Nigeria: Amnesty International Petitions ICC Judges To End Prosecutor’s Delaying Of Justice For Atrocity Crimes

NEWS: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Amnesty International today submitted a legal filing to the Pre-Trial Judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on behalf of several victims’ networks, to request an end to the ICC Prosecutor’s indefinite and unfathomable delay to the start of the court’s investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Nigeria.

In December 2020, the ICC Prosecutor concluded that all the criteria had been fulfilled for the opening of an investigation into atrocities committed since 2010 in the country’s north-east, including amid the ongoing conflict between Boko Haram and the Nigerian army. Following that conclusion, the clear next step should have been to submit a request to Pre-Trial judges to open the investigation, and then if authorized by the judges, start investigating. Four years on, the ICC Prosecutor’s Office has yet to even issue the initial request.

Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said: 

“Victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Nigeria are as entitled to justice as victims of crimes under international law elsewhere. They have already waited too long. Nigeria should not be forgotten by the International Criminal Court.”

“Amnesty International has called for an ICC investigation in Nigeria for years. The Office of the Prosecutor continues to delay, despite its clear legal obligation and its promise to open an investigation. We urge the ICC judges to exercise their oversight power to ensure the Prosecutor acts in conformity with the Rome Statute’s provisions.” 

“The Prosecutor has also failed to justify the deprioritization of the Nigeria situation, leaving victims and survivors of the conflict waiting with no explanation, nor any certainty, about the Prosecutor’s intended next steps. When is it going to be Nigeria’s turn?” asked Isa Sanusi.

The legal filing argues that the Office of the Prosecutor is failing in its legal duty under article 15(3) of the Rome Statute to request the authorization of the opening of the investigation in Nigeria. The complaint also describes how the Prosecutor has created an unprecedented situation in which Nigeria is now neither a preliminary examination nor an investigation, leaving it in legal ‘limbo’ between these two stages of the ICC judicial process. In doing so, the Prosecutor has bypassed due process and he has put victims’ rights to truth, justice and reparations on indefinite hold.

“As the ICC’s member states commence their annual Assembly session, we call on them to recognize that all ICC situations, including in Nigeria, must receive the same standard of treatment and attention as others before the Court.”

Background

The complaint has been brought by Amnesty International on behalf of thousands of victims from several networks in north-east Nigeria, including the Jire Dole Mothers and the Knifar Movement networks. The complaint was drafted with substantial contribution and legal advice from UpRights.

Since 2009, north-east Nigeria has been the scene of egregious crimes committed by Boko Haram and the Nigerian army. Boko Haram has killed thousands of civilians, attacked schools, abducted women as well as girls and boys, many of whom have been forcibly recruited as child soldiers or forcibly married and turned into sex slaves. Nigerian forces have killed or forcibly disappeared civilians, conducted mass arbitrary arrests and detentions, and countless acts of sexual violence and torture, leading to thousands of deaths in military custody. This armed conflict is still ongoing today, and crimes continue to be perpetrated by both parties against civilians year after year.

The first ICC Prosecutor Ocampo opened a preliminary examination into the situation in Nigeria in November 2010. Ten years later, in December 2020, the then ICC Prosecutor Bensouda announced that the preliminary examination was completed; and that they had concluded that crimes against humanity and war crimes had been committed by Boko Haram and the Nigerian military and that the Nigerian authorities had failed to genuinely investigate and prosecute these crimes. Since then, there has been no concrete progress.

Africa: States Frustrate Continental Rights Bodies’ Efforts To Uphold Human Rights

Image: Amnesty International

African rights bodies are frustrated at every turn by the lack of cooperation and support from African Union (AU) member states who desperately try to undermine their independence and autonomy, according to a new report published by Amnesty International.

The report, The State of African Regional Human Rights Bodies and Mechanisms, found that the continent’s rights bodies are working in harsh conditions whereby their decisions are blatantly ignored and their pleas for proper funding and human resources persistently fall on deaf ears.
Africa’s human rights bodies are being wilfully subverted and rendered ineffective by member states. The African Union’s Executive Council must resist these efforts and take its responsibility to monitor and enforce compliance with the decisions of the human rights mechanisms seriously. Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International’s Director for Research and Advocacy

“Africa’s human rights bodies are being wilfully subverted. The African Union’s Executive Council must resist these efforts and take its responsibility to monitor and enforce compliance with the decisions of the human rights mechanisms seriously,” 

said Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International’s Director for Research and Advocacy.

States’ poor performance record
The report offers an assessment of the performance of three of Africa’s regional human rights institutions between January 2018 and June 2019: the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission); the African Child Rights Committee; and the African Court.

It found that out of the continent’s 54 countries, five (Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe and Somalia) have not submitted a single report on the human rights situation in their countries since they ratified the Africa Charter for Human and People’s Rights.

Many countries that submitted their human rights reports to the African Commission during the reporting period did so after delays in excess of a decade. Gambia and Eritrea set records by submitting their reports 21 and 19 years late respectively.

In the timeframe in review, the African Commission sent 83 urgent appeals to states over concerns of human rights violations. Of these only 26 (31 percent) received a written response. The African Commission further requested 27 country visits, of which only 13 were authorized in principle, and just five materialized.

Room for improvement

Despite facing many stubborn challenges, African human rights bodies registered a relatively impressive record in developing new norms and standards including developing a draft treaty on the rights to social protection and social security. The African Commission also published seminal studies on transitional justice and on human rights in conflicts.

The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Court) issued 25 decisions. However, only Burkina Faso had fully complied with the court’s decisions by the end of the reporting period. Some countries, including Tanzania, partially complied, while Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Libya and Rwanda didn’t comply at all.

Both the African Commission and the African Court face a chronic backlog problem because of a slow pace in determining cases. Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International’s Director for Research and Advocacy

Both the African Commission and the African Court performed dismally in clearing a backlog of complaints, with 240 and 143 cases pending respectively by June 2019. On the other hand, the African Child Rights Committee remained grossly under-utilized, having received only 11 cases from its inception.

“Both the African Commission and the African Court face a chronic backlog problem because of a slow pace in determining cases. They must urgently develop plans to speed up determinations and ensure strict adherence to time limits for parties, especially state parties,” 

said Netsanet Belay.

Human rights defenders under siege

The report also highlights an onslaught on human rights defenders (HRDs) in Africa. Between January 2018 and June 2019, appeals for protection of HRDs accounted for 71 percent of all appeals issued to state parties by the African Commission.

HRDs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Egypt were the worst hit, the Africa Commission issuing 11 and 10 urgent appeals respectively to their governments. These were closely followed by Burundi with seven urgent appeals, Cameroon and Algeria each with six, and Uganda and Sudan, each with five appeals.

It is extremely alarming that governments across Africa have singled out human rights defenders to try to silence them and bring an end to their activism through brutal attacks, harassment, unlawful arrest and detention. Attacks on human rights defenders are an attack on the rights of all the people whose freedoms they are fighting for. Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International’s Director for Research and Advocacy

“It is extremely alarming that governments across Africa have singled out human rights defenders to try to silence them and bring an end to their activism through brutal attacks, harassment, unlawful arrest and detention,” said Netsanet Belay.

“Attacks on human rights defenders are an attack on the rights of all the people whose freedoms they are fighting for.”

Background

This new Amnesty International report, to be published annually, will serve as a regular audit of the performance of the three regional human rights institutions in Africa: the African Commission; the African Child Rights Committee; and the African Court.

Beginning with this inaugural review, The State of the African Regional Human Rights Bodies and Mechanisms will be published every 21 October in commemoration of the adoption of the African Charter on this day in 1981.

SOURCE: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Egypt: Crackdown Against Peaceful Critics Set To Worsen If Constitutional Amendments Are Passed

Egypt's Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Egypt’s authorities must end their crackdown against critics who oppose amendments to the Egyptian constitution, proposed by members of parliament, that will strengthen impunity for human rights violations, said Amnesty International. Many of those who have criticized the changes have been arrested or publicly vilified in the media.

The organization is today publishing an analysis of the constitutional amendments which are currently being discussed by the Egyptian parliament. If passed, these measures will undermine the independence of the judiciary, expand military trials for civilians and could allow President Abdel Fattah to stay in power until 2034.

“If passed, these constitutional amendments would worsen the devastating human rights crisis Egyptians are already facing. They would grant President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and security forces free rein to further abuse their powers and suppress peaceful dissent for years to come,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director at Amnesty International.

“The Egyptian parliament has a responsibility towards Egyptians to preserve what remains of the country’s judicial independence and adherence to international law and reject the proposed amendments.”

A parliamentary vote on the amendments is due in the coming weeks and if passed – the new draft constitution will be put to a public referendum.

“Since President al-Sisi came to power human rights in Egypt have catastrophically deteriorated. Egypt’s international allies must not stand by silently as the Egyptian authorities push through these amendments while bullying anyone who dares to criticize the changes into silence. In particular, the US authorities should use President al-Sisi’s visit to Washington DC this week to publicly condemn the proposed changes.”

President al-Sisi is due to meet with President Donald Trump during a visit to Washington DC on 9 April.

In its analysis Amnesty International expresses concern that the amendments would strengthen the influence of the Egyptian military over government, remove the requirement for judicial review of draft legislation, as well as expanding notoriously unfair military trials for civilians and granting the President sweeping powers to manage judicial affairs and appoint senior judges.

Other amendments that have drawn criticism from opponents are the plans to extend the presidential term to six years and introduce a provision allowing President al-Sisi to run for two further presidential terms.

Crackdown targeting critics

The amendments have attracted considerable criticism including from a number of public figures, human rights organizations, political parties and the State Council Judges Club. The authorities have responded by intensifying their crackdown on freedom of expression, targeting people who have voiced opposition to the amendments with arbitrary arrest and detention, defamation and even cyber-attacks.

More than 57 people have been arrested so far in 2019, with Egyptian NGOs citing higher figures, for peacefully expressing their opinions or merely being perceived to do so – at least four of them for expressing their opposition to the constitutional amendments on social media.

The arrests have followed a pattern repeatedly documented by Amnesty International whereby the victims are arrested without warrants in the early hours of the morning, before being forcibly disappeared for several days. They later reappear before a state security prosecutor who orders their detention pending investigation on charges of “membership in terrorist groups” and “disseminating false information”.

Several public figures – including some members of parliament - who have expressed their opposition to the amendments have been widely criticized in public and private media and been subjected to smear campaigns. Some opponents have faced homophobic slurs, as well as calls, including from fellow members of parliament, for their prosecution for “treason” and for their Egyptian nationality to be revoked.

Amnesty International has also documented a wave of phishing attacks, that likely originated from government backed bodies, targeting independent media organizations and human rights defenders who reported on the authorities, including the role of the General Intelligence Service, in pushing for the constitutional amendments.

Last week, on 28 March, a court prevented activists from the Civil Democratic Movement, an opposition movement, from holding a protest against the constitutional amendments in front of parliament. Egypt’s Minister of Interior filed a request asking the court not to grant permission for the protest on the basis that it could “threaten public peace and security”. The court decision cited concerns that “anti-state elements may infiltrate the protest and assault the protestors, in order to frame security forces as assaulting protestors”.

“The intimidation and harassment of people who peacefully express their opinions, including those critical of the constitutional amendments, has to end now,” said Magdalena Mughrabi.

“Instead of stepping up this vicious crackdown against peaceful critics, Egypt’s authorities should scrap these amendments and ensure that any proposed future changes do not violate the country’s human rights obligations under international law.”

For more information please contact: Sara Hashash, MENA Media Manager on sara.hashash@amnesty.org or +44 (0) 203 036 5566

Amnesty Says Cameroon Soldiers Executed Women, Young Girl And A Baby

Cameroon's President Paul Biya plans to stand for election on October 7 amid spiraling violence and alleged human rights abuses in the country. Image via CNN

BY STEPNANIE BUSARI

LAGOS, NIGERIA (CNN)--Cameroon's 85-year-old president has announced plans to stand for re-election in the country's elections on October 7, amid spiraling violence and alleged human rights abuses in the country.

Paul Biya, who has led the country since 1982, posted on his Twitter account Friday that he plans to stand for re-election.

However, the octogenarian leader, one of Africa's longest-serving rulers, is accused by rights groups of presiding over a brutal regime, characterized by human rights abuses, particularly towards residents of Cameroon's English speaking provinces.

Horrific videos and images of abuse, murder, and torture allegedly by Cameroonian soldiers have flooded social media in recent months.

CNN has not been able to independently verify these images.

However, one of these shocking videos, which has gone viral online, shows the execution of two women and two children by uniformed men and has attracted widespread condemnation.
Rights group Amnesty International says it has "credible information" that Cameroonian soldiers were involved.

The agency said: "Extensive analysis of the weapons, dialogue, and uniforms that feature in the video, paired with digital verification techniques and testimonies taken from the ground, all strongly suggest that the perpetrators of the executions are Cameroonian soldiers."

Cameroon's Ministry of Communication said in a statement that the government is investigating the claims, although government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary is quoted in local media initially saying the video could be "fake news."

''We haven't authenticated yet, but I draw your attention to what we call fake news. Do not be peremptory in the attribution of this video to the Cameroonian army.

"Because the enemy is always able to slip into our defence and security forces to attribute to us such heinous crimes,'' Bakary said in local mediareports.

There are several edited versions of the video. One of them, which CNN has seen, is just over two minutes long and does not show the women and children being executed.

A group of men, some of them wearing army uniforms and carrying guns, are seen abusing the women and another man, who is filming, is providing commentary about them.

One of the men slaps a woman who is walking with a young girl next to her and is heard saying in French, 'BH. you are going to die."

Behind her is another woman with a baby on her back. The women are led to a side road near a dirt track, all are blindfolded, apart from the baby, and shot, according to Amnesty researchers.

BH is thought to refer to the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, which has waged a brutal decade-long insurgency in northeast Nigeria.

This latest incident follows an Amnesty International report in June stating that English speakers in the country were being targeted by both the Cameroonian military and armed Anglophone separatists in waves of violence that Amnesty described as "unlawful, excessive and unnecessary."

Speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, one man living in Cameroon told CNN: "It is a very sad time for us... An issue, which started with people holding peace branches, has now spiraled into outright war...with gun battles becoming part of everyday life for many in these regions.
"It is terrible, and I cannot assure you that the way things are going, we are not in for a resolution any time soon," he added.

The US Africa Command, which oversees US troops on the continent including the hundreds of American advisers working with Cameroonian soldiers, said it was aware of the execution video.
However, spokesman Major Karl Wiest said: "At this time, we cannot confirm the authenticity, nor can we confirm any possible military affiliation of those shown in this troubling video."

CNN's Robyn Kriel and Ryan Browne contributed to this report.

Boko Haram Survivors Raped And Starved By Military 'Rescuers' - New Report

Image via Amnesty International

NIGERIA (AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL UK)--New Amnesty investigation details the “horrendous” treatment of women and girls by the Nigerian military since escape from Boko Haram

Many forced to become ‘girlfriends’ of military in exchange for humanitarian assistance

UK must urgently review support to the Nigerian military

UK needs to ensure “any training it’s providing hasn’t contributed to the vile abuses and violations currently taking place in north-east Nigeria” - Oliver Feeley-Sprague

Thousands of women and girls who survived the brutal rule of the Boko Haram armed group have since been further abused by the Nigerian security forces who claim to be rescuing them, Amnesty International revealed in a new report released today (24 May).

The report - "They betrayed us" - is the result of a two-year investigation and interviews with more than 250 people affected by the critical situation in north-east Nigeria. It examines what happened to the hundreds of thousands of people, especially women, who fled or were forced from areas controlled by Boko Haram, as the Nigerian military intensified its operations and ordered those it was ‘freeing’ to satellite camps.

Amnesty’s investigations reveal how the Nigerian military and Civilian Joint Task Force (Civilian JTF) – a militia who work alongside them – have carried out systematic patterns of violence and abuse against the population who fled Boko Haram’s rule, including war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. Women told Amnesty how they have been raped in exchange for food, and the report contains evidence that thousands of people, including children, have starved to death in the camps in Borno state since 2015.

In some cases, the abuse appears to be part of a pattern of persecution of anyone perceived to have a connection to Boko Haram. Women reported being beaten and called “Boko Haram wives” by the security officials when they complained about their treatment.

The military has also screened everyone arriving to the satellite camps, and in some locations detained most men and boys aged between 14 and 40 as well as women who travelled unaccompanied by their husbands. The detention of so many men has left women to care for their families alone.

Osai Ojigho, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said:

“It is absolutely shocking that people who had already suffered so much under Boko Haram have been condemned to further horrendous abuse by the Nigerian military.

“Instead of receiving protection from the authorities, women and girls have been forced to succumb to rape in order to avoid starvation or hunger.”

UK support to the Nigerian military

The UK government is supporting the Nigerian armed forces to counter the threat from Boko Haram through British military training and by providing operational guidance and advice. Just last month, Prime Minister Theresa May met with President Buhari of Nigeria at Downing Street, where she reiterated the two countries’ “close and longstanding” defence and security cooperation.

Nigeria has recently been added to the UK’s National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security, which recognises that the Nigerian security forces have been accused of sexual abuse.

Oliver Feeley-Sprague, Amnesty UK’s Military, Security and Policing Programme Director, said:

“Amnesty’s investigations show that soldiers from the Nigerian military are abusing their position to sexually exploit women and girls – there can be no denying of this.

“This evidence must serve as an urgent warning to the UK government and the British forces currently training and supporting a military that is using its power to horrifically abuse the very people it’s meant to be protecting.

“The UK government must work with relevant women human rights defenders to review UK support to the Nigerian military, and ensure that any training it’s providing hasn’t contributed to the vile abuses currently taking place in north-east Nigeria.

“If it turns out that British troops have been training or supporting any of the units involved in these crimes, a UK investigation must immediately take place and British military training to those units should be suspended.”

Key findings in the report:

Rape of starving women and sexual exploitation

Scores of women described how soldiers and Civilian JTF members have used force and threats to rape women in satellite camps, including by taking advantage of hunger to coerce women to become their “girlfriends”, which involved being available for sex on an ongoing basis.

Five women told Amnesty that they were raped in late 2015 and early 2016 in Bama Hospital camp as famine-like conditions prevailed.

Ama (not her real name), 20, said: “They will give you food but in the night they will come back around 5pm or 6pm and they will tell you to come with them… One [Civilian JTF] man came and brought food to me. The next day he said I should take water from his place [and I went]. He then closed the tent door behind me and raped me. He said I gave you these things, if you want them we have to be husband and wife”.

Ten others in the same camp said that they were also coerced into becoming 'girlfriends' of security officials to save themselves from starvation. Most of these women had already lost children or other relatives due to lack of food, water and healthcare in the camp. The sexual exploitation continues at an alarming level as women remain desperate to access sufficient food and livelihood opportunities.

Women said the sexual exploitation follows an organised system, with soldiers openly coming into the camp for sex and Civilian JTF members choosing the "very beautiful” women and girls to take to the soldiers outside. Women reported they were too afraid to refuse demands for sex.

Osai Ojigho said: “Sex in these highly coercive circumstances is always rape, even when physical force is not used, and Nigerian soldiers and Civilian JTF members have been getting away with it. They act like they don’t risk sanction, but the perpetrators and their superiors who have allowed this to go unchallenged have committed crimes under international law and must be held to account.”

Deaths as a result of hunger

People confined in the satellite camps faced an acute food shortage from early 2015 until mid-2016, when humanitarian assistance was increased.

At least hundreds - possibly thousands - died in Bama Hospital camp alone during this time. Those interviewed consistently reported that 15 to 30 people died each day from hunger and sickness during these months. Satellite images, showing how the graveyard inside the camp expanded quickly during this time, confirm their testimonies. There were also daily deaths in other satellite camps such as those in Banki and Dikwa.

From June 2016, the UN and other humanitarian agencies scaled up assistance in the satellite camps. Despite this, many women reported continued barriers to accessing adequate food, exacerbated by restrictions on their ability to leave the camps.

A number of women who arrived in satellite camps in Dikwa town in mid-2017 have not received any food assistance since they arrived, and described ongoing hunger, sickness and deaths within their camps.

Yanna (not her real name), who arrived in Dikwa in late-2017 and lived in Fulatari camp, told Amnesty: “People are dying, [always there is a] burial, burial, burial. I was thinking maybe one day it will be my own.”

Even where government and international NGOs distribute food, large-scale corruption has prevented many people from accessing it.

Osai Ojigho said: “Confining people to camps without enough food, despite the fact that those administering the camps knew the conditions were leading to deaths, violates human rights and international humanitarian law. Those who allowed this to happen may be guilty of murder.”

Women detained in Giwa barracks

Amnesty’s research further reveals that hundreds of women along with their children have been held in the notorious Giwa Barracks detention centre since 2015. While most have been released, an unknown number remain in military detention.

Many of those detained since 2015 had been victims of abductions or forced marriages by Boko Haram and were detained by the military for being so-called “Boko Haram wives” instead of being rescued.

Amnesty received five reports about sexual violence in Giwa barracks, while seven women said they gave birth inside their dirty, overcrowded cells without any medical assistance. At least 32 babies and children, and five women, have died in detention since 2016.

Osai Ojigho said: “The detention of women and girls on the basis that they were allegedly married to Boko Haram members is unlawful under international human rights law and Nigerian law and is discriminatory.”

Boko Haram abuses

Women interviewed often spent months or years living under the repressive rule of Boko Haram. Some reported being forced into marriages with Boko Haram members or being flogged when caught breaking the armed group’s strict rules. Seven said they witnessed the executions of family members or neighbours after unsuccessful attempts to escape.

Time for action

Since 2015, various NGOs and humanitarian organisations have reported sexual violence and deaths in camps for internally displaced people in north-east Nigeria. While the authorities frequently promised to investigate such reports, there has been no tangible action to address the problem and no one appears to have been brought to justice. It is not always clear if these investigations were carried out as no reports have been made public.

In August 2017, the Acting President of Nigeria Yemi Osinbajo established the Presidential Investigation Panel to review the military’s compliance with its human rights obligations. Many women testified before the Panel, which submitted its report to President Muhammadu Buhari in February 2018.

Osai Ojigho said:

“Now is the time for President Buhari to demonstrate his frequently expressed commitment to protect the human rights of displaced people in north-east Nigeria. The only way to end these horrific violations is by ending the climate of impunity in the region and ensuring that no one can get away with rape or murder.

“The Nigerian authorities must investigate – or make public their previous investigations – on war crimes and crimes against humanity in the north-east. They must also urgently ensure, with the support of donor governments, that people living in the satellite camps receive adequate food, and that those arbitrarily detained in military detention facilities are released.”

Background:

Amnesty’s report is the result of an extensive investigation involving more than 250 interviews and covers satellite camps established by the military in seven towns in Borno state, including Bama, Banki, Rann and Dikwa. It also includes interviews with 48 women and girls released from detention and the review of video, photographic and satellite imagery.

Amnesty International shared its findings with the Nigerian authorities but, at time of publication, no response has been received.

Amnesty Seeks Criminal Inquiry Into Shell Over Alleged Complicity In Murder And Torture In Nigeria

Rights group publishes full evidence review, including statements alleging Shell managed undercover police unit in 1990s after its operations ended in Ogoniland

BY HANNAH SUMMERS

Esther Kiobel poses with a picture of her late husband, one of nine men executed by Nigeria’s military government after a peaceful uprising in 1995 against Shell’s widespread pollution in Ogoniland. Image: Amnesty International Via The London Guardian

NIGER-DELTA, NIGERIA (THE GUARDIAN) -- Amnesty International is calling for a criminal investigation into the oil giant Shell regarding allegations it was complicit in human rights abuses carried out by the Nigerian military.

A review of thousands of internal company documents and witness statements published on Tuesday points to the Anglo-Dutch organisation’s alleged involvement in the brutal campaign to silence protesters in the oil-producing Ogoniland region in the 1990s.

Amnesty is urging the UK, Nigeria and the Netherlands to consider a criminal case against Shell in light of evidence it claims amounts to “complicity in murder, rape and torture” – allegations Shell strongly denies.

While the cache of documents includes material Shell was forced to disclose as part of a civil case brought against the company and many of the allegations are long-standing, the review also examines some evidence which has not been previously reported.

It includes witness statements seen by the Guardian that allege Shell managed a unit of undercover police officers, trained by the Nigerian state security service, to carry out surveillance in Ogoniland after the oil company had publicly announced its withdrawal from the region.

Shell stopped operations in Ogoniland in early 1993 citing security concerns but “subsequently sought ways to re-enter the region and end the protests by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, Mosop”, claims Amnesty.

The group had been formed under the leadership of the Nigerian author and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, and pressed for a bill of rights to gain political and economic autonomy for the indigenous population and protect their homeland from “an ecological disaster”.

In 1993 its mounting campaign was successful in forcing the oil company to quit the region. But mass protests ensued after Shell pushed ahead with plans to lay a new pipeline through the area.

On 30 April the same year troops guarding Shell’s contractors opened fire on protesters injuring 11 people, and a man was fatally shot at Nonwa village in a separate incident several days later.

In the brutal backlash that followed by Nigeria’s military police, about 1,000 people were killed and 30,000 made homeless after villages were destroyed.

Audrey Gaughran, director of global issues at Amnesty, said: “The evidence shows Shell repeatedly encouraged the Nigerian military to deal with community protests, even when it knew the horrors this would lead to – unlawful killings, rape, torture and the burning of villages.

“It is indisputable that Shell played a key role in the devastating events in Ogoniland in the 1990s but we now believe there are grounds for a criminal investigation.”


She added: “Bringing all the evidence together was the first step. We will now be preparing a criminal file to submit to the relevant authorities with a view to prosecution.”

The organisation alleges Shell gave the military “logistical support” including transport and, on at least one occasion, paid a military commander notorious for human rights violations.

Amnesty claims documents, shared with the Guardian, reveal that in March 1994 the company made a payment of more than $900 to a special government unit created to “restore order” in Ogoniland.

This was just 10 days after the unit commander ordered the shooting of unarmed protesters outside Shell’s regional headquarters in Port Harcourt.


Other evidence collated as part of the review points to Shell’s apparent links with Nigeria’s internal security agency, the SSS.

Shell has publicly said the police force seconded for its protection was used “solely to guard” its staff and property but depositions obtained as part of legal proceedings against the company are claimed to show this unit had close ties with the SSS.

George Ukpong, former head of security for Shell’s eastern region, who supervised the force instructed by Shell, said: “Each day I come to work … I will phone the director of state security. Exchange of information.”

One of his key sources was a unit of the force seconded to Shell, which would gather information by entering sensitive areas in plain clothes. “I regard them as my informants,” he said.

In the witness statement Ukpong went on to explain how the SSS provided this unit with training.

He said: “We invited their training wing, come in, gather a number of our intelligence team, we have a section in the supernumeracy police who are supposed to look at these areas. Then, basically, they sat them down and gave them the principles of surveillance and information gathering.”

Mark Dummett, a researcher for Amnesty, said: “The fact Shell was running a shady undercover unit and then passing on information to the Nigerian security agency is incredibly disturbing.
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“This was a time when Nigeria was cracking down on peaceful protesters, and there must have been a risk that information gathered by Shell’s secret spy unit contributed to grave human rights violations.

He added: “The revelations show how close and insidious the relationship was between the oil company and the Nigerian state, and Shell has serious questions to answer.”

The Nigerian government’s campaign against the Ogoni people culminated in the execution 22 years ago of nine Ogoni men, including Saro-Wiwa, who had led the protests. Their deaths sparked a global outcry with claims their trial had been unfair.

In June this year the widows of four of the men filed a writ against Shell in the Netherlands, accusing the company of complicity in their deaths.

An individual or company can be held criminally responsible for a crime if they encourage, enable, exacerbate or facilitate it.

Amnesty’s new report, A Criminal Enterprise?, alleges that Shell was involved in crimes committed in Ogoniland in this way.

In his final words to the tribunal that convicted him, Ken Saro-Wiwa warned that Shell would face its own day in court.

Now Amnesty says: “We are determined to make this happen. Justice must be – for Ken Saro-Wiwa and for the thousands of others whose lives were ruined by Shell’s destruction of Ogoniland.”
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A spokesperson for the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) said the allegations have always been denied by Shell in the strongest possible terms.

They said: “The executions of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his fellow Ogonis in 1995 were tragic events that were carried out by the military government in power at the time.

“We were shocked and saddened when we heard the news. Shell appealed to the Nigerian government to grant clemency. To our deep regret, that appeal, and the appeals made by many others … went unheard.”

They added: “Support for human rights in line with the legitimate role of business is fundamental to Shell’s core values of honesty, integrity and respect for people. Amnesty’s allegations concerning SPDC are false and without merit. SPDC did not collude with the authorities to suppress community unrest and in no way encouraged or advocated any act of violence in Nigeria. We believe that the evidence will show clearly that Shell was not responsible for these tragic events.”

Coalition Raises Alarm, Says AI Plots To Destabilize Nigeria With N10b

Ask FG To Expel Amnesty International

BY FRANK IKPEFAN

THE NATION

SEPTEMBER 4, 2017

A pressure group, Coalition For Truth and Justice (CFTJ), on Monday informed Nigerians that Amnesty International ( AI ) had earmarked about N10 billion to settle “dormant terror NGOs and CSOs to champion the break up of the country.

The organisation also alleged that AI had been responsible for Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, militancy in the Niger-Delta and the separatist movement agitating for secession in the South East led by the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The National Coordinator of CFTJ, Charles Timothy, at a press briefing in Abuja, alleged that AI had intensified plots to destabilise Nigeria.

He therefore called on the Federal Government to expel AI from Nigeria “as they are backing separatists and extremists against the country’s legitimate authority and sovereignty.”

Timothy advised Nigerians and government to stop the final phase of destabilization from being fully activated.

He said, “We appeal to you, gentlemen of the press, to help amplify this message to the government and the populace because Nigeria and Nigerians cannot afford to be taken unawares by this latest destabilization plot.

“In its latest destabilisation plot, AI has started mobilising some questionable elements under the cover of civil society groups with millions of Naira in the last phase of its project to see to the final destabilisation of Nigeria. This last phase of operation is structured to unite and activate all the dormant terror NGOs and CSOs they have created and term their attack on the populace as “intellectual rebellion”, which is a cover to cause an uprising against the state. This must be taken seriously. This strategy has been employed several times in the past.

“A few CSOs run by true patriots that were approached to join the rebellion so that it can have a larger number have confided in us that as much N10 billion has been earmarked for this phase. In addition to paying for protest logistics, the funds would also be distributed to some senior lawyers in Lagos and Abuja to lead the uprising against the Nigerian state. This development was in response to Amnesty International losing faith in the ability of its assets to trigger the much-expected genocide which would allow it and its backers to label Nigeria as a failed state. On the strength of what we know, we would be lying to claim that all is well when we know that Nigeria is sitting on a primed bomb.”

Timothy said while Boko Haram insurgency in the North East of Nigeria, militancy in the Niger-Delta or the separatist movement by IPOB agitating for secession in the South East of the country were contemporary problems that urgently beg decisive responses, they were also mere symptoms, manifestations of the manipulations of agents of destabilization that are desperate to destroy Nigeria.

He said, “The core and forefront of this machination against the corporate existence of Nigeria is Amnesty International. It is on record that this so called international human rights non-governmental organization is at the root of Boko Haram, Niger-Delta militancy, secessionists in the South East and even unintended support for kidnappers, whose rights it fights for by claiming that their arrests and occasional death in exchange with security operatives are violations of certain rules.

“Several patriotic groups had taken on Amnesty International on over its role in these groups causing security incidents and breaches for the country. Its response has consistently been that of feigning ignorance, ignoring the indictment or out rightly blackmailing such accusers. It rides on its suppose international credential to ride roughshod on Nigerians whose country it is actively poisoning with the sole intention of destroying.

“The Arab Spring was launched on the heel of such CSO recruitment and training. This was why Egypt for instance clamped down on NGOs in the aftermath of the dislocations caused by Arab Spring. We are talking here about a government swept into power by the very Arab Spring going after the NGOs that collaborated with foreigners to upset the country. It always has to be about the sovereignty of the country and not the vested interests of a group of imperialists and unenlightened minions that do their biddings.

“The same scenario played out in Ukraine where CSOs and NGOs were used as a cover to hijack the legitimate grievances that the local population had about the affairs of their country. Again, even when the NGOs dominated protesters finally brought a new government into power the same government, knowing the treasonable roles they played, soon clamped down on them by introducing legislations that limit their influence.

“This is why we are issuing this timely warning that the Nigerian state must stop sacrificing the safety and wellbeing of citizens on the altar of political correctness. Amnesty International with the CSOs and NGOs it has recruited must not be allowed to push the country beyond the brink before the state decides to act.

“We therefore call on the government and the people to expel them as they are backing separatists and extremists against the country’s legitimate authority and sovereignty. Citizens and government must stop this final phase of destabilization from being fully activated. We appeal to you, gentlemen of the press, to help amplify this message to the government and the populace because Nigeria and Nigerians cannot afford to be taken unawares by this latest destabilisation plot.”

Amnesty Int’l Accuses Nigerian Authorities Of Detaining Hundreds Illegally

BY EJIOFOR ALIKE

THIS DAY                                                                                               

Osai Ojigbo Via This Day

Global rights group, Amnesty International, has accused the federal government of illegal detention of several Nigerians and raised concern that hundreds of people are being held in secret detention.

The organisation said in a statement on Tuesday that the enforced disappearance of persons, which is being perpetrated by the agencies of the federal government, is prohibited under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, to which Nigeria is a state party.

Amnesty’s statement, which marks the International Day of the Disappeared being celebrated today, noted that enforced disappearances are being used to instil fear into civilian population living in areas of the country wracked with conflict and insecurity.
The group’s media manager, Isa Sanusi, called on the government to release details on the fate and whereabouts of all those who have been disappeared.

“Many families of the victims of enforced disappearance spend painful years searching for justice, truth and reparation but are ignored or misled about the fate of their relatives. The authorities must do the right thing now by releasing all of them or disclosing information about their fate or whereabouts” the Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, said.

According to Amnesty International research, most enforced disappearances take place in the conflict-ridden North-east of Nigeria where young men are often seized by the military after being accused of affiliation to the armed group Boko Haram.

The organisation obtained details of men, women and children who are victims of enforced disappearance in other parts of Nigeria.
According to figures provided to Amnesty by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), at least 600 of their members’ whereabouts are not known since the clashes with the military in December 2015 in Zaria, Kaduna state.

The figures showed that more than 350 people are believed to have been unlawfully killed by the military between December 12 and 14, 2015.
Amnesty quoted the families of some of the victims who told the group about their painful ordeal of years in search for justice.
According to the group, one Malama Zainab Isa said her husband, Abdullahi Abbas, and their six children’s whereabout or fate is not known since the night of December 14, 2015, following the clashes in Zaria.

“He sells books at the Husainiyyah where the clashes took place. All six of our children were with him that day. Up to now we don’t know their fate. We don’t know whether the seven of them are alive or dead and no one is giving us any information that can ease our pain,” the group quoted the woman as saying.
Amnesty also quoted Ibrahim Aliyu, whose three brothers’ whereabouts or fate is not known since 2012 after arrest by state security services as saying that:

“Before my three brothers disappeared, we used to contribute money to support our extended family.
“Now without them, the burden is entirely on my shoulder. I have to do everything; take care of their families and provide for our mother. Our mother is now perpetually ill, because she thinks a lot about my brothers’ fate. Sometimes, I feel I can’t bear the pain anymore,” Aliyu added.

Commenting on the International Day of the Disappeared, Amnesty International called on the Nigerian authorities to investigate all cases of enforced disappearances and bring all those suspected of criminal responsibility to justice in fair trials before ordinary civilian courts without recourse to death penalty.
“In addition, the authorities must provide full reparation to victims and their families, including compensation, rehabilitation, restitution, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition.”

“We call on authorities to investigate cases of enforced disappearance across Nigeria to end this crime under international law that makes the victims vulnerable to torture and other human rights violations. The families of the victims of enforced disappearance have already waited too long for answers. They deserve justice, truth and reparation now,” Ojigho added.

Carter Fears Global Effect Of New US Human Rights Policies

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MAY 9, 2017

In this image taken from video, former President Jimmy Carter gestures at the annual Human Rights Defenders Forum at The Carter Center, Tuesday, May 9, 2017, in Atlanta. Carter says he's concerned that the Trump administration's approach to foreign policy will hasten declining support for human rights in other countries.

ATLANTA (AP) — As the Trump administration signals a de-emphasis of human rights in U.S. foreign policy decisions, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that he's concerned America's approach will erode support for such rights in other countries.

The 92-year-old Carter spoke with The Associated Press amid a two-day meeting of dozens of human rights activists at The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter cited a portion of President Donald Trump's inaugural address promising that his administration does "not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow." Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expanded on that slightly last week when he told State Department employees that some national security efforts can't always be conditioned on "our values."

"The president made this clear in his inaugural address — I was there — when he said that no longer would we try to force American standards on other countries," Carter said. "And I assumed that meant the standards of peace and human rights and freedom and justice and that sort of thing. Our standards that we've always claimed to be American standards are really the implementation of a universal declaration of human rights, plus peace."

Carter also challenged the idea that a commitment to human rights can't coexist with national security, calling it a "false premise." "The best way for a nation to guarantee security, absence from fear and absence from violence, is to promote human rights and freedom," he said.

Carter has worked on various human rights issues, from fair elections to health care, since leaving the White House and forming the nonprofit. This year's forum on human rights is the 10th held since 2003, bringing together activists from around the globe.

"They come to tell their stories collectively and also to form an alliance with people around the world who are joined with them in a collective effort to promote the standards of human rights," Carter said. "And to make sure the world doesn't forget that the basic moral values and ethical standards of human beings are being abandoned or ignored in many societies."

The participants share strategies and stories with one another, interspersed with spirited musical performances or videos featuring participants' work. The event also gives The Carter Center and other organizations "a fairly good picture of what's going on in the entire world," Carter said.

Maryam Al-Khawaja, a Bahraini activist who has been imprisoned for her work, said repressive governments learn from each other, and activists need to make connections and work across borders. If there's muted international backlash to a policy in one country limiting human rights work, others will adopt it without fear of consequences, she said.

"We need to put up a challenge and do the same," she said. Beyond the opportunity to share ideas and make connections, the event provides emotional support for people whose work puts them in constant danger, said Rubina Bhatti, an activist focused on the rights of women and religious minorities in Pakistan. Her organization was shut down by authorities last year.

"When we come to these points, we find a lot of struggle but also strength, solidarity, passion, compassion, love," Bhatti said. "I am not alone in this ocean; we all are trying to swim."

Amnesty: Up To 13,000 Hanged In Syria's 'Slaughterhouse'

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Lynn Maalouf, deputy director of research at Amnesty International Middle East and North Africa, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Feb. 6, 2017. Amnesty International says Syrian authorities killed at least 13,000 people in mass hangings at a prison north of Damascus known to detainees as the “slaughterhouse.” The group released a report covering the period from the start of the 2011 uprising until 2015, during which Amnesty says groups of 20 to 50 people were hanged at Saydnaya Prison, once or twice a week, in killings authorized by senior officials, including deputies of President Bashar Assad.

BEIRUT (AP) — The prison north of Damascus was known to detainees as "the slaughterhouse" and in it, as many of 13,000 people were hanged in only four years after a series of sham trials, according to a new report issued by Amnesty International.

The report, issued on Tuesday, said that 20-50 people were hanged each week at the Saydnaya prison in what the organization called a "calculated campaign of extrajudicial execution." The report covers the period from 2011 to 2015, but Lynn Maalouf, deputy director for research at Amnesty's regional office in Beirut, said there is no reason to believe the practice has stopped since then, with thousands more probably killed.

"These executions take place after a sham trial that lasts over a minute or two minutes, but they are authorized by the highest levels of authority," including the Grand Mufti, a top religious authority in Syria, and the defense minister, she said.

The killings were authorized by senior Syrian officials, including deputies of President Bashar Assad, and carried out by military police. Amnesty has also recorded at least 35 different methods of torture in Syria since the late 1980s, practices that only increased since 2011, Maalouf said.

Other rights groups have found evidence of massive torture leading to death in Syrian detention facilities. In a report last year, Amnesty found that more than 17,000 people have died of torture and ill-treatment in custody across Syria since 2011, an average rate of more than 300 deaths a month.

Those figures are comparable to battlefield deaths in Aleppo, one of the fiercest war zones in Syria, where 21,000 were killed across the province since 2011. "The horrors depicted in this report reveal a hidden, monstrous campaign, authorized at the highest levels of the Syrian government, aimed at crushing any form of dissent within the Syrian population," Maalouf said.

Syrian government officials rarely comment on allegations of torture and mass killings. In the past, they have denied reports of massacres documented by international human rights groups, describing them as propaganda.

The chilling accounts in Tuesday's report came from interviews with 31 former detainees and over 50 other officials and experts, including former guards and judges. According to the findings, detainees were told they would be transferred to civilian detention centers but were taken instead to another building in the facility and hanged.

"They walked in the 'train,' so they had their heads down and were trying to catch the shirt of the person in front of them. The first time I saw them, I was horrified. They were being taken to the slaughterhouse," Hamid, a former detainee, told Amnesty.

Another former detainee, Omar Alshogre, told The Associated Press the guards would come to his cell, sometimes three times a week, and call out detainees by name. Alshogre said a torture session would begin before midnight in nearby chambers that he could hear.

"Then the sound would stop, and we would hear a big vehicle come and take them away," said Alshogre, who spent nine months in Saydnaya. Now 21, he lives in Sweden. Speaking in an interview from Stockholm via Skype, Alshogre described how he was forced to keep his eyes closed and his back to the guards while they abused or suffocated a cellmate.

The body often would be left behind, or there would be a pool of blood in the cell for other prisoners to clean up. "We can tell from the sound of the prisoner as he dies behind us. He dies a meter away. I don't see anything, but I see with my ears," said Alshogre, who at age 17 moved among nearly 10 detention facilities in Syria for two years before he was taken to Saydnaya.

Alshogre survived nine months in the prison, paying his way out in 2015 — a common practice. He suffered from tuberculosis and his weight fell to 35 kilograms (77 pounds). Two cousins detained with him in western Syria didn't survive, dying a year apart in a military intelligence detention facility. The younger one died in Alshogre's arms, deprived of food and so weak he was unable to walk to the bathroom on his own.

Still, Alshogre said nothing could have prepared him for Saydnaya. At one point, Alshogre was called out by his guards "for execution," he said. He was brought before a military trial and told not to raise his gaze at the judge, who asked him how many soldiers he had killed.

When he said none, the judge spared him. Death in Saydnaya was always present, "like the air," Alshogre said. Once when he was deprived of food for two days, a cellmate handed him his food ration — and died days later.

"This is someone who gave me his life," he said. Another cellmate died of diarrhea, also common in the prison. "Death is the simplest thing. It was the most hoped for because it would have spared us a lot: hunger, thirst, fear, pain, cold, thinking," he added.

"Thinking was so hard. It could also kill," said Alshogre, who keeps a photo of one of his tormentors on the wall of his home.

Nigeria: Crackdown On Journalists And Assault On Protests Shrinking Civic Space

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

PRESS RELEASE, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari 

The continuing spate of arrests and detentions of journalists and bloggers amid the security forces’ violent disruption of peaceful protests underscores how the Nigerian government appears determined to crush dissent and suffocate freedom of expression, said Amnesty International today.

The organization is calling for the authorities to ensure the rights of Nigerians to freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, as guaranteed by international human rights law and the Nigerian Constitution.

“The escalation in the intimidation of journalists and bloggers over recent months seems to be little more than a barefaced attempt by the Nigerian government to muzzle dissenting voices in the country,” said Makmid Kamara, Interim Country Director at Amnesty International Nigeria.

“Alongside the security forces’ violent assault on peaceful protesters, this crackdown constitutes a growing threat to human rights enshrined in international law and the Nigerian constitution.”

Violent repression of protests

On 22 September police blocked a peaceful protest by members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) in the capital Abuja. The demonstration called for the release of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Zakzaky, who has been in detention without trial since December 2015. Police fired tear gas canisters to disperse the peaceful protest, resulting in some minor injuries.

About two weeks earlier, on 6 September, police stopped members of the Bring Back Our Girls Movement gathering to march to Aso Rock Presidential Villa to demand that the government do more to secure the release of Chibok schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram over two years ago. The police had been duly notified of the protest march. Since the abduction of the Chibok girls in April 2014, the movement has been gathering peacefully at Unity Fountain, where recently there has been a continuing police presence apparently aimed at preventing any form of civil assembly.

Scores of supporters of Biafran independence are in detention – many of them since late January - for attempting to hold or participating in peaceful assemblies. On several occasions security forces have used excessive force against pro-Biafran activists who have attended protest marches across south-eastern Nigeria, or who have attempted to do so. Amnesty International has documented cases of arrest, enforced disappearance, and often killing of supporters and members of various pro-Biafran groups in the region.

Intimidation and arrests of journalists and bloggers

There has also been an increase in recent months in arrests of journalists and their subsequent detention without trial.

In the first week of September the publisher Emenike Iroegbu was arrested in the presence of his family over alleged defamation. In August, Abubakar Usman, a prominent blogger, was dragged from his home by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The anti-graft agency claimed that he was detained for activities that contravened the Cyber Crimes Act even though EFCC could not point out the provisions of the Act the blogger contravened.Across Nigeria people, especially journalists and bloggers, are being arrested merely for expressing critical opinions on both conventional and social media platforms. One recent example is the detention of Jamil Mabai, accused of posting comments on Facebook and Twitter critical of the Katsina state government.

Also, on 5 September, Ahmed Salkida, a Nigerian journalist based in the United Arab Emirates was declared wanted by the military and later arrested by the state security services on arrival in Nigeria. He was among three people arrested and briefly detained for alleged links to Boko Haram and for facilitating the release of a Boko Haram video on the abducted Chibok girls.

“Taken together, these are worrying signs of growing violations of the rights of people in Nigeria to peacefully assemble freely and express their views without the fear of being detained or harassed,” said Makmid Kamara.

“Amnesty International Nigeria is therefore calling on the Nigerian government to comply with its obligations under international human rights law and the fundamental rights provisions in the Nigerian Constitution which guarantee freedom of peaceful assembly and expression. Everyone must be able to express his or her opinion, including through peaceful protest.”

Amnesty International Nigeria is also calling on the Nigerian government to take urgent steps to bring an end to detention without trial and intimidation and harassment of journalists and bloggers, and the security forces’ excessive use of force to disperse peaceful protests.

No Justice For The 640 Men And Boys Slain By Military Following Giwa Barracks Attack Two Years Ago

Amnesty International/All Africa

March 13, 2016

Scene of Boko Harm attack on Giwa Barracks two years go. Image: Defence Headquarters/Premium Times

PRESS RELEASE

Two years after at least 640 recaptured detainees were slaughtered by soldiers of the Nigerian Army, the authorities have failed to conduct an effective, impartial and independent investigation into the killings, said Amnesty International.

The detainees - men and boys, many arbitrarily arrested in mass screening operations - were killed after they fled the barracks in Maiduguri, Borno state on 14 March 2014 following a Boko Haram attack. The majority were shot. The others had their throats cut. To mark the anniversary of this massacre, Amnesty International campaigners will be gathering outside Nigerian embassies around the world to call for independent investigations and prosecutions.

"It is shocking that two years after these horrific killings there has been no justice for the victims and their relatives," said Netsanet Belay, Amnesty International's Research and Advocacy Director for Africa.

"The lack of an independent investigation has meant that no one has been held to account for the killings, strengthening an already pervasive culture of impunity within the military."

Amnesty International has extensively documented the events of 14 March 2014, interviewing dozens of witnesses, verifying video evidence of the killings and their aftermath and confirming the locations of mass graves through satellite imagery.

In June 2015 Amnesty International published extensive evidence of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity committed by the Nigerian military. The report found that the military extrajudicially executed at least 1,200 men and boys, and almost certainly many more, between 2012 and 2014. A further 7,000 detainees died in military detention as a result of starvation thirst, disease, torture and a lack of medical attention. Torture is routinely and systematically used by security forces in Nigeria, both during arrest and in detention. Soldiers arbitrarily arrested more than 20,000 suspects since 2011 and detained the overwhelming majority of them without access to their families or lawyers, without formal charges and without ever bringing them to court.

Amnesty International has repeatedly called on the Government of Nigeria to initiate independent and effective investigations into its evidence of crimes under international law and to implement critical safeguards against human rights violations.

Yet, despite repeated promises by President Buhari and his government that Amnesty International's report would be looked into, no concrete steps have been taken to begin independent investigations. Many safeguards remain absent, for example suspects continue to be held in military detention without access to their lawyers or families, without charge and without being brought before a judge.

After more than nine months in office, President Buhari must take urgent action to provide justice for the conflict's thousands of victims and prevent such violations occurring again.

"In the two years since the Giwa killings, the pattern of unjustified use of lethal force by the military has continued with no one held accountable," said Netsanet Belay.

"From Giwa to Zaria, from the north east to the south east, the time has come to break the cycle of impunity that has gripped Nigeria. This should start with justice for the Giwa 640."

Background

Amnesty International has consistently documented and condemned human rights abuses and violations by armed group Boko Haram and the Nigerian military, including publishing reports each year since 2012. In April 2015, Amnesty International published a report which found that Boko Haram has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. It called on Boko Haram to end its campaign of violence against civilians and on the government to bring Boko Haram members to justice.

Amnesty International published evidence of the killing of recaptured detainees after the Giwa barracks attack in a report on 31 March 2014. The report was based on dozens of interviews with residents, lawyers, human rights defenders and hospital staff in various locations in and around Maiduguri. The report also included satellite imagery analysis that confirmed the existence of several mass graves that appeared in the area shortly after the executions.

On 5 August 2014, Amnesty International published analysis of a shocking video evidence of soldiers cutting the throats of re-arrested detainees outside Maiduguri after the Giwa barracks attack.

Amnesty International is calling on the government to launch a comprehensive independent, impartial and effective investigations into crimes under international law. Specifically, Amnesty International is calling for the establishment of an independent and effective investigative panel to examine evidence against individuals suspected of crimes under international law and to prepare cases for prosecution by an independent prosecutorial authority. Secondly, the government must ensure further reform of the military's operating procedures to ensure non-recurrence of such violations. Lastly, the government must work with the National Assembly to bring Nigeria's domestic laws into line with international human rights standards.

NATO Beefs Up Response Force To Face Russia, Islamic Threats

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015. NATO defense ministers meet Thursday to discuss terrorism, the situation in Ukraine and the size and composition of the new spearhead force

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO defense ministers agreed Thursday to more than double the size of the alliance's Response Force and create a new quick-reaction force of 5,000 troops to meet simultaneous challenges from Russia and Islamic extremists.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the decisions made during a daylong meeting at alliance headquarters in Brussels will "ensure that we have the right forces in the right place at the right time."

NATO will now "be able to defend all allies against any threat, from the east or from the south," he told reporters. NATO's total Response Force was increased from 13,000 to 30,000 troops and its new rapid reaction force should start to deploy within 48 hours, Stoltenberg said.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and his counterparts from NATO's other 27 member nations also ordered the creation of command-and-control centers in the capitals of the three Baltic states — Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania — as well as in Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. In an emergency the centers will help speed the arrival of the new quick-reaction force as well as later NATO reinforcements.

A new headquarters to help defend NATO members in northeastern Europe will also be created in western Poland, and Romania has volunteered to host a similar multinational divisional headquarters for southeastern Europe, the ministers said.

Six of NATO's largest European members — Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain — volunteered on a rotating basis to furnish the nucleus for the quick-reaction force, a brigade-sized, land-based unit accompanied by air- and sea-based elements that should be able to deploy in a week, Stoltenberg said.

"European allies are fully playing their part, taking the lead in protecting Europe," Stoltenberg said. For 2015, he said, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands have already begun training and exercising a prototype version of the force.

U.S. officials have said they plan to assist the new formation with non-troop support such as airlifts, intelligence, surveillance or reconnaissance capabilities. When asked if the U.S.-led alliance's latest actions might fuel a Cold War-style escalation with Russia, Stoltenberg said the measures are purely defensive and were being taken only because of Russia's actions.

"In Ukraine, violence is getting worse and the crisis is deepening," Stoltenberg said. "Russia continues to disregard international rules and to support the separatists with advanced weapons, training and forces."

Russia has vehemently denied allegations of being involved in the Ukrainian conflict, a stance that Western military experts dismiss. The top NATO commander, U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, said Thursday that Russia continues to supply the separatists in Ukraine with heavy, state-of-the-art weapons, air defenses and fighters.

In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said NATO's new command and control centers and the high readiness joint task force are part of the alliance's "measures on land, air, and sea." "Everything NATO does is designed to reassure the alliance that we can defend the alliance," she said. "That is in stark contrast to what Russia has done (in Ukraine), offensively pouring weapons into another country, supporting separatists, taking over parts of territory and annexing them."

Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.