Impunity Watch: Europe

ICTY Appeals Chamber Acquits Bosnian Muslim; Italy to Fingerprint Ethic Group; UK's Extension of Terrorist Detention Continues to Spark Protests; Belarus Bomb Injures 50

By Sarah Benczik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The Appeals Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Thursday (3 July 2008) acquitted Naser Oric of alleged crimes committed in Srebrenica.

Oric was convicted in an ICTY trial in June 2006 for having failed to prevent crimes committed in Srebrenica including the deaths of six civilians, cruel treatment of prisoners and the destruction of 12 Serb villages.  Oric was the Bosnian Muslim commander of the Srebrenica forces in 1992-1993.

Appeals Chamber presiding judge Wolfgang Schomberg stated, “The appeals chamber has no doubt that grave crimes were committed against Serbs detained in Srebrenica . . . However, proof that crimes have occurred is not sufficient to sustain a conviction of an individual for these crimes."

The judgment has received sharp criticism from Serbians, many of whom believe ICTY favors Bosnian Muslim causes.  Serbian Srebrenica Commander Radoslav Krstic is currently serving a 35 year sentence, and Serbian General Ratko Mladic, charged with genocide for the Srebrenica killings and still at large, is one of ICTY’s most wanted.   

The Srebrenica area is perhaps one of the most notorious sites of grave crimes committed during the Balkan war.  According to Serbians, more than 3,000 Serbs were killed in the area from 1992-1993.  Bosnian Muslims claim that, perhaps in retaliation, more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were killed after the town fell to Serb forces in 1995.

For more information, please see:

AP – UN appeals court acquits Bosnian Muslim war hero – 3 July 2008

Adnkronos International Italia – Hague war crimes court acquits Srebrenica Muslim commander – 3 July 2008

Southeast European Times – Serbs angered by ICTY overturn of Oric conviction – 4 July 2008

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ROME, Italy – Italy’s plan to fingerprint all Roma and Sinti people living in camps in Italy has raised sharp criticism from Human rights groups and Italian political leaders alike.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has defended the census plan as necessary to guarantee the security and safety of Italian citizens. Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said the census would put an end to illegal camps, and that children would also be fingerprinted "to prevent phenomena such as begging," adding that in many cases, people are living in camps in "sub-human conditions where children are forced to live with rats."

According to the BBC, Amos Luzzatto, the former president of Italy's Union of Jewish Communities, said the measure was a form of "ethnic surveying":  "You start like this then you move on to the exclusion from schools, separated classes and widespread discrimination," he said.  Recalling how Jews, Roma and other minorities were targeted during Italy's years of fascism, he accused the country of having "lost its memory."

Former political leader Rosy Bindi said fingerprinting the children would lead to an “ethnic register.”
Other organizations, including UNICEF and a Catholic human rights group, have raised similar concerns. 

The Roma and Sinti people, also known as “nomads” or “gypsies,” currently live in about 700 camps throughout Italy.  It is estimated that these camps are populated by more than 160,000 people, although an exact number is unknown.  It is also estimated that well over half those living in the camps are Italian citizens, while about a fifth of the population are immigrants from neighboring countries in Eastern Europe.

For more information, please see:    

BBC – Italy Fingerprinting plan criticized – 26 June 2008

Deutsche Welle – Italy Attacked Over Plan to Fingerprint Roma and Sinti – 4 July 2008

International Herald Tribune – Italy assailed over plan to fingerprint Gypsies – 3 July 2008

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LONDON, United Kingdom - The UK House of Lords will this week consider extending the 28-day pre-charge detention of terrorism suspects to 42 days.

The extension, originally proposed by UK Home Secretary Jaqui Smith in 2007, was passed by the UK House of Commons on 11 June 2008 in a 315-306 vote.  The 42-day detention applies to suspects arrested in cases of “grave and exceptional” terrorist threats.

While the amendment has been supported by political leaders including UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former PM Tony Blair, it has also met strong opposition from rights groups and political leaders such as former UK Attorney General Lord Goldsmith and European rights commissioner Thomas Hammarberg.  The passage of the amendment through the House of Commons led one member, David Davis, to resign. 

Last week, Human Rights Watch joined the opposition voices, issuing a report condemning the 42-day detention as “unnecessary, disproportionate and counter-productive.”

Its report found the current 28-day period "already violates the right to liberty under the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights," and that cautioned that "…counter-terrorism measures that violate human rights undermine a government's moral legitimacy and damage its ability to win the battle for 'hearts and minds' that prime minister Gordon Brown has acknowledged to be central to long-term success in countering terrorism."

For more information, please see:

BBC – David Davis resigns from Commons – 13 June 2008

The Guardian – Human rights body condemns counter-terrorism bill – 4 July 2008

The Jurist – UK PM defends 42-day terrorism detention bill, security proposals – 17 June 2008

The Jurist – UK Commons approves 42-day terrorism detention without charge limit - 11 June 2008

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MINSK, Belarus – The Belarus Health Ministry has estimated that over 50 people were injured by a homemade bomb that exploded at an Independence Day concert in Minsk.

The bomb exploded at 12:30 a.m. near the Hero City World War II monument in Minsk during an all-night concert which Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko was attending. Thus far there are no reported claims of responsibility, and it is not clear whether the attack was an assassination attempt.

While three people are in “grave condition,” there are currently no casualties from the explosion.  Police later discovered another unexploded bomb in the vicinity believed to be identical to the one detonated.  The homemade bombs were packed with hardware, and doctors have reported removing nuts and bolts from victim’s bodies.

President Lukashenko has announced that he does not believe the bomb was aimed at him and that he would not use the bombing as an excuse to get tougher on the opposition forces: “We do not plan a policy of tightening the screws after the incident,” he said.

The Independence Day holiday commemorates the day in 1944 when the Soviet army drove Nazi forces out of Minsk. According to the AP, prior to Lukashenko's taking power, Belarus had celebrated Independence Day on July 27 to mark its 1990 declaration of sovereignty from the Soviet Union.

For more information, please see:

AP – Belarus bomb explosion wounds more than 50 – 4 July 2008

AP – Belarus president: Bomb not aimed at me – 5 July 2008

The Washington Post – Bomb Blast Near President – 4 July 2008

Explosions Rock Georgian Separatist Region Abkhazia; Serbs Create New Assembly in Kosovo

by Dan Forrest
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Europe

SUKHUMI, Georgia - Six people were wounded on Monday in two separate explosions in the capital of the Georgian separatist region Abkhazia.  The internationally unrecognized region's leader, Sergei Bapash, blamed the blasts on Georgia's government, as says that Abkhazia's border with Georgia will now be indefinitely closed.

Just one day earlier on Sunday, a blast wounded several citizens in the resort town of Gagri.  Bapash blames Georgia for that attack as well. 

"They [Georgia] could not frighten us with war, they could not frighten us with political pressure, now they want to frighten us with explosions," he announced. 

These two attacks are significant because they represent the growing tension between Georgia and Abkhazia over its territory.  Many of Abkhazia's residents maintain strong ties to Russia, creating a delicate political situation between Georgia, Abkhazia, and Russia.  In the not-to-distant past, Georgia has accused Russia of supporting Abkhazia's bid for independence.   

These attacks also represent growing concern over impunity developing in the region.  If war between Georgia and Abkhazia breaks out, and many believe that it could be sparked by even a single attack - many innocent citizens, both Georgian and Russian alike, will once again face oppression in the region, just as they did in the past before the separatist war in the 1990's. 

Additionally, if the border remains closed, this could lead to an oppressive humanitarian crisis.  "It will be a humanitarian catastrophe if the border is closed.  Thousands of Georgians in Abkhazia cross the border to get pensions, do their shopping and work," Sasha Utiashvili, an Interior Ministry Spokesman commented. 

Georgia's officials have yet to comment on the latest attacks.  They have in the past denied allegations that they are about to retake Abkhazia by force. 

For more information, please see:

CNN - Six wounded as blasts rock separatist Georgian region - 30 June 2008

Guardian - Abkhazia blames Georgia for bomb blasts - 30 June 2008

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MITROVICA, Kosovo - Serbians living in Kosovo now have an assembly that was set up today in Mitrovica defiance of the ethnic Albanian government in Kosovo.  The new assembly comes as the result of elections that took place in May, elections declared to be illegal by both Kosovo and the U.N.

The assembly consists of 45 elected members who say they will coordinate with officials in Belgrade to fight to retake Kosovo. 

It is not known what the effect of this new assembly will be. It may provide Serbs in Kosovo with an outlet to channel their anger and frustration responsibly, but it may also turn into an organized movement that could lead to additional violence between Kosovo and Serbia in the future. 

For more information, please see:

BBC - Kosovo Serbs launch new assembly - 28 June 2008

Reuters - Kosovo Serbs to form parliament, rejecting new state - 26 June 2008

Kosovo Constitution Takes Force; Serbia Arrests Zupljanin; Italy Deploys Troops to Its Own Streets

By Sarah Benczik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

PRISTINA, Kosovo - Kosovo's Constitution has come into force this Sunday, June 15, but not without incident. 

Kosovo's Constitution stipulates that the European Union is to take on oversight of the territory from the UN forces.  Serbia and Russia, however, insist that the EU's mission (known as Eulex) is illegal because it was not approved by the UN Security Council.  In a compromise effort, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon proposed that UN forces be reconfigured to allow the EU to deploy its mission, but this effort was also blocked by Serbia and Russia.  For now, UNMIK and KFOR forces remain in Kosovo, and roughly half of the EU mission has been deployed.

Serbia's minister for Kosovo, Slobodan Samaedzic, today announced also that a new parliament for minority Serbs will be established, further defying the implementation of the new Constitution. 

Reaction to the new Constitution and its implementation is mixed among Kosovo Albanians and Serbs.  Many celebrate the news, while others are more skeptical.  The International Herald Tribune reports that in the Serbian enclave of Caglavica where 200 Serb families live an isolated existence, Zoran Ristic, a theater director, said neither the EU nor the new Constitution would make any difference to his life.

"The new Constitution may be a happy day for some people, but we have constant electricity outages, our water is cut off, and we are living in a ghetto where most people never leave," he said. "This Constitution is just a lot of blah, blah, blah."

Many Kosovar Albanians were equally skeptical, saying they had little faith that the Constitution would put them in charge of their own destinies.

"The Constitution is just a piece of paper," said Sevdije Kastrati, 24, a camerawoman. "I am happy the EU is here, because I don't trust our government to build a country. They are corrupted and only looking out for themselves."

For more information, please see:

International Herald Tribune - Tension mounts as Kosovo Constitution takes effect - 15 June 2008

BBC - Serbs form rival Kosovo assembly - 15 June 2008

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BELGRADE, Serbia - Former Bosnian Serb security chief Stojan Zupljanin was arrested Wednesday (11 June 2008) by Serbian police in an apartment in Pancevo.  Stojan was one of four war crimes fugitives still at large and wanted on charges of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

The extradition of the four suspects is key to furthering Serbia's EU bid.

Zupljanin was indicted by ICTY prosecutors in 1999 for crimes associated with his oversight of Serb-run prison camps during the war.  The arrest came after two-months of surveillance.  Upon being arrested, Zupljanin insisted that he was in fact someone else and produced a false identity card of a deceased man from Backa Palanka.  Fingerprint and DNA tests have since confirmed his identity. 

President of Serbia's National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal Rasim Ljajic stated that “this arrest was proof that Serbia was doing everything it can to meet its commitments to cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.”

Bosnian Serb military commander Gen. Ratko Mladic, Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic, and Serb rebel leader in Croatia Goran Hadzic remain at large.

For more information, please see:

AP - Serbia nabs 1 of 4 war crimes fugitives - 12 June 2008

eYugoslvia - Hague Fugitive Zupljanin Arrested in Serbia - 12 June 2008

VOA - DNA Tests Confirm Indentity of Bosnian Serb War Crimes Suspect - 12 June 2008

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ROME, Italy - Italian government officials announced Friday (13 June 2008) that up to 2,500 soldiers will be deployed to patrol city streets in an effort to combat street crime.

Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa on Saturday said "There is a strong call from citizens for better control of the streets, for improved safety."  The 2,500 soldiers, some of whom have served in Afghanistan and Kosovo, will be made available for a trial period of six months to bolster the police in difficult urban areas.

Silvio Berlusconi's new conservative government won election in April on a law-and-order platform, and the  BBC reports that crime and public safety have stayed atop the political agenda.  Roberta Pinotti, a spokesman for the Democratic Party, criticized the move as a "militarization of the streets," and many Italian trade unions have called for Italy to put the 25,000 police officers doing desk work back out on the streets. 

According to the International Herald Tribune, the mayor of Turin called the move "populist demagoguery" that would hurt tourism and Italy's image abroad. "I have only seen soldiers on the streets in Bogotá, but there the situation is rather different," the mayor, Sergio Chiamparino, said in the newspaper La Repubblica.

Up to 300 soldiers are expected to begin patrolling Milan in the coming days to help combat muggers and pickpockets. 

The BBC reports that Antonion Di Pietro, head of the small center-left party, remarked that "Using armed forces to control cities is a mistake by an authoritarian regime... We are not in Colombia where these forces are used to fight terrorism and armed insurrection." 

Centre-left leader Walter Veltroni described the move as "the wrong choice that humiliates forces of law and order".

The BBC reports this peace-time deployment to be the first since WWII.

For more information, please see:

International Herald Tribune - Italy defends street patrols by soldiers - 15 June 2008

BBC - Row in Italy over army deployment - 15 June 2008

Russia Warns Georgia and Ukraine Against Joining NATO; Unexploded WWII Bomb Found In London

by Dan Forrest
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia - Russian President Dmitri Medvedev today reaffirmed Russia's commitment to preventing NATO's proposed eastward expansion into Georgia and Ukraine.  Both of these states are considering joining NATO, and Russia once again warned them today that to do so would not be in either of their best interests.

Medvedev reminded these two nations that joining NATO would be a violation of a friendship treaty that each individually signed with Russia.  This treaty guarantees that none of these nations will take any action that creates risks for the security of the others. 

Additionally, Medvedev announced today that Ukraine and Georgia will face "serious consequences" if they become part of NATO. 

This conflict must be viewed against the backdrop of the dispute between Russia and Georgia over the separatist Abkhazia region.  There have been spurts of violence between Russian and Georgian citizens in this region in the recent past, which have even lead to acts of impunity taken against innocent civilians caught living in the region.  In recent talks with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Medvedev threatened that Georgia's entry into NATO could lead to more bloodshed [and perhaps more impunity] in the Abkhazia region. 

For more information, please see:

BBC - Medvedev warns against NATO entry - 6 June 2008

Yahoo (Reuters) - Russia warns its neighbors over NATO ambitions - 6 June 2008

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LONDON, England - An unexploded bomb dropped during World War II was found on Thursday near the near the future Olympic Park in London by contractors working in the area.  The bomb is the largest unexploded bomb found in the capital since 1975. 

A perimeter was immediately established and an army explosives team began working feverishly into the night to dismantle the device. 

It is estimated that unexploded bombs are found in London approximately two or three times a year.  They serve to remind us of "the Blitz," which lasted from September 1940 to May 1941.  During this time, German bombers bombarded the city every day. 

Even today, some sixty years later, we occasionally find untouched evidence of the most brutal war ever fought.

For more information, please see:

CNN - WWII bomb defused near Olympics site - 6 June 2008

Yahoo (AFP) - Police defusing unexploded WWII bomb - 6 June 2008

Belgium Arrests Bemba on ICC Warrant; Mass Grave Discovered in Bosnia; Bosnian Detention Camp Operatives Sentenced; Amnesty Criticizes Russian Human Rights

By Sarah Benczik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Jean-Pierre Bemba, warlord and ex-presidential candidate, was arrested last Saturday (May 24, 2008) in Brussels on an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

Bemba is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his leadership as head of the Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC), which allegedly committed atrocities in Central African Republic's 2002-2003 conflict.  This militia group was called upon by the then president of the CAR, Ange Félix Patassé, to counter a rebellion led by the current CAR ruler, François Bozizé. 

Bemba also ruled a large portion of northeastern Congo during Congo's 1998-2002 war, and after the peace agreement became one of Congo's four vice presidents.

ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo succeeded in obtaining the arrest warrant from the ICC after presenting evidence charging Bemba with six counts of rape, torture, pillaging, and outrages against personal dignity.

For more information, please see:

AllAfrica.com - Congo-Kinshasa: Belgium Arrests Former VP - 25 May 2008

AP - Former warlord Bemba arrested for war crimes - 25 May 2008

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ZVORNIK, Bosnia and Herzegovina - On May 22, 2008 Bosnian officials reported the finding of a mass grave containing the bodies of around 42 victims of the Bosnian war.

Officials believe that these may be the earliest victims of the war - Muslim Bosnians killed in Zvornik, which lies on the Bosnia-Serbia border, in April 1992.

The bodies will go through an identification process which includes DNA analysis, and will then be released to families. 

For more information, please see:

The Press Association - Experts find mass grave in Bosnia - 22 May 2008

B92 - Mass grave unearthed near Zvornik - 22 May 2008

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SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina - The Bosnian War Crimes Chamber yesterday (May 30, 2008) sentenced three indictees charged with crimes against humanity in connection with the Omarska and Keraterm detention camps.

Zeljko Mejakic was sentenced to 21 years imprisonment, Momcilo Gruban to 11 years, and Dusan "Duca" Knezevic to 31 years. 

Mejakic was sentenced on the basis of his personal and command responsibility as the highest ranking official in Omarska.  Mejakic was the de facto commander of the camp where 3,000 Muslims and Croats were kept until the end of the war without adequate food and water and were beaten, tortured, and killed.

Gruban was sentenced on his command responsibility as one of the guard chiefs in Omarska.  Gruban had his own office in and moved freely about the camp; the Chamber noted that many witnesses testified that Gruban's shift was the "most correct" and many witnesses personally thanked him during the trial.  He was, however, in command when 30 - 40 people went missing in July 1992, and when another large group of prisoners, including 150 from Hambarine, were victims of a mass murder.

Knezevic was sentenced on the basis of personal responsibility, and although he held no official position at either camp, "his actions created an atmosphere of fear, so when he would come to the detention camp together with his associates the detainees were frightened." It was reported that he tortured and beat detainees to death or killed them with firearms.

The fourth indictee, Dusan Fustar, admitted guilt in April and awaits his sentencing.

Former Prijedor inmates travelled to Sarajevo on Friday to hear the verdict.  Many of them felt the sentences were not harsh enough. 

"They haven't revealed where our missing have been buried. Let these mothers find the peace," Turhanovic Sebiha, an Omarska survivor, told Reuters. She reported that some 500 detainees remain missing. 

For more information, please see:

BIRN - Mejakic at al: Jailed for 63 years - 30 May 2008

BIRN - Horrors of Omarska and Keraterm - 3 December 2007

Reuters - Court jails 3 Bosnian Serbs for warcrimes in camps - 30 May 2008

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MOSCOW, Russia - In the face of Amnesty International's recent criticism of Russia's human rights record, especially in Chechnya, Russian PM Vladimir Putin denied any wrongdoing.

"Fears about the absence of human rights in Russia are strongly exaggerated," he said. "In general, in my opinion, this subject is a kind of instrument to put pressure on Russia aimed at achieving some objectives that are not directly related to human rights."

Under Putin's presidency, Russia was often criticized for suppressing the media and failing to protect freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and NGOs.  Putin's response: Russia is no different than other countries in the West; "any country has problems with human rights."

In a 15-page memorandum sent to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Amnesty International called on Medvedev to follow through on the commitment to human rights and freedoms he made in his inauguration speech. 

The memo also listed more egregious abuses plaguing Chechnya and other North Caucasus regions, where police allegedly abduct and torture civilians on a regular basis. The memo also condemned "Confessions extracted under torture from those alleged to be members of armed groups have been used as evidence in trials in the North Caucasus which fail to meet international standards of fairness resulting in long-term imprisonment."

International observers are watching to see if Medvedev, who is viewed as liberal-minded relative to Putin, will move to loosen laws and regulations that are viewed as particularly harsh for Russian civil society.

For more information, please see:

AP - Amnesty International urges Russian president to follow through on human rights pledge - 28 May 2008

CNN - China, Russia, U.S. focus of human rights report - 28 May 2008

RadioFreeEurope - Russia: Putin Keeps The Upper Hand In Paris Talks - 30 May 2008

Protesters Angry Over Georgia Election; EU Will Sustain Troops in Bosnia; UN Report Concludes Russia Downed Georgian Spy Plane

by Dan Forrest
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Europe

TBILISI, Georgia - Approximately 50,000 protesters gathered in Tbilisi today in one of the former Soviet Republic's largest showings of dissatisfaction its government.  They gathered in front of Georgia's parliament to protest last week's parliamentary election results.  In doing so, they smashed in barricades and amassed in front of parliament during what should have been a joyous independence day celebration.

Fortunately, no violent clashes between citizens have been reported.   

Preliminary results indicate that President Mikhail Saakashvili's party won the election by a landslide, winning about 120 of the total 150 seats.  Nevertheless, opposition leaders vow that they will not allow parliament to resume until the results are canceled and the parliament abolished. 

For more information, please see:

BBC - Protesters decry Georgia Election - 26 May 2008

International Herald Tribune - 50,000 turn out in Georgia to protest election results - 26 May 2008

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BRUSSELS, Belgium - EU ministers announced today that they will sustain 2,500 peacekeepers in Bosnia because current tensions in Kosovo could spill into other parts of the Balkans.  Since its independence was declared earlier this year, Kosovo has experienced a flurry of protests and tensions between the region's Albanian and Serbian populations. 

In part,Slovene Defense Minister Karl Erjavec also remarked that troops could not yet be removed from the region because Bosnia's leaders have failed to establish a new constitution.

This will slow down the EU's gradual reduction of troops from Bosnia which has been ongoing since 2004.  In an EU statement joined by other ministers, Erjavic said that the EU military presence will remain in Bosnia as long as it is deemed necessary.

For more information, please see:

Yahoo (AP) - EU to keep troops in Bosnia over Kosovo concerns - 26 May 2008

BBC - EU to cut troop numbers in Bosnia - 1 March 2007

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MOSCOW, Russia - A report released by the UN confirms that Russia shot down a Georgian spy plane over the separatist region Abkhazia last month.  Although Russia denied the allegations, radar tracking shows that, after the drone was shot down, the fighter jet returned to Russian airspace.  "Absent compelling evidence," the U.N. commented, "this leads to the conclusion that the aircraft belonged to the Russian air force." 

In its report, the U.N. scolded both Russia and Georgia.  While Russia's actions were "fundamentally inconsistent with a 1994 cease fire agreement," Georgia's monitoring mission was deemed unnecessary because it causes tension between the two sides. 

Russia and Georgia continue to be at odds over Georgia's separatist region of Abkhazia.  The Georgian government worries that Russia will recognize and perhaps assist this region in its bid for independence from Georgia. 

Rightfully so, the world community worries that further incidents between the two sides may lead to acts of impunity against Georgians and Russians caught in Abkhazia.

For more information, please see:

International Herald Tribune - Russian jet shot down Georgian spy plane, UN says - 26 May 2008

Yahoo (AP) - UN report says Russian plane downed Georgian drone - 26 May 2008

ICTY Postpones High Profile Trial; France to Transfer Rwandan to ICTR; Basques Demonstrate for Peace

by Sarah Benczik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - On May 16 the Appeals Chamber for the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) suspended the trial of two former security chiefs charged with training, arming and direcing paramilitary units that murdered and drove out non-Serbs from Croatia and Bosnia during the war.  The trial has been suspended because the Appeals Chamber ruled Jovica Stanisic too ill to effectively participate in his trial.

The trial of the two men, Javica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic, began on April 28 after trial judges allowed Stanisic to participate via a two-way video link between his detention block and the court.  Stanisic is suffering from depression and kidney stones. 

The Appeals judges ruled that the two-way video link "gave insufficient weight to Stanisic's fundamental right to be present in court," and questioned whether Stanisic would be able to effectively participate in his trial in "light of his physical and mental state of health."

Both men were close aides to Slobodan Milosevic, and are allegedly responsible for orchestrating the paramilitary groups Arkan's Tigers and the Scorpions.  If convicted of the murder, persecution, forced deportations and inhuman acts, they will face maximum life sentences. 

For more information, please see:

International Herald Tribune - UN appeals judges order suspension of war crimes trial of 2 former Serb security chiefs - 16 May 2008

IWPR - Stanisic Trial Adjourned on Appeal - 16 May 2008

PARIS, France - On May 16 the European Human Rights Court (HRC) refused to block the transfer of Dominique Ntawukuriryayo from France to Tanzania, where he will be brought before the Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). 

Ntawukuriryayo's attorneys had appealed to the HRC after France's Final Court of Appeal refused to block his transfer.  Ntawukuriryayo's attorneys argued that the ICTR, which is attempting to close cases by 2008, would eventually hand Ntawukuriryayo back to Rwandan authorities.

Prosecutors have charged Ntawukuriryayo with taking part in the massacre of Tutsis in 1994 in Gisagara, where thousands had gathered and were told they would be safe.  Ntawukuriryayo was Deputy Governor of Gisagara, and prosecutors allege that his actions led to the killing of not less than 25,000 Tutsi refugees on Kabuye Hill, Butare Province, Southern Rwanda.

Ntawukuriryayo had been living in France since 1999 and was arrested in Carcassonne in October 2007.. 

For more information, please see:

AFP - France to transfer Rwanda genocide suspect to war crimes court - 16 May 2008

AllAfrica.com - Rwanda: French Court Nods Transfer of Genocide Accused to UN Court in Arusha - 7 May 2008

MADRID, Spain- Hundreds of Basque Spanish citizens held a ceremony in San Sebastian on May 18 to commemmorate the lives of people killed in attacks by the ETA over the last forty years. 

The ceremony included speeches from the Basque regional president and a man whose son was killed in the 1998 Omagh bombing in Northern Ireland, and the production of a painting of two people embracing in front of a Basque landscape as a symbol of peace.

According to the International Herald Tribune, ETA is has killed more than 820 people in its campaign to carve a Basque homeland out of northern Spain and southwestern France. 

The most recent fatality at the hands of ETA occurred during a car bombing outside police barracks in Legutiano on May 14 where police officer Juan Mañuel Piñuel was killed.  The government said ETA had intended to massacre all 29 people inside the barracks at the time. The most recent ETA bombing occurred in the early morning hours of May 19 in Getxo. 

ETA declared a cease fire in March 2006, but has reverted to violence after failing to win concessions from Spain's socialist government. 

"Only one reason explains our commitment, the sense of why we must carry on, hang on and withstand so much pain," said Lorencio Sainz, a police officer who was seriously wounded in an ETA bombing in 1984. "It is for liberty and the rights of citizens." 

For more information, please see:

ABSCBN - Radio: ETA bomb strikes Spain's northern Basque - 19 May 2008

Euronews - Homage to ETA victims in Spain - 18 May 2008

International Herald Tribune - Basque demonstrators call for an end to violence - 18 May 2008

BRIEF: Georgia Scolds Russia Over Talks Of Abkhazia Military Base

TBILISI, Georgia - Officials in Georgia scolded Russia today over its alleged plans to establish a military base in the separatist Abkhazia region of Georgia.  Georgia warned that such a move by Russian officials would be irresponsible and would violate international law.

Russian authorities downplayed the accusation and denied that such a plan is, or ever was, in place.  And while Russia does not formally recognize Abkhazia's separatist government, it maintains very close ties to the people living in the region. 

Abkhazia continues to seek redress of its grievances with Georgia via independence, and it is of great concern to the international community that one small incident could touch off military aggression between these two sides.  The region has ruled itself since the secessionist war that occurred in the 1990s, a conflict that was ripe with acts of impunity committed against persons in the region taking part.    

For more information, please see:

Yahoo (AP) - Russia, Georgia joust over talk on Abkhazia base - 15 May 2008

BRIEF: Convictions Announced in France-Iraq Terror Trial

PARIS, France - Seven men were convicted in Paris on terror charges for helping to funnel fighters through France to Iraq.  The Associated Press (AP) reports that five Frenchman, a Moroccan, and an Algerian were convicted of "criminal association with a terrorist enterprise," which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment. 

France continues to struggle with terrorism in its interests both at home and abroad.  These trials are important because they helped to further our understanding of how radical youths have been able to use European nations, like France, as staging posts for joining the Iraq war. 

For more information, please see:

Yahoo (AP) - 7 convicted in France-Iraq terror trial - 14 May 2008

BRIEF: Romania to Create Refugee Center

GENEVA, Switzerland - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced Friday (May 9, 2008) that Romania will build an evacuation center for refugees.  The evacuation center, which will be capable of accomodating up to 200 people, will be the first of its kind in Europe. 

UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis said the facility will provide a temporary safe haven with effective and immediate protection for individuals or groups who need to be evacuated immediately from life-threatening situations before being resettled to other countries.

The agreement and project was developed and will be implemented through UNHCR, the Romanian Government, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).  The center will be located in Timisoara.

For more information, please see:

UN News Center - Romania: evacuation transit centre to be created - UN refugee agency - 9 May 2008

ReliefWeb - Romania: Evacuation transit centre to be established - 9 May 2008