Impunity for Sexual Violence Against Women in Colombia's Armed Conflict 

Amnesty International

 

Women and girls have been subjected to widespread and systematic sexual violence by all the parties to the long-running Colombian armed conflict - paramilitaries, members of the security forces and guerrilla combatants. While some women and girls have been targeted for reasons other than their gender, many have been sexually abused and exploited simply because they are women - to exploit them as sexual slaves; to sow terror within communities and so make it easier for military control to be imposed; to force whole families to flee their homes and allow land to be appropriated; and to wreak revenge on adversaries.

Women are also targeted in retaliation for their work as human rights defenders or as community and social leaders, or in an effort to silence them when they expose abuses. Over the last few years, women human rights defenders and community leaders working with forcibly displaced communities and those campaigning for the restitution of stolen lands have also been the target of threats and killings, mainly by paramilitaries. Some of these women were also victims of sexual violence.  

 

Researched/Written by Caitlyn Davis 

FRANCE: Government bans street prayer
In Paris, a law banning Muslims from praying on the streets came into effect last week. The Muslim community lacks prayer space in the larger cities where mosques are filled to capacity forcing over 1,000 people to pray in the streets. The government has provided an unused fire station until new prayer areas are available. Interior Minister Claude Gueant said police would use force if necessary to enforce the ban. Comment: There are mixed reactions from Muslim groups; many are glad to move out of the streets for prayer, while others believe the government is only looking for votes from the far-right. Far-right political groups in France, led by the National Front party, were behind the ban describing the street prayers as an "invasion." France is home to the largest Muslim minority in Western Europe and has passed several laws encouraging assimilation and promoting the separation of church and state. Several European countries, including Belgium and the Netherlands, are also implementing similar bans. (Le Monde, Reuters, BBC)

ITALY: Italian police clash with Tunisian migrants
On the southern island of Lampedusa, violent riots broke out on Wednesday against Italian police forces by Tunisian asylum seekers over forced repatriations. The historical residents of Lampedusa have expressed impatience and anger at the lack of action by the Italian government since the island became a primary landing point for North African migrants. Video of the clashes showed police beating migrants, causing dozens to jump from a balcony. Comment: Over 26,000 Tunisians and 28,000 people of other nationalities, mainly from Libya, have fled to Lampedusa seeking asylum since the beginning of the Arab revolts. Last week, the UN refugee agency warned of rising tensions in response to the delayed asylum requests. Most Tunisian migrants have been ruled economic migrants and sent back to Tunisia. (AP, Il Messaggero, The Telegraph, BBC)

SLOVENIA: Slovenia's government collapses after vote of no confidence
Slovenia's center-left coalition government, led by Prime Minister Borut Pahor, collapsed Tuesday after losing 36-51 in a vote of confidence in parliament on issues regarding the debt crisis. The opposition came out strongly against the coalition accusing government members of corruption and mismanagement in the economic sector. Parliament is scheduled to vote on a bill widening the values of the EU bailout fund, which is expected to pass despite the government collapse. Comment: Early elections will be held in November or December if a new government or prime minister-designate is not appointed within 30 days. Slovenia is in its deepest recession in over 15 years with economic scandals and disputes among government leaders continually lowering the approval rating. Pahor is the third Prime Minister to be ousted by a vote of no confidence since Slovenia's independence in 1991. (The Slovenia Times, AP, BBC)

TURKEY/CYPRUS: Turkey threatens to freeze relations with EU
On Saturday, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay warned that Turkey will sever relations with the European Union if Cyprus assumes the EU presidency in 2012. Tensions heightened between the two nations when Cyprus decided to begin offshore gas exploration in the Mediterranean. In response, Turkey signed an agreement on Tuesday with the northern Turkish Cypriot state for its own offshore drilling. The EU is asking for all sides to show restraint and to come to a settlement on the longstanding dispute over northern Cyprus. Comment: Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 in response to a coup d'etat orchestrated by Greece. This split the country, which now remains divided between the northern Turk Cypriots and southern Greek Cypriots. Turkey is the only country to recognize northern Cyprus as an independent nation. Cyprus remains scheduled to take the presidency in July of next year with no plans to change the rotation. (Reuters, CNN, Hurriyet)