As
Rwanda
Arrests Defense Lawyer Erlinder, UN Silent, ICTR Writes Cautious Letter
to Kagame
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
June 5 -- When Peter Erlinder, a defense lawyer before the
UN affiliated International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, was
arrested in Kigali for things he's said that are related to the
defense he is currently putting up for opposition presidential
candidate Victoire Ingabire, one expected the UN to protest the
arrest.
Inner
City Press
asked, at the UN's June 3 noon briefing in New York, if there was any
response by the Secretary General, the High Commissioner for Human
Rights, or at least the ICTR. UN Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe
said "I have no information on that, but I’ll take your
question."
Subsequently
a
response came in from the ICTR, attributable to ICTR spokesperson
Roland Amoussouga:
"We
are
not yet certain that the arrest has anything to do with Professor
Peter Erlinder's work in ICTR as his travel to Kigali was not
connected to his mandate with ICTR. When we learnt about the arrest
we have immediately sent a correspondence in the form of an Official
Note Verbale to the Rwandan authorities to get clarification as to
whether the arrest may have had any relationship with the stance
Professor Erlinder has taken in the context of the Defence of his
client. We have yet to receive a formal reply. Normally, lawyers do
enjoy immunity for the stance they take in legal proceedings."
Erlinger
has
been charged for genocide denial, which is what his client is charged
with. The role of Kagame's RPF is central to the defenses defendants
must put up in the ICTR. But if one can be arrested for this, no
defense or due process is possible.
UN's Ban at ICTR, defense of defense lawyer Erlinder not shown
Erlinder's family thinks the
Rwandan government is seeking to physically harm or even kill
Erlinder. And the UN affiliated ICTR says, "We are not yet certain that
the
arrest has anything to do with Professor Peter Erlinder's work in
ICTR." Watch this site.
* * *
At
UN,
As Heller to Meet S.Korea, No Questions on Africa, 70% of Council
Work
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
June 2, updated -- South Korea will meet with this month's UN
Security Council president Claude Heller on the afternoon of June 2,
about the sinking of the ship Cheonan. This was the news that emerged
from Heller's 45 minute press conference earlier on June 2,
describing the Council's
program of work for June.
While
Africa
accounts for 70% of the items of the Council's agenda, no a single
question about Africa was posed or taken at Wednesday's press
conference. Afterward, two of Heller's aides put the onus on the
press corps. "Africa is not news," a mainstream reporter
told Inner City Press, when asked.
But
Heller, too,
has his role. As chairman of the Somalia Sanctions Committee, he
traveled to Yemen, Eritrea and other African nations recently. But he
never briefed the Press upon his return. Inner City Press sought to
ask about Somalia -- after, to be fair, asking two other questions --
but could not get the question in.
After
the press
conference, Heller told Inner City Press he will belatedly brief the
Council about his Somalia related trip "in July." By then,
though, the news is stale. And what about getting food aid back into
Somalia?
Claude Heller and his able spokesman, Somalia not shown
The
Council plans
to travel to Afghanistan this month, but Heller wouldn't give the
date, presumably for safety reasons. One assumes that Taliban will
know about the trip if it happens.
On June 14,
all of the UN system's
heavy hitters on Sudan will come to the Council: Ibrahim Gambari,
Haile Menkerios, Djibril Bassole and Thabo Mbeki. What will they say,
including about Sudanese president Omar al Bashir turning himself in
to the International Criminal Court in The Hague?
We'll have
more on
that topic, after clarification(s) from the Office of the
Spokesperson for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon-- who will, it is now
confirmed since the first Inner
City Press report this morning, be
speaking to the media at 5 p.m. on June 2, after meeting with the
Permanent Five members of the Security Council. Watch this site.
Update of 3:42 p.m.
-- And 40 minutes after the Press set up at stakeout, Heller and two
aides walked into the Council suite of rooms. But where are the South
Koreas?
Update
of
3:52 p.m. -- As S.Korean minister enters with two aides, he's
asked, "do you have a message" for the Council? We have
"nothing yet," he replies as enters. Hmm.
Update
of
3:58 p.m. -- Choi Young-jin, who among other things is Ban
Ki-moon's representative to Cote d'Ivoire, rushes into the Council.
It seems doubtful that Laurent Gbagbo is his topic. So who is Choi
representing? Watch this site.
Update
of
4:22 p.m. -- for the record Choi Young-jin, who among other things
is Ban Ki-moon's representative to Cote d'Ivoire, tells the Press
that he his business in the Council WAS Ivorian. "Tomorrow,"
he says. "The letter?" one reporter asks. Another says,
"What a coincidence." Maybe it is.
Update
of
4:31 p.m. -- Choi Young-jin has come back, and back into the
Council. Is THIS trip about Cote d'Ivoire?
Update
of
4:40 p.m. -- Vice minister Chun Yung-woo emerges from Council. He
tells the Press South Korea is trying to find the right time for the
Council members to begin deliberations. "That is not true!"
one reporter yells. "You can bring your letter any time you
want! Why don't you have your letter in your hand?"
Chun
Yung-woo
cracks a smile. South Korea's Deputy Permanent Representative leads
him away. We have other appointments, he says. And just after, Choi
Young-jin emerges from the Council. It's a wrap -- onward to Ban
Ki-moon's 5 p.m. presser. Watch this site.
* * *
At
UN,
Flotilla Meetings with Ban, Iran Sanctions Said to Proceed,
Tamale Diplomacy
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
June 2 -- The question of who will do the investigation
of
the assault on the flotilla to Gaza, called for in the UN Security
Council Presidential Statement adopted after 12 hours of meetings
on
Memorial Day, will be discussed if not determined at the UN on June
2.
Secretary
General
Ban Ki-moon will meet with the Ambassadors of Israel and Turkey and
with the Arab Group. Then he will meet with the Permanent Five
members of the Council. Ban's office has asked UN communications
personnel to be ready for a stakeout appearance at 5 p.m. on June 2.
But of course that could be canceled.
Outside
the
Council chamber on morning of June 2, Inner City Press asked
Ambassadors and diplomats about who will do the investigation.
Council president Claude Heller of Mexico joked back: "you!"
The sense is that at least one of the non-US Western P-5 members did
not hold out for the word "independent" being in the PRST;
this member seems to think that Hillary Clinton has moved toward the
UN doing in the investigation.
"Let
Americans speak for
America," Inner City Press was told when seeking confirmation.
And the Turks, clearly, are unhappy with the Obama administration's
positions.
This
includes the
US position in pushing for Iran sanctions despite the Brazilian and
Turkish deal with Iran on "confidence building measures"
around the Tehran Research Reactor's uranium. On that, a well placed
Council source told Inner City Press that only yesterday another
meeting of the 15 members' experts took place.
Turkey and
Brazil were
"present but not engaged." The P-5 has yet to share any
annex with the non Permanent members. Still and all, more than one
Council member predicted the adoption of Iran sanctions in two weeks
or so.
On flotilla Memorial Day, scrum, meetings with Ban not shown
The
Council meeting
Wednesday morning was to adopt the month's program of work. It
includes a Council retreat in Istanbul, from June 24 through 26, and
perhaps a trip to Afghanistan before that. The UN's top humanitarian
John Holmes will brief the Council about Chad and Sudan on June 3,
then the Press on those topics and others the next day.
Children
and armed
conflict appears to be the Mexican's thematic debate, on June 16. And
the sure to be picante End of Presidency reception is set for June
29. The Mission of Mexico, in a show of class, put out tamales and
repostreria for the Press on June 2. Call it a confidence building
measure.
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