NEWS ARROUND PRISON AND LAW / ASIA

02. JULY 2005

INDIA / KASHMIR

bericht der anwaltsvereinigung am obersten gericht über die haftbedingungen in den knästen im indischen teil von kashmir

Jail conditions horrible: Bar

Srinagar, July 2: Lashing out at Central government for "pro-longing detention of Kashmiri detainees" by not producing them before the courts, the High Court Bar Association (HCBA) has called upon the courts to pull up the police and the jail authorities who fail to produce the inmates before the courts on the day of hearing.

The HCBA team led by its president Mian Abdul Qayoom had visited Central Jail Srinagar to get first hand information about the condition of detainees. The report, issued after the visit, called upon "conscious section" of society to raise voice against the injustice meted out to detainees. "We know courts will not take any action against police and the jail authorities. So it is our duty to raise the voice against injustice,"the Bar report said.

In the jail, the report said, there were 456 inmates, with 156 having militancy-related cases. The 25 persons, who have been convicted under PSA, are serving the detention. In the jail there were 269 people having cases in various jails related to common crimes.

The detainees booked under PSA and militancy-related cases have many a tale to tell.The report said on June 30, 23 and on July 1, 58 detainees didn?t appear before the different courts as they were not provided any escort."The detainees of district Islamabad told us that the police is not presenting them before the courts saying they are busy with the Yatra, " the report said, describing the move as an insult to injury.

Reminding the coalition government its promises, the report said when the present government took over it had assured people that all innocent persons will be released from the jail. "But the fact is that if some one was released, he is being re-arrested and booked again," the report said, adding last week 12 detainees had completed the jail term but instead of releasing them they were again booked and taken to Kotbalwal jail.

About the Medical Officer of the jail, the report said the medical officer has not requisite staff and medicine available for the detainees. "And if ever he recommends that a detainee should be referred to hospital, his advice is not being entertained."

The Bar report said though it has come out with several such reports about the dismal condition of detainees in various jails, the government has not taken any action on them. "The result is that the detainees are still suffering and facing number of problems," the report said."Kashmiri detainees have faced worst in various jails for last 15 years. In Tihar jail the Kashmiri detainees are being kept in cells and their relatives are not allowed to meet them," the report said.

[  greaterkashmir.com

30. JUNE 2005

TURKMENISTAN

amnesty bericht über zwei gefangene in turkmenistan ( es gibt so gut wie keine berichte über die knäste usw. in dem land. turkmenbashi ( vater der turkmenen), so lässt sich der präsident nennen, lässt keine politische opposition zu, ngo können dort nicht oder nur klandestine arbeiten.)

[  APPEAL CASES -
Mukhametkuli Aymuradov and Gurbandurdy Durdykuliev: calling for prompt release

26. JUNI 2005

ISRAEL

der besitz einer bong zum persönlichen gebrauch ,aber auch wen mensch dies als deko-stück benutzt, kann zukünftig mit knast bis zu 3 jahren bestraft werden, der besitz von bongs zum zweck des weiterverkaufes mit bis zu 20 jahren knast.

'Bongs' outlawed in Israel

Ministry of Justice declares bongs illegal; drug-smoking devices commonly sold in kiosks around Israel

By Tal Rosner and Miri Chason

TEL AVIV - The Justice Ministry's Department of Counsel and Legislation added a clause that prohibits the holding of any device that can be used for the preparation or consumption of dangerous drugs to the 1973 Dangerous Drug Order. The upshot: "bongs" are now illegal.The possession of the devices for the purpose of selling can result in 20 years in prison. Possessing them for personal use can result in a three-year sentence.

According to the clause memorandum, the selling of bongs spread lately over kiosks and grocery stores, where teenagers shop. These devices are also imported into Israel in large quantities. The availability of these tools encourages the use of drugs, and creates the impression that the law enforcement is forgiving about such violations.Bongs are specialized water pipes that use vacuum pressure to force smoke into a user's lungs, enhancing the effects of the materials smoked. They can be made from many materials, including plastic, glass and metal.

The memo also said that the clause is difficult to enforce on sellers and importers because the authorities must prove that these tools were used for drug purposes. Bongs can be also used as decorations or smoking devices for drugs that are not prohibited by the Dangerous Drug Order.The new clause, though, explains that even if a device, like the bong, is not used for other purposes, its possession is illegal if it was made for drug use.

'We will go back to cutting watering hoses'

The Al Sam Anti-Drug Abuse Association welcomed the new clause.

"A public atmosphere that supports drug users and allows the selling of devices that are made for that purpose leads many teenagers downhill," the association said. "This law suggestion is appropriate and it sends a clear message that opposes the usage of every type of drug."At the kiosks, though, people are not happy. According to the owner of one store, the bongs in the entrance to his kiosk are flower vases."The city will lose a lot of money," one customer said. "Everyone will go back to cutting the watering hoses on the streets and the plants will dry up everywhere. That what happened before bongs were sold at kiosks. Besides, we can always smoke joints."

Green Leaf Party Chairman Shlomi Sandak said that the new rule would not make the product disappear, but would just raise their prices, as happened in the case of Hagigat ."If once Hagigat cost NIS 30, today it is up to NIS 70," he said. "The drug-fighting authority is actually working with the drug delaers, because the prices are going up and the dealers profit. It is time for them to focus on the real problem of alcohol and hard drugs."

[  ynetnews.com

22. UNI 2005

PAKISTAN

die arbeiterinnen der pakistan telecommunications company (ptcl) streiken zur zeit gegen die privatisierung der firma. In mastung, quetta ( in balochistan eine "halbautonome" provinz an der grenze zu afghanistan) sind 317 am streik beteiligte menschen seit anfang des monates inhaftiert. Den staatlichen angaben nach sollen sie unter anti-terrorismus gesetzen angeklagt werden.

PAKISTAN: Labor rights; Massive arrest and detention; Rule of law

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that 317 workers of the Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd (PTCL), opposed to the government's decision to privatize the company, have been arrested and detained on mass. The police and military forces have also raided the houses of labor union leaders and arrested their relatives, despite having no involvement in the labor dispute.

The workers went on strike after the Privatization Commission proceeded with its plan to privatize the company, which includes the selling of stocks and change of management. This is despite an existing agreement to have the plan deferred indefinitely. The government did not honor the agreement and did not properly take up the worker's grievances as part of the privatization. The government also deployed a Signal Corps, a section of the military, who have now taken control of 52 telephone exchanges.

It was reported that the workers, who desperately resorted to destroying the company's fibre optic cable in Mastung, Quetta in an effort to pressure the government to reconsider its implementation and to listen to their demands, were instead warned of possible charges under anti-terrorism if they "tried to incite violence". According to the latest updates, while these workers are still detained, the Pakistan government has sold 26% of its biggest phone company to Etisalat of the United Arab Emirates for $ 2.56 Bn (£ 1.4bn) on June 20.

DETAILED INFORMATION:

*Number of persons arrested*: 317 persons composed of workers, labor union leaders and some relatives of labor leaders

*Name of the company*: Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd (PTCL)

*Date and places of incidents*: 11 June 2005 to present in the areas of Quetta, Balochistan; Mastung, Quetta

*Status of the case*: the workers and labor leaders, who went on strike after the government decided to proceed with the privatization process of the company have been arrested and detained by the police

About 317 workers and labor union leaders on strike from the Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd (PTCL) were separately arrested and held in detention by police and military forces beginning early this June. This incident took place after the government initiated a crackdown on workers' on strike. The government's paramilitary police forces raided the houses of union leaders and arrested their relatives even though they are involved in the labor dispute. A house of an employee, who had just died, was also raided and a son of the deceased was arrested.

The government's action came after it announced that it would proceed with the company's privatization process on 18 June 2005*.* It deployed a Signal Corps, a section of the military, who took over in the running of 52 telephone exchanges. Such an act completely disregars the agreement the government signed to defer the privatization indefinitely, which earlier resulted to the suspension of strike on June 4. The workers have refused to accept improvements in pay and conditions, which the management offered. The workers staunchly oppose the privatization. The union leaders have been asking the government* *to release workers and labor leaders now in detention and to withdraw their privatization bid. Another union leader has resorted to warning the interested companies not to participate in the bidding process.

It was also reported that in Quetta, Balochistan, telecommunication workers have destroyed the fibre optic linking Quetta with other parts of the country, which is the source of much of the system in the provinces. However, it was reported that the management of PTCL has announced that a Rs 5 billion package including 10 percent of shares of the 26 percent of the company is to be provided to its employees. Job security has also been ensured with the new administration stating that it will not terminate any employee within the first two years and if an employee want retire, he would be allowed 140 days' compensation.

According to the latest updates, while these workers are still detained, the Pakistan government has sold 26% of its biggest phone company to Etisalat of the United Arab Emirates for $ 2.56 Bn (£ 1.4bn) on June 20.

[  ahrchk.net

09. JUNI 2005

INDONESIA

weil sie keine angaben über den aufenthaltsort ihres mannes macht und ihn nicht an die polizei auslieferte wurde eine frau zu 3 jahre knast verurteilt

Indonesian court sentences top terror suspect's wife to three years in jail

An Indonesian court on Thursday sentenced the wife of one of Southeast Asia's most-wanted terror suspects to three years in prison for hiding information about him.Munfiatun, the 28-year-old wife of Malaysian terror suspect Noordin Mohamed Top, was arrested in September on charges of violating Indonesia's anti-terror law. Noordin is one of the suspected masterminds in the Bali bombings and other recent attacks in Indonesia.

Munfiatun was convicted of hiding information about a terror suspect by changing Noordin's name to something else on the couple's wedding documents after they were married last year, and for failing to turn him in to authorities.Dressed from head-to-toe in a black veil, Munfiatun said nothing as the verdict in the District Court of Bangil was read. Earlier, Munfiatun had confessed that she that she knew Noordin was a top terror suspect and that she tried to conceal his identity.Noordin and another Malaysian, Azahari bin Husin, are suspected masterminds in a series of bomb attacks in Indonesia, including the Bali blasts that killed 202 people in Oct. 12, 2002; the bombing of the J.W. Marriott hotel in 2003; and the September 2004 suicide bombing outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta that killed 10 people.The two men are believed to be somewhere in Indonesia.

[  asia.news.yahoo.com

28. MAI 2005

THAILAND

in thailand gab es von der leiterin des größten frauenknastes einen aufruf unterwäsche für die frauen im knast zu spenden. die regierung gibt den frauen nur 2 unterhosen im jahr und bezeichnet diese als "luxusartikel".

Thai jail in a knot over underwear shortage

Bangkok, Thailand - Female inmates in Thailand's prisons are so short of underwear that the head of the main women's prison appealed to the public for donations -new or recycled. The director of the Central Women's Prison, Ankhanueng Lebnak, said Friday that the government refuses to provide a budget to buy each female prisoner more than two pairs of underpants each year because they are considered a luxury item, the official Thai News Agency reported. An appeal for assistance yielded donations of 74 010 new and used garments, and Ankhanueng began distributing the extra underwear to prisons across the country on Friday, the report said. Thailand, with a population of 65 million people, holds more than 250 000 prisoners, about one-fifth of whom are women.

The prison population has grown dramatically in recent years because of convictions for drug offenses, and most facilities hold many more convicts than their planned capacity. - Sapa-AP

[  www.iol.co.za

25. MAI 2005

PALESTINE

ein verbot von hasspredigten wurde ,nach einer antisemitischen, im tv übertragenen rede aus einer moschee in gaza, erlassen

Palestinian ban on hate sermons

The Palestinian Authority has moved to ban anti-Semitic sermons from state television after a cleric described Jews as a "virus resembling Aids". Information Minister Nabil Shaath pledged to end the broadcast of sermons that incite hatred of other faiths. An Israeli spokesman said the broadcast breached a Palestinian commitment to incitement against Jews. Mosque preacher Ibrahim Mdaires made the comments in a speech aired live from a Gaza mosque last week. During the transmission, the cleric also accused Jews of exaggerating the numbers who died during the Holocaust and of "provoking the Nazi government to wage war against the entire world". Mr Shaath has also asked the Religious Affairs Ministry, who employ the cleric, to "suspend [Ibrahim Mdaires] and prevent him from delivering further sermons".

"We condemn assault of Judaism as a religion and as Muslims we reject such remarks," the minister said. The ban is the strongest action the Palestinian Authority has taken against incitement since November last year, when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked the state broadcasting corporation to "ensure that programmes do not include material that might be interpreted as incitement". The Israeli government welcomed Mr Shaath's decision but urged the Palestinian Authority to do more to end incitement.

"The comments are antithetical to anyone who believes in peaceful reconciliation," said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev. A Jewish rights group, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, also condemned the broadcast and called on Mr Abbas to sack the head of state television. The state broadcaster is only watched by an estimated one percent of Palestinians, who prefer Arab satellite channels.

[  bbc.co.uk

25. MAI 2005

ISRAEL

obwohl ein israelischer militärarzt im negev desert knast bei einem gefangenen attestiert hat das er sterben wird sollte er nicht sofrort in ein krankenhaus verlegt werden, weigert sich die knastleitung. im nafha knast werden die gefangenen z.zeit vermehrt isoliert, außerdem haben nächtliche zellenrazzien zugenommen.

die leitung des katseeiot knastes hat angedroht razzien in zellen zu meachen in denen sich gefangene zu einem sit-in organisierten um gegen die immer häufiger durchgeführten razzien zu protestieren. lt. augenzeugenberichten soll eine große anzahl soldaten und grenzschützer im knast, es wird mit angriffen auf die gefangenen gerechnet.

Israeli Jail Doctor Informs Prisoner That His Death is Imminent

GAZA, May 25, 2005 (IPC + Agencies) - - An Israeli military doctor informed one of the Palestinian patients at Negev Desert Jail that his death was imminent, due to the numerous untreated disease he is suffering from and the lack of medical care given to him and the rest of the prisoners. Human rights groups asserted that Said Eid, from Hebron, suffers from a number of chronic diseases, and that the Israeli military doctor in prison told him he might die if he wasn't moved to a hospital soon. The sources added that despite the Israeli doctor's recommendation, the jail administration refused to move Eid to one of the Israeli hospitals to treat him and probably save his life.

Eid suffers from diabetes, prolapsed discs due to torture during interrogation, and swelling in the feet that makes walking difficult for him, as well as poor eyesight. Following recent medical examinations, Eid was discovered as suffering also from Thalasemia.

Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) lawyer, Fawwaz Al Shalloudi, affirmed that the health conditions of prisoners are in constant deterioration, due to the medical negligence they suffer, especially Ahmad Al Deek, who suffers from swelling in his neck and an inability to swallow or chew dry food, not mention being wounded with three bullets since the time he was arrested. Also, the prisoners in Nafha Jail told Al Shalloudi that the Israeli jail administration's violation of their human rights have increased, and that the most recent was to separate cell wings from each other, in order to further isolate the prisoners.

The representative of the prisoners, Khaled Al Azraq, said that these isolation has divided the prison into smaller prisons, and prevented prisoners from communicating with each other. He added that the warehouses they were responsible of were taken from them and given to Israeli convicted criminals in the prison, which made it difficult for them to change their clothes. Al Azraq further mentioned that the night raids of prisoners' cells have drastically increased, heightening the prisones' tension.

At the same context, the Israeli 'Katseeiot' jail administration threatened on Tuesday night to raid the cells they've organized a sit-in at, to protest the frequent security searches they're subjected to. Eyewitnesses asserted that a large number of Israeli forces and members of the notorious 'Border Guard' unit were sent into the prison to attack the prisoners.

[  ipc.gov.ps

23. MAI 2005

PHILIPPINES

bericht über die zustände in den knästen. nach diesem artikel erklärte die präsidentin gloria arroyo ihre anordnung zur aussetzung von hinrichtungen folgendermaßen: "bei den konditionen in unseren gefängnissen ist dies ein schicksal das schlimmer ist als der tod."

Where jail is a sentence worse than death

RANELYN Geronimo had her 14th birthday last week. But far from celebrating with cake and friends, she was crammed into a jail cell the size of an average Australian bedroom with 47 women, including accused murderers, drug addicts and prostitutes. The prison conditions are so horrific the women have to sleep on one side, spooning each other, to get enough floor space to lie down.

Not that they get much sleep, since in the next five cells 485 men and boys are similarly crammed together. If it rains when the tide is high in Manila Bay, the putrid river running behind the prison floods the cells - and everyone has to stand in stinking knee-high water. Ranelyn arrived six months ago, charged with stealing a fish, and is still awaiting the outcome of her case in the stench of Navotas Municipal Prison's hot and humid cells. About the size of an Australian suburban home, the jail was designed for just 80 prisoners but at last count it held a staggering 533.

"I thought so this is how life is inside. I had no idea," Ranelyn said. Her plight is symptomatic of the economic problems facing The Philippines, where soaring unemployment fuelled a 10per cent increase in crime last year, according to the Philippines National Police. The shy teenager, originally from Mindanao in the country's south, was caught at the local fish market trying to pick up discarded pieces to take home to her aunt, who had lost her job and was the family's only source of income.

Her poverty means she cannot raise the 2000 peso ($48) bail needed to win her freedom pending trial for a crime that carries a maximum penalty of about the same time she has already spent in jail. Prison crowding has become such a bad national joke that even Philippines President Gloria Arroyo shared in it recently, when explaining why she had ordered a stay on executions. "Given the conditions in our jails, that is a fate worse than death." And conditions for those in prison for relatively minor crimes are just as bad as for the murderers and terrorists on death row.

The overcrowding continues to worsen - at Navotas, the prison population swells by three a day on average. Economic and social indicators do not show any reduction in the poverty fuelling the problem. A senior analyst from the Moody's agency said in a recent interview that the country's debt-to-revenue ratio was twice as bad as Argentina's in 2001 when that country defaulted on its debts. The Philippines spends about a third of its revenue servicing international debt, and is issuing bonds with a 25-year maturity to postpone the fiscal crunch for as long as possible. The debt stands at $US75billion ($100billion), and unemployment was at 11.3per cent in January and rising.

The country's Commission on Population found last month that every productively employed Filipino supported between two and three economically non-productive members of society. Population growth has been one of the predominantly Catholic country's main problems. This year, something like 1.7million births will take the Philippine population to about 86million; and many of the children will end up working in the unofficial labour market.

Philippines Planning Secretary Romulo Neri said this month that 4million children were working, with 2.5million in hazardous situations.

They are children like 15-year-old Argee Coloma, who has lived all his life scavenging at the huge garbage dump - named, without a hint of irony, "Fortune" - near Manila's wharf district. Argee makes 200 pesos a day scouring the tip with a hook, gathering and cleaning plastic water bottles, which he sells for recycling at 25 pesos a kilo.

A UNICEF report this month found the proportion of malnourished to well-nourished children in some parts of The Philippines was four to one - worse than in North Korea, a country known for famine. Another recent survey of 1200 Filipinos by Pulse Asia found 33per cent of those questioned regularly went hungry. In Navotas prison the situation is not much better, as inmates struggle to survive on a daily meal allowance of 30 pesos. Incredibly, Navotas is considered a model prison and even won a national award in 2002, back when it only housed three times as many prisoners as it was meant to have.

Prison warden Deogracias Tapayan does what he can for his charges, even spending his own money buying them medicine. Among the prisoners he has five full-blown tuberculosis sufferers, and the desperate overcrowding means the slightest virus sweeps through the entire prison population within days. The prison population seems to cope remarkably well with the inhuman conditions. Deputy warden Warren Geronimo said the biggest problem after overcrowding was not discipline but depression among prisoners who receive no visitors.

"It drives them nuts when their families abandon them," Mr Geronimo said. The only thing worse would be solitude, he said. "But we don't have solitary confinement here - that would be inhumane."

[  theaustralian.news.com.au

22. MAI 2005

INDIA

40 menschen die in den letzten 5 jahren an der pakistanisch-indischen grenze festgenommen wurden, wurden jetzt zur psychiatrischen behandlung eingewiesen.

40 infiltrators sent for psychiatric treatment

Forty people arrested on the Indo-Pak border, over a period of five years, were sent for psychiatric treatment. The move came after intelligence officials failed to elicit any information from them, said official sources. Arrested by the BSF near the international border and handed over to the intelligence agency for interrogation, they were declared mentally ill by the doctors and sent for psychiatric treatment, the sources added.

[  hindustantimes.com

22. MAI 2005

CHINA

ein wegen angebl. mord an seiner frau erst zum tod und später zu 15 jahren knast verurteilter mann, der entlassen wurde weil seine frau anfang dieses jahres wieder in in das dorf zurückkam, klagt jetzt auf entschädigung.

Court agrees to compensate for wrongly-jailed husband

WUHAN, May 22 (Xinhuanet) -- A court in Jingmen, a city central China's Hubei Province, has placed on file the case of a wrongly imprisoned man who now demands state compensation. "We've been informed of this by the Jingmen Intermediate People's Court with a notice," said Zhou Feng, attorney for the She Xianglin, a former security guard who was wrongly jailed for 11 years, on Sunday. Investigation into the case will begin soon, Zhou said She, 39, was convicted of murder in 1994 after his wife Zhang Zaiyu fled home because of poverty and disappointment with her married life.

Soon after, local police found an unidentifiable female body from a reservoir near She's home and believed it to be the remainsof his wife. She was arrested for the murder. After several rounds of interrogation, She Xianglin was forced to confess to the crime and was sentenced to death with immediate execution at the first and second trials. The Higher People's Court of Hubei Province found clues that cast doubt on the case and ordered a retrial. His sentence was reduced to 15 years in jail. She's wife suddenly returned to her hometown earlier this year declared her husband's innocence. She was released from prison on April 1 and announced innocent by the court on April 13.

[  xinhuanet.com

19. MAI 2005

JAPAN

1. 800.670 ermittlungen wurden von der japanischen polizei letztes jahr durchgeführt , eine steigerung von 18.5%.

Police handled record 1.8 mil inquiries in 2004

TOKYO - Police forces across Japan handled a record 1.8 million inquiries last year, with those about fraudulent business accounting for nearly 40% of the total, the National Police Agency said in a report released Thursday. The number of inquiries totaled 1,800,670, up about 280,000 or 18.5 percent from the year before, the report said. Inquiries about fraudulent transactions last year totaled 706,641 or 39.2% of the total, an increase of about 180,000 from 2003, when the figure marked an eight-fold rise from 2002, the report said. (Kyodo News)

[  japantoday.com

16. MAI 2005

SAUDI ARABIA

weil sie angebl. "westliche terminologie " benutzt haben um reformen ( es ging u.a. ums schulsystem) wurden drei männer zu knaststrafen von 9, 7 und 6 jahren verurteilt.

Dissenters Get Six to Nine Years in Jail

RIYADH, 16 May 2005 - The Riyadh Higher Court yesterday sentenced three reformists to jail terms ranging from six to nine years for sowing dissent and disobeying the ruler. Three judges at the court, which was ringed by security forces, issued their verdict after a nine-month trial which was conducted almost entirely behind closed doors. The court sentenced academics Ali Al-Dumaini to nine years in jail, Abdullah Al-Hamed to seven years, and Matruk Al-Faleh to six years in jail.

All have been imprisoned for more than a year after being arrested in March 2004. The prosecutors had accused them of using Western terminology in calling for reforms. "I'm in shock," said an obviously upset Jamila Al-Ukala, the wife of Al-Faleh, as she talked to supporters and reporters outside the courthouse. "They didn?t commit a crime. From the beginning there was no evidence against them," said Ameer Al-Faleh, the 23-year-old son of Al-Faleh. "The whole case is just about thoughts, that were just ink on paper." Lawyer Ali Gothaimi said the three would appeal the decision within a month. Al-Dumaini reportedly got the harshest sentence because of his criticism of the Saudi educational system. According to Gothaimi, the panel of judges found that the men had overstepped the bounds by speaking to the foreign media, intended to incite people against the government and defamed officials. They also accused the trio of challenging the independence of the judiciary.

But Al-Ukala denied these charges. Police kept a close watch yesterday on the relatives and supporters of the three, who had quietly started to gather outside the courthouse from eight in the morning. By 9:15 a.m., the police tried to move the crowd of around 35 people, including six women, four children and around 10 journalists, further away from the courthouse. The crowd was eventually funneled onto a side street, where everyone waited for more than three hours in the dusty heat until the verdict was announced. Although the hearing was supposedly open to the public, only lawyer Khaled Al-Mutairi was actually allowed into the courtroom.

[  arabnews.com

12. MAI 2005

JAPAN

am 31. dez. 2004 gab es in japan 8. 079 bürgerwehren mit 521.749 mitgliedern

Over 8,000 civilian groups watch neighborhoods, says NPA

TOKYO - Civilian patrol groups protecting neighborhoods numbered 8,079 as of Dec 31, 2004, up by more than 5,000 from a year earlier, the National Police Agency said Thursday. The groups had a combined 521,749 members, representing a threefold increase from a year earlier, while members in nearly half the groups were in their 60s on average. As for their main activities, 84.7% of the groups cited patrols of neighborhoods, while 45.5% said they were engaged in protecting and escorting children to and from schools. Other activities cited included anti-crime publicity work, visits to homes of elderly people and guarding local events. (Kyodo News)

[  japantoday.com

11. MAI 2005

BANGLADESH

eine untersuchungskommission wurde eingesetzt um zu untersuchen warum in dem gewahrsam des rapid action battalion ( anti- crime- einheit ) bisher über 100 menschen starben.

Bangladesh custody deaths probed

Bangladesh is to investigate the deaths of more than 100 people in the custody of its elite anti-crime force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). The decision was taken at a ministerial meeting after concerns expressed by the country's aid donors over what they fear may be extra-judicial killings. RAB officials say the people died in genuine military encounters. But the European Union expressed "serious concern" on Sunday, echoing views given by the United States. US Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs, Christina Rocca, is expected to raise the issue during her current visit to Dhaka.

Divided

Bangladesh Home Minister Lutfozzaman Babar said after the ministerial meeting: "We will conduct an executive enquiry into the incidents and the investigation process will start shortly." The RAB says those who died were criminals killed in encounters sparked by information gained from previously arrested accomplices. Ministers in the past had argued that the human rights of the general public were more important than those of criminals killed in crossfire. Bangladeshis are sharply divided over the role of the RAB in curbing violent crime. Some are happy to see criminals killed because they believe they are often acquitted by the courts due to lack of evidence.

But others say the constitution allows everyone to seek justice and the state must follow constitutional rules. Some experts say criminals could be more successfully dealt with if the country's archaic criminal justice system were reformed.

[  news.bbc.co.uk

11.mai 2005

MALDIVES

bericht über von amnesty anerkannte sog. gewissensgefangene in den maledivischen knästen, hier werden 4 gefangene erwähnt die alle gefoltert wurden/ werden.

Amnesty International Political Prisoners Held in Maldives Jails

After the welcome release of Fathimath Nisreen yesterday evening, Minivan News examines the other prisoners held in Maldives jails, who have been declared "Prisoners of Conscience" by the human rights group Amnesty International. Other than Nisreen, there are three other prisoners who were given the title "Prisoner of Conscience". They are the other two Sandhaanu prisoners, Mohamed Zaki and Ahmed Didi and a further prisoner Naushad Waheed. According to Amnesty, they are all "imprisoned in the Maldives solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression."

Four peopler were originally convicted for writing anti-government views in Sandhaanu in 2001. They were sentenced to between 10 years to life. Lutfy, however, managed to escape when he was in hospital in Colombo, feld to Switzerland, as was asylum there. Nisreen, Didi and Zaki were not so lucky and had to endure imprisonment in Maldives. Naushad Waheed was sentenced to 15 years in prison for writing a letter to Amnesty International detailing human rights abuses in the Maldives. All four Prisoners of Conscience have been tortured by the President's National Security Service (NSS) whilst in jail. Fathimath Nisreen, who is just 24, has reported of serious and repeated sexual abuse by Maldives prison guards and members of the NSS in jail.

Mohamed Zaki was reportedly made to sit on a stool, without a backrest, on the beach for 2-3 hours every night in jail until he confessed. If he fell from the stool, the prison guards punished him for ?disobedience? and took away the bed in his cell forcing him to sleep on the floor.

Ahmed Ibrahim Didi was reportedly beaten several times in detention and sustained injuries to his legs and back. Ahmed suffers from heart problems, thought to have been aggravated by torture whilst in detention. Naushad Waheed was reportedly tortured several times in Maafushi Prison. Naushad now suffers from heart problems and a spinal disc disorder as a result of the abuse he suffered in jail. It appears that the government has decided to release all the Sandhaanu prisoners and grant amnesty to Lutfy, so he can return home. It is thought this follows European Union pressure for their release. It is known that the European Union is refusing to give Maumoon more reconstruction aid unless his introduced democratic reforms and free political prisoners. It is unclear whether Naushad will also be released, although it would look very odd if the government were to keep just one Prisoner of Conscience in jail whilst releasing the others.

[  minivannews.com

14. april 2005

PHILIPPINES

festnahme, folter und sexuelle mißhandlungen einer menschenrechtsaktivistin in misamis occidental, mindanao.

Illegal arrest and detention, torture, sexual abuse and inhuman treatment of a 60-year old female political detainee

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding to you information from the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) regarding the serious case of illegal arrest and detention, torture, maltreatment, and sexual assault on Angelina Bisuña (60), a human rights activists, in Aloran, Misamis Occidental on 8 March 2005. Bisuña, who is arrested on rebellion charges, suffered severe inhumane treatment for several days despite her age and poor health condition while under the military's custody. She was interrogated and forced to confess to the crimes depriving her of her right to remain silent and to have legal counsel to represent her. She was detained in an isolated room, her hands and feet were tied, she was blindfolded, stripped naked and sexually assaulted by investigators.

14. april 2005

PAKISTAN

24 pakistanische menschen wurden aus indischen knästen entlassen. viele von ihnen sind wegen grenzverletzungen festgenommen worden und sie waren zwischen 6 monaten und 3 jahre im knast- ohne gerichtsverfahren.

14 Pak prisoners from J&K jails among 24 repatriated

WAGAH, Apr 14: Twentyfour Pakistani prisoners languishing in different jails of India were today released and repatriated back home.The prisoners were handed over to the Pak officials by the Indian officials at the zero line at this Indo Pak joint post around 1450 hours. Punjab Food and Civil Supply Minister Avtar Henry was present on this side of the zero line while Western Punjab (Pakistan) Jail Minister Shaheed Akbar was present on the other side of the zero line to receive the released prisoners.

While seven of these Pakistan nationals were released from the Amritsar jail, 14 were brought from Jammu, two from Delhi and one from Jaipur.Most of these prisoners had strayed into India by mistake at different points along the Indo-Pak border and were languishing in Indian jails for the past six months to three years. The repatriation of the prisoners was delayed by a day following delayed receipt of Emergency Immigration Certificates (EICs) and formal clearance from the Pakistan High Commission New Delhi for repatriation.As per the scheduled programme the prisoners were brought here from the Amritsar Jail twice by the officials but after a day long wait and uncertainty the process was put off for today.

Among the 24 prisoners Moman Ali, Mohmmad Ali, Mohammad Shabir, Mohmmad Sardar, Wasim, Mohmmad Ahmed and Ghulam Nabi were lodged in Amritsar jail here while a prisoner Sabir Ahmed of Unkara district in Western Punjab (Pakistan) was brought here from Jaipur and two Mohmmad Zamin and Khalid Salim were brought from Delhi.Besides these 14 prisoners - Amir Ali of Sajwal Sialkote, Agnam Ashraf of Mulo Chak, Sialkote, Mohmmad Aslam of Narowal (Pakistan), Mohmmad of Ghaziabad Mohalla, Chang (Pakistan), Ghulam Rasool of Mirza Kaba Biber Amirpur (Pakistan), Maqsood Ahmed of Purshoria, Gujarat (Pakistan), Mohmmad Sharif Alamgir Jhelum (Pakistan), Sulah Mohammad Gujar of Keri Dehra Kotali (Pakistan) Mohmmad Sharif of Keri Dehra Kotali, Sajid of Patesar, Sialkote, Mohmmad Yonus of Todwan Hebalbagh, Jaheed Iqbal of Nazwal Sialkote, Zafar Hussain of Kulian Shakkargarh and Fazaldin of Pedikot Lahore - were brought from Jammu jail.

2. April 2005

INDIA

trinkwasserproben aus zwei indischen knästen sind wegen hoher bakterieller belastungen als " ungenießbar für menschlichen verbrauch" eingestuft worden.

Patiala, Nabha jail water samples fail biological tests

During Feb and March, 82 water samples taken for tests from Patiala district.

Patiala, April 2: DRINKING water supply samples taken from the Patiala Central Jail and the Nabha Jail have failed biological tests and these have been found to be unfit for human consumption. According to Minister for Health and Family Welfare RC Dogra, two samples had been taken from these jails.

Civil surgeon Dr Shiv Kumar Garg presided over a review meeting held to draw up plans to check and keep under control the spread of water borne diseases in the forthcoming summers. Dogra told the house that during February-March this year a total of 82 water samples were taken in Patiala district by the Department of Health and Family Welfare.

Health officer Dr Varinder Singh Mohi, representatives of the water supply and sewerage board and the municipal corporation also attended the meeting. The meeting resolved that functionaries of different concerned departments should coordinate efforts with the district health authorities in having drinking water samples tested periodically. Meanwhile, according to information, the managing director of the water supply and sewerage board had intimated that in case of Rajpura town approximately 1.5 km of water supply line needed replacement which would be replaced after getting funds from the Municipal Council of Rajpura in a period of two months.

2.april 2005

MALEDIVES

ein artikel über die veröffentlichung einer studie des asian centre for human rights " the dark side of life".

Torture and repression exposed in holiday paradise of Maldives

By Daniel Howden

Behind its picture postcard façade, the Maldives are being run as a "secret dictatorship" engaged in "arbitrary arrest, detention and torture", according to a human rights report.

The Indian Ocean archipelago, a favourite luxury holiday destination for well-heeled Westerners, relies on a culture of repression and fear to prop up a brutal regime, said the report by the Asian Centre for Human Rights, entitled Maldives: The Dark Side of Life.The former British protectorate, which gained independence in 1965, has established itself as one of the world's premier upmarket holiday spots, marketing itself as "The sunny side of life".

The Maldives boast a string of five-star resorts charging up to £3,000 a night, guaranteeing rest, relaxation and pampering amid white sands and palm-fringed beaches. Life for the population of 300,000 is less sweet. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, in power since 1978, has banned opposition parties. The country's three newspapers are run by two cabinet ministers and the president's brother-in-law, while Mr Gayoom controls television and radio.

Tourist dollars are the lifeblood of the island republic's economy, but horrific human rights abuses are being committed within earshot of tourists, according to the Delhi-based rights centre.The report highlighted the fate of up to 20 political prisoners held without trial and the deaths of four inmates at the Maafushi Island prison in September 2003. It alleges that guards responded to a protest over conditions by beating one prisoner to death, then shooting dead three and wounding 15 in the ensuing riot. The President, who is under increasing international pressure to make reforms, has promised multi-party democratic elections "within one year."

But the outlawed Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) says proposed reforms amount to little more than a commitment from Mr Gayoom to relinquish his role as head of the judiciary. "The ongoing torture of prisoners by police and continued infringements of other rights ... leads the MDP to conclude that the government is not genuine in its commitments," the party said. Naushad Waheed, a Maldivian poet, is imploring tourists to look behind the façade of paradise. He has written: "Everything is not/What it seems to be/While you walk/Soft sand, caressing bare feet. There's a soul/Crying out for help/While you roam/In a packaged resort hotel."

22. märz 2005

MALAYSIA

sechs menschen die unter dem isa gesetz ( erlaubt zeitlich unbegrenzte inhaftierung von des terrorismus verdächtigten) 2002 bzw. 2003 inhaftiert waren, wurden entlassen.

Six held under ISA freed after two-year detention

KUALA LUMPUR: A former lecturer and five former students held under the Internal Security Act for their alleged links with the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) and al-Qaeda have been released after serving a two-year detention.

It was learnt that the Internal Security Ministry had suspended the extended detention orders of the former students – Abi Dzar Jaafar, 18, from Johor, Eddy Erman Shahime, 19, from Kelantan, Mohd Radzi Abdul Razak, 19, from Selangor, Mohd Ikhwan Abdullah, 19, from Johor and Mohd Akil Abdul Raof, 21, from Perak.Former lecturer Wan Min Wan Mat, 45, was also released together with them yesterday.

The ex-students were among the 13 arrested in Karachi in September 2003. Wan Min was arrested in Kota Baru in September 2002.The five, while studying at the Abu Bakar Islamic University in Pakistan, were said to have joined a secret group known as the Al-Ghuraba that was linked to JI.They were said to have been sent there by detained JI South-East Asia operations chief Hambali, and had attended sermons by Osama bin Laden.Sources said that in the last SPM examinations, four of the former students obtained between 6As and 8As while the fifth got through his STPM examinations.