Man Capturing and Forcing Women into Prostitution is Sentenced to Death

By Karen Diep
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

BEIJING, China – Yesterday, a court in central China sentenced 35-year old Li Hao, a local government clerk and a father to an eight-month child, to death for holding six women as sex slaves in a man made dungeon.

A picture of Li Hao and his man made dungeon. (Photo Courtesy Business Insider)

After arresting Mr. Hao in September of last year, the court found him, guilty of “murder, rape, organized prostitution, illegal detention and spreading pornography for profit.”

According to Business Insider, Mr. Hao allegedly attended karaoke bars, hair salons, and massage parlors in order to persuade women to return with him.  Once these women would follow him, he would hold them captive between two and twenty-one months.  During this time, he would force them into prostitution, having sex with him, and appearing in online sex performances.

Mr. Hao’s plan was revealed when one of his captives in the Luoyan, Henan provinces escaped and informed authorities.

Three of the women previously kidnapped and kept were also found guilty of murder. They were involved in the death of two other women in the dungeon.  These women were given lenient sentences due to the nature of the situation.

One received three years and the two others were placed on probation. Authorities believed Mr. Hao intimidated them to commit murder.

According to Samay, Mr. Hao forced the women into having sex in order to generate money.

The police chief of Luoyang apologized to the public last year for failing to discover Mr. Hao’s crimes earlier and has subsequently suspended four police officers in relation to the case.

For more information, please see:

Sahara Samay – China’s serial rapist Li Hao gets death sentence – 01 December 2012

BBC News – China ‘sex slave’ case: Li Hao sentenced to death – 30 November 2012

Business Insider – Chinese Man Sentenced To Death For Keeping ‘Sex Slaves’ In Dungeon – 30 November 2012

Egypt to Have New Constitution by Day’s End

By Justin Dorman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – The highly anticipated new constitution which has created so much controversy and has led to innumerable protests and demonstrations is expected to finally be enacted today in Egypt. The constitutional assembly worked around the clock, for approximately seventeen straight hours yesterday, before they unanimously approved the two hundred and thirty-seven items in the draft. After President Mohammed Morsi officially receives and ratifies the draft, he will call for a quick-fire referendum to adopt it.

There have been countless protests both for and against Morsi and a new constitution in Egypt. (Photo Courtesy of the Jerusalem Post)

Morsi will call for the referendum because he does not want the supreme constitutional court to get in the way of the constitution’s adoption. Morsi’s worry is that the supreme constitutional court will try to dissolve the constitutional assembly that had created the draft before it officially becomes law. “There is a rush because you can’t leave the country like this and wait for a politicised verdict from the supreme constitutional court,” said Muslim Brotherhood spokesman, Sameh El-Essawia.

Once the referendum is called for, a decision to dissolve the constitutional assembly would have no effect. Furthermore, Morsi will call for the referendum because of his November 22nd decree, which asserts that he is immune from any judicial challenges until a constitution is passed and a parliament is elected. That was another highly controversial move, but the Muslim Brotherhood believes that adopting the constitution now will deflect a lot of negative attention away from that political manuever.

Nevertheless, it does not appear that replacing one controversial decision with another. which is implemented by equally controversial means, will do anything to help cure the clear divide between conservative muslims and any liberal or non-muslim in Egypt. The general criticism against the draft is that it is too focused on utilizing Sharia law and is ambiguous as to women’s and minority rights. Many feel that the draft protects the religion of Islam at the expense of having freedom of expression. Numerous protests have been held in Tahrir Square, including one yesterday, in attempts to criticize Morsi’s regime and stop this constitution from being passed.

As many demonstrations as there were against Morsi and the constitution, there were just as many demonstrations to promote it and Morsi, including one today. Tens of thousands of Islamists met in the streets of Cairo calling for the “implementation of God’s law.”

“The contentious issues have not been resolved, especially regarding the relationship of the state to religion, and that takes us away from the modern civil state,” said University professor Mustafa Kamel El-Sayed.

For further information, please see:

Al Ahram – President Receives Draft Constitution Today and Setting a Date for the Referendum – 1 December 2012

BBC – Egypt Crisis: Islamists Rally for President Morsi – 1 December 2012

Guardian – Morsi Supporters hit the Streets as Egypt Braces for Referendum – 1 December 2012

Jerusalem Post – Islamists Rally for Morsi as Egypt Rift Widens – 1 December 2012

 

“Hobbit” Star Endorses Gay Marriage in New Zealand Amid Dispute Over Role Churches Could Play

By Mark O’Brien
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Actor and gay rights advocate Sir Ian McKellen says he would like to get married in New Zealand.

“Hobbit” star Sir Ian McKellen said he hopes New Zealand lawmakers pass the marriage equality bill so that he may be able to get married in the country. (Photo Courtesy of Radio New Zealand)

In a video message to a marriage equality conference in Wellington, the “Hobbit” star said he supported the Marriage Amendment Bill, which has passed its first reading in Parliament and now is being considered by a select committee.

“I hope that by the time I get back to Middle Earth, I might even be able to get married,” he said.

McKellen, who has spent a considerable amount of time in New Zealand playing the role of Gandalf in “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings, said the world has looked to the country for “social advancement” ever since it became the first country to give women the right to vote.

“It will be a popular move, I know, and I’m glad your major political parties have embraced it.,” he added.

The endorsement came after considerable debate in New Zealand over the autonomy churches would have if the law were passed.

The bill contains a provision that churches are authorized but not required to marry gay, lesbian, or transgender couples who wanted to be married.  The bill’s sponsor, Labour MP Louisa Wall, has repeatedly said she wanted churches to maintain their freedom of religion and expression.  The Human Rights Commission also has endorsed this provision.

But some opponents and legal experts said that a law change would make it unlawful for churches to turn people away.

“If this goes forward, then churches will be required to open their premises to gay marriages,” Baptist minister Scott Lelievre told The New Zealand Herald.

“I guess if we have to go to jail, then we have to [go to] jail,” he added.  “There’s a long and honorable history of Christians going to jail, so we would not be the first.”

Family First NZ and 24 members of the Victoria University law faculty also called into question the interpretation of the law by the HRC and MP Wall.  Family First NZ’s national director, Bob McCoskrie, said the HRC specifically should not be depended on for independent legal analysis because it has lobbied for this bill since the very beginning.

“Based on the interpretation of [the church exception provision] by the HRC and Louisa Wall, a marriage celebrant could lawfully decline to marry a particular couple because they are of different races or because the marriage celebrant disliked persons of a certain race,” McCoskrie said.  “Of course, that is completely unlawful and would quite rightly breach . . . the NZ Bill of Rights Act.”

Family First NZ also said it obtained legal opinions from Barrister Ian Bassett that indicated the law, if passed, would not allow churches to lawfully decline to marry gay couples because the provision itself does not authorize discrimination based on sexual orientation.

For further information, please see:

Radio New Zealand — Actor Eyes Same-Sex Marriage in Middle Earth — 1 December 2012

The New Zealand Herald — Gay Choice for Churches — 23 November 2012

Stuff.co.nz — Gay Marriage ‘Not Forced on Churches’ — 23 November 2012

Voxy.co.nz — Legal Experts Dispute Human Rights Commission on Gay Marriage — 22 November 2012

Activist Chen Guangcheng’s newphew sentenced to 3 years and 3 months by a Shangdong Court

By Irving Feng
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

JINAN, China – Chen Kegui, nephew of Chinese legal activist Chen Guangcheng, has been convicted of intentional infliction of injury and sentenced to 3 years and 3 months in prison by a Shangdong province court.

Image of Chen Kegui who was sentenced by a Shangdong court. (Photo courtesy of Reuters)

Chen Kegui was taken prisoner by police back in April when roughly 20 plain clothes police officers broke into his family’s home.  He attempted to fight the men back, not knowing who the intruders were, and was subsequently arrested and charged with intentional homicide.

The charge of intentional homicide was later dropped to intentional infliction of injury because the prosecutor’s office did not have enough evidence to back up the homicide charge.  Chen Guangfu, Kegui’s father, has condemned his son’s sentence as wholly illegal.

Chen Guangfu states that all of Kegui’s actions were in defense of himself and of his mother the night the plain clothes police broke into their home without warning or warrants.  Human rights advocates have also condemned Kegui’s sentence as illegitimate and believe that the verdict should be overturned.

The Shangdong court conducted a hasty trial behind closed doors which lasted only about half a day before the decision was reached.  Chen Kegui was held without any communication with his family, and he and his family were not allowed to choose their own lawyer for the legal proceedings.

Kegui’s court appointed lawyer, Ding Xikui, did not have access to any of the case materials nor did he have any contact with his client.  He had only heard about the trial merely hours before the proceedings started.

Ding Xikui said that he was not surprised by the hasty verdict reached by the Shangdong court.  He says this is not out of character for the local police and court, which he says has never respected due process and has violated the law in this manner in the past.

Chen Guangfu, Kegui’s father, said that his son would not be appealing the decision but does not know why since he was not allowed to witness the court proceedings.  He has also filed a separate lawsuit against the local police and official authorities, citing the illegality of their actions when they broke into their family home without a warrant.

Chen Kegui’s sentence and punishment is seen by rights activists as purposeful retaliation against the family for Chen Guangcheng’s escape.  Guangcheng escaped house arrest and fled to the United States in April, shortly before Chen Kegui was taken into custody.  These questionable legal proceedings will undoubtedly bring into question China’s legal system and their commitment to human rights.

For further information, please see:

Taipei Times – Blind Chinese activist’s nephew gets jail sentence – 1 December 2012

BBC – Chen Guangcheng: Nephew Chen Kegui sentenced – 30 November 2012

New York Times – Nephew of Chinese Dissident Given 3 Years in Prison for Assault – 30 November 2012

Reuters – Blind China activist’s nephew gets three years in jail – 30 December 2012


Northern Ireland Court Orders Facebook to Remove Page Exposing Paedophiles

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

IRELAND, United Kingdom – A High Court in Northern Ireland gave Facebook 72 hours to remove the page, ‘Keeping our kids safe from predators.’ A judge determined that some content amounted to “prima facie harassment” of the man and risked violating his human rights.

The replacement page after the original site exposing paedophiles was removed. (Photo Courtesy of The Huffington Post)

The page, which acquired more than 5,000 “likes,” posted pictures of a convicted sex offender. The offender, who cannot be identified, applied to the courts in Northern Ireland to have the site removed immediately after discovering his photograph and life-threatening comments.

The man, who was sentenced to six-years in jail for various child sex offences committed more than two decades ago, also sought an injunction to prevent his photograph and details from appearing on the Facebook page. He claimed harassment, misuse of private information, and a breach of his right to privacy and freedom from inhuman or degrading treatment.

In response to the offender’s suit, one Facebook user posted, “So the man, or I mean mess of a human being, that’s taken this page to court, he must want to be the head paedophile and rule over all sex offenders. He will be like a god to them.”

However, Justice McCloskey stated, “Society has dealt with the plaintiff in accordance with the rule of law. He has been punished by incarceration and he is subject to substantial daily restrictions on his lifestyle.”

Although the page was taken down, two similar Facebook pages appeared on Friday afternoon. The replacement page gained 468 ‘likes’ within an hour and did not contain any personal information about specific individuals.

After McCloskey made his ruling, Facebook members continued to comment.

One user wrote, “Can facebook not step in here and fight this battle 4 us….. what the point of having a social netwok if we can’t post facts on people especially wen its 2 keep our kids safe……. Come on Mark Zuckerberg we need your help….. plz plz plz…..”.

Another wrote, “Let down a bag full 🙁 no justice at all……Not only me but every victim of sex abuse every kid in the land……. This is what we get for trying 2 protect our kids.”

For further information, please see:

BBCNews — Facebook given 72 hours to remove paedophile monitoring page – 30 November 2012

The Guardian – Facebook ordered to remove page exposing paedophiles – 30 November 2012

The Huffington Post — Facebook Paedophile Page Closed After Court Rules It Breaches Offenders’ Human Rights – 30 November 2012

IrishTimes – Sex offender takes case over Facebook paedophile page – 27 November 2012