army
ISRAEL - Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi’s Speech at FIDF Dinner in New York, 9 March 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 - 21:36
Egypt - Student court martialled for blogging about army human rights violations
Monday, March 1, 2010 - 20:04March 1, 2010 by Anonymous
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2010-03-01 20:04Reporters Without Borders condemns university student Ahmed Abdel Fattah Mustafa's trial by court martial for blogging about army human rights violations. Held incommunicado since his arrest by state security agents on 25 February, he appeared today before a Cairo military court on charges of “publishing false news” and trying to “undermine people's confidence in the armed forces.” The trial was adjourned.
“Mustafa is a civilian and there are no grounds for trying him before a military court,” Reporters Without Borders said. “These extraordinary judicial proceedings are designed to intimidate anyone who dares to criticise the army. This is further proof of the government's inability to tolerate sensitive subjects being tackled by bloggers.”
A student at the University of Kafr El Sheikh's engineering faculty and a member of the “6 April Movement,” Mustafa wrote in his blog (http://hazel2eyes.jeeran.com/a
It was his lawyer who told his family that he had been arrested. The last entry in his blog was an anonymous comment warning him that he would be punished within two days because he “knew nothing about the army.”
His lawyers have not been allowed access to the findings of the investigation. The military forced Mustafa to delete the blog entry about the army.
Another blogger, Kareem Amer, has been jailed since 2006 for criticising religious authoritarianism and gender discrimination.
Bolivia - Army should allow access to information and open the files of the dictatorships
Thursday, February 18, 2010 - 17:25February 18, 2010 by Anonymous
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2010-02-18 17:25
Reporters Without Borders today condemned as outrageous the refusal by the army chief of staff to give way to a prosecutor's request for access to part of the archives of the military dictatorships on the crucial subject of disappearances.
“We support the initiative of the Evo Morales government, announced this week, to declassify military files relating to a period on which light should be shed and which journalists and citizens have the right to be informed about. The army must give way to the demands of access to information”, the worldwide press freedom organisation said.
A civil commission, headed by prosecutor Milton Mendoza is investigating 156 disappearances during the era of Bolivia's military regimes, particularly of General Hugo Banzer (1971-1978) and Colonel Luis García Meza (1980-1981). Mendoza yesterday went to the army chief of staff headquarters in La Paz and came out one hour later complaining of an “obstruction of the investigation process” on the part of the high command.
The same day, shortly after the unsuccessful visit, defence minister, Rubén Saavedra, stressed that the armed forces had received a judicial instruction obliging them to cooperate. The law has therefore been flouted.
Most of the disappearances took place under the dictatorship of Luis García Meza, who took power in a coup in July 1980. He was sentenced to 30 years for these crimes and has been in jail for 13 years.
It is essential that all the countries previously under the yoke of the Condor Plan (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay) pass access to information legislation requiring their military institutions to respond to requests from the press, the justice system and civil society organisations. It is not just a question of the freedom to inform but also of collective memory.
Argentina took this step on 6 January 2010 through a government decree. In Brazil, the government-sponsored “Historical Memory Project” has led to a partial declassification of military archives while awaiting a global law. In Uruguay, access to information has been eased by a law passed in 2008 but the press continues to come up against obstructions and hostility of an army that remains reluctant to see the airing of past crimes.
Photo : AFP.
Nepal: Authorities must provide justice for torture and murder of 15-year-old Maina Sunuwar
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 12:55February 17, 2010 by Anonymous
Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2010-02-17 12:55International and local human rights organisations have today urged the Nepali authorities to stop obstructing criminal proceedings over the alleged torture and murder of 15-year-old Maina Sunuwar by four army officers.
An open letter to the Attorney General of Nepal, Professor Bharat Bahadur Karki, on the sixth anniversary of Maina Sunwar’s death, calls on him to end ongoing obstructions to bringing the officers to trial.
They are accused of subjecting Maina to prolonged simulated drowning and electrocution with a 220-volt current, which led to her death. Her body was secretly buried but later exhumed at an army barracks where Nepali UN peacekeepers are trained.
‘Nepal’s politicians continually talk about taking the peace process to its ‘logical conclusion’ but what is ‘logical’ about a peace process that allows those accused of killing a young girl to remain free? Or law enforcement agencies that do not respect the law courts?’, said Mandira Sharma, Director of Advocacy Forum - Nepal.
The letter coincides with the release of a comprehensive analysis of the case by the Nepali NGO, Advocacy Forum.
These two documents highlight multiple failings by the government to investigate and prosecute those responsible for Maina’s murder along with hundreds of others during the country’s decade long conflict between Maoists and the government which ended in 2006.
The organizations demand justice for Maina’s family after an inquiry conducted by the Nepal Army resulted in the court martial of three soldiers for only minor disciplinary offences.
Despite a September 2007 Supreme Court ruling that the case falls under civilian jurisdiction, and subsequent arrest warrants issued in January 2008 by the Kavre District Court, the Army is refusing to cooperate and police have failed to make arrests. The Nepal Army is harbouring one of the four accused, Major Niranjan Basnet, instead of handing him over for trial.
‘The failure to arrest and prosecute those charged with Maina’s murder reveals all too clearly the longstanding weaknesses in the Nepal justice system. This makes a mockery of promises by politicians to address human rights abuses and end impunity as part of the peace process. The government must now ensure those accused of killing Maina are arrested and held accountable in a court of law’, said Donna Guest, Asia-Pacific Deputy Director, Amnesty International.
The repatriation to Nepal of Major Basnet from the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Chad on 12 December 2009 raised hopes that he would be arrested. Yet more than two months later the army continues to shield him and he has still not appeared before a court.
“A government that sends thousands of troops on UN peacekeeping duties must take steps to ensure no one accused of grave human rights violations is sent abroad. This is essential not only for the integrity of the Nepal Army, but for the credibility of the government in dealing with past human rights violations,” stated Birendra Thapaliya of FOHRID.
Contrary to instruction by the Prime Minister of Nepal, the Defence Minister, Bidhya Bhandari, has publicly taken the position that the Court Martial closed the matter. However, given that the Court Martial did not deal with torture and murder and chose the lesser charges of ‘indiscipline and not following procedures’, the accused have not yet been tried for the murder of Maina Sunuwar.
‘Taking a 15-year-old unarmed girl from her bed and torturing her to death by drowning and electrocution goes far beyond the disciplinary infractions considered by the Court Martial. For such serious crimes, whether the suspects are State officials or Maoists, they must be held criminally responsible before an impartial and independent civilian tribunal,” stated Sushil Pyakhurel of the Accountability Watch Committee.
Maina’s death has come to embody the widespread injustice and failure of accountability experienced by thousands in Nepal today. Despite the focus on the Nepal Army in the killing of Maina, members of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) are also responsible for numerous human rights abuses during the conflict, abuses that remain equally unresolved.
“Failure to respect and comply with a decision of Nepal’s Supreme Court and to abide by valid arrest warrants sends a signal of lawlessness. Guaranteeing a judicial remedy and fair trial before a civilian court in this case will send the much-needed message that all are equal before the law, strengthening the foundation of Nepal’s peace process,” stated Roger Normand, Director of the International Commission of Jurists’ Asia Pacific Program.
Devi Sunuwar, Maina’s mother, said she hopes the resolution of the case will help end the cycle of impunity that has gripped Nepal.
‘Today, six years since my daughter Maina was murdered I feel great sadness for her loss, but also for the thousands of mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters across this country who face a similar struggle to find peace and justice’, said Devi Sunuwar.
Zimbabwe: Abuse of human rights continues under unity government
Thursday, February 11, 2010 - 20:20February 11, 2010 by Anonymous
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2010-02-11 20:20
Amnesty International today called on President Mugabe and Prime Minister Tsvangirai to fulfil their promise to reform state institutions, in a bid to end human rights violations that have continued in the country since the formation of the unity government one year ago.
Torture, harassment and politically motivated prosecutions of human rights defenders and perceived opponents have persisted, while villagers in parts of Zimbabwe have suffered ceaseless intimidation by supporters of former ruling party ZANU-PF.
"The Attorney General's office, police and army have been left to freely violate human rights in pursuit of a political agenda," said Erwin van der Borght, Africa Director at Amnesty International.
"By delaying reform, the situation in Zimbabwe remains fragile as perpetrators continue to escape justice and are instead effectively given the all clear to continue violating human rights."
Amnesty International called on the unity government to end on-going harassment of human rights defenders. Several peaceful protests organized by civic movement Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) were violently broken up by police in 2009.
Seventeen human rights and political activists who were abducted by state security agents in 2008 continue to face charges that are widely believed to be trumped up. One of them, Jestina Mukoko, director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project, had her prosecution permanently stayed by the Supreme Court in September 2009 because of overwhelming evidence that she had been tortured.
"The government must end the incessant harassment of human rights activists and take steps to seriously protect rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly," said Erwin van der Borght.
The Zimbabwean army and intelligence services, as well as the Attorney General's office, have remained under ZANU-PF control, following an agreement brokered by the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in 2008. The police are co-chaired by ZANU-PF and MDC-T ministers.
"The onus is on President Mugabe and ZANU-PF to ensure that key institutions under their control are reformed to end the culture of impunity that still threatens stability in the country," said Erwin van der Borght.
Amnesty International's call for reform comes amid reports that villagers in parts of Zimbabwe are being threatened with violence by army backed supporters of ZANU-PF, in an attempt to force them to endorse the heavily criticized Kariba draft constitution.
The Kariba draft constitution, agreed by unity government parties in September 2007, has been strongly criticized by some civil society organizations as an attempt by the parties to impose a constitution without consultation.
Villagers in Mutoko, Muzarabani and MT. Darwin are reportedly being warned that they will face beatings unless they support the ZANU-PF position. Similar threats were made and materialised in the run up to the June 2008 presidential elections..
"These are early warning signs that the situation could deteriorate if no urgent measures are taken to stop state security agents from carrying out violent political campaigns."
"Past involvement on their part has resulted in gross human rights violations, including deaths and torture of perceived opponents."
The government has so far failed to investigate gross human rights violations allegedly carried out by security forces during the run-up to the second round of the 2008 presidential elections, which left at least 200 people dead, over 9,000 injured and tens of thousands displaced.
"The unity government must investigate past and present allegations of human rights violations by state security agents, including torture and ill treatment of detainees," said Erwin van der Borght.
Gross human rights violations have also been taking place within the army.
At least two soldiers were tortured to death in October 2009 while being interrogated by intelligence and military police officials in Harare. Another soldier was reported to have committed suicide while in solitary confinement and several others are still receiving medical treatment for injuries caused by torture.
The victims had been arrested along with at least 95 others, on suspicion of breaking into an armoury at Pomona barracks and stealing 21 guns.
"Zimbabwean state bodies are riddled with human rights abusers that in many cases carry out violations with impunity," said Erwin van der Borght.
"Without genuine reform of institutions this abuse is very likely to persist."
To arrange an interview, please contact Elisabeth Vikman, Amnesty International Press Officer at elisabeth.vikman@amnesty.org or +44 7778 472109.
Pittsburgh mayor calls in National guard to do police work
Tuesday, February 9, 2010 - 16:57
Pittsburgh, USA - In clear violation of of Posse Comitatus the mayor of Pittsburgh Luke Ravenstahl called in the National guard to help in "domestic" disputes.
Dear John - Movie Trailer
Monday, February 8, 2010 - 11:49
Dear John is 100% a chick flick. It has all the sappy romance and the drama that comes with it. What is surprising everyone though is how well it is doing at the box office.
Latest Israeli response to Gaza investigations totally inadequate
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 - 21:10February 2, 2010 by Anonymous
Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2010-02-02 21:10Israel’s latest response to the UN on its investigations into alleged violations of international law by its forces in Gaza a year ago is totally inadequate, Amnesty International said today.
Crucial questions about the conduct of attacks in which hundreds of civilians were killed and thousands were made homeless are not credibly addressed in Israel’s update to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
“The investigations undertaken by Israel fail to meet international standards of independence, impartiality, transparency, promptness and effectiveness,” said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Programme.
“The Israeli military is investigating itself and in no way can this be adequate in obtaining the truth and ensuring justice for the victims.”
The 46-page update published on 29 January says that Israel has opened investigations into 150 incidents involving alleged violations of the laws of war by its forces during Operation “Cast Lead”, its 22-day military offensive in Gaza which ended on 18 January 2009.
Around 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed in the conflict that took place in Gaza and southern Israel.
The limited details released indicate that the Israeli authorities are failing to credibly address grave concerns about the army’s use of white phosphorus in densely-populated areas.
Attacks on UN facilities and other civilian buildings and infrastructure, as well as direct attacks on Palestinian civilians, including ambulance crews have also not been adequately investigated by Israel.
Such incidents were reported by the UN, Amnesty International and other human rights and media organizations at the time of the conflict.
“There were numerous credible allegations during Operation ‘Cast Lead’ that violations of international humanitarian law by Israeli forces caused the deaths of hundreds of civilians, led others to be used as “human shields” and destroyed or damaged thousands of homes and other civilian infrastructure,” said Malcolm Smart.
“Yet more than one year on, according to the update, only one soldier has been convicted of an offence as a result of the Israeli investigations, and that was the theft of a credit card.”
All the Israeli investigations have been carried out by army commanders or by the military police criminal investigators and overseen by the Military Advocate General, severely compromising their independence and impartiality.
The Military Advocate General’s office gave the Israeli forces legal advice on their choice of targets and tactics during Operation “Cast Lead”.
The military investigations also preclude the possibility of examining decisions taken by civilian officials, who are also alleged to be responsible for serious violations.
The update states that there is no basis for criminal investigations into serious incidents which Amnesty International maintains warrant effective and independent investigations.
These include Israeli strikes on UN facilities, civilian property and infrastructure, attacks on medical facilities and personnel, and incidents in which large numbers of civilians were killed.
Despite enduring concerns by Amnesty International over Israel’s extensive use of white phosphorus in Gaza, the update contends that there are “no grounds to take disciplinary or other measures for the IDF’s use of weapons containing phosphorous”.
During Operation “Cast Lead” Israeli forces often launched artillery shells containing white phosphorus into residential areas, causing death and injuries to civilians.
Other Israeli attacks which resulted in civilian injuries and deaths are dismissed as “operational errors” although the update admits “some instances” in which Israeli soldiers and officers “violated the rules of engagement”.
The Israeli government has not indicated that it will ensure reparations, including compensation, to Palestinian civilians harmed as a result of the “operational errors” or admitted violations of their forces.
Research by Amnesty International into Operation “Cast Lead” showed elements of reckless conduct, disregard for civilian lives and property and a consistent failure on the part of Israeli forces to distinguish between military targets and civilians and civilian objects.
Israeli forces continued to employ tactics and weapons that resulted in growing numbers of civilian casualties for the entire duration of the military offensive. This was despite Israeli officials knowing from the first days of the military offensive that civilians were being killed and wounded in significant numbers.
Amnesty International drew a number of incidents to the attention of the Israeli authorities who have not responded to the organization’s repeated requests for clarification on specific incidents.
“In his forthcoming report on domestic investigations by Israel and the Palestinian side, Ban Ki-moon must include a substantive assessment of whether these investigations meet the established UN criteria and are 'independent, credible and in conformity with international standards,” said Malcolm Smart.
“So far, it appears that neither of the parties are able or willing to conduct investigations meeting those standards. If this remains so, then the responsibility will fall on the UN to ensure accountability for the perpetrators and justice for the victims – and this must include the Security Council eventually considering a referral of the Gaza situation to the International Criminal Court and steps by the General Assembly to establish a fund for victims who were killed or injured or suffered loss or damage resulting from unlawful acts committed during the war.”
Background
The Israeli update was submitted days before the deadline set by the UN General Assembly in November 2009 when it endorsed the recommendations of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (the Goldstone Report) and called on both Israel and the Palestinian side, within three months, to undertake investigations into alleged war crimes and other violations by their forces.
These investigations, the General Assembly, said, should be “independent, credible and in conformity with international standards into the serious violations of international humanitarian and international human rights law reported by the [UN] Fact Finding Mission, towards ensuring accountability and justice”. Hamas has yet to submit any public report to the UN.
Sri Lanka: Time for a New Start; A Human Rights Agenda for Sri Lanka’s Presidential Candidates
Monday, January 18, 2010 - 16:30January 18, 2010 by Anonymous
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2010-01-18 16:30Amnesty International calls on all candidates standing in Sri Lanka’s Presidential elections on January 26th to end widespread human rights violations and the culture of impunity that continues to plague the country.
On Monday, the organization issued a 10-point Human Rights Agenda for all candidates.
“Candidates should commit to restoring respect for basic rights, like life and liberty, ending arbitrary arrests and detention, enforced disappearances and torture, and to restoring respect for freedom of expression, said Yolanda Foster, Amnesty International’s Sri Lanka specialist. “In the longer run, what’s needed is to rebuild Sri Lanka’s institutions so that they can protect efficiently and without discrimination. That’s the only way to restore public faith in the justice system.”
More than 20 candidates are standing in the elections with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his former Army Commander and Chief of Defence Staff, retired General Sarath Fonseka the main contenders. Both have taken credit for the military victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May, while at the same time attempting to evade blame for grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law.
Thousands of people died in the last phase of the war when government forces fired artillery into areas densely populated with civilians. The LTTE used civilians as human shields, opened fire on and killed civilians who attempted to escape. Survivors were forcibly confined for months to displacement camps guarded by the Sri Lankan military. The government relaxed restrictions on freedom of movement in December, but in the camps or outside, these civilians need assistance and protection.
“As the Sri Lankan people contend with the most recent abuses committed by both sides of the recent conflict, the reality is that they have been haunted by injustice and impunity for years”, said Yolanda Foster. “Accounting for the conduct of combatants and their superiors during the fighting is crucial, but accounting for the past is only part of the challenge. This election could be an opportunity to improve the human rights of millions of people, but this can only happen if the authorities make a real commitment to respect rights and enact reforms.
“Immediate steps can be taken to improve human rights protection. The government must repeal emergency laws like the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Journalists like J.S Tissanaiyagam have been wrongly imprisoned under these regulations while hundreds of prisoners held without charge or trial are simply forgotten”.
More than 11,000 people are currently held without charge by the army in school buildings and other ad hoc detention camps in northern Sri Lanka. The army suspects they are LTTE members who fled the conflict zone along with civilians; there are hundreds of other suspected LTTE members detained without charge in jails and lock-ups elsewhere in the country.
The authorities must stop using irregular places of detention and must end the dangerous practice of incommunicado detention, which increases the likelihood of torture and enforced disappearances, of which Amnesty International has received reports.
“There is a long history of enforced disappearances and torture is widespread across Sri Lanka, especially in the north and east of the country and in the capital Colombo. Amnesty International calls on candidates to commit to ending these practices and to bring national laws into accordance with international standards,” said Yolanda Foster.
Amnesty International urged all candidates to commit to ending grave violations against people expressing dissenting views, including human rights activists, lawyers and journalists.
“Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists to work with 15 journalists being killed since 2004, and many others going into hiding and fearing for their lives. Lawyers and human rights activists have been threatened and attacked. People have lost faith in the justice system and there has been a chilling effect on freedom of expression and association in the country” said Yolanda Foster.
“People in Sri Lanka are tired of the rule of the gun and long for the rule of law. Sri Lanka needs to make a fresh start and end impunity for violations of human rights and humanitarian law. It’s time for the government to turn their promises into real action and act now on human rights abuses, “said Yolanda Foster.
Background
About 100,000 people who fled the northern war zone remain in camps, dependent on the government for shelter and relief. Many more are in the early stages of attempted return or resettlement and continue to require protection and humanitarian assistance. Ensuring protection, assistance and respect for the rights of Sri Lanka’s displaced and newly resettled survivors of war remains an urgent priority.
Journalists and human rights defenders have been denied access to camps housing displaced persons and have been prevented from monitoring and reporting on conditions faced by survivors and documenting their experiences in the war zone.
Displaced people must have the right to freedom of movement, liberty and security of person, the right to health, education and to adequate standards of living.
