Impunity Watch: Middle East

Center for Torture Victims Opens in Bahrain; Donors Pledge $242 Million to Support Palestinian Security; Summit on Jewish Arab Refugees

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

MANAMA, Bahrain – Bahrain is set to open a rehabilitation center for torture victims on June 26, World Torture Day.  Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) put forward the idea and has coordinated its efforts with a variety of local, regional, and international organizations, with substantial NGO participation.

According to BHRWS regional and international director Faisal Fulad, "This center will be run by the NGOs and will be linked to the International Red Cross. The UN Human Rights Council and civil societies in the region will also coordinate with the rehabilitation center." 

The center, the Bahrain Rehabilitation Center for Torture Survivors (BRCTS) will take up the cases of political prisoners, activists, migrant workers and women who are victims of torture.  The center will provide legal consultants to the victims, whether Bahraini or non-Bahrainis, who are victims of torture.

Additionally, a center for torture victims opened in Lebanon in November 2007.  While, only operational for a few months, center specialists say that positive results are already visible.  The Centre Nassim provides assistance to torture victims from the Lebanese civil war, which ended in 1990, as well as victims of more recent torture.  At the center, torture victims receive legal and financial advice, and medical treatment for the physical and mental effects of torture. 

For more information, please see:

AHN – Bahrain Set to Have Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims – 24 June 2008 

BBC – Helping Lebanon's Torture Victims – 24 June 2008

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BERLIN, Germany – On June 23, more than 40 states attended a conference on the Middle East in Berlin.  Those in attendance included members of the Middle East Quartet: the US, EU, Russia and the UN.

At the Berlin conference donor states committed $242 million for security projects in the West Bank.  The money will be passed to the Palestinian Authority over a period of three years.  The money will fund projects with aims of putting more trained police officers on the streets, rebuilding courthouses, and training judges.  For example, the European Union Police Mission in the Palestinian Territories, which trains police officers, will be expanded with help from these funds.

Tony Blair, the Quartet envoy, stated that a functioning criminal justice system was "fundamental for a two-state solution."  "There will never be a two-state solution just by people sitting in a room negotiating ... a state will only be created when people take the action to create the reality that allows a state to be credible."

Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad agreed that better security was important to the creation of a Palestinian state, but also argued that these improvements must be accompanied by accompanied by other measures such as an immediate freeze on new Israeli settlements and the dismantling of Israeli checkpoints.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Donors Agree $242m for Palestinians – 25 June 2008   

AFP – Berlin Conference Pledges Security Aid for Palestinians – 24 June 2008

Associated Press – Countries Commit $242M to Strengthen Palestinians – 24 June 2008

Human Rights Watch – Occupied Palestinian Territories: Donors Should Press Security Forces to End Abuse – 23 June 2008

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LONDON, United Kingdom – June 23 marked a three day summit, organized by Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JJAC), to highlight the rights violations endured by hundreds of thousands of Arab Jews.  JJAC is an international coalition of 77 organizations from 20 countries.

This is the inaugural summit organized by the JJAC and serves dual purposes: first, to put the issue of Arab Jewish refugees on the international agenda; second, to record testimony from individual refugees and others affected by Arab states' discriminatory policies and practices.

The group estimates that over 900,000 Jews have been forced to leave their homes in Arab countries since the creation of Israel in 1948.  600,000 absorbed by the new Israeli state and others immigrated to the US, UK, and France.  Advocates state that the scale and extent of the violation of Arab Jews' rights is equivalent to the plight of the Palestinian refugees, which receives more international attention.

According to the BBC Arab Affairs analyst, Magdi Abdelhadi, the issue is extremely controversial as the number of refugees and the reason for leaving remains disputed.

For more information, please see:

The Guardian – Lyn Julius: Recognising the Plight of Jewish Refugees from Arab Countries – 25 June 2008 

BBC – London Summit on Jewish Refugees – 23 June 2008   

Ha'aretz – Mideast Jewish Refugees Launch Campaign for International Recognition – 22 June 2008 

Gaza Rocket Attack Threatens Cease-Fire

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

TEL AVIV, Israel – On June 24, the Islamic Jihad fired several rockets into the southern Israeli town of Sderot. While there were no causalities, the rockets did cause damage to residences.

In claiming the rocket attack, the Islamic Jihad stated that the attack was in retaliation for the Israeli assassination of two members in the West Bank, which was not included in the Hamas-Israeli agreement. The Islamic Jihad also stated that the attack was exceptional and in response to a specific action.

This is the first challenge of the five-day old ceasefire effective in Gaza. In response to the "clear and grave violation" of the cease-fire agreement, Israel has closed its border crossings with Gaza. The crossings were to have opened at 8am on June 25.

Israeli military liaison official Peter Lerner said they would stay closed until further notice. "Any reopening will be in accordance with security considerations," he told Reuters.

In addition, the International Middle East Media Center reports that Palestinian medical authorities confirmed that Salem Abu Raida, 80, was wounded with several live bullets in the shoulder fired by Israeli soldiers manning the borders. When he was injured, he was standing outside of his home, located close to the Israel-Gaza border. The incident occurred less than 24 hours after the rocket attack.

Not only does the rocket attack challenge the viability of the cease-fire agreement, but it also challenges the authority of the parties involved; especially Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert.

Hamas must prove to Israel and the international community that it has control over Gaza in order to be included in future negotiations. However, it is also necessary for Hamas not to be seen as supporting the Israeli government. For example, Hamas’ reaction to the rocket attack was a cautious one: they condemned the Israeli killings in the West Bank, but at the same time, they called on Palestinians "to exercise self-restraint and continue observing the agreement."

In addition, Prime Minister Olmert is facing a Knesset vote which would dissolve his government, bringing new elections, on June 25. Many analysts saw a successful cease-fire agreement as Olmert’s last chance to remain in office.

One minister in Olmert’s government stated, "If he thought that making peace was going to save him, he learnt a serious lesson — that you need two people to make peace, and not one desperate man… I think his time is up; the break in the truce was the last straw. The Knesset will not give him another break."

For more information, please see:

International Middle East Media Center – Israeli Army Wounds an Elderly Palestinian in Southern Gaza – 25 June 2008

Reuters – Israel Closes Gaza Crossings after Rocket Attack – 25 June 2008

Times (London) – Ehud Olmert’s Leadership Faces Final Hours as Rocket Attack Threatens Ceasefire – 25 June 2008

Al Jazeera – Violence Threatens Gaza Truce – 24 June 2008

The Christian Science Monitor – Gaza Rockets Strain Israel-Hamas Truce – 24 June 2008

Iranian Student Alleges Sexual Harassment and is Arrested; Female Suicide Bomber Kills 15 in Iraq; 2 US Soldiers Killed as Iraqi Councilmen Opens Fire

By Ben Turner
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

ZANJAN, Iran – A female student who alleged that she was molested by the vice-chancellor of the university has been arrested.  It is unclear what charges she is being charged with, but the prosecutor in the case has been quoted as saying that publicizing certain crimes is worse than the crimes themselves.

After the initial allegations were made, large demonstrations broke out all over the university’s campus.  Sit-ins were staged and students grabbed the vice-chancellor and handed him over to authorities.  The woman alleged that the vice-chancellor harassed her after she went to discuss a problem with him.  Both the victim and the vice-chancellor are currently in custody. 

For more information, please see:
AKI – Iran: University Protests Over Sexual Abuse – 20 June 2008

BBC – ‘Harassed’ Iran Student Arrested – 20 June 2008

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BAQUBA, Iraq – A female suicide bomber killed 15 people and wounded 39 others at a government building in the northern Iraqi city of Baquba.  Among those dead are eight police officers, two women and one child. 

The attacker stepped out of a car and walked toward a group of police officers and detonated the explosives she was wearing.  The attack marks the second time this year that a suicide bomber apparently intent on killing police officers attacked the crowded downtown area of Baquba. 

The attack also follows a recent trend of increased use of women as suicide bombers.  Female suicide bombers have carried out at least 21 suicide attacks this year in Iraq, up from eight in all of 2007. 

For more information, please see:
Washington Post – At Least 15 Killed by Female Bomber in Iraq – 23 June 2008

BBC – Suicide Bombing Rocks Iraqi City – 22 June 2008

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BAGHDAD, Iraq – Iraqi council member Raed Hmood Ajil opened fire on U.S. soldiers after a meeting in a town just south of Baghdad.  Two U.S. soldiers were killed and three U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were wounded. 

The councilmen came out of his car with an assault rifle and shot at American soldiers until he was killed by return fire.  The attack occurred after U.S. soldiers and Iraqi officials had attended a ceremony to open a new park. 

For more information, please see:
Washington Post – Two U.S. Soldiers Killed as Iraqi Council Member Opens Fire After Meeting – 24 June 2008

CNN – Iraqi Councilman Kills U.S. Soldiers – 23 June 2008

US Diplomat Will Travel to Syria to Discuss Iraqi Refugees; Egypt Deports Hundreds of Eritrean Refugees; Two Settlers Arrested in Connection to Videotaped West Bank Assault

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

WASHINGTON D.C., United States – US Ambassador James Foley, the US Department of State’s coordinator for Iraqi refugees, will visit Syria from June 23-26.  His visit to Syria is part of a trip to four Middle Eastern countries in an effort to increase the number of refugees going to the US.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that nearly 1 in 10 Iraqis are either internally displaced or has fled the country.  An estimated 2.3 million are refugees, with nearly 1.5 million refugees live in Syria and 500,000 in Jordan.  In 2007, some 52,000 Iraqis applied for refugee status, making them the largest applicant group.

Foley’s Middle East tour includes stops in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria and the purpose is to increase the number of Iraqis traveling to the US in order to reach President Bush’s goal of accepting 12,000 Iraqis by the end of September. 

“He will assess the needs of Iraqi refugees in these countries and look at ways to enhance programs that provide assistance to refugees and help resettle the most vulnerable in third countries,” said Kurtis Cooper, a Department of State spokesman.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – US Diplomat to visit Syria on Iraqi Refugees – 20 June 2008

Reuters – Refugees of Shattered East Account for 50% of World-s Refugees – 20 June 2008

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CAIRO, Egypt – On June 20, Egyptian authorities moved some 350 Eritrean migrants from Cairo to the Read Sea for deportation.  Earlier, on June 13, Amnesty International criticized Egypt for forcibly returning over 700 Eritrean nationals to Eritrea.  Currently, sources close to the migrant community estimate that 810 Eritreans have been forcibly returned.

Some of the Eritrean nationals returned are economic migrants, who use Egypt as a transit country before crossing into Israel to look for work.  However, some of the Eritreans being transported are Pentecostal Christians fleeing religious persecution.  Others are trying to avoid military conscription.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees said on June 19 that the Egyptian authorities were obstructing access to the asylum seeker.  The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, also expressed alarm over the number of Eritreans forcibly expelled in recent days. 

“People who could well be at risk in their home country should never be sent back before their asylum claims have been properly addressed,” Arbour said.  “Egypt should respect its international obligations not to send home anyone who could face torture or other serious forms of ill treatment, as may well be the case with those who have apparently been deported in recent days.”

For more information, please see:

AHN – UN Criticizes Eritreans Deportations from Egypt – 20 June 2008

Reuters – Egypt Moves More Eritreans Slated for Deportation – 20 June 2008

Amnesty International – Egypt Continues to Deport Eritrean Asylum Seeker – 13 June 2008

Associated Press – Amnesty Criticizes Egypt for Deporting Eritreans – 12 June 2008

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HEBRON, West Bank – On June 17, two Israeli settlers were arrested in connection to the attack on the Nawaja family, near the Susia settlement.  Israeli police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld, stated that an adult man and male minor were arrested as a result of enquiries at Susia settlement.

Rosenfeld also stated that the film footage was being closely examined.  One focus is whether there was any "provocation" for the attack.  Another question is whether all the Palestinians were indeed "shepards." 

The attack was filmed by Muna Nawaja, the daughter in law of Thamam al-Nawaja, whose cheek bone was fractured and arm was broken during the attack.  Since the Nawaja family is a target of frequent attacks by settlers, B'Tselem gave them a video camera as part of their "Shooting Back" project. 

For more information, please see:

BBC – West Bank "Attackers" Arrested – 17 June 2008

B'Tselem – Two Settlers Arrested on Suspicion of Videotaped Assault on Palestinians – 17 June 2008

Hamas Confirms "Truce" with Israel

By Laura Zuber

Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

GAZA CITY, Gaza – On June 17, Mahmoud Zahar, a Hamas leader in Gaza, confirmed at a news conference that militant groups had agreed a truce with Israel. In addition, Hossam Zaki, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman, said, "Both sides have pledged to halt all hostilities and all military activities against each other."

Israeli officials have yet to confirm that a truce has been reached with Hamas. But, security sources said an accord is in the offing. Defense Ministry official Major General (res.) Amos Gilad left Tuesday for Cairo to conclude the final agreement. While, Ehud Barak, Israel’s defense minister, stopped short of announcing an official agreement, he stressed the importance of making all possible efforts toward achieving calm.

According to the detailed time table released by Hamas, the six month cease-fire will occur in a series of stages. First, all violence should end beginning at 6am June 18. Then, if the cease-fire holds, then Israel will gradually relax the border blockade and begin to allow more supplies into Gaza. After two weeks of peace, the Israel and Hamas will begin discussing opening the Rafah border crossing, from Gaza into Egypt, and the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Hamas official Ahmed Yousef told the BBC: "I am confident that everybody will abide by what we've agreed. All the groups which went to Cairo gave their okay to the ceasefire... If anybody does anything, they will be doing it on their own."

Despite the renewed optimism for lasting peace, there is a fair amount of skepticism. In the past seven days, IDF operations have resulted in the deaths of 20 Palestinians in Gaza. For example, two IDF operations in and near Khan Younis killed six Palestinians. Also, according to Israeli military, over 90 rockets and mortar shells have been fired by Palestinian militants into Israel.

In related news, on June 16, the new Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Richard Falk addressed the UN Human Rights Council. In his address, Falk expressed concern that his role would be biased and asked the UN to expand his mandate to include investigating human rights violations carried out by Palestinians, as well.

Currently, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 is limited to investigating Israeli violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This has caused Israel and others to argue that the Human Rights Council is biased and one-sided.

Falk stated that "the idea of investigating violations of international humanitarian law only make sense if all the relevant parties are included." Also, that attention has been diverted from Israel's human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories by those who argue his role is one-sided and biased. "One exposes the real character of the occupation much more effectively if one responds to that criticism, which I think is in any event a fair criticism."

Falk’s appointment as the new Special Rapporteur was controversial. In 2007, Israel responded angrily when Falk compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians with Nazi atrocities against Jews during the Holocaust. At the June 16 meeting of the Human Rights Council, Israel expressed concern as to whether Falk fulfilled the requirement that the Special Rapporteur be independent, impartial and objective.

For more information, please see:

Guardian – Israel and Hamas Agree Ceasefire as Air Strike Kill Six Palestinian Fighters – 18 June 2008

Ha’aretz – Hamas, Egypt Back Gaza Truce, Israel yet to Confirm Deal – 18 June 2008

Al Jazeera – Israel-Hamas Truce Announced – 17 June 2008

BBC – Israel and Hamas ‘Agree Truce’ – 17 June 2008

Human Rights Tribune – Thunderclaps over Palestine – 17 June 2008

International Herald Tribune – New UN Rights Expert Wants to Investigate Palestinian Abuses as well as Israel’s – 16 June 2008

ReliefWeb - High Commissioner for Human Rights and Special Rapporteur on Situation in Occupied Palestinian Territories Address Council – 16 June 2008

Iranian Police Crackdown on “Un-Iranian” Dress; Suicide Bomber Strikes Soccer Fans in Baghdad; Japanese Student Kidnapped in Iran Released

By Ben Turner
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – Iranian police have begun a new campaign against violations of the state enforced dress code.  The police are arresting women whose headscarves do not fully cover their hair or if their clothes do not hide their figure.  Men are also being stopped if their hairstyles are deemed inappropriate. 

After Iran’s 1979 Islamic revolution, a dress code was imposed requiring women to cover their hair and wear long, loose-fitting clothes to disguise the shape of their bodies.  Violating these rules can result in lashes, fines or imprisonment.

Police have closed dozens of stores and hairdressers in an attempt to stop the selling of potentially inappropriate clothes and hairstyles.  The crackdown is an annual attempt by the government to curb dress code violations at the beginning of the summer, when women are more likely to wear lighter clothes as the temperature rises. 

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Iranian Police Crack Down on Dress Code Violations – 16 June 2008

BBC – New Iranian Dress Code Crackdown – 16 June 2008

Reuters – Iran Police Start Wider Crackdown on Un-Islamic Dress – 16 June 2008

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BAGHDAD, Iraq – A female suicide bomber targeted soccer fans in a café north of Baghdad on June 14.  The fans were celebrating Iraq’s World Cup qualifying win when the suicide bomber attacked. 

The explosion injured 34 people including seven policemen.  More injuries were prevented because a policeman spotted the woman holding a detonator and yelled for the crowd to disperse. 

20 women have carried out suicide bombings in Iraq this year, many more than in previous years.  Only eight women carried out suicide bombings in Iraq in all of 2007. 

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Female Suicide Bomber Strikes Soccer Fans; 34 Hurt – 14 June 2008

CNN – Female Suicide Bomber Strikes Soccer Fans in Iraq – 14 June 2008

International Herald Tribune – Iraq: Female Suicide Bomber Strikes Soccer Fans Near Café North of Baghdad, Wounding 34 – 14 June 2008

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TEHRAN, Iran – Japanese tourist Satoshi Nakamura, 23, was kidnapped while traveling in Iran last year.  He was released on June 14, eight months after he had been taken hostage while traveling alone in Iran’s dangerous southeastern border with Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Iran's Intelligence Minister Gholam Hossein Mohseini Ejehi was quoted as saying drug smugglers and armed bandits were responsible for the kidnapping.  Iran has historically blamed kidnapping of foreigners on criminals and drug smugglers and foreigners are urged to be cautious when traveling there. 

Japan’s Foreign Ministry said Nakamura was in good spirits when they spoke with him.  No further details, including whether a ransom was paid, have been released. 

For more information, please see:

International Herald Tribune – Kidnapped Japanese Tourist Freed in Iran After 8 Months – 15 June 2008

Reuters – Freed Japanese Arrives in Iran’s Capital – 15 June 2008

Associated Press – Japanese Tourist, Seized by Bandits in Iran, Freed – 14 June 2008

BBC – Japanese Captive Freed in Iran – 14 June 2008

Arab Rights Groups Call for Saudi Activist’s Release; Iran Executes Juvenile Offender; Settler Attack Caught on Film

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – On June 12, 30 Arab human rights groups issued a joint statement to the Saudi government to release Dr Matruk al-Faleh. Faleh is a prominent reformist who was arrested on May 19.

In the joint statement, the groups expressed concern over Faleh health. According to Faleh's wife, he has been on a hunger strike since his arrest in mid-May. In addition, Faleh suffers from diabetes and hypertension.

The human rights groups called upon the Saudi government to "end to their arbitrary practices targeting Saudi activists who aspire to effect democratic reform in the kingdom."

The reason for Faleh's arrest is unclear, although the human rights groups believe that it is linked to Faleh's representation of reformist Abdullah al-Hamed and a statement Faleh wrote after visiting him, which was critical of conditions in the jail.

In August 2005, King Abdullah pardoned and released Faleh after he spent 17 months in prison for advocating a constitutional monarchy.

For more information, please see:

Middle East Times – Arab Rights Groups Urge Saudi to Free Jailed Reformist – 12 June 2008

AFP – Saudi Activists Appeal to King Over Jailed Reformist – 5 June 2008

Washington Post – Saudi Critic Jailed After Decrying Justice System – 21 May 2008

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SANANDAJ PRISON, Iran – On June 10, Iran ignored international pleas and executed a juvenile offender, Mohammad Hassanzadeh, aged 17. Hassanzadeh was convicted for a murder he committed when he was 15 years old and is the second juvenile offender that Iran has executed this year.

Amnesty International criticized Iran: "This latest execution of a juvenile offender is yet another blatant violation by the Iranian authorities of their international obligations under the UN's International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child not to sentence to death those under the age of 18 at the time of the offence."

Also on June 10, Ayatollah Mahmoud Shahroudi, head of Iran's Judiciary, granted a one month reprieve to two other juvenile offenders; Behnoud Shojaee, and Mohammad Feda'i. Shojaee and Feda'i were convicted of separate incidences of premeditated murder. According to letter written by Feda'i, he was beaten by prison authorities until he agreed to sign a confession without knowledge of its content.

According to Amnesty International, there are 85 juvenile offenders sentenced to death in Iran. In 2007, Iran executed at least 335 individuals, seven of which were juvenile offenders.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Iran Executes Juvenile Offender – 12 June 2008

Jerusalem Post – 2 Iranian Kids Reprieved from Execution – 12 June 2008

Amnesty International – Kurdish Boy Executed in Iran – 11 June 2008

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HEBRON, West Bank – On June 9, Thamam al Nawaja (58 years old), her husband (70), and their nephew, were assaulted by four masked men. Nawaja had been herding her goats near the Jewish settlement of Susia, near Hebron.

"The settlers gave us a 10-minute warning to clear off from the land," said Nawaja. "They don't want us to stay on our land. But we won't leave. We'll die here. It's ours." When her family refused to leave, the men began attacking Nawaja and her family. Nawaja was badly injured and transported to an Israeli hospital, where she stayed for three days. Her husband and nephew were transported to a hospital in Hebron.

The incident was filmed on a camera distributed by B'Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization, as part of their "Shooting Back" project. The objective of the project is to provide video evidence, instead of an oral statement, of an assault to the Israeli police.

Oren Yakobovich, who leads the "Shooting Back" project, states "When they have the camera, they have proof that something happened. They now have something they can work with, to use as a weapon."

The Yesh Din human rights organization commented that Palestinians have filed six complaints about assault in the last three months. Two have been closed on grounds that the perpetrator was unknown.

For more information, please see:

BBC – ´Jewish Settler Attack´ on Film – 12 June 2008

Ha'aretz – Three Palestinian Sheperds Tell Police: We were attacked by masked settlers in Hebron Hills – 10 June 2008

Yemen Court Sentences 13 “Rebels” to Jail, one to Death; US Marine Cleared Over Haditha Murders; Iraq Suicide Bomber Kills US Soldier, Wounds 20

By Ben Turner
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

SANAA, Yemen – A Yemeni court sentenced 13 Zaydi Shiite rebels to up to 10 years in jail on Monday and another to death after convicting them of forming an armed group to attack the state and civilians.  Fighting between the rebels and government forces have continued in Saada since 2004. Last month 15 people were killed by a bombing outside a mosque.

Jafar al-Murhabi was sentenced to death, but no reason has been given for the much tougher sentence he received compared to the other 13 men.  The defendants were convicted of charges relating to plots to attack Yemeni troop transporters and government buildings, and contaminate water supplies to military bases.

Among those sentenced was journalist Abdel Karim al-Khaywani, editor of the opposition newspaper al-Shura.  Khaywani was sentenced to six years but is appealing the conviction.  Yemen’s union of journalists protested the sentence.

"The court sentence against Khaywani is harsh. We reject and condemn it, and it should be revoked," said the head of the union, Nasr Taha Mostapha.

The sentence comes just days before an event in London at which Khaywani is in line to win a human rights media award.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Death Sentence for Yemen ‘Rebel’ – 9 June 2008

Reuters – Yemen Court Sentences 13 Rebels to Jail, 1 to Death – 9 June 2008

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CAMP PEDELTON, California – A US military jury acquitted Lt. Andrew Grayson of the charges that he helped cover up the killings of 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians in Haditha in 2005.  Originally four officers and four enlisted Marines were charged with the murders.  Three of the Marines and two of the officers have had their charges thrown out.  Grayson was the first defendant to go to trial. 

Only defendants Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich and Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani remain, without a single guilty verdicts or pleas handed down.  The military judge at Wuterich’s preliminary hearing has written that he doubts a conviction is possible because of lack of forensic evidence and unreliable statements by witnesses.  Chessani’s lawyers feel that if their client goes to trial, he too will be found not guilty. 

With only two remaining defendants, not a single person has been found responsible for the deaths of the 24 Iraqi civilians. 

For more information, please see:

BBC – Marine Cleared over Iraq Killings – 5 June 2008

LA Times – Haditha Case Dwindles with Innocent Verdict – 5 June 2008

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BAGHDAD, Iraq – A suicide car bomb exploded near an American patrol base on June 8, killing one US solider and wounding 20 other people.  18 of the wounded were American soldiers and two were Iraqi contractors. 

Iraqi police said the car bomb targeted a U.S. patrol base in a mostly Sunni Arab residential area in Rashad, about 25 miles southwest of Kirkuk.  The suicide attacker rammed his vehicle into blast walls outside the gates of the U.S. base, Qadir said.

According to an Associated Press tally, at least 4,094 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Iraq Suicide Blast Kills US Soldier, Wounds 18 – 8 June 2008

Reuters – Iraq Suicide Bomber Kills U.S. Soldier, Wounds 18 – 8 June 2008

US Inquiry into Deportation to Syria; Turkish Court Overturns Headscarf Amendments; Israel Eases Restrictions Against Student Exit Permits

WASHINGTON D.C., United States – On May 5, Homeland Security Inspector General Richard Skinner told Congress that he was reopening his investigation into whether the US Justie Department improperly deported Canadian Maher Arar.  Arar was detained in New York in 2002, during a stopover from Tunisia to Canada.  Arar was deported to his native Syria, where he was imprisoned and allegedly tortured.

A Justice Department spokesman, Peter A. Carr, said that its inquiry began in March 2007.  The inquiry examined the role of department lawyers in expelling Arar to Syria.  He was transferred to Syria despite requests to for him to be deported to Canada and fears that he would be subjected to torture if he returned to Syria. 

In a report, which was heavily redacted, Skinner said that "the assurances upon which INS based Arar's removal were ambiguous regarding the source or authority purporting to bind the Syrian government to protect Arar." 

For more information, please see:

AFP - US Officials Reopen Case of Wrongly Detained Terror Suspect – 6 June 2008

New York Times- Justice Dept Investigating Deportation to Syria – 6 June 2008

Reuters – U.S. Probes Deporting of Canadian to Syria – 6 June 2008

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INSTANBUL, Turkey - Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party has accused the country's highest court of violating the constitution by overturning a government move to lift a ban on Muslim headscarves in universities. 

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party campaigned for re-election last year on a promise to lift a ban on head scarves, claiming the prohibition violated religious and personal freedoms. Upon victory, the government passed constitutional amendments to lift the ban.

On May 5, the court threw out the amendments Thursday, saying they violated Turkey's secular principles. The decision, which is final, threw up a heavy legal barrier to any further attempts to lift the ban and has deepened the divide between the Islamic-leaning government and secular institutions.

Bulent Arinc, a top member of the AK Party described the decision as grave.  “It gives me goose pimples… The Constitutional Court has indirectly seized the power of parliament,” said Arinc, a former parliament speaker.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Turkey Headscarf Ruling Condemned – 6 May 2008

Associated Press – Turkish Gov’t Scolds High Court on Head Scarf Ban – 6 May 2008

New York Times – Turkey’s High Court Overturns Headscarf Rule – 6 May 2008

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TEL AVIV, Israel – On June 2, the Israeli Supreme Court heard a petition from Gisha, an Israeli human rights group, representing two Gazan students who had their exit permits denied.  The students were granted Fulbright Fellowships to study abroad in Great Britain and Germany but had their requests to leave Gaza denied by Israel.

In its holding, the court criticized the Israeli government for its almost total ban on student travel.  A member of the court stated that Israel's policy was harming "any chance of coexistence" between the Jewish state and its neighbors in Gaza.  Also, the court stated that the government should review its policy within the next two weeks.  According to Gisha, if Israel does not relax its travel restrictions against Gazans soon, hundreds of students will miss deadlines to pursue studies abroad.

This decision follows the reinstatement of seven students' Fulbright Fellowships after they were withdrawn on May 30.  These students' fellowships were briefly deferred as a result of Israel denying them exit visas.  According to officials in the US State Department, the students' fellowships were reinstated following US intercession.

Sari Bashi, Gisha director, said, "We hope that Israel will listen to the clear message of Secretary of State Rice's comments regarding the importance of the right to access education and let all Gaza students leave and study abroad."

For more information, please see:

New York Times – Israel to loosen Limits on Gaza Scholar - 6 May 2008 

Associated Press – 4 Fulbright Students Leave Gaza – 5 June 2008

Reuters – Court Tells Israel to Review Gaza Student Travel – 2 June 2008

Iranian Women’s Rights Activist Gets 1-Year Jail Sentence; Civilian and US deaths in Iraq drop in May; Suicide Bomber Kills 10 in Iraq

By Ben Turner
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – A young activist and lawyer in Iran became the first man sentenced for participating in a campaign to change laws that discriminate against women.  Amir Yaghoub Ali, 21, was convicted of acting against national security and sentenced to a year in prison for his role in the "Change for Equality" campaign, launched by Iranian women activists in September 2006.

Ali was detained last July while collecting signatures for the campaign in a park in northern Tehran and spent 29 days in Evin prison before being freed on $20,000 bail. 

“Changing discriminatory laws will benefit Iranians and will create a fairer social environment,” Ali said. “Our call for change is considered by the ruling Islamic establishment as crossing the red lines. Authorities don't want to allow any changes in laws in support of women rights. That's why they seek to suppress such demands.”

Iran has refused to ratify the UN convention on women's rights and the country's senior clerics in Qom, Iran's main center of Islamic learning, have rejected the convention, calling it un-Islamic.

For more information, please see:

Associated Press – Iranian Women’s Rights Activists Sentenced – 2 June 2008

Reuters – Iran Jails Man Campaigning for Women’s Rights-Lawyer – 2 June 2008

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BAGHDAD, Iraq – US military deaths in Iraq have fallen to the lowest monthly total since the invasion five years ago.  19 American service members died in Iraq in May, compared to 52 from April.  14 were killed in action and one solider died of wounds inflicted in combat.  Four of the deaths were non-combat related, the US military said. 

Accounts for how many Iraqi civilians were killed in May vary, but most estimates put the number at approximately 530, about half of the number as were killed in March and April. 

The US military claims that the troop surge was a key factor in limiting the amount of casualties in May.  The ceasefire in early May that stopped the fighting in Sadr City also explains the death reduction. 

For more information, please see:

Bloomberg News - U.S. Deaths in Iraq in May Were Lowest Since 2003 – 2 June 2008

San Jose Mercury News – U.S. Deaths Hit 5-Year Low in Iraq – 2 June 2008

BBC – US Iraq Deaths ‘At Four Year Low’ – 1 June 2008

L.A. Times – In Iraq, Month Ends With Lowest U.S. Death Toll Yet – 1 June 2008

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ANBAR, Iraq – A suicide bomber killed 10 people at a police checkpoint in western Iraq on May 28 including Iraqi police Lieutenant Colonel Khaleel Abarhim.  The attacker approached the checkpoint in the town of Hit in the Anbar province and detonated an explosives belt he was wearing.  Hit's administrator, Hikmat Jubeir, said that twelve other people were also wounded. 

Iraqi security forces arrested 49 suspects in a sweep following the attacks and detained them on suspicions of links to the bombing. 

The suicide bombing came as the Iraqi authorities reported a near 50 percent drop in violence across the embattled nation last month. The US military too said it recorded the lowest monthly toll in May with 19 soldiers killed.

For more information, please see:

AFP – Iraqi Troops Arrest 49 After Deadly Bombing – 2 June 2008

Associated Press – Suicide Bomber Kills 10 In Iraq – 31 May 2008

BBC – Iraqi Checkpoint ‘Hit By Bomber’ – 31 May 2008