Impunity Watch Headlines

AIDS Groups Push for Stable Federal Funding for the Fight Against AIDS

Andrew Benfield — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:38:03 GMT

By Maria E. Molina Impunity Watch Reporter, North America OTTAWA, Canada - Government support for the fight against AIDS has been cut by 15% since the signing of an all-party agreement in 2005, which provided for $85 million annually in AIDS funding. Some of the funding has been redirected to...

Congo Accuses Rwanda of Supporting Congolese Rebel Groups

Dahee Nam — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:21:21 GMT

By Dahee Nam Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa GOMA, Congo - While recently renewed fighting between government forces and rebel groups in eastern Congo is escalating, Congolese government has accused Rwandan government on Thursday of sending troops to support rebel groups in Congo. A Rwandan military spokesman denies the allegations. The...

Peru: Rebel Group, Sendero Luminoso Attacks and Military Comboy

Oscar Barbosa — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:35:14 GMT

By Oscar J Barbosa Impunity Watch Reporter, South America LIMA, Peru - A group of Maoist insurgents known as Sendero Luminoso, or Shining Path, have been accused of killing a dozen soldiers and at least seven civilians in southeastern Peru. The military blamed the "narco-terrorists" of Shining Path, who attacked...

Georgian Refugees Still Need Vital Assistance

Eseigbe Omofoma — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:52:50 GMT

by Ese Omofoma Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe PEREVI, Georgia - Georgian refugees are slowly returning home in the wake of the Russian army's withdrawal from checkpoints outside South Ossetia. While most are happy to be back, some wonder if they have been forgotten. "I hate war," says Inga, 58, from...

Israeli Police on Heightened Alert Following Jewish-Arab Clashes

Laura Zuber — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:23:29 GMT

By Laura Zuber Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East (Reuters) ACRE, Israel – In the evening of October 8, clashes between Jewish Israelis and Israeli Arabs broke out in the port city of Acre (Akko) in northern Israel. The riots began when a group of Jewish youths attacked an...

Fiji’s 2006 Coup Declared Legal: Ousted Prime Minister Speaks Out

Hayley Campbell — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:35:16 GMT

By Hayley J. Campbell Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania Laisenia Qarase, photo courtesy of TVNZ SUVA, Fiji - Fiji’s ousted prime minister is speaking out against the judicial decision made yesterday legitimizing the 2006 military coup of Fiji’s Federal Government. Yesterday, a three judge court dismissed former prime minister, Laisenia Qarase’s...

Peruvian Protests Break Out Against Government Policies

Jessalyn Mastrianni — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:28:33 GMT

By Jessalyn Mastrianni Impunity Watch Reporter, South America LIMA, Peru – On Tuesday, October 7, 2008 a leftist Front of organizations held a day of protest. The labor confederation (CGTP) cited corruption in the current administration as the major problem. The real issue is the economic policy of President Alan...

Malaysian Blogger Goes on Trial

Hsing-pei Hu — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:44:37 GMT

By Pei Hu Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – On October 6th, Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin went on trial for “sedition.” Petra is a well known journalist and blogger for Malaysia Today. His article, Let’s Send the Altantuya Murderers to Hell, published earlier this year, accused the Prime...

ICTY Upholds 35-Year Sentence for Martic

Sarah Benczik — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:00:29 GMT

By Sarah Benczik Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe THE HAGUE, Netherlands - The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) yesterday confirmed the sentence of Milan Martic. Martic was convicted of violating laws and customs of war and crimes against humanity in June 2007. At that...

Former Rwandan Minister Transferred to UN War Crimes Tribunal

Lindsey Brady — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:49:55 GMT

By Ben Turner Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa ARUSHA, Tanzania – A former top Rwandan official charged for his role in the genocide of the 1990s was moved from Frankfurt, Germany to the UN war crimes tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania. The UN established the tribunal in Arusha to deal with those...

Dutch Authorities Fail to Arrest Minister Ami Ayalon

Yasaman Hakimian — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:36:30 GMT

By Yasmine S. Hakimian Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Authorities in the Netherlands failed to arrest the Minister-without-Portfolio, Ami Ayalon, while he was visiting the Netherlands in May. Khalid al-Shami, a Palestinian man, submitted an application to the Dutch authorities for his arrest. Khalid al-Shami alleges...

United States Passes Child Soldier Accountability Act of 2008

Andrew Benfield — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:36:13 GMT

By Andrew Benfield Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, North America WASHINGTON, United States – On Friday, October 3, 2008, President Bush signed the Child Soldiers’ Accountability Act of 2008 into law. This Act applies to all countries whose armies are “known to have used child soldiers in hostilities between 2004...

Kuwait Urged to Ratify International Criminal Court Statute

Kristen Dinardo — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:23:43 GMT

By Nykoel Dinardo Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East NEW YORK, New York - The Coalition for the International Criminal Court, CICC, has named Kuwait as its target country for October 2008. CICC is urging Kuwait to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the treaty which created...

Brazil and Venezuela Struggle to Protect Indigenous Rights

Victor Garza — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:46:33 GMT

By Victor Ray Garza Impunity Watch Reporter, South America Desk BRASILIA, Brazil - Officials in the countries of Brazil and Venezuela are facing challenges in dealing with the indigenous populations of the Amazon region. The Venezuelan government is facing charges of neglect by leaders of the indigenous Yanomami tribe. At...

Zimbabwean Power-Sharing Deal “Teetering” on the Brink of Collapse

IWAfrica — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:26:37 GMT

By Ted Townsend Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa HARARE, Zimbabwe – Power-sharing talks between the two opposing factions in Zimbabwe are “teetering on the brink of collapse,” as negotiators for the opposition Movement of Democratic Change (MDC) walked away from the table yesterday over disputed ministerial posts. The two parties are...

BRIEF: Yemen Arrests Group of "Israel-linked" Militants

Kristen Dinardo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:40:37 GMT

SANA'A, Yemen - Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced on October 6, a series of arrests made to "dismantle a terrorist cell" that is linked to Israeli Intelligence. Saleh stated that the group "operated under the 'slogan of Islam'." However, he gave no details on the arrests or on the...

Forty Years Produce No Perpetrators in 1968 Mexico City Massacre

Andrew Benfield — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:33:08 GMT

By Maria E. Molina Impunity Watch Reporter, North America MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Over 30,000 people rallied in honor of students killed 40 years ago by Mexican security forces, demanding justice for victims. The march recalled the notorious 1968 massacre in Tlatelolco when Mexican security forces open fire on a...

China Warns the Nobel Peace Prize Should Go To the "Right People"

Ariel Lin — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:21:57 GMT

By Ariel Lin Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia BEIJING, China - Two Chinese dissidents, Gao Zhisheng and Hu Jia, are top candidates of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo's International Peace Research Institute's decision to honor Hu or Gao may increase tensions between the West and...

Russia Begins Final Withdrawal From Georgia

Eseigbe Omofoma — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:07:45 GMT

by Ese Omofoma Im punity Watch Reporter, Europe KARALETI, Georgia - Russian troops began pulling back from buffer zones near South Ossetia on Wednesday, two months after Russia's brief war with Georgia. Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, said the withdrawal would be completed by the end of the day. Hansjorg Haber,...

U.S. Crisis Increases Poverty in Central America

Karla General — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:43:34 GMT

By Karla E General Impunity Watch Reporter, North America SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador - Families in Talchiga, a small village located on the border with Honduras, are feeling the effects of the mortgage and credit crisis in the United States. Nearly all of the village's one hundred people say they...

Corruption, Poverty Plague Oil-Rich Equatorial Guinea

IWAfrica — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 23:36:31 GMT

By Ben Turner Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa MALABO, Equatorial Guinea – Despite being one of the top 30 oil producing countries in the world, most citizens of Equatorial Guinea, called “Africa’s Kuwait,” live in poverty, says a corruption watchdog group. Citizens also report being unable to work in the oil...

Argentine Farmers Protest after Government Drought Effort Negotiations Fail

Jessalyn Mastrianni — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:48:50 GMT

By Jessalyn Mastrianni Impunity Watch Reporter, South America BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – In the worst drought in a century, Argentina’s agriculture is suffering. Regions of the country have received less than one third of the expected rainfall for this time of year. The drought is now six months in and...

Murdered Russian Journalist Remembered

Sarah Benczik — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:03:33 GMT

By Sarah Benczik Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe MOSCOW, Russia - Hundreds of people gathered in Moscow today to commemorate the murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya two years ago. Politkovskaya, a journalist for Novaya Gazeta, was internationally recognized for her open criticism of the Kremlin and her reporting on military...

IDF Commander Speaks Out Against Israeli Settler Violence

Laura Zuber — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:56:15 GMT

By Laura Zuber Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East SAMUA, West Bank - Major General Gadi Shamni, the Israeli military commander in the occupied West Bank, said settler violence against Palestinians and Israeli soldiers was on the rise. On October 2, Shamni gave an interview with Ha’aretz, an Israeli...

China Demands Return of Chinese Detainees From Guantanamo

Gabrielle Meury — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:37:27 GMT

By Gabrielle Meury Impunity Watch Reporter, North America Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - On Tuesday China asked the United States to repatriate 17 Chinese Muslims captured in Afghanistan and held by American military in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The detainees, known as Uighurs, have been in custody for almost seven years....

Cover-Up in Chinese Milk Scandal

Kristy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:49:46 GMT

By Kristy Tridhavee Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Asia BEIJING, China – Recent reports from the state media allege that the Sula Group, the company at the center of the milk scandal in China, asked governmental authorities to help cover-up the extent of the problem, making them aware of the...

Crisis Talks in Bolivia End Without A Resolution

Victor Garza — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 23:37:04 GMT

By Victor Ray Garza Impunity Watch Reporter, South America COCHABAMBA, Bolivia - President Evo Morales and the governors of opposition provinces failed to reach an agreement in their talks. The talks were the third attempt between the two sides in the past eight months to end the tensions plaguing the...

Suva Lawyer Says Fiji's Interim PM Needs "Bitter Truth"

Sarah Treptow — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 22:13:22 GMT

By Sarah E. Treptow Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania SUVA, Fiji - Lawyer Rajendra Chaudhry said the interim Prime Minister of Fiji, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama has been receiving the wrong advice from his associates and needs to hear the "bitter truth." Mr. Chaudhry said Bainimarama's close associates are "political misfits," including...

Turkey Launches Retaliatory Airstrikes Against PKK

Lauren Mellinger — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:23:14 GMT

By Lauren Mellinger Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East ISTANBUL, Turkey - On October 5, Turkey launched air strikes against Kurdish rebel bases in northern Iraq. The air strikes were in response to a PKK cross-border ambush on October 3, marking the deadliest PKK strike against the Turkish military this year....

Burundi Facing Many Issues With Reintroducing and Dealing With Displaced Persons

IWAfrica — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:15:04 GMT

By Ted Townsend Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa BUJUMBURA, Burundi - After years of refugee life in Tanzania, thousands of Burundians have returned to their native land, only to find greater challenges facing them. The greatest challenges seem to be finding land to farm, and general shelter from the elements. While...

Myanmar Detains a Prominent Political Opposition Figure

Ariel Lin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:43:48 GMT

By Ariel Lin Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia YANGON, Myanmar - A prominent political ally of the detained pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been arrested in Burma. 64-year-old Ohn Kyaing was taken from his home on Wednesday, according to the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD). NLD spokesman Nyan...

Agreement not Reached in Zimbabwean Unity Cabinet Talks

IWAfrica — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:24:42 GMT

By M. Brandon Maggiore Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Africa HARARE, Zimbabwe – Talks between President Robert Mugabe, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, the head of a small MDC offshoot, once again concluded without reaching a final agreement. A power-sharing deal was signed by...

Russia Fined $206,000 for Chechen Abductions

Sarah Benczik — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:42:18 GMT

By Sarah Benczik Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe MOSCOW, Russia - On September 25, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced in a press release that it had awarded the parents of an abducted young man, Adnan Yusupovich Akhmadov, EUR 41,650; RIA Novosti reports that the total amount awarded to...

Chavez Critic Imprisoned on Corruption Charges

Christopher Gehrke — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:02:22 GMT

By Christopher Gehrke Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, South America CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuela’s former defense minister and enthusiastic critic of President Hugo Chavez was charged with corruption Friday. Retired General Raul Baduel rescued Chavez from a 2002 coup, Reuters reported, but broke with him in 2007 and joined opposition...

Juvenile Offender Faces Execution in Iran

Yasaman Hakimian — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 18:59:15 GMT

By Yasmine S. Hakimian Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East SHIRAZ, Iran - Mohammad Reza Haddadi, a minor offender, is scheduled to be hanged on October 9. The Criminal Court in Kazeroon sentenced Haddadi to death on January 6, 2004, for the August 2003 alleged kidnapping and murder of taxi driver...

Violence Against Christians Continues in India

Shayne Burnham — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:53:53 GMT

By Shayne R. Burnham Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia NEW DELHI, India - Religious clashes among the Hindus and the Christian minority has caused violence to erupt in two Christian villages in the state of Orissa. Two homes and one church were set on fire, resulting in the killing of one...

Third Americas Social Forum to Focus on Indigenous Peoples of Mesoamerica

Karla General — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:15:29 GMT

By Karla E General Impunity Watch Reporter, North America GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala - The Third Americas Social Forum is set to take place at the University of San Carlos de Guatemala in Guatemala City on October 7-12, 2008. The annual meeting will focus on several important issues throughout the week,...

Fiji’s President Rejects Request to Dismiss Interim Government

Hayley Campbell — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 14:40:56 GMT

By Hayley J. Campbell Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania SUVA, Fiji - Fiji’s President has rejected the National Federation Party’s request to shut down the interim government. Fiji’s prime minister says efforts to rebuild the country will not be weighed down by criticism. The NFP is calling on President, Ratu Josefa...

BRIEF: Fijian Acdemic Says Elections Are Not End to Conflict

Sarah Treptow — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 08:59:49 GMT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Dr. Alumita Durutalo, a political scientist at the University of the South Pacific, says that returning Fiji to elections will not be the end to the political conflict. Durutalo says the country has not completely resolved the political conflict since the first coup in 1987. It...

Holocaust Denier Arrested in Britain

Daniel Forrest — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:53:39 GMT

by Dan Forrest Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Europe LONDON, United Kingdom - An Australian man was arrested at Britain's Heathrow Airport this week pursuant to an EU arrest warrant issued in Germany. The warrant alleges that Dr. Gerald Fredrick Toben violated a German law that prohibits publishing anti-Semitic materials...

UN Envoy Warns Congo Conflict has Dangerously Escalated

IWAfrica — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:41:10 GMT

By Dahee Nam Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa The top United Nation’s envoy to Congo, Alan Doss, warned on Friday that recently renewed fighting in eastern Congo has escalated ethnic tensions which may cause violence to spread. After a briefing to the U.N. Security Council (Council), Doss announced that he asked...

Embassy Bombing Suspect at Guantanamo to Face Life in Prison

Gabrielle Meury — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:46:17 GMT

By Gabrielle Meury Impunity Watch Reporter, North America GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba- Ahmed Kalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian who was transferred to Guantanamo Bay from secret CIA custody in 2006, could face a maximum life sentence in prison. Al Qaida’s suicide truck-bomb attack on two U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya on...

Developments on the Khmer Rouge Trial

Hsing-pei Hu — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:24:30 GMT

By Pei Hu Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia PHNOM PENH, Cambodia – The Khmer Rouge trial has been delayed until next year. The delay results from new charges being brought against Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, one of the defendants on trial. "The chance to have a trial for...

UPDATE: Fujimori’s Trial Prosecution Implicates the Ex-President to Dirty War Killings with new Evidence

Oscar Barbosa — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:41:16 GMT

By Oscar J Barbosa Impunity Watch Reporter, South America LIMA, Peru – Ex-President Alberto Fujimori’s trial in charges of corruption and human rights abuses continues in Lima. During Friday’s hearings, the prosecution introduced evidence to implicate Fujimori into two massacres occurred in Peru during his Government. Fujimori governed from 1990...

Child Labor in Pakistan

Shayne Burnham — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:45:06 GMT

By Shayne R. Burnham Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - With the coming of Eid al-Fitr, there is a boost in the glass bangles industry, and an increase in the child labor it takes to meet the high demand. One child worker states, "Usually we work eight or nine...

Car Bomb Kills 7 Russian Soldiers

Eseigbe Omofoma — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:34:45 GMT

by Ese Omofoma Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe TBILISI, Georgia - A car bomb killed seven Russian peacekeepers on Friday right outside Russia's military headquarters in South Ossetia. The explosion comes days before a scheduled pullback of Russian troops from Georgian territory. Eduard Kokoity, South Ossetia's President, said he had, "no...

Malian Government Protects Rebel Ethnic Groups but Sexual Violence Still Rampant

IWAfrica — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 21:05:34 GMT

By Ted Townsend Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa BAMAKO, Mali – According to local Bamako police records, at least three hundred women are victims of sexual violence each year. However, many people, including the president of the Bamako-based non-profit Women in Law and Development in Africa, say that the actual number...

Tagicakibau Suggests UN Training is Being Used to Perpetuate Coup Culture

Ryan Maness — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 19:19:11 GMT

By Ryan L. Maness Senior Desk Officer, Oceania SUVA, Fiji - As a United Nations delegation toured Fiji this week, interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama called upon the delegation to allow a greater role in the UN's international peacekeeping efforts for Fiji's peacekeeping soldiers. Bainimarama said that Fiji's forces had...

Colombian Military-men Arrested for Involvement in Massacre

Oscar Barbosa — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:27:10 GMT

By Oscar J Barbosa Impunity Watch Reporter, South America BOGOTA, Colombia – The Colombian’s Attorney General has arrested two retired Army Coronels, and seeks at least nineteen other for crimes against humanity committed between 1986 and 1994. The Trujillo Massacre involved a deadly alliance between the Colombian Military, Paramilitaries and...

Namibian Torture Cases Settled Out of Court

IWAfrica — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:56:35 GMT

By Ben Turner Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa WINDHOEK, Namibia – Three civil claims brought against the Namibian government were settled out of court on October 1. The claims were brought in connection with the torture of people who were detained after separatist attacks in Katima Mulilo on August 2, 1999....

Yugoslav Army Chief Created "environment of impunity"

Sarah Benczik — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:10:41 GMT

By Sarah Benczik Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe THE HAGUE, Netherlands - The trial for Momčilo Perišić, former Chief of General Staff of the Yugoslav army under Slobodan Milošević, began today at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Perišić is the most senior officer of the Yugoslav Army...

EU: Concern for Religious Minorities

Yasaman Hakimian — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:41:35 GMT

By Yasmine S. Hakimian Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East BRUSSELS, Belgium - On September 26, the European Union declared its concern for religious minorities in Iran. The declaration released by the Presidency of the EU urges the Iranian government to reconsider its plan to debate a draft bill on apostasy....

Reporters Shot in Bangkok Due to Work on Local Corruption

Hsing-pei Hu — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:21:56 GMT

By Pei Hu Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia BANGKOK, Thailand – Jaruek Rangcharoen, a journalist who reported on government corruption was shot last week. Rangcharoen was a regional reporter for the Bangkok-based newspaper, Matichon. Police reported that Rangcharoen was shot several times in the head when he was on his way...

UPDATE: Investigations into Massacre in Bolivia

Jessalyn Mastrianni — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:17:35 GMT

By Jessalyn Mastrianni Impunity Watch Reporter, South America LA PAZ, Bolivia – As we reported on September 20, the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) was publically supporting Bolivia in its struggle after the massacre on the 11th of September. That massacre killed 18 and wounded 40 people. More than...

Czar Nicholas II Rehabilitated in Russia

Daniel Forrest — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:16:40 GMT

by Dan Forrest Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Europe MOSCOW, Russia - The Russian Supreme Court rehabilitated today the reputation of Czar Nicholas II, the last monarch to rule in Russia before the Soviet takeover in 1918. In reaching its decision, the Court held that the monarch and his family...

Investigation Under Way into Allegations of Torture During Falklands War

Victor Garza — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:05:41 GMT

By Victor Ray Garza Impunity Watch Reporter, South America BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - A court in Tierra del Fuego is investigating charges of human rights violations occurring during Argentina's war over control of the Falkland Islands. Veterans of the war between Argentina and Britain are coming forward after 25 years...

National Human Rights Commission of Mexico Reports to United Nations on Status of Human Rights In Mexico

Andrew Benfield — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:34:33 GMT

By Maria E. Molina Impunity Watch Reporter, North America MEXICO CITY, Mexico - The National Human Rights Commission of Mexico reported to United Nations today that efforts by the Mexican government in the last ten years to promote public safety and human rights have failed. The Commission found that the...

Child Bride's Divorce Sparks Discussion of Women's, Children's Rights

Kristen Dinardo — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:26:17 GMT

By Nykoel Dinardo Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East Photo: Nujood Ali and her attorney Shada Nasser, Courtesy of CNN International SANA'A, Yemen - On September 16, ten-year old Nujood Ali returned to school as a second-grader. Although her actions may not sound unusual, Nujood Ali has become a role model...

Human Rights Watch Calls on Ethiopia to Release or Prosecute Terror Suspects

IWAfrica — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:44:28 GMT

By Ted Townsend Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa NAIROBI, Kenya – A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released Wednesday stated that at least ten victims arrested in a clandestine terrorism sweep remain jailed today, two years after the sweep took place. The report, entitled “Why am I still here?”, further accused...

New Zealand PM Calls on Fiji to Establish a Legitimate Government

Hayley Campbell — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:10:34 GMT

By Hayley J. Campbell Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania Photo courtesy of FijiVillage WELLINGTON, New Zealand - New Zealand’s prime minister has announced that Fiji must establish a legitimate government committed to reform before relations with Fiji can be mended. “The return of a legitimate government committed to advancing a process...

Religious Freedom in China, North Korea and Myanmar

Ariel Lin — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 07:13:20 GMT

By Ariel Lin Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia The annual U.S. State Department report on religious freedom heavily criticizes Asian governments' religion record. The report says that China's repression of religious groups intensified during the last year, citing Beijing's crackdown on Tibetan Buddhists, and its harassment of Christians and members of...

EU Monitors Begin Mission in Georgia

Daniel Forrest — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:28:19 GMT

by Dan Forrest Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Europe TBILISI, Georgia - Observers from the European Union have arrived in Georgia and will now begin monitoring the recent cease fire agreement between Russia and Georgia. By the terms of the contract, Russia has 10 days to withdraw its forces from...

BRIEF: California Passes Legislation in an Effort to Further Protect Human Trafficking Victims

Andrew Benfield — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:18:08 GMT

By Andrew Benfield Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, North America SACRAMENTO, United States – California’s legislators have passed two bills, AB 2810 and AB 499, in furtherance of its pledge to take action against human trafficking. Governor Schwarzenegger said that AB 2810 and AB 499 expand “victim rights, provide further...

UNHRC Fails to Appoint Special Rapporteur for Turkmenistan

Kristy — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:30:24 GMT

By Kristy Tridhavee Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Asia ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan – The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) voted against appointing a special rapporteur for Turkmenistan, disappointing several human rights organizations. Former Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov was known for his reclusive, authoritarian policies and dismal human rights record. According...

Olmert: Return Occupied Territories for Peace

Laura Zuber — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:18:28 GMT

By Laura Zuber Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East WEST JERUSALEM, Israel – On September 29, Yedioth Aharonoth, Israel’s largest newspaper, published a farewell interview with the now interim Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. In the interview, Olmert stated that “We have to reach an agreement with the Palestinians,...

According to Government Report, Physicians in American Samoa are "Left Making Guesses About Patient Diagnoses"

Sarah Treptow — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:52:08 GMT

By Sarah E. Treptow Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania PAGO PAGO, American Samoa - The U.S. Interior Department Office of Inspector General (OIG) released a report stating that physicians at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Medical Center (LBJ) in American Samoa are "left making guesses about patient diagnoses" due to a lack...

Israeli Human Rights Organization Opens in Washington

Gabrielle Meury — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:20:56 GMT

By Gabrielle Meury Impunity Watch Reporter, North America WASHINGTON, United States - B’Tselem, Israel’s leading human rights organization, opened its Washington branch on September 24. The Organization’s goal is to spread information regarding Israeli human rights abuses against Palestinians to the American Jewish Community, Middle East think tanks and policy...

Fiji Interim PM Indefinitely Delays Democratic Elections

Hayley Campbell — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:25:23 GMT

By Hayley J. Campbell Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania SUVA, Fiji - Despite harsh criticism from the Pacific community, Fiji’s interim prime minister has told the United Nations that democratic elections will not be held next March as originally promised. Commodore Frank Bainimarama, the interim prime minister, addressed the UN General...

Top Economist Accuses Fiji's Finance Ministry of "Twiddling its Thumbs"

Sarah Treptow — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 21:53:40 GMT

By Sarah E. Treptow Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania SUVA, Fiji - By August, Fiji's Ministry of Finance had only spent $15 million of the $162 million allocated for the entirety of 2008. A leading economist, Dr. Biman Prasad, the head of economics at the University of the South Pacific, criticizes...

Amnesty International Calls for Investigation of Ill-Treated Indonesian Prisoner

Ryan Maness — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:50:42 GMT

By Ryan L. Maness Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania PAPUA, Indonesia - Amnesty International is calling on the Indonesian government to investigate the mistreatment of Ferdinand Pakage, a prisoner in Abepura Prison, after he was beaten by prison officers. Pakage, who is currently serving a 15 year sentence after...

Impunity Watch Interviews Christine Williams of ChildSoldierRelief.com

Ryan Maness — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:35:47 GMT

Christine Williams is a human rights blogger, whose website reports on the abuses that child soldiers face all over the world. The Impunity Watch got a chance to interview Williams about how she views the work that she is doing, the current state of child soldiers in the world and...

Seeking Justice in Burma

Lindsey Brady — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 20:48:13 GMT

The following is an excerpt from Seeking Justice for Burma, a report authored by PILPG's strategic partner at Vanderbilt University. The full report can be found here. On 2 May 2008, Cyclone Nargis made landfall in Burma, destroying everything in its path and killing thousands. The State Peace and Development...

The Low Countries Take the High Road

Lindsey Brady — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:43:44 GMT

By: Eric A. Witte and Kurt Bassuener This article was originally published by The Wall Street Journal and is republished her with the permission of its author Eric A. Witte. Mr. Witte and Mr. Bassuener are the senior associates of the Democratization Policy Council - "a global initiative for accountability...

Human Rights Watch Releases Afghan Report

Ryan Maness — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 09:08:55 GMT

Human Rights Watch has released a report entitled "Troops in Contact" Airstrikes and Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan. The report can be found here.

Ishmael Beah Speaking at Syracuse University Hendricks Chapel on September 23, 2008

Ryan Maness — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:39:30 GMT

Ishmael Beah's childhood effectively ended at age 12, when he fled attacking rebels in his war-torn homeland of Sierra Leone. Within a year, he was forced into service as a child soldier for the government army, where he found himself capable of performing truly horrific acts. After being relocated to...

Nuremberg Declaration of Peace and Justice Released

Ryan Maness — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:03:16 GMT

From from June 25 until June 27, an international conference was held in Nuremberg, Germany aimed at addressing possible tensions that arise between the goals of international peace and international justice. Organized by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Finland and the Federal Republic of Germany, the conference has now released...

Karadžić Charges Outlined

Ryan Maness — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:01:51 GMT

From SKY NEWS The former Bosnian Serb leader, who faces charges of genocide for his actions in the 1992-95 Bosnia war, is due in court tomorrow afternoon, where he will appear before judge Alphons Orie. Usually the indictment is read at a suspect's initial court appearance, but Karadžić can ask...

Conclusion of 2008 International Humanitarian Dialogs

Ryan Maness — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:56:03 GMT

Prosecutors from international law tribunals met at the Chautauqua Institute from August 25-26. The second annual dialogs are intended to draw the world's attention on the need for vigilance in the face of war crimes and violations of human rights.

Torture: Its Use, Prohibition and Futility

Julie Narimatsu — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:21:01 GMT

By: Lissa Palermo This paper describes the law of torture around the world and, in particular, its effect on the United States. The paper also discusses the possibility that the United States engaged in torture after 9/11 and presents arguments in favor and against the use of torture to counter...

Second Chautauqua Declaration

Lindsey Brady — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:34:40 GMT

The Second Chautauqua Declaration is available in PDF format here. The 2nd Annual International Humanitarian Law Dialogues were held at the Chautauqua Institution on August 25th-26th, 2008. The Declaration is signed by the international criminal prosecutors present at the conference.

The Importance of Human Rights

Lindsey Brady — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:49:38 GMT

By: Adriana Alcivar The author, Adriana Alcivar from Silver Creek High School, was one of thirty high school students to win a trip to the Summer Institute for Human Rights and Genocide Studies near Buffalo. The Institute is sponsored by the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo, the Jamestown Teaching American...

Spirit of Nuremberg - Idealism

Julie Narimatsu — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:20:39 GMT

By: Henry T. King, Jr. This speech was given at the International Humanitarian Law Dialog, held at the Chautauqua Institution on August 29, 2007. It is republished with the permission of its author and original publisher, American Society of International Law. For the entire speech, please see: Download spirit_of_nurembergidealism.pdf

The Path from the 1907 Hague Conference to Nuremberg and Forward

Julie Narimatsu — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:36:00 GMT

By: John Q. Barrett This speech was given at the International Humanitarian Law Dialog, held at the Chautauqua Institution on August 29, 2007. It is republished with the permission of its author and original publisher, American Society of International Law. For the entire speech, please see: Download the_path_from_the_1907_hague_conference_to_nuremberg_and_forward.pdf

The Legacy of Nuremberg

Julie Narimatsu — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:33:35 GMT

By: Whitney R. Harris This article was part of the first International Humanitarian Dialogs at the Chautauqua Institution in August, 2007. It is republished with the permission of its author and original publisher, American Society of International Law. For the entire article, please see: Download the_legacy_of_nuremberg.pdf

Echoes of Nuremberg

Julie Narimatsu — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:28:33 GMT

By: Michael A. Newton This article was part of the first International Humanitarian Dialogs at the Chautauqua Institution in August, 2007. It is republished with the permission of its author and original publisher, American Society of International Law. For the entire article, please see: Download echoes_of_nuremberg.pdf

Julie Narimatsu — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:35:43 GMT

Our Troops Deserve Better: Why Our Troops and Not Depleted Uranium Should be Given the Benefit of the Doubt By: Charles Mauer Abstract This paper will examine the military use of depleted uranium, including: what depleted uranium is, why it is used in armaments, a short history of its use,...

Sierra Leone: Getting reparations right for survivors of sexual violence

Lindsey Brady — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:16:33 GMT

By: Amnesty International This article is republished with the permission of its original publisher Amnesty International. “When women asked the president for an apology for victims of sexual violence from the war and he refused, it sent the wrong message.” NGO staff “When the war ended, NGOs and the UN...

Children of a Lesser Law: The Failure of the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act and a Plan for its Redemption

Alice Kim — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:21:05 GMT

By: Roger Byron This article is republished with the permission of its original publisher Regent University Law Review and its author Roger Byron; it was initially published in 19 REGULR 275 and copyrighted in 2006. Introduction The twentieth century saw significant progress made in the protection of children, and with...

EU must shun Africa’s dictators

Lindsey Brady — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 10:35:17 GMT

By Eric Witte Original Source: European Voice, http://www.europeanvoice.com, 19 July 2007 While the EU presidency rotated from Germany to Portugal at the beginning of the month, African Union (AU) leaders were meeting in Accra, Ghana and debating continent-wide unification. EU officials are mindful of the idea’s inherent difficulties. But with...