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 Legal news from Sunday, October 14, 2007 |
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Sunday, October 14, 2007 |
Blackwater founder welcomes FBI probe into Iraqi civilian shootings
Andrew Gilmore at 8:03 PM ET
[JURIST] Erik Prince, founder and owner of private security firm Blackwater USA [corporate website; JURIST news archive], said Sunday that his company welcomes the ongoing US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation [JURIST report] into the killing of 17 Iraqis last month by a Blackwater security detail. In an interview with 60 Minutes [CBS report], Prince said that he has not seen evidence that would support "any kind of egregious, malicious, intentional wrong behavior," but said that he supported the FBI acting as a "neutral party." Iraqi government investigators probing the killings have concluded that the Blackwater security detail's actions in the September shooting incident [JURIST report] were unprovoked, and amounted to "deliberate murder" [JURIST report].
On September 16, Blackwater guards allegedly fired on civilians, killing 17 and prompting the Iraqi government to withdraw Blackwater's operating license [JURIST report]. In response to domestic outrage, the Iraqi Interior Ministry is proposing draft legislation [JURIST report] to be submitted to the Iraqi parliament that places private security contractors under Iraqi legal jurisdiction. The US House has passed a bill that would expand US jurisdiction over private contractors [JURIST report]. AP has more.
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Israel prime minister faces new criminal probe
Benjamin Klein at 4:14 PM ET
[JURIST] Israeli Attorney General Menahem Mazuz [official profile] Sunday ordered a new criminal investigation into the activities of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert [official website] while he was serving as the country's trade minister from 2003-2006. According to a justice ministry statement obtained by AFP, Olmert will face a police investigation over "political appointments and assisting political cronies in different public bodies during his office as trade and industry minister." The investigation will also consider whether Olmert abused his authority when assisting a private company represented by a lawyer who was also his close associate.
This is not the first time Olmert has been investigated for questionable deals [JURIST news archive]. A number of scandals have emerged surrounding the Israeli prime minister in recent years, including a request by the state comptroller in April 2007 recommending an investigation into allegations that Olmert improperly favored his supporters in distributing business grants when he was trade minister. Olmert was questioned twice last week by police on suspicion of rigging the state sale of Israel's second-largest bank, Bank Leumi [corporate website], in favor of two associates while serving as finance minister. AFP has more.
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ICC prosecutor calls for help in apprehending Darfur war crimes suspects
Andrew Gilmore at 3:52 PM ET
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US commission cites ongoing rights abuses in latest China report
Benjamin Klein at 2:54 PM ET
[JURIST] The US Congressional-Executive Commission on China [official website] has flagged ongoing human rights abuses and the stalled development of the rule of law in China in its latest Annual Report [official report, PDF]. The Commission, consisting of nine US senators, nine House members and five executive appointees, highlighted two general concerns in its 2007 review submitted Wednesday: 1) Chinese leaders’ increasing intolerance of citizen activism and greater suppression of information on urgent matters of public concern (including food safety, public health, and environmental emergencies); and 2) the instrumental use of law for political purposes. The report also documented heightened repression in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and Tibetan autonomous areas of China, increased harassment of legal advocates, and more stringent restrictions on Chinese reporters.
China, the host of the 2008 Summer Olympics, has lately been under growing pressure [advocacy website] from human rights organizations to comply with international human rights and regulatory standards. TIME has more.
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Top Turkish general warns against US House passage of Armenian genocide resolution
Eric Firkel at 10:25 AM ET
[JURIST] General Yasar Buyukanit [official profile], commander of the Turkish Armed Forces, warned Sunday that US-Turkish ties will be permanently damaged if the US House of Representatives passes a resolution [HR 106 materials; PDF text] labeling as genocide the World War I-era killings of over one million Armenians by Turkish soldiers [ANCA backgrounder; Turkish DC Embassy backgrounder]. The resolution was approved by the House Foreign Relations Committee [JURIST report] last week but has yet to be passed by the full House. The Turkish Milliyet newspaper quoted Buyukanit as saying, "If this resolution passed in the committee passes the House as well, our military ties with the US will never be the same again." Currently, over half of US air cargo and a third of the fuel headed to Iraq travels through Turkey. Potential measures against the US could include denying access to Incirlik air base [official website], denying Turkish airspace access to US aircraft and ending joint military exercises. AP has more. Al Jazeera has regional coverage.
In March, US Air Force Maj. Gen. Robertus Remkes, Director of Strategy, Policy and Assessments at US European Command, expressed similar concern about negative military repercussions [JURIST report] if the US House passed resolution HR 106. Last Wednesday, US President George W. Bush expressed disappointment [press briefing] over the committee decision and urged the full House not to approve the resolution out of concern that it could alienate Turkey, a key US supporter in the war on terror. AP has more. Turkey has long objected [JURIST comment] to any attempts to classify the 1915 killings as a genocide. Several other countries - including France, Canada and Argentina - have nonetheless passed laws or resolutions [BBC backgrounder] to that effect.
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Ex-Camp Cropper officer facing Baghdad court-martial
Dennis Zawacki II at 10:10 AM ET
[JURIST] The US military announced Saturday that a former senior officer at the Camp Cropper detention camp in Iraq will face a Baghdad court-martial [press release] beginning Monday on four counts [press release] of violating the United States Code of Military Justice. Lieutenant Colonel William H. Steele, former commander of the 451st Military Police Detachment, is charged [JURIST report] with aiding the enemy by providing a cellular phone to detainees, giving special privileges, failing to obey an order, and for conduct unbecoming an officer by having an inappropriate relationship with an interpreter. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison if Steele is convicted. Earlier this year, Steele pleaded guilty to three other charges of unauthorized possession of classified materials and to unlawfully possessing pornographic videos. His trial was postponed twice previously to allow more preparation time. Steele is currently confined at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.
Camp Cropper, located near Baghdad International Airport, is the second-largest US-run military prison [WP report] in Iraq after Camp Bucca in the wake of the closing of the notorious Abu Ghraib [JURIST news archive] prison which the US emptied [JURIST report] and transferred to the Iraqi government in 2006. Cropper currently has some 3000 inmates. AFP has more.
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Philippines police reluctant to enforce new anti-terror law: security adviser
Josh Camson at 10:05 AM ET
[JURIST] Philippine law enforcement officers are reluctant to use the powers allocated them in a new anti-terrorism law due to strict punishments provided for rights violations, according to a government security advisor speaking to AP Sunday. The controversial Human Security Act of 2007 [PDF text; press release] was signed [JURIST report] in March by President Gloria Arroyo. It authorizes the 72-hour detention of suspects without charge and allows for surveillance, wiretapping and seizure of assets. On the other hand, it says that officers who perform an unauthorized wiretap or violate the rights of a detainee could face up to 12 years in prison. Section 41 of the Act sets out damage amounts payable to persons wrongly charged:Upon his or her acquittal or the dismissal of the charges against him or her, the amount of Five hundred thousand pesos (P500,000.00 [roughly $11,000]) a day for the period in which his properties, assets or funds were seized shall be paid to him on the concept of liquidated damages. The amount shall be taken from the appropriations of the police or law enforcement agency that caused the filing of the enumerated charges against him/her. National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzalez [official profile] said Cabinet officials have already begun to discuss revising the Act.
There was substantial opposition to the legislation on civil liberties grounds even before it went into effect [JURIST report]. In March, Martin Scheinin, UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, recommended [JURIST report] that it be amended or repealed. In July, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines urged Manila [JURIST report] to revisit the act, saying that "many voices are apprehensive" about the anti-terror legislation. AP has more
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