Impunity Watch: Middle East

Iraq-Iran Exchange War Dead

By Lauren Mellinger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAGHDAD, TEHRAN - On December 1, Iraq and Iran exchanged the remains of soldiers killed during the Iraq-Iran War, marking the latest sign of increased diplomatic relations and cooperation between the two governments, since the fall of Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq in 2003.

The bodies of more than 250 soldiers, 200 of whom were Iraq, were exchanged at the Shalamjah border crossing near the city of Basra.  This latest exchange of fallen soldiers marks the first time that remains were exchanged between the two countries since 2003.

This weeks repatriation of soldiers between the two countries follows the signing of a framework Memorandum of Understanding between the Iranian and Iraq governments, in Geneva in October 2008.  This agreement established a framework for the gathering and sharing of information on the fate of missing soldiers, and the handing over of remains.  This marked the first time the two governments reached a direct agreement without the aid of an intermediary.  Previous discussions regarding the exchange of soldiers' remains were conducted through the International Committee for the Red Cross.

For families on both sides of the border, this exchange was an emotional moment, as many have been waiting form more than twenty years to be reunited with the remains of their family members, and lay them to rest.  According to Jamila Hammami, a delegate of the ICRC in charge of missing persons for Iraq, "The return of the bodies is important for the families of the dead and an essential element in the process of dealing with the past."  More than 1 million people from both countries were either killed or went missing during the eight year conflict.

While this marks the first ever direct agreement between the two countries to secure the release of their dead soldiers, the ICRC estimates that tens of thousands of soldiers and prisoners of war from both countries still missing.  The ICRC, along with other human rights organizations, hope that this exchange of soldiers will serve as the beginning of future exchanges between the two countries.  According to Iranian Consul Spokesman Mohammed Baghban, "We want to pursue this long unresolved humanitarian case until it is totally closed."

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera -Iraq, Iran Swap Troop Remains  - 1 December 2008

AP -Iraq-Iran Swap Remains of 1980 - 1988 War Dead  - 1 December 2008

BBC - Iraq-Iran War Dead Are Exchanged - 1 December 2008

ICRC - Iraq-Iran: Repatriation of Remains of Soldiers Killed During the 1980 - 1988 War - 1 December 2008

Tehran Court Sentences a Man to Blindness

By Yasmine S. Hakimian
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran - On November 28, the Tehran province criminal court ordered Majid Movahedi, 27, to be blinded in both eyes from drops of acid. Movahedi is also ordered to pay compensation to his victim. In October 2004, Movahedi threw a jar of acid on Ameneh Bahrami’s face as she walked home in a crowded neighborhood in Tehran. During her walk home she felt someone was following her. Movahedi stepped in front of her, threw acid in her face, and left her screaming in pain.

The acid left Bahrami terribly disfigured. In addition, she lost one eye completely and is blind in the other. Since the incident, the Iranian government has paid £22,500 towards her surgeries, some of which have taken place in Spain. Bahrami has had 17 operations in an attempt to reconstruct her face. Efforts to restore her sight have been unsuccessful. 

Bahrami was an electronics graduate working for a medical engineering company before the attack. Movahedi and Bahrami knew each other while university students. Movahedi hoped to marry Bahrami. Movahedi’s family asked Bahrami to marry Majid several times.

Movahedi testified to the court that he decided to attack Bahrami after she told him she had married someone else. Mavahedi explained Bahrami refused his proposals for marriage and he thought she “could be his forever” if he disfigured her. Bahrami reported Movahedi to the police several times after being harassed and receiving death threats. However, no police action was taken.

Bahrami testified during Movahedi's trial, stating she wanted "To inflict the same life on him that he inflicted on me.” When the judge asked if she wanted Movahedi's face to be splashed with acid, she explained, "That is impossible and horrific. Just drip 20 drops of acid in his eyes so he can realize what pain I am undergoing."

The court’s sentence is legal under the Islamic Sharia Code of Qias. The Code allows retribution for violent crimes.

Movahedi stated that despite Bahrami’s injuries, he would still marry her. Since the attack, Bahrami has felt a constant state of danger.

Mahmoud Salarkia, Tehran's Deputy Public Prosecutor, hopes the publicity coverage of this case will deter future acid attacks. He believes public awareness of the punishment will prevent others from following Movahedi’s actions. 

For more information, please see:

BBC - Court Orders Iranian Man Blinded - 28 November 2008

The Guardian - Eye for an Eye: Iranian Man Sentenced to be Blinded for Acid Attack - 28 November 2008

Iran Human Rights - One Man Is Sentenced To "Blindness in Both Eyes" By a Court in the Iranian Capital Tehran - 27 November 2008

Iran Student Correspondent Association - One Man is Sentenced to be Blind in Both Eyes in a Court in Tehran - 27 November 2008

Alleged al Qaeda Operative Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison

By Nykoel Dinardo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TUNIS, Tunisia – On November 24, a Tunisian court convicted Sami bin Khemais Saleh Assid (Khemais) to 11 years in prison for belonging to a terrorist group.  Khemais is the alleged logistics head of al Qaeda’s European operations.  He was arrested in Italy in 2001 and extradited to Tunisia earlier this year.  The charges against Khemais state that he belonged to two little-known terrorist groups in Europe and worked through them as an al Qaeda operative.  Khemais has denied belonging to either of the groups.  He was tried before a military court in Tunisia.   

Sami Ben Amor, Khemais’ defense attorney, argued that the court should throw out the case.  He claims that there is lack of proof that the two groups to which Khemais is claimed to be a member exist.  Furthermore, Amor argued that, if the groups do exist, that they are not on the lists of confirmed terrorist groups of the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, or Canada.  Khemais is currently listed on the UN list of individuals associated with al Qaeda as maintained under UN Resolution 1267. 

Khemais was returned to Tunisia in June of 2008 and faces over 100 years of imprisonment from trials conducted in absentia.  His extradition was conducted over protests by human rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch (HRW).  HRW urged Italy to halt all efforts to extradite Khemais in June due to concerns that he would be tortured upon his return to Tunisia.  According to HRW, the expulsion was issued by the Italian Interior Minister despite a request by the European Court of Human Rights to suspend the extradition until there were assurances that Khemais would not face torture or ill-treatment upon his arrival in Tunisia.  So far, no claims of torture or mistreatment have been brought regarding Khemais.

Khemais spent six years imprisoned in Italy before his extradition to Tunisia.  He was convicted of assisting Osama Bin Laden’s network obtain fake identity papers.  He will soon be tried by another court on terrorism charges that could add another 15 years to his sentence. 

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Alleged al-Qaida Operative Convicted in Tunisia – 24 November 2008

United Nations – Consolidated List under the 1267 Committee – 12 November 2008

Human Rights Watch – Letter to the Italian Government Regarding the Expulsion of Sami Ben Khemais Essid – 8 June 2008

Human Rights Watch – Italy: Halt Expulsion of Tunisian at Risk of Torture – 2 June 2008

Center for the Defense of Human Rights Releases Quarterly Report

By Yasmine S. Hakimian
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran - The Tehran-based Center for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) recently released its quarterly report on human rights violations in Iran.‎ The report highlights human right violations during a three month period ending in September 2008. Shirin Ebadi, the head of the center and 2003 Nobel Peace prize laureate, states the report evidences increased human rights violations by the Islamic Republic.

The report outlines political-civil rights, and social, economic and cultural rights. According to the report, personal freedom is decreasing daily in Iran. Iran’s 30% inflation has made living conditions harder, making it even harder for Iranians to engage in social and cultural activities.

CDHR’s report notes an increase in human rights abuses against religious minorities, specifically members of Iran's Baha'i community. More Baha’i homes, shops, farms, and cemeteries have been targeted throughout Iran. In the last few weeks, numerous Sufi Muslims have been held in solitary confinement without formal charges. Sufi centers have been confiscated or burned to the ground as well. The report also identifies a greater demolition of religious schools and centers.

The statement notes ongoing government harassment, primarily the arrest and jail sentences of university students, journalists, teachers, and political and social activists. 

According to the report, in the last three months four juveniles under the age of 18 were put to death, 41 adults were executed, and six individuals were publicly lashed. CDHR’s statement mentions Human Rights Watch’s concern as an Iranian juvenile was hanged only two days after Iranian authorities denied that Iran still executes juvenile offenders. Joe Stork, deputy director of Human Rights Watch says, “to decide a 9 or 15 year old is capable of the kind of judgment and intent that is necessary to prove a crime is committed, frankly, it has no credibility whatsoever.”

The report indicates that government workers, teachers and general workers, Iran’s lowest paid groups, are becoming more vulnerable. The government believes the workers may work against the security of the state and as a result, they are deprived of their professional and social rights.

In its report, the CDHR urges Iran to review the developments emerging in Iranian society and refrain from invading the public and personal rights and freedoms of the Iranian people. CDHR asks Iran to work to decrease the dangers and threats ‎facing the country, and ratify a sensible foreign policy.

The CDHR emphasized that they will work until “freedom of thought and expression and absence of fear and poverty would become realities in the lives of individuals in Iran.”

For more information, please see:

Iran Visual News Corps - Iran Human Rights Group Says Government Abuses Continue - 27 November 2008

Voice of America - Rights Violations in Iran - 24 November 2008

Memri Iranian Media Blog - Tehran-Based Human Rights Center Releases Quarterly Report - 18 November 2008

Zabiha News - Iran Human Rights Group Says Government Abuses Continue - 13 November 2008

Pro-Hamas Blogger Arrested in Egypt

By Nykoel Dinardo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt - On November 25, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) released a report describing the arrest, and subsequent disappearance of Mohammad Adel.  Adel is an Egyptian blogger who used his website to espouse pro-Hamas ideas and to criticize the Egyptian government. 

According to ANHRI, forty soldiers, special police forces and three police vans surrounded Adel's home on November 20 when he was arrested.  Police also searched his house and confiscated books and CDs.  The report said that the police had listened to Adel's phone calls and arrested him when he was on his way to meet a journalist.  He was held outside his house while it was searched. 

Adel has not been seen nor heard of since his arrest on November 20.  Adel's father has filed two lawsuits against the attorney-general demanding that his son's whereabouts be released.  In response, the general prosecutor confirmed that Adel is being held unofficially for questioning.  ANHRI expressed concern for Adel's whereabouts saying that there is fear he is being tortured. According to the report, they received some information that Adel is being held at Lazogli, the headquarters of the state security forces in Cairo.  The report claims that the fourth floor of Lazogli is infamous for torture.

Adel is the latest in a series of bloggers to be arrested in Egypt.  According to ANHRI, he is the second blogger arrested officially under Egypt's state of emergency laws.  The report states that the first was a blogger named Musaad Abu Fagr.  ANHRI has also expressed concern for the health of Abu Fagr as well.  According to ANHRI, when his lawyers went to visit him in prison on November 6 he was so weak that he was unable to stand.

The visit was documented by Abu Fagr's lawyer, Gamal Eid, who felt harassed by officers in the prison during his visit.  He explained that both he and his client were forced to sit on the floor, surrounded by officers, during their visit.  According to Eid, "There is no law governing this prison. Any new state security officer can run it by his own laws." 

ANHRI urges Egyptian security forces to focus on other matters and stop persecuting bloggers.  They also ask that the government listen to the demands of Egyptian lawyers and move the administration of prisons from the Ministry of the Interior to the Ministry of Justice in order to ensure that the rule of law is followed. 

For more information, please see:

Mohammad Adel - The Blog of Mohammad Adel (Available in Arabic Only)

ANHRI - Security Forces Step Up Persecution of Bloggers Under the Auspices of the State of Emergency;  Four Days After His Kidnap, Blogger Mohamed Adel Had Disappeared and It Is Feared That He Is Being Tortured - 25 November 2008

Reuters - Egypt Arrests Pro-Hamas Blogger - Rights Groups - 25 November 2008

AllAfrica.com - Egypt: Blogger's Health Deteriorates In Prison - Another Blogger Marks Second Anniversity in Prison - 11 November 2008

AFP - Rights Group Calls for Egypt Blogger's Release - 5 November 2008

UN: Violence Against Iraqi Women Largely Ignored

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

GENEVA, Switzerland – November 25 marked the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.  Organizations around the world use the UN day to comment on the situation facing women where they are based.  On November 25, UN's Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Yakin Erturk, commented the conditions of Iraqi women living in Iraq and as refugees in neighboring countries.

According to Erturk, “The ongoing conflict, high levels of insecurity, widespread impunity, collapsing economic conditions and rising social conservatism are impacting directly on the daily lives of Iraqi women and placing them under increased vulnerability to all forms of violence within and outside their home.”  She continued, “Violence against Iraqi women is committed by numerous actors, such as militia groups, insurgents, Islamic extremists, law enforcement personnel, members of the family as well as the community.”

Iraqi women re victims of rape, sex trafficking, forced and early marriages, murder, and abduction for sectarian or criminal reasons; many are driven or forced into prostitution.  In addition, women often fall victim to disproportionate use of force by US forces as well as Iraqi police and security forces.

Most crimes against women "are not reported because of stigma, fear of retaliation, or lack of confidence in the police," MADRE, an international women's rights group, wrote in its 2007 report about violence against women in Iraq.  A 2005 report published by the Iraqi National Association for Human Rights found that women held in Interior Ministry detention centers endure "systematic rape by the investigators."

A few national and international organizations work to help rape victims in Iraq.  However, militias have targeted women’s rights advocates, forcing their workers underground – making it more difficult to offer services to victims.

In addition, the lack of security in Iraq complicates national and international efforts to document the occurrences of sexual assault.  Marianne Molliman, who leads women's rights advocacy for Human Rights Watch, lamented that the security situation has prevented the organization from getting people on the ground to look at the issue for a long time.  HRW published its last report about rape in Iraq in 2003.

Ms. Erturk also expressed concern over violence threatening Iraqi women from their own family, such as “honor killings.”  According to Erturk, the number of honor killings is increasing and they are largely committed with impunity.  When perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted, the punishments are quite lenient under the Iraqi Penal Code.  Women who are sexually assaulted will often not report their attack for fear of then being ostracized or even killed by their family.  

In the northern Kurdish region of Iraq, where honor killings are among the primary causes of unnatural deaths among women, there are also frequent reports of female genital mutilation.  According to Kurdish Health Minister Zarian Abdel Rahman, 60 percent of girls (aged four to fourteen) undergo circumcision. 

A survey of 201 Kurdish villages, conducted by the German NGO, Wadi, found that 3,502 out of 5,628 women and girls had been mutilated.

Ms. Erturk concluded by urging “Iraqi government and the international community to prevent women and girls from being the 'soft targets' of violence and the invisible victims of the conflict in Iraq.”

For more information, please see:

BBC – UN Urges End to Abuses of Women – 25 November 2008

Middle East Online - UN Expert: Iraqi Women Subjected to Violence – 25 November 2008

ReliefWeb – Violence Against Iraqi Women Continues Unabated – 25 November 2008

Christian Science Monitor – Rape’s Vast Toll in Iraq War Remains Largely Ignored – 24 November 2008

The Use of the Mentally Disabled as Suicide Bombers in Iraq

By Lauren Mellinger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq - On November 24, two suicide bombers struck downtown Baghdad outside the Green Zone killing at least 19 people.  One of the bombers is believed to be a mentally disabled woman, whose explosive vest was detonated by remote control.  The victims include a pregnant woman, two Iraqi soldiers and more than a dozen civilians.

This incident is the latest in a series of terrorist bombings that have utilized women to launch the attacks.  The bomb was exploded at a checkpoint where a line of workers were waiting to be searched before being permitted to enter the Green Zone.  The Green Zone, or International Zone, is home to Iraq's government offices and serves as the headquarters of US forces in Iraq. 

According to Baghdad Operations Command spokesman Brig. Gen. Qassim Atta, this latest incident highlights the fact that insurgents' increasingly use the mentally disabled as suicide bombers.  This tactic was first used in February 2008, when an attack at a Baghdad pet market resulted in the deaths of 99 people.  In addition, the use of women as suicide bombers has increased over the past year, as the insurgents have begun training women who are related to insurgents who have been killed since the start of the war in 2003.

Over the weekend there were several other bombings throughout Iraq, including a second attack on the morning of November 24, where another new tactic of the insurgents, the "sticky bomb" was placed on the side of a bus, killing at least 13 females and wounding several others.  According to an official at the Ministry of Trade, the victims were all government employees en route to their jobs.  In a third attack that day, a roadside bomb went off in the eastern part of the city targeting a police car.

It is believed that this latest increase in the number of terrorist bombings in and around Baghdad was designed to coincide with the Iraqi Parliament's upcoming vote on an agreement that determines the terms of the continued U.S. troop presence in Iraq.  The agreement currently being discussed would allow for US forces to remain in Iraq for three more years, after the UN mandate that authorizes their presence expires at the end of this year.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera - Women Killed in Baghdad Blasts - 24 November 2008

BBC - Deadly Bomb Attacks Hit Baghdad  - 24 November 2008

CNN - Official: Female Bomber was Disabled; Vest Ignited by Remote - 24 November 2008

UPI - Iraqi Bomber was Mentally Disabled Woman - 24 November 2008

New Report: Countries Fail to Fulfill Their Obligations Under the Landmine Treaty

By Lauren Mellinger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

GENEVA- On November 21, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) released its annual Landmine Monitor Report, which cited Turkey, Belarus and Greece for being in violation of the Convention on the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (Ottawa Convention) by failing to destroy their remaining stockpiles.

According to the report, in the past year, more than 5,400 people were injured or killed as a result of anti-personnel landmines and cluster bombs.  The report noted that while trade in landmines is "virtually non-existent" many countries continue to be in violation of the Convention by moving too slowly, or not making any effort, to destroy their stockpiles.

The ICBL has stated that the nearly 7.5 million land mines currently in possession by these three countries were scheduled to have been destroyed by March 2008.  Together, Turkey and Greece have a combined weapons stockpile of 4.2 million anti-personnel mines, while Belarus still has some 3.4 million anti-personnel mines.  Diplomats from all three countries have acknowledged that their governments have failed to comply with the deadline.

Turkey argued that its preparations for destroying its stockpiles have taken longer than anticipated.  Belarus claims it has not yet met the deadline because its stockpile contains a particular type of mine that is more difficult and expensive to destroy than others, and cited delays in receiving support funds from the European Union as an additional reason for the delay.  Greece cited legal problems with the company hired by the government to carry out the destruction of its stockpile.  In addition, Greece cited difficulty in locating environmentally safe destruction sites as a reason for its delay in destroying the remaining weapons.

Anti-personnel land mines pose a danger to people throughout the world as such weapons can lie dormant in the ground for decades before suddenly exploding.  Since the Convention entered into force in 1999, more than 42 million anti-personnel mines have been destroyed since  many Member States to the Convention have successfully completed the destruction of their entire stockpile of these weapons. 

Steve Goose, Arms Control Director for Human Rights Watch has stated that Turkey, Belarus, and Greece will not face sanctions for their failure to comply with the Convention.  As a result, the organization is urging the international community to put diplomatic pressure on those States that have defaulted in their responsibility under the Convention.

Fore more information, please see:

CBC - Landmine Treaty Being Ignored, 5,400 Killed or Injured in 2007 - 21 November 2008

Hurriyet -  Turkey, Greece, Belarus Fail to Destroy Landmine Stockpiles - 21 November 2008

International Herald Tribune - Greece, Turkey, Belarus Violate Landmine Pact - 21 November 2008

Reuters - Greece, Turkey, Belarus Violate Landmine Pact - 21 November 2008

Iran Blocks Five Million Websites

By Yasmine S. Hakimian
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran - On November 19, Iranian judicial authorities confirmed that Iran has blocked access to more than five million websites. Facebook and YouTube are among some of the websites.

The sites are viewed as causing "social, political, economic and moral damage." According to Abdolsamad Khoram Abadi, an advisor to Iran's Prosecutor General, the internet allows enemies of Islam to assault the religion.

The internet has become increasingly important in the lives of many Iranians, specifically the younger generation. There are nearly 21 million internet users in Iran. Information ministry officials has noted Iran as one of the top 20 internet user countries.

Iran has blocked websites in the past, particularly political, human rights and women’s websites, including dissident blogs and pornography sites. However, the ban on five million sites is unparalleled.

In 2000, many blogger websites were shut down. Blog closures have increased under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and now newspapers and other media, including web sites and news agencies, are being targeted. Iranian internet service providers (ISP) have been ordered to ban access to all political, human rights and women's sites and weblogs expressing dissent or viewed to be anti-Islamic.

Iranian authorities have certain regulations restricting the use of the internet for readers, bloggers, and internet cafe owners. In accordance with Iranian law, every ISP must be approved by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Additionally, each ISP must install filters to control the content of websites and e-mails passing through their network.

Hessam, an internet cafe owner in Tehran, claims that the complicated registration process is designed to discourage people from creating new websites.

According to Sobh-e Sadegh, the publication of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the internet, satellite television and text messages were factors in the revolutions that took place in Serbia, Ukraine and Georgia. The publication claims Yahoo and Google search engines, BBC and CNN television, and even Reuters and Associated Press news agencies are media diplomacy tools. The publication believes the internet is developing into anti-Iranian cyber space.

For more information, please see:

Payvand’s Iran News - Iran Blocking Access to 5 Million Websites – 21 November 2008

Kuwait Times - Iran Blocks Access to Over Five Million Websites – 20 November 2008

The Media Line - YouTube, Facebook Banned in Iran – 20 November 2008

Yahoo - Iran Blocks Access to Over Five Million Websites – 20 November 2008

Further Despair for Gazans

By Yasmine S. Hakimian
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

GAZA CITY, Gaza - According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), the Israeli blockade Gaza is further harming the living conditions of nearly 1.5 million Palestinians. In recent months, these Palestinians have suffered from shortages in food, medicine, electricity and fuel supplies. Furthermore, decreases in fuel, cooking gas, electricity and flour have caused many bakeries to close.

On November 17, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) allowed 31 containers of foods and medicine into Gaza. However, the supply does not meet the minimum daily needs of the Palestinian civilian population. The containers are less than ten percent of what was accepted into Gaza before the siege in June 2007. Since that time, Israel has restricted the entry of goods into Gaza, even humanitarian.

Since June 2007, IOF has allowed 427,410 liters of energy fuel to enter.  However, this, is not enough to operate a Gaza power plant for even one day. As a result, 30 percent of the population is living without electricity.

As of November 19, due to a lack of wheat, three of the five mills in Gaza have closed. The two remaining mills are expected to close any day now. The electricity supply has also caused a shortage in drinking water. For the last four days, nearly 40% of the population has had no running water in their homes.

Of the 72 bakeries in Gaza, 29 have closed and eight are working less often. According to Bassam Nasser, an aid worker in Gaza City, living conditions are the worst he has ever seen in Gaza. He explained, "people queue for two or three hours for bread, but sometimes there's no cooking gas or flour, so no bread.”

The lack of cooking gas has caused seventeen bakeries dependant on gas to stop working. Gaza has not received cooking gas since November 4. Forty tons were delivered; this amount normally lasts less than a week. Consequently, ten of the 15 bakeries whose operation depends on cooking gas have stopped working. If the shortage continues, the remaining five bakeries will stop working by November 22.

The shortage in electrical and fuel supplies has made it difficult for health facilities to provide medical services to patients. According to sources at Shifa Hospital, the largest hospital in Gaza, several electricity generators cannot be fixed because the IOF has banned entry of the spare parts needed.  In addition, hospitals lack at least 45 types of medicine.

Also, the magnetic imaging machine at the Prince Nayef Center no longer works because of the lack of high voltage electricity. There is concern that artificial breathing sets and other vital medical equipment may stop working as well.

The PCHR urges the international community to pressure the IOF in reopening all border crossings into of Gaza.

For more information, please see:

BBC - Gazans Despair Over Blockade - 20 November 2008

The Electronic Intifada - Gaza Bakeries, Mills Forced to Close - 19 November 2008

Palestine Media Center - PCHR: Gaza Border Crossings Closed for 6th Consecutive Day - 11 November 2008

Timeturk - Fuel-Starved Gaza Faces Blackouts - 10 November 2008