Four Indian Women Suffer Severe Injuries from an Acid Attack

By Irving Feng
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

LUCKNOW, India – Four sisters in India suffered varying degrees of burn injuries after being brutally attacked with acid by two unidentified men on a motorbike.

Indian women in Delhi protest for greater protection from violence. (Photo Courtesy of BBC)

The four sisters are all teachers at a local government school in the town of Kandhla in Shamli district which is located in the western Uttar Pradesh state.  Their ages range from nineteen to twenty four.  The attack occurred when the four were on their way home after work.

Abdul Hameed, the senior police officer in charge of investigating the case, released a public statement saying that the youngest of the sisters, 19, suffered the severest of burns and was rushed to a hospital in Delhi for treatment.  Hameed also told the public that the motive behind the attacks is still unclear.

Proponents for greater protection of Indian women against violent abuse said that women who deny the orders or advances of lovers, husbands or even employers are often brutally attacked like the four sisters in the current case.

The cheap chemicals and acids used in these types of attacks are readily available in commercial markets in India.  “Tezaab,” a household cleaning agent designed to clean rust off tools is the weapon of choice in these attacks.  Human rights activists have clamored for greater restrictions on the sale of chemicals and acids that are generally used in the attacks.

President Pranab Mukherjee recently passed legislation that imposes harsher punishments on those who commit certain acts of violence against women.  The newly signed laws contain greater penalties for the crime of rape.  Rapists can now face the death penalty.

The punishments for attacking women with acid, however, have remained unchanged.  Perpetrators can face up to 12 years in prison depending on the amount of damage they inflict with their attack; however the offenders can be bailed out.

Reports by the London-based Acid Survivors Trust International estimate that about 1,500 acid attacks are carried out and recorded internationally per year.  However, this figure may be inaccurate because many of the victims of acid attacks do not officially report their injuries to the proper authorities and suffer in silence.

The majority of the acid attacks that occur throughout the world are carried out in South Asia in countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan Afghanistan as well as India.  Pakistan, India’s neighbor, recently passed legislation in 2011 that increased the punishment of acid attacks.  Prison sentences range from 14 years to life and a minimum fine of one million Pakistani rupees is imposed.

For further information, please see:

Mmegi Online – Four sisters in India injured in acid attack – 4 April 2013

The Nation – 4 Indian sisters hurt in acid attack – 4 April 2013

BBC – India acid: Four sisters injured in Uttar Pradesh attack – 3 April 2013

Global Post – Acid attack on four Indian sisters – 3 April 2013

Saudi man to be Paralyzed as Punishment for 10 Year old Crime

By Ali Al-Bassam
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Justice sentenced 24 year old Ali al-Khawahir to paralysis from the waist down after finding him guilty of stabbing his friend in the back ten years ago.  The act resulted in his paralysis.  Al-Khawahir can avoid the punishment if he pays $270,000 in compensation to the victim.

A Saudi court sentenced a man to be paralyzed. (Photo Courtesy of Russia Today)

Amnesty International condemned the sentencing, calling it an act of “retribution,” and saying  that it is “outrageous” for the Kingdom to carry out.  The rights group also said that the punishment was “tantamount to torture.”  In a statement released last Tuesday, it pleaded with Saudi Arabia to not carry out the sentence.  “Paralyzing someone as punishment for crime would be torture,” said Ann Harrison, Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director at Amnesty International.  “It is time the authorities in Saudi Arabia start respecting their international legal obligations and remove these terrible punishments from the law.”  It called the punishment an act of “qisas,” a retribution case, in which “other sentences passed have included eye gouging, tooth extraction, and death in cases of murder.”

Where the punishment of a crime demands “an eye for an eye,” a victim can demand retribution, request financial compensation for his suffering, or grant a conditional or unconditional pardon to the defendant.  When thieves are punished, they are commonly sentenced to amputation of the right hand.  When a defendant is punished for committing “highway robbery,” the punishment for such a crime is cross amputation, where the defendant’s right hand and left foot are both severed.

A spokesperson speaking on behalf of Britain’s Foreign Office said that London was “deeply concerned” by the sentence, and called it “grotesque.”  The spokesperson also said that such punishment “was prohibited under international law.”  Amnesty International also made a comment about Saudi Arabia’s potential violation of international law, saying “… the paralysis sentence would contravene the U.N. Convention against Torture to which Saudi Arabia is a state party…”

The Saudi Gazette reported that al-Khawaher has been awaiting his punishment for the last ten years.  “Ten years have passed with hundreds of sleepless nights…” said al-Khawaher’s mother.  She also said the compensation for the victim’s family had doubled but was later reduced.  Even reduced, she says that she cannot even pay a tenth of what is owed to save her son from being paralyzed.

Al-Khawahir was only 14 when he stabbed his friend in 2003.  As a result of the stabbing, he is paralyzed from the waist down.  Amnesty International claims that Saudi Arabia had made a similar sentence to another defendant in 2010, but it is unknown whether the punishment was carried out.  The Saudi Ministry of Justice denies that they even considered punishing the defendant in that case with paralysis.

For further information, please see:

Al Arabiya — An eye for an eye for a Spine? Saudi man Sentenced to Paralysis — 4 April 2013

BBC News — Saudi Paralysis Sentencing ‘Grotesque’ — 4 April 2013

The Guardian — Saudi Arabian Paralysis Sentence ‘Grotesque’, says Foreign Office — 4 April 2013

Russia Today — ‘Torture’ Punishment: Saudi Sentence man to be Paralyzed — 4 April 2013

CNN — Reported Saudi Paralysis Sentence ‘Outrageous,’ Rights Group says —  3 April 2013

Sudan Grants Amnesty to Political Prisoners

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KHARTOUM, Sudan – On Tuesday, Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir officially declared that all political prisoners will be freed.

Opposition leaders were arrested in January for allegedly planning to oust the government. (Photo courtesy of BBC News/AFP)

Described by the press as a “surprise move”, the President’s decision was carried out on the same day by releasing the first batch of political prisoners. This batch consisted of seven opposition leaders, six men and a woman, who were arrested without any formal charge last January. They were detained for three months at Khartoum’s Kober prison.

“Today, we announce a decision to free all the political prisoners and renew our commitment to all political powers about dialogue,” President Al-Bashir said during the announcement. “We confirm we will continue our communication with all political and social powers without excluding anyone, including those who are armed, for a national dialogue which will bring a solution to all issues.”

Last month, President Al-Bashir told a Qatari magazine that he will step down at the next election in 2015. He admitted that his 20-year rule was “more than enough” and Sudan finally needed “fresh blood”. Political analysts say that releasing the political prisoners may be the President’s attempt to salvage his reputation.

The International Criminal Court charged Al-Bashir for genocide and war crimes four years ago making him the only sitting president wanted by the ICC.

“He is considering his legacy having indicated he will not run in 2015,” said Alex Vines, head of the Africa program at Chatham House, a London-based think tank. “This is about the redefinition of Sudan following the independence of the South. Bashir knows old strategies need to be reformed. It is also a clever way to respond to growing unified opposition.” Vines also mentioned that the President will stay true to his promise and will release more prisoners in the following weeks.

However, members of other opposition groups were not too impressed with the President Al-Bashir’s decision. According to Farouk Abu Issa, a leader of a coalition of 20 opposition groups, “hundreds” of other prisoners are still in police custody. “It is a step forward but we are waiting for many other steps,” he pointed out.

By Amnesty International’s calculations, at least 119 other political detainees remain incarcerated under “degrading and inhumane conditions.”

Amnesty International’s Jean-Baptiste Gallopin said that the measures taken by Al-Bashir to uphold and protect human rights are actually “very limited”. “A series of recent laws that allow Mr Bashir’s security forces great leeway in defining and clamping down on dissent must be repealed to show true commitment to reform,” he said. “If you look at this in the broader legal context that allows the authorities to carry out the repression that we see in Sudan, there is little sign that that is going to change,” Gallopin added.

 

For further information, please see:

BBC News – Sudan frees Abdul Aziz Khalid and other political prisoners – 2 April 2013

Global Post – First political prisoners freed under Sudan amnesty – 2 April 2013

Middle East Online – Amnesty underway in Sudan: First political prisoners freed – 2 April 2013

The Telegraph – Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir frees political detainees in surprise amnesty – 2 April 2013

Yahoo News – Sudan’s Bashir starts freeing prisoners, polishing up legacy – 2 April 2013

Putin Orders Ban on Foreign Adoptions to Homosexual Couples

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – Russian President, Vladmir Putin, ordered a ban on foreign adoptions to homosexual couples.

Russian president, Vladimir Putin, wants to ban the adoption of orphans by foreign same-sex couples. (Photo Courtesy of RT)

The issue of same-sex couples adopting sparked in Russia when the French National Assembly approved a bill that legalized marriage and adoption by same-sex couples. As a result, Pavel Astakhov, a Russian children’s rights ombudsman, declared he believes Russian orphans should only be placed with heterosexual couples.

However, despite this movement, Nikolay Alekseyev, a Russian gay rights activist, believes Putin’s and Astakhov’s new ban will be unsuccessful. He states, “It’s purely a political move aimed to show that the government is consistent in its decisions.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry declared a planned to verify the possible “psychological damage” inflicted on Russian orphan, Yegor Shabatalov. An American woman, who lived in a same-sex marriage, adopted Yegor Shabatalov.

Russian Foreign Ministry’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Konstantin Dolgov, believes that after the two women split, the son was drawn into a bitter dispute and the relationship is “rather questionable from the point of view of morality.”

Nadezhda Khramova, head of the ‘All-Russian Parents’ Assembly’ movement, says there should be a complete ban of foreign adoptions, as “it is technically difficult to verify the adoptive parents’ sexual orientation and their legal status can be a marriage of convenience”.

This recent foreign adoption ban accompanies an already implemented law that makes it illegal for Russian children to be adopted by Americans, regardless of sexual orientation.

However, although many Russians are opposed to the American ban, Russians hold a firm stance against homosexual behavior. For example, last August, Moscow’s highest court upheld the city’s ban on homosexual pride parades.

Public polls from 2010 showed that 38% of Russians believed that homosexuality is a “bad habit” and 36% said it was “a sickness or result of a psychological trauma.” Nevertheless, 41% of Russians believe that laws should not “discriminate” against homosexuals.

Putin’s recent bans on foreign homosexuals from adopting Russian children has sparked various reactions.

One commenter stated, “I challenge anyone on here to cite a single scientific study that shows that gay adoption has any negative effects compared to straight adoption, and no, the Bible doesn’t count, because we don’t live in a theocracy. Go to Saudi Arabia if that’s what you want.”

Another stated, “This is best for the children. They must be kept safe even if it hurts some feelings. Putin is smart.”

The Ministry of Education and Science, which deals with issues concerning orphans and adoptions, will fulfill the adoption ban. However, the ministry has not received instructions.

For further information, please see:

RFE/RL – Russians March Against Foreign Adoptions – 4 April 2013

The Advocate – Putin Wants to Stop Foreign Gay Couples From Adopting Russian Children – 1 April 2013

Christian News – Russian President Orders Ban on Foreign Adoptions to Homosexuals – 30 March 2013

RT – Putin Orders Ban on Adoptions By Foreign Same-Sex Couples – 28 March 2013

Tamil Newspaper Office Attacked by a Group of Unidentified Men Causing Injury to at Least 5 Employees

By Irving Feng
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – An unidentified gang attacked the office of a local Sri Lankan newspaper run by individuals previously associated with the Tamil separatist group who fought a bitter civil war with the current central government.

A vehicle outside the newspaper office that was damaged during the attack. (Photo Courtesy of BBC)

The office publishes a Tamil-language newspaper that routinely runs stories that are highly critical of the current regime in Sri Lanka.  This episode of violence occurred merely two weeks after the United Nations passed a resolution asking the Sri Lankan central government to investigate and remedy the human rights violations redolent in their country which includes intimidation of journalists.

The attack was carried out against the Uthayan newspaper office located in the northern portion of the country where the former civil war was waged.  This marks the fourth attack on a Sri Lankan media outlet since January.

Six unidentified, masked individuals stormed the office causing damage to the building, vehicles, computers and other property.  Five of the employees at the newspaper office, including the manager, we injured during the attack.  Three of the workers were reportedly hospitalized, and the remaining workers suffered minor injuries.

The publisher of the Uthayan newspaper is E. Saravanapavan, a legislator for the Tamil National Alliance party and has strong ties to the former separatist rebels.  The local police and government officials could not be reached to provide a statement on the attack against the Tamil newspaper.

Saravanapavan released a statement to the media suggesting that the attack was directly linked to stories that the newspaper had recently run which criticized the paramilitary forces and their actions in the former northern war zone.

Though politically motivated violence has significantly dwindled since the current Sri Lankan regime stamped out the Tamil rebellion four years ago in 2009, pundits in the international human rights community believe that violence against reporters and other subversives are still are problem.

Rule of law, human rights groups say, has yet to be firmly established in the tumultuous aftermath of the Sri Lankan civil war.  There have been no arrests in relation to the attacks that occurred against the media earlier this year.  Authorities and internal administrators that should be conducting these investigations have yet to be full restored after the civil war.

Sunil Jayasekara, a spokesperson for the Media Movement in Sri Lanka (a freedom of press group), released a public statement stating that these attacks are not only a threat to the freedom of the media, but a threat to the entire country of Sri Lanka.  Jayasekara called for the government to take more responsibility for these types of attacks against the media.

For further information, please see:

BBC – Tamil paper Uthayan attacked in northern Sri Lanka – 3 April 2013

Breitbart – TAMIL NEWSPAPER SAYS STAFF ATTACKED IN SRI LANKA – 3 April 2013

The Global Times – Tamil newspaper office attacked in Sri Lanka – 3 April 2013

Reuters – Sri Lanka newspaper office attacked, five workers hurt – 3 April 2013

Shanghai Daily – Tamil newspaper office attacked in Sri Lanka – 3 April 2013