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NEWS AROUND PRISON AND LAW  /  Southamerica

24 May 2006

BRAZIL

Brasilien: Gezielte Hinrichtungen?

SÃO PAULO afp Die brasilianischen Behörden gehen nach den schweren Unruhen mit 172 Toten Hinweisen nach, dass unbeteiligte Zivilisten von der Polizei regelrecht hingerichtet wurden. Nach den tödlichen Angriffen gegen Polizisten, Gefängnispersonal und öffentliche Einrichtungen im Bundesstaat São Paulo setzten sich Staatsanwaltschaft und Menschenrechtsgruppen am Montag für eine unabhängige Untersuchungskommission ein. Diese solle die Ermittlungen wegen möglicher Übergriffe der Polizei überwachen, hieß es in einer Mitteilung an die oberste Justizbehörde des Bundesstaats. Es gebe Befürchtungen, was die Sicherung von Beweismaterial angehe, hieß es in der Mitteilung. Bei den von der mafiaartigen Gruppierung "Erstes Hauptstadtkommando" gesteuerten Angriffen und dem Polizeieinsatz wurden laut amtlichen Angaben 172 Menschen getötet.

[  taz.de

22 May 2006

BOLIVIA

Ihr Zuhause ist das Gefängnis
200 Kinder leben in der grössten Strafanstalt Boliviens in La Paz

Im grössten Gefängnis Boliviens leben nicht nur Gefangene, sondern auch deren Frauen und Kinder. Die hoffnungslos überfüllte Strafanstalt steht unter Selbstverwaltung durch die Insassen. Polizisten stehen nur ausserhalb der Mauern des Gefängnisses San Pedro, wo sich ein Mikrokosmos der bolivianischen Gesellschaft entwickelt hat.

Am letzten Mittwoch im März ist es im Gefängnis San Pedro in Boliviens administrativen Hauptstadt La Paz zu einem Aufstand gekommen. San Pedro ist die grösste Strafanstalt des Landes und liegt im Stadtzentrum, nur wenige Blöcke vom Prado entfernt. Die Gefangenen forderten die kostenlose Ausstellung von Personalausweisen, einen Koch und einen Arzt sowie wöchentliche Besprechungen mit der Gefängnisleitung. Diese waren zwar zugesagt, aber nicht eingehalten worden. Die Polizei von La Paz schlug den Aufstand mit Tränengas und Warnschüssen nieder. Es gab mehrere Verletzte.

Selbstverwaltung durch die Insassen

Polizisten stehen nur vor den Toren von San Pedro. Das Leben innerhalb des Gefängnisses, das einen Strassenblock umfasst, wird von den Gefangenen selbst organisiert und verwaltet. Knapp 1300 Personen leben in dem Gefängnis, das auf 380 Insassen ausgelegt ist. Es ist ein Männergefängnis, doch viele der Häftlinge leben mit ihren Frauen und Kindern dort. Im Schnitt hat jede Familie 4 Kinder. Insgesamt sind fast 200 Kinder in San Pedro zu Hause. Die Frauen arbeiten tagsüber in der Stadt und verdienen das für das Überleben im Gefängnis notwendige Geld, während die Kinder beim Vater aufgehoben sind. Viele Heime weigern sich, Kinder von Häftlingen aufzunehmen, solange es die Möglichkeit gibt, dass die Familien zusammen bleiben. Und sei es im Gefängnis

Innerhalb der Gefängnismauern hat sich ein Mikrokosmos der bolivianischen Gesellschaft entwickelt. Ein jährlich neu gewählter Präsident vertritt die Interessen der Insassen. Jeder der sieben Blocks, die aus verwinkelten, verdreckten Strassen und einem kleinen Platz bestehen, hat einen Namen, einen gewählten Vertreter und eine Fussballmannschaft. An fast jeder Ecke hängt ein Fernseher, der ununterbrochen läuft. Es gibt einen Fussballplatz und die Möglichkeit, abends zwei Stunden in den Unterricht zur Vorbereitung eines Schulabschlusses zu gehen.

Miet- und Kaufzellen

Ohne Geld geht nichts. Besucher bringen es den Häftlingen mit oder sie erarbeiten ihren Lebensunterhalt im Gefängnis selbst. Es gibt kleine Kioske, die die Frauen von aussen mit Ware beliefern. Mit Botengängen und Wäschewaschen verdienen andere ihr Geld. Eine Zelle muss man für mindestens einen Dollar pro Tag mieten oder kann sie für die Dauer der Haftstrafe kaufen. Wer sich das nicht leisten kann, schläft unter freiem Himmel oder auf einer Matratze in der Küche. Vermögende Schwerverbrecher haben einen eigenen Block: die Posta. Eine Zelle dort kostet ungefähr 3000 Dollar. Es gibt einen Fitness- und einen Billardraum. Im Innenhof stehen kleine Tische und Blumen.

Der Staat stellt für jeden Gefangenen täglich Bol. 3.50, ungefähr einen halben Franken, für die Essensversorgung zur Verfügung. Das reicht für eine warme Mittagsmahlzeit, Kaffee morgens und nachmittags und zwei Brötchen. Manchmal erhalten einige Kinder das staatliche Schulfrühstück. Ab und zu gibt es ein Glas Milch. Die Gefängnispsychologin spricht von Alkohol und Drogen, die ins Gefängnis hineingeschmuggelt werden, von hoher Gewaltbereitschaft und sexuellem Missbrauch der Kinder. Es gibt zwei kleine Kindergärten, die in einem desolatem Zustand sind: zu wenig Platz, kein gesundes Essen, kein Spielzeug. Grössere Kinder besuchen die umliegenden Schulen und kehren nach dem Schulbesuch wieder in das Gefängnis zurück.

Viele Drogenhändler

Gleich hinter dem Eingangstor von San Pedro befindet sich an der Hauptplaza eine Kirche, vor der überwiegend Männer wartend auf einer kleinen Mauer sitzen. Viele der Gefängnisinsassen, der «población de San Pedro», wie sie sich nennen, warten noch auf ihren Prozess und auf ihr Urteil. Knapp die Hälfte der Häftlinge sitzt in bolivianischen Gefängnissen wegen der Anschuldigung des Drogenhandels ein. Das von 1988 stammende Gesetz gegen den Drogenhandel sieht vor, dass Beschuldigte ihre Unschuld beweisen müssen.

Gerichtsverfahren sind verworren und langsam. Drei Viertel aller Häftlinge in Bolivien sitzen ohne Gerichtsurteil in den Gefängnissen. Vor zehn Jahren, das heisst vor dem Beginn der Justizreform, waren es über 90 Prozent. Ein Prozess dauert heute bis zu fünf Jahren. Vor zehn Jahren konnten es zehn bis fünfzehn Jahre sein. Erst seit 2001 gibt es eine mündliche Gerichtsverhandlung mit Schöffen. Bis dahin wurden alle Verhandlungen schriftlich geführt - in einem Land, in dem die Analphabetenquote 14 Prozent beträgt und dessen Kultur vor allem eine mündliche ist.

Nur ein Drittel der Häftlinge kann sich einen eigenen Anwalt leisten, zwei Drittel sind auf staatliche Verteidiger angewiesen. Diese lassen oft wochenlang nichts von sich hören. Die Rechtsprechung ist nicht unabhängig. Justiz und Polizei leiden unter grosser Korruption. Gleichheit vor dem Gesetz gibt es in Bolivien nicht.

* Die Autorin arbeitet als freie Journalistin in La Paz.

[  nzz.ch

4 May 2006

USA / MEXICO

nachdem die usa das gesetz zur entkriminalisierung kleiner mengen von drogen als "dumm" bezeichnete und dagegen protestierten, sollen jetzt änderungen im gesetz gemacht werden.

US asks Mexico to reconsider 'stupid' drug law

Mexico is to reconsider a drug law that would have permitted the possession of small quantities of hard drugs, after the US warned the legislation could promote drug tourism to the country's resorts. The Mexican president, Vicente Fox, yesterday sent the decriminalisation bill back to his country's congress for changes, in a reversal of his promise the previous day that he would sign the bill into law. The law would decriminalise the possession of small quantities of most drugs, including cocaine amd heroin, and was described by its supporters as a routine codification of rules already observed informally by Mexico's police.

US embassy spokeswoman Judith Bryan yesterday said that US officials had urged the Mexican government to re-examine the law, "to ensure that all persons found in possession of any quantity of illegal drugs be prosecuted or be sent into mandatory drug treatment programmes". A statement by President Fox said that changes would be made to the law "to make it absolutely clear that in our country, the possession of drugs and their consumption are, and will continue to be, a criminal offence". "With sensitivity toward the opinions expressed by various sectors of society, the administration has decided to suggest changes to the content of the bill," the statement said.

Mr Fox, a long-standing supporter of drug decriminalisation, suggested in 2001 that the only long-term solution to the drugs problem was for drugs to be legalised worldwide. But his position stands in stark contrast to the views of Mexico's powerful northern neighbour, which fears that decriminalisation could encourage Amsterdam-style drug tourism from the thousands of young Americans who visit Mexican resorts such as Cancun and Acapulco each year.

Nearly 70% of Mexico's 6.4 million annual tourists are Americans, and the industry is worth $3.4bn a year to the country. The most controversial aspect of the bill was the wording that ensured that all drug "consumers" had the same freedom from prosecution currently enjoyed by verified drug addicts under Mexican law. Mexico allows addicts possessing small amounts of drugs for personal use to be exempt from prosecution, on the basis that police resources would be better spent on tackling big-time drugs gangs whose turf wars have torn apart Mexican towns connected to drugs smuggling routes.

The law would have allowed consumers to possess up to 25 milligrams of heroin, 5 grams of marijuana, or 0.5 grams of cocaine. Particularly strenuous objections came from Jerry Sanders, the mayor of the Californian city of San Diego, which is just a few miles from the Mexican border. He described the bill as "appallingly stupid" and said it would lead to local teenagers crossing the border to take advantage of the permissive law. But Mexico's public security minister, Eduardo Medina-Mora, rejected the criticism. "With all due respect to the mayor of San Diego, our youths, our children are just as much of a concern for us as the young people who visit our country," he told the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Drug spending has increased by a third under the Bush administration and drug enforcement authorities have requested a budget of $12.7bn for 2007, with two-thirds of that amount to be spent on tackling the drugs trade. By comparison, just $9.3bn will be spent on international aid, a figure that includes more than $200m for counter-drugs policies in the Andes.

[  guardian.co.uk

der präsident hat angekündigt ein neues gesetz zu unterschreiben das den besitz kleiner mengen drogen entkriminalisiert.

2 May 2006

Mexico's Fox to OK drug decriminalization law

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's president will approve a law that decriminalizes possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and other drugs to concentrate on fighting violent drug gangs, the government said on Tuesday.

President Vicente Fox will not oppose the bill, passed by senators last week, presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar told reporters, despite likely tensions with the United States. "The president is going to sign that law. There would be no objection," he said. "It appears to be a good law and an advance in combating narcotics trafficking." Public Security Minister Eduardo Medina-Mora said Mexico's legal changes are in line with other countries and warned drug users they should not expect lenient treatment from the police if they are caught. The approval of the legislation, passed earlier by the lower house of Congress, surprised Washington, which counts on Mexico's support in its war against gangs that move massive quantities of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamines through Mexico to U.S. consumers.

Under the federal law, police will not criminally prosecute people or hand out jail terms for possessing up to 5 grams of marijuana, 5 grams of opium, or 25 milligrams of heroin. Nor does the law penalize possession of 500 milligrams of cocaine -- enough for a few lines. The legal changes will also decriminalize the possession of limited quantities of LSD, hallucinogenic mushrooms, amphetamines, ecstasy and peyote -- a psychotropic cactus found in Mexico's northern deserts.

STILL ILLEGAL

But city and state governments may pass their own misdemeanor laws against drug possession, levying fines, forcing law-breakers to spend up to 48 hours in police station holding cells or even making them accept medical treatment for substance addiction, Medina-Mora told reporters.

"International practice, including in the United States, in many cases dictates that possession of small amounts of drugs does not require a penal sanction," he said. Hundreds of people, including many police officers, have been killed in Mexico in the past year as drug cartels battle for control of lucrative smuggling routes into the United States. The violence has raged mostly in northern Mexico but in recent months has spread south to cities such as vacation resort Acapulco. Medina-Mora warned that vacationing college students and other foreigners caught with even with small amounts of drugs could be breaking municipal or state misdemeanor laws and could easily be shown to the airport or the border. Vacation cities including Cancun, Acapulco, Tijuana and Mazatlan already have their own laws against drug possession, he said.

The legislation is expected to make the rules clearer for local judges and police, who currently decide on a case-by-case basis whether people should be criminally prosecuted for possessing small quantities of drugs, often leading to corruption. While likely to complicate relations with the U.S. government, the legislation has drawn relatively little attention from the media in Mexico, where drug use is less common than in the United States. Medina-Mora said Fox has until September to sign the bill, but neither he nor Aguilar could say more specifically when it might be signed.

[  washingtonpost.com

4 May 2006

MEXICO

ein polizist aus michoacan , der angeklagt war im letzten monat einen streikenden arbeiter erschossen zu haben, wurde von einer richterin ,trotz videobeweisen , freigesprochen.

Mexico: officer cleared in deadly labor repression

A state judge on Wednesday exonerated a Michoacan police officer accused of shooting and killing a striking steel mill worker last month, despite video footage showing the officer firing his rifle toward the workers. In her ruling, Judge Maria del Consuelo Lopez Ramirez argued there wasn't enough evidence to prove that agent Gilberto Nezahualcoyotl Gamez Coria killed the worker, Alberto Castillo Rodri'guez, on April 20. At the time, police were trying to dislodge the striking workers from the mill they had seized.

She said it is unclear in the case presented by prosecutors whether Gamez Coria fired to repel an attack by the striking workers or expressly disobeyed commands by superiors only to fire rubber bullets above the workers' heads. The video, obtained by EL UNIVERSAL, shows Gamez Coria drawing aim and firing an AR-15 rifle. According to state prosecutors, it is still unclear exactly what caliber weapon was used to kill Castillo Rodriguez. Gamez Coria does not appear to be in immediate danger in the video.

Following the ruling, the state attorney general's office said it would appeal the case. A state police commander, who resigned after the incident, and another officer also face charges related to the deaths of Castillo Rodriguez and another worker during the raid. Seventy-five were injured. The workers had seized the mill to protest the ouster of their union leader, Napoleon Gomez Urrutia, by the Labor Secretariat. The violent confrontation has further elevated tensions between the union and the government.

On Monday, thousands of marching miners, backed by other labor organizations, called for the punishment of those responsible for the deaths. They also demanded the return of Gomez Urrutia as head of their union and safer working conditions following a mining accident in Coahuila in February that killed 65 miners. Federal authorities say Gomez Urrutia has organized the unrest - both in Michoacan and with the union in general - as a distraction while hiding out in Canada to avoid charges against him. He is targeted in federal investigation for allegedly diverting US$55 million from a union trust, although an arrest warrant has yet to be filed.

While the majority of the union supports Gomez Urrutia, a group of dissidents led by Elias Morales - who was named as Gomez Urrutia's replacement in February - published a newspaper advertisement on Wednesday demanding the former leader return the missing money. "It's a lie that Gomez Urrutia is defending union autonomy," the statement read. "He is trying to save his own neck and avoid arrest, even if it means destabilizing the union, workers' safety and putting our jobs at risk." The unrest has roiled the markets in recent months, although high copper prices have kept profits coming in for some of the nation's major mining firms.

[  ww4report.com

26 April 2006

CHILE

Mapuche-Gefangene weiter im Hungerstreik

(Fortaleza, 26. April 2006, adital-poonal).- Schon seit 44 Tagen (26. April) sind vier Mapuche-Indigenas im Hungerstreik, ohne dass die chilenische Regierung ihre Forderung nach Freilassung akzeptiert hat. Juan Patricio Marileo Saravia, Florencio Jaime Marileo Saravia, Juan Carlos Huenulao Lielmil und Patrica Roxana Troncoso Robles sitzen im Gefängnis der Stadt Angol, ca. 600 km südlich der Hauptstadt Santiago de Chile, und verweigern jetzt jegliche Flüssigkeit. Sie wurden zu zehn Jahren und einem Tag Haft verurteilt, wegen angeblich terroristischer Brandstiftung auf einer Plantage des Forstunternehmens Forestal Mininco S.A.. Zudem wurden sie zu Entschädigungszahlungen in Höhe von ungefähr 650.000 Euro verurteilt.

Die Organisation „Beobachtung der Rechte der indigenen Völker (Observatorio de los Derechos de los Pueblos Indígenas) erklärte, dass die hungerstreikenden Mapuches ihre Freilassung, die Wiederaufnahme ihres Verfahrens und die Nichtanwendung des Antiterrorgesetzes fordern. Die Indigenas sind der Ansicht, dass während ihres Gerichtsprozesses die minimalen Garantien eines ordnungsgemäßen Verfahrens nicht gewährleistet wurden. Auch internationale Menschenrechtsorganisationen wie Human Rights Watch, der UN-Sonderberichterstatter für die grundlegenden Rechte und Freiheiten der indigenen Bevölkerung Rodolfo Stavenhagen, der Ausschuss für wirtschaftliche, kulturelle und soziale Rechte der Vereinten Nationen, sowie amnesty international sind dieser Meinung. Vor wenigen Tagen unterstützte auch eine Abordnung der Internationalen Menschenrechtsföderation die Forderungen.

Die Menschenrechtsinstanzen verurteilen die Anwendung der Antiterrorgesetzgebung zur Verfolgung von sozialen Proteste und gegebenenfalls allgemeinen Delikten, die die Mapuches im Rahmen der Landstreitigkeiten begangen haben könnten. Das Menschenrecht auf einen ordnungsgemäßen Prozess sei dabei nicht gewährleistet. In der Praxis habe dieses Gesetz zu absolut unangemessenen Verurteilungen bei Delikte geführt, die in keinem Fall das Leben oder die Unversehrtheit von Menschen gefährdet hätten.

Die Organisation „Beobachtung der Rechte der indigenen Völker sieht deshalb die Forderungen der gefangenen Mapuches im Hungerstreik als legitim an. Diese müssten von der Regierung Bachelet berücksichtigt werden. “Wir sind überzeugt davon, dass die Urteile ungerecht sind und die Verhaftungen eine politische Konsequenz zur Kriminalisierung der sozialen Proteste der Indigenas sind. So sieht das auch der UN-Sonderberichterstatter für die grundlegenden Rechte und Freiheiten der indigenen Bevölkerung in seinem Bericht über Chile.“

[  npla.de

17 April 2006

VENEZUELA

ein artikel über zwangsarbeit nahe dem ort el consejo / bundesstaat aragua :

"santa teresa , das in einem üppigen grünem tal umgeben von tausenden acres ( 1 acre = 4,046.8564224 m²) zuckerrohrfelder liegt, ist das zuhause des alcatraz projekt.[...] etwa 300 junge männer aus den nahegelegenen elendsvierteln, die einmal zu gewalttätigen straßengangs gehörten, sind teil des projekts.[...] wenn gangmitglieder von der örtlichen polizei erwischt werden, wird ihnen die wahl gegeben entweder vor gericht und dann in den knast oder das alcatraz projekt. [...]wählen sie die letzte variante , werden die jugendlichen den wert von harter arbeit und was es heißt produktiv zusein erlernen. [...]viele von ihnen bauen biokaffee an und rösten diesen, der in den läden der rumfirma für $ 16 je 0.5 kg verkauft werden.[...]es gibt pläne den kaffee in die usa und nach uk zu exportieren.[...] wer die ersten 3 monaten beim kaffeeanbau in den bergen durchhält,für den gibt es in der "2. phase" psychologische beratung und für den aggressionsabbau und den "teamgeist" rugby. für viele die es bis zur dritten phase des alcatraz projekts schaffen gibt es die perspektive einer vollzeitstellung auf der santa teresa farm.[...] der besitzer der farm, zu der auch eine rumdestille gehört , ist der gründer des projekts.[...]"

A very different Alcatraz

The grey walls of El Tocoron high security prison in Venezuela's Aragua state are riddled with hundreds of bullet holes. They are testimony to the prison's track record of violence and rioting.

In many ways El Tocoron is no different to other jails in Venezuela and Latin America. "The last big riot happened here Easter 2003," says Gabriel Garcia, a prisoner convicted of manslaughter. "Lots of people died. It was a bloodbath." Armed gangs are in control of large sections of the jail, some prisoners say. They speak of murders and death threats on a weekly basis.

A senior prison official, Aquilio Arellana, says the jail is by no means the worst in Venezuela but admits there is room for improvement. "Even the priest who looks after the inmates gets death threats from the gangs who run parts of El Tocoron," he says. But only an hour's drive away from the prison walls is a place where there is an altogether different approach to rehabilitating criminals, many of whom have committed serious crimes. Just behind the village of El Consejo, at the end of a long drive, lined by tall palm trees on the left and right, is the Santa Teresa farm and rum distillery. Santa Teresa which nestles in a lush, green valley surrounded by thousands of acres of sugar cane fields is the home of the Alcatraz Project. Some 300 young men, who used to belong to violent street gangs in nearby shantytowns, are now part of the project.

Second chance

Nineteen-year-old Jason Lopez has not had much of a childhood or adolescence. His eyes fill up with tears when he remembered his past: "I killed seven people and have injured countless others. I was in a gang. Everything I did was bad." But Jason - who has been with the programme for the last three years - says he is now a completely different person. "The Alcatraz Project has changed my way of thinking. I want to repair the damage I've done and I want to contribute to society." Jason, like all the other former gang members, was given a choice by the local police when they caught him: either go to court to be convicted and jailed by a judge or join the Alcatraz project. If they choose the latter option, the youngsters are taught the value of hard work and being productive. Many of them grow and roast organic coffee, which is then sold in the shops by the rum company at $16 (£9) for 0.5kg (1lb). There are plans to export the coffee to the US and Britain this year.

Team work

At first glance, many of the teenagers and youngsters here seem no different to any other adolescents from the Venezuelan countryside. However, their personal stories range from murder, armed robbery, drug addiction to gang violence. Many in Venezuelan society, including their own families and the police, have written them off. But the Alcatraz Project, with its tough re-education programme, has given them a second chance in life. Some recruits drop out in the first three months of the project, which they spend high up in the hills growing coffee. Those who stay on for the second phase, get psychological counselling and rugby. "Rugby teaches the boys to work together as a team and let them get rid of any aggression they may have," says Alberto Vollmer, the founder of the project and owner of the rum company.

Mr Vollmer admits that the local community and the police were at first highly suspicious of his plans for the groundbreaking project. "There were people who in the beginning felt unhappy with a high concentration of young criminals so close to the town," said the entrepreneur whose distillery has been in family for over 200 years. "But the official crime statistics show that in the last three years serious crime has dropped by 76% in our local community. We've broken up four dangerous gangs," Alberto Vollmer explains.

"Some streets which used to be no-go areas even for the police are now at peace." For many who make it to the third part of the Alcatraz Project there is the prospect of gaining a full time job at the Santa Teresa farm. "Let's face it. It's not going to make me rich," says Tomas, a former crack cocaine addict turned kitchen chef. "But I feel proud of what I've achieved and how far I've come since hitting rock bottom."

[  news.bbc.co.uk

12 April 2006

BAHAMAS

nachdem amnesty die "irrtümliche" verhaftung von 200 haitianischen menschen in nord eleuthera durch proteste öffentlich machte, gab es jetzt eine offizielle erklärung.

"[...]der minister für immgration shane gibson sagte es hätte befürchtungen gegeben daß die papiere die die haitianischen leute hatten gefälscht seien. es stellte sich heraus das diese aber echt waren. er sagte es gäbe nichts wofür irgendwer sich entschuldigen müßte und das er seine aggressiven bemühungen illegale immigranten aus dem land zuschaffen fortsetzen werde.[...]"

Wrongful Detention Of Haitians Raises Human Rights Concerns

The detention of nearly 200 Haitian residents of North Eleuthera on Friday who were originally thought to be illegal immigrants has caught the attention of the human rights watchdog, Amnesty International (AI). R. E. Barnes, the president of Amnesty's Bahamas branch, told The Bahama Journal yesterday that he has forwarded reports of the incident to AI?s international office due to the human rights concerns the matter is raising. This could mean that The Bahamas could face more bad international press over the treatment of immigrants as it did during the time two Cuban dentists were detained at the Detention Centre.

Mr. Barnes said that Amnesty International respects the government?s right to protect its borders and fight the illegal immigration problem, but he said respecting human rights is also important. "It is a difficult problem," he said of the immigration situation. "The Bahamas because of its geographical position has always been subject to people coming through, to smugglers, to traffickers and so on. "Amnesty International, let's be very clear, has always said that the Bahamas or any country has the right to protect its sovereign borders, but in doing so, [it] also must respect the rights of those people who come to the country." He said this is particularly the case when it comes to immigrants who have been granted legal status in The Bahamas.

"All people have rights," Mr. Barnes reminded. "But when you give legal standing to someone, in this case Haitians who have been here for a number of years and have status to work and reside here, then that should be respected." He said while he did not know the particulars of each case, it would seem that the human rights of at least some of those immigrants were violated. Minister of Immigration Shane Gibson said there was a concern that the documents that the Haitians had may have been fraudulent. It turns out that they were not. He said that there was nothing to apologize to anyone about and vowed that he will continue his aggressive efforts to get illegal immigrants out of the country. Mr. Barnes, meanwhile, said that AI's international secretariat is kept abreast of what is going on in the Bahamas by numerous sources.

The international attention that the Bahamas gets over these kinds of incidents is one of the reasons why the Free National Movement on Monday raised concerns over the handling of the situation involving the Eleuthera immigrants. "This is an embarrassment to government and to the country and we can only hope that it will not do further damage to the reputation of the Bahamas abroad," the FNM said. "The incompetent handling of sensitive matters by the PLP Government has already given the country enough bad publicity."

[  jonesbahamas.com

1 April 2006

GUATEMALA

ein neues gesetz gegen organisierte kriminalität, am 30. märz vom kongress verabschiedet, bezeichnet 28 delikte als erheblich, die strafandrohungen wurden zum teil auf die hälfte gesenkt.

"[...]mit dem neuen gesetz wird menschen , die wegen mord und entführung angeklagt sind ,und derzeit noch zu 25-50 jahren oder zum tod verurteilt werden , oder wegen drogenhandel und geldwäsche( 20 jahre haft) die urteile verringert.[...] [...]tatsächlich wird die todesstrafe praktisch verschwinden, und menschen die zurzeit auf so eine bestrafung warten, können beantragen daß dieses gesetz angewandt wird.[...] [...]analytiker fragen sich ob das gesetz ein fehler war oder ob etwas schlimmeres passiert, und verurteilen das pornografie, waffenhandel und vergewaltigung nicht länger in dem neu verabschiedeten gesetz eingeschlossen sind.[...]"

Guatemala Questions New Law

Guatemala, Apr 1 (Prensa Latina) Different Guatemalan sectors have expressed serious concern Saturday for the reduction of sentences for serious crimes and other inconsistencies, as agreed in a new law against organized crime. The text, passed Thursday by the Guatemalan Congress, is inconsistent in that it classifies 28 crimes as serious but only gives half of the maximum sentence agreed for any one who commits them. The president of the Lawyers' College, Yolanda Ruiz, affirmed crime and violence affecting the country must be solved taking the Guatemalan realities into consideration. With the new law, those accused of murder and kidnapping, currently sentenced to 25-50 year imprisonment or to death, or drug trafficking and money laundering (20 years in prison) will have their sentences reduced. In fact, the death sentence would practically disappear, and those currently waiting for such a punishment could ask for the application of the new law. Analysts wonder if the law was a mistake or something worse is happening, and condemn that pornography, arms trade, and rape are no longer including in the organized crime rating by the newly approved law.

[  plenglish.com

11 March 2006

BAHAMAS

ein japanesischer mann, der 8 jahre ( von 1992 -2000 ) ohne anklage erst im knast und dann in einem abschiebeknast war, und der unter amnestie leidet, wurde jetzt von dem höchsten berufungsgericht eine entschädigung von $ 500.000 zugesprochen. in einem prozeß 2004 hatte der supreme court geurteilt, das der mann illegal im land war und ihm wegen "widerrechtlicher inhaftierung" eine entschädigung von $ 1000 zugestanden.

Japanese man with amnesia wrongly held for eight years

A Japanese man suffering from amnesia was unlawfully held in a Bahamas prison and an immigration centre for eight years without being charged, a court has ruled.Atain Takitota, 41, was awarded $500,000, which includes $400,000 “for the loss of eight years and two months of the appellant’s life,” the Bahamas Court of Appeal said in a ruling that reached local news media on Friday.Atain told officials that he arrived in the Bahamas from Osaka, Japan, in August 1992 and soon lost more than $7,000 at a casino, then realised that his luggage, which held his passport and the rest of his money, had been stolen.

Police arrested him that night, at first suspecting that he had tried to break into a vehicle and later believing that he was a vagrant.Authorities held Atain at two locations, including a maximum-security cell with about 20 other prisoners at the Fox Hill prison for six years.“What is particularly troubling about this case is that not once during the entire eight-year period that the appellant was incarcerated was he taken before any court at any time,” the three-judge panel said in their ruling issued Thursday.The only reason immigration authorities gave for his detention was that he was “an undesirable and his presence was not conducive to the public good,” the judges said.

Atain tried to commit suicide by going on hunger strike in 1997 and by slashing his wrists twice in 1998, but he was returned to detention after each attempt.Judges said the medical staff at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre in Nassau determined he was suffering from retrograde amnesia, losing memory of things before a traumatic event.Atain has testified that he had suffered head injuries in a traffic accident about a year before he left Japan.It is not clear if Atain forgot who he was, but the Japanese Embassy in the Dominican Republic said initial investigations in 1994 did not identify him as a Japanese citizen.The embassy asked Bahamian authorities to contact them if there was more information, but the court said there was no evidence that officials sent any information.

Atain was released in October 2000. He filed a lawsuit that year against Bahamas’ attorney general, immigration director and national security minister, alleging he was being arbitrarily held.The Bahamas Supreme Court ruled in 2004 that Atain had entered the country illegally and awarded him 1,000 US dollars for his unlawful detention.Even then, authorities appeared unsure of Atain’s nationality.Two Chinese students at a local school testified that Atain may be a Chinese national, although an officer from the Chinese Embassy in the Bahamas had said in 1998 he thought the man was “Japanese because he spoke only Japanese and a little broken English,” the appeal panel said.

[  breakingnews.iol.ie

08 March 2006

MEXICO

nachdem erneut kubanische menschen die in mexiko in flüchtlingslager sind, sich gegen ihre lange inhaftierung wehrten und kurze zeit einen wärter als geiseln nahmen,wurden die sicherheitsvorkehrungen verstärkt. außerdem wurde den menschen, deren forderung war nicht nach kuba zurück gebracht zu werden, angedroht daß keiner der beteiligten asyl oder eine aufenthaltserlaubnis bekommt.

Riots prompt security elevation

The government says it won´t grant asylum to the Cubans following the latest detention-center melee.The government said Tuesday it was stepping up security at detention centers for illegal Cuban migrants after a group of detainees fought police officers and held a guard against his will - the seventh uprising or mass escape by Cubans in a year.Officials also will deny political asylum to those involved in the latest conflict."After these acts, changes will certainly have to be reviewed to increase the level of security" at immigration holding centers like the one in Mexico City where a dozen Cubans rioted and briefly took over the facilities Monday, presidential spokesman Rubén Aguilar said.

The riots are fueled in part by the fact that most Cubans are forced to wait for months inside decrepit Mexican detention centers. The Cuban government often delays recognizing them as a means of punishment for their attempt to leave the island, local officials say.The Cubans involved in Monday´s uprising were demanding they not be returned to the island, saying they feared reprisals there. Eight Cubans were injured in the scuffle, though their injuries were not life-threatening, the government said in a news release."None of these people will be considered in any way for political asylum," Aguilar said.All seven major incidents at immigration detention centers here in the past year involved Cubans - including riots, and a mass escape in July.

Yet the estimated 500 Cubans detained each year make up a tiny fraction of the approximately 250,000 undocumented foreigners detained in Mexico annually.Under current policy, Mexico advises foreign consulates that their citizens have been detained, and those consulates have up to 90 days to acknowledge the person in question is a citizen of their country.Most of the detainees are Central Americans, and they are usually released to their home countries in two days or less.But the Cuban Consulate here often takes the full 90 days to recognize Cuban detainees, according to a Mexican immigration official who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the news media.The Cuban Embassy in Mexico did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Karina Arias, coordinator for the migrant rights group Sin Fronteras, said that slow consular responses were a factor in keeping Cubans - and a few other nationalities - in detention centers for long periods."That is a factor, and the Mexican government has recognized this, not only with Cuban consulates but with other countries as well," Arias said.A lack of access to information about their cases, overcrowding and unclean conditions at the detention centers also play a role in the riots, she said.Mexico legally has several choices of action regarding Cuban migrants: deportation to their home country, release to a third country, or asylum in Mexico.

[  eluniversal.com

15. February 2006

BRAZIL

der chef der anti-riot-einheit, die 1992 im carandiru knast 111 gefangene ermordet haben, und der im juni 2001 zu 632 jahren knast verurteilt wurde, hat seinen widerspruch gegen das urteil gewonnen, die strafe wurde annuliert. während seines widerspruches war er nicht im knast, er sitzt mittlerweile im abgeordnetenhaus in sao paulo. die staatsanwaltschaft hat noch nicht entschieden ob sie eine wiederaufnahme des verfahrens will.

Colonel who led Brazil prison massacre wins appeal

The commander of a police anti-riot squad that killed more than 100 convicts in the notorious 1992 Carandiru prison massacre in Brazil won his appeal against a 632-year jail sentence on Wednesday. The special tribunal of magistrates hearing the appeal annulled the sentence by 22 votes to two. Col. Ubiratan Guimaraes was convicted in June 2001 for his role in the massacre after a jury decided he had overstepped his authority. He was free while his appeal was pending and was was elected to a seat in the Sao Paulo state assembly.

Guimaraes, head of the state military police at the time, led riot police into Sao Paulo's Carandiru penitentiary to suppress an uprising by prisoners in October 1992. They killed 111 unarmed inmates. The massacre was made into an acclaimed 2003 film "Carandiru" directed by Hector Babenco. Carandiru prison was demolished a few years after the massacre and no one is serving a prison sentence for the crime.

"The widely felt sense of impunity around the Carandiru massacre has been compounded by the authority's failure to ensure chain of command responsibility for the killings, in accordance with international human rights standards," Amnesty International said in a statement before Wednesday's ruling. The next move is for prosecutors to decide if they want to press for a retrial. Relatives of victims demonstrated in the street outside the court. One of the banners they held read: "No one is above the law".

[  alertnet.org

26. January 2006

PANAMA

zwei gefangene im la joyita knast wurden während einer durchsuchung der zellen von riot- polizisten pfefferspray ins gesicht gesprüht und mit elektrischen kabeln verprügelt.

Torture in Panama La Joyita Prison

A

buse of prisoners in La Joyita continues. Two inmates have filed a complaint alleging that last Sunday at 18:00 members of the riot police entered the cells for searches, sprayed pepper spray in their faces and beat them with electricity cables. The National Ombudsman has taken pictures that show wounds in the faces, arms and backs of the prisoners. A medical report by the Direction of the Penitentiary System states that on January 23rd, the prisoners show "signs of having been beaten with electricity cables." (La Prensa)

[  noriegaville.com