Iran Human Rights Documentation Center Report
Protests Over Detentions Lead to More Detentions in Saudi Arabia
By Justin Dorman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – On Tuesday about fifteen men, twenty-two women, and eight children were detained for participating in a protest just outside the Human Rights Commission in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh. The women and children were let go that day, however, the men are still being held by the Saudi Arabian security forces.
The participants of the peaceful protest claimed that its purpose was to criticize the states improper treatment of their detained relatives. They congregated outside of the Human Rights Commission hoping to be heard by the body because no other Saudi Arabian authority would previously listen to their complaints or attempt to resolve the dispute. The protestors’ complaints centered around two main issues concerning their detained relatives. Some cited inadequate medical care for detainees was a source of frustration. One woman claimed that her husband had been urinating blood for six months without ever receiving medical assistance.
Many others were protesting the complete lack of basis under which their relatives were being detained. Mohammed Al-Qahtani, a human rights activist and board member of the Saudi Civil and Political Rights Association, described the protests as demonstrations by family members for prisoners who have been, “languishing in jail cells without due process” for years.
One woman said that her husband has been held against his will for twelve years despite being found innocent at trial. Others claimed that their relatives were being held captive despite never being charged or put on trial. As a result of their protests, the demonstrators became detainees themselves. Only after the women and children signed a document stating that they would not protest again otherwise they would face punishments if they did, were they eventually released.
The grand mufti, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh, has condemned the use of protests claiming that they are used by, “enemies to spread chaos.” He also states that to protest is inherently anti-Islamic. The grand mufti purports that Islam promotes dialogue, while protests promote nothing more than danger.
As an Islamic religious leader, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah al-Sheikh is adamantly against the Arab Spring uprisings which have taken place across the Middle East for the past couple of years. He sees protests and demonstrations as a chief reason that four Islamic autocratic regimes were ousted from their positions of power. As a result, it is illegal to partake in a protest or demonstration in Saudi Arabia.
For further information, please see:
Daily Times – Saudi Grand Mufti Slams Protests as Anti-Islamic – 29 November 2012
Ahlul Bayt News Agency – Saudi Grand Mufti Condemns Protests and Blames Iran for Unrest Among Shiite Muslims – 28 November 2012
Amnesty International – Saudi Arabia Must Release or Charge Detained Peaceful Protesters – 28 November 2012
CNN – Saudis Protest for Release of Political Prisoners, Activist Says – 27 November 2012
Reuters – Saudi Authorities Detain Families at Rights Prtoest – 27 November 2012
Samsung Audit Reveals Inadequate Practices at Suppliers in China
By Karen Diep
Impunity Watch, Asia
BEIJING, China – On Monday, Samsung Electronics Co., a South Korean manufactuer, announced that auditing 105 of its suppliers revealed “several instances of inadequate practices at the facilities.” Furthermore, Samsung anticipates reviewing practices at 144 other suppliers in China.
According to BBC News, said practices include fines for being absent or late to work and excessive overtime. However, there has been no evidence of under-age workers despite China Labor Watch’s report, a New York-based labor rights group, published prior of such workers in the facilities. Specifically, China Labor Watch alleged that the hiring, use, and working conditions were “inhumane.”
“Samsung did not identify any instance of child labour during the audits after reviewing HR records of all workers aged below 18 and conducting face-to-face ID checks,” stated Samsung.
Moreover, Samsung requested that all its suppliers implement a new hiring process as soon as possible to combat the previously mentioned issues. Furthermore, it further requested that they amend irregularities in labor contracts and cultivate a longer-term plan to correct working hours.
“Samsung takes concerns about working conditions in China seriously and, whenever an issue is identified, we take immediate and appropriate steps to correct it,” shared the company. “Our goal is to assess, improve, and continuously monitor every aspect of working conditions at Samsung supplier facilities to meet our own high standards.”
A supplier of Apple and Microsoft, Foxconn, is well known for its alleged use of child labor, excessive hours, and working conditions. This was revealed after a Fair Labor Association inspected Apple’s supply facilities. After this incident, Foxconn agreed to increase workers’ wages. Since the last check, the Foxconn made progress in these areas.
For further information, please see:
BBC – Samsung audit finds ‘inadequate practices’ at China suppliers – 26 November 2012
CNET – Samsung finds no child labor, promises fixes to supply chain – 26 November 2012
Washington Post – Samsung’s audit find inadequate labor practices at its Chinese suppliers – 26 November 2012
Palestinians Optimistic on UN Recognition bid
By Ali Al-Bassam
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
Palestine — Palestine is set to renew a bid to upgrade their status at the United Nations (UN), which could strengthen their position in becoming a recognized state. The UN General Assembly is expected to pass the resolution, recognizing Palestine as a nonmember observer state on Thursday. Palestine is currently listed as an “entity” with no voting rights.
Out of the 150 countries expected to support the resolution is France, giving Palestine a boost in their efforts for recognition. Eleven members of the European Union (EU) are also expected to support the resolution. Norway and Switzerland are planning to vote for the recognition.
Britain will vote for the resolution only if it receives assurances from Palestine that it will not use the recognition to attack Israel through the international judicial system. Britain seeks public commitments “that the Palestinian Authority would not take advantage of the resolution to act against Israel in the international court in The Hague and that it would commit to immediately renewing peace talks without preconditions.” It has yet to receive these assurances. “The first [assurance] is that the Palestinian Authority should indicate a clear commitment to return immediately to negotiations without preconditions” said British Foreign Secretary William Hague in a message to Parliament. “The second assurance relates to membership of other specialized UN agencies and action in the International Criminal Court.”
Germany and the Czech Republic also plan to vote for the recognition, but only if Palestine makes the assurances Britain demands.
Initially, Palestinian officials refused to make such assurances, but may change their tone if it means additional support. Palestine officials believe that ICC accession is a discussion that can be held at a later date. “It’s not for any country to get the Palestinians to relinquish their rights. And if Israel is innocent, it has nothing to fear from the court,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) executive. Ashrawi considers the vote to be a “last ditch effort” in recognition. “We believe that the two-state solution is in jeopardy because of [Israeli] actions. We want to ensure that the world is still committed to the establishment of a sovereign viable democratic free Palestinian state to interact as an equal,” said Ashrawi.
Countries that do not support the move include Israel, the United States, Canada, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands.
Knesset member Ahmad Tibi believes that the Palestinian’s bid will be successful, and will change future negotiations between it and Israel. “The future political situation will be completely different for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu… Netanyahu will not meet with [Palestinian] President Abu Mazen (Abbas) to take photos only,” he said. Tibi considers the vote a “defining moment in the history of the Palestinian people.”
For further information, please see:
Haaretz — In Historice Vote, UN set to Award Palestinians Observer Status — 29 November 2012
Ma’an News Agency — Tibi: UN bid Will Change Future Negotiations — 29 November 2012
Al Arabiya — Global Support Grows for Palestinian UN bid — 28 November 2012
Al Jazeera — Palestinians to Renew UN Statehood bid — 28 November 2012
Thousands Displaced in Ivory Coast After Land Conflicts
By Heba Girgis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa
YAMOUSSOUKRO, Ivory Coast—Thousands of people in the Ivory Coast recently began to flee their homes after continuous land conflicts and residual tension left from last year’s violence after the elections. This information was reported from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center. The Center noted that 24,000 people were displaced just this year. Further, an additional 40,000 to 80,000 are still displaced from the conflict, according to what was called “conservative estimates” by the Monitoring Center.
Just last year, the nation was pushed almost to the brink of a civil war after the disputed presidential elections that were meant to unite the divided country after an earlier conflict. The former President of the country, Laurent Gbagbo, is now on trial at the International Criminal Court for war crimes, even though both sides of the conflict are accused of committing a number of atrocities. The Hague has accused the former President of crimes against humanity after Gbagbo used security forces to terrorize citizens in Abidjan. More than 3,000 people were killed and an uncounted number of individuals were raped and mistreated.
The United Nation’s assistant secretary-general for human rights, Ivan Simonovic, mentioned that he was in the Ivory Coast in order to discuss the security situation with the nation’s authorities. He said, “I hope to discuss with governmental authorities, civil society, the victims and other actors what needs to be done to prevent a deterioration of the situation, to strengthen the protection of civilians, prevent further atrocities and improve the human rights situation in general.”
In June of this year, the United Nation’s peacekeeping mission in the Ivory Coast reported that its own forces were attacked by a number of unidentified assailants while patrolling along the Liberian border. Members of the mission said that an undetermined number of Ivory Coast citizens were killed as well as seven members of the United Nation’s peacekeeping unit.
The Monitoring Center has called for efforts to protect against future crises that might displace more Ivory Coast citizens as well as to help those who are still displaced to return to their homes and to their land. Elizabeth Rushing, the Monitoring Center’s West African analyst said, “For the vast majority of internally displaced people, who are reliant on their land to survive, these (land) restrictions have devastating consequences.” She also added that “many simply di not have enough to feed their families.”
For further information, please see:
Bellingham Herald – Reports: Thousands Continue to Flee Ivory Coast – 28 November 2012
San Antonio Express – Thousands Continue to Flee Homes in Ivory Coast – 28 November 2012
UPI – UN Assessing Situation in Ivory Coast – 28 November 2012
New York Times – Ivory Coast Update – 30 November 2011