Pinochet Era General Jailed

The life sentence of former Chilean General Hugo Salas Wenzel was upheld by the Chilean Supreme Court today making him the first senior military officer to receive such a term for human rights violations. Wenzel was convicted for his hand in 12 political murders under the Pinochet regime.

Sudan Refuses to Cooperate with ICC

Sudan is refusing to execute arrest warrants for two Sudanese men wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. One of the men is Sudan’s Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and the other is a Janjaweed militia leader. The Prosecutor for the ICC has threatened to take the matter to the UN Security Council if Sudan does not comply with the warrants, but it is unlikely that this threat will be taken seriously based on the lack of pressure from the Security Council thus far.

Noriega Extradition Approved

Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega could be headed to France where he faces a 10 year sentence for money laundering following a US federal court decision today. Noriega was found guilty in France in absentia and also faces charges in Panama for kidnapping, extortion and murder of political opponents. Noriega's lawyers appear to be fighting for Noriega to return to Panama because under Panamanian law most of the sentence he received would be served under house arrest due to his age. Noriega is scheduled to leave prison in Florida on September 9 after serving 17 1/2 years for racketeering in connection with accepting bribes to allow drugs bound for the US through Panama.

Israel Denies Darfur Refugees

Fifty Africans, most of them believed to be Sudanese, were turned away by Israel on Sunday. The refugees had illegally entered via the southern border with Egypt and were driven back to Egypt. Human rights activists were very troubled by the move as earlier this month Israeli TV aired a report about Egyptian soldiers killing refugees. Some Israeli politicians are urging for Sudanese refugees not to be turned away for fears they will be returned to the Sudan and face potential genocide.

Migrant Workers in Saudi Arabia Killed

Human Rights Watch is reporting that two migrant domestic workers were beaten to death in Saudi Arabia recently and two others critically injured. These Indonesian women were apparently beaten by a Saudi Arabian family for practicing black magic on the family's son.

About 2 million foreign women are employed as domestic workers in Saudi Arabia and routinely face abuses including verbal, physical, and sexual abuse and confinement. If these women come forward to complain they often face charges such as adultery or witchcraft. Additionally, they face due process violations, such as lack of interpreters and no notice to their embassies.

Somali and Ethiopian Soldiers Accused of War Crimes

Human Rights Watch released a new report today which accuses both the Somali insurgents and Ethiopian military of war crimes. The Somali forces' violations include:

the indiscriminate firing of mortar rounds into civilian areas; deployment of forces in densely populated neighborhoods; targeted killings of civilian officials of the transitional Somali government; and summary executions and mutilation of the bodies of captured combatants.

The Ethiopians on the other hand are said to have

violated the laws of war by widely and indiscriminately bombarding highly populated areas of Mogadishu with rockets, mortars and artillery. Its troops on several occasions specifically targeted hospitals and looted them of desperately needed medical equipment. Human Rights Watch also documented cases of Ethiopian forces deliberately shooting and summarily executing civilians.

Naturally, both sides deny that they have committed any violations. Meanwhile, the violence continues as at least 9 people died today in Mogadishu from gunfire and a roadside bomb. Somalia has not had a central government since 1991 and is being hailed as "the new Iraq" by diplomats.