Syrian Revolution Digest – Sunday 7 October 2012

The Rebel Moment!

Coming under increased scrutiny, rebels prove no less fractious than the traditional political opposition. Much of their fractiousness, however, can be traced back to continued dabbling by said opposition, as well as the shifting demands and whims of external sponsors. Still, and so many reporters embedded with them have reported, the rebels’ daily experiences with death and suffering make them far more reliable as partners, especially when they work in cooperation with local political activists.

Sunday October 7, 2012

Today’s Death toll: 121. The Breakdown:  toll includes 7 children and 3 women. 62 in Damascus and Suburbs (38 found field-executed in Hameh), 23 in Aleppo, 15 in Homs, 8 in Idlib, 7 in Hama, 3 in Daraa and 3 in Deir Ezzor (LCC).

News

Special Reports

Amid the hodgepodge of groups that make up the armed opposition to Bashar Assad, one organization is coming dramatically to the fore

Across from Hermel and inside Syrian territory, a string of villages inhabited by Lebanese Shiites has been clashing with majority-Sunni villages that back the opposition in the countryside of Qusayr, on the outskirts of Homs. There have been a series of tit for tat kidnappings between the groups, and some have suggested that Hezbollah is providing military support to the Shiite villagers.

Allowing Syria’s chaos to continue will damage too many strategic American interests and, perhaps more importantly, squander an opportunity to affect precisely the kind of change that will make the world a safer place as America’s ability to “police it” inevitably fades.

People whose lives have been decimated by conflict should receive as much assistance as we can give them. Yet Palestinian refugees from Syria, escaping the same violence, destruction and dangers and seeking the same protection, relief and refuge as their Syrian counterparts, are being excluded on grounds of nationality.

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

Rania Abouzeid offers another great article on rebel groups in Syria. With this report, yesterday’s diagram by the Turkish newspaper Hurrieyt, the New Republic article on rebel groups, the study on armed opposition prepared by Joseph Holliday of the Institute for the Study of war, and my recent report andop-ed, a good and accurate picture of rebel groups is finally emerging.

Video Highlights

Shelling leaves many children dead in Ma’arrat Al-Nouman, Idlib Provincehttp://youtu.be/lfHeK0iJYjw

MIGs continue to pound the suburbs of Eastern Ghoutah, Damascus Province:Hamouriyeh http://youtu.be/1AvX77CjehU Pulling the dead from under the rubblehttp://youtu.be/NeL2H6cidso Kafar Batna http://youtu.be/0DXpODoI76Q ,http://youtu.be/avwawbqV3v4 , http://youtu.be/OYYC1MU_aTM Saqbahttp://youtu.be/F5KxHYXM39M The nearby neighborhood of Al-Qadam inside Damascus City is also targeted http://youtu.be/U8hUBAihkwY

A video showing Kurdish fighters training to defend Kurdish-majority towns in Syria, to which they refer as Western Kurdistan http://youtu.be/LKU79Uuegys

Pakistani Men Detained in Liberia Without Charge and Trial

By Ryan Aliman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MONROVIA, Liberia – Five Pakistani men are being held by the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) in Monrovia. One of them, Mohammed Llyass, was accused of human trafficking. Meanwhile, the other four Pakistanis, namely, Arajd Ali, Saif-Ullab, Mohammed Tufail and Abbas-Ali are said to be victims of Llyass. These four men are allegedly among those Llyass has trafficked into the country.

The Pakistani men waiting for the Court’s decision on their petition for writ of habeas corpus. (Photo courtesy of FrontPageAfrica)

On September 10 all five of them were arrested on the same ground that they violated Liberian immigration laws.

Two weeks after their arrest, the four Pakistanis’ lawyer, Atty. Edwin K. Martin, filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus before Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice. The petition mainly prayed for the Court to order the BIN to produce the four men in open court to justify their detention.

Atty. Martin argued that his clients have been under illegal detention at the immigration bureau for over 48 hours since their arrest. Such prolonged detention, according to him, is “illegal and oppressive” as it goes beyond the statutory period mandated by the constitution. Also, Atty. Martin asserted that his clients were never formally charged of any crime up to the filing of the petition. He contended that the four Pakistanis, along with Llyass, were arrested and brought to the BIN office on Broad Street without being charged of any crime. “No attempt was made by the BIN to bring my clients before a court to have due process of law afforded to them as required by law in this jurisdiction,” Atty. Martin said during the hearing of the writ petition.

Yet, the court, under Judge James Zotaa, denied the petition.

In his ruling, Judge Zotaa ordered the BIN to keep all five Pakistanis in custody. He held that, although only Llyass was charged with human trafficking, the other four failed to prove that they were in the country lawfully. They should have established before the court that they are living in the country with valid documents, noted the Judge. “This Court will not allow the continued violation of the immigration laws of the country. What would happen if the five cannot establish before the Court that they are legal aliens in the country? They go and commit hideous crimes that jeopardize the public security and welfare,” Judge Zotaa stressed as he read out his decision.

After Judge Zotaa delivered his ruling, the Solicitor General, Cllr. Wilkin Wrights, clarified to the press that the four Pakistanis are actually being kept in safe homes acknowledging their status as “human trafficking victims”. According to Cllr. Wrights, it is only Llyass, among the five Pakistanis, who is detained at the Monrovia Central Prison.

 

For further information, please see:

The Nation – Five Pakistanis detained in Liberia without trial – 6 October 2012

All Africa – Liberia: Five Pakistanis Detained Without Trial – 5 October 2012

Daily Observer – Judge Denies Pakistanis “Writ of Habeas Corpus” – 29 September 2012

FrontPageAfrica – Pakistani in Liberia Booked for Human Trafficking – 27 September 2012

The New Dawn – Five Pakistanis Sue BIN – 27 September 2012

 

New Somali Prime Minister Appointed

By Heba Girgis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa

MOGADISHU, Somalia—The Somali President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, just announced his choice of Abdi Farah Shirdon Saaid, a political newcomer to serve as his new prime minister. Saaid who is new to the political realm has been a prominent businessman in the neighboring country of Kenya, and is married to Haji Elmi who is an influential peace activist originally from Somalia.

The New Prime Minister Was Appointed Yesterday by Current President Mohamud. (Photo Courtesy of The Associated Press)

Mr. Saaid made the following promise to his country, “I promise that I will do my duty in line with the Constitution and the national laws.”

The current President is also a political newcomer. He worked in several different international organizations and came into his leadership role last month. Augustine P. Mahiga, the top United Nations envoy to Somalia said, “The appointment of a new prime minister is another important step forward in the country’s peace building process.”

The next step, after Saaid’s appointment, is approval by parliament. If he receives this approval, the prime minister will begin to put together his Cabinet. This latest series of political appointments and new leadership is the first since the nation’s decades of civil war.

Not only did the nation just recently pick its new president, but Somalia has also adopted a new provisional constitution, has selected members of parliament and has appointed the parliament’s speaker. All of this has fallen into place in the last few months.

Saaid and Mohamud now face a new daunting task. They now have the task of running Somalia’s first effective central government since 1991. Twenty-one years ago, the country fell into chaos after the dictator, Mohamed Siad Barre, was overthrown. After his ousting, militants and local warlords struggled for control who launched a series of civil wars nationwide.

Mr. Mohamud has yet another challenge on his plate in his new presidency. This challenge involves the insurgency by the Shabab, a group linked to Al Qaeda that actually tried to assassinate him only two days after his election. While the government and the African Union forces have driven out the Shabab from Mogadishu, the group has been waging other relentless attacks against the Union and the government in other parts of the country.

The spokesman for the Shabab denounced the new prime minister saying, “The new prime minister is not different from those before him — they were all brought by Westerners. He will not change Somalia. We shall fight and keep on foiling the infidel government.”

 

For further information, please see:

All Africa – Somali President Names Prime Minister – 7 October 2012

CNN News – Somali President Appoints Prime Minister – 7 October 2012

Star Africa – UN Special Representative for Somalia Statement on the Nomination of the New Prime Minister – 7 October 2012

The New York Times – Somalian President Picks a Businessman, a Political Newcomer, as Prime Minister – 6 October 2012

Police and Protestors Clash in Bahrain

By Emily Schneider
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain – Hundreds of protestors in Bahrain were forcibly dispersed by police who were using water canons and tear gas on Friday. The crowd gathered after hearing that Mohammed Ali Ahmed Mushaima, 23, had died in custody. He was jailed after pro-democracy protests last year.

Police used water cannons to disperse protesters at a rally on Friday. (Photo courtesy of Rueters)

Mushaima was one of thousands to partake in protests in Bahrain in March 2011, following the example of those in Tunisia and Egypt.  The protestors in Bahrain were rallying for more power for their elected officials and a more limited role for the ruling al-Khalifa family.  Many of the dissidents were from the Shia majority and would prefer the Sunni al-Khalifa family to have less power. Some Shi’ites complain of discrimination in almost all aspects of government functions, including housing, jobs, and education.

In an effort to curb protests in the spring of 2011, martial law was enacted for two months. Clashes between protestors and government authorities continued almost daily in spite of those measures.  Mushaima was taken into police custody in March 2011 for “vandalism, rioting, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.” He was sentenced to seven years in jail and had been in the hospital since August. According to Bahrain’s Information Authority ‘s written statement, a medical examiner determined “[his] death [to have been] natural and caused by sickle cell complications.”

Opposition activists claim that Mushaima died because the authorities mistreated him. After the memorial service held for him on Tuesday, hundreds of protestors gathered to again rally for a bigger role for their elected officials.  As they headed towards Pearl roundabout, the site of the large protests last spring, police intervened. According to witnesses, riot police were deployed to the area and used tear gas, water canons, sound bombs, and buckshot against the crowd.

The interior ministry, in a statement made on Twitter, said that a “group of terrorists” threw Molotov cocktails at police and blocked access to streets, and so the police used “legal measures” in response.

This was the second time police forces have violently clashed with protesters in recent days. Last Friday, a seventeen-year-old was killed after he allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at a police patrol. The Bahrain Center for Human Rights said the incident is an example of “summary executions” by government forces.

For further information, please see:

Rueters – Police Clash with Protestors in Bahrain – 5 October 2012

Al Jazeera – Protestors Clash with Police in Bahrain – 5 October 2012

CNN- Police, Protestors Clash after Funeral – 2 October 2012

Gulf Daily News- Rights Panel Seat a Vote of Confidence – 29 September 2012

Blasphemous Pastafarian Facebook Page Prompts Arrest of Greek Man

By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

EVIA, Greece – A 27-year-old man was arrested last month in the Greek village of Psahna, Evia, on charges of “malicious blasphemy.”  The unnamed man allegedly created a Facebook page satirizing deceased Greek monk Elder (Gerontas, Father) Paisios.  Taking a page out of Pastafarianism’s book (the veneration of a Flying Spaghetti Monster), the Facebook page, titled Elder Pastitsios, replaced Paisios’ face with pastitsio, a popular lasagna-like greek dish.

A screen capture of the satirical Elder Pastitsios Facebook page. (Photo Courtesy of Kathimerini)

Greek police arrested the man September 24, after the police’s “Cyber Crimes” bureau claimed they received thousands of complaints about the page from around the world.

However, the arrest came only days after a member of parliament belonging to Chrysi Avgi (Golden Dawn), a far-right, neo-fascist party that has been gaining power since May, brought the page to the attention of the minister of public order.

The police also confiscated the man’s laptop as evidence in order to determine if he was the one who created and managed the Elder Pastitsios Facebook page.

The accused man was arraigned on court on September 25, but released pending trial.

In the 98 percent Greek Orthodox Christian nation, a Facebook page critical of religion has the potential to cause offense.  Paisios remains popular in Greece for his spiritual teachings, and there have been many books published about him and his prophecies.  Some high-ranking members of the Greek orthodox priesthood have moved to have the Church sanctify him, a status similar to sainthood.

The Elder Pastitsios Facebook page, which has since been removed, showed satirical images and articles about the Greek Orthodox faith and Elder Paisios.  The accused man explained in an interview with the Greek website Pandoras Box that his purpose was to critique the commercialization of the deceased monk.

“Pastitsios was pure satire and without any vulgar language or insults,” he explained. “I take the books and criticize them. I use satire.”

Greece is one of the very few nations in Europe that maintains and enforces blasphemy laws. If convicted, a person may be fined up to €3,000 (£2,400, $3,8000), and imprisoned up to two years.

George Katrougalos, professor of public law at the Demokritos University of Thraces, notes that there are problems with the law.  “Especially, according to the [Greek] Constitution and the protections of freedom of speech, as well as the European Convention on Human Rights. The intention of the legislator seems to have been to protect minorities in general, or even the public peace.”

The arrest caused outrage on the Internet and across Greece. On Greek Twitter, the hashtag #FreeGeronPastitios trended strongly.  Also, a petition directed at the Greek parliament demanded the accused man’s release and the abolishment of blasphemy laws.

Within the Greek government the Democratic Left and the main opposition party, Syriza, responded quickly.   While also demanding the abolishment of the blasphemy law, the Democratic Left condemned the pandering of the government to the ultra-nationalist party, characterizing the arrest as of a “fundamentalist nature, which is not appropriate for a European, democratic state, but, rather, for theocratic regimes.”

Syriza called the arrest a “blatant act of violation of free speech by authorized officers of the state, who should be protecting it like the apple of their eye.”  They further stated that it is “unacceptable that in Greece of 2012 a citizen is arrested over satirical commentary on a personal page of a social networking website.”

For more information, please see:

Global Post – Greek Man Could Face Prison for “Blasphemous” Facebook Page – 5 October 2012

The Christian Science Monitor – Blasphemy in Democracy’s Birthplace? Greece Arrests Facebook User. – 2 October 2012

The Register – Pastafarians: Get Your Noodly Appendages off that Facebook Suspect – 2 October 2012

Kathimerini – Greek Police Arrest Man Behind Facebook Page Satirizing ‘Mystical’ Priest – 25 September 2012

Kathimerini – Leftist Parties Lambast ‘Blasphemy’ Arrest – 25 September 2012

Huffington Post – ‘Gerontas Pastitsios’ Pastafarian Facebook Page Leads To Blasphemy Arrest in Greece – 24 September 2012

Refworld – Policing Belief: The Impact of Blasphemy Laws on Human Rights – Greece – 21 October 2010