Charles Taylor

Today, the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) in The Hague convicted Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, with aiding and abetting 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity – including murder, rape, sexual slavery and use of child soldiers – committed during Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war.

Set up jointly by the Government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations, the Special Court is  a “hybrid” or “mixed” tribunal, including both international and Sierra Leonean staff,  as well as  elements of both international and Sierra Leonean law.

Charles Taylor is the first former head of state to have been prosecuted in an international criminal court for crimes committed in Africa, and today’s conviction marks the first verdict for a head of state charged with international war crimes since the Nuremberg trials following World War II.

Blood for Diamonds

Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war (from 1991 – 2002) was fueled by the sale and trade of diamonds.

These diamonds came to be known as “blood diamonds” or “conflict diamonds”, because every armed group involved in the war in Sierra Leone used the proceeds from the trade and sale of diamonds to buy weapons and munitions that left approximately 75,000 civilians dead (though estimates run much higher), over one-third of the population displaced, countless women and girls suffering from extraordinary levels of rape and sexual violence, and over 5000 children forcibly recruited to fight for both government and opposition forces. And perhaps most notoriously, the war in Sierra Leone came to be known for its signature atrocity – the amputation and mutilation of arms, hands and feet.

The term “blood diamond” very literally refers to the blood that was spilled in Sierra Leone for the diamonds that adorned countless necklines, earlobes and fingers all across the world.

As president of neighboring Liberia from 1997 until 2003, Charles Taylor stands convicted of fuelling the war in Sierra Leone by arming rebel factions with guns and ammunition in return for diamonds, even while Liberia itself was going through its own protracted and violent civil war.

Historic step for international justice

Today’s conviction marks yet another important step forward in international justice and further demonstrates the importance of international justice mechanisms – such as mixed tribunals and the permanent International Criminal Court –as an essential tool in establishing truth, accountability and reconciliation in post-conflict situations. It also demonstrates that no person – not even a former head of state – is exempt from being held to account for committing human rights abuses. President’s Omar al-Bashir and Bashar al-Assad should really take note.

Yet, much more remains to be done. Victims of human rights abuses committed during the conflicts in Sierra Leone and Liberia also have a right to reparations. But as the Director of Amnesty International Sierra Leone Brima Abdulai Sheriff noted in response to today’s verdict:

While today’s conviction brings some measure of justice to the people of Sierra Leone, Taylor and the others sentenced by the Special court are just the tip of the iceberg. Reparations are integral to achieving justice for the victims and assisting them to rebuild their lives. [Yet] sadly, only a limited number of Sierra Leone’s thousands of victims who bear the terrible scars of the conflict have received reparations, despite the Lome Peace Accord and the clear recommendations by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

Additionally, we must continue to call for justice with respect to war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Liberian civil war, in Charles Taylor’s own country. To date, no single individual has stood trial in Liberia for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed there.

George Clooney arrested at Sudan rally on March 16th (c) Amnesty International

Just now, in an effort to raise awareness and capture media attention for the critical human rights crisis in Sudan, celebrity actor and activist George Clooney, Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA), Representative Jim Moran (D-VA), Ben Jealous (head of the NAACP), Tom Andrews (President of UEG) and John Prendergast (ENOUGH), and others were arrested for civil disobedience, in protest against the Sudanese governments’ actions against innocent civilians in South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

Over a hundred activists turned out to join Amnesty International and others — including congressional human rights champions and partner organizations United to End Genocide (UEG), ENOUGH, Humanity United, American Jewish World Service, TransAfrica Forum – to protest the escalating humanitarian crisis in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile.

In both states (including the Nuba mountains), Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are conducting a campaign of indiscriminate bombing against civilians. The resulting destruction of livelihoods combined with the blockade of humanitarian aid is putting nearly half a million people on the brink of starvation.

Amnesty International is urging the Security Council to act on the recommendations made by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding South Kordofan, including: demanding the Government of Sudan grant access to human rights monitors; mandate an independent inquiry into alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law; and expand the current arms embargo to include the whole of Sudan–not just Darfur.

“Stop the Antonovs!”

Following an energizing rally at Sheridan Circle in Washington DC, where members of the Sudanese diaspora warmed up the crowd, George Clooney took to the mike to share his recent trip to a village in the Nuba mountains, which was bombed the day before their arrival. Clooney also testified earlier this week before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations at a packed committee hearing on “Sudan and South Sudan – Independence and Insecurity”.

One of the most powerful observations that Clooney brought with him from Nuba was the activism that the people themselves are taking – under threat of immediate and further bombings, by holding up signs calling on the military to “Stop the Antonovs!” and calling for the president of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir to be arrested and taken to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Amnesty activists and others rally at the Sudanese Embassy

As many readers may already know, Al-Bashir is a fugitive, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Darfur. Al-Bashir, along with three other senior officials are charged with similar offenses, continues to roam free and the people of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile are paying the price for the ongoing impunity.

This week’s historic verdict against Thomas Lubanga Dyilo by the ICC shows us that justice for international crimes is possible. While the impetus should be on governments to bring those responsible for offenses to account, the UN has also a critical role to play by providing political, diplomatic, and logistical support for efforts to arrest individuals named in ICC arrest warrants and to protect civilians in countries where the ICC is investigating crimes.

Take action now to let the perpetrators know we are watching what is happening in Sudan. And we will not sit idly by.

Check out more photos from today’s rally

Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanda Dyilo listens at the International Criminal Court. MARCEL ANTONISSE/AFP/Getty Images

Today, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced a historic decision, finding Thomas Lubanga Dyilo – the alleged founder of a vicious Congolese armed rebel group – guilty of war crimes for his use and abuse of child soldiers during the armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between 2002 and 2003.

Lubanga’s conviction sets a historic precedent for international justice and accountability for those who commit the most unspeakable of crimes. Crimes like rape. Torture. Enslavement. Crimes common among Lubanda’s Union of Congolese Patriots and its armed wing, the FPLC.

In 1998, after nearly a decade of mass atrocities in places like Rwanda, Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, and the DRC, the international community came together to establish the ICC as a “court of last resort” to punish perpetrators of these crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide.

The ICC is a vital mechanism to both insist that national authorities fulfill their domestic responsibilities to investigate and prosecute crimes – and to step in when they fail.

On March 17, 2006, Thomas Lubanga Dyilo was the first person to be arrested on an ICC arrest warrant for the use and abuse of children in armed conflict. While the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict by all sides of the armed conflict in the DRC continues, today’s verdict marks an important milestone that should give pause to those who think they can commit crimes with impunity.

ICC Fugitives

Today’s landmark decision, coupled with the recent spotlight on Joseph Kony, underscores the importance of the outstanding ICC arrest warrants for 11 other suspects of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide related to situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, the Sudan, and Libya.

Joseph Kony, Bosco Ntaganda, President Omar al-Bashir and other fugitives are often shielded by powerful supporters and states. The ongoing lack of justice means that most of these fugitives are free to commit more crimes, placing civilians in affected areas at great risk, and delaying justice for countless victims.

Which of the 11 fugitives still at large will be next to appear at the International Criminal Court? The 11 with outstanding ICC arrest warrants are:

• Democratic Republic of Congo: Bosco Ntaganda, whom the ICC has charged with enlisting and conscripting children under 15. The Congolese government is shielding him following his integration into the national army.
• Uganda: Accused Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony and LRA commanders Vincent Otti, Okot Odhiambo, and Dominic Ongwen continue to evade trial after being charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes. They and the fighters they lead continue to move between the Central African Republic, north-eastern DRC and South Sudan and commit crimes.
• Sudan: President Omar al-Bashir has been charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Darfur region. He has yet to be arrested despite regularly conducting state visits abroad. Sudanese officials Ahmad Harun and Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein and accused “Janjaweed” leader Ali Kushayb are also at large.
• Libya: Saif al Islam Gaddafi and Abdullah al-Senussi are charged with crimes against humanity committed during the crackdown on protesters in Libya. Saif al-Islam was captured on November 19, 2011 but has not yet been surrendered to the ICC.

What needs to be done?

The UN has a critical role to play by providing political, diplomatic, and logistical support for efforts to arrest individuals named in ICC arrest warrants and to protect civilians in countries where the ICC is investigating crimes. However, elements of the UN often fail to play this important role.

As a notable example, the UN Mission in Sudan went so far as to provide a helicopter ride to Ahmed Haroun, despite his fugitive status from the ICC on charges crimes against humanity and war crimes for rape and murder in Darfur.

Take action with Amnesty now to ensure that the UN does its part to protect civilians by providing the necessary support in arresting the Lubangas and Konys of the world. The ICC fugitives must be held accountable for their crimes against our fellow men, women, and children.

The ruling by the ICC marks an important milestone for victims of violence and their right to justice, truth, and reparations, and will also go far in setting a historic precedent in ensuring international justice for crimes committed against humanity worldwide. ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo stated:

“Another significance of the ruling is that it defined what crimes against humanity are. It goes back to Nuremberg and makes clear that no country has sovereignty to attack civilians”

While the Kenyan government continues to protest the ICC’s involvement, Monday’s decision to pursue prosecution and hold Kenyan leaders accountable for their role in inciting and propagating crimes against humanity is a necessary first step to preventing a recurrence in the future. The stakes are high. With elections once again approaching in 2013, Kenya and the international community must remain diligent in pursuing justice, accountability, and reconciliation efforts to ensure that history does not repeat itself.

The Technological Milestone

Yet, what many people probably didn’t think about when they heard the announcement earlier this week was the fact that the post-election violence in Kenya also yielded a small revolution in emergency response. Within a few days of the onset of the crisis, a group of (local) social entrepreneurs produced an online platform that allowed for the crowd-sourced collection of event data, such as riots, deaths or displacement. The platform was open to everyone with a cell phone or computer, effectively making any Kenyan a potential citizen journalist or human rights monitor. Ushahidi was born.

Ushahidi is a tool that can be easily deployed, in fact within minutes if one uses the web-based version Crowdmap. During the Kenya crisis, it helped to collect and provide crucial information on a rapidly evolving situation. Ushahidi, in addition to the traditional media outlets and human rights monitors, contributed to raising crucial awareness on a rapidly deteriorating situation and helped to galvanize international pressure for accountability of abuses.

Re-deployed in numerous emergencies since then – most notably in aftermath of the Haiti earthquake – it is now the standard tool for election monitoring and used both during complex emergencies and natural disasters.

What is the value added for a human rights watchdog?

While it still remains to be seen whether the collected event data would be admissible in legal proceedings – the added value for human rights work (simplified) is two-fold:

1. It’s an extremely useful tool to create situational awareness, with (nearly real time) updates from a usually difficult to access area.
2. Second, the aggregated presentation of information on a map more often than not compels users to dig deep into the issue and ultimately compels them to become engaged – in the case of Kenya to join calls for accountability.

A current example is the Syria Crisis Tracker, which collects data on crimes committed in Syria in the context of the current uprising. As a human rights advocate, I find it useful to direct the public to this resource that visually demonstrates spatial and temporal trends of human rights violations in Syria, before asking them to join our calls for accountability.

While Monday’s ruling at the ICC is a step in the right direction in beginning to ensure that those responsible for atrocities in Kenya are held responsible for their crimes, thousands of victims are still waiting for justice. Stay tuned for updates as we follow and support the ICC’s work to ensure justice and accountability for the survivors of violence in Kenya!

Last week the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition and Prostitution Research & Education, an incredible team of Native American women researchers and activists, released a report on prostitution and trafficking of Native American women in Minnesota.

Garden of Truth is the first study detailing the personal experiences of Native women who have been prostituted and trafficked in Minnesota. The research team interviewed 105 women to assess the life circumstances that led them to prostitution.  The study found about half of the women met a conservative legal definition of sex trafficking which involves third-party control over the prostituting person by pimps or traffickers.

Chronic poverty, rape, homelessness, childhood abuse, and racism – elements of the trafficking of women – were clear themes in respondents’ answers.  Among the report’s findings:

• 62% saw a connection between prostitution and colonization, and explained that the devaluation of women in prostitution was identical to the colonizing devaluation of Native people.

• One woman stated, “When a man looks at a prostitute and a Native woman, he looks at them the same: ‘dirty’.”

• 52% had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at the time of interview, a rate that is in the range of PTSD among combat veterans. Moreover, 71% presented symptoms of dissociation.

• 92% wanted to escape prostitution.

The finding presented in Garden of Truth are parallel to, and further highlight the complex and horrifying epidemic of rape and sexual violence against Native women, as documented by the 2007 Amnesty International USA report, Maze of Injustice. Maze highlighted the shocking disparities that Native women face in public safety, health and justice services – exposing the statistics that one in three Native women will be raped in her lifetime; that Native American and Alaska Native women facing rates of rape or sexual violence at 2.5 times more liked than women in the USA in general; and that nearly 86% of rapes and sexual violence are perpetrated by non-Native men.

Recently, after years of tireless work by tribal governments and leaders, Native women’s advocates, and due in part to the national attention that Maze of Injustice brought to the issue, Congress passed the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 (TLOA). The TLOA is a small but historic step in the right direction – it begins to tackle the public safety and justice issues in Indian Country and provides beginning steps to empowering tribal governments to deal with violent crime in their own communities.

But as we know all too well, much more remains to be done in order to ensure that rape and sexual violence against Native American and Alaska Native women is brought to an end. To see how you can stay connected and take action, visit our women’s human rights page.

However, as the US Congress comes under pressure to cut the deficit and drastically reduce spending, Native communities could be left without the necessary resources to fight the epidemic of rape and sexual violence perpetrated against Native women and girls.

You may recall that one of our most historic victories in 2010 was when President Obama signed the Tribal Law and Order Act into law. This was a hard-fought battle championed by tribal leaders, Native advocates, and Amnesty members like you.

The Tribal Law and Order Act begins to empower tribal governments, address jurisdictional challenges and improve the agencies, programs and policies that have failed to protect, prevent and respond to Native American and Alaskan Native women survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

It is these very lifelines – the already chronically underfunded agencies and programs tasked with ensuring the safety and well-being of tribal communities – that Congress is threatening to cut…unless they hear from you first!

Take action to support funding that keeps America’s indigenous communities safe from rape and sexual violence.

With Congress in recess – and Congressional members’ at home in their local districts hearing the needs and priorities of their constituents (you!) – the time to strike is now!

So celebrate today by raising your voice in honor of America’s Indigenous peoples.

We fought to get legislation such as the Tribal Law and Order Act on the books, and there’s no better day than this one to fight to keep its legacy and purpose alive!

Deer, a Native women’s advocate and member of Amnesty USA’s Native American and Alaska Native Advisory Council, addressed the safety and justice challenges native women in the United States face as documented by our 2007 Maze of Injustice report.

Our report revealed that 1 in 3 Native American and Alaskan Native women will be raped in her lifetime. Native women are also 2.5 times more likely to be raped than non-Native women in the US with nearly 86% of rapes perpetrated by non-Native men.  Widespread human rights abuses within the judicial system and the maze of the complex interrelation of federal, state, and tribal jurisdictions often allows perpetrators to act with impunity and evade justice.

Deer also shared shocking new information on the sex trafficking of Native women with hearing participants.  Chaired by Senator Akaka (D-HI), the hearing was also attended by Vice-Chairman Barrasso (R-WY), Senator Murkowski (R-AK), Senator Udall (D-NM), and Senator Franken (D-MN), who personally introduced Sarah and thanked Amnesty USA for our activism and commitment to protecting women.

The hearing included a wide range of witnesses who provided insight on the causes and consequences of violence and discrimination against Native women. Hearings like this one are an essential first step to truly understanding the complexity and depth of some of the issues facing Native women, and only by working in partnership with those on the ground can Congress expect to make lasting change.

President Obama signs Tribal Law and Order Act

While the 2010 passage of the Tribal Law and Order Act will begin to address long-term standing disparities between the justice systems on tribal lands – much more remains to be done.

The US government must use the recently endorsed UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a framework for addressing and upholding the rights of Indigenous communities in the US – and Congress must ensure that full and timely implementation of legislation such as TLOA continues to be a priority.

From improving justice and victim advocate services, to ensuring that a survivor of sexual assault is able to access timely and adequate healthcare services, Congress must work to ensure that the historic discrimination and disparities that American Indian and Alaska Native women face are reversed and addressed immediately.

This epidemic of violence must end, and we have the power to do it. Check out the Women’s Human Rights page on our site to see how you can take action!

Consistent with Amnesty International’s findings in 2007’s “Maze of Injustice” report documenting the epidemic of sexual violence in Indian Country, Manjoo met with tribal leaders and advocates, who confirmed Amnesty’s own findings – including Department of Justice statistics citing that 86% of perpetrators of sexual violence against Native women and girls are in fact, non-Native men.

This horrific statistic is an all too familiar, frightening daily reality for Native women – particularly as tribal courts still have no jurisdiction to prosecute non-Native offenders, often leaving survivors of sexual violence without access to justice or redress for crimes committed against them.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day all this week, it is all too clear that the U.S. still has a long way to go in addressing this epidemic of sexual violence against Indigenous women here in the U.S.

But it is equally important to note and applaud the significant, albeit long-awaited, successes of the past year – including President Obama’s historic signing of the Tribal Law and Order Act last July, and the President’s endorsement of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in December 2010. Both Congress and the Administration have demonstrated their commitment to improving public safety and justice services in Indian Country – and we must now ensure that the policies and programs provided in critical legislation such as the Tribal Law and Order Act are not only fully funded, but are also consistent with the provisions of the UNDRIP.

Many important strides have been achieved since the Maze of Injustice report launched Amnesty’s effort to join the countless other tribal leaders, Indigenous rights, and women’s advocates who have worked hard to bring to light the shocking crimes of sexual violence against Native women that have been left in the shadows for far too long.

This International Women’s Day and week, we honor those advocates and those survivors whose incredible strength and efforts continue to drive this work, and these successes. All women have the right to feel and be safe and secure in their own communities.

We have a long way to go – but with your continued advocacy and efforts, we can get there.

International Women’s Day represents two sides of the push for women’s rights: one is a celebration of how far we’ve come, and the other is a reinvigoration of the push for total gender equality.

For years, Amnesty has been striving to ensure universal rights for all women – focusing specifically on ending violence against women, including the violence and sexual assault perpetrated against Indigenous women in the U.S. As we expanded our work to include the broad spectrum of economic, social, and cultural rights, we have taken on the daunting task of fighting for those human rights violations that are both a cause and consequence of poverty.

Our struggle to uphold women’s rights has two components; as we seek to not only address the human rights violations themselves, but the consequences and inequalities that lead to their perpetration.

On the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, Amnesty is re-affirming our dedication to all aspects of the women’s equality movement – from fighting to end gender based violence domestically and abroad, to ending the inequalities that lead to preventable maternal deaths, to ensuring that the U.S. government is committed to women’s equality through ratification of treaties such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Check our blog every day this week as we will be highlighting the latest information on the issue of assaults against women in the tumultuous Middle East, the fight to end maternal mortality globally and in the U.S., the push for U.S. ratification of CEDAW, the drive to ensure that the U.S. upholds its responsibilities to improve public safety in Indian Country, the push to end the epidemic of sexual violence against Indigenous women, and the struggle to end gender-based violence through ongoing foreign assistance and development programs.

The fight for gender equality has come a long way since the first International Women’s Day was celebrated in 1911. But now is the time to refresh our push for total gender equality – let us unite to revitalize the movement to ensure universal rights for women as leaders in the world!

Katherine Raymond contributed to this post.

The UNDRIP is a non-legally binding human rights instrument which affirms universal standards for the survival, dignity, and well-being of all Indigenous Peoples. It provides a framework for addressing indigenous issues and was adopted by the United Nations in 2007, with the United States as one of only four countries, along with Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, that voted against the Declaration. Australia and New Zealand reversed their initial positions, and on November 12, Canada announced its endorsement of the Declaration as well.

In April 2010, the United States announced it would formally review its position on UNDRIP. Led by the State Department, the Administration held a series of tribal and NGO consultations to review what endorsement of the international human rights declaration would mean for Indigenous populations in the U.S. We are grateful to the Administration for their commitment to ensuring the ongoing engagement and consultation of tribal leaders, federally recognized tribes, and other interested stakeholders throughout this process.

This is a tremendous and long-overdue victory for American Indians in the U.S. – by endorsing the UNDRIP, the U.S. government is affirming its commitment to protecting the rights of Indigenous peoples, both at home and abroad. 

A huge congratulation to all of our Native American and Alaska Native partners and friends for this long-awaited and well-deserved victory!

And a deep and heartfelt thank you to ALL of our activists and supporters who took action to let President Obama know that you support indigenous rights – without your action, support and commitment, this would not have been possible.