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Canada: Rehabilitate and Reintegrate Ex-Child Soldier
SEP 29, 2012

The Kremlin May Call It Treason
SEP 28, 2012
Since Vladimir V. Putin's return to the Kremlin, the Russian parliament has rammed through a raft of laws tightening the screws on civil society, the government kicked out USAID, and opposition demonstrators are facing unwarranted criminal charges.

Philippines: New ‘Cybercrime’ Law Will Harm Free Speech
SEP 28, 2012
A new Philippine “cybercrime” law drastically increases punishments for criminal libel and gives authorities excessive and unchecked powers to shut down websites and monitor online information. President Benigno Aquino III signed the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012on September 12, 2012.

India: Punjab Case Shows Need for Anti-Torture Law
SEP 27, 2012
The mistreatment of a suspected Sikh separatist in Punjab highlights the widespread use of torture by Indian security forces, which may prevent foreign extraditions to India.

UAE: Report Highlights Need for Worker Protections
SEP 27, 2012
A report by an independent monitor underscores the need for companies involved in the United Arab Emirates’ Saadiyat Island project to ensure that their projects comply with international labor standards for migrant workers.

Yemen: Massacre Investigation Badly Flawed
SEP 27, 2012
The previous Yemeni government’s investigation into the so-called Friday of Dignity massacre on March 18, 2011, in Yemen’s capital is marred throughout by flaws and political interference.

Iran: Bring Notorious Abuser to Justice
SEP 27, 2012
Iran’s Judiciary should move forward speedily and transparently with the criminal investigation of Saeed Mortazavi, the former Tehran Prosecutor General, for the deaths of protesters after the June 2009 elections and prosecute if there is evidence implicating him. Mortazavi, now head of Iran’s Social Security Organization, is accused of involvement in the deaths, torture, and arbitrary detention of dozens of protesters following the disputed presidential poll and other rights abuses perpetrated over more than 12 years.

Guinea: Stadium Massacre Victims Await Justice
SEP 27, 2012
Hundreds of victims of the 2009 massacre, rapes, and other abuses by security forces in Guinea have yet to see justice done on the eve of the third anniversary of the attacks. The Guinean government should increase support for the domestic investigation of the crimes so that those responsible can be held to account without further delay.


Georgia: Misuse of Administrative Detention Violates Rights
SEP 26, 2012
Georgia’s use of administrative detention to lock up protesters and political activists violates the country’s international commitments to safeguard against arbitrary detention.

Russia's civil society crackdown continues
SEP 25, 2012
The Kremlin’s announcement last week that it was kicking USAID out of Russia is the latest step in a crackdown on foreign-funded civil society groups.


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China: UN Members Should Address Rights Crisis in Tibet
SEP 21, 2012
The many years of restricting Tibetans’ fundamental rights have led to acts of desperation that have escalated a crisis that shows no sign of abating. UN member countries should take steps now that could give Tibetans some hope.


Vietnam: Drop Charges Against and Release Bloggers
SEP 20, 2012
Vietnamese authorities should drop all charges against three prominent bloggers and immediately release them

Italy/US: Ruling on CIA Case Highlights US Inaction
SEP 20, 2012
The ruling by Italy’s highest court to uphold convictions against 23 United States agents stands in stark contrast to the US failure to prosecute any official involved in the Central Intelligence Agency’s unlawful rendition program.

Peru: Prevent Unlawful Killings of Protesters
SEP 20, 2012
The Peruvian government should act to prevent the unlawful use of lethal force by security forces during crowd-control operations, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to President Ollanta Humala. Fifteen civilians were killed during protests, allegedly by security forces, in the first year of Humala’s presidency.

Russia: Forced Eviction Tramples Olympic Ideals
SEP 19, 2012
The illegal eviction of a family in Sochi casts a dark shadow over preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
In its haste to be tough on failed asylum seekers the UK is ignoring torture risks
SEP 19, 2012
In June 2011, a young ethnic Tamil man from Jaffna was deported to Sri Lanka by the UK Border Agency following the rejection of his claim for asylum.

Georgia: Investigate Sexual Abuse in Prison
SEP 19, 2012
Video footage broadcast on Georgian television on September 18, 2012, depicts sexual and other abuse of inmates in a notorious prison in Georgia, which should be subject to criminal investigation.

Burma: Free Remaining Political Prisoners
SEP 19, 2012
The Burmese government’s latest release of political prisoners falls short of meeting its commitment to release all political prisoners and shows the need for a transparent process to ensure that all political prisoners are immediately freed. The government should allow independent international monitors unhindered access to Burma’s prisons to provide an accounting of all remaining political prisoners.

Bahrain: Act on UN Human Rights Commitments
SEP 19, 2012
Israel/Palestinian Authority: Charge or Free Palestinian Detainees
SEP 18, 2012
Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) should immediately charge or release men they are detaining arbitrarily and investigate alleged abuses against them in custody.


Peru: Prevent Unlawful Killings of Protesters
SEP 20, 2012
The Peruvian government should act to prevent the unlawful use of lethal force by security forces during crowd-control operations, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to President Ollanta Humala. Fifteen civilians were killed during protests, allegedly by security forces, in the first year of Humala’s presidency.

Russia: Forced Eviction Tramples Olympic Ideals
SEP 19, 2012
The illegal eviction of a family in Sochi casts a dark shadow over preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
In its haste to be tough on failed asylum seekers the UK is ignoring torture risks
SEP 19, 2012
In June 2011, a young ethnic Tamil man from Jaffna was deported to Sri Lanka by the UK Border Agency following the rejection of his claim for asylum.

Georgia: Investigate Sexual Abuse in Prison
SEP 19, 2012
Video footage broadcast on Georgian television on September 18, 2012, depicts sexual and other abuse of inmates in a notorious prison in Georgia, which should be subject to criminal investigation.

Burma: Free Remaining Political Prisoners
SEP 19, 2012
The Burmese government’s latest release of political prisoners falls short of meeting its commitment to release all political prisoners and shows the need for a transparent process to ensure that all political prisoners are immediately freed. The government should allow independent international monitors unhindered access to Burma’s prisons to provide an accounting of all remaining political prisoners.

Bahrain: Act on UN Human Rights Commitments
SEP 19, 2012
Israel/Palestinian Authority: Charge or Free Palestinian Detainees
SEP 18, 2012
Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) should immediately charge or release men they are detaining arbitrarily and investigate alleged abuses against them in custody.


Afghanistan: Free Women Jailed for ‘Running Away’
SEP 18, 2012
High-level Afghan government officials have for the first time publicly confirmed that it is not a criminal offense for women and girls to “run away” from home.

Nepal: Suspend Promotion of New Police Chief
SEP 18, 2012
The Nepali government should immediately suspend the promotion of Kuber Singh Rana to the rank of Nepal’s Inspector General of Police due to his alleged involvement in human rights abuses, until the investigation and any subsequent prosecution into his involvement has been fully and finally concluded.


China/EU: Make Rights Central to EU-China Summit
SEP 18, 2012
The European Union (EU) should use its upcoming summit with Chinato demonstrate its new commitment to protect and promote human rights around the world. The EU-China summit will take place September 20 in Brussels.


Walmart's Human Trafficking Problem
SEP 17, 2012
Americans love shrimp, there’s no doubt about it. But the American appetite for shrimp now poses challenges for U.S. companies that import it.

Burma: Former Political Prisoners Persecuted
SEP 17, 2012
The government of Burma should immediately release all remaining political prisoners and lift travel and other restrictions on those freed. Independent international monitors should be permitted unhindered access to Burma’s prisons to provide a public accounting of all remaining political prisoners.

Guantanamo still a blight on US record
SEP 17, 2012
The death of Adnan Latif should serve as a wake-up call for the United States to change its tarnished response to 9/11 by closing Guantanamo, even as it grapples with the horrifying attacks on its missions in Libya, Egypt and Yemen.

Morocco: Contested Confessions Used to Imprison Protesters
SEP 17, 2012
A Moroccan court on September 12, 2012, sentenced five activists of the pro-reform February 20 Movement to prison terms, and one to a suspended term, for assaulting and insulting police officers after what may have been an unfair trial, Human Rights Watch said today.

Syria: End Opposition Use of Torture, Executions
SEP 17, 2012
Armed opposition groups have subjected detainees to ill-treatment and torture and committed extrajudicial or summary executions in Aleppo, Latakia, and Idlib, Human Rights Watch said today following a visit to Aleppo governorate. Torture and extrajudicial or summary executions of detainees in the context of an armed conflict are war crimes, and may constitute crimes against humanity if they are widespread and systematic.

Bangladesh: Discriminatory Family Laws Fuel Female Poverty
SEP 16, 2012
Bangladesh’s discriminatory personal laws on marriage, separation, and divorce trap many women and girls in abusive marriages or drive them into poverty when marriages fall apart. In many cases these laws contribute to homelessness, hunger, and ill-health for divorced or separated women and their children. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have recorded significantly higher levels of food insecurity and poverty among female-headed Bangladeshi households.

United Kingdom: Halt Deportation Flight to Sri Lanka
SEP 15, 2012
The United Kingdom should immediately suspend deportations to Sri Lanka of ethnic Tamils with real or imputed links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) or who have engaged in activities the Sri Lankan authorities might view as anti-government. The next scheduled deportation of Tamils from the United Kingdom to Sri Lanka is due to take place on September 19, 2012.


Russia: Halt House Demolition for Olympics
SEP 14, 2012
The Russian authorities’ illegal bulldozing on a property in Sochi is a stain on the 2014 Winter Olympic Games preparations.
Kazakhstan’s Labor Rights Debacle
SEP 14, 2012
For a country that prides itself on economic and political stability, these are testing times for Kazakhstan.

Protecting the domestic front
SEP 14, 2012
It would be a wonderful gift for the many domestic workers if a treaty, which could signal better protection of their rights, was signed before Christmas.


South Africa: Broaden Inquiry Into Miner Killings
AUG 22, 2012
The South African government should ensure that the Commission of Inquiry into the killings of the Lonmin miners in Marikana on August 16, 2012, is independent, impartial, and investigates the underlying circumstances that led to the killings. The inquiry should not be limited to whether the use of lethal force by police was lawful.

The Clubbing of Klubradio
AUG 22, 2012
A clampdown on a leading independent radio station shows that Hungary has no intention of heeding EU calls to improve media freedom.

Tunisia: Drop Charges for Criticizing Army
AUG 22, 2012
Tunisia’s military prosecutor should immediately drop charges and lift the travel ban against Ayoub Massoudi, former adviser to President Moncef Marzouki, for criticizing the country’s armed forces.
Australia: Cluster Munitions Law Seriously Flawed
AUG 22, 2012
Australia’s ratification of the international convention banning cluster bombs can finally proceed following the Senate’s approval on August 21, 2012, but its flawed implementing legislation contains provisions inconsistent with the convention.

US: Immigrant Ruling Rejects State Overreach
AUG 21, 2012
A federal appeals court ruling held that Alabama and Georgia overstepped their authority to regulate immigrants, but left intact abusive provisions that allow authorities to investigate a person’s legal status during police stops.

Iran: Donors Should Reassess Anti-Drug Funding
AUG 21, 2012
United Nations agencies and international donors should immediately freeze financial and other assistance to Iran’s drug control programs, Human Rights Watch and Harm Reduction International (HRI) said today. The funding contributes to abusive prosecutions of drug suspects, the groups said.

Ethiopia: Transition Should Support Human Rights Reform
AUG 21, 2012
Ethiopia’s new leadership should commit to fundamental human rights reforms in the wake of the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Meles’s death was announced by the Ethiopian state media on August 21, 2012.

Uganda: Growing Intimidation, Threats to Civil Society
AUG 21, 2012
Research and advocacy organizations in Uganda that deal with controversial topics are facing increasing harassment by Uganda’s government. Groups have recently faced forced closure of meetings, threats, harassment, arrest, and punitive bureaucratic interference. The Ugandan government should end its hostile rhetoric and repeated obstructions of nongovernmental organizations.

The Pussy Riot trial is a turning point for how we view Russia
AUG 20, 2012
The present state of affairs is intolerable for a country that claims to respect human rights.

Lebanon: Investigate, Prosecute Kidnappers
AUG 20, 2012
The Lebanese authorities should investigate and prosecute those responsible for the reported kidnapping of dozens of Syrian nationals and a Turkish man on August 15, 2012. Members of the al-Meqdad extended family inLebanon claimed responsibility for some of the kidnappings on national TV, calling them a retaliation for the kidnapping of one of their relatives, Hassan al-Meqdad, a Lebanese national, in Syria on August 13 by a group that claimed to be part of the opposition Free Syrian Army.

Bron : Human Right Watch

Syria's Torture Centers Revealed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lr-dcHOtzo&feature=player_embedded


Gepubliceerd op 2 jul 2012 door HumanRightsWatch

http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/07/03/syria-torture-centers-revealed Former detainees and defectors have

identified the locations, agencies responsible, torture methods used, and, in many cases, the commanders in

charge of 27 detention facilities run by Syrian intelligence agencies. The systematic patterns of ill-treatment

and torture that Human Rights Watch documented clearly point to a state policy of torture and ill-treatment

and therefore constitute a crime against humanity. Interactive Map: http://www.hrw.org/interactive-map-

syria-torture-centers

Categorie:
Non-profit en activisme
Licentie:
Standaard YouTube-licentie

Bron : Human Rights Watch

Georgia: Misuse of Administrative Detention Violates Rights

Authorities Should Secure Full Due Process Rights for Detainees

© 2012 Human Rights Watch

RELATED MATERIALS:

Georgia: Investigate Sexual Abuse in Prison
A
nyone arrested for a misdemeanor offense is entitled to due process, and their basic rights in detention must be respected. A misdemeanor charge may not lead to a permanent criminal record, but the punishment imposed qualifies as a criminal punishment.
Giorgi Gogia, senior Europe and Central Asia researcher
(Tbilisi) – Georgia’s use of administrative detention to lock up protesters and political activists violates the country’s international commitments to safeguard against arbitrary detention, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should immediately ensure all those deprived of liberty enjoy their full due process rights and receive a fair trial regardless of whether the charges against them are administrative or criminal.

In recent weeks, protests across the country have swelled in response to a prison abuse scandal, and Georgian media and political parties are reporting that police have arrested more than 28 people since September 21, 2012, on administrative, or misdemeanor, charges of disobeying police orders. Those arrested have been sentenced to up to 40 days’ imprisonment. They include activists for the Georgian Dream opposition coalition and at least six other people actively involved in the recent protest rallies in Tbilisi. The protests are taking place less than a week before the October 1 parliamentary elections.

“Anyone arrested for a misdemeanor offense is entitled to due process, and their basic rights in detention must be respected,” said Giorgi Gogia, senior Europe and Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch. “A misdemeanor charge may not lead to a permanent criminal record, but the punishment imposed qualifies as a criminal punishment.”

Georgia’s Code of Administrative Offences sets out prison sentences of up to 90 days for minor public order breaches, but does not provide for adequate due process rights, so that many facing administrative charges may end up in arbitrary detention. The Code does not require police to inform defendants promptly of their rights or to provide reasons for their detention. Several lawyers representing recent detainees told Human Rights Watch that the trials were perfunctory, with judges not allowing defense council to examine witnesses or introduce evidence.

Courts have consistently found all detainees guilty of violating the administrative code and sentenced almost all of them to imprisonment ranging from 10 to 40 days. One activist was released on September 25 after he had been fined GEL400 (US$242).

At least seven individuals were detained in four separate incidents in Tbilisi on September 21, 22, and 25 under similar circumstances. The Ministry of Interior stated on its website that all seven defendants disobeyed police orders and insulted them.

A lawyer for Davit Patsatsia, detained on September 21 and sentenced to 40 days administrative imprisonment, told Human Rights Watch that he was not allowed to provide an effective defense during the Tbilisi City Court hearing. The judge did not allow him and his client to question the policemen who wrote their arrest report; declined a motion to hear a defense witness who was present during the arrest, claiming he would be biased; and rejected a motion to introduce video evidence from a CCTV camera installed at the scene of the incident.

Dachi Tsaguria, 30, one of the organizers of student protests in Tbilisi, was detained on September 22 and sentenced to 10 days’ administrative imprisonment for disobeying a police order and insulting a policeman. Bekar Aladoshvili, another activist, was detained together with Tsaguria and sentenced to 10 days at the same hearing. Their lawyer told Human Rights Watch that the judge granted only one of 10 defense motions – to hear police testimony – and even then did not allow the defense to ask any questions. He and his clients had only 10 minutes to familiarize themselves with the case file and prepare their defense, which he claims was insufficient. Furthermore, Tsaguria alleged that he had been beaten during the arrest and again in police custody and he bore visible bruises during the trial. However, the judge did not inquire about the nature and circumstances of the injuries or refer the case to a prosecutor for investigation. The Ombudsman’s office representatives, who visited Tsaguria a day after his detention, confirmed that he indeed had bruises and that he claimed to have sustained them as a result of police ill-treatment.

“Anyone facing detention has the right to a real trial with a real defense, it should never be a rubber stamp,” Gogia said. “Authorities should swiftly and effectively investigate any allegations of ill-treatment in police custody.”

In a September 23 statement the Ministry of Interior alleged that Tsaguria physically and verbally assaulted patrol officers and resisted arrest, and as a result he “hurt his knee and has several scratches and redness in the armpit area of the right hand [sic].” It is not clear from the statement whether there was a thorough investigation into Tsaguria’s complaint of ill-treatment.

Police also detained activists in the towns of Rustavi, Mestia, Kaspi, Gori, Khashuri, Kareli, Sagarejo, and Kutaisi, and local courts convicted almost all of them of disobeying police orders in violation of the code of administrative offenses. The political opposition and some civil society groups said the arrests were intended to intimidate opposition supporters in the run-up to the parliamentary elections.

In a September 26 statement the Ministry of Interior denied that any of the arrests was politically motivated and expressed regret about an “upsurge in cases of violent behavior, most of them involving individuals affiliated with political parties.” It further stated that in the vast majority of cases police refrained from detaining anyone, but “in incidents where the physical safety of individuals or authorities is threatened,” police had to respond in order to avoid further escalation or more violence.

“Police do have a responsibility to maintain public order and can arrest anyone caught committing an offense, however there also need to be clear safeguards against arbitrary detention,” Gogia said. “The current legal framework does not provide for them and the courts are not offering protection, so the government needs to take urgent steps to address the gaps.”

Background
Georgia’s justice system differentiates between criminal offenses, which are felonies, and administrative offenses, which are misdemeanors. Separate legislative acts define the offenses, set the sanctions, and govern the procedures for their application. Georgia’s Code of Administrative Offenses, adopted in 1984, governs misdemeanor offenses, which are minor public order offenses that do not accrue a criminal record. Penalties for administrative offenses range from a fine to imprisonment of up to 90 days.

A defendant in an administrative case has some due process rights, but they are weaker, or vaguely worded, compared to similar safeguards under the criminal procedures code. It does not require police to inform defendants of their rights promptly or to provide reasons for their detention. Detainees often are not allowed to contact their families and lawyers have difficulty finding detainees in custody. Trials are also often perfunctory. Detainees often serve their sentences in facilities that were not intended for stays longer than 72 hours and where conditions do not meet international standard.

In 2011 the government started to work on a new code of administrative offenses and also sought Council of Europe expertise on two drafts of the law. Although significant safeguards against arbitrary deprivation of liberty were introduced in the second draft, the parliament failed to review and adopt the law before the end of its mandate.

In January 2012, Human Rights Watch issued a report, “Administrative Error: Georgia’s Flawed System of Administrative Detention,” documenting how the current code lacks full due process and fair trial rights for those accused of offenses under the code.

Bron : Human Rights Watch

Iran: Bring Notorious Abuser to Justice

© 2011 Human Rights Watch

RELATED MATERIALS:

Iran: Prosecute Mortazavi for Detention Deaths

Try Mortazavi for Deaths of Election Protesters

Mortazavi is accused of the worst abuses against Iranian detainees, so an investigation into the allegations is good news, if long overdue.
Sarah Leah Whitson, director of the Middle East and North Africa division
(Beirut) – Iran’s Judiciary should move forward speedily and transparently with the criminal investigation of Saeed Mortazavi, the former Tehran Prosecutor General, for the deaths of protesters after the June 2009 elections and prosecute if there is evidence implicating him. Mortazavi, now head of Iran’s Social Security Organization, is accused of involvement in the deaths, torture, and arbitrary detention of dozens of protesters following the disputed presidential poll and other rights abuses perpetrated over more than 12 years.

After years of delay, a judiciary spokesperson announced on September 17, 2012, that authorities have opened a criminal case against Mortazavi in connection with alleged post-election abuses at Kahrizak prison, but he has not yet been indicted. A 2010 parliamentary investigation implicated Mortazavi in the 2009 abuses.

“Mortazavi is accused of the worst abuses against Iranian detainees, so an investigation into the allegations is good news, if long overdue,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, director of the Middle East and North Africa division at Human Rights Watch. “But justice won’t come from making Mortazavi the regime’s fall guy: the Judiciary should pursue other high-ranking officials for abuses following the 2009 elections.”

On September 17, 2012, Gholam-Reza Mohseni Ejei, a high-ranking judiciary spokesperson and Iran’s general prosecutor, said the criminal case against Mortazavi remains open and that prosecutors have received defense pleadings from Mortazavi’s lawyers. Ejei said that he expected prosecutors to summon Mortazavi to court soon, but that he had not yet been indicted on any charges.

Ejei’s announcement comes days after media reports that authorities had freed Ali-Akbar Heidarifard, one of Mortazavi’s deputies and a main suspect in the Kahrizak case, who had been arrested earlier in 2012 on unrelated charges. In January 2010, a parliamentary inquiry investigating the deaths at Kahrizak detention facility found Mortazavi, a former judge and Tehran prosecutor, to be the main culprit in the transfer and mistreatment of detainees at Kahrizak. The inquiry also named Heidarifard and Hasan Dehnavi, another one of Mortazavi’s deputies, as suspects in the case.

As widely reported in the media, three detainees – Amir Javadifar, Mohammad Kamrani, and Mohsen Ruholamini – died at Kahrizak, operated by Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces. In 2010, the victims’ families and rights activists reported that two other detainees, Ramin Aghazadeh Ghahremani and Abbas Nejati-Kargar, died after their release from the facility, allegedly due to injuries suffered while in custody there. Authorities have so far refused to link their deaths to injuries they sustained at Kahrizak.

Other detainees have alleged that security forces subjected them to torture and abuse, including sexual assault, during their detention at Kahrizak. In addition, two doctors who treated some of the victims and who testified before the special parliamentary panel in 2009, later died in mysterious circumstances. Their reports contradicted statements by Mortazavi and others that the detainees had died of meningitis.

In July 2009, Iran’s parliament set up the Special Parliamentary Committee to Investigate the Status of Post-Election Arrestees to look into allegations of torture and abuse of detainees arrested in the post-election crackdown. The panel’s report found that Mortazavi, Tehran’s Prosecutor-General at the time, claimed his decision to send detainees to Kahrizak stemmed from a lack of space at Evin prison, in northern Tehran. But authorities at Evin told the panel that their prison had been ready to accept the prisoners. The panel concluded that Mortazavi’s decision to transfer protesters to Kahrizak was “not justifiable even if Evin did not have the capacity” to take them, and held Mortazavi responsible for the deaths of Javadifar, Kamrani, and Ruholamini.

In December 2009, a military court charged 11 police officers and a private citizen who allegedly collaborated with the police, with murder over the deaths of detainees at Kahrizak. On June 30, 2010, Iranian media reported that the military convicted and sentenced two of the defendants to death, fines, lashings, and monetary compensation to the victims’ families. Nine others received undisclosed prison sentences and monetary fines for their role in abuses perpetrated there, according to media reports. The court acquitted the highest-ranking defendant, General Azizollah Rajabzadeh, who headed Tehran’s police force at the time, of all charges.

The court hearings took place behind closed doors and did not examine high-ranking judicial and police officials such as Mortazavi, Dehnavi (Mortazavi’s deputy, also known as “Judge Haddad”), Heidarifard (another one of Mortazavi’s deputies), Esmail Ahmadi Moghadam (commander of the Law Enforcement Forces), and Ahmad-Reza Radan (deputy commander of the Law Enforcement Forces. On April 30, 2012, Tabnak News, a pro-regime website, reported that security forces had arrested Heidarifard, but authorities later said he had been summoned for a criminal matter unrelated to Kahrizak.

Soon after the military court issued the sentences, family members of the victims announced they had forgiven the two officers sentenced to death so they could “witness the punishment of the real perpetrators.” They have since pursued their case against Mortazavi, Dehnavi, and Heidarifard, whom they believe are responsible for their sons’ killings. All three lost their positions in the judiciary in 2010 following investigations into their involvement in the deaths at Kahrizak, and as a result their governmental immunity to prosecution. Despite the strong evidence linking Mortazavi to serious rights abuses, he has since taken up posts in President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s cabinet, first as head of Iran’s Task Force Against Smuggling and now as head of the Social Security Organization.

Human Rights Watch called on Iranian authorities to provide public information regarding the status of the criminal investigation or prosecution against Mortazavi and other high-ranking officials responsible for abuses perpetrated in Kahrizak and during the post-election crackdown. More than three years have passed since the deaths of anti-government protesters at Kahrizak detention facility and the judiciary has failed to provide any concrete information regarding criminal investigations or proceedings against Mortazavi and the others.

Mortazavi was also in charge of investigating detained reformist leaders and party officials in the aftermath of the disputed election according to relatives of persons detained by security forces who spoke to Human Rights Watch. They said Mortazavi led the investigations of those arrested in Tehran in his capacity as the prosecutor of the Revolutionary Court and Prosecutor-General of Tehran.

The authorities should also ensure a criminal investigation also looks at a series of rights violations that took place earlier in Mortazavi’s tenure as judge and prosecutor.

In April 2000, Mortazavi, then a judge of the Public Court Branch 1410, led a crackdown to silence growing dissent in Iran, ordering the closure of more than 100 newspapers and journals. In June 2003, Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi died while in the custody of judiciary and security officers presided over by Mortazavi. Lawyers for her family have alleged her body showed signs of torture, including blows to the head, and that Mortazavi participated directly in her interrogation.

In 2004, Mortazavi organized the arbitrary detention of more than 20 bloggers and journalists, holding them in secret prisons. Human Rights Watch research established that Mortazavi was implicated in abuses of these detainees, including holding them in lengthy solitary confinement and coercing them to sign false confessions. The signings of the false confessions were later repeated in front of television cameras.

“This is a critical opportunity for the judiciary to show it can fairly and transparently investigate Mortazavi for the many human rights abuses he’s been accused of over the years,” said Whitson. “Iranians deserve to see justice done for abuses committed by high-ranking officials.”

Bron : Human Rights Watch

Ralph Nader: 'Obama is een oorlogsmisdadiger'

Ralph Nader, de onafhankelijke linkse politicus die in 1996 en 2000 presidentskandidaat was voor de Amerikaanse Groene Partij en in 2004 en 2008 als onafhankelijke opkwam, noemt president Barack Obama in een interview met Politico 'een oorlogsmisdadiger'':
'Obama is op het vlak van drones verder gegaan dan Bush. Hij beschouwt de wereld als zijn achtertuin en nationale soevereiniteit heeft voor hem geen enkele betekenis. Hij kan eender wie laten vermoorden. Elke dinsdag beslist hij over leven en dood in plaatsen als Jemen, Pakistan en Afhanistan. Dat is een oorlogsmisdaad en hij moet daarvoor verantwoording afleggen,” aldus Nader.
Nader is zeer teleurgesteld in Obama. Ondanks zijn intelligentie en zijn kennis van de grondwet, heeft hij tegenover zijn voorganger geen enkele verbetering gebracht: “Ik weet niet of Bush de grondwet ooit heeft gelezen, maar deze man gaf les over de grondwet.”
De voormalige frontman van de Green Party houdt van de retoriek en de speeches van Obama over hernieuwbare energie, maar benadrukt dat die in de praktijk nog steeds kernenergie en fossiele brandstoffen steunt.
Toch is Obama, in vergelijking met Mitt Romney, volgens Nader 'de beste keuze uit twee kwaden.' Hij beschouwt Obama als “het effectievere kwaad” omdat hij “de wetteloze oorlogen en het militarisme van Bush” geloofwaardigheid en legitimiteit heeft gegeven.
Nader noemt het Amerikaanse tweepartijstelsel tenslotte  een “tirannie”. De huidige Republikeinse partij is 'de slechtste Republikeinse Partij in de geschiedenis' en de huidige Democratische Partij 'ziek en in verval.'

Bron : Politico / Express.be

Werkt de demografie in het voordeel van de linkse partijen?

De verkiezingsstrijd in Antwerpen tussen Bart De Wever (N-VA) en Patrick Janssens (SP.a)  draait in toenemende mate om allochtonen die dit jaar 20 tot 36%, maar tegen 2018 ruim de helft van de kiezers zouden vertegenwoordigen.

Het spreekt dan ook voor zich dat politici trachten allochtone harten te veroveren. Driekwart van de jonge Turkse en Marokkaanse kiezers koos in 2006 voor Janssens. Vandaag is het belang van de allochtone kiezer enkel toegenomen.  Alle partijen met uitzondering van het Vlaams Belang hebben nu allochtone kandidaten op hun lijst, met de linkse partijen veruit op kop.
Toenemende immigratie leidt tot meer kiezers voor linkse partijen omdat economische migranten gewoonlijk uitbreiding van de verzorgingsstaat, herverdeling van de welvaart en hogere belastingen op de rijken en de middenklasse steunen, schrijft Joost Niemoller in De Dagelijkse Standaard.
Ook in Nederland, Frankrijk en de VS neigen immigranten duidelijk naar links. Emile Roemer, François Hollande en Barack Obama zijn dan ook aanhangers van toenemende immigratie en vaak ook van de uitbreiding van de kiesprivileges voor vreemdelingen.
In 2008 koos bijvoorbeeld 80% van alle minderheden voor Obama. Dit jaar lijkt hetzelfde scenario zich te voltrekken en is het goed mogelijk dat de Democraat de verkiezingen wint dankzij de steun van deze immigranten.
Toch zijn niet alle allochtonen aanhangers van links. Net zoals de Amerikaanse Hispanics zijn ook een groep Belgische immigranten conservatief ingesteld. Zowel N-VA als de Republikeinse Partij doen dan ook veel moeite om die immigranten op inhoud aan te spreken.
De overweldigende steun voor links in deze gemeenschappen kan in de toekomst nog afkalven, maar voorlopig is er geen twijfel aan: toenemende immigratie maakt winnaars aan de linker- en verliezers aan de rechterkant van het politieke spectrum, besluit Niemoller.

Bron : Express.be

'Catalanen stemmen op 25 november over zelfbeschikking'

Met 84 van de 133 stemmen heeft het Catalaanse parlement zich uitgesproken voor een referendum over zelfbeschikking. Waarschijnlijk al op 25 november mogen de Catalanen zich over autonomie uitspreken. Volgens peilingen zou een op twee Catalanen de onafhankelijkheid van de regio nastreven.

Of die autonomie er snel komt is onwaarschijnlijk. De Spaanse grondwet verbiedt namelijk zo’n referendum, maar de president van de deelstaat, Artur Mas, vindt dat de Catalanen het recht hebben om zich uit te spreken over hun toekomst.

Een tweede optie is een door het Catalaanse parlement georganiseerde volksraadpleging. Daarvoor is geen toestemming van Madrid vereist, maar de uitslag ervan is evenmin bindend.

Catalonië vindt dat het maar eens gedaan moet zijn met het afdragen aan de centrale regering in de Spaanse hoofdstad. Op 11 september kwamen daarvoor nog honderdduizenden Catalanen op straat in de grootste onafhankelijkheidsbetoging in de geschiedenis van de deelstaat.

Catalonië heeft het erg moeilijk. Ondanks dat het de rijkste regio van Spanje is en de Catalaanse economie groter is dan die van Portugal, vinden de Catalanen dat ze te veel moeten afstaan aan de centrale regering in Madrid en dat ze daarvoor te weinig terugkrijgen.

Bron : Express.be