A Bosnian Serb man has been charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes relating to his participation in Bosnia 1992-95 war.

The defendant, Oliver Krsmanovic former member of the 2nd Podrinjska Light Infantry Brigade, is accused of unlawfully detaining and killing 70 Bosnian Muslim civilians  in the eastern town of Visegrad on June 27, 1992. He is also charged with raping and sexual abusing women under captivity in the town.

It is alleged that he collaborated with  Milan Lukic, leader of a Serb paramilitary group known as the White Eagles who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2009 by the Hague for the murder of 119 Muslims in 1992.

The court case comes as 8 Bosnian Muslim men were arrested for crimes they allegedly committed during the war. The men are accused of war crimes against civilians and prisoners of war, who were subjected to “inhuman treatment, torture and forced labour”.

The Bosnian court was opened up in addition to the Hague to prosecute low- and mid-ranking war crimes cases, leaving the Hague to concentrate on the top indictees such as Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh, signed an agreement on Wednesday, relinquishing power to his vice president,  Abed Rabbo Mansour al-Hadi, with immediate effect.

The agreement, facilitated by Saudi Arabia and supported by the US, will signal the end of Saleh's 33 year rule of Yemen, following months of protests.

The agreement allows Saleh many face-saving measures, including the retention of his title and certain privileges until new elections are held in three months. It also grants him immunity from prosecution.

Many of the youth activists who led recent protests have criticised the agreement as an elitist pact. Highlighting the immunity offered, youth activists warned that the protesters, who demand adequate investigation and justice for the deaths of fellow demonstrators, would not be placated.

Last month, youth activists wrote a letter to the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, demanding that Saleh be referred to the International Criminal Court for the crimes committed by his military.

The letter addressed to UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon said,

"We call on the UN to refer Saleh, his sons and his gang to the International Criminal Court for their crimes against peaceful protesters."

In a statement, US President Barack Obama said,

“The United States welcomes President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s decision to transfer executive powers immediately to the Vice President in accordance with the agreement.”

"The Yemeni people deserve the opportunity to determine their own future.”

See previous articles:Yemeni youth urge UN to take Saleh to the ICC (02 Oct 2011)

Saleh demands guarantees before resigning (20 Oct 2011)  

Pressure on Saleh increases (02 Oct 2011) 

Human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has condemned the conduct of the military in Egypt since it took over from the ousted leader, Hosni Mubarak.

In a damning report (Broken Promises: Egypt's military rulers erode human rights), released Tuesday, Amnesty asserted that Egypt's Egypt's Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) had "completely failed" to live up to their promises of returning power to the people and had committed human rights abuses that exceeded that of the Mubarak regime.

Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa acting director, Philip Luther said,

"The SCAF has continued the tradition of repressive rule which the January 25 demonstrators fought so hard to get rid of."

"Those who have challenged or criticise the military council - like demonstrators, journalists, bloggers, striking workers - have been ruthlessly suppressed in an attempt at silencing their voices ... The brutal and heavy-handed response to protests in the last few days bears all the hallmarks of the Mubarak era."

"The Egyptian military cannot keep using security as an excuse to keep the same old practices that we saw under President Mubarak."

"If there is to be an effective transition to the new Egypt that protesters have been demanding, the SCAF must release their grip on freedom of expression, association and assembly, lift the state of emergency and stop trying civilians in military courts."

The report comes and thousands of protesters have returned to the streets around Tahrir Square expressing anger at the slow pace of change and the military's brutal tactics of repression.

See here for full report.

Extracts reproduced below:

"In the name of ensuring security and stability, the authorities have committed numerous human rights violations, ignoring the very demands for social justice and fundamental freedoms that triggered the uprising."

"Many demonstrations have been violently dispersed, with the armed forces using excessive and lethal force, while riot police resumed their reckless use of rubber bullets, shotguns and tear gas. Protesters have been arrested, detained incommunicado and tortured before being tried unfairly before military courts and convicted."

"After almost a year in power, the main demands of the Egyptians still remain unanswered by the SCAF."

"The state of emergency remains in force; the relatives of those unlawfully killed by Egypt’s military rulers erode human rights the security forces during the “25 January Revolution” still await justice and compensation; torture and unfair trials remain routine practices; discrimination against women and religious minorities persists; and freedoms of expression, association and assembly continue to be undermined."

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has said that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi could face trial in Libya as long as the trial complied with the standards of the ICC.

Jose Luis Moreno Ocampo said to reporters in Tripoli:

"Saif is captured, so we are here to ensure co-operation,

"In May, we requested an arrest warrant because Libyans could not do justice in Libya. Now, as Libyans have decided to do justice, they could do justice and we'll help them to do it – that is the system.

"Our international criminal court acts when the national system cannot act. They [the Libyans] have decided to do it, and that is why we are here – to learn and to understand what they are doing and to co-operate.

"The law says the primacy is for the national system. If they prosecute the case here, we will discuss with them how to inform the judges and they can do it. But our judges have to be involved,"

A trial in Libya means Saif could face the death penalty. The most severe penalty that could be imposed by the ICC is a life sentence.

Amnesty International has called for the transfer of Saif gaddafi to the ICC.

Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director said in a statement:

"After what happened after the capture of Mu’ammar and Mu’tassim al-Gaddafi, we hold the NTC responsible for preventing similar harm coming to Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, so that he can face justice for his alleged crimes in a fair trial with no death penalty."

"Investigating Saif al-Islam before the ICC offers an opportunity to ensure justice, truth and reparation for the victims of the crimes against humanity he is charged with committing against the Libyan people - justice that may have been denied with the apparently unlawful killing of Mu'ammar al-Gaddafi."

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign for the sake of his people.

"Without spilling any more blood, without causing any more injustice, for the sake of peace for the people, the country and the region, finally step down," Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said, in his first direct call for Assad to go.

"Fighting your own people until the death is not heroism. It's cowardice. If you want to see someone who fights his people to the death, look at Nazi Germany, look at Hitler, look at Mussolini," he told his ruling AK party.

"If you cannot learn a lesson from them, look at the killed Libyan leader who turned his guns on his own people and only 32 days ago used the same expressions as you."

But similar to the stance the Arab League took earlier this week, he stressed that he is not calling for international military intervention in the country.

"We do not have eyes on any country's land, we have no desire to interfere in any country's internal affairs," Erdogan said.

The UN has claimed 3,500 civilians have died in the uprising since March this year.

Syrian rebels have struck at the heart of Damscus, firing grenades at the ruling Ba’ath party’s headquarters.

The attack in the capital city caused little damage to the building but was a hugely symbolic blow to President Assad’s regime, in a sign that the rebel army was growing in confidence and support.

One witness said,

"The attack was just before dawn and the building was mostly empty. It seems to have been intended as a message to the regime."

Assad remained defiant however, insisting that “Syria will not bow down” to international pressure.

In an interview he said,

"The only way is to search for the armed people, chase the armed gangs, prevent the entry of arms and weapons from neighbouring countries, prevent sabotage and enforce law and order."

The remarks follow the Arab League rejecting Syria’s attempts to redefine the terms of an international observer mission. A statement released by the Arab League said,

"The additions requested by the Syrian counterpart affect the heart of the protocol and fundamentally change the nature of the mission."

Omar Idilbi of the Syrian National Council told reporters that the move by the Syrian regime should come as no surprise.

"We have warned in the past and we warn again that these are the methods of the regime to waste time.This is an attempt by the regime to gain more time."

A three day deadline set by the Arab League for Syria to agree to a deal and start talks with the opposition has now expired.

A Western diplomat told the Financial Times,

“The game is over.”

See our earlier posts:

Hague to meet Syrian rebels in London (Nov 2011)

Arab League issues ultimatum, as Free Syrian Army vows to defend protesters (Nov 2011)

Burma’s democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi is going to stand in upcoming elections in the country, her spokesperson confirmed.

Her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) only ended their boycott of the political system a few days ago.

The first parliamentary elections in the country for over 20 years took place last year, but were boycotted by the NLD due to a law that prevented Aung San Suu Kyi from contesting a seat.

The elections in 1990 were won by the NLD by a land-slide; however the military government reacted by placing Suu Kyi under house arrest. She spent 15 of the past 22 years in detention, before her release last year.

US President Obama confirmed last week that Hillary Clinton would be the first Secretary of State to visit Burma in 50 years.

The trial of three former Khmer Rouge leaders has begun Monday, more than 30 years after they ruled Cambodia, where they face charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

In a packed courthouse the prosecution’s opening statements were read out, accusing the three former leaders of causing the death of more than 1.8 million people during the late 1970s.

Prosecutor Chea Leang gave a detailed account of the massacres, causing some of those in the courthouse to shed tears. She told the UN-backed tribunal,

"The forced evacuations of Cambodian cities, the enslavement of millions of people in forced labour camps, the smashing of hundreds of thousands of lives in notorious security centres and the killing fields, and the extermination of minorities, the countless deaths from disease, abuse and starvation – these crimes ordered and orchestrated by the accused were among the worst horrors inflicted on any nation in modern history."

Court spokesman Lars Olsen hailed the trial, saying that "many people never thought it would happen."

International co-prosecutor Andre Cayley also told reporters that the opening of this case was a milestone achievement.

“I also think it is important in the interests of international justice generally because it’s certainly part of the fight against impunity.

We are looking at crimes that are 30 years old.

I’m quite certain that at the time the leaders of the Khmer Rouge never believed they would be held to account for what happened, and here we actually have the most senior living members of the Khmer Rouge who will be standing trial."

Bangladesh called for a formal apology from Pakistan for the 'genocide and atrocities' committed by its military in 1971.

The demand was made by Bangladesh's new foreign minister, Dipu Moni, to the Pakistan's new envoy to Bangladesh, on Monday.

A statement released by the ministry read,

"[Moni] sought Pakistan's understanding and recognition of Bangladesh's position on resolving the outstanding issues including an expression of formal apology from Pakistan for the genocide and atrocities committed by the Pakistani military in 1971."

"Early resolution of the outstanding issues would enable the existing friendly relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan to make a great leap forward and create a wider space for cooperation."

The demand for an apology comes as Bangladesh's war crimes tribunal charged its first suspect. Delawar Hossain Sayedee, a senior leader of the Jamat-e-Islami party, was charged with war crimes including mass murder, rape, looting and forcibly converting Hindus.

Pakistani troops, aided by sympathetic locals, are accused of unleashing widespread violence, killing over 3 million people and raping more than 200,000 women during the nine month Bangladeshi war of independence in 1971.

The United States welcomed the conviction of former Rwandan mayor, Ndahinama, by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda on charges of genocide and urged the arrest and trial of remaining fugitive.

Spokesperson for the US State Department, Mark Toner, said,

"The United States welcomes this ruling as an important step in providing justice and accountability for the Rwandan people and the international community."

"[Ndahimana's conviction] is of particular significance, because as mayor of Kivumu he had authority over the police, and yet failed to prevent the massacre"

"Militia, police, civil and religious authorities participated in bulldozing the church, burying the refugees sheltered inside,"

"There are still nine ICTR fugitives at large and the United States urges all countries to redouble their cooperation with the ICTR so that these fugitives can be expeditiously arrested and brought to justice."

Gregory Ndahimana was mayor of the Kivumu district in 1994 when a church was bulldozed by police, killing more than 2,000 people trapped inside.

While he was cleared of directly participating in the massacre himself, Ndahimana was found to have played a crucial role in the killings.

More than 800,000 Tutsis were slaughtered during a 100-day killing spree in Rwanda during the infamous 1994 genocide.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague is to meet Syrian rebel leaders in London on Monday, the BBC reports, quoting the Foreign Office.

Mr Hague will meet members of the Syrian National Council and the National Co-ordination Committee for Democratic Change.

"We have been having regular contacts with a variety of figures in the Syrian opposition for several months. We are now intensifying these," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.

See the BBC’s report here

The Libyan transational government announced Saturday that they have captured Saif al-Islam, the fugitive son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Three months after he was last seen in public, the NTC announced that Saif was "arrested in southern Libya" sparking of celebrations in Tripoli’s Martyr Square. It is thought the he was trying to escape to Algeria or Niger and there were reports that he was seeking to surrender to the ICC.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo hailed the news of Saif’s capture, who is wanted for crimes against humanity, saying,

"The good news is that Seif al-Islam is arrested, he is alive, and now he will face justice."

"Seif must face justice. Whether it's in Libya or in The Hague, he should face justice. We have to coordinate together with the Libyan authorities".

The Associated Press reported that the Chief Prosecutor would be travelling to Libya next week for talks regarding “where and how” Saif will be tried.

While Libyan authorities can put Saif on trial in Libya, if approved by the ICC, Marek Marczynski of Amnesty International called for his transfer to the ICC at the Hague.

"The ICC has an arrest warrant out for him and that is the correct thing to do. He must be brought before a judge as soon as possible. It matters for the victims. What they need to see is true justice. They need to know the truth about what happened."

At a press conference last week, after months of Saif on the run, Moreno-Ocampo insisted that his capture would just be a matter of time.

"The question is not if he will be arrested, it's when.

Seif will face justice, that's his destiny."

See our earlier post: Niger wary of Saif hand over (Nov 2011)