Egypt's trial by fire

Arab leaders will be watching Hosni Mubarak's trial closely to see the possible repercussions of autocracy. Omar Rahman Last Modified: 11 May 2011 08:26

Habib el-Adly, former president Hosni Mubarak's interior minister, could be facing the death penalty if he is proven guilty of murder in his upcoming trial on May 21 [EPA] Hosni Mubarak, the man who ruled Egypt for three decades, has been declared healthy enough to be transferred from his hospital in the luxury resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, to the infamous Tora prison on the outskirts of Cairo, the capital. Although the relocation may take weeks as the prison is outfitted with the necessary medical equipment, the move signifies a dramatic escalation in the possibility that Mubarak will face trial, a turn of events most Egyptians never dreamed possible. Mubarak is being held on charges of corruption, amassing wealth in the tens of billions during his 30-year reign, which has potentially made him one of the richest men in the world. Mubarak's wife, Suzanne, and two sons, Gamal and Ala'a, face similar charges. The most serious accusation, however, is documented in the report of the official state fact-finding mission responsible for investigating the deaths of over 800 protesters during Egypt's revolution that began on January 25 and led to the ouster of Mubarak and his government. It contends that the former Egyptian president bares ultimate responsibility for the killings, after his Minister of Interior, Habib el-Adly, directly ordered security forces to quell the uprising with live ammunition, among other brutal and subversive tactics. El-Adly, one of the most loathed officials in Mubarak's regime, was convicted of profiteering and money laundering on Thursday and sentenced to 12 years in prison, a sign of the seriousness of Egypt's new leaders to carry out the people's demands for justice. If el-Adly is convicted of murder in an upcoming trial set to commence on May 21, he could potentially face the death sentence. Implications of justice The trial of Hosni Mubarak represents an epic fall from power worthy of a Greek tragedy, and the reactions of people inside Egypt and abroad, remain mixed. Some Arab Gulf nations are said to have offered the Egyptian military authority now in power billions of dollars if Mubarak was given amnesty. Hence, the long-term consequences of this event, unprecedented in the Arab world, may transcend far beyond the crimes and punishment of one man. "At the beginning, when the idea first came out, I did not think it was necessary," says Ziad Mokhtar, an investment banker living in Cairo. "However, when I saw a lot of the presidential candidates coming forward, I thought it would be a useful reminder to them that this is what will happen if you go wrong. That the presidency is not a gift, it is a responsibility, and it is a tough one." Contenders to Mubarak's crown including Amr Moussa, the secretary general of the Arab League, and Mohamed ElBaradei, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, were both initially against the trial, saying it was unwarranted after Mubarak stepped down from power. However, when the Egyptian public began mobilising once again in Tahrir Square to demand the accountability of their former leaders, both men quickly changed their tune. "Punishment is the proper treatment for people who committed bad acts, its completely natural," says Nariman Rouschdy, a law student at Cairo University. "It makes me happy because this money that was stolen will eventually be returned to the people." Looking to the future The prosecution of corrupt officials has spread beyond Mubarak and el-Adly, and now includes a network of bureaucrats and businessmen that profited from the regime, including Mubarak's former prime minister, finance minister, chief of staff, and the former head of his political party, the NDP. All are being held in Tora Prison along with Mubarak's two sons, Ala'a and Gamal, who are being investigated for using their father's position to enrich themselves. Only a few months ago, Gamal Mubarak was considered the likely successor to his father. Despite the widespread desire for accountability, some Egyptians are more concerned with looking forward than at what happened in the past, and are wary of those who may try to turn this trial into a public spectacle. Yasmin El-Rifae, an Egyptian journalist, believes that what is most important for the country lies ahead. "I think that el-Adly and Mubarak, and all other corrupt officials, should see trial for their crimes. However, I think it's important that we not place too much emphasis on this in terms of Egypt's future - we should be aware that this is often used to distract the public from ongoing injustices or the failure of the military council to deliver on its promises," says El-Rifae, echoing a wariness common in Egypt with the current military authorities. Indeed, many in Egypt share the concern that the military should be watched closely. Mubarak just turned 83 years-old and is suffering from health problems, including an alleged heart attack that occurred during the first round of questioning with investigators. Even if taken before a court, the case could be drawn out for years, with Mubarak not lasting long enough to serve his sentence, if found guilty. Families of the victims of the revolution are prepared to prevent this from happening and have made this apparent in one of the cases already under way against Habib el-Adly. Their protests outside the courtroom in the preliminary hearing of el-Adly pressured the judge presiding over the case to relocate the trial to a courtroom capable of accommodating their presence when the trial commences on May 21. Setting a precedent How the trials against el-Adly and Mubarak are handled will be extremely important. In a region of autocrats, the fate of Hosni Mubarak could have a tremendous impact. The broad symbolic outcomes of this trial are not exclusive to Egypt and its people. It is an event that will have repercussions well beyond the North African country as other leaders and nations observe how it unfolds. If Mubarak is convicted, and potentially sentenced to death - as the current foreign minister Nabil al-Araby has said is possible - it could serve as a precedent and deterrent for other dictators on the abuse of power. In particular, as revolutions continue in the Middle East region and beyond, regimes may take greater consideration when using violence to curb peaceful protests. On the other hand, it might also cause them to cling to power more forcefully, as with the case of Bashar al-Assad of Syria, or Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen, who is seeking an immunity package as part of any deal to step down from power. One thing is for certain, everyone - people and leaders alike - will be watching closely to this experiment in Egyptian justice, the outcome of which could play a deciding role in the region's future. "We have to admit one fact, that all institutions here are corrupt," warns Rouschdy. "We must keep our eyes open and think about everything in a logical way. If people lose attention, the government could play their games again."

Source: Al Jazeera

Greek unions stage anti-austerity strike

Transport in Athens grinds to a halt as workers hold 24-hour walkout in protest against tough spending cuts. Last Modified: 11 May 2011 09:18

Transport has ground to a halt in Athens, the Greek capital, including at airports [Reuters] Greek unions have begun a 24-hour walkout in protest against the government's austerity measures aimed at curbing the country's high level of debt. Public services including trains, ferries and flights have been disrupted or halted by the strike, which began on Wednesday morning. The action comes as the Greek government seeks new terms for its $158bn joint European Union-International Monetary Fund bailout, and reports that the country may need additional support. The government has already brought in a range of tough spending cuts to comply with the bailout, but the unpopular measures have led to massive protests over the past year. 'Harsh policies' This month, the government is planning to pass further measures aimed at saving an estimated $33bn through 2015. "We strongly protest against the unfair and harsh policies that have pushed up unemployment, widen false employment and trample on worker rights," GSEE, the leading Greek union, said as the strike began. In Athens' port of Piraeus striking ferry electrician Athanassios Sidiropoulos said the government was trying to scrap rights won over the course of decades by working classes. "All seamen should have pension and healthcare rights, collective labour contracts, healthcare contributions,'' he told the AP news agency. Around 3,000 members of the Communist-led PAME union marched through the streets of Athens, and separate street protests by other unions are scheduled later in the day. Some banks were shut but others remained open for business, their fronts protected by rolled down shutters in anticipation of the demonstrations. Greece's overall debt has exploded to $490bn, leading to mounting speculation, including among some Greek officials, that it will need alternative options to keep up with repayments when the EU-IMF loan runs out in 2013. Senior EU and Greek officials have denied that any debt restructuring is on the agenda, although eurozone officials have begun to admit that Greece is likely to need more aid in some form. At the weekend, the head of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, Jean-Claude Juncker, said that "we think that Greece does need a further adjustment programme". Eurozone ministers are due to debate the crisis next week but no decision will be taken immediately, a German official told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday. European Union Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn, who is the top EU official behind bailout negotiations, has said a decision on further aid is a few weeks away, pending the result of the audit.

Source: Agencies

FARC files 'show ties to Chavez'

Seized files suggest guerrillas may have tried to assassinate Venezuelan president's opponents, report claims. Last Modified: 11 May 2011 06:43

Venezuelan president Chavez has been accused by Colombia of harbouring FARC rebel camps [Getty] Colombian FARC guerrillas may have tried to assassinate rivals of Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, and trained his supporters in urban warfare, according to a report examining documents seized from a rebel camp. The study of the files, obtained during a 2008 raid inside Ecuador, also showed that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) contributed some $400,000 to the election campaign of Rafael Correa, the president of Ecuador. Venezuela's embassy in London questioned the authenticity of the documents published by the British-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), calling them a "dodgy dossier" that could be exploited to sabotage warming ties between the ideologically-opposed neighbours. Correa dismissed the IISS findings as "absolutely false". Accusations have been swirling since Colombian authorities captured computer hard drives belonging to Raul Reyes, a FARC leader, after he and other rebels were killed in an air raid three years ago. Ronald K. Noble, the secretary general of Internpol, said in 2008 that Interpol's team of forensic experts discovered 'no evidence of modification, alteration, addition or deletion' in the user files of any of the seized hardware. "Based on our careful and comprehensive forensic examination of each of the eight seized FARC computer exhibits and on consideration of all the evidence reviewed by our experts, Interpol concludes that there was no tampering with any data on the computer exhibits following their seizure on 1 March 2008 by Colombian authorities," Noble said. 'Authentic confirmation' "A lot of this material has been travelling through the public domain one way or another over the last years but the utility of this dossier is it provides authentic confirmation from the FARC perspective," the IISS' Nigel Inkster told the Reuters news agency. Colombia turned over the complete files to the IISS, an independent think tank, for study after they were confirmed to be genuine by Interpol. The 2008 attack triggered a diplomatic dispute between Alvaro Uribe's conservative government in Colombia and both Ecuador and Venezuela, which escalated when Uribe confronted Chavez with what he said was evidence that Caracas had harboured and supported rebels. Ties have improved dramatically since the election of Juan Manuel Santos, Colombia's new president, last August. Venezuela has always disputed the alleged contents of the files seized in the raid. On Tuesday, its embassy in London said there was "serious doubt on the authenticity and validity of the information". "This could become part of an aggressive propaganda tool against Venezuela to undermine progress in the region, precisely at a time when relations between Venezuela and Colombia have reached a level of stable cooperation and friendly dialogue," the embassy said in a statement. According to the archives, the FARC responded to requests from Venezuela's intelligence services to provide urban warfare training to pro-Chavez groups when the socialist leader was feeling vulnerable following a brief 2002 coup. "The archive offers tantalising but ultimately unproven suggestions that FARC may have undertaken assassinations of Chavez's political opponents," Inkster said in a presentation. Complex ties The documents also show Ecuador's Correa receiving campaign cash from the leftist rebels, although this did not necessarily translate into government favours after he was elected, the report said. Correa adamantly denied receiving money from the guerrillas. "I have never in my life met anyone from the FARC, and would never have accepted even 20 cents from an organisation like that," Correa told reporters on Tuesday. Colombia's government said it would not comment on the new study. "[Relations with Venezuela] are very good and the position of the Santos government is to strengthen them even more," vice president Angelino Garzon told Colombian radio. The files reveal a complex relationship between Chavez and the FARC, with the charismatic Venezuelan leader sometimes making promises to the group and then not following through. According to the documents, Chavez met in person several times with leading FARC members. The FARC is at its weakest in decades following the deaths of top commanders and desertions, prompted by a government crackdown aided by billions of dollars in US support. But the rebels remain powerful in some areas of Colombia, helped by their involvement in the lucrative drug trade, kidnappings for ransom, and alliances with other armed groups.

Source: Agencies

Obama seeks immigration reform

US president says providing illegal immigrants with a path to citizenship will benefit US economy. Last Modified: 11 May 2011 03:05

Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halket reports from Washington DC on Obama's immigration reform President Barack Obama has issued an impassioned call for immigration reform in a speech at the US-Mexican border, sending a message to Hispanics whose votes he needs to win re-election next year. Obama, whose 2012 chances depend largely on the health of the US economy, made the case that immigration reform would have economic benefits for the middle class and for businesses, while also improving national security. Speaking on Tuesday, he said he wanted to provide illegal immigrants with a path to citizenship - which he said would benefit the US economy. "One way to strengthen the middle class in America is to reform the immigration system, so that there is no longer a massive underground economy that exploits a cheap source of labour while depressing wages for everybody else," Obama said. "That's why immigration reform is an economic imperative." Tightening immigration laws - and opposing the idea of giving "amnesty" to those who broke the law sneaking into the country - has become a rallying cry for many Republicans who want a clampdown to keep drug crime from crossing the border. Major overhaul unlikely Obama sought to portray Republicans' resistance to fixing problems with the US immigration system as evidence they were hostile to the interests of Latino voters. But he offered no concrete policy initiatives or timelines for introducing broad legislation, underscoring the fact that he is unlikely to advance any major overhaul before the 2012 presidential election. Efforts to tighten security along the US-Mexican border, including a $600 million bill signed in August to hire 1,500 border patrol agents, customs inspectors and law enforcement officials, have already had an impact, the president stressed. "The truth is, the measures we've put in place are getting results. Over the past two and a half years, we've seized 31 per cent more drugs, 75 per cent more currency, 64 per cent more weapons than ever before," Obama said. But Obama said opponents of immigration would never be happy, despite any tight controls that have been put in place. "They wanted a fence," he said, to boos from the crowd, speaking in shirt sleeves on a hot, sunny day at a park within sight of the border. "Well, that fence is now basically complete. Maybe they'll need a moat. Maybe they'll want alligators in the moat," he said.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Ugandan opposition leader barred from flight

Kizza Besigye prevented from boarding flight home following hospital treatment in Kenya, according to his party. Last Modified: 11 May 2011 10:53

Uganda opposition leader Kizza Besigye leaves Nairobi's airport after being turned away from his flight home. [Reuters] Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has been stopped from boarding a flight home from Kenya, according to his party. Besigye was due to fly from Nairobi, where he had been receiving medical treatment after being assaulted by police during a demonstration last month in Kampala, Uganda's capital. Anne Mugisha, a leading official in Besigye's party, said Kenya Airways was told by Ugandan state security "that if Besigye was on board they would not be given landing rights." A Kenya Airways source at Nairobi airport ,who asked not to be named, told reporters: "We are made to understand that Ugandan authorities threatened not to allow the aircraft to land at Entebbe Airport if he (Besigye) was on board the flight." Journalists at the Ugandan airport were forcibly ejected by airport security and police, and the Ugandan government said it would hold a press conference about the incident later in the day. Besigye was being treated for injuries from a series of demonstrations against rising food and fuel prices, which left at least five people dead. He was first taken to hospital in Kampala at the end of April after Ugandan police smashed the windows of his car and sprayed him with tear gas in an incident caught on camera. He was then transferred to a Nairobi hospital. Besigye told Al Jazeera at the time that he remained committed to non-violent protest. This incident comes a day before Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni's swearing-in ceremony, following his re-election in February elections in which Besigye mounted the strongest challenge yet to his 25-year rule. Besigye, 50, won 37 per cent of the vote, while Museveni, 62, took 59 per cent according to official election results, which were challenged by the FDC for widespread fraud. Museveni has accused the opposition of trying to spread chaos in response to its loss in the election, saying on Tuesday that he would change the law to deny bail to people accused of rioting and economic sabotage.

Source: Al Jazeera and Agencies

FIFA accused as Qatar rebuffs 'false' claims

Executives alleged to have sought bribes from England 2022 team as Qatar respond angrily to allegations from newspaper. Last Modified: 11 May 2011 08:59

Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee reports as executives from the international governing body of football are accused of "improper and unethical" behaviour. Britain's former Football Association chairman, Lord Triesman, says four FIFA executives sought bribes or other favours in return for backing England's failed 2018 World Cup bid. The man behind Qatar's successful bid for 2022, Mike Lee, was also called to this inquiry where he had to answer an allegation from reporters at Britain's Sunday Times newspaper that the Gulf state had paid officials from several African countries for their support. Qatar's football association later released a statement, saying the allegations "will remain unproven, because they are false." "The evidence from The Sunday Times states that it did not publish the allegations themselves since 'none of the three people who made the allegations against us was ever likely to be willing to appear as a witness'," the QFA statement read. "In fact, the newspaper could easily have published the allegations had they thought that it could be shown that it was responsible and in the public interest to do so. In the event, they plainly concluded that the accounts of these people were not a reliable basis to publish these allegations. Indeed, these accounts are evidently wholly unreliable." The statement continued: "Many commentators keep pointing to the challenges Qatar 2022 faces. "Like any organiser of a major international sporting event, we indeed face many challenges, but we have managed as a nation to meet our challenges and overcome all of them and we will do so in the future. We will continue our journey with the utmost integrity as we did from the beginning and we will succeed. We will ensure that the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 is a stunning success."

Source: Al Jazeera

Syrian tanks 'shell district of Homs'

Neighbourhood in restive city "shaking" with explosions from shelling and gunfire, according to rights campaigner. Last Modified: 11 May 2011 08:33

Witnesses said Syrian tanks and snipers were seen in the city of Deraa earlier in the uprising [AFP] Army tanks have shelled a residential district in Homs, according to a rights campaigner in the Syrian city which has emerged as the most populous centre of defiance against Bashar al-Assad's rule. "Homs is shaking with the sound of explosions from tank shelling and heavy machine guns in the Bab Amro neighbourhood," Najati Tayara, said. Assad initially responded to the unrest, the most serious challenge to his 11-year grip on power, with promises of reform. He granted citizenship to stateless Kurds and last month lifted a 48-year state of emergency. But he also deployed the army to crush dissent, in Deraa, where demonstrations first erupted on March 18, and then in other cities, making clear he would not risk losing the tight control his family has held over Syria for the past 41 years. Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretatry general, urged Syria on Wednesday to halt mass arrests of anti-government protesters and to heed calls for reform. Ban also said that UN humanitarian workers and human rights monitors must be allowed into Deraa, as well as other cities so as to assess the situation and needs of the civilian population. "I urge president Assad to heed the call of the people for reform and freedom and desist from the mass arrest of peaceful demonstrators, and to cooperate with the human rights monitors," Ban told a news conference in Geneva. "I am disappointed that the United Nations has not been granted access yet to Deraa and other places," he added. The EU is to look at fresh sanctions this week against Syrian Assad's regime after already honing in on his inner circle, Catherine Ashton, the EU diplomacy chief, said on Wednesday. Fresh sanctions Asked by members of the European Parliament to explain why Assad's name was not on a list of 13 Syrian officials hit by European Union sanctions, Ashton said "we started with 13 people who were directly involved" in cracking down on protests. "We'll look at it again this week," she added. "I assure you that my intention is to put the maximum political pressure that we can on Syria." Speaking to the New York Times, a powerful cousin of the president said the Assad family was not going to capitulate. "We will sit here. We call it a fight until the end...They should know when we suffer, we will not suffer alone," Rami Makhlouf, one of the 13 people targeted by additional sanctions, told the newspaper. Makhlouf, a tycoon in his early 40s who owns several monopolies, and his brother, a secret police chief, have been under specific US sanctions since 2007 for corruption. Suhair al-Atassi, a rights campaigner, said a demonstration broke out on Tuesday in Homs, despite a heavy security presence, after tanks stormed several neighbourhoods on Sunday and three civilians were killed. "This regime is playing a losing card by sending tanks into cities and besieging them. Syrians have seen the blood of their compatriots spilt. They will never return to being non-persons," she told Reuters. Demonstrators have shouted the name of Makhlouf as a symbol of graft in a country that has been facing severe water shortages and unemployment ranging from government estimates of 10 per cent to independent estimates of 25 per cent. Makhlouf maintains he is a businessman whose companies provide jobs for thousands of Syrians. Most foreign journalists have been banned from Syria. Presidential adviser Bouthaina Shaaban told a New York Times correspondent allowed into the country for a few hours that the government was close to re-establishing order after unrest it blames on "armed terrorist groups". "Now we've passed the most dangerous moment... I hope we are witnessing the end of the story." Shaaban said. Erdogan posters in Baniyas Security forces have released 300 people detained in Baniyas and restored basic services in the coastal city stormed by tanks and troops last week, according to a human rights group. Water, telecommunications and electricity had been restored, but tanks remained in major streets, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Tuesday. Two hundred people, including pro-democracy protest leaders were still in jail, it said. "Scores of those released were severely beaten and subjected to insults. A tank deployed in the square where demonstrations were being held," Rami Abdelrahman, the Observatory director, said. Human rights campaigners said at least six civilians, including four women, where killed in raids on Sunni neighbourhoods and in an attack on an all-women demonstration just outside Baniyas on Saturday. Until the uprising began, Assad - from the minority Shia Alawite sect - had been emerging from Western isolation after defying the United States over Iraq and reinforcing an anti- Israel bloc with Iran, increasing Syrian Sunni concerns. Demonstrators in Baniyas had raised posters of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister, who has had close ties to Assad, but has disputed the official Syrian account of the violence. Erdogan said more than 1,000 civilians had died, and he did not want to see a repeat of the 1982 Hama violence or the 1988 gassing of Iraqi Kurds in Halabja, when 5,000 people died. In southern Syria, four civilians in Tafas were killed as security forces widened a campaign of arrests, a human rights campaigner in the region said, adding that 300 people had been detained since tanks entered the town on Saturday.

Source: Agencies