Alshanbour

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9Bj18tlYYKBYXRzLVVQWG9qSEU/edit?usp=sharing

Mohamad Sharifa