Amnesty International has issued a report that indicates that the Israeli Army deliberately destroyed the Lebanese civlian infrastructure during the recent conflict.
"The long-term impact of the destruction of Lebanon’s infrastructure on the lives of the country’s men, women and children is incalculable. Many have lost their homes while having to cope with the deaths of loved ones or struggling to overcome severe injuries. Many more have lost their livelihoods. Records showing home and property ownership have been destroyed, adding to the difficulties of rebuilding lives."
"Amnesty International's findings point to an Israeli policy of deliberate destruction of Lebanese civilian infrastructure, which included war crimes, during the recent conflict.
The organisation calls for the immediate establishment of a comprehensive, independent and impartial UN inquiry into violations of international humanitarian law by both Hizbullah and Israel in the conflict. "
This page includes a press-release, the report, a call-to action, an image gallery and a video.
Lebanon: Destruction of civilian infrastructure - Amnesty International
1. RUSSIA: ARTISTIC EXPRESSION UNDER THREAT FROM RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE
Artistic expression in Russia is becoming increasingly restricted, fueled by rising nationalism, the increasing influence of the Russian Orthodox Church on national politics and the virtual absence of a free media, warns ARTICLE 19.
In a recently released report, "Art, Religion and Hatred: Religious Intolerance in Russia and its Effect on Art", ARTICLE 19 examines how the abuse of local laws and the government's failure to protect victims of attacks and intimidation are making it increasingly difficult for artists to express their views freely. It focuses, in particular, on the cases of artist Oleg Yanushevski and the Sakharov Museum.
Yanushevski and his family were forced to seek asylum in the United Kingdom in 2004 after he and his wife suffered fierce harassment, their son was attacked, and the artist's work vandalised. Yanushevski's work, which depicts consumer goods and iconic figures in popular culture to represent the absence of spiritual or meaningful values in contemporary society, was labeled "blasphemous" by Russian Orthodox religious groups. Despite Yanushevski's request, the police refused to investigate the attacks on his family.
Ludmila Vasilovskaya and Yuri Samodurov were convicted in March 2005 on charges of incitement to religious and ethnic hatred after mounting an exhibition at the Sakharov Museum called "Caution, Religion!" The exhibition included a piece showing Jesus' face on a red Coca Cola logo next to the words: "This is my blood." Vasilovskaya, the exhibit's curator, and Samodurov, the museum director, were each fined 100,000 Russian roubles (US$3,700).
Vasilovskaya and Samodurov were charged under Article 282 of Russia's Criminal Code, which criminalises the incitement of hatred on religious grounds. ARTICLE 19 says there is little or no connection in the Sakharov Museum case between the expression and the occurrence of any religious hostility. "Although some artistic expression has been offensive, it has never incited religious strife - whether intended or unintended," the group argues.
Other artists and curators have faced attacks on their right to freedom of expression. Marat Guelman, was threatened with prosecution by members of a Russian Orthodox group who attacked his Russia-2 exhibition at the Moscow Biennale in 2005. Avdei Ter-Oganian, a controversial artist who addresses religious themes in his work, was forced to seek refuge in the Czech Republic in 2002 after receiving death threats. Kirill Miller and Igor Bystrov have suffered physical assaults, thought to have been prompted by their outspoken political views, and Oleg Mavromatti has been forced to seek asylum in Bulgaria.
Ironically, Article 282 of the Criminal Code is rarely applied in attacks against religious minorities by ultra-nationalist, neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic groups, notes ARTICLE 19.
The absence of a free press in Russia compounds the challenges facing artistic expression in the country. The country's two nation-wide television channels, which are the main source of information for the majority of citizens, are controlled by the government. With dissenting voices absent from the media, the ruling party can better spread its message of a homogenous Russian society needing a strong centralised state to keep the country together, says ARTICLE 19. This has led to the emergence of more extremist nationalist movements in the country.
At the same time, there is evidence that the Russian Orthodox Church is increasingly assuming the role of ultimate moral arbitrator. The Church has, for example, suggested banning minority faiths and has sought to suppress art that does not portray religion in a positive light.
The Church is also becoming more influential in the political realm. President Vladimir Putin has made no secret of his close relations with the Church and its leaders. Church representatives routinely participate in political events, including election campaigns, and several members of parliament set up a group in 2004 called "In Support of Traditional Spiritual and Ethical Values of Russia." Another group called the Public Committee "For the Moral Revival of the Fatherland" has launched a campaign for harsher measures to eradicate forms of dissent. It enjoys the support of the Orthodox Church and many members of Russia's Duma (House of Parliament).
Read ARTICLE's report here:
here
Este es el informe mensual del Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo sobre las violaciones a los derechos humanos en Guatemala acaecidas en julio del 2006.
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GAM Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo 8a Calle 3-11 Zona 1 Ciudad de Guatemala Informe sobre la situación de los derechos humanos y hechos de <Introducción Empezamos el segundo semestre del 2006, como lo hemos hecho antes, seguimos monitoreando el Guatemala sigue sufriendo una crisis de institucionalidad, la violencia descontrolada es la parte más Este mes tuvimos dos casos en donde se puso de manifiesto que las instituciones siguen siendo Dentro de este marco de impunidad, los hechos violatorios contra el derecho a la vida, están Existen abundantes pruebas de que cuerpos ilegales siguen utilizando el mismo modus operandi de responsables del hecho. Los dirigentes de la Unión Campesina del Sur (UCS)3(3) han denunciado amenazas, intentos de En GAM vemos con preocupación las dimensiones que esta tomando la violencia y Violaciones contra el derecho a la vida ocurridas entre enero y julio 2006 En el mes de julio registramos 316 violaciones contra el derecho a la vida. Según las cifras, podemos A continuación presentamos una perspectiva de las violaciones contra el derecho a la vida Cuadro 1:
Fuente: Elaboración propia del GAM basándose en el monitoreo realizado durante los meses estudiados
Tipos de Violación Muertes Violentas En el mes de julio contabilizamos 132 hechos, estas muertes se caracterizan por la extrema violencia Ejecución Extrajudicial En el mes de julio registramos 102 casos de ejecución extrajudicial. En esta categoría incluimos Limpieza social. En el mes de julio se registraron 35 casos de limpieza social. Ante la inoperancia y corrupción de Muerte por Masacre En el mes de julio se contabilizaron 8 masacres con un saldo de 31 personas muertas, 22 hombres Muerte por Linchamiento En el mes de julio se registro 1 caso de linchamiento. Creemos que estos brotes de violencia -en Clasificación y cifras de las violaciones contra el derecho a la vida ocurridas en el mes de julio Cuadro 2
Fuente: GAM con información recibida directamente y por monitoreo a los medios de comunicación Violaciones contra la Integridad Los activistas sociales, en particular vinculadas a los derechos humanos, operadores de justicia así Secuestros En el mes de julio se contabilizaron 7 casos de secuestro, en contra de 3 personas de sexo También queremos mencionar un caso paradigmático, el secuestro del señor Edwin Orrego, dirigente Intento de Secuestro En el mes de julio, se registró 2 casos de intento de secuestro. Se contabilizaron dentro de esta Amenazas
En el mes de julio, se denunciaron, 4 amenazas. Los dirigentes campesinos, siguen siendo víctimas
Desalojo
En este mes se denunció 2 casos de desalojo. Las políticas neoliberales de este gobierno, se siguen Violaciones a la integridad ocurridas en el mes de julio de 2006 Cuadro 3
Fuente: GAM con información recibida directamente y por monitoreo a los medios de comunicación Violaciones a la integridad en las que participaron turbas sociales Intento de Linchamiento Como lo apuntamos anteriormente, el clima de criminalidad y violencia que sufre la sociedad en su Este mes se registraron 5 intentos de linchamiento en contra de personas de sexo masculino. Vapuleados La mayoría de estos hechos se registran en las áreas urbanas y en la mayoría de los casos son en En el mes de julio se registraron 4 personas vapuleadas, 3 de sexo masculino y 1 de sexo Violaciones contra la integridad con la participación de turbas sociales correspondientes al Cuadro 4
Fuente: GAM con información recibida directamente y por monitoreo a los medios de comunicación Casos Paradigmáticos Cuadro 5 Casos paradigmáticos de muerte violenta
Fuente: Monitoreo realizado por el GRUPO DE APOYO MUTUO Cuadro 6 Caso paradigmático de ejecución extrajudicial
Fuente: Monitoreo realizado por el GRUPO DE APOYO MUTUO. Cuadro 7 Caso paradigmático de limpieza social
Fuente: Monitoreo realizado por el GRUPO DE APOYO MUTUO Cuadro 8 Caso paradigmático de linchamiento
Fuente: Monitoreo realizado por el GRUPO DE APOYO MUTUO Cuadro 9 Caso paradigmático de muerte por masacre
Fuente: Monitoreo realizado por el GRUPO DE APOYO MUTUO Cuadro 10 Caso paradigmático de secuestro
Fuente: Monitoreo realizado por el GRUPO DE APOYO MUTUO Guatemala Agosto de 2006 1. 1 Utilizamos el término por usos prácticos, ya un hecho de violencia no puede ser un acto de limpieza, además, la 2. 2 Ver página 4 del presente informe 3. 3 Idem 4. 4 Nuestro Diario pagina 5, miércoles 5 de Julio de 2006 5. 5 Denuncia divulgada por la Unión Campesina del Sur (UCS) 6. 6 Nuestro Diario, página 2, lunes 24 de julio de 2006 7. 7 8. 8 Prensa Libre página 12, domingo 9 de julio de 2006 9. 9 Nuestro Diario página 2, miércoles 12 de Julio de 2006 10. 10 Nuestro Diario, pagina 11, martes 4 de julio de 2006 11. 11 Al Día, página 4, Lunes 31 de julio de 2006 12. 12 Denuncia divulgada por el Movimientos Nacional por los Derechos Humanos (MNDH) |
El Centro Prodh, la OMCT y CLADEM presentaron un informe tem�tico alternativo ante el Comit� para la Eliminaci�n de la Discriminaci�n contra la Mujer (CEDAW) de la ONU el d�a 14 de agosto sobre los eventos ocurridos en San Salvador Atenco en mayo pasado. Hemos puesto a la consideraci�n del Comit� las fallas en las que ha incurrido el gobierno mexicano para combatir los aspectos de las pol�ticas de seguridad p�blica que afectan a las mujeres espef�camente.
El gobierno mexicano har� la presentaci�n de su informe el d�a 17 de agosto ante el mismo comit�.
Les mantendremos informados de las recomedaciones que el comit� emita al respecto.
El informe Violencia de Estado contra mujeres privadas de libertad en M�xico: El caso San Salvador Atenco est� disponible en el enlace:
El Centro Prodh, la OMCT y CLADEM presentaron un informe tem�tico alternativo ante el Comit� para la Eliminaci�n de la Discriminaci�n contra la Mujer (CEDAW) de la ONU el d�a 14 de agosto sobre los eventos ocurridos en San Salvador Atenco en mayo pasado. Hemos puesto a la consideraci�n del Comit� las fallas en las que ha incurrido el gobierno mexicano para combatir los aspectos de las pol�ticas de seguridad p�blica que afectan a las mujeres espef�camente.
El d�a de hoy convocamos una conferencia de prensa en la que anunciaremos la presentaci�n de este informe por parte de una de nuestras representantes (ver convocatoria m�s adelante).
El gobierno mexicano har� la presentaci�n de su informe el d�a 17 de agosto ante el mismo comit�.
Les mantendremos informados de las recomedaciones que el comit� emita al respecto.
El informe Violencia de Estado contra mujeres privadas de libertad en M�xico: El caso San Salvador Atenco est� disponible en el enlace:
http://www.omct.org/pdf/vaw/2006/CEDAW_36th/cedaw_alt_report_mexico_esp.pdf
From Rep. Pete Stark press release:
GAO REPORT FINDS SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN MILITARY RECRUITING VIOLATIONS
Department of Defense and services lack framework for monitoring wrongdoing
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new GAO report released today by Representatives Pete Stark (CA-13) and Vic Snyder (AR-2) finds significant increases in the number of alleged, substantiated, and criminal violations by military recruiters. The report also finds that the Department of Defense and individual services lack a framework for accounting for recruiting violations. According to GAO, DOD is “not in a sound position to assure the general public that it knows the full extent to which recruiter irregularities are occurring.” This is the third GAO report to make similar findings.
"America deserves better than a ‘don't ask, don't tell’ policy for military recruiting violations," said Stark. "The Department of Defense has twice ignored GAO recommendations on how best to account for and limit recruiters' violations. This third inquiry confirms the two prior reports' findings and demands immediate action. Rather than tolerate drastic increases in recruiting violations, the military should take overdue steps to enforce its own Code of Justice.
“Our all-volunteer military depends on successfully recruiting quality people. The GAO conclusions point once again to the need for continued Congressional oversight by the House Armed Services Committee," said Snyder, Ranking Member of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
Specifically, GAO finds:
· Between fiscal years 2004 and 2005, allegations of recruiter wrongdoing increased by 50%, substantiated cases increased by more than 50%, and criminal violations, such as sexual harassment and falsifying documents, increased by more than 100%. These are conservative estimates as GAO also finds that because the services fail to track all allegations of recruiter wrongdoing, “service data likely underestimate the true number of recruiter irregularities.”
· Nearly five percent of non-supervisory recruiters would have been found to have committed a substantiated violation – if each recruiter who committed a violation in fiscal year 2005 had committed only a single violation.
· DOD has not established oversight guidelines requiring the services to maintain and report data on recruiter violations. As a result, the services use multiple, decentralized, and non-integrated systems for identifying and tracking violations.
In January 1997 and January 1998, GAO analyzed the recruiting and screening process for enlisted personnel. In both reports, GAO similarly concluded that DOD should improve performance and reduce violations by linking recruiter rewards and incentives to recruits’ successful completion of basic training rather than the number of contracts written for applicants. At present, the Marine Corps is the only service that uses basic training attrition rates as a key component of a recruiter’s evaluation. The new GAO report affirms the efficacy of such an approach, finding Marine Corps recruits to have lower attrition rates before entering basic training than applicants to the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The GAO report is available at: http://www.house.gov/stark/news/109th/pressreleases/gaorecruitingreport.pdf
The 50-page Human Rights Watch report, “Fatal Strikes: Israel’s Indiscriminate Attacks Against Civilians in Lebanon,” analyzes almost two dozen cases of Israeli air and artillery attacks on civilian homes and vehicles. Of the 153 dead civilians named in the report, 63 are children. More than 500 people have been killed in Lebanon by Israeli fire since fighting began on July 12, most of them civilians.
http://hrw.org/reports/2006/lebanon0806/
The IHRDC's new report explores the ways in which the 2003 death of Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra “Ziba” Kazemi illustrates chronic, systemic problems in Iran’s law enforcement and justice systems. The report examines specific violations of Iranian and international law that occurred in the Kazemi case and identifies numerous structural impediments to accountability for human rights violations in Iran, concluding that significant reform of the judicial system is needed to counter ongoing impunity for violators.
The full report & appendices are available on our website:
http://www.iranhrdc.org/pdfs/Reports/IHRDCKazemiFinalReport.pdf