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Amnesty International has called on Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the Afghan Parliament to immediately suspend controversial legislation that will give immunity from prosecution for serious violations of human rights, including war crimes and crimes against humanity committed, in the past 30 years.

The legislation, the "National Stability and Reconciliation" bill, was passed by both houses of the Afghan Parliament in early 2007 and published in the official Gazette in November 2008 but, unusually, it was not publicly divulged until January 2010.   

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations, including the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), believe that this law is an attempt to provide legal cover for ongoing impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations, including the Taleban.

"The backers of this ‘Impunity Bill’ should note that they cannot simply legislate away the history of gross human rights violations and war crimes committed in Afghanistan over the past three decades. Nor can they silence the consistent demands of the Afghan people for justice and accountability," said Sam Zarifi, director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific programme.

"There are real doubts about the legal validity of this ‘Impunity Bill’, as no national legislation can immunize perpetrators of international crimes. Furthermore, President Karzai never signed this bill, and it was only divulged to the public almost two years after Parliament voted on it."

Under this legislation, people who committed serious human rights violations and violations of the laws of war, including massacres, widespread enforced disappearances, and systematic use of torture, rape, public executions and other forms of ill-treatment would be immune to criminal prosecution if they pledge cooperation with the Afghan government.

"The record of the past eight years has been crystal clear: attempts to accommodate human rights abusers have only led to a deterioration of security and an erosion of the government’s legitimacy. Many of the people facing accusations of human rights abuses in the past are now in prominent government posts, facing new charges of engaging in human rights violations," Sam Zarifi said.

Under the provisions of this legislation, Taleban figures who agree to cooperate with the Afghan government would also be immune to prosecution. The Afghan government and its international supporters identified reconciliation with the Taleban as a priority during the London conference in January 2010.

"Short term expediency in the form of reconciliation with the Taleban should not trump the rights of the Afghan people, and in particular Afghan women and girls, who have suffered greatly under the Taleban’s repressive strictures. The Taleban have had a record of terrible human rights abuses, both when they ruled Afghanistan, and now in the areas they control. They should be held to account for their actions, not be granted official impunity," Sam Zarifi said.

"The Afghan people have time and again signalled that they want a government that protects and provides their human rights and that imposes the rule of law. This legislation is simply an effort to pervert the course of justice under the faulty guise of providing security."

The arrest of retired General Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s former Chief of Army Staff and opposition political candidate in Sri Lanka’s recently held presidential election, escalates post-election repression, Amnesty International said on Monday.

Sarath Fonseka was arrested late Monday evening and will reportedly face a military Court Martial on charges that he revealed military secrets and plotted the assassination of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

"Sarath Fonseka’s arrest continues the Rajapaksa government’s post-election crackdown on political opposition," said Sam Zarifi, director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific programme.

"After the military defeat of the LTTE and a major election victory, President Rajapaksa should steer the country toward a better human rights record. Instead, we’re seeing less and less tolerance for criticism."

The timing of the arrest is troubling given reports that Sarath Fonseka had announced earlier in the day that he was prepared to testify before an international court on war crimes charges against the Sri Lanka government.

Since his defeat in the election, several of Sarath Fonseka’s key supporters have been arrested. Journalists with the state media suspected of supporting the opposition candidate have also faced threats and violence.

Allegations and counter allegations of responsibility for violations of human rights and humanitarian law featured prominently in the run-up to the election.

Sarath Fonseka was quoted in the press in December accusing the President’s brother, Sri Lanka’s Secretary of Defence, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa of ordering the executions of surrendering LTTE leaders at the end of the war in May 2009. He later retracted his accusations.

"Allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka should be subject to an independent international investigation," said Sam Zarifi.

"Sarath Fonseka was commander of the armed forces during a period when Sri Lanka’s army was accused of violating humanitarian law, including firing heavy weaponry into an area packed with civilians. Fonseka faces credible allegations of war crimes and should also be subject to investigation and accountability."

The UN Secretary-General has "missed an opportunity" by failing to make an assessment of the credibility of Israeli and Palestinian investigations into violations during the conflict in Gaza and southern Israel just over a year ago, Amnesty International said on Friday.

"This is deeply disappointing and a missed opportunity to help secure accountability for the conflict’s hundreds of victims," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa.

Ban Ki-moon indicated on Thursday that “no determination can be made” on whether either the Israelis or Palestinians are complying with a UN General Assembly resolution of November 2009 that urged both sides to carry out investigations “that are independent, credible and in conformity with international standards”.

It requested the Secretary-General to report within three months on their implementation, “with a view to considering further action”. The resolution was based on the Goldstone Report, which accused both sides of war crimes.

The Secretary-General explained his lack of action by the fact that “processes initiated” by the Israeli and Palestinian authorities were “ongoing”.

However, Amnesty International believes that the information he had received was sufficient to show that steps being taken by both sides were clearly inadequate and that this message should have been conveyed to them in the report.

Amnesty International urges the UN Secretary-General to remedy the situation by immediately preparing an independent assessment of the steps being taken by Israel and the Palestinian side to address accountability and requesting input from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and other independent experts in international humanitarian and human rights law. Amnesty International wrote to Ban Ki-moon on 20 November 2009 with a similar recommendation.

Such an assessment should be made available to the General Assembly and the Security Council in the coming months and provide a solid basis for decisions on further action that are necessary to secure accountability for both sides. This may include an eventual referral of the situation in Gaza by the UN Security Council to the International Criminal Court.

Amnesty International’s assessment is that the responses presented to the UN Secretary-General by Israel and Palestinian representatives demonstrate that neither side has taken the necessary steps to conduct investigations “that are independent, credible and in conformity with international standards”.

The organization has described the response of the Israeli authorities as “totally inadequate”, since investigations undertaken by them to date have failed to meet “international standards of independence, impartiality, transparency, promptness and effectiveness” (see Amnesty International’s press release of 2 February 2010: www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/latest-israeli-response-gaza-investi…).

The official Palestinian response to Ban Ki-moon was submitted by the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the UN and conveyed a letter from Prime Minister Salam Fayyad of the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

The letter indicates that an investigative commission has recently been established but that investigations have yet to be carried out into specific allegations of violations of international law committed during the conflict.

Documents made public this week by the Ministry of Justice of the Hamas de facto administration in Gaza, by way of a response to the General Assembly’s call for investigations, provide no evidence of investigations which comply with international standards and focus on either denying the allegations of abuses committed by Palestinian armed groups or providing justifications for those violations.

"Today when I walk through Grozny I do not see the rebuilt houses or shops, I still see the dead and the faces of those who killed them."
Elvira Dombaeva, survivor of the Novye Aldy killings

Ten years after the killing of scores of civilians in a suburb of the Chechen capital Grozny, the relatives of those murdered are still denied justice by the Russian authorities.

On the morning of 5 February 2000, at least 56 men and women were killed by Russian security forces in the settlement of Novye Aldy.
 
In February 2000, the armed conflict in Chechnya, which had started in October 1999, had already lessened in intensity. Many residents were beginning to emerge from their cellars and return to the streets when troops entered Novye.

The residents of Novye Aldy didn’t bury their dead immediately, as they waited for the authorities to come and investigate the atrocity.

Throughout a decade, Russia has failed to hold anyone accountable, despite evidence connecting the crime to members of OMON, the Russian special police.

“When we were finally able to collect the bodies after two days, we could not close the eyes of the dead. It was winter and we had to pour warm water over their eyes to be able to close them," Elvira Dombaeva, a survivor of the killings, told Amnesty International.

In the months after the killings, Chechen human rights activists and prosecutors collected reliable information identifying the troops responsible for the crime. In 2006, the Russian government confirmed that a "special operation" was conducted in the village on 5 February 2000 by a unit of OMON and that  more than 50 people had been killed in Novye Aldy on 5 February 2000.

Yet according to the information available to Amnesty International, the authorities have made no serious attempt to identify or punish those who participated in the killing. Meanwhile, prosecutors who have tried to investigate the case have faced obstruction.

“The case of Novye Aldy illustrates the ineffectiveness of the Russian judicial system as well as the lack of political will of the Russian authorities to conduct an investigation and to bring to justice those responsible for crimes against the civilian population in Chechnya,” said David Diaz-Jogeix, Europe and Central Asia Deputy Programme Director.

In July 2007, the European Court of Human Rights found violations of the right to life and the prohibiton of torture and other ill-treatment by Russia responsible for the death of 13 residents of Novye Aldy, whose relatives had filed a complaint with the Court after failing to obtain justice in Russia. Yet still, no one has been brought to justice.

Amnesty International has called on the Russian authorities to provide justice for the victims of the Novye Aldy killings. Only by identifying, arresting and prosecuting those responsible can the authorities demonstrate their respect for the right to life and respect for the law.

Amnesty International reiterated its call on the Sudanese authorities to arrest President Omar al Bashir immediately, after the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague today reversed a ruling that held that there was insufficient evidence to charge the Sudanese President with genocide in Darfur.

The ICC issued an arrest warrant for crimes against humanity and war crimes in March 2009 against President Bashir, but did not include genocide charges because the court’s Pre-Trial Chamber applied too high a standard of proof to the evidence. ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo today won his appeal against  the Pre-Trial Chamber’s ruling.

"The ICC Prosecutor was asked to prove that the only reasonable inference from the evidence he presented was that the President was responsible for genocide," said Christopher Keith Hall, Senior Legal Adviser at Amnesty International. "In effect, this was requiring the Prosecutor to prove him guilty – something that can only be done at trial."

"The Pre-Trial Chamber must now reassess the evidence against President Bashir to decide whether it can charge him  with genocide," said Christopher Keith Hall.

Amnesty International urged President al Bashir to surrender himself to stand trial over the war crimes and crimes against humanity charges he already faces.

"President Bashir is a fugitive from international justice, charged with responsibility for crimes against men, women and children, including murder, rape, torture and forced displacement," said Christopher Keith Hall.

President Bashir has travelled outside Sudan on a number of occasions following the charges brought by the ICC, however, he has not yet been arrested.

"All states who have signed up to the Rome Statue underpinning the ICC which  have an absolute obligation under that treaty to arrest him immediately if he enters their territory and to surrender him promptly to the court," said Christopher Keith Hall

"Sudan is required by Security Council Resolution 1593 to cooperate with the International Criminal Court, which means to arrest and surrender him. In addition, other states which have not yet ratified the Rome Statute must not offer him a safe haven when he visits."

An arrest warrant for President Omar al Bashir was issued by the ICC over his role in the Darfur conflict that has seen more than 300,000 killed, thousands raped, and millions forcibly displaced.

Israel’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 on Tuesday.

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.

Amnesty International deplores the execution in Baghdad of ‘Ali Hassan al-Majeed, also known as Chemical Ali, for his involvement in one of the worst atrocities committed under the government of Saddam Hussain.

‘Ali Hassan al-Majeed had been sentenced to death for a fourth time on 17 January for ordering a poison gas attack on the town of Halabja in 1988, which killed more than 5,600 members of Iraq’s Kurdish minority, many of them children and women.

He was executed by hanging on Monday following his conviction by the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal (SICT), which was set up to deal with crimes committed by the former government of Saddam Hussain.

Amnesty International has repeatedly expressed concerns about trial proceedings at the SICT, which have been undermined by political interference and fall far short of international standards for fair trial.

"Despite the enormity of the crimes of which Al Hassan al-Majid was convicted, we deplore his execution and consider it a step backwards," said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Director.
 
"In fact, it is only the latest of a mounting number of executions, some of whom did not receive fair trials, in gross violation of human rights."

The execution of al-Majeed comes at a time when the Iraqi authorities are making increased use of the death penalty. Currently, more than 900 prisoners are reported to be on death row, many of whom could be executed in the near future. Many were sentenced to death by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq after trials that failed to conform to international standards of fair trial.  

Al-Majid had been sentenced to death for genocide and crimes against humanity in three previous trials before the SICT.  

"The execution of Al Hassan al-Majid was long expected and, no doubt, many people who suffered because of the crimes of which he was found guilty will see it as bringing to a close a very sad, a very bad, chapter in Iraq’s history," said Malcolm Smart.

"However, all executions brutalize society and in Iraq, where killing has become the order of the day, the time has come to say ‘Enough!’"

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/AFR/somalia-tfg-100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has called for arms transfers to the Somali government to be suspended until there are adequate safeguards to prevent weapons from being used to commit war crimes and human rights abuses. br /
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In its latest briefing paper on the country, Amnesty International details US shipments of arms, including mortars, ammunition and cash for the purchase of weapons to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). br /
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These transfers were made despite substantial risks that such types of weapons could be used in indiscriminate attacks by TFG forces, or diverted to armed groups opposed to the TFG, who also commit gross and widespread abuses. br /
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ldquo;International concern for the future of the Somali government has not been matched by an equal concern for the human rights of civilians,rdquo; said Michelle Kagari, Amnesty International Deputy Director for Africa. br /
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ldquo;Mortar attacks continue to claim lives ndash; it is time for international donors to apply tighter controls to their support for the governmentrdquo; br /
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Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s briefing also details growing international programmes of military and police training for TFG forces, despite a lack of adequate oversight procedures. br /
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The training is delivered in Somalia itself and in Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti and Uganda. The European Union, France, Germany and Italy are involved, or have pledged funding for it. br /
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Amnesty International calls for all states providing, financing or planning military and police training for the TFG to provide training in international humanitarian law and on arms management. They should also press for the establishment of oversight procedures for TFG forces. br /
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A UN arms embargo on Somalia has been in place since 1992 but states can apply to the UN Sanctions Committee for exemptions to supply security assistance to the Somali government. br /
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Amnesty International is urging the committee to apply criteria for assessing the risk thatnbsp; exemptions to the arms embargo will contribute to war crimes and human rights abuses, and to deny authorisations on this basis. br /
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To be effectively implemented, Amnesty International argues that such criteria need to be enshrined in international law and universally applied to all arms transfers. The organisation calls on states to establish such common standards in an international Arms Trade Treaty. br /
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Somalia has been mired in armed conflict since the collapse of the Siad Barre government in 1991. Conflict intensified and unlawful killings of civilians increased after Ethiopian troops entered Somalia at the end of 2006 to help the TFG fight against several armed opposition groups from whom it has been seeking to regain territorial control. br /
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Despite a peace agreement between the TFG and one armed group, the appointment of a President issued from the former armed opposition and the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Somalia, armed opposition groups have continued attacks against the TFG. In May 2009, they launched a major offensive against the TFG, which currently only controls a small part of the capital Mogadishu. br /
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In 2009, indiscriminate attacks by all parties to the armed conflict have resulted in thousands of civilians killed and hundreds of thousands displaced. The number of people internally displaced within Somalia is now 1.5 million and some 3.7 million are dependent on humanitarian assistance for their survival.

Amnesty International calls on all candidates standing in Sri Lankarsquo;s Presidential elections on January 26th to end widespread human rights violations and the culture of impunity that continues to plague the country. br /
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On Monday, the organization issued a 10-point Human Rights Agenda for all candidates. br /
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ldquo;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 Internationalrsquo;s Sri Lanka specialist. ldquo;In the longer run, whatrsquo;s needed is to rebuild Sri Lankarsquo;s institutions so that they can protect efficiently and without discrimination.nbsp; Thatrsquo;s the only way to restore public faith in the justice system.rdquo; br /
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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. br /
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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. br /
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ldquo;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 yearsrdquo;, said Yolanda Foster. ldquo;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. br /
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ldquo;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 forgottenrdquo;. br /
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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.nbsp; nbsp;br /
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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. br /
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ldquo;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,rdquo; said Yolanda Foster.nbsp; nbsp;br /
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Amnesty International urged all candidates to commit to ending grave violations against people expressing dissenting views, including human rights activists, lawyers and journalists. br /
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ldquo;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 countryrdquo; said Yolanda Foster. br /
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ldquo;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. Itrsquo;s time for the government to turn their promises into real action and act now on human rights abuses, ldquo;said Yolanda Foster. br /
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About 100,000 people who fled the northern war zone remain in camps, dependent on the government for shelter and relief.nbsp; 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 Lankarsquo;s displaced and newly resettled survivors of war remains an urgent priority. br /
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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. br /
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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.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/AFR/sudan-unamid-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Thousands of activists are gathering at events in 15 countries on Saturday in a global coordinated effort, calling on world leaders to take urgent steps to prevent a return to severe and widespread conflict in Sudan. br /
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Sudan365 (a href=http://www.sudan365.org title=www.sudan365.orgwww.sudan365.org/a), a year of campaigning for Sudan, has been organised by a coalition of groups including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Save Darfur Coalition, FIDH, Refugees International, Darfur Consortium and Arab Coalition for Darfur.br /
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The effort comes with one year remaining until a referendum that will decide the future of Sudan and marks the five year anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended the civil war between Northern and Southern Sudan and called for this referendum. br /
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Sudan365 is being supported by some of the worldrsquo;s most famous drummers – including Phil Selway, Radiohead; Stewart Copeland, The Police; Nick Mason, Pink Floyd; Jonny Quinn, Snow Patrol; Caroline Corr; Richard Jupp, Elbow;nbsp; Middle Eastern star Mohammed Mounir and Mustapha Tettey Addy who has been drumming since the 1970s. br /
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The celebrity drummers are coming together to create a lsquo;beat for peacersquo; in Sudan. A film of this global beat for peace, featuring drummers from five continents, will be released to coincide with the launch of the campaign. Today, activists will also drum along at events worldwide to call on governments to take action to prevent worsening violence and ensure civilians are protected. br /
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Activists are calling on world leaders to dramatically increase their engagement to: br /
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bull;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Provide intensive and coherent diplomatic support to Northern and Southern Sudanese parties on unresolved issues such as wealth sharing, borders and security, and legislation for the referendum;br /
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bull;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Increase international monitoring and reporting on human rights violations throughout Sudan in the run-up to the April elections and referendum, and support measures to protect civilians from potential violence related to these events; br /
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bull;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Push the United Nations Security Council to strengthen the civilian protection mandate of the Sudan peacekeeping force (UNMIS) by increasing its presence in remote and volatile areas and by rapidly deploying its personnel to conflict-prone areas.br /
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The 2011 referendum will determine whether or not the Southern region of Sudan becomes independent from the North. Experts fear that instability in the run-up to the referendum or its aftermath could reignite a civil war and cause massive human rights abuses unless international efforts are intensified to find a peaceful path through the next 12 months. br /
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ldquo;We are already seeing a grave increase in inter-ethnic violence in the South and violence continues in Darfur,rdquo; said Tawanda Hondora, Deputy Director of Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s Africa Programme. br /
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ldquo;The coming year poses serious threats to human rights in Sudan that can be prevented if governments act now.rdquo;br /
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More than two million people lost their lives in the 22-year long civil war between the North and the South. 2009 has seen a serious spike in violence in which more than 2,500 have been killed and 350,000 displaced in South Sudan. In Darfur, the conflict in which hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed remains unresolved and millions continue to suffer daily in camps. br /
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ldquo;Ideally the parties will reach agreement on a path to avoiding renewed conflict,rdquo; said Joel Charny, Acting President of Refugees International. br /
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ldquo;At the same time the international community must be prepared to respond to increases in violence, attacks on civilians and new population flows, which may occur around the referendum. We recognize the real potential for renewed conflict and we must prepare ourselves to respond.quot;br /
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ldquo;We urge world leaders to pay particular attention to the human rights situation in Sudan in 2010 and to act to prevent the country from spiralling again into bloodshed, violence and impunity,rdquo; said Souhayr Belhassen, President of FIDH.br /
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ldquo;This campaign is unprecedented. It’s incredibly exciting. Thousands of drummers from some of the most famous drummers in the world ndash; Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Snow Patrol, Elbow ndash; to community groups across 5 continents coming together to create a global beat for peace in Sudan. The next 365 days will be critical for the people of Sudan,rdquo; said Jamie Catto, founder member of 1 Giant Leap and Faithless. ldquo;And this global drumbeat is a cry for positive action from world leaders to prevent conflict from returning.rdquo;

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/MENA/gaza-report-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Israel and Hamas have less than one month to show real progress in bringing to account those who perpetrated war crimes during the conflict in Gaza and southern Israel one year ago, Amnesty International warned on Monday ahead of a February deadline set by the UN.br /
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In November 2009, the UN General Assembly gave Israel and Hamas until 2 February to show that they are willing and able to undertake investigations that meet international standards into alleged war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed during the 22-day conflict which ended on 18 January 2009.br /
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quot;The clock is running ndash; if both sides cannot provide real evidence that they are taking steps to put their houses in order, the international community will need to take measures to ensure that the perpetrators are held to account, and that the victims receive full reparation, including compensation,quot; said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s director for the Middle East and North Africa.br /
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Should investigations fail to meet required standards, it is the responsibility of the international community to bring the perpetrators of crimes to justice, including by the Security Council referring the situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC).br /
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quot;It would be far better if Israel and Hamas meet their own obligations to ensure accountability for serious crimes under international law, rather than creating a need to be referred to the ICC,quot; said Malcolm Smart.br /
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quot;The US and European governments who are protective of Israel, along with the Arab governments who have influence over Hamas, should urge the respective parties to meet their obligations while making it clear that the international community will step in if they continue to evade responsibility.quot;br /
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Following the publication of the UN-commissioned report by South African Judge Richard Goldstone into war crimes and other serious violations, including possible crimes against humanity, committed during the 2009 conflict, Amnesty International sent both the Israeli authorities and Hamas a document setting out the criteria for credible and independent domestic investigations that conform to international standards.br /
br /
Any investigations carried out by Israel and Hamas must be assessed against such criteria ndash; including the need for the investigating body to be impartial, competent, expert and independent ndash; and to have access to all relevant sources of information.br /
br /
The UN Fact Finding Mission headed by Judge Richard Goldstone found evidence that both sides had committed war crimes and other serious violations of international law.. So far, neither side has shown a willingness to conduct credible investigations.br /
br /
quot;The only investigations to have been carried out since the violence of one year ago have been by the Israeli military into the behaviour of their own forces.nbsp; Unfortunately these do not meet the international standards stipulated by the UN General Assembly and they have taken place behind closed doors,quot; said Malcolm Smart.nbsp; quot;For the investigations to have any credibility, they must be impartial, independent, thorough and transparent.quot;br /
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More than 300 children were among the hundreds of Palestinian civilians killed by indiscriminate Israeli attacks in Gaza. Three Israeli civilians were killed by rocket attacks by Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, in violation of international law.br /
br /
Investigations conducted by Israel to date have failed to meet many of the essential standards. Those responsible for the limited investigations that have taken place are officers in the military ndash; the same institution whose actions are being examined. The process is also opaque: it is unknown which cases have been opened and which have been closed, and on the basis of what assessments. No prosecutions for violations of international law have been initiated. The only indication of the results is the declaration by the Israeli army that most allegations of serious violations of international law are baseless and that the rest can be put down to operational mistakes.br /
br /
Hamas, for its part, has not shown any serious inclination to set up an investigation. The de facto Hamas administration in Gaza has stopped firing indiscriminate rockets into civilian areas in southern Israel but only as a temporary measure and without renouncing the practice which Judge Goldstone declared to be a war crime.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/MENA/gaza-more-destruction-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/One year after Israel’s major military offensive on the Gaza Strip, Amnesty International has again urged all parties to meet their obligations to pursue accountability for war crimes and serious human rights violations that occurred during the conflict.br /
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quot;Impunity, if it is allowed to persist, not only undermines justice and the rule of law but makes it all the more likely that further, grave human rights violations will be committed,quot; said Malcolm Smart, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International.br /
br /
No one has been held accountable for the war crimes and other grave violations of international law reported by a UN Fact Finding Mission, Amnesty International and Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights organizations.br /
br /
After the conflict in Gaza and southern Israel, the distinguished South African jurist Judge Richard Goldstone was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council to head a Fact Finding Mission to investigate allegations of war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law and human rights.br /
br /
In a report published last September, Judge Goldstone and his team concluded that both the Israeli military forces and Palestinian armed groups committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity.br /
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Following the Goldstone report, the UN General Assembly asked both the Israeli government and the Palestinian side to conduct their own investigations that are credible, independent and conform to international standards.br /
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Amnesty International said on Sunday that if they fail to do so the international community must step in and take the measures necessary to ensure that those who perpetrated war crimes or other crimes under international law are held to account.br /
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quot;There must be accountability for what happened in Gaza and southern Israel one year ago,quot; said Malcolm Smart. quot;Those responsible, on both sides, cannot be allowed to evade accountability for the crimes that were committed. If the Israelis and Palestinians cannot ndash; or will not ndash; deliver justice themselves, the international community must ensure that the perpetrators are held to account.quot;br /
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Meanwhile, Gaza remains effectively cut off from the outside world by the continuing Israeli military blockade, which limits the amount of food, fuel, and other essential items that are allowed into the Gaza Strip, rendering reconstruction and recovery from the war virtually impossible.br /
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The Israeli government launched its offensive on the Gaza Strip on 27 December 2008, with the declared aim of stopping Palestinian armed groups from firing indiscriminate rockets into southern Israel.br /
br /
In the three weeks that followed, the population of Gaza was subjected to aerial and ground attacks by the Israeli military that left some 1400 Palestinians dead, including hundreds of unarmed civilians and more than 300 children.br /
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Thirteen Israelis were killed during the conflict, including three civilians killed in rocket attacks by Palestinian armed groups.br /
br /
An Amnesty International research team in southern Israel and Gaza during and in the immediate aftermath of the fighting found compelling evidence of war crimes and other serious violations by Israeli forces and by Palestinian armed groups.br /
br /
The hundreds of unguided rockets fired by Palestinian armed groups at Israeli towns and villages were incapable of being directed at specific targets. They killed three civilians, injured others, damaged civilian buildings in southern Israel, and displaced thousands from their homes.br /
br /
In Gaza, the Israeli military used a range of imprecise weapons and munitions in densely-populated civilian areas; these included artillery shells and mortars, and flechette shells fired from tanks.br /
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Israeli forces repeatedly fired highly incendiary white phosphorus shells, many of which burst in the air over densely-populated areas showering people and buildings beneath with burning wedges impregnated with white phosphorus. The use of white phosphorus is strictly restricted under international law because of its highly incendiary nature; when it lands on human skin it burns deeply through the skin, muscle tissue and into the bone.br /
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Some Israeli attacks were directed against UN compounds, including on buildings where Palestinian civilians had fled in search of sanctuary.br /
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Many Palestinian civilians were killed with high-precision weapons which can strike with extreme accuracy, relying on surveillance drones which have exceptionally good optics, allowing those watching to see their targets in detail. Israeli officials have yet to explain adequately why so many civilians were killed in these types of attacks.br /
br /
During the 22 days of the offensive, Israeli forces frequently obstructed medical care and humanitarian aid from those wounded and trapped.nbsp; They prevented ambulances and medical staff from attending to the wounded and transporting them to hospital and in several cases targeted ambulance and rescue crews and others who were trying to evacuate the wounded.br /
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Thousands of homes in Gaza as well as hospitals, schools, and the water and the electricity infrastructure were destroyed or damaged by the Israeli military.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/MENA/iraq-bomb-100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has condemned the indiscriminate bomb attacks in Baghdad that killed at least 120 people, many of them civilians, and injured 400 other people on Tuesday. br /
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It is not known who carried out the bomb explosions in the Iraqi capital.nbsp; nbsp;br /
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ldquo;There can be absolutely no justification whatsoever for indiscriminate attacks or attacks which target civilians, as these seem to have done. Such attacks are war crimes. They must be investigated thoroughly by the authorities and those responsible must be identified and brought to justice.rdquo; said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s director for the Middle East and North Africa. br /
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According to news reports, at least five bomb explosions shook the city on Tuesday morning. The first explosion went off in Baghdadrsquo;s southern al-Doura district and was apparently aimed at a police patrol but killed at least 12 students from a nearby college. br /
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Another four near simultaneous car bombs exploded close to government buildings, reported to house the Labour, Health and Interior Ministries. br /
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Amnesty International has repeatedly condemned car bomb and other attacks targeting civilians in Iraq, some of which appear to have been intended to re-ignite sectarian divisions between Iraqrsquo;s Sunni and Shirsquo;a communities and members of various ethnic and religious minorities. br /
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Tuesdayrsquo;s coordinated attacks follow a decision by Iraqrsquo;s parliament to pass a new electoral law two days ago paving the way for a general election to be held early next year. Passage of the law was previously delayed due to a dispute over its terms.

The Lebanese authorities must step up their efforts to reveal the fate of thousands of people abducted between 1975 and 1990, during the country’s civil war, Amnesty International said.br /
br /
The organization’s call followed the confirmation by DNA test results on Monday that remains recovered last week are those of British journalist Alec Collett, who was 64 when he was seized from a car in Beirut in 1985.br /
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The remains were exhumed by a team of British experts working in co-operation with the Lebanese authorities in the Bekaa Valley, eastern Lebanon. A second body of a younger person was found at the site but not identified.br /
br /
quot;The UK government respects its citizens, which is why they sent experts all the way to Lebanon to look for this man,quot; Sawsan Hirbawi, sister of Ahmed Hirbawi who was kidnapped in 1976, told Amnesty International.br /
br /
quot;We have been calling on the Lebanese state for so many years to dig up mass graves and reveal the fate of my brother and many others, but our state has done absolutely nothing.quot;br /
br /
The discovery of Alec Collett’s remains shows the inadequacy of steps taken by the Lebanese authorities to reveal the fate and whereabouts of Lebanese, Palestinian and other nationals, abducted by armed militias or subjected to enforced disappearance by Lebanese, Syrian and Israeli forces.br /
br /
The apparent inability of the Lebanese authorities to identify the second body highlights their failure to establish a database of DNA samples from family members of those who went missing. Associations of families of civil war victims have been campaigning for such a database for more than a decade.br /
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quot;Europeans are lucky to have governments who care about them and send people to look for them wherever they are,quot; said Samira Zakharia, whose 29-year-old son, Iskandar Zakharia, was kidnapped the same year as Alec Collett.br /
br /
quot;But our government does not care. I take 11 pills every day just to keep going in the hope that one day I will know what happened to my son.quot;br /
br /
Almost 20 years after the end of the civil war, the Lebanese state has generally failed to conduct exhumations at mass graves from the period, even where their presence has been officially acknowledged.br /
br /
Three of the mass graves are in Beirut and mentioned in a three-page summary of the findings of the Official Commission of Investigation into the Fate of the Abducted and Disappeared Persons in 2000: the St Demetrious Cemetery in Achrafieh, the Martyrs’ Cemetery in Horsh Beirut and the English Cemetery in Tahwita.br /
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A preliminary ruling by Lebanese judicial authorities last month, said that the government should provide the full findings of the 2000 investigations. This could lead to exhumations at these sites in the future. The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed by two Lebanese non-governmental organizations.br /
br /
As far as Amnesty International is aware, the only mass grave where the Lebanese authorities have completed exhumations and DNA tests was next to the Ministry of Defence in al-Yarze. The remains of 24 military personnel were discovered in November 2005, seven months after the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon. President Michel Suleiman, then the army commander, formed a committee to conduct the DNA tests.br /
br /
The body of Johnny Nassif, a Lebanese soldier who went missing on 13 October 1990, was the latest to be identified by these tests on 11 November. He was among 10 soldiers said to have been killed during or after clashes with Syrian forces. The remaining 14 bodies belonged to Lebanese soldiers killed in the early to mid 1980s.br /
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The whereabouts of another 20 soldiers and two priests, Albert Sherfan and Suleiman Abu Khalil, who went missing on the same day as Johnny Nassif, remain unknown; their families believe they are being held in Syria.br /
br /
Amnesty International said that the Lebanese authorities must proceed without delay to investigate all mass grave sites in the country, so that the ordeal of all families waiting for news about relatives missing since the civil war can finally learn the truth about their fate.br /
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Before his death, Alec Collett had been commissioned by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to write about Palestinian refugee camps.br /
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His remains are reported to have been found in the town of Aita al-Foukhar at a site formerly used as a base by Fatah – the Revolutionary Council, a Palestinian militia commonly known as the Abu Nidal Organization. They had claimed responsibility for his kidnapping in 1985 and killing in 1986.br /
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The discovery of the two bodies at the base also raises the possibility that other missing persons could be buried there.br /
br /
Amnesty International called on the Lebanese authorities to immediately protect the site and take action to check for other human remains.br /
br /
The organization said that if further bodies are found, the authorities should take steps to identify them and hand them over to their families.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/AFR/sudan-al-bashir-2-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has learned that the Danish government has invited Sudanese President al Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, to attend a meeting in Copenhagen on climate change in December.nbsp; nbsp;br /
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ldquo;Denmark needs to make it clear that it will arrest President al Bashir if he travels to Copenhagen,rdquo; said Christopher Keith Hall, Senior Legal Adviser at Amnesty International. br /
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ldquo;The International Criminal Court needs the cooperation of its member states. Under the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, Denmark has a duty to arrest and surrender any person within its territory who is subject to an arrest warrant issued by the ICC.rdquo; br /
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ldquo;Denmark can and must demonstrate its leadership on bringing alleged perpetrators of the worst crimes to justice by acknowledging its duty to arrest,rdquo; said Christopher Keith Hall. br /
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Amnesty International received the information during a meeting of member states to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. br /
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The ICC issued an arrest warrant for President al Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur earlier this year.

Amnesty International condemned an invitation extended by Turkey on Friday to Sudanese President Omar al Bashir to attend a meeting in Turkey, even though he is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. br /
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ldquo;President Omar al Bashir is a fugitive from international justice, charged with responsibility for crimes against humanity and war crimes against men, women and children, including murder, rape, torture and forced displacement. It would be a disgrace for Turkey to offer him safe haven,rdquo; said Christopher Keith Hall, Senior Legal Advisor, at Amnesty International. br /
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President Omar al Bashir has been invited to attend a meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which is taking place in Istanbul Turkey from 5 to 9 November 2009. br /
nbsp; br /
An arrest warrant for President Omar al Bashir was issued by the ICC on 4 March 2009 on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes. br /
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ldquo;If the Turkish authorities fail to arrest President Omar al Bashir and hand him over to the ICC, this would be inconsistent with Turkeyrsquo;s international obligations,rdquo; Christopher Keith Hall said. br /
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ldquo;It would not only amount to obstruction of justice, but just as offering shelter to a fleeing bank robber constitutes a crime under national law, so, too, would sheltering a fugitive from international justice be complicity in crime.rdquo; br /
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According to press reports, Turkish officials have stated that they would not arrest and surrender President Omar al Bashir.nbsp; nbsp;br /
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ldquo;Turkey must act as a responsible member of the international community for the sake of thousands of victims of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Darfur,rdquo; Christopher Keith Hall said. br /
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strongBackground /strongbr /
Turkey is a party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which obliges it to open an investigation when persons suspected of torture – without any limitation as to rank – are present and to take them into custody or take other legal measures to ensure their presence pending institution of criminal or extradition proceedings. br /
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Although Turkey is not a party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, it is a party to the Convention against Torture and has made commitments to ratify the Rome Statute. br /
br /
Under Article 13 of its Penal Code, Turkey can arrest foreigners suspected of responsibility for crimes against humanity committed abroad against other foreigners. br /
br /
As a member of the Security Council, Turkeyrsquo;s offer of a safe haven to a fugitive from international justice is inconsistent with the Security Council’s resolution 1593 which quot; urges all States and concerned regional and other international organizations to cooperate fully quot; with the International Criminal Court regarding Darfur.nbsp;

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/MENA/gaza-more-destruction-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Thursday’s UN vote adopting key recommendations of the Goldstone report on the conflict in Gaza and southern Israel earlier this year is vitally important for ensuring that those, on both sides, who committed war crimes and other violations of international law will now be held to account, said Amnesty International. br /
br /
quot;Both Israel and Hamas in Gaza have been served due notice, in this defining General Assembly resolution, that they must immediately conduct credible, independent investigations into the alleged grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law committed during the conflict,quot; said Yvonne Terlingen, Head of Amnesty International’s Office at the UN on Thursday. br /
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quot;The clock is now running and we urge both parties to act without further delay. The UN has spoken up today for accountability and for an end to the cycle of impunity that has for so long obstructed the search for peace and justice between Israelis and Palestinians.quot; br /
br /
The UN General Assembly resolution, based on the findings of the UN Fact Finding Mission led by Justice Goldstone, which concluded that both Israeli and Palestinian forces committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity, was adopted by a large majority: 114 states voted in favour, 18 voted against and 44 abstained. The USA and 7 European Union (EU) states voted against the resolution while Russia abstained. br /
br /
quot;We deeply regret that the USA and the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia voted against the resolution and failed to support the need for accountability, justice and human rights that are so vital for victims of abuses in this conflict,quot; said Terlingen. br /
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The resolution calls on the UN Secretary-General to transmit Judge Goldstone’s report to the Security Council, which has powers to refer the situation in Gaza to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court if Israel and Hamas prove unable or unwilling to conduct independent investigations that meet international standards. It also calls on the UN Secretary-General to present a progress report to the General Assembly in three months’ time. br /
br /
quot;We urge the UN Secretary-General to now appoint independent experts in human rights and international humanitarian law to assess whether any investigations that are conducted by Israel and Hamas meet the required international standardquot;, said Terlingen. br /
br /
The findings of the Goldstone report echo those of an Amnesty International team that investigated alleged violations in Gaza and southern Israel during and in the immediate aftermath of the conflict, in which hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including some 300 children, and three Israeli civilians were killed. br /
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quot;Almost one year on, those who suffered war crimes and other gross violations of their rights, are still waiting for justicequot;, said Amnesty International. quot;It is our fervent hope that today’s UN General Assembly resolution will act as a catalyst to make justice and reparation a reality for the victims on both sides.quot;

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/MENA/gaza-more-destruction-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Thursday’s UN vote adopting key recommendations of the Goldstone report on the conflict in Gaza and southern Israel earlier this year is vitally important for ensuring that those, on both sides, who committed war crimes and other violations of international law will now be held to account, said Amnesty International. br /
br /
quot;Both Israel and Hamas in Gaza have been served due notice, in this defining General Assembly resolution, that they must immediately conduct credible, independent investigations into the alleged grave violations of human rights and humanitarian law committed during the conflict,quot; said Yvonne Terlingen, Head of Amnesty International’s Office at the UN on Thursday. br /
br /
quot;The clock is now running and we urge both parties to act without further delay. The UN has spoken up today for accountability and for an end to the cycle of impunity that has for so long obstructed the search for peace and justice between Israelis and Palestinians.quot; br /
br /
The UN General Assembly resolution, based on the findings of the UN Fact Finding Mission led by Justice Goldstone, which concluded that both Israeli and Palestinian forces committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity, was adopted by a large majority: 114 states voted in favour, 18 voted against and 44 abstained. The USA and 7 European Union (EU) states voted against the resolution while Russia abstained. br /
br /
quot;We deeply regret that the USA and the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia voted against the resolution and failed to support the need for accountability, justice and human rights that are so vital for victims of abuses in this conflict,quot; said Terlingen. br /
br /
The resolution calls on the UN Secretary-General to transmit Judge Goldstone’s report to the Security Council, which has powers to refer the situation in Gaza to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court if Israel and Hamas prove unable or unwilling to conduct independent investigations that meet international standards. It also calls on the UN Secretary-General to present a progress report to the General Assembly in three months’ time. br /
br /
quot;We urge the UN Secretary-General to now appoint independent experts in human rights and international humanitarian law to assess whether any investigations that are conducted by Israel and Hamas meet the required international standardquot;, said Terlingen. br /
br /
The findings of the Goldstone report echo those of an Amnesty International team that investigated alleged violations in Gaza and southern Israel during and in the immediate aftermath of the conflict, in which hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including some 300 children, and three Israeli civilians were killed. br /
br /
quot;Almost one year on, those who suffered war crimes and other gross violations of their rights, are still waiting for justicequot;, said Amnesty International. quot;It is our fervent hope that today’s UN General Assembly resolution will act as a catalyst to make justice and reparation a reality for the victims on both sides.quot;

Amnesty International on Wednesday urged African government representatives meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to reaffirm their support for the International Criminal Court (ICC).br /
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In a memorandum published this week, strongemThe International Criminal Court: The Contribution Africa Can Make to the Review Conference/em/strong, the organization called on African governments to clearly state they would prevent any officials accused of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes from seeking safe haven in their countries. br /
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quot;Only justice can lay a firm foundation for lasting peace,quot; said Kolawole Olaniyan, Africa Legal Adviser at Amnesty International. br /
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quot;More than a decade ago, African states were amongst the strongest supporters of the proposal to establish a permanent international criminal court that would be able to investigate and prosecute those responsible for some of the worst crimes in the world ndash; they must renew this commitment, as the survival of the ICC as an effective international body depends on this,quot; said Kolawole Olaniyan. br /
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quot;African victims of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are some of the chief beneficiaries of the ICC ndash; the ICC must be fully supported so that it can continue its important work on their behalf.quot; br /
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The call came after Sudanese President Omar al Bashir cancelled scheduled visits to South Africa, Uganda, Nigeria and Venezuela, when it became clear that he could face arrest and surrender to the ICC, particularly in light of African civil society protests to the visits. br /
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In its memorandum, Amnesty International urged African states to strongly defend the provisions of the ICC that exclude any claimed immunity for state officials ndash; regardless of rank,nbsp; including heads of state ndash; from prosecution for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. br /
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quot;Every single legal instrument adopted since the Second World War by the international community has rejected immunity from prosecution for any government official charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes,quot; said Kolawole Olaniyan. br /
br /
quot;In fact, every international court to consider the question of immunity since the establishment of the ICC has concluded that heads of state cannot successfully assert any purported immunity from prosecution for genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.quot; br /
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Amnesty International said that to ensure the ICC is an effective complement to national courts, it must be able to exercise its jurisdiction without political interference. br /
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quot;With the exception of Darfur, all situations under investigation by the ICC were referred to the Prosecutor by African states themselves ndash; the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda,quot; said Kolawole Olaniyan. br /
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The organization also urged African governments to evaluate carefully the positive and negative aspects of establishing a regional criminal court, as suggested by the African Union in an Assembly meeting in July 2009, especially its costs.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/MENA/gaza-school-rubble-100.jpg alt= title= /br/On the eve of a United Nations General Assembly debate, Amnesty International has called on UN ambassadors in New York to grasp a unique opportunity to address accountability for war crimes in Gaza and southern Israel earlier in the year.br /
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The General Assembly will convene on Wednesday to debate the comprehensive and authoritative report of the Fact Finding Mission led by Judge Richard Goldstone. The report found that the Israeli and Palestinian sides committed serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.br /
br /
Amnesty International sent an open letter to all permanent representatives to the General Assembly and another to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.br /
br /
In the letter to the General Assembly, the organization reiterated its call for Israel and the de facto administration in Gaza to immediately start independent investigations that meet international standards as recommended in the Goldstone report.br /
br /
Amnesty International also urged the General Assembly to ask Ban Ki-moon to promptly establish a committee of independent and impartial experts in international law to assess the effectiveness and genuineness of any accountability measures taken by the Israeli and Palestinian authorities.br /
br /
Amnesty International wrote that it deplores the failure on the part of both Israel and Hamas to conduct credible investigations and stressed: quot;There must be no whitewash.quot;br /
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quot;Israel has sought to counter the reportrsquo;s recommendations and to shield its soldiers from any independent investigation,quot; the letter said.br /
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quot;Hamas, for its part, has studiously failed to repudiate the practice of launching unguided rockets into civilian areas of southern Israel, which cannot be justified under international humanitarian law, and to commit to preventing such attacks. Rather, it is considering creating a committee to present its case.quot; br /
br /
Amnesty International also urged the General Assembly to ask Ban Ki-moon to transmit the Goldstone report to the Security Council, and reminded all states parties to the 1949 Geneva Conventions of their responsibility to exercise universal jurisdiction.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-kunduz-100.jpg alt= title= /br/The German government should immediately launch a credible, transparent investigation into a 4 September airstrike in Kunduz, Afghanistan, that killed scores of people, many of them civilians, Amnesty International said on Thursday.br /
br /
The German military said on Thursday that NATOrsquo;s investigation suggested the airstrike, which targeted two fuel tanker trucks that had been hijacked by Taleban fighters five hours earlier, was appropriate even though it led to civilian casualties.br /
br /
Amnesty internationalrsquo;s investigation into the Kunduz incident suggests that the laws of war may have been violated during the airstrike.br /
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quot;An urgent and transparent investigation needs to be launched by the German government into what happened in Kunduz. NATO, and the German government, must show accountability for the loss of civilian life and prove that it has the will and mechanism in place to investigate civilian casualties,quot; said Sam Zarifi, director of mnesty Internationalrsquo;s Asia-Pacific programme.br /
br /
According to the German military, NATOrsquo;s investigation could not verify the exact number of casualties. Village elders from the area told Amnesty International in Kunduz that 142 people had been killed in the attack, of which at least 83 were civilians. The Taleban killed one of the tanker drivers during the hijacking, according to Afghan security officials.br /
br /
The German Ministry of Defence stated that it would analyze the NATO report and consider further action as necessary.br /
br /
Amnesty International gathered eyewitness testimonies from survivors of the attack, as well as interviews with Mohammed Razaq Yaqoobi, the local chief of police, UN officials, and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.br /
br /
quot;The Taleban again disregarded the lives of Afghan civilians by putting them in the line of fire,quot; Sam Zarifi said. quot;But that doesnrsquo;t absolve NATO from taking the utmost feasible precautions to ensure that it minimizes harm to civilians.quot;br /
br /
The Taleban control many of the villages in the area surrounding the airstrike. Residents of nearby Taleban-controlled village, AmerKhiel, were invited to take away fuel from the tankers after the tankers were stuck while crossing the Kunduz river.br /
br /
The organisationrsquo;s research shows that NATO did not provide civilians in the area with effective warning that they were going to launch an attack, endangering the lives of people in the area.br /
br /
In some circumstances, NATO aircraft in Afghanistan fly close to targets or shoot warning rounds to get civilians away from a potential target. Eyewitnesses to the attack told Amnesty International that they did not see NATO aircraft engage in any warning action prior to the Kunduz airstrike.br /
br /
A local villager Omera Khan told Amnesty International that quot;The Germans could have responded differently to the hijacking and prevented the civilian casualties. People were there to take the free fuel offered by the Taleban and at the time of the attack there was no warning.quot;br /
br /
quot;NATO has been trying to improve the protection of civilians with its recently issued Tactical Directive, and we welcome this, but it still has not provided a credible accountability mechanism for redress.quot; said Sam Zarifi. quot;Immediately, NATO should publicize its report.quot;br /
br /
In 2009 Afghanistan has suffered the highest level of civilian casualties since the fall of the Taleban in 2002. quot;All sides to the conflict must take every possible precaution to spare civilian lives. Civilians must not be made to pay the price for unlawful conduct on either side. All violations of international human rights and humanitarian law must be promptly, thoroughly and independently investigated and those responsible for them must be bought to justice, quot; said Sam Zarifi.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-kabul-un-100.jpg alt= title= /br/p
Amnesty International has condemned the Taleban’s attack on a guesthouse hosting staff from the United Nations in Kabul on Wednesday, that killed at least six civilian UN staff.
/p
p
The Taleban took responsibility for the incident and threatened more such attacks in the run up to the second round of the highly contested presidential elections, scheduled for 7 November.
/p
p
The attack is the worst on the UN in Afghanistan since the United States and its allies helped oust the Taleban in 2001.
/p
p
In a public statement on Wednesday, Amnesty International reminded the Taleban that attacks targeting civilians constitute war crimes.br /
br /
The organization said that if, as the Taleban suggest, this attack is part of a strategy of widespread or systematic attacks on the civilian population, carried out in pursuit of the Taleban’s policy of disrupting the upcoming elections, this attack could also constitute a crime against humanity.
/p
p
War crimes and crimes against humanity are among the most serious crimes under international law. Amnesty International said that the Taleban must immediately end such attacks.br /
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Those suspected of carrying the attacks out or ordering them must be brought to justice.
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Millions of Afghans remain dependent on international assistance for basic needs such as food, water, healthcare and education.br /
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The attack on the UN significantly harms the already constrained ability of aid workers to assist Afghans, particularly those in conflict-affected areas in the countryrsquo;s south and east.
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Amnesty International said Mondayrsquo;s decision by the Special Court for Sierra Leone to uphold the convictions of three former senior leaders of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) is a positive step in the fight against impunity for the worst crimes committed during the countryrsquo;s eleven-year civil war. br /
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The Appeals Chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone upheld, by a majority,nbsp; the convictionsnbsp; ofnbsp; Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao, former senior leaders of the main armed opposition group in Sierra Leonersquo;s conflict. br /
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ldquo;The confirmation of the convictions of these former RUF leaders is a positive contribution in the fight against impunity not only in Sierra Leone but also in Africa,rdquo; said Hugo Relva, Legal Adviser with Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s International Justice Project. br /
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ldquo;However, we need to remember that these convictions are of only eight out of the possibly thousands of people responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone during the armed conflict. Far more effort has to be made to bringing to justice others implicated in these terrible crimes.rdquo; br /
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Although the Appeals Chamber revised the sentences for some counts, the final judgment rendered today upheld the total terms of imprisonment for Issa Sesay, who will serve 52 years in prison,nbsp; Morris Kallon, who will serve 40 years in prison and Augustine Gbao, who will spend 25nbsp; years in prison. br /
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They were sentenced for their individual criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity and war crimes, including the use of child soldiers, forced marriage and attacks against United Nations peacekeepers. br /
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ldquo;Many other perpetrators of vicious crimes ndash; including murder, rape, sexual slavery and mutilation ndash; remain free to this day, protected by amnesties,rdquo; said Hugo Relva. br /
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ldquo;This is utterly unacceptable and demonstrates the need for African states and others to exercise universal jurisdiction with regard to those who committed crimes under international law.rdquo; br /
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The judgment rendered today is the last that will be issued by the Appeals Chamber in Freetown. Proceedings against Charles Taylor, former Liberian president, for crimes against humanity and war crimes are being held in The Hague at the International Criminal Court premises. br /
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ldquo;It is essential for Sierra Leone to take steps to ensure that the legacy of the Special Court at the national level is not one of continuing impunity. The government should lift the amnesties and enact legislation to make war crimes and crimes against humanity crimes under national law in Sierra Leone,rdquo; said Hugo Relva. br /

Amnesty International has strongly condemned the killing of at least 155 people, mostly civilians, in twin suicide bomb attacks in Baghdad on Sunday.br /
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The attacks were carried out almost simultaneously in central Baghdad. A truck bomb was exploded near the ministries of justice and municipalities, just before 10:30am local time. Minutes later a second attack, a car bomb, exploded just outside the Baghdad Governorate building.br /
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In addition to those killed, at least 700 people were wounded, making this the deadliest attack in over two years.br /
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The two ministries and the governorate are reported to have been badly damaged.br /
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No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. This latest attack is similar to the one which damaged the finance and foreign affairs ministries on 19 August 2009, in which 147 people were killed and almost 500 were injured.br /
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Amnesty International said that as direct attacks on civilians these latest bomb attacks constitute war crimes. br /
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The organization said that if the blasts are part of a widespread or systematic attack on the civilian population of Iraq in furtherance of a particular organization or armed group’s policy, they also constitute crimes against humanity.br /
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War crimes and crimes against humanity are among the most serious crimes under international law. Amnesty International said that the attacks must be stopped immediately and those responsible must be brought to justice.br /
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Since US troops pulled out from cities and towns on 30 June 2009, hundreds of civilians have been killed by armed groups and many more injured.br /
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This latest carnage is a reminder that the security situation in Iraq remains very dangerous. Despite this, in recent months, several European countries, including the United Kingdom, Sweden and Denmark, have forcibly returned Iraqis to central and southern Iraq. br /
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Only last week the UK tried to forcibly return about 44 Iraqi asylum seekers to Baghdad; 10 people were allowed entry but the others were returned to the UK by the Iraqi authorities. br /
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On 23 October 2009 the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, publicly appealed to host countries, especially those in Europe, not to forcibly return Iraqis from Iraqrsquo;s central regions because of the dangerous security conditions prevailing there.nbsp; br /
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img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ECA/bosnia-karadzic-100.jpg alt= title= /br/The beginning of the Hague trial of former Bosnian Seb leader Radovan Karadžic on Monday, is an important step towards justice for the tens of thousands of victims of the Bosnian war, Amnesty International said.br /
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Karadžic, the former President of the Bosnian Serb Republic, was arrested in July 2008, more than 12 years after he was charged genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes for his role in the conflict during the 1990s. br /
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quot;This trial underscores the vital principle that where there is sufficient evidence, those accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity must be prosecuted in fair trials, whether it is by international or national courts.quot; said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International.br /
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Karadžic’s trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, was adjourned on Monday after he failed to appear at the initial hearing.br /
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quot;The ICTY should be given enough time and resources to complete its important work, including the prosecutions of Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadžic who remain at largequot; Nicola Duckworth added.br /
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quot;The completion of the ICTY’s mandate is vital for victims of these crimes.quot; br /
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Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadžic are both accused as in their command capacity they allowed for war crimes, genocide and other charges relating to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.nbsp; br /
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The trial proceeds following an important ruling by the Trial Chamber that individuals accused of such crimes cannot rely on immunities, even if, as Radovan Karadžic asserts, he had been promised immunity from prosecution during the peace negotiations.br /
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Radovan Karadžic is charged with:br /
ul
litwo counts of genocide ndash; in relation to the persecution of Bosnian Mulims and Bosnian Croats in Bosnia Herzegovina during 1992 and genocide committed against Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica in July 1995;/li
lifive counts of crimes against humanity including persecution, extermination, murder, deportation;/li
lifour counts of violations of the laws or customs of war, including taking of hostages and spreading terror among a civilian population./li
/ul
Amnesty International has repeatedly called for the work of the ICTY to be complemented by national efforts to investigate and prosecute the tens thousands of other crimes involving middle and lower ranking suspects that the ICTY does not have the capacity to deal with.br /
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The organization said that while the trial of Radovan Karadžic is likely to be completed before the Tribunal closes, trials at the ICTY are not enough for the victims of the Balkans conflict. br /
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quot;The international community has a duty to make sure their rights to justice, truth and reparations are realized, said Nicola Duckworth. quot;If not, the dispensation of justice across the former Yugoslavia may remain an unfinished task and it is the thousands of victims of the crimes who will pay the price.quot;