JURIST - Paper Chase: Sunday, June 20, 2010

[JURIST] A senior Saudi official said Saturday that 25 former Guantanamo Bay [JURIST news archive] detainees have rejoined Islamic extremist groups after going through a rehabilitation program in Saudi Arabia aimed at decreasing religious radicalism within the country. Abdulrahman al-Hadlaq, a top Saudi security expert, spoke generally about the government's effort to rehabilitate Islamic radicals [Al-Jazeera report] and reported that about 300 men have completed the rehabilitation program, with an overall recidivism rate of about 10 percent. Out of the 300 men who have completed the rehabilitation, 120 were formerly held at Guantanamo Bay, making the recidivism rate among former Guantanamo detainees about twice that of those who were not detained by the US. Hadlaq indicated that of the 25 former Guantanamo detainees who returned to extremist activities, 11 were believed to have joined an al-Qaeda group in Yemen, while the rest have been killed or re-arrested. Hadlaq blamed the discrepancy in the rate of recidivism on the close personal ties developed between former detainees at Guantanamo, as well as the harsh tactics used by the US, which he stated led to more extremist views. Overall Hadlaq indicated that the rehabilitation program, which includes religious re-education and financial support, is considered a success [Reuters report]. He also stated that the country plans to build five additional rehabilitation centers which will be able to accommodate the nearly 1,000 suspected al-Qaeda militants who will eventually be released from Saudi prisons. Thirteen Saudi nationals remain at Guantanamo Bay as US President Barak Obama pursues plans to close the detention center, despite missing a self-imposed one-year deadline [JURIST report] in January.

The Obama administration has encountered several hurdles in its attempts to close Guantanamo. Last month, The US House Armed Services Committee [official website] approved a bill [JURIST report] prohibiting the administration from modifying or building a facility in the US to hold detainees currently held at the military prison. In June 2009, the US House denied [JURIST report] an Obama administration request for $60 million to fund the closure of the detention facility, and required the president to submit a detailed plan to Congress documenting the costs and risks of transferring a detainee to the US for trial or detention at least two months before the detainee is to be transferred. A growing list of countries including Bulgaria, Spain, Georgia, Albania, Latvia, Switzerland, Slovakia, Algeria, Somaliland, Palau, Belgium, Afghanistan and Bermuda [JURIST reports] have recently accepted transfers from Guantanamo to aid in closing the facility. There are currently 180 detainees remaining at the Guantanamo facility. Obama originally issued the executive order to close Guantanamo within a year [JURIST report] on January 22, 2009, two days after taking office.

[JURIST] A diplomat with the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs [official website] said Sunday that Japan supports UN efforts to address alleged war crimes committed during the final phase of Sri Lanka's 30-year ethnic civil war [JURIST news archive] that ended last year. Yasushi Akashi, the government's Representative for Peace-Building, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sri Lanka, made the announcement after a five-day visit to Sri Lanka [press release] during which he met with Sri Lankan government officials. Akashi said the Japanese government supports the establishment of an advisory panel [JURIST report] by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official profile], even though Sri Lanka opposes an international investigation [JURIST report] into the claims. Akashi went on to say that the panel would be useful [AFP report] on a consultation basis but should not interfere with the nation's ongoing internal investigation. The advisory panel was organized after UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay [official website] called for an international inquiry into the conduct of the Sri Lankan government during the civil war.

In May the International Crisis Group (ICG) [official website] accused Sri Lankan security forces of commiting war crimes [JURIST report] during the last months of the conflict. The ICG claimed that it had acquired enough evidence supporting allegations of shelling civilians, hospitals, and environmental facilities to warrant a independent inquiry by the UN on war crimes in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government claims that no civilians were killed during the final months of the war.

[JURIST] The Kyrgyzstan interim government Sunday extended a state of emergency in the southern city of Osh, as government forces began to pull down barricades erected during riots last week between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks. The state of emergency, declared by interim President Roza Otunbayeva [Telegraph profile] on June 11, was set to expire on Sunday, but was extended to June 25 to deter fresh violence. Last week, Otunbayeva issued "shoot to kill" orders [JURIST report] to the nation's military as the ethnic conflict [Guardian backgrounder] continued. She also activated the reserves after the Russian government refused a request to send peacekeeping troops. Thousands of Uzbeks have massed at refugee camps on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, refusing to return to their homes in Osh, The ethnic minority fears continued violence and do not trust Kyrgyz troops [AP report] to protect them. The official death toll stood at 191 as of Friday, but Otunbayeva said during an inspection tour to Osh that the real number was likely 10 times higher [Al Jazeera report], as many of the victims were buried quickly in keeping with local tradition.

The violence is thought to have been incited by deposed president Kurmanbek Bakiyev [BBC profile; JURIST news archive], who was ousted from power in April [JURIST report], as part of an attempt to delay the June 27 referendum of the country's new constitution. The interim government has accused the former president's son of paying $10 million to finance the violence. Last week, Otunbayeva announced that the referendum seeking approval of the new constitution and a popular mandate for the interim government would be held June 27 despite the ethnic violence. The constitution was approved by the interim government [JURIST report] in May and would shift power from the president to the prime minister, define Kyrgyzstan as a secular state, limit the president to one six-year term in office and increase the number of seats in parliament from 90 to 120.