Impunity Watch: Middle East

Moroccan Agents Accused of Torturing Terror Suspect

By Lauren Mellinger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

LONDON, England - On October 31, the British Home Secretary asked the Attorney General to investigate claims that the last remaining UK resident detained in Guantanamo Bay was extraordinarily rendered to Morocco by US-intelligence agents, where he was tortured into giving a confession.

Binyan Mohamed, 30, who first came to the UK as a refugee when he was 15, was initially arrested in Pakistan in 2002. The following month, Mohamed was questioned by MI5 agents. 

There is a gap in Mohamed's record as to his whereabouts between his arrest in 2002 and his transfer from Afghanistan to Guantanamo Bay in May of 2004.  According to Mohamed, during this period he was subjected to extraordinary rendition.  Mohamed claims that he was sent by US intelligence agents to Morocco, where he was tortured until he confessed to involvement in terrorist activities, including an alleged dirty bomb plot.  Alleged mistreatment included being beaten repeatedly, hung for hours from his wrists, and had his genitals cut with a razor.  According to Mohamed, while the Moroccans security agents were ordering the acts of torture, there was a CIA interrogator present.

According to the British High Court, it is likely that Mohamed was tortured in Morocco before being transferred to prison in Guantanamo Bay.  While the US government claims that Mohamed confessed to the bomb plot on his own accord, Mohamed's lawyer, Zachary Katznelson, stated, "all of his confessions were made after he was tortured again and again and again until he just parroted what his torturers wanted him to say."  Mohamed's defense attorneys allege that the evidence shows that Mohamed was subjected to the US governments program of rendering terror suspects to other countries, where suspects are often tortured.

The US government denies Mohamed's allegations that he was rendered to Morocco and tortured into giving a confession.  Moroccan authorities deny any involvement in Mohamed's case, and state that they protect human rights.

Earlier this month, the US government dropped all charges against Mohamed.  Members of the British Parliament are urging a full investigation into the extent of Britain's involvement in the CIA's extraordinary rendition program, stating that the government's attempt to "clean up its act" on the issue of its involvement in Guantanamo Bay and the rendition program, given the likelihood of political change in Washington, "is too little too late."

For more information, please see:

AFP - Government To Probe Abuse of Guantanamo Detainee - 31 October 2008

BBC - UK To Investigate Torture Claim - 31 October 2008

Jurist - UK Attorney General to Investigate Guantanamo Detainee Torture Claims - 31 October 2008

Times Online - Home Secretary Questions MI5 and CIA Actions - 31 October 2008

The Guardian - MI6 and CIA 'sent student to Morocco to be tortured' - 11 December 2005

Increase in Shootings by the Israeli Military

By Yasmine S. Hakimian
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

YAMOUN, West Bank - On October 29, Mohammed Abahereh, a 68 year-old Palestinian shepherd was killed by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank. Abahereh was accompanied by his son, Taher. Abahereh was carrying a gun for safety against rustlers. Rustlers had tried to steal Abahereh’s animals in the past.

According to Taher, his father was closing the gate when he thought he heard thieves. Abahereh went to investigate the noise when he was shot by the Israeli army. The Israeli army claims Abahereh opened fire on the soldiers and they shot back. Taher only heard the gunfire. However, he doubts that his father shot the soldiers since he never used his gun in the past.

There are also disputes over whether the soldiers failed to help Abahereh after he was shot. Taher claims the soldiers left his father to bleed to death and prevented an ambulance from reaching the area quickly. The Israeli military denies this accusation. The spokesperson for the military noted that the soldiers guided the Red Crescent ambulance to the location to save time.

In recent weeks, there has been an increase in Palestinian’s killed by gunfire. In one incident last week, Israeli soldiers shot and killed three young Palestinian boys in the central West Bank. Details about the events that occurred are in question. The military claims the boys were going to throw Molotov cocktails at soldiers and settlers in the Bet El settlement.

The families of the victims claim a different story. In addition, they believe the soldiers should be held responsible for premeditated murder. It is unclear whether the boys threw or attempted to throw Molotov cocktails firearms, or if they threatened the lives of any soldiers or settlers.

The Bet El settlement is surrounded by a 12-meter high razor-wire topped electrified fence and guarded by a 15-meter high Israeli military tower. The tower is equipped with bullet-proof glass window. Snipers armed with automatic weapons and a searchlight watch the camp. An Israeli tank is parked beside the tower.

Manaf Abbas, a field worker with the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq, investigated the shootings and noted it would have been extremely difficult for the three boys to traverse 400 meters through mined territory unnoticed. The area is well lit and the soldiers have binoculars and telescopes. Abbas believes it would be impossible to throw Molotov cocktails across 400 meters away and over a 12-meter high fence.

Family and friends who witnessed the shootings claim the boys were killed on the outskirts of the camp and nowhere near the Bet El settlement.

The Israeli army changed its shoot to kill policy significantly in 2000. The modified regulations allow soldiers to fire at the legs of stone throwers and sniper fire from ambush. In some areas, soldiers are allowed to fire without warning Palestinian suspects. According to the Israeli rights organization B'Tselem, the policy change violates international law given that the Israeli army is responsible for the well-being of the civilian population under international law.
   
For more information, please see:

BBC - West Bank Farmer Killed by Troops – 29 October 2008

Reuters - Israeli Troops Kill Armed Palestinian Shepherd – 29 October 2008

The Daily Star - Israeli Army Defends 'Shoot-to-Kill' Policy After Three Palestinians Die in Murky Circumstances – 29 October 2008

Individual - Mideast: Israelis Shoot to Kill Too Easily, Palestinians Say – 28 October 2008

American Student and Women's Rights Activist Arrested in Iran

By Yasmine S. Hakimian
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

TEHRAN, Iran – On October 15, Esha Momeni, a student and women's rights activist, was arrested. Momeni is a graduate student at the School of Communications, Media and Arts at California State University. She arrived in Tehran two months ago to visit her family and work on her masters thesis project on the Iranian women's movement. Also, Momeni is a member of Change for Equality, an Iranian women's rights group.

While driving in Tehran, Momeni was stopped by authorities who claimed they were undercover traffic police. She was arrested for unlawfully passing another vehicle. She was taken to her family's home where her laptop and other materials related to her research on the Iranian women's movement were confiscated. The security officials had an arrest warrant and court permission to search the home and seize property.

Momeni is being held in section 209 of Tehran's Evin prison, which is managed by Iran’s Intelligence and Security Ministry. Evin is notorious for holding dissidents and political prisoners. Momeni’s attorney has not been allowed to meet with her at the prison.

Momeni has only had one telephone conversation with her family since her arrest. Iranian officials promised Momeni's family that Esha would be immediately released if the news of her arrest was not published. Based on the family’s requests, friends and colleagues did not announce the news. However, Momeni's parents decided to release the information five days after her arrest. This decision followed their visit to Iran's Revolutionary Court to inquire about Momeni’s case, when they were told not to return until the investigation into her case has been completed.

Iranian authorities have not identified why Momeni is being held.  However, there is speculation that it is related to Momeni’s research or her involvement with the "One Million Signatures Campaign." Dozens of other activists have been arrested in Iran in connection with their activities with Change for Equality’s campaign, launched by Iranian women activists in September 2006. The campaign hopes to collect a million signatures in support of changing laws that deny women in Iran equal rights in matters such as divorce and court testimonies.

Last year, four Iranian-Americans were held for several months because the Iranian government believed they were inciting a revolution. The individuals were never charged, and were eventually released from Evin prison and permitted to return to the United States.

For more information, please see:

CSUN University - Iran Holding American Student. CSUN’s Esha Momeni, in Prison – 27 October 2008

BBC - Concern for US Woman Held in Iran – 26 October 2008

Guardian - Iran Holds American Women's Rights Activist – 24 October 2008

CNN - U.S. Student Arrested in Tehran While Working on Thesis Project – 22 October 2008

Amnesty International - Iran: Arbitrary Detention/ Fear of Torture or Other Ill-Treatment: Esha Momeni – 21 October 2008

Egypt Convicts News Company for Airing Footage of Anti-Government Demonstrations

By Lauren Mellinger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt - On October 26, Nader Gohar, head of the Cairo News Company was convicted for  broadcasting footage of a riot in the city of Mahalla without a license.

In April, demonstrators in Mahalla, protesting high food prices, vented their anger at photos of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.  Egyptian authorities are sensitive about negative portrayals of Mubarak in the media.  After footage of the protests was aired on international television, the state-run Radio and Television Union, the sole owner of broadcast signals in the country, brought a complaint against Gohar and police raided the studios. 

In addition to convicting Gohar, the government seized most of the company's equipment and fined them 150,000 Egyptian pounds ($27,000) for operating broadcast equipment without a license.

Human rights organizations have condemned Egypt's lack of free press.  In response to this latest incident, Reporters Without Borders stated that, "Egyptian authorities are not even trying to hide their desire to censor independent media and control the news.  The footage of the Mahalla protests that went around the world was evidence of social unrest.  Gohar and his agency are paying the price for this bad publicity."

Human Rights Watch has accused the Egyptian government of enforcing media licensing laws in order to punish CNC for distributing anti-government footage to international broadcast networks.  Egyptian authorities have suspended the issue of broadcast licenses pending the adoption of a new broadcast law and as a result, the CNC's broadcast license has not been renewed.

Gohar is appealing his conviction.  In addition to being prosecuted and heavily fined by the government, the company has had to cut its activities by 70 percent and has been forced to lay off over half of its employees.

Each year, Reporters Without Borders compiles and publishes a ranking of countries  based on an assessment of a country's record of press freedom. The annual press index is based on a questionnaire sent to more than fourteen freedom of expression organizations in five continents as well as 130 Reporters Without Borders correspondents, journalists, researchers, jurists and human rights activists. The questionnaire asks participants to report direct attacks on journalists and the media, as well as to evaluate indirect sources of pressure a government may be imposing on the free press.  Last week, Reporters Without Borders issued their report, which ranked Egypt 146th out of 173 countries.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera - Egypt Court Fines Media Firm - 27 October 2008

Reporters Without Borders - TV News Agency Threatened with Closure After Arbitrary Fine and Equipment Seizure - 27 October 2008

Gulf News - Egypt News Company Fined for Broadcasting Protest - 26 October 2008

Jerusalem Post - Egypt News Company Fined for Broadcasting Protest - 26 October 2008

Free Gaza Movement to Set Sail Again

By Yasmine S. Hakimian
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

GAZA CITY, Gaza - On October 28, the Free Gaza Movement will set sail again from Cyprus to Gaza. On their second mission, the pro-Palestinian activists plan to break Israel's sea blockade of Gaza.

The Free Gaze Movement includes Palestinians, Israelis and international volunteers. The converted fishing boat will carry 29 passengers and crew. Among the activists are; a Nobel Peace Prize winner, five physicians, a member of the Israeli Knesset, and a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

The activists hope to stop Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Mustafa Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and Jamal Zahalka, a member of the Israeli Knesset, are determined to form an alliance with their peers in Gaza. Mairead Maguire, a 1976 Nobel Peace Prize winner for her work for peace in Northern Ireland, believes it is important to sail to Gaza and show the suffering women and children that they are loved and thought of.

The activists will deliver six cubic meters of medicine donated by the European Campaign to End the on Siege on Gaza. Much of the medicine is basic, such as cough syrup for children, which is not available in the territory. Many Palestinians with severe medical conditions have died because Israel has not permitted them to travel to hospitals outside of Gaza. The campaign is dispatching numerous medical specialists to help with the worsening health conditions in Gaza.

Greta Berlin, one of the organizers of the Free Gaza Movement, stated: "We intend to break Israel's blockade as often as we can. This second trip is just one of many we intend to organize over the next year. We have lawyers, members of Parliament and other professionals already on our passenger lists for upcoming voyages."

In August, two Greek boats holding 46 activists from 17 different countries broke the Israeli blockade. The group entered the territory, despite warnings from the Israeli regime not to enter the territory's coastal waters. Tel Aviv had even jammed the boats' communication systems and ordered the navy to confront them.

Even if the activists safely make their destination on the 28th, they may encounter problems leaving Gaza. In August, Tony Blair's sister-in-law remained trapped in Gaza when both Israel and Egypt prevented her from crossing the borders.

For more information, please see:

European Tribune - Update on the Free Gaza Movement – 24 October 2008

Jerusalem Post - Free Gaza Movement to Make Second Trip – 24 October 2008

American United for Palestinian Human Rights - Another 'Free Gaza' Boat to Set Sail – 23 October 2008

Press TV - Free Gaza on New Mission – 23 October 2008

Palestine New Network - Free Gaza Boat Expected Next Week After Delays – 22 October 2008

Human Rights Watch Releases Report Claiming Hundreds Arbitrarily Detained in Yemen

By Nykoel Dinardo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

NEW YORK, New York - On October 24, Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a reported titled "Disappearances and Arbitrary Arrests in the Armed Conflict with Huthi Rebels in Yemen."  The report documents 62 arrests associated with the conflict with the Huthi rebels that HRW claims were unlawful and arbitrary.  HRW says that, while their report focused on 62 cases, there are over 1,200 political prisoners unlawfully detained in Yemen.

The armed conflict with Huthi rebels in Yemen began in 2004, but HRW's report brings attention to the arrests that have taken place since 2007.  HRW says that Yemen has expanded its targets since 2007 to include those who took an active part in the conflict and also those who reported on the events.  Human rights organizations in Yemen have said that hundreds have been arbitrarily detained and many have disappeared. 

The HRW report claissified the detained individual into three main categories.  The first group consists of family members or friends of human rights activists.  These people are held to pressure the activists into quitting their activity.  The second group includes Hashemites, people who practive Zaidi Shi'ism.  These people are being held due to their religious beliefs and activism.  Finally, HRW says that the Yemeni government is targeting Zaidis who travel to or through areas where the conflict had taken place.  They are detained on suspicions of sympathizing with the rebels or providing aid.  Beyond these three groups, HRW believes that the Yemeni govenment is now targeting journalists and members of the media who report about the armed conflict.

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh declared an end to the conflict on July 17, 2008.  However, HRW says that arrests, arbitrary detentions, and disappearances have continued to take place despite the end of the conflict.  Although the report does not deal directly with allegations of torture, it does mention that those who disappear are believed to be at an increased risk of torture, or ill-treatment. 

HRW has urged Yemen to take action regarding these detentions and disappearances.  They recommend that Yemen set up an independent commission to investigate the cases.  Then, if misconduct is found, HRW says that those responsible should be prosecuted and those effected and their families should be compensated.

For more information, please see:

Jurist - Yemen Security Officials Illegally Detaining Hundreds: HRW - 25 October 2008

Associated Press - Rights Group Urges Yemen To Probe Illegal Arrests - 24 October 2008

Human Rights Watch - Disappearances and Arbitrary Arrests in the Armed Conflict with Huthi Rebels in Yemen - 24 October 2008

Human Rights Watch - Yemen: Hundreds Unlawfully Arrested in Rebel Conflict - 24 October 2008

New York Times - Yemen: Group Cites Arbitrary Arrests - 24 October 2008

Reuters - Yemen: Hundreds Unlawfully Arrested in Rebel Conflict - 24 October 2008

Sexual Harassment Results in Prison Sentence in Cairo

By Lauren Mellinger
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt - On October 23, Sherif Goma'a, an Egyptian driver, was sentenced to three years in prison with hard labor and $895 in damages for sexually harassing a woman in the street.

According to the victim, 27 year old Noha Ostadh, she was driving through a Cairo suburb when Goma'a drove up beside her and began to grope her.  Though Ostadh managed to drag Goma'a to a local police station in the Heliopolis district of Cairo, the police refused to begin an investigation and turned her away.  But after Ostadh went public with her attack the authorities were forced to get involved.

Sexual harassment of Egyptian women and female tourists is a widespread problem in Egypt, yet it is only beginning to be acknowledged by the government.  A new survey released by the Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights reported that 98% of female tourists and 83% of Egyptian women have experienced sexual harassment.  Women who wear the traditional headscarf are just as likely to be victims.  Two-thirds of men admitted to sexually harassing women in public.  Most incidents are not reported to the authorities because there is a complete "lack of confidence in the police and judicial systems," according to Engy Ghozlan of the ECWR.

2008 has been one of the worst years for sexual harassment attacks in Egypt.  Earlier this month, Egyptian police arrested eight men in Cairo for allegedly participating in a mob-style sexual attack on female pedestrians, where the women were reportedly violently molested and several had their clothes torn off.  Witnesses reported that the police officers who were present during the attack did not take action to protect the women.

Sexual harassment in Egypt is a societal problem.  There is a need for the government to educate the public about sexual harassment as many in Egypt believe it is harmless, and blame women for provoking the harassment by dressing in a way they consider immodest.

There is no law in Egypt that criminalizes sexual harassment.  Currently, Egyptian lawmakers and human rights activists are preparing a new draft law for parliament that will establish harsh penalties for those convicted.  While the recent incidents mark the first time the police and judicial system have begun to take action to end impunity for sexual harassment in the country, it remains to be seen whether this will continue. 

For more information, please see:

Middle East Times - Egyptian Gets Jail For Sex Assault In Milestone Case - 24 October 2008

Financial Times - Breakthrough As Egypt Jails "Groper" - 23 October 2008

New York Times - In Cairo, A Groping Case Ends In A Prison Sentence - 23 October 2008

BBC - Egyptian Sexual Harasser Jailed - 21 October 2008

Olive Harvest Sees Increased Violence in West Bank

(PA Prime Minister Fayyad joins the olive harvest; AP)

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

OTNIEL, West Bank – On October 22, an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldier and an Israeli settler were lightly wounded when IDF soldiers intervened in a settler attack against Palestinian farmers.  The family of Palestinians was harvesting their olives and the soldiers were stationed nearby to guard them.  According to army sources, a group of masked settlers approached from the Otniel settlement and began throwing stones at the farmers.  When the soldiers intervened, clashes erupted and one soldier was hit on the head.  The settler was injured when he tried to grab a soldier’s gun and was subdued by other soldiers.

The olive harvest is usually accompanied by increased settler violence, intending to disrupt the harvest.  Such acts include throwing stones at harvesters, blocking roads to olive groves, cutting down or uprooting olive trees, and physically assaulting the farmers.  Rabbis for Human Rights released a report on October 19, which presented at least three incidences where settlers interrupted the harvest.  According to the organization, there was even at instance where a Palestinian farmer was fired upon.

In addition, Rabbis for Human Rights is just one of the organizations who have recruited volunteers to help protect Palestinians during the olive harvest.  Israelis and foreign volunteers accompany farmers to the groves and attempt to prevent or stop attacks.  Also, volunteers help protect the farmers by reporting incidences of violence. 

However, even the presence of media and volunteers does not deter some settlers from disrupting the harvest.  For example, on October 18, a group of settlers assaulted Abed Hashlamoun, a photographer for the EPA news agency.  The incident was caught on film by AP Television News.  It shows four settlers taking Haslamoun’s camera and then kicking and punching him.  The film also shows a settler hitting a British volunteer, Janet Benvie, when she attempted to recover the camera.

Palestinian Authority President Abbas condemned the violence and called on the international community to intervene.  He criticized the Israeli government for not acting to prevent such attacks and for not actively prosecuting the perpetrators.  In a statement to the Palestinian media, Abbas condemned “the attacks against our Palestinian people and the harassment by the settlers and army;” implicating government participation in the disruption.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad called the attacks acts of “terrorism.”  On October 22, Fayyad participated in the harvest and stated that the olive trees were more than a source of income for most Palestinians, but were also a "symbol of the determination of the Palestinian people to stay on their land and to preserve and defend it."

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak also condemned the attacks, calling them “assaults by hooligans.”  But he stated that Israeli troops could not be everywhere to protect the harvesters.  Official procedure requires that farmers pre-arrange harvesting appointments with IDF and Israeli police authorities.  Even then farmers may be denied access or ordered off their land to preempt clashes between settlers and the farmers.

For more information, please see:

Daily Star – Two Hurt as Israeli Soldiers, Colonists Clash Over Attacks on Palestinian Farmers – 23 October 2008

Ha’aretz – Settler Wounds Soldier Defending Local Olive Pickers – 23 October 2008

Jerusalem Post – Two Settlers Turn Themselves in Following Saturday’s Violence in Hebron – 22 October 2008

Reuters – Palestinians Won’t Be Driven Off, Says Fayyad – 22 October 2008

Tehran Times – West’s Silence Towards Israel’s Racial Discrimination Unacceptable – 22 October 2008

Yedoith – Fayyad: Settler Violence is “Terrorism” – 22 October 2008

AFP – Israel Raps “Thugs” Hampering Palestinian Olive Harvest – 20 October 2008

Palestinian Media Center – Abbas: Plant Million Trees in Response to Israeli Escalation – 20 October 2008

Yedoith – Palestinians: Settlers Cut Down at Least 20 Olive Trees – 13 October 2008

Saudi Arabia To Try Nearly 1,000 On Terrorism Charges

By Nykoel Dinardo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia - On October 21, Saudi Arabian officials announced that 991 suspects have been indicted on various charges of bombing, kidnapping, and terrorizing people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  These crimes are known as "Haraba" under Islamic law and, if found guilty, those accused could face the death penalty. 

Authorities indicated that the indictments had been delayed because they wanted the public to see that every opportunity had been given to the accused to repent before they were tried with the death penalty as an option.   Even with the delay, there are still concerns that there will be public backlash if the accused are subject to the death penalty.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), Saudi authorities have over 3,000 suspects currently in custody but who have no charges against them and have had no access to legal counsel.  Christoph Wilcke, a HRW Senior Researcher for Saudi Arabia,  said that he came across many stories of people who were arrested with no real ties to terrorism.  According to Wilcke, stories such as these show that open an fair trials are necessary in order to show if these people are really innocent.

Wilcke, with co-researcher Clarisa Bencamo, released a report in late September that discussed their with the Saudi justice system.  Saudi Arabia is one of the only countries in the world without a written penal code.  This had resulted in inconsistency in arrests and sentencing and a lack of transparency for those subject to arrest.  The report stated that Saudi officials had frequently made arrests for vague crimes such as "disobedience" and "insulting Islam."

HRW has requested visas from the Saudi government so that two staff members may observe the trials of 70 of the accused.  The observers would "monitor the proceedings to document the observance of basic fair trial standards guaranteed under international law."  HRW says that having neutral observers present will ensure fairness.

For more information, please see:

Arab News - 991 Terror Suspects Are To Stand Trial - 22 October 2008

Asharq Alawsat - Saudi Arabia:  Defendants On Trial Represent the Majority of Al-Qaeda's Detainees - 22 October 2008

Associated Press - 991 Suspected Militants Indicted in Saudi Arabia - 21 October 2008

CNN - Hundreds Face Saudi Terror Trials - 21 October 2008

Human Rights Watch - Saudi Arabia:  Grant Visas to HRW Staff For Defendants' Trial - 20 October 2008

Human Rights Watch - Separating Image from Substance in Saudi Arabia - 23 September 2008

UNHCR Seeks Explanation for Yemen’s Refugee Ban

By Laura Zuber
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East

SANA’A, Yemen – On October 21, officials from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) requested clarification from Yemen’s Interior Ministry regarding its decision to deny entry to Eritreans and Ethiopians.  Rashad Al-Masri, Yemen’s Interior Minister, ordered military units in areas with a large influx of refugees to block the entry of refugees from Eritrea and Ethiopia. 

According to the Ministry, the order was based on the recent influx of refugees and social, economic, cultural and security challenges that Yemen faces as a result.  "This continuous influx has caused concern for the Yemeni government. Their big numbers exceed Yemen's ability to deal with them. They require a lot of services," said Interior Ministry spokesman Ahmed Hayel.
In a press briefing on October 21, UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond urged Yemen to “maintain its international commitments under the 1951 Convention, including access to asylum procedures for all of those in need of international protection.” 

In addition, UNHCR also expressed concern over recent reports that Ethiopians were detained by government officials.  UNHCR has received reports that over the past two weeks, 87 Ethiopians have been detained. UNHCR has not had access to them, but received government assurances of access.  Additionally, on October 20, 25 Ethiopians were removed by authorities from a vehicle transporting new arrivals to the UNHCR reception centre of Ahwar.

According to official government records, as well as UNHCR reports, over 37,300 people have arrived in Yemen this year.  Over 21,000 are from Somalia and nearly 10,000 are Ethiopians.  In the first week of October, Yemeni officials report that they registered 1,038 new African migrants; 66 Ethiopians and the rest were Somalis.  According to UNHCR figures, since the beginning of October, a total of 3,737 people arrived in Yemen this month.

UNHCR commended Yemen for its past efforts to help the African refugees and supported its call to the international community for aid.  However, it does not support Yemen’s recent change in policy.  The simultaneous nature of the change in policy and the call for international support implicates that Yemen might be barring Ethiopian and Eritrean migrants in an effort to receive international aid.

For more information, please see:

Adnkronos International – Yemen: Arrivals from Horn of Africa Soar – 21 October 2008 

Reuters – UNHCR Asks Yemen to Explain Ethiopian Entry Ban – 21 October 2008

UNHCR – UNHCR Seeking Clarification on Yemeni Announcements – 21 October 2008

Yemen Observer – Yemen Closes Borders in Face of African Refugees – 20 October 2008

Yemen Post – Somalis Awaiting Either Tough Solution or Safe Journey, as War Continues in Their Country – 20 October 2008

UNHCR – Yemen: Influx of Migrants Strains Resources – 13 October 2008