Radio Host Torched While Speaking Out Against Corruption

By Margaret Janelle R. Hutchinson
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

LA PAZ, Bolivia – Four masked men stormed a small, independent radio station, doused the equipment and host in gasoline, and set the station and the people in it ablaze this past Monday, October 29, 2012.  The attack occurred while radio journalist Fernando Vidal was on the air; listeners heard gunshots and Vidal’s cries for help until the feed quit due to the fire.

Fernando Vidal spoke to the press after being attacked at his radio station in Yacuiba (Photo Courtesy BBC).

Vidal, 70, is the owner and host of Radio Popular, a small FM station in the southern city of Yacuiba.  The city, population 120,000, is located close to the Argentine border along a cocaine smuggling route and where trade in contraband is rampant.  Vidal was interviewing two women about alleged corruption among customs police when the attack occurred.

Initially, this led some to posit that smugglers, incited by Vidal’s commentary, staged the attack.  Esteban Farfan, also a host at Radio Popular and Vidal’s son-in-law, thinks the attack was politically motivated.  Vidal, a former mayor of Yacuiba, uses his daily radio program as a platform to denounce corruption at every level of government.

“My father-in-law knows the identity of the people who ordered this act,” said Farfan. “There are political interests that want to silence the radio station. We will name names at the appropriate time.”

Police currently have four suspects in custody.  According to Interior Minister Carlos Romero, one of the suspects was a mechanic, another a taxi driver, and none of the men had ever been in serious trouble with the law.

“There is surely someone else behind this and that’s what we’re investigating,” Romero added.

Farfan, however, remains skeptical.  He sees the arrests of the attackers as the easy part of solving this case.  He wants the mastermind behind the attack revealed and brought to justice.

“Vidal is an outspoken and respected journalist who made enemies with his opinions,” Farfan said.

A leftist, Vidal was once close to President Evo Morales, but the journalist broke off his support over what he described as the president’s turn to authoritarianism.

“He is a relentless critic of corruption,” Farfan said. “He calls out politicians who allegedly grow their personal bank accounts with state funds and routinely calls for investigations into corruption.”

Vidal is currently in serious but stable condition with second-degree burns to his face and arms.  A station technician, Karen Arce, also suffered less serious burns in the attack.  Everyone else was able to avoid the flames by jumping out windows.

The radio station borrowed equipment and was back on the air less than 24 hours after the attack.

Multiple international organizations condemned the attack.  It was a “vicious and brazen” attack, the spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said.

A heavily-bandaged Vidal told reporters: “I deeply thank the solidarity of all my friends, colleagues, co-workers and journalists and ask them to keep up the work of bringing forth the evidence and revealing the truth.”

For further information, please see:

Digital Spy – Bolivian radio presenter set on fire while on air – 2 November 2012

The Guardian – Bolivian radio owner set on fire – 2 November 2012

CNN – Bolivian journalist’s family wants to know who was behind attack – 1 November 2012

ABC – Bolivia Radio Host Attacked on Air – 30 October 2012

 

Accusations of “Vacuum Bombs” Made Against Syrian Government

By Emily Schneider
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria – The Local Coordination Committees accused the Syrian government of using “vacuum bombs” while repeating the claim that the government was still employing “cluster bombs.”

The Suleiman al-Halabi nieghborhood in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo this week. (Photo courtesy of CNN)

Vacuum bombs are thermobaric explosives that more effectively destroy targets in urban areas. The blast wave released by the bombs is longer, which increases the rate of casualties.

A Human Rights Watch Report cites a U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency Report that stated, “the [blast] kill mechanism against living targets is unique–and unpleasant…. What kills is the pressure wave, and more importantly, the subsequent rarefaction [vacuum], which ruptures the lungs…. If the fuel deflagrates but does not detonate, victims will be severely burned and will probably also inhale the burning fuel. Since the most common FAE fuels, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, are highly toxic, undetonated FAE should prove as lethal to personnel caught within the cloud as most chemical agents.”

A separate U.S. Central Intelligence Agency report stated, “the effect of an FAE explosion within confined spaces is immense. Those near the ignition point are obliterated. Those at the fringe are likely to suffer many internal, and thus invisible injuries, including burst eardrums and crushed inner ear organs, severe concussions, ruptured lungs and internal organs, and possibly blindness.”

The Defense Intelligence Agency document,  “Future Threat to the Soldier System, Volume I; Dismounted Soldier–Middle East Threat,” September 1993, p. 73 was obtained by Human Rights Watch under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act. That document speculates that because the “shock and pressure waves cause minimal damage to brain tissue…it is possible that victims of FAEs are not rendered unconscious by the blast, but instead suffer for several seconds or minutes while they suffocate.”

Damascus has not commented on the accusations and independent news agencies have not been able verify the accusations.

This past week has been particularly bloody in Syria. At least 37 people died Thursday, according to the LCC, 18 of them in Hama. The early reports follow a week of grim tolls, including 121 reported dead Wednesday and 163 on Tuesday.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated Moscow’s concern that there is no central leadership to negotioate with in Syria’s opposition forces.

“There is no person who could speak on behalf of the Syrian opposition, and there will be no progress without negotiation,” Lavrov told the state-run Itar-Tass news agency.

For further information, please see:

CNN – Opposition Group Accuses Syrian Government of Using ‘Vacuum Bombs‘ – 1 Nov. 2012

Local Coordination Committee – Syria Today 1-11-2012 – 1 Nov. 2012

Local Coordination Committee – Syria Today 24-10-2012 – 24 Oct. 2012

Human Rights Watch – Backgrounder on Russian Fuel Air Explosives (Vacuum Bombs) – 1 Feb. 2000

Rwanda’s Top Opposition Leader Sentenced to Jailed for Belittiling the 1994 Rwandan Genocide

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

KIGALI, Rwanda – On October 30, 2012, Rwanda’s top opposition leader, Victoire Ingabire, was sentenced to eight years in prison for treason and genocide denial, charges stemming from the infamous 1994 Rwandan Genocide.

Victoire Ingabire had been boycotting the trial as she says it was politically motivated. (Photo courtesy of AFP)

Ingabire was charged with six offenses.  The first three were linked to “terrorist acts”. The remaining three were linked to her public criticism of the government in the period before the 2010 presidential elections.

In 2010, Ingabire returned to Rwanda after a 16 year exile in the Netherlands following the 1994 Rwandan Genocide . Upon visiting the genocide memorial, Ingabire asked why Hutus killed in the violence were not recognised like the minority Tutsis were.

The Rwandan court found her guilty of two of her six charges: treason for conspiring war against the country by sending money to Hutu extremists, and Rwandan genocide belittling based on her statements and criticisms. She was sentenced to eight years in prison despite the prosecution asking for a life sentence.

The 1994 Rwandan genocide claimed more than 500,000 Rwandan lives, mostly ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Because of the massive bloodshed driven by ethnic identity clashes, the new military government set out to de-emphasize Hutu and Tutsi ethnicity. Today, many Rwandans identify themselves simply as a Rwandan, instead of Hutu or Tutsi.

Martin Ngoga, the government’s chief prosecutor said that Ingabire’s genocide belittling conviction was not simply a free-speech issue. The government feared that through her statements, Ingabire would rekindle the ethnic  divide and incite Rwanda “to once more explode” as it did in 1994.

The government also accused Ingabire – who has had contacts with the FDLR, a group of Hutu fighters in Congo – of trying to raise an armed group, a charge Ingabire denied.

Human Rights Watch said the guilty verdict was the culmination of a flawed trial that included politically motivated charges.

“The Rwandan government has a legitimate responsibility to prevent the kind of hate speech and incitement to ethnic violence that led to the genocide in 1994,” said Daniel Bekele of Human Rights Watch. “However, the responsibility to prevent violence should not be used as an excuse for stifling criticism or prohibiting discussion of certain events – nor should it be invoked as a pretext for delaying democratic reforms.” Bekele continued.

Ingabire believes that the true reason for her arrest is that she dared to run in the presidential election as a candidate for the opposition party, challenging the sitting president, Paul Kagame. Kagame is the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, whose military victory ended the genocide in Rwanda. He has been the president of Rwanda since 1994.  His final presidential term ends in 2017.

Ingabire is appealing the conviction.

 

For further information, please see:

Zimbio – Rwandan Opposition Leader Victoire Ingabire, Sentenced to 8 years in Jail – October 31, 2012

All Africa – Rwandan Opposition Leader Receives Eight-Year Sentence – 31 October 2012

Al Jazeera – Rwanda Jails Opposition Leader for ‘Treason’ – 30 October 2012

BBC – Rwandan Opposition Leader Victoire Ingabire Jailed – 30 October 2012

Syria Revolution Digest – Wednesday 31 October 2012

The Honest Truth!

By failing to react in time to the worsening situation in Syria, Obama has created his own Iraq. He did it without involving American troops or spending billions of dollars, proving that America does not always need to employ her military and economic might to screw things up. Soon, however, the messiness of it all notwithstanding, America’s dual might will be needed to help put things together and prevent the establishment of a firm Al-Qaeda haven on the Mediterranean.

 

Wednesday October 31, 2012

 

Today’s Death toll: 121. The Breakdown: 53 in Aleppo, 44 in Damascus and suburbs (including 18 in aerial bombardment of Zamalka), 11 in Homs, 5 in Hama, 4 in Idlib, 3 in Daraa and 1 in Deir Ezzor. Other Developments: LCC counted 131 points of random shelling and bombardments by regime forces, including 17 points of aerial shelling, 35 points of mortar shelling, 11 rockets, 2 explosive drums (LCC).

 

News

 

 

 

 

Clinton warns Syria rebels to resist extremism The rebels should “strongly resist the efforts by the extremists to hijack the Syrian revolution”, she warned.

 

China announces new proposal on Syria Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Wednesday elaborated China’s new four-point proposal on a political resolution to the Syrian conflict.

 

 

Russia warns West on Syria RUSSIA has warned that the “bloodbath” in Syria will continue if the West sticks to its demand for President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster.

 

Iran and Syria swap fuels as both aim to dodge sanctions Iran and Syria have arranged a gasoline-for-diesel swap, helping each other overcome international sanctions.

 

Syria civil war ‘kills 36,000’ More than 36,000 people have been killed since the outbreak of Syria’s anti-regime revolt in March 2011, with an average of 165 people killed a day since August 1.

 

Death of extremist second Syria link A MUSLIM extremist known to Australian police and intelligence agencies has reportedly been killed while manufacturing weapons for Syrian rebels.

 

Special Reports

 

 

The powerful, anti-American alliance of Iran, Syria and militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas, once dubbed the “Axis of Resistance,” is fraying. Iran’s economy is showing signs of distress from nuclear sanctions, Syria’s president is fighting for his survival and Hezbollah in Lebanon is under fire by opponents who blame it for the assassination of an anti-Syrian intelligence official. Hamas — the Palestinian arm — has bolted.

 

 

There is a proxy war going on in Syria, one measured in megabytes rather than in arms. On one side, Iran is providing Bashar al-Assad’s regime with the tools of digital dictatorship to locate and bait the Syrian opposition. On the other side, the United States is trying to help the opposition protect itself from such attacks and set up alternate channels of communication. The outcome of this proxy war will affect the lives of many Syrians and the credibility of the State Department’s efforts to promote digital freedom internationally.

 

 

Many people in Iraq’s Sunni heartland, once al Qaeda’s stronghold in the country, are most concerned with helping their kin. Tribal ties span the border, and Sunni chieftains and community leaders say Iraqi tribes regularly send Syrian relatives food and supplies. Some openly support Free Syrian Army rebels with arms when border controls allowed… In a sign Syria’s crisis is dragging its neighbours into a proxy war, Iraqi Shi’ite militants are also fighting there, often alongside Assad’s troops, claiming fidelity to Iran’s supreme religious leader. Iraqi officials and arms dealers acknowledge the intensifying conflict has already spurred demand in weapons markets in Iraq.

 

 

Everywhere you turn in Aleppo, the scars of a brutal war pitting rebel fighters against government soldiers are evident. Entire streets are littered with concrete blocks and rubble caused by mortar or rocket attacks. Walls are pockmarked, often from indiscriminate sniper fire.

 

Ammar Abdulhamid & Khawla Yusuf: The Shredded Tapestry: The State of Syria Today

 

Video Highlights

 

In the Damascene suburb of Moadamia, a car explosion leaves many dead and only locals to help pull the wounded from under the rubble. Explosions in restive neighborhoods targeting civilians are often blamed on the regime as rebel groups, even those with Islamist agendas, consistently target military and security outposts in Damascus and Aleppo http://youtu.be/b8wQRpu8_k8 ,http://youtu.be/bnUMPIhuebE

 

Meantime, the pounding of Zamalka Suburb in Eastern Ghoutah region left many buildings on fire http://youtu.be/Wf4sA8piXVc Nearby Douma was also poundedhttp://youtu.be/EHfzaCFfcfg , http://youtu.be/OMdUOUm9BXU ,http://youtu.be/fswCRidCKk8 So was Hazzeh http://youtu.be/h2I8sG6qt8gArbeen http://youtu.be/7nj-Lr2bjVg Deir Al-Asafeer http://youtu.be/PcdTTPTnLf8Kafar Batna http://youtu.be/MOa0__uWpkk , http://youtu.be/Cc4noKw3YsoJobar Neighborhood in Damascus City itself was also poundedhttp://youtu.be/wbmMotJK1_E In Dhiyabiyeh people run for cover from the shelling http://youtu.be/9msq2uC9q24

 

The pounding of old neighborhoods in Homs City resumes: Qoussourhttp://youtu.be/cgXTSuiyPOw , http://youtu.be/HhU_myYa-CA

 

Meantime, the pounding of the town of Rastan continues http://youtu.be/RsH-0AoyIag , http://youtu.be/OdA2-x7Q9Sw

 

Australian Asylum-Seekers Unhappy, Start Hunger Strike

By Mark O’Brien
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

CANBERRA, Australia — Nearly half of the asylum-seekers being held in an Australian detention center on the Pacific island of Nauru began a hunger strike on Thursday, protesting the conditions at the facility.

Asylum-seekers at an Australian immigration center on Nauru Island have begun a hunger strike to protest the conditions at the detention facility. (Photo Courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald)

Of the nearly 400 people held at the center, the Australian Department of Immigration said at least 170 have stopped eating their meals and refused their water.

“This is a clear message that we are not happy here,” the protesters wrote in a statement addressed to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the Nauru government, human rights commissions, and the international community.

“We want to go back from this hell to Australia, and we request to the Australian government to start our processing,” the statement continued.

Australian immigration authorities embraced tough new offshore processing policies earlier this year, including the reopening of the Nauru detention center.  The policies have sparked criticism and concern from Australian and international human rights organizations about the treatment of people seeking asylum.

Earlier this week, the Australian government approved increasing the capacity at the Nauru facility to 1,500 people.  Current detainees are kept in tents, and advocates have reported conditions there as hot and unbearable.

Asylum-seekers claimed their Internet access was cut off on Thursday as a way of censoring their access to human rights supporters and the media.  But authorities said that was untrue.

“It is well known that on Nauru, there are Internet service problems,” an Immigration Department spokesperson told the Sydney Morning Herald.

But the Australian Human Rights Commission said there was reason for the public to be concerned about the detainees’ health and well-being.

“Asylum-seekers have been left with no idea when their claims will be processed and what will be their ultimate fate,” said Ian Rintoul, a refugee advocate.  “They have no choice but to protest.”

Yet while the uncertainty caused some asylum-seekers to begin a hunger strike, it prompted others to, at least temporarily, give up on their immigration hopes.  Six detainees chose to leave the Nauru detention center and return to their home country this week.  They marked the first Iraqi and Iranian nationals to voluntarily give up their asylum claims.  More than 80 people have chosen to return to their home country since the new Australian immigration policies took effect in August.

But that has not caused Australia to reverse course regarding new immigrants.

“People arrive by boat will be sent to Nauru and Papua-New Guinea,” an immigration spokesperson said.

For further information, please see:

ABC Radio Australia — Australian Human Rights Commission Concern for Nauru Hunger Strikers — 2 November 2012

The Sydney Morning Herald — Asylum Seekers on Hunger Strike — 2 November 2012

The Sydney Morning Herald — ‘Unhappy’ Asylum Seekers on Hunger Strike — 2 November 2012

Fraser Coast Chronicle — Asylum Seekers Voluntarily Leave Nauru to Go Home — 1 November 2012

Green Left — Refugees Tell Gillard Nauru Is ‘The Worst Condition of Our Lives’ — 1 November 2012