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A30 world news
Diabierna 13 augustus 2021

Indonesia's army stops 'virginity tests' on female recruits

He said applicants should Human Rights Watch previ-
only be assessed on their WHO in its 2014 clinical ously found that applicants
ability to take part in physical guidelines for health care of who were deemed to have
training and that the military sexually abused women said “failed” the test were not
would emphasize whether the so-called “virginity test” necessarily penalized but all
they have color blindness and lacks any scientific basis. of those subjected to it said
the condition of their spines it was painful, embarrassing
and hearts to ensure they are Human Rights Watch re- and traumatic.
healthy and will not encoun- searcher Andreas Harsono
ter life-threatening medical called for increased pressure Human Rights Watch has
issues. on Indonesia’s navy and air also documented the use of
force commanders to end the such tests by security forces
“These improvements make practice as well. in Egypt, India and Afghani-
us focused, effective and pre- stan and criticized calls for
cise, and (ensure) that we “The army command is do- virginity tests for Indonesian
have direction,” Perkasa told ing the right thing,” Harsono school girls.
(AP) — Human rights reporters on Tuesday during said in a statement received
groups welcomed Indone- Army Chief of Staff Gen. annual U.S.-Indonesia joint by The Associated Press on It said the Indonesian mili-
sia’s decision to stop abu- Andika Perkasa said the army military drills in North Su- Thursday. “It is now the re- tary and police imposed the
sive “virginity tests” on will no longer subject women lawesi’s Minahasa district. sponsibility of territorial and tests for decades and some-
female army recruits sev- to invasive tests in which the battalion commanders to fol- times tested the fiancees of
en years after the World inspectors used their fingers He said the army’s hospital low orders, and recognize the military officers. Indonesian
Health Organization de- to assess whether the hymen directors and medical officers unscientific, rights-abusing police ended the practice in
clared they had no scien- was intact. have been informed of the nature of this practice.” 2018.
tific validity. new procedures since May.

Rights group says Hamas rockets at Israel a clear war crime

(AP) — A prominent in- Middle East and North Af- ing at least 67 children and ing that Hamas has not “pro- has urged the ICC to include
ternational human rights rica director Eric Goldstein 39 women, according to the vided information about how Palestinian rocket attacks and
group on Thursday ac- said. Gaza Health Ministry. Hamas many rockets misfired or Israeli airstrikes during the
cused Hamas of commit- has acknowledged the deaths how many people died as a most recent Gaza war in its
ting war crimes during It based its conclusions on of 80 militants, while Israel result in Gaza and there are ongoing investigation.
a recent 11-day conflict an investigation into Hamas has claimed the number is no precise independent esti-
with Israel by indiscrimi- rocket attacks that killed 12 much higher. Twelve civil- mates.” “The failure of both Hamas
nately firing thousands civilians in Israel. ians, including two children, authorities and the Israeli
of rockets toward Israeli were killed in Israel, along The Israeli military has government to provide ac-
population centers. Last month the group issued with one soldier. claimed another incident on countability for alleged war
a report that accused the Is- May 10, in which eight Pal- crimes by their forces high-
In its report, Human Rights raeli military of carrying out “The rockets and mortars estinian civilians died in an lights the essential role of
Watch also said it had con- attacks during the conflict that Palestinian armed groups explosion in the northern the International Criminal
cluded that a misfired rocket that “apparently amount to fired lack guidance systems Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, Court,” Goldstein said.
launched by Hamas killed war crimes” after investigat- and are prone to misfire, was the result of a mis-
seven Palestinians when it ing three Israeli airstrikes that making them extremely in- fired Hamas rocket. Human Israel does not recognize the
fell short in the Gaza Strip. it said killed 62 Palestinian ci- accurate and thus inherently Rights Watch said in its ear- court’s jurisdiction and says it
In a separate development, a vilians. The group said there indiscriminate when directed lier report that the explosion is capable of investigating any
U.N. agency said it had un- were no clear military targets toward areas with civilians,” appeared to have been caused possible wrongdoing by its
covered militant tunnels near in the airstrikes and said Is- the report said. “Launching by an Israeli missile. forces. It says the ICC probe
one of its facilities and that rael had not taken sufficient such rockets to attack civilian is unfair and politically mo-
Hamas had taken over one of precautions to avoid civilian areas is a war crime.” The May conflict was the tivated. Israel blames Hamas
its schools, undermining the casualties. fourth war between Israel for the high civilian casualty
agency’s neutrality. Israel has claimed that around and Hamas since the Islamic count in Gaza, accusing the
The war erupted on May 10 20% of the rockets Palestin- militant group seized control group of using civilians as
The New York-based rights after Hamas fired a barrage ian militants launched fell of Gaza in 2007, a year after human shields by launching
group has repeatedly come of rockets toward Jerusalem inside the Gaza Strip, and winning the Palestinian par- attacks and military activity
under fire by Israel and its in support of Palestinian pro- said that most of the remain- liamentary elections. Found- from residential areas.
supporters over reports ac- tests against Israel’s heavy- ing rockets were intercepted ed in the 1980s, the group re-
cusing Israel of war crimes handed policing at Jerusa- by the military’s Iron Dome jects Israel’s existence, is re- This week, the U.N. agen-
against the Palestinians as lem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque com- aerial defense system, or fell sponsible for scores of deadly cy for Palestinian refugees,
well as apartheid and perse- pound and the threatened in open areas. attacks on Israeli civilians UNRWA, said it had discov-
cution. But in this report it eviction of dozens of Pal- and is considered a terrorist ered “underground struc-
agreed with most legal ex- estinian families from their Human Rights Watch con- group by the United States, tures,” including tunnels
perts — and Israel itself — homes by Jewish settlers in a cluded that a Hamas rocket European Union and Israel. near U.N. facilities in Gaza.
that indiscriminate rocket nearby neighborhood. fired on May 10 killed seven It said it condemned the exis-
fire from Palestinian popula- people, including two chil- Human Rights Watch, other tence of these tunnels “in the
tion centers directed at Israeli Israel has said it struck over dren, in the Gaza Strip city rights groups and U.N. offi- strongest possible terms” and
civilian areas is a violation of 1,000 targets in the Gaza of Jabaliya. It said the num- cials have accused both sides sent protest letters to Hamas
international law. Strip during the fighting, ber of Palestinians killed by of committing war crimes in officials. “The agency has
while Hamas launched more errant Hamas fire might be all of the conflicts, and HRW also protested the takeover
“Palestinian armed groups than 4,300 rockets and mor- higher. said both parties have “a long by the de facto authorities of
during the May fighting fla- tar rounds at Israel, includ- track record of failing to in- one of these schools, which
grantly violated the laws-of- ing barrages directed at major “Munitions apparently di- vestigate” alleged violations. undermines the inviolability
war prohibition on indis- population centers around rected toward Israel that and neutrality of UNRWA
criminate attacks by launch- Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. misfired and fell short killed The International Criminal premises,” it said.
ing thousands of unguided and injured an undetermined Court is investigating pos-
rockets towards Israeli cities,” In all, some 254 people number of Palestinians in sible war crimes by Israel and
Human Rights Watch acting were killed in Gaza, includ- Gaza,” the report said, add- Hamas in Gaza. Goldstein