Venezuela to Withdraw From Inter-American Human Rights Court

By Heba Girgis
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela—Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez recently announced that Venezuela will be withdrawing from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, also known as the IACrtHR. The IACrtHR makes up the human rights protection system of the Organization of American States, which works to uphold and protect basic human rights and freedoms in the Americas.

President Chavez Withdraws From Inter-American Court of Human Rights to Save Venezuela’s “Dignity.” (Photo Courtesy of BBC)

Chavez also noted that the country will now begin its one-year waiting period. Once the waiting period has passed, Venezuela will no longer be a party of the American Convention on Human Rights. The country is also removing itself from the Costa Rica Inter-American Court of Human Rights as well as the Washington Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Chavez made this decision after the Inter-American Court of Human Rights gave a ruling that he found to be “a travesty of justice.” The Costa Rica-based court held that Venezuela violated the rights of a prisoner, Raul Dias, who was convicted of bombing a diplomatic government office in Venezuela’s capital city of Caracas in 2003. The court found that Diaz was being held in inhumane jail conditions.

“Venezuela is pulling out of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights out of dignity,” said Chavez during a military ceremony in the Venezuelan town of Puerto Cabello. Chavez said that the court was ruling on the side of terrorism by ruling in favor of Diaz.

“We are an independent country,” he said, as Chavez also explained that this decision would allow Venezuela to assert and construct a fuller sense of national liberty and independence.

On the other side, Venezuelan human rights activists are concerned that if the Venezuelan government goes through with this decision and withdraws from the Organization of American States, victims of future human rights abuses will have fewer venues in which to seek protection and raise their cases.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland spoke to reporters last week and said that if Venezuela withdraws from the human rights court the country “would be sending a deeply regrettable message about its commitment to human rights and democracy.”

In early May, 2012, Rupert Colville, the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, urged Venezuela to cooperate with regional and international human rights mechanisms and organizations and to stay away from any decisions that would weaken individual protections against human rights violations. The country will go through its one-year waiting period before fully pulling out of the Organization of American States.

 

For further information, please see:

ABC News – Venezuela to Pull Out of OAS Human Rights Bodies – 27 July 2012

BBC News – Venezuela to Withdraw From Regional Human Rights Court – 25 July 2012

UN News Centre – UN Concerned Over Venezuela’s Possible Withdrawal From Human Rights Body – 4 May 2012

Venezuela Analysis – Venezuela to Withdraw From OAS’s Human Rights Court – 30 April 2012

OTP Weekly Briefing: Bensouda Begins Preliminary Examination on Mali Situation, New Warrants for Ntaganda and Mudacumura, ICC Judge Sentence Dyilo to 14 Years

ICC Office of the Prosecutor Weekly Briefing 4-23 July 2012, Issue #127

Syrian Revolution Digest -Friday 27 July 2012

THE COMMENTARY IN THIS PIECE DOES NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF IMPUNITY WATCH.  

*WARNING VIDEOS MAY CONTAIN GRAPHIC IMAGES*

 

500 Days of Night. 500 Days of Light.

Syrian Revolution Digest – July 27, 2012 

Judging things through the visor of international reactions, the past 500 days in Syria were an age of darkness and missed opportunities. But examining the situation from the point of view of an activist, every day that passed brought more people to the cause, and for all the complications still involved, that is a major achievement. Things will never be the same. Fear is gone. The spell is broken. 

Friday July 27, 2012

Today’s Death toll: 110. The Breakdown: 30 in Daraa, 23 in Damascus and Suburbs, 22 in Aleppo, 11 in Deir Ezzor, 10 in Hos, 5 in Idlib, 3 in Hama, 2 in Lattakia, and 1 in Raqqah.

Cities & Towns Under Shelling: Harasta, Arbeen, Moadamiah, Harran Al-Awameed, Zabadani, Madaya, Eltal, Dmeir, Hameh, Yelda, Rankous, Qarrah (Damascus Suburbs), Sit Zeinab, Al-Qadam, Modan, Al-Hajar Al-Aswad, Yarmouk, Kafar Sousseh, Mazzeh, Qaboun, Barzeh (Damascus City), Daraa City, Khirbet Al-Ghazaleh, Tafas, Bostra Al-Sham, Na’eemah, Mseifrah, Jimreen, Hraak (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).

News

Aleppo short on weapons, medical supplies as Syria’s next big battle looms

Assad’s fall only matter of time: former U.N. Syria mission chief

Russian warships not to enter Syria port: Navy chief

UNESCO Calls For Protection Of Heritage Properties In Syria

Poland closes embassy in Syria as crisis worsens

Syria: Inmate Describes Fatal Assault on Prisoners

Syria rebels ready for ‘mother of all battles’

Rebels hold Syria loyalists in Aleppo, Idlib

Syrian refugees flock to Iraq to escape violence

2 Western Photographers Freed From Syria Captivity

 

Op-Eds & Special Reports

Brief History of Aleppo: A Great World City Now in the Grip of War As Syrian government forces and rebels clash in Aleppo, TIME takes a look at the history of this ancient, cosmopolitan city now locked in a state of war

Syria’s Christians, Caught in the Middle of Worsening Chaos Every effort must be immediately made to anticipate the potential for post-Assad retaliation against civilians such as Alawites, Christians, and other minorities associated with the regime (or who simply stayed out of the fight)- and to form a real and workable strategy to prevent it, or to stop it if all hell begins to break loose.

Kurdish worries drag Turkey deeper into Syria war Turkey may be some way from acting on Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s threat to strike Kurdish separatists in Syria, but week by week it finds itself sucked ever further into its neighbor’s worsening war.

By Ceding Northeastern Syria to the Kurds, Assad Puts Turkey in a Bind Ankara has been a key backer of Syria’s rebellion, but the prospect of an Iraq-style autonomous Kurdish zone has Erdogan threatening to intervene

Syria regime ‘reeling, armed to the teeth’ with chemical weapons Like a three-card monte player, the Syrian government has been shifting its chemical weapons around the country in the midst of the country’s increasingly violent and chaotic civil war, leaving foreign intelligence agencies to guess where the outlawed weapons of mass destruction might end up – and under whose control.

Meeting the Syrian Opposition in Antakya and Istanbul … It is very difficult on the ground to be sure who it is that you are really talking to and what they represent… Turkish officials maintain a striking degree of control over Syrian opposition forces inside Turkey… the Muslim Brotherhood is pervasive not only within the Syrian National Council (SNC), but among many opposition groups… there is a striking cynicism and anger among fighters within Syria toward the outside world for not providing enough practical support.

Alawistan Bashar al-Assad may be gearing up to create an Alawite statelet along Syria’s coastal mountains. And he has the means to do it.

Kurdish flag-waving unnoticed in Syria Whatever has happened on the ground, which restricted media access to Syria makes very difficult to confirm, the recent assertion of Kurdish authority in northern Syria has led to speculation about Kurdish demands in a post-Assad era.

 

Assad’s Theater of the Absurd

An example of the kind of propaganda espoused by Assad’s official media organs:

This footage was originally broadcast on the official Souriyya Ikhbariyyah TV network and uploaded by supporters of Bashar al-Assad on July 23, 2012. It depicts a news report claiming that American corporations funded by Qatar and Saudi Arabia are constructing life-size replicas of major Damascus neighborhoods in Hollywood to stage the fall of the capital. It also claims that senior level defections are being staged “and will be played by famous actors.” http://youtu.be/GjW5jlSqsRU

The inspiration for this storyline came out of a joke on Facebook, a joke that was actually mocking the Syrian regime’s propaganda. Regime supporters, it seems, did not get the joke and ended up believing and adopting the story!

Another story in this vein concerns the arrival in Doha of an Assad look-alike who is meant to play him delivering a concession speech. The included picture can be downloaded and amplified for the English version.

Some of the news anchors in Assad’s propaganda machine, however, could not stomach having to peddle these lies. Here is Oula Abbas, an anchorwoman at Ikhbariyyah, announcing her defection and accusing the regime of stoking sectarian sentiments http://youtu.be/J0UzfzK0fAI

Meanwhile, there were more political defections, including the Syrian Ambassador in Belarus, Taha Farouqhttp://youtu.be/ETMm_DOgzkI and an MP representing Aleppo, Ikhlas Badawi.

 

Now it’s Official

After so many months of lies on part of Assad’s propagandists speculations on part of international experts, and dithering on part of international leaders, the incitements and the neglect combined to create a vacuum in areas around Syria that was finally filled by the wrong elements that we were all fearing and warning against. Al-Qaeda is here. But guess who is trying to contain them: the FSA.

Here is Colonel Afif Solaiman, head of the Military Council of Idlib, explains how they freed two western journalists kidnapped by AQ and held for ransom http://youtu.be/lzknOugbvSo

The FSA is unlikely to try to fight against the emerging AQ network at this stage, since both have a common enemy they are fighting against: the Assads. But eventually, the two sides will have to battle out. This is another reason why the FSA should be supported.

 

Video Highlights

In Mayadeen, Deir Ezzor Province, the indiscriminate pounding http://youtu.be/EQr-NDqZG7Q claimed many lives and left many injured http://youtu.be/I6dmizQTxoo , http://youtu.be/g1xVkjylPo8 But local FSA unit still fought back and destroyed an invading tank http://youtu.be/pPLLTKAvPfU

In Aleppo City, the pounding by helicopter gunships http://youtu.be/RlgWVZEqLmQ of Firdos Neighborhood leaves many dead http://youtu.be/2OjXHu5aXxs But members of Al-Tawhid Brigade managed to capture the local police station arresting over 100 pro-Assad militias http://youtu.be/IGgNcM68aGM

In Daraa City, the indiscriminate pounding http://youtu.be/tkHwBH2SEIM , http://youtu.be/4wPD5TmvEbk of theMokhayam District left many dead http://youtu.be/fNdzjVDofYU , http://youtu.be/dWGgWQivM1M The Mokhayam’s population is a mix of Palestinians and Syrians.

In Damascus, the pounding by helicopter gunships of other restive suburbs and neighborhoods continues:Moadamiyah http://youtu.be/ZyD5MlkEUnE

In Homs Province, Old Homs, Rastan, Talbisseh and Houla continue to be pounded: Houlahttp://youtu.be/yFGHktDjgiE Rastan http://youtu.be/mcd7fEy8CZU Talbisseh http://youtu.be/1sLhwTCi64Q Old Homs (Baba Amr) http://youtu.be/kkmlnRcsRyc

While the pounding of cities and towns continued unrelenting, Friday witnessed as well the usual protest rallies still calling for toppling the regime, and the birth of a new democratic Syria.

Kafrenbel, Idlib: http://youtu.be/5Zcy9UZ7-vs Binnish, Idlib http://youtu.be/e1tg3iOrlC4

Shaar Neighborhood, Aleppo City: protesters chanted for Al-Tawhid Brigade which is now in controlhttp://youtu.be/Rc8ZtUSFvZo

Kafarzeiteh, Hama: http://youtu.be/EAHFeeWMYsg Khattab http://youtu.be/s-vNta9iGVk

Janoub Al-Malaab, Homs City: http://youtu.be/6cqiQVQXJOw

Douma, Damascus: http://youtu.be/kTOV_PBWxJ8 Qarrah http://youtu.be/mcDnvEI-kSI

Abtaa, Daraa Province: People chant “the Syrian people are one: Muslims and Christians”http://youtu.be/THh4ZrX6SiM


EU appoints Special Representative for Human Rights

By Pearl Rimon,
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BRUSSELS, Belgium — The Council of Europe appointed Stavros Labrinidis as the EU Special Representative for Human Rights. Labrinidis’ new role puts him in charge of enhancing the effectiveness and visibility of the EU human rights policy. He will work with the European External Action Service. He begins his official role on September 1st, which runs until June 2014.

Stavros Labrinidis, Special Representative for Human Rights. (Photo Courtesy of Public Service Europe).

Labrinidis is the former minister of foreign affairs of Greece and a Vice President of the European Parliament. His appointment is a result of the EU’s Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy that was adopted on June 25.

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton announced the appointment in Brussels today. “Human rights are one of my top priorities and a silver thread that runs through everything that we do in external relations,” she said. “With his talent and huge experience, Mr. Lambrinidis will be a tremendous asset to us. I look forward to working with him in putting the protection and promotion of human rights and democracy at the heart of EU external action, and enhancing the coherence, effectiveness and visibility of our work in this field.”

Labrinidis was chosen ahead of French human rights ambassador François Zimeray  and Astrid Thors of Finland, a former European affairs minister.  The Council of Europe said the role had been created to “enhance the effectiveness and visibility of EU human rights policy.”

Lambrinidis’ past experience includes being deputy chairman of Parliament’s civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee. He was also the chairman of the committee for human rights in the Washington DC Bar Association.

Dany Cohn-Bendit, co-president of the Greens/European Free Alliance Grup in the Parliament, said “The creation of this new post is an important signal of the priority the EU gives to the promotion of and respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law.”

Labrinidis’ role requires him to be the voice for those who suffer from human rights violations. Barbara Lochibler, chair of the Council of Europe’s human rights subcommittee describes the appointment described Labrinidis; new role, “The Special Representative must be a reliable voice for the people who suffer human rights violations. He should keep an eye on the bilateral and multilateral relations of the EU and monitor the implementation of human rights with international partners: in foreign and economic policy as well as in development cooperation. Last but not least, there must be coherence between the EU’s internal and external policies as regards human rights.”

For further information, please see:

New Europe — EU Appoints Human Rights Chief – 26 July 2012

European Parliament — MEPs congratulate new EU human rights envoy, Stavros Lambrinidis – 25 July 2012

Public Service Europe — Labrinidis Appointed EU’s First Human Rights Envoy – 25 July 2012

New Motions in Challenge to Lawyer Access Rules at Guantanamo

By Mark O’Brien
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

WASHINGTON, United States — In a motion filed this week, the U.S. Justice Department requested just one federal judge decide which rules apply to lawyers representing suspects being held at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The Justice Department filed a motion this week in a case over whether Guantanamo detainees can have continued access to counsel after losing habeas. (Photo Courtesy of the Christian Science Monitor)

Government lawyers asked for Chief Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to be the decider in a growing dispute between the government and defense lawyers.

The issue is whether detainees who have lost their one-shot habeas cases can have continued access to their counsel.

“Respondents request that the instant Motions for Counsel Access be referred to a single judge for a coordinated ruling on the counsel-access issue that will govern in these and all other Guantanamo Bay habeas cases,” the motion stated.

According to Politico, Guantanamo leaders have tried “to unilaterally impose rules for lawyers’ visits to Guantanamo when no court proceedings are pending.  Lawyers for some inmates have complained that they should continue to be covered by orders issued by judges in Washington.  They argue that prisoners are free to file successive petitions for release, so the visits are directly tied to potential litigation.”

The filing stems from a case in which Yasin Qasem Muhammad Ismail, a Yemeni national detained at Guantanamo, was told he no longer had the right to see his counsel after losing his habeas petition.  An email from the Justice Department to Ismail’s lawyer reportedly said Ismail could only meet his lawyer if the lawyer signed a new “memorandum of understanding.”  Ismail’s lawyer, David Remes, described that new MOU as giving the government “absolute authority over access to counsel.”

According to Scotusblog, Remes challenged the new MOU earlier this month in federal court.

“As long as [Ismail] is detained, he retains the right to pursue any available legal avenues to obtain his release,” Remes argued, according to court papers.

As Scotusblog put it, those other avenues include “the right to file a new or amended habeas challenge, or to file a formal motion to have his case reopened in District Court.”

But this new legal challenge is not the only complaint defense lawyers have raised regarding the system for terror suspects detained at Guantanamo.

Just last week, lawyers for Saudi defendant Abd al Rahim al Nashiri alleged that the military official in charge of the tribunal attempted to rig the Guantanamo court to deliver the death sentence.  Nashiri is charged in connection with planning the al Qaeda attack on the USS Cole off the coast of Yemen in 2000, killing 17 sailors and injuring dozens more.

The defense accused retired Vice Admiral Bruce MacDonald of “unprecedented bureaucratic meddling” in instructing the judge how to carry out jury selection, something normally left to the judge alone.

The instructions would result in a jury panel “that numerically favors a death sentence,” said Lieutenant Commander Stephen Reyes, a lawyer for Nashiri.

For further information, please see:

Lawfare — On Continued Counsel Access at Gitmo and the Government’s Filing — 27 July 2012

Politico — Feds: Single Judge Should Rule on Rules for Lawyers at Guantanamo — 26 July 2012

Reuters — Defense Lawyers say Guantanamo Court Rigged to Deliver Death Sentence — 19 July 2012

The Christian Science Monitor — Guantanamo Judge Refuses to Step Aside — 17 July 2012

Scotusblog — Are “Boumediene Rights” Expiring? — 13 July 2012