Syrian Revolution Digest – Monday 24 September 2012

The Bloodshed Continues!

 

Monday September 24, 2012

 

Today’s Death toll: 123. The Breakdown: 42 in Aleppo, 37 in Damascus and Suburbs, 18 in Daraa, 14 in Homs, 7 in Hama, 3 in Latakia, 1 in Deir Ezzor and 1 in Idlib (LCC).

 

News

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An independent journalist who asked to remain anonymous, said rebel fighters were attacking a military base near town of Atarib when the jet flew over.

 

Special Reports

 

 

Lebanese living along the Syrian border are reporting rashes and other ailments. They suspect Syrian biological weapons are to blame, although weapons experts say that is unlikely.

 

 

With Syrian rebels sheltering in Lebanese border towns and Syrian Army troops planting land mines on both sides of the border, Lebanese fears of getting dragged into the conflict are rising.

 

 

“While opponents of the regime and activists are chased down by regime forces and subjected to arbitrary arrest and liquidation in areas under regime control, by contrast, regime supporters in areas controlled by the FSA can express their opinions freely. We can even find them sitting in the village guest house sharing jokes and drinking tea in one of the most beautiful scenes of the revolution that I have seen.”

 

 

When the uprising against the Assad regime began, Syria’s half-million-strong Palestinian population was reluctant to join in. Now, some have fled, while others have joined in the fight.

 

 

(Reuters) – Thirty years ago Hafez al-Assad cut phone lines from Hama to stop word spreading of his bloody crackdown on an uprising in the city, ensuring that the 1982 Syrian revolt was crushed and many thousands killed before the world even knew of it.

 

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

 

Video Highlights

 

Rebels groups in the western parts of Aleppo Province get united under the nameAl-Mostasim Brigades http://youtu.be/uAuXtMT-5YY But while the video is meant to show unity, it unintentionally reveals the degree of fragmentation involved in the rebellion movement when the leaders of over 20 different units introduce themselves and take the pledge. Regional and ideological differences are pretty apparent and the prospects of a lasting union seem dim. But for now, attempts at consolidation continue.

 

Restive neighborhoods in Damascus City are shelled againhttp://youtu.be/rW7csL0zNpk , http://youtu.be/ky1eRAzqjpc

 

The town of Na’eemeh, Daraa Province, comes under heavy shellinghttp://youtu.be/lFRRUeCZyjU  , http://youtu.be/X4tD8VY4q84

 

The town of Al-Atareb, Aleppo Province, get pounded with fighter jets dropping TNT barrels http://youtu.be/wFRA_1qhtZE , http://youtu.be/lzAwYyg6_YM

 

In Aleppo City’s Sheikh Khodr Neighborhood, the bodies of victims of snipers line the streets http://youtu.be/II3DnPrjNPo

 

The pounding of Old Homs continues http://youtu.be/b4UIBiIhzb8 The pounding of Rastan continues http://youtu.be/mcdjcJriFgs

 

14 Sentenced to Death by Egyptian Courts for Sinai Attacks

By Ali Al-Bassam
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt — Fourteen reportedly militant Islamists’ death sentences were upheld by the Supreme State of Emergency Court on Monday for their part in a deadly attack on a bank and police station. The strike killed an army officer, five policemen, and a civilian in the North Sinai town of Arish last year.  The jihadists were originally sentenced to death on August 14 by a court in Ismailiya, northeast of Cairo. Four men received life sentences for their parts in the attack, while six were acquitted.

A Bedouin man in Sinai investigates the scene of an explosion. (Photo Courtesy of Egypt Independent)

Those who were sentenced belonged to the “Tawhid wal Jihad” (Monotheism and Holy War) organization.  The group was accused of killing 34 people in a series of bombings that were carried out  against tourist resorts in South Sinai in 2004 and 2005.  Ever since the Mubarak era, North Sinai villages have dealt with many issues involving Islamic jihadists who seek an Emirate in Sinai.  After its founders were killed by police following the attack, the group kept a low profile, but experienced a resurgence after President Mubarak was overthrown.

Mohamed Zare’ a human rights lawyer who is also the head of the Arab Organization for Penal Reform, described the ruling as “deterrent, especially because of what is being carried out in Sinai.  It also is proof of fears the country has of Jihadists.”  Zare’ believes that the ruling is proof of the executive and judicial bodies’ awareness of the issues that Sinai currently faces.

Nageh Ibrahim, former fighter who is now an Islamist researcher, agreed with Zare’.  In an interview with Al Jazeera, he said that “[t]his court decision is a milestone.  It gives a strong message to the militant groups that the state, President Mohamed Morsi’s government, will not tolerate attacks on the Egyptian armed forces and police.”

Tarek Abdel-A’al, head of field work for the Egyptian Initiative for Human Rights, disagrees, finding the sentence to be “very harsh,” especially considering the modern trend many countries are following in abandoning the death penalty.

Those convicted blame President Mohamed Morsi for the court’s decision.  After the verdict, one defendant was heard shouting that “Morsi is an infidel and those who follow him are infidels.”

Al Jazeera reported that the Egyptian government and Israel are currently coordinating on a security operation which involves hundreds of Egyptian troops with tanks, armored vehicles and helicopters in a joint operation with police to raid militant hideouts, arrest suspects, and seize weapons.  Yet there is still little information over whether this will be enough to bring Sinai back under government control.

For further information please see:

Al Bawaba — Egypt: Six Islamists to be Executed — 24 September 2012

Al Jazeera — Egypt Upholds Death Penalty in Sinai Attacks — 24 September 2012

Daily News Egypt — Over a Dozen Sentenced to Death for Deadly Attack in North Sinai — 24 September 2012

Egypt Independent — Egypt Condemns 14 to Death for 2011 Sinai Attack — 24 September 2012

Russia Demands Ban on YouTube Over Anti-Islamic Film

By Alexandra Sandacz
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – On the heels of multiple nations banning the Anti-Islamic film, The Innocence of Muslims, the Russian government recently threatened to ban the video-sharing online resource, YouTube, unless the company takes down the extremely controversial film that flared multiple violent protests.

Russia threatens to ban YouTube over controversial Anti-Islamic film. (Photo Courtesy of FoxNews)

On Monday, Russian communications chief, Nikolai Nikiforov, used Twitter to announce that Russia may take the necessary steps to completely block YouTube if they do not agree to the removal of the Anti-Islamic film.

The Russian prosecutor general has already categorized the film to be extremist and desires a court decision to ban it in Russia. However, if a court rules that YouTube is not required to take down the heated film, access to the website will simply be limited.

Russia plans to utilize a controversial new law that allows authorities to block entire websites over offensive content on a single page. Nikolai Nikiforov also wrote on twitter, “It sounds like a joke, but because of this video… all of YouTube could be blocked throughout Russia.”

In fact, various Internet providers through the Russia’s Chechen Republic were already instructed to block YouTube to prevent access to the Anti-Islamic movie mocking the Prophet Muhammad.

One Internet provider in Chechnya, Orange Company, already blocked YouTube. Furthermore, the republic’s prosecutor general officially ordered the three remaining providers, MTS, Megafon and Vympelkom, to block access to YouTube.

Ultimately, Google refused to take down the Anti-Islamic movie all together. However, the Internet company agreed to remove content that violates local laws to “maintain a balance between free speech and censorship.”

A YouTube spokes person states, “We work hard to create a community everyone can enjoy and which also enables people to express different opinions. This can be a challenge because what’s OK in one country can be offensive elsewhere.”

Rachel Whetstone, Google’s director of global communications and public affairs for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, wrote that Google is not “the arbiter of what does and does not appear on the web”.

Whetstone also states, “We try to take into account local cultures and needs – which vary dramatically around the world – when developing and implementing our global product policies. Dealing with controversial content is one of the biggest challenges we face as a company.”

For further information, please see:

RFE/RL — Internet Providers In Chechnya Instructed To Block YouTube Over Anti-Islam Film – 24 September 2012

BBC – YouTube under new pressure over anti-Muslim film – 19 September 2012

FoxNews — Russia may block YouTube over anti-Islam film – 18 September 2012

Los Angeles Times — More countries push to block YouTube over anti-Islam video – 18 September 2012

$135 Million of Russian Government Money Stolen by the Criminal Group Exposed by Sergei Magnitsky Has Been Found in Eight Different Countries

Press Release
Hermitage Capital

24 September 2012 – After two years of a forensic investigation involving the authorities and courts in four different countries, journalists from Novaya Gazeta and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project have identified where $135 million of the money stolen from the Russian treasury by a criminal group exposed by the murdered lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, ended up.  The money was traced through U.S., Swiss, Moldovan and Russian bank records to accounts in 8 different jurisdictions, 62 offshore accounts and 20 different banks. The money was found in Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Cyprus, Hong Kong and three Baltic republics.

This is the largest single discovery outside of Russia of bank accounts and individuals who were involved in the corrupt conspiracy to steal Russian treasury funds uncovered by late Sergei Magnitsky.

One of the most significant discoveries from this new investigation is documentary evidence showing a link between the funds from the Russian treasury through 10 different banks in 4 different jurisdictions and the accounts at Credit Suisse Private Bank in Zurich of a company belonging to Vladlen Stepanov, ex-husband of former head of Moscow tax office number 28.  The money from this account was shown to have been used to pay for multi-million dollar properties in Dubai for Vladlen Stepanov (http://russian-untouchables.com/rus/docs/D252.pdf) and two officials of the Moscow Tax Office 28 – Olga Tsareva and Elena Anisimova – and their relatives (http://russian-untouchables.com/rus/docs/D247.pdf, http://russian-untouchables.com/rus/docs/D246.pdf).

Another important trail from the stolen treasury funds was a $1,468,023 payment to accounts at UBS in Zurich.  Previous investigations have revealed that $800 million was stolen by the Russian officials and criminals exposed by Sergei Magnitsky using the same scheme during a four-year period of 2006-2010, including $230 million paid in taxes to the Russian government by Hermitage Fund’s Russian companies in 2006.  This money was illegally refunded in one day, on 24 December 2007, under the guise of a “tax refund” by criminals working with Russian tax and Interior Ministry officials. Families of those officials have since been shown to have become rich well in excess of their government salaries.

Hermitage Capital has filed 8 criminal complaints with the prosecutors and police in the eight foreign jurisdictions, alerting them to the stolen funds and asking for the accounts to be frozen and criminal investigations to be opened.  The applications say:

“Our clients have discovered that the funds held at and which moved through these accounts represent a portion of some $800 million in illicit proceeds generated in a criminal scheme involving the theft of funds from the Russian Treasury, as well as proceeds of similar crimes earlier, payments to corrupt Russian officials and members of their families involved in the scheme, and fraud, of which $230 million relates to taxes paid to the Russian Treasury by Hermitage and the Hermitage Fund, as well as to other ongoing criminal activity.”

“Because the Russian authorities have blocked all applications to investigate the money trail and to bring implicated Russian officials to justice, our efforts have been focused on criminal justice opportunities outside Russia,” said a Hermitage Capital representative.

Sergei Magnitsky who uncovered the unprecedented fraud against the Russian people and the Russian state, was arrested by officers he had implicated, tortured and killed in custody. In November 2010, he was posthumously honored by Transparency International with the Integrity Award (http://www.transparency.org/getinvolved/awardwinner/sergei_magnitsky) for his fight against official corruption.

As of now, not a single member of the Russian government has been prosecuted for the theft of the funds or the murder of Sergei Magnitsky.  Earlier, Magnitsky’s former boss, U.S. lawyer Jamison Firestone, filed three applications with the Russian Investigative Committee seeking to open a criminal inquiry into the Russian tax officials who authorized the tax refunds, and into the high-ranking government officials who have been blocking any investigation.   Firestone also filed seven requests to investigate the illicit wealth of the families of tax and police officials implicated in the thefts, and the criminal activities of the Klyuev organized crime group since 2002. The Russian authorities have not opened any probes into anyone named in Firestone’s applications.

 

For further information please contact:

Hermitage Capital
Phone:             +44 207 440 1777
Email:             info@lawandorderinrussia.org
Website:          http://lawandorderinrussia.org
Facebook:       http://on.fb.me/hvIuVI
Twitter:           @KatieFisher__
Livejournal:    //hermitagecap.livejournal.com/

Investigation by Novaya Gazeta here:
http://www.novayagazeta.ru/inquests/53950.html

Investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project:
http://www.reportingproject.net/proxy/en/following-the-magnitsky-money