Egypt President Replaces Top Military Officials

By Ali Al-Bassam
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt — In an unforeseen move last Sunday, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsy discharged the country’s top military officials, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defence, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, and his Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Sami Anan.  Morsy said that his decision to relieve the two officials was “for the benefit of this nation.”

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsy (C) recently replaced top military officials Hussein Tantawi (L) and Sami Anan (R), saying it was “for the benefit of this nation.” (Photo Courtesy of Daily News Egypt)

Morsy also appointed his Vice President, Judge Makhoud Mekki, the former Deputy Chairman of the Cassation Court.  He is the second vice president to be named in Egypt in 30 years.

In a statement read by official presidential spokesperson Yasser Aly on state television Sunday, Morsy also announced the cancellation of the supplementary constitutional powers declaration which gave the military legislative powers and budgetary control as well as the right to oversee the drafting of a new permanent constitution.  He also announced the removal of several other high ranking military officials and named their replacements.  According to Aly, the president will issue a new constitutional decree that “allows him to exercise full presidential powers.”

The army has not challenged Morsy’s decision to replace Tantawi.  State media quoted a military source saying there was no “negative reaction” from within armed forces.  In Cairo, thousands gathered overnight in Tahrir Square to express their support for Morsy’s move.  “The people support the president’s decision,” said the crowd.  Others mocked Tantawi’s departure, which was officially presented as a retirement.  “Field Marshal tell the truth, did Morsy fire you?” they said.

Morsy defended his decisions late Sunday night, denying that his motivation was to marginalize individuals or institutions by  abolishing provisions granting broad powers to the army and retiring Tantawi. He said all these decisions were for the interests of Egypt.

“The decisions I made today were not aimed at certain people and had not intended to marginalize institutions, and it was not my purpose to restrict freedoms,” said Morsy.  “I did not want to send negative messages about anyone, but my goal was to serve this nation and its people,” he said while hailing the work of the armed forces. “I want them to concentrate on their mission, protecting the nation,” he said.  Morsy stated that he acted “to ensure that we move towards a better future with a new generation and a long-awaited new blood.”

For further information, please see:

Al Bawaba — Morsi: Changes in Army Leadership Serve Egypt Interest — 13 August 2012

BBC News — Egypt President Mursi Explains Army Chief Replacement — 13 August 2012

Al Jazeera — Egypt’s Morsi ‘Empowered’ by Army Shake-up — 12 August 2012

Daily News Egypt — Morsy Assumes Power: Sacks Tantawi and Anan, Reverse Constitutional Decree and Reshuffles SCAF — 12 August 2012

Brazilian Women Rebel Against Mandatory C-Section Births

By Heba Girgis
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASILIA, Brazil—Mariana Mignon knew that she wanted her child born through a natural birth since the day she discovered that she was pregnant. Only weeks before her due date, Mignon completely abandoned her obstetrician, health plan, and her own private hospital room to have a chance at a real vaginal birth in a free public hospital in Rio.

Brazil Has One of the Highest C-Section Rates in the World, But That Trend is Beginning to Change. (Photo Courtesy of MSNBC)

In Brazil, natural childbirth has fallen out of favor, with about 82 percent of children born via cesarean section among women with private health insurance. “If I’d stayed with my health care plan and my doctor, I would have had a C-section,” said Mignon. Brazil, on its own, has one of the highest cesarean section rates in the world.

The trend toward the C-section method may be shifting throughout the country as more women push for more of a say in their childbirth options—whether it be C-section or naturally, home or in the hospital, or with a midwife or a medical doctor. Olimpio Moraes Filho, a head doctor with the Brazilian Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists noted that, “We need to have a serious discussion in this country to see what can be done to change this culture.” “Women are starting to rebel, and they should,” Filho also noted.

The catalyst to this rebellion began in July when a medical regulating agency in Rio made it forbidden for doctors to conduct home births and for labor coaches from helping out in hospitals. In defense of this new rule, the agency argued that “there are many complications possible during labor that require immediate medical attention.”

Responding to this, women began to organize marches in 13 cities around Brazil. In the city of Sao Paulo, women bared their breasts, marched with posters that said “Our Children, Our Decision,” and chanted “Brazil, don’t follow Rio’s example.” By the end of the month, the resolution was reversed by court order and over 200 people gathered in Rio to celebrate the news.

According to the World Health Organization, people should avoid unnecessary surgeries, especially during childbirth—as there are many risks for a mother including infections, complications form anesthesia, hemorrhage, dangerous clots and an even longer recovery.

To reverse the trend toward C-section, Brazil’s federal government has decided to create a program called “The Stork Network” with the goal of “humanizing” the birthing process and teaching mothers and heath practitioners about the benefits of natural childbirth.

 

For further information, please see:

Mercury News – Brazilian Women Rebel Against C-Section Births – 12 August 2012

MSNBC – Brazilian Women Rebel Against C-Section Births – 12 August 2012

The Sun – Brazilian Women Rebel Against Cesarean Births – 12 August 2012

Yahoo News – Brazilian Women Rebel Against Cesarean Births – 12 August 2012

Syrian Revolution Digest – Friday 10 August 2012

From the Road!

Friday August 10, 2012

Cities & Towns Under Shelling: Harasta, Arbeen, Moadamiah, Harran Al-Awameed, Deir Al-Asafeer, Ain Terma, Zabadani, Madaya, Eltal, Dmeir, Hameh, Yelda, Rankous, Qarrah (Damascus Suburbs), Sit Zeinab, Al-Qadam, Midan, Tadamon, Al-Hajar Al-Aswad, Yarmouk, Kafar Sousseh, Mazzeh, Qaboun, Barzeh, Salhiyeh, Ruknaddine, Dafelshawk (Damascus City), Daraa City, Khirbet Al-Ghazaleh, Tafas, Bostra Al-Sham, Na’eemah, Mseifrah, Jimreen, Hraak , Saida, Tal Shihab (Daraa), Rastan, Talbisseh, Houla, Tal Kalakh, Al-Qusayr, Al-Hosn, Al-Ghanto, Al-Bouaydah, Old Homs (Homs Province), Hreitan, Elbab, Eizaz, Marei, Bayanoun (Aleppo Province), Haffeh, Jabal Al-Akrad (Lattakia), Deir Ezzor City, Mouhassan, Albou Kamal (Deir Ezzor Province), Kafar Zeiteh, Hawash, Shahshabo, Hama City (Hama Province), Jabal Al-Zawiyeh, Ma’rrat Al-Nouman, Saraqib, Maar Shoureen, Ariha, Kafroumah, Al-Rami, Khan Shaikhoon (Idlib).

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In Their Own Words: Human Rights Violations Against Iran’s Kurdish Minority

9 August 2012
Iran Human Rights Documentation Center

The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran routinely violates domestic and international law in the course of arresting, interrogating, and prosecuting Kurdish civil and political activists.

Although armed opposition groups do exist in Iran’s Kurdish region, many of the targets of government repression are peaceful activists operating within the framework of the law who are indiscriminately subjected to intimidation, torture and the deprivation of their rights to due process.

As part of its on-going effort to document human rights violations perpetrated against Iran’s Kurdish minority, the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (IHRDC) has compiled a package of witness statements that evidences the abuses against Kurdish activists in the prisons, detention centers, and judicial apparatus of the Islamic Republic.

The fifteen witnesses in this package were interviewed in the course of investigations for IHRDC’s recently released report, “On the Margins: Arrest, Imprisonment, and Execution of Kurdish Activists in Iran Today” and include former Kurdish Iranian political prisoners and the relatives of current and former death row inmates. All the witnesses included in this release have intimate experience with government violations of the basic rights of prisoners.

For further information, please contact:
Gissou Nia
Executive Director
Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
Email: GNia@iranhrdc.org
Phone: (203) 654-9342