Afghanistan: 3 years after Karzai appointed a commission to investigate mass grave, the site, the commission and the truth are missing

Three years after President Hamid Karzai appointed a commission to investigate a mass grave site in the Chimtala plains, north of Kabul city, the site, the commission and the truth are missing.

Commission chairman Mawlawi Fazel Hadi Shinwari has been in a coma in hospital in India for over eight months, according to government officials.

“I have no knowledge about the commission and its work,” said Mawlawi Qiamuddin Kashaf, acting chairman of the Ulema Council which was also headed by Shinwari. Officials in the President’s Office were also unable to shed any light on the commission’s findings.

Dozens of mass graves have been disturbed or destroyed over the past eight years, and with them crucial evidence about atrocities committed and their perpetrators, human rights groups say.

“In some cases, people have deliberately tampered with or destroyed a mass grave in order to hide criminal evidence,” Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) official Ahmad Nader Nadery told IRIN.

Numerous human rights violations, including mass killings, have been committed by various warring factions since 1979, but no proper investigations of the graves have been carried out.

Officials estimate some graves contain hundreds of bodies, and one in the eastern province of Kunar has over 1,100 bodies, according to the AIHRC, which said it had registered at least 118 mass grave sites.

Accused

A mass grave in the Dasht-e-Lailee desert in Jowzjan Province, where the bodies of thousands of Taliban prisoners were reportedly dumped in 2001-2002, was allegedly tampered with by Uzbek warlord Gen Abdul Rashid Dostum in 2008.

Despite denials, Dostum has been accused of killing thousands of Taliban prisoners when he helped the US-led coalition overcome the Taliban in northern Afghanistan in 2001-2002.

Dostum is a close ally and senior military adviser to President Karzai.

The disturbance of the burial site in Dasht-e-Lailee was widely condemned by human rights groups. Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), a US-based organization, called on the Afghan government and its foreign supporters to preserve the sites.

“Our calls were never heeded and it led to the destruction of an area where we suspect there are mass graves… and even that has not been investigated,” Stefan Schmitt, a PHR forensic expert, told IRIN.

He said a lot of powerful people, some of them in high government posts, were involved in past crimes in Afghanistan and they do not want the truth to come out. “One can attempt to destroy evidence but cannot wash away a crime forever,” he said.

A senior UN official said in December 2008 that the UN was committed to helping the Afghan authorities preserve such sites in order to protect evidence of crimes.

Justice denied

Mass graves were considered key elements in the implementation of a transitional justice action plan which, according to AIHRC officials, failed to achieve even 10 percent of its targeted benchmarks

The official deadline for the implementation of the action plan expired over two years ago and Karzai has refused calls to renew it.

An overwhelming majority of the over 4,000 people interviewed by the AIHRC in 2005 said human rights violators and criminals must be brought to justice. However, there is a lack of political commitment to conduct the necessary investigations, experts say.

“Individually people want to find out about their victims and seek justice but officially this has not been possible so far,” said PHR’s Schmitt.

“Regardless of their importance for the transitional justice process - which is very important - mass graves are an inextricable part of our brutal history and must be protected out of respect for the victims,” said AIHRC’s Nadery.

No peace is viable without justice, and over 76 percent of those interviewed by the AIHRC in 2005 said justice would bring stability and security, which has deteriorated since the fall of the Taliban. Many powerful criminals have not been brought to book, undermining peace efforts, experts say.

Complicating any future investigations is the fact that while the motives for tampering with the dead may be criminal, they are not necessarily so: In some instances, local people, searching for lost family members, have taken bones from mass graves and buried them elsewhere. Collective reburials of human remains have also been reported in some areas at the behest of local Islamic leaders.

Disclaimer:This material comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or its Member States.
Photo: Copyright IRIN

Afghanistan: Tonga agrees to send troops to Afghanistan after Gordon Brown asked for support

Australian News Network reports Tonga has agreed to send troops to Afghanistan, saying the fight against the Taliban will provide much needed jobs.

A contingent of 55 Tongan soldiers is expected to begin service in November - the first of 275 soldiers committed over a two-year period.

Tonga's Defence Services commander, Brigadier Tauaika 'Uta'atu has told the AFP, the former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown wrote to his Tongan counterpart asking for support.

Human Rights: Kashmir government moves to probe deaths of 17 persons by police and paramilitary forces

Srinagar, India, July 28, IRNA - The state government has appointed a two-member Commission of Inquiry to probe deaths of 17 persons by police and paramilitary forces since June 11 this year. The government also sanctioned relief to the families of victims.

The decision to set up the Commission was taken at a state cabinet meeting here on Tuesday chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, an official spokesman said.

The commission has been set up to cool tempers running high in Kashmir since the spate of killings began some six weeks ago.

The commission will be headed by a retired judge of Kashmir High Court.

The Commission has been asked to submit its report within three months.

The government has also taken a number of other steps to bring the street rage, which has now turned into a full blown anti-India agitation, in control.

The cabinet decided to set up a committee to review the cases of detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and make recommendations about the release

Iran: Stoning - condemned woman's lawyer missing, authorities take his wife and brother-in-law "hostage"

Copyright (c) 2009. RFE/RL, Inc.

Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

By Golnaz Esfandiari

Iranian Authorities Pressure Prominent Lawyer By Holding Family Members 'Hostage'

"Today I was again contacted after being interrogated, I was summoned through a telephone call. I don't know what the problem is this time. At any rate, tomorrow I have to go to the Evin prosecutor's office. Maybe they will arrest me, I don't know."

That message posted by Mohammad Mostafaei on his blog on July 23 is the last heard from the Iranian lawyer, who represents an Iranian woman whose execution by stoning was recently postponed following an international outcry.

Mostafaei is believed to have gone into hiding after an arrest warrant was issued for him, according to colleagues and activists familiar with the case.

And with no Mostafaei to be found, the Iranian authorities have resorted to taking his wife and brother-in-law "hostage" to pressure him to turn himself in, their lawyer claims.

Hassan Aghakhani tells RFE/RL's Radio Farda that his clients, Fereshteh Halimi and Farhad Halim, were arrested on the evening of July 24 in front of Mostafaei's office.

"They're being held for allegedly hiding and helping Mostafaei escape, but that's impossible," Aghakhani says. "My clients haven't even seen Mostafaei. In fact, this can be described as hostage-taking. [The authorities] have said, 'Give us Mostafaei and we'll let these two go.'"

The two are reportedly being held in Tehran's infamous Evin prison without legal counsel, while Mostafaei's 7-year-old daughter is staying with his mother-in-law.

Mostafaei gave no indication on his blog why he was interrogated, but activists and colleagues say it regarded a bank account he set up to save the lives of juvenile offenders he represents. The account would help his clients' families pay "blood money" demanded by their victims' families for forgiveness, a traditional last resort for avoiding execution in Iran.

Victim Of Stoning Case

But rights activists and colleagues of Mostafaei say they believe the authorities are placing pressure on him because of his role in the case of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year-old woman who was convicted in 2006 of adultery.

Mostafaei played an important role in bringing attention to Ashtiani's case. He gave several interviews and he reportedly also helped Ashtiani's two children in their campaign to save their mother's life.

The stoning sentence against the Iranian mother was condemned internationally, and protests were held in a number of cities around the world. This month, Iran's judiciary postponed the execution on humanitarian grounds, although the verdict still stands and could be implemented in the future.

Iranian state television reported on July 25 that the prosecution and sentencing of Ashtiani, who's full name was not disclosed for legal reasons, gave "a pretext for the opposition of the Islamic republic to hold anti-Iranian rallies" in several Western countries. "U.S. and Israeli television channels," it reported, have made "a fuss" over Iranian failures to observe human rights.

Shadi Sadr, a well-known women's rights advocate who was forced to leave Iran several months ago, says she believes the regime is reacting to the "international sensitivity" by placing pressure on Mostafaei.

And Sadr, who has worked with Mostafaei on behalf of women sentenced to execution by stoning in the Islamic republic, says the reaction embodies the plight of human rights advocates in Iran in general.

She says that Mostafaei "worked within the framework of the laws of the Islamic republic, he never crossed the red lines set by the Islamic republic. This case just shows the increasing pressure on human rights activists and how red lines and limitations are becoming every day tighter and tighter."

Perils Of The Rights Defender

Mostafaei is clearly passionate about his work. Last year, he wrote on his blog how he witnessed the hanging of one of the juvenile offenders he was defending, and he was detained briefly in 2009 because of his work as a lawyer.

Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner and lawyer Shirin Ebadi has faced similar tactics -- her sister and husband were reportedly arrested in Iran last year due to her human rights activities and her condemnation of the crackdown that followed Iran's 2009 presidential election.

She says Mostafaei's only crime is his defense of human rights. "Mostafaei believes punishments such as stoning are unjust," Ebadi says. "He believes it's wrong to execute individuals under the age of 18 and [Iran] needs to review its laws. That is his only sin."

Ebadi, who lives in exile abroad, says she hopes Mostafaei takes a stand against the "illegal move" by Iranian officials. "I hope he stands firm and tells everyone that his wife is a hostage, but refuses to give in to the demands of the hostage takers," she says.

Sadr echoes that wish, saying that by surrendering to the pressure Mostafaei could encourage Iranian officials to use the "hostage-taking"" tactic against other human rights advocates and political activists.

RFE/RL's Radio Farda broadcaster Roya Karimi contributed to this report

Haiti: The fight against rape

Source: Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH); MADRE (Madre)

More than six months after Port-au-Prince was leveled by the January 12 earthquake, hundreds of thousands of displaced women and girls live in fear of rape in tent cities that lack lighting, privacy and security. Today, the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) along with partners MADRE, TransAfrica Forum, and the law schools of the University of Minnesota and the University of Virginia released "Our Bodies are Still Trembling: Haitian Women's Fight Against Rape," the first report of its kind to focus exclusively on the crisis of violence against Haitian women and girls that has emerged in the aftermath of the earthquake. The report is the product of a fact-finding delegation to Haiti in May coordinated by IJDH's Lawyers' Earthquake Response Network (LERN).

Blaine Bookey, Esq., staff attorney with IJDH and coordinator of the LERN delegation on rape and gender-based violence, returned to Haiti this week to continue advocacy efforts for Haitian women's right to live free from violence. Bookey is working in close collaboration with women's grassroots groups, and continues to conduct fact-finding interviews and gather evidence in preparation for filing litigation on behalf of assault victims. She said today, "The findings presented in this report illustrate the crisis of rapes in the camps and the failure of the government of Haiti, the United Nations, and others in the international community to adequately address the problem. The report aims to help these groups implement a more effective response so that these crimes against women will not go unpunished."

The report released today contains the most detailed and up-to-date information available on the issue of gender-based violence in Haiti, and concrete recommendations for an improved response to the crisis. It tracks the high incidence and prevalence of rape in the camps, the lack of an adequate government or international response, and the courageous work done by grassroots women's groups to address these threats. The findings from this report will be presented to to Haitian government officials, the United Nations and other humanitarian actors, and to donor states including members of U.S. Congress.

Lisa Davis, Human Rights Advocacy Director at IJDH's partner organization MADRE, said today, "Our partners in Haiti have been tirelessly working, not only to provide urgent care for women who have been raped in the camps, but to forcefully demand that addressing this threat be a priority in disaster response policies. Together, our international human rights advocacy has kept this issue from being swept away and ignored."

The Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) fights for human rights and justice in Haiti and for fair treatment of Haitians in the U.S.

MADRE works to advance women's human rights by meeting immediate needs and building lasting solutions for communities in crisis.

Maldives: Seeking a way out of democracy crisis

By Anand Kumar*
Republished courtesy of IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

NEW DELHI (IDN) - Multi-party democracy in Maldives -- an island nation in the Indian Ocean -- is facing a major crisis after less than two years of its establishment. A bitter political struggle has emerged between the president and opposition-led national parliament since June.

This has resulted in several street demonstrations in Male (the capital city), in which scores of policemen and civilians have been injured. A situation of political deadlock exists, which may not be good for the nascent democracy in Maldives.

The seeds of the present impasse go back to the 2009 parliamentary election when the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) led by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom managed to get a simple majority in parliament with the help of the People's Alliance (PA) and some independents. President Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has 28 MPs and the support of four independent MPs in the 77-member Parliament.

Under the Maldives' system of government, the president handpicks his cabinet and each nomination must be approved by parliament. Parliament also has the power to remove a minister through a no-confidence vote. Though DRP gained control of the legislature it fell short of a two-thirds majority that it would need to impeach the president. At the same time, Nasheed cannot dismiss the assembly until it completes its full five-year term. The outcome has been a political deadlock.

Some of the opposition parties have not been happy with the education minister for his liberal views. To remove him from his post, the opposition-controlled parliament planned to bring a no-confidence motion against him. The cabinet however pre-empted the move by resigning en masse on 29 June.

This decision also triggered a political crisis and left the country without any government for two weeks. The government claimed that opposition MPs were not allowing the executive to function properly and making it impossible for ministers to discharge their constitutional duties. On the same day police arrested three key opposition MPs for allegedly offering cash to bribe parliamentarians to vote against the government. This move worsened the crisis.

Some key members of the opposition were also creating trouble for the government because they were not happy with its decision to privatize Male airport. These MPs, who are actually business tycoons, benefitted from the earlier system. Hasan Sayeed, leader of another opposition party Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) was allegedly receiving huge legal fees from two MPs, Yameen and Gasim. Hence, his party was also opposing the government's decision to privatize Male airport.

President Nasheed has attributed the ongoing political crisis to the constitution adopted on August 7, 2008, which is based on a presidential system of governance though it has also vested wider powers with Parliament, aimed at maintaining necessary checks and balances. This system becomes problematic in case parliament is controlled by the opposition as is the case in Maldives. It allows the opposition to obstruct the core functions of the executive, such as raising taxes and providing subsidies.

Nasheed is of the view that only amending the constitution would bring political stability. He is also willing to change the political system into a parliamentary system and seek immediate re-election. Nasheed feels some laws passed in Parliament are making it difficult for him to play the role of the executive according to the constitution. He wants this to be rectified.

MEDIATION

To defuse the crisis in Maldives, the international community has offered mediation. U.S. Ambassador Patricia Butenis and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa have mediated talks between the government and opposition parties. But the opposition leaders of Maldives feel that their mediation has already failed.

The Commonwealth and the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) too have offered to mediate. President Nasheed believes that no amount of foreign mediation can solve the country's internal political crisis. He has suggested the option of a Maldivian Repporteur acceptable to all parties, to take up the role of a peace envoy. This Maldivian Repporteur could be even a senior civil servant of Maldives.

Meanwhile, the government and opposition in Maldives have started a dialogue to ease tension on the advice of United States Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Robert Blake. Blake also felt that the current political unrest in the country could only be solved through dialogue and compromise.

To facilitate talks, Nasheed has released opposition leader Yameen. In an attempt to reach out to the opposition, Nasheed has congratulated the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party on the fifth anniversary of its formation. He also expressed confidence that the DRP will cooperate with the government in its efforts to find an amicable solution to the current political impasse.

Unfortunately, not everyone in Maldives is looking for a solution to the political crisis. A section of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MPs have declared that they will forward a no-confidence motion against President Nasheed to parliament for violating the constitution.

Nasheed also seems to be prepared for all outcomes. The government is considering a referendum to decide on a system of governance, if negotiations fail. The government thinks that there is a need to define clear cut boundaries on the system of the governance.

Political instability in Maldives is not in the interest of India. The Indian government should encourage Maldivian-led mediation to defuse the political crisis in the Indian Ocean archipelago. Over the years, religious extremists have been gaining ground in Maldives.

A political vacuum could be used by them to harm Maldivian democracy. Nasheed's popularity at home has waned, as he struggles to deliver the political and economic reforms he had promised, in the face of parliamentary resistance. More importantly, the peaceful transition to multi-party democracy that was taking place under President Nasheed has come under a cloud as a result of the present political crisis in Maldives.

Maldives, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls stretching in a north-south direction off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and Chagos Archipelago. It stands in the Laccadive Sea, about seven hundred kilometres (435 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka.

*This analysis was originally published by Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (www.idsa.in) at http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/MaldivesBeleagueredDemocracy_akumar_270710 (IDN-InDepthNews/27.07.2010) 2010 IDN-InDepthNews | Analysis That Matters

Gender Issues: New law would help immigrants facing female circumcision

Gender-based violence is a problem facing millions of women worldwide.

Forced marriage, honor killing and female genital mutilation are just a few of the human rights abuses directed against women solely because of their gender.

In the United States, a number of organizations are trying to help women who are trying to flee their country to escape this gender-based persecution, using the judicial system to help them get asylum.

Now, legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Congress aims to strengthen current asylum laws for immigrant women, which will be of tremendous assistance to these groups.

Swaziland: Journalists who "write bad things about the country will die"

Source: International Freedom of Expression eXchange

(CPJ/IFEX) The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns death threats and outrageous claims made last week by a member of Swaziland's royal family against local journalists over their critical coverage of the country's leadership.

During a July 21 public forum called the Smart Partnership National Dialogue in the central commercial city of Manzini, Prince Mahlaba, brother of Swaziland's absolute ruler King Mswati III, was quoted by local media as saying: "I want to warn the media to bury things that have the potential of undermining the country rather than publish all and everything, even when such reports are harmful to the country's international image. Journalists who continue to write bad things about the country will die." The prince also accused the media of peddling lies, saying: "It's a fact that journalists earn their living by writing lies and if they do not write the lies then their source of livelihood is threatened, and this is fact and beyond debate."

The senior prince was responding to a question at the forum from the queen about why the media was portraying the country negatively, local journalists told CPJ.

Mbogani Mbingo, managing editor of the independent Times of Swaziland, told CPJ the threats were "dangerous" and could not be taken lightly since the prince was a member of a highly influential royal advisory council, the Swazi National Council Standing Committee (SNC)." The SNC advises the king on public policy, including media matters.

"The government of Swaziland must immediately reject the death threats against journalists by a leading member of the ruling family," said CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita. "We call on the government to issue a clear and unequivocal statement condemning this murderous outburst and ensuring the international community that Swaziland is committed to the protection of all journalists."

Comfort Mabuza, the National Director of the local chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa, condemned the threats and feared they could incite the public against the journalists. "We are in big trouble because his view may be representing that of the SNC, which advises the king," Mabuza told CPJ. "The council is yet to call him to order and we are really concerned about their continued silence."

In Swaziland, Africa's last absolute monarchy, the government persists in intimidating journalists who write about the monarchy, leading to censorship and self-censorship, according to CPJ research.

Racial Issues: California Tea Party supporters told to bring dogs to harass Muslim worshippers

The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today denounced a planned anti-mosque protest by California Tea Party supporters who are being told to bring dogs to harass Muslim worshippers during a Friday congregational prayer, or "Jummah."

CAIR-LA called on local officials and interfaith leaders to show support for the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley, the target of the July 30 protest by the Southwest Riverside County (SWRC) Tea Party group. The protest is in opposition to a proposal for a new mosque in the area.

SEE: Tea Party Anti-Islam Mosque Protest Planned for July 30

An e-mail alert announcing the anti-mosque protest sent to area newspapers by "a leader of a conservative coalition that has been active with Republican and Tea Party functions" stated: "An Islamic Mosque is planned to be built in Temecula. Islam is not a religion. It is a worldwide political movement meant [sic] on domination of the world. And it is meant to subjugate all people under Islamic law. . .Islam permits lying!. . .The Islam's [sic] treat women as second class people and they also hate dogs. Women are forbidden to sing and dogs are killed. We will not be submissive to Sharia Law. Tennessee was able to stop the Mosque so bring your Bibles, flags, signs, dogs and singing voice on Friday."

SEE: Temecula Mosque Proposal Targeted in Pending Protest

"Californians of all faiths should repudiate those who would target a house of worship using tactics specifically designed to cause offense," said CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. "National and state Tea Party leaders should explain why their movement has apparently deviated from its agenda on fiscal responsibility and limited government to the promotion of Islamophobia."

Ayloush noted that many Muslims believe the saliva of dogs invalidates the ritual ablution (wudu) performed before prayer. For this reason, it has become a cultural norm for individuals not to have dogs in their houses -- not because the dog is "hated." Islam's Prophet Muhammad allowed the use of dogs for protection and for hunting, and he related several traditions (hadith) in which individuals were rewarded by God for protecting animals, including dogs, and punished for mistreating them.

In response to the planned protest, the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley released a statement that read in part: "It has come to our attention that a group of people seek to disrupt our prayer session on Friday, July 30th. We are disheartened and saddened that a group of our neighbors seeks to disrespect and make our community feel unwelcome."

SEE: Temecula-Based Islamic Center Responds to Planned Mosque Protest

Last week, CAIR called on Florida GOP U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio not to accept an invitation to take part in an August 21 Tea Party rally featuring an extremist anti-Islam keynote speaker who has stated that Muslims should not be allowed to hold public office, that an American Muslim "cannot be a loyal citizen" and that Islam is the "real enemy.

Source: Council on American-Islamic Relations

Gender Issues: Saudi Embassy hosts "Photography Through the Eyes of Saudi Arabian Women"

The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in coordination with Dar Al-Hekma College is opening a photo exhibit entitled "Photography Through the Eyes of Saudi Arabian Women." The exhibition is the first of its kind, portraying a collection of work from dozens of Saudi women photographers to be exhibited in the United States. The exhibit will run from July 27-August 6 at the Embassy in Washington, D.C.

The initial showing of the exhibit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in April 2010 was organized by Saudi photographer Rania A. Razek, showcasing photographs by amateur and professional female photographers. Ms. Razek helped found the first women's photography club in the Kingdom and was involved in developing the Photography Diploma Program at Dar Al-Hekma College and other institutions in the Kingdom.

The photographs from the exhibit are also featured in a book entitled Photography Through the Eyes of Saudi Arabian Women created by Ms. Razek. The book includes the experiences of female photographers living in Saudi Arabia.

Ms Razek said, "My wish is that this book and exhibit will help motivate others to share their unique visions with the world. I hope the work will help increase awareness, pride and appreciation for our cultural heritage."

The photographs featured were taken in a variety of places in Saudi Arabia and around the world. They cover the following topics: visions of life, portraiture, abstractions, Saudi Arabian culture and photo art.

Source: Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Information Office

Copyright: Blind have right to access E-books

The National Federation of the Blind, the oldest nationwide organization of blind Americans and the leading advocate for access to digital information by the blind, commented today on the renewal of a ruling from the Librarian of Congress that allows the circumvention of digital rights management (DRM) technology by blind people seeking equal access to e-books. The ruling states that one of the circumstances in which circumvention of technology that limits access to copyrighted works is not a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is: "literary works distributed in e-book format when all existing e-book editions of the work (including digital text editions made available by authorized entities) contain access controls that prevent the enabling either of the book's read-aloud function or of screen readers that render the text into a specialized format."

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The National Federation of the Blind commends the Librarian of Congress for recognizing the right of blind Americans to obtain equal access to the information contained in digital books. It is the position of the National Federation of the Blind that blind people have the right to access content for which they have paid or which they have otherwise legally obtained, just like all other readers. We are pleased that the Librarian of Congress sees matters in the same way. The e-book industry, however, has largely failed to recognize our rights.

The Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Sony Reader, and other e-book reading devices and applications still remain inaccessible to us, and we have yet to see accessible e-book readers and content from those who have promised them. At this time, Apple products that can access the company's iBooks are the only mainstream e-book devices accessible to blind readers. The National Federation of the Blind will continue to use every means at our disposal to secure the right of blind Americans to access the same books at the same time and at the same price as all other consumers. We will stand for nothing less."

Source: National Federation of the Blind

Tanzania: Saving Tanzanian forests

UN - Thousands of hectares of fragile mountainous forest in north-eastern Tanzania have been preserved through a recently completed seven-year biodiversity project managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The Eastern Arc Mountains project, financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), was concluded last month after an independent evaluation reported that at least 10,000 hectares of forest had been saved from destruction, and that the rate of forest loss had been reduced by 10 per cent.

River flows from the Eastern Arc are the main source of water for at least a quarter of Tanzania’s population. They produce more than half the country’s hydro-electric power. Water, electricity and non-timber forest products from the area generate over $175 million every year, according to UNDP.

The Tanzanian Government has nominated the forest ecosystem for recognition by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage Site.

The project was selected because an estimated 70 per cent of Eastern Arc’s rich and unique forestland had been destroyed mainly through farming and timber harvesting. Only about 5,400 square kilometres of the original 23,000 square kilometres of forested area remained on the mountains.

UNDP worked on the project with the Tanzanian Government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academic bodies and village administrations, to develop community-based conservation initiatives.

Conservation efforts included the preservation of the Uluguru native reserve in Morogoro region, a popular tourism destination and home to more than 100 unique plants, bird species, mammals and amphibians.

Some 300 people from 10 villages in the region were trained in new methods of agriculture and livestock husbandry.

“The Eastern Arc strategy defines what the Government and other actors in Tanzania need to do to ensure the conservation of the Eastern Arc mountains and their global biodiversity importance,” said Nik Sekhran, principal technical adviser for biodiversity and ecosystems at UNDP.

Organized Crime: U.S. - MS-13 gang member sentenced to death

Chief U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. today formally imposed the federal death penalty sentence on Alejandro Enrique Ramirez Umana, aka “Wizard,” announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Anne M. Tompkins of the Western District of North Carolina. A 12-person federal jury in Charlotte voted unanimously on April 28, 2010 to impose the death penalty against Umana after having convicted him on April 19, 2010 on charges related to the murders of Ruben Garcia Salinas and his brother, Manuel Garcia Salinas, on December 8, 2007. Umana is the first MS-13 member in the country to receive the death penalty.

Umana, 25, of Charlotte, was convicted by the jury on all charged counts, including conspiracy to participate in racketeering; two counts of murder in aid of the racketeering enterprise known as MS-13; two counts of murder resulting from the use of a gun in a violent crime; possession of a firearm by an illegal alien; one count of extortion; and two criminal counts associated with witness tampering or intimidation. During the sentencing phase, the jury also found that Umana was responsible for other murders. Specifically, the jury found that on July 27, 2005, Umana killed Jose Herrera and Gustavo Porras in Los Angeles, and on September 28, 2005, Umana participated and aided and abetted the killing of Andy Abarca in Los Angeles.

Umana was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 23, 2008. Witnesses testified at his trial that Umana was a veteran member of MS-13 who came illegally to Charlotte to assist in reorganizing the Charlotte MS-13 cell. Witnesses also testified that on December 8, 2007, while in the Las Jarochitas, a family-run restaurant in Greensboro, Umana shot Ruben Garcia Salinas fatally in the chest and Manuel Garcia Salinas in the head. Witnesses testified that the shootings took place after the Garcia Salinas brothers had “disrespected” Umana’s gang signs by calling them “fake.” Firing three more shots in the restaurant, according to trial testimony, Umana injured another individual with his gunfire. Trial testimony and evidence showed that Umana later fled back to Charlotte with MS-13 assistance. Umana was arrested five days later in possession of the murder weapon. Additional evidence and testimony from the trial revealed that while Umana was incarcerated while awaiting trial, he coordinated attempts to kill witnesses and informants. During trial, Umana attempted to bring a knife with him to the courtroom, which was discovered by U.S. Marshals prior to Umana being transported to the courthouse.

“Violent gangs like MS-13 terrorize communities across this country,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “As the evidence in this case showed, murder and intimidation are a way of life for some members of this gang. Although there is no punishment that will bring back the lives taken by the defendant, this series of prosecutions of MS-13, and the punishments imposed, should make abundantly clear to gang members that we will not let them operate with impunity. As today’s sentence shows, their criminal actions have serious consequences.”

U.S. Attorney Anne Tompkins said, “the imposition of the death penalty, the harshest sentence in the criminal justice system, is a sobering event for all involved in the investigation and prosecution. The death penalty in this case is fair, just, and merited. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, based upon the facts and evidence, advocated for the death penalty, and the jury agreed that Umana deserved nothing less than the death penalty. I commend the investigators and prosecutors for engaging in this critical process with professionalism and integrity.”

“While the outcome of today’s hearing does not change that two innocent people are dead, it will hopefully bring closure to the families and loved ones of the men who were killed and the many other victims left in the wake of the MS-13 crime spree. This case has spanned international borders, taken years of investigation and thousands of hours of arduous work. It proves our law enforcement partners are determined to bring those who break the law to justice, regardless of the obstacles that may block the path,” said Owen D. Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the FBI.

“Our goals as law enforcement officers are to put an end to gang violence and see that those who are responsible are punished. This sentence serves as a reminder that gang violence has harsh consequences, and those who choose to be involved in gangs need to understand that their actions will not be tolerated. We have the motivation and determination to keep pursuing gang members. That motivation creates a safer Charlotte,” said Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe.

The investigation of the MS-13 enterprise in Charlotte has led to charges against 26 MS-13 members. In addition to Umana, six defendants were convicted at trial in January 2010, and 18 others have pleaded guilty. One defendant remains in custody in El Salvador. To date, 11 of the 25 defendants convicted have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to 20 years.

The case was investigated by the Charlotte Safe Streets Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Chief Criminal Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Westmoreland Rose of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, and Trial Attorney Sam Nazzaro from the Criminal Division’s Gang Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Gast and Adam Morris of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina were also members of the government’s trial team.

Umana’s case is automatically appealed under the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. He will be incarcerated while his appeal is pending at a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility which has not yet been designated.
United States Attorney's Office Western District of North Carolina