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30 Nov 2015 - NPWJ News Digest on Middle East and North Africa Democracy
NPWJ press release
Side event on "Accountability and the Prospect of a Political Solution to the Conflict in Syria"
By NPWJ, 30 Nov 2015
In the margins of the 14th Session of the International Criminal Court Assembly of States Parties, the Euro-Syrian Democratic Forum and No Peace Without Justice are convening a Side Event on "Accountability and the Prospect of a Political Solution to the Conflict in Syria", which will be held on 25 November 2015 (from 13:15 to 14:45, Oceania Room, World Forum, The Hague). The meeting is organised with the financial support of the European Union and co-sponsored by the Governments of Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, United Kingdom and the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces. Panelists of the meeting, to be co-Chaired by Niccolò Figà-Talamanca, Secretary General No Peace Without Justice and Hussein Sabbagh, Secretary General of Euro-Syrian Democratic Forum, include Raheb Alwany, Human Rights Defender, Rami Nakhla, NPWJ Syria Project Coordinator, Ayman Ghojal, Human Rights Defender, Stephen Rapp, former US Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice, former SCSL Prosecutor.
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Israel suspends EU role in peace process with Palestinians
by BBC, 29 Nov 2015
Israel has said it is suspending contact with EU officials involved in peace efforts with the Palestinians. The move follows the bloc's decision to label goods from Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "ordered suspension of diplomatic contacts with the institutions of the European Union on this issue", a foreign ministry statement said. The EU says the settlements are illegal under the international law, but Israel disputes this. Just over two weeks ago the European Commission issued new guidelines for the labelling of some products made in Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian and Syrian land. The EU says settlements constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict impossible.
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Saudi Arabia: cruel violent punishments won’t bring security
By The Guardian, 29 Nov 2015
Saudi Arabia is not the only country with a dreadful record on human rights. In the Middle East alone, there is Iran, which hanged nearly 700 people in the first six months of this year, some for the supposed crime of “Enmity to God”. Pakistan is distinguished by the cruelty of its blasphemy law, which allows disputes among neighbours to escalate to judicial murder. Bahrain has violently suppressed its Shia citizens. Qataris have been said to be among the most enthusiastic funders of violent jihad. But even in this company there is something altogether special about Saudi Arabia. The mass execution of prisoners is not, sadly, without precedent. Iran did something similar after the revolution. Nonetheless, the Saudi decision to execute more than 50 supposed “terrorists” to discourage Isis is pretty shameless. Many appear to be young Shia men caught up in protests against discrimination last year. No other country would impose the grotesque sentence of 1,000 lashes for blog posts about God’s existence. No other country would impose a death sentence for atheism on a distinguished poet. Many of the atrocities which Isis performs for effect are in Saudi performed as routine.
Starvation in Yemen: 'We are hoping just to survive'
by Al Jazeera, 29 Nov 2015
Since March, an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been conducting air strikes in Yemen in an effort to curb the expansion of the country's Houthi rebels, who have been fighting government forces for control of the country. Thousands of people have died in the conflict, which has sparked a massive humanitarian crisis. More than 1.5 million people have been displaced, and many more are struggling to access the basic necessities, including food, water and fuel. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), around 14 million people in Yemen - more than half the country's population - have become food insecure, and of those, around seven million are classified as severely food insecure.c necessities, including food, water and fuel. Ongoing fighting has made it difficult for relief agencies to reach the areas of greatest need, while several key land border facilities have been closed, and Houthi rebels have laid siege to the southwestern city of Taiz. Access routes throughout the country, including many bridges, have been damaged or destroyed, contributing to the worsening food shortages, noted a report released this month by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET). The report found that the problem of food insecurity in Yemen, a country that has long struggled with malnutrition and poverty, has deteriorated substantially since last year - and the decline is set to continue.
Russian pilot's body flown to Ankara after honours
By the BBC, 29 Nov 2015
Turkey has flown the body of the Russian pilot killed after his plane was downed on the Syrian border to Ankara, to be met by Russian diplomats. Lt Col Oleg Peshkov's coffin was flown to the capital from southern Turkey. It is not yet clear when the body will be repatriated to Russia. Turkish forces shot down the plane saying it had violated Turkish airspace, which Russia denies. The incident has sparked a furious row between the two countries. Russia announced sanctions against Turkey. Rebels from Syria's ethnic Turkmen community opened fire on Lt Col Peshkov and his co-pilot as they tried to parachute into government-held territory on Tuesday. The rebels said he had died by the time he reached the ground. Earlier on Sunday, Lt Col Peshkov's body was received by Turkish authorities at Hatay airport on the Syrian border. A Turkish honour guard carried the coffin on to an air force plane for the flight to Ankara.
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Hollande urges UK MPs to back Cameron on Isis airstrikes
The Guardian, 27 Nov 2015
François Hollande has appealed to British MPs to back David Cameron’s call to join airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria. The French president issued his request at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta on Friday, saying: “We want to destroy terrorism … I hope that the House of Commons will be able to meet the request of prime minister Cameron.” His intervention appeared to be carefully choreographed with Downing Street: a No 10 official was in the room and it came just a day after Cameron urged MPs to support airstrikes in Syria. “The reason for acting is the very direct threat that Isil [Isis] poses to our country and our way of life,” Cameron told MPs. “They have already taken the lives of British hostages and inspired the worst terrorist attack against British people since 7/7 on the beaches of Tunisia.” He added: “We shouldn’t be content with outsourcing our security to our allies. If we won’t act now, when our friend and ally France has been struck in this way, then our friends and allies can be forgiven for asking: if not now, when?”
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