June 6 , 2013

Source: The Guardian

Exclusive: Top secret court order requiring Verizon to hand over all call data shows scale of domestic surveillance under Obama

The National Security Agency is currently collecting the telephone records of millions of US customers of Verizon, one of America’s largesttelecoms providers, under a top secret court order issued in April.

The order, a copy of which has been obtained by the Guardian, requires Verizon on an “ongoing, daily basis” to give the NSA information on all telephone calls in its systems, both within the US and between the US and other countries.

The document shows for the first time that under the Obama administration the communication records of millions of US citizens are being collected indiscriminately and in bulk – regardless of whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing.

The secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Fisa) granted the order to the FBI on April 25, giving the government unlimited authority to obtain the data for a specified three-month period ending on July 19.

Under the terms of the blanket order, the numbers of both parties on a call are handed over, as is location data, call duration, unique identifiers, and the time and duration of all calls. The contents of the conversation itself are not covered.

The disclosure is likely to reignite longstanding debates in the US over the proper extent of the government’s domestic spying powers.

Under the Bush administration, officials in security agencies had disclosed to reporters the large-scale collection of call records data by the NSA, but this is the first time significant and top-secret documents have revealed the continuation of the practice on a massive scale under President Obama.

The unlimited nature of the records being handed over to the NSA is extremely unusual. Fisa court orders typically direct the production of records pertaining to a specific named target who is suspected of being an agent of a terrorist group or foreign state, or a finite set of individually named targets.

The Guardian approached the National Security Agency, the White House and the Department of Justice for comment in advance of publication on Wednesday. All declined. The agencies were also offered the opportunity to raise specific security concerns regarding the publication of the court order.

The court order expressly bars Verizon from disclosing to the public either the existence of the FBI’s request for its customers’ records, or the court order itself.

“We decline comment,” said Ed McFadden, a Washington-based Verizon spokesman.

The order, signed by Judge Roger Vinson, compels Verizon to produce to the NSA electronic copies of “all call detail records or ‘telephony metadata’ created by Verizon for communications between the United States and abroad” or “wholly within the United States, including local telephone calls”.

The order directs Verizon to “continue production on an ongoing daily basis thereafter for the duration of this order”. It specifies that the records to be produced include “session identifying information”, such as “originating and terminating number”, the duration of each call, telephone calling card numbers, trunk identifiers, International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) number, and “comprehensive communication routing information”.

The information is classed as “metadata”, or transactional information, rather than communications, and so does not require individual warrants to access. The document also specifies that such “metadata” is not limited to the aforementioned items. A 2005 court ruling judged that cell site location data – the nearest cell tower a phone was connected to – was also transactional data, and so could potentially fall under the scope of the order.

While the order itself does not include either the contents of messages or the personal information of the subscriber of any particular cell number, its collection would allow the NSA to build easily a comprehensive picture of who any individual contacted, how and when, and possibly from where, retrospectively.

It is not known whether Verizon is the only cell-phone provider to be targeted with such an order, although previous reporting has suggested the NSA has collected cell records from all major mobile networks. It is also unclear from the leaked document whether the three-month order was a one-off, or the latest in a series of similar orders.

The court order appears to explain the numerous cryptic public warnings by two US senators, Ron Wyden and Mark Udall, about the scope of the Obama administration’s surveillance activities.

For roughly two years, the two Democrats have been stridently advising the public that the US government is relying on “secret legal interpretations” to claim surveillance powers so broad that the American public would be “stunned” to learn of the kind of domestic spying being conducted.

Because those activities are classified, the senators, both members of the Senate intelligence committee, have been prevented from specifying which domestic surveillance programs they find so alarming. But the information they have been able to disclose in their public warnings perfectly tracks both the specific law cited by the April 25 court order as well as the vast scope of record-gathering it authorized.

Julian Sanchez, a surveillance expert with the Cato Institute, explained: “We’ve certainly seen the government increasingly strain the bounds of ‘relevance’ to collect large numbers of records at once — everyone at one or two degrees of separation from a target — but vacuuming all metadata up indiscriminately would be an extraordinary repudiation of any pretence of constraint or particularized suspicion.” The April order requested by the FBI and NSA does precisely that.

The law on which the order explicitly relies is the so-called “business records” provision of the Patriot Act, 50 USC section 1861. That is the provision which Wyden and Udall have repeatedly cited when warning the public of what they believe is the Obama administration’s extreme interpretation of the law to engage in excessive domestic surveillance.

In a letter to attorney general Eric Holder last year, they argued that “there is now a significant gap between what most Americans think the law allows and what the government secretly claims the law allows.”

“We believe,” they wrote, “that most Americans would be stunned to learn the details of how these secret court opinions have interpreted” the “business records” provision of the Patriot Act.

Privacy advocates have long warned that allowing the government to collect and store unlimited “metadata” is a highly invasive form of surveillance of citizens’ communications activities. Those records enable the government to know the identity of every person with whom an individual communicates electronically, how long they spoke, and their location at the time of the communication.

Such metadata is what the US government has long attempted to obtain in order to discover an individual’s network of associations and communication patterns. The request for the bulk collection of all Verizon domestic telephone records indicates that the agency is continuing some version of the data-mining program begun by the Bush administration in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attack.

The NSA, as part of a program secretly authorized by President Bush on 4 October 2001, implemented a bulk collection program of domestic telephone, internet and email records. A furore erupted in 2006 when USA Today reported that the NSA had “been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth” and was “using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity.” Until now, there has been no indication that the Obama administration implemented a similar program.

These recent events reflect how profoundly the NSA’s mission has transformed from an agency exclusively devoted to foreign intelligence gathering, into one that focuses increasingly on domestic communications. A 30-year employee of the NSA, William Binney, resigned from the agency shortly after 9/11 in protest at the agency’s focus on domestic activities.

In the mid-1970s, Congress, for the first time, investigated the surveillance activities of the US government. Back then, the mandate of the NSA was that it would never direct its surveillance apparatus domestically.

At the conclusion of that investigation, Frank Church, the Democratic senator from Idaho who chaired the investigative committee, warned: “The NSA’s capability at any time could be turned around on the American people, and no American would have any privacy left, such is the capability to monitor everything: telephone conversations, telegrams, it doesn’t matter.”

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June 6, 2013

Source: Kurier.at

Däne ist in Graz wegen schwerer Nötigung und Freiheitsentziehung angeklagt.

Der Vater des sechsjährigen Oliver ist am Donnerstag zu seinem Prozess im Grazer Straflandesgericht erschienen. Im Zusammenhang mit der Kindesentziehung im April 2012 hat die Staatsanwaltschaft den Dänen wegen schwerer Nötigung und Freiheitsentziehung angeklagt. Der Beschuldigte war bei beim vergangenen Termin vor zwei Monaten nicht erschienen, die Verhandlung musste damals vertagt werden.

Der 42-Jährige war bereits im September 2012 zu einem Jahr bedingter Haft verurteilt worden, das Oberlandesgericht gab der Berufung allerdings statt und verfügte, dass neu verhandelt werden muss. Beim ersten Verhandlungstermin der Neuauflage erschien der Däne dann nicht, also vertagte Richter Stefan Koller.

Vater: “Habe in Österreich Obsorge”

Der Vater von Oliver zeigte sich in der Verhandlung erneut davon überzeugt, dass er rechtmäßig gehandelt habe, als er den Sechsjährigen von Graz nach Dänemark brachte. Eine Zeugin schilderte den Vorfall vor einem Kindergarten allerdings weniger harmlos als der Angeklagte: Sie habe “laute, panische Schreie” einer Frau vernommen und dann ein Auto wegrasen gesehen.

Die Anwältin der Mutter fragte den Angeklagten ganz konkret, nachdem er zuvor eher ausweichend geantwortet hatte: “Wer hat die Obsorge in Österreich?” “Ich”, kam es ohne Zögern vom Beschuldigten. “Wie kommen Sie darauf?”, hakte die Anwältin, die schon unzählige Male erklärt hatte, dass ihre Mandantin das alleinige Sorgerecht in Österreich innehabe, nach. “Weil die dänische Entscheidung nach meiner Rückkehr mit Oliver erneut bestätigt wurde, ich habe auch das internationale Sorgerecht”, war der Däne überzeugt. Von diesem “internationalen Sorgerecht” wusste außer ihm allerdings niemand etwas.

Als Zeugin wurde eine Frau befragt, die den Vorfall vor dem Kindergarten im April vorigen Jahres mitbekommen hatte. Sie schilderte, dass sie zunächst eine “zornige, sich wehrende Kinderstimme” vernommen habe, anschließend hörte sie “laute, panische Schreie” einer Frau. Dann sah sie noch ein Auto derart schnell wegfahren, dass sie zunächst an einen Autounfall mit Fahrerflucht gedacht habe.

Ein Urteil sollte planmäßig noch am selben Tag erfolgen.

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Juni 6 , 2013

Source: Kurier.at

Das mit Spannung erwartete Urteil gegen Thomas Sörensen ist gefallen. Wegen schwerer Nötigung und Kindesentziehung wurde eine bedingte Freiheitsstrafe von einem Jahr verhängt. Der Däne berief dagegen. “Ich habe österreichisches Recht anzuwenden. Ob er es gut oder schlecht findet, ist unerheblich”, sagte Richter Günter Sprinzel, der sein Urteil auf das Obsorgerecht der Mutter in Graz stützt. “Ich hoffe für ihn, dass die Kraft seines Treibens Sorge um den Sohn war, und nicht das eigene Ego.” Sörensens erste Reaktion gegenüber dem KURIER: “Ich bin geschockt. Ich habe immer gedacht, dass ich nichts Falsches gemacht hätte.”

Beide Eltern blieben einander nichts schuldig. Sie brachten dem Richter Videos, sie zeigten Fotos: Vom psychisch angeknacksten Buben, weil er der Mutter entzogen wurde. Vom unbeschwerten Kind in Dänemark, wie es mit dem Vater spielt, singt, kichert, mault, am Strand und im Garten spazieren geht. Diese Videos des Vaters sahen alle im Gerichtssaal. Der IT-Techniker spielte die Szenen ein.

Der Richter ließ ihn gewähren, weil das Schicksal des Fünfjährigen emotional so aufrührt. “Ich habe selbst zwei Kinder.” Dabei ging es Mittwoch nur um den dramatischen Vorfall am 3. April 2012 vor dem Kindergarten in Graz: Kindesmutter Marion Weilharter schilderte dem Gericht: “Ein Mann hat mich gegen mein Auto gedrückt und an den Oberarmen festgehalten. Ich würde ihn sofort wieder erkennen, ich sehe dieses Gesicht jede Nacht. Ich sehe Oliver, ich sehe Thomas Sörensen.” Der Helfer des Vaters bleibt unbekannt.

“Kind traumatisiert”

“Oliver wurde von seinem Vater von hinten gepackt, er konnte sich nicht bewegen.” Sie habe nur noch geschrien und versucht, zu ihrem Sohn zu kommen. Psychotherapeut Walter Hoffmann sagte für die Mutter aus. “Es steht völlig außer Zweifel, dass Oliver durch die gewaltsame Trennung von der Mutter schwer traumatisiert und zerrissen ist”. Der Zeuge hat das Kind aber nie gesehen.

Der Angeklagte fuhr mit einem freundlichen Schreiben von Olivers Kindergartenpädagogen auf. “Oliver ist sehr schnell in seine alten Beziehungen zurückgekehrt … Er ist ein offenes, positives, fröhliches, initiatives Kind.”

Der Strafrichter befragte die Eltern über das Wohl des Kindes: “Gibt es einen Weg aus dieser verfahrenen Situation?” Beide hatten keine schlüssigen Antworten. “Nach dem, was Sörensen gemacht hat, sehe ich keine Lösung”, sagte die Mutter. “Es ist nicht in meinem Interesse, dass Oliver nur mit einem Elternteil aufwächst. Aber die Mutter blockt Versuche ab”, konterte der Vater.

Zivilrechtlich wird in Dänemark noch in zweiter Instanz über den Rückführungsantrag der Mutter entschieden: Das ist dann wohl auch das Finale im Tauziehen um Olivers Zukunft. Es sei denn, der Europäische Gerichtshof für Menschenrechte sieht das anders.

Die Wiener Kinder- und Jugendanwältin Monika Pinterits plädiert für eine professionelle Unterstützung durch Mediatoren. Auch Besuchsrechtsregelungen seien machbar. “Ein Flug von Dänemark nach Österreich oder umgekehrt dauert nicht so lange.”

Chronologie der Ereignisse

Der Sorgerechtsstreit um Oliver dauert fast schon zwei Jahre. Heuer kurz vor Ostern hat er sich zugespitzt.

17. Juli 2010 Marion W. verlässt Dänemark und zieht mit Oliver nach Graz.

22. Oktober 2010 S. bekommt in Dänemark das Obsorgerecht.

18. April 2011 Der österreichische Oberste Gerichtshof verweigert S. die Anerkennung seiner Obsorge. In Österreich hat W. das Sorgerecht.

3. April 2012 Marion W. bringt Oliver in den Kindergarten in Graz-Eggenberg. Dort wartet bereits Thomas S. mit einem Begleiter: Sie schnappen Oliver und flüchten.

4. April 2012 Gegen S. wird ein europaweiter Haftbefehl erlassen. Das Fluchtauto wird gefunden.

5. April 2012 S. stellt sich den dänischen Behörden.

8. April 2012 Oliver darf erstmals mit seiner Mutter telefonieren.

11. April 2012 W. beantragt die Rückführung ihres Sohnes bei Gericht.

18. Juni 2012 Der EU-Haftbefehl gegen S. wird aufgehoben.

4. Juli 2012 Die Staatsanwaltschaft Graz bringt den Strafantrag gegen den Dänen ein.

4. bis 6. September 2012 Prozess am Bezirksgericht Helsingör in Dänemark.

25. September 2012 Prozess gegen S. wegen schwerer Nötigung und Freiheitsentziehung in Graz.

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June 7 , 2013

Source: FBI.gov

Child Abductions, When Custody Issues Lead to Violence

An analysis of recent FBI child abduction investigations has revealed a disturbing trend: Non-custodial parents are increasingly abducting and threatening to harm their own kids to retaliate against parents who were granted legal custody of the children.

“Unfortunately, the threat of violence—and death—in these cases is all too real,” said Ashli-Jade Douglas, an FBI analyst in our Violent Crimes Against Children Intelligence Unit who specializes in child abduction matters. “ Most non-custodial parental abductors want retaliation. They feel that if they can’t have the child full time—or any amount of time—then the other parent shouldn’t have the child, either.”

An analysis of all FBI child abduction cases where a motivation was known shows that custodial-motivated abductions—in which a son or daughter is taken against the will of the child and the custodial parent—have increased from 9 percent in fiscal year 2010 to 50 percent in fiscal year 2012. Sometimes the motivation is to convince the custodial parent to stay in a relationship; more often it is to harm the child in an act of retaliation. This trend appears to be on the rise, Douglas said. At least 25 instances of such abductions have been reported to the FBI since October.

“Our analysis indicates that children age 3 years and younger of unwed or divorced parents are most at risk of being abducted by their non-custodial parent,” Douglas added. “And the timely reporting of the abduction by the custodial parent to law enforcement is crucial in increasing the likelihood of recovering the child unharmed and apprehending the offender.”

 Quick Reporting Key to Child Safety

There is a common misconception that domestic custodial child abductions are considered a family matter that should not be investigated by law enforcement. In fact, when such abductions are reported to law enforcement, the child should be considered to be in danger—especially in cases when the non-custodial parents have previously threatened to abduct or harm their children, are mentally disabled, or are unemployed or otherwise financially unstable.

“The timely reporting of the abduction by the custodial parent to law enforcement is critical,” said Ashli-Jade Douglas, an analyst in our Violent Crimes Against Children Intelligence Unit. “That greatly increases the chances of recovering the child unharmed.”

Some recent cases include:

• In 2009, a non-custodial mother abducted her 8-month-old son from his custodial father in Texas. She told the father she killed the boy to prevent the father from employing his custodial rights and in retaliation for his alleged involvement with other women.
• In 2011, a 2-year-old girl was abducted by her non-custodial father in California. A week later, both were found dead. The father committed suicide after shooting his daughter.
• In 2012, a non-custodial father in Utah abducted and killed his 7- and 5-year-old sons and then committed suicide. He was angry over not being afforded sole custody of the children.

“In contrast to international parental abductions, our analysis indicates that domestic custodial abductions are more likely to have violent outcomes for children,” Douglas explained, adding that a number of factors contribute to this trend. About 46 percent of American children are born to unwed parents, and 40 to 50 percent of marriages end in divorce. That usually leaves one parent with custody of the child.

Douglas offers a suggestion to help keep children safe: Custodial parents should inform schools, after-care facilities, babysitters, and others who may at times be responsible for their children about what custody agreements are in place so that kids are not mistakenly released to non-custodial parents.

“The other big takeaway from our analysis,” she added, “is that law enforcement must act quickly in non-custodial abductions to keep children from being harmed. It’s mind-boggling to think that a parent would hurt their child to retaliate against the other parent,” Douglas said, “but in that moment, they make themselves believe that it’s okay.”

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June 8 , 2013

ABP World Group Ltd.

Kidnapping is the number one form of monetary extortion around the world. It’s used so often by criminals, guerrillas, separatists, rebels, terrorists and drug cartels as a means of funding and intimidation that it’s practically an art form. There are even different regional styles.

For the CAC course (Conduct after Capture) contact ABP World Group. The objective of this course is to better prepare civilians for a kidnap/hostage situation and improve their chances of getting home alive.

Al-Qaeda leader urges kidnapping of Westerners

Kidnappers

June 9 , 2013

Source: Channel One, Russia

ABP World Group on Russian TV

Поймай меня, если сможешь – похитители детей принимают заказы от разведенных родителей

Украденное детство – два года на поиски похищенных детей, еще полгода на то, чтобы вернуть их по суду. В Ингушетии прошла спецоперация семейного масштаба: жительница Кубани объездила всю республику, зная, что сестра погибшего мужа увезла на Кавказ ее 7-летнюю дочь и 5-летнего сына и усыновила по фальшивым документам. Таких историй, не предающихся огласке, – десятки. Дети становятся заложниками в ссорах взрослых.

Смотрите оригинал материала наhttp://www.1tv.ru/news/world/234859

Украденное детство – два года на поиски похищенных детей, еще полгода на то, чтобы вернуть их по суду. В Ингушетии прошла спецоперация семейного масштаба: жительница Кубани объездила всю республику, зная, что сестра погибшего мужа увезла на Кавказ ее 7-летнюю дочь и 5-летнего сына и усыновила по фальшивым документам. Таких историй, не предающихся огласке, – десятки. Дети становятся заложниками в ссорах взрослых.

Городок на севере Испании. 10-летний Оливер возвращается из школы. Из припаркованного автомобиля выбегают трое. Двое хватают ребенка, а тот, что покрепче, оттаскивает отчима. Мальчика буквально заталкивают в машину. Только там Оливер понимает, что один из похитителей – его родной отец.

“Сын не сразу меня узнал. Он был в шоке. Уже в машине я сказал: “Я твой папа, взгляни на меня. Мы едем домой”. Чтобы как-то успокоить пообещал купить собаку”, – рассказывает Гейр Ваганес.

У Гейра Ваганеса и его бывшей супруги после развода права на ребенка были равные. Оливер жил неделю с папой, неделю с мамой, пока та однажды не взяла сына на каникулы в Испанию к своей новой семье. И не вернула. Обвинила Гейра в сексуальных домогательствах к мальчику. Но норвежский суд пришел к выводу, что это клевета. Отец получил полную опеку, однако мать Оливера не отдала.

“Полтора года я пытался вернуть сына законно. Но в Испании процесс почему-то затягивали. Надо было спешить, скорее всего, мать промывала ребенку мозги. Настраивала против меня. Тогда я обратился в частную компанию, которая помогает возвращать детей”, – рассказал Геир Ваганес.

Эти люди берутся выполнить заказ в любой точке земного шара. За 12 лет работы их агентурная сеть раскинулась от Японии до Соединенных Штатов. Сама компания зарегистрирована на Сейшелах. Основатель, впрочем, норвежец Мартин Вооге.

“Родители забирают детей нелегально, мы же без решения суда в пользу заказчика за дело не беремся. Если ребенок родился и рос в Норвегии, будем руководствоваться решением норвежского суда. Если, например, в России – тогда российского”, – сообщил Мартин Вооге.

Они хоть и называют это возвращением, по сути, организуют еще одно похищение. Их команда состоит отнюдь не из детских психологов. Дэмьян – отставной капрал. За плечами девять лет контртеррористических операций по всему миру. Освобождал заложников. Признается: нынешние задания чем-то напоминают военное прошлое.

“У нас были ситуации, когда родитель держал ребенка так крепко, что мог переломать ему ребра, кто-то может использовать малыша как щит. Иногда ребенок – это лишь оружие мести”, – говорит координатор специальных операций Дэмьян.

Чтобы выследить беглецов достаточно от нескольких дней до пары недель. При необходимости могут, например, взломать электронную почту.

Родитель не будет подозревать о слежке, многие даже не догадываются о существовании профессиональных похитителей. Иначе бы не рискнули оставлять детей без присмотра. Впрочем, и из тех, кто стремится быть все время рядом, на ход событий может повлиять не каждый. Захват удается предотвратить только если поблизости оказалась полиция, но и этот фактор похитители учитывают.

Без насилия операции не обходятся. Несмотря на это, профессиональным похитителям часто удается договориться с посольством или даже местными властями и улететь с ребенком как обыкновенные туристы. Иначе страну приходится покидать за считанные часы. Иногда арендуют вертолет, иногда – катер. Например, на кадрах девочку вывозят из Ливана на Кипр.

“Безусловно, действуя в серой зоне закона чужой страны, мы рискуем нарваться на проблемы. Два наших оперативника сейчас в тюрьме в Тунисе, были арестованы по подозрению в планировании похищения ребенка”, – рассказывает Мартин Вооге.

Мартин признается: цена услуг может достигать 200000 евро. Спрос стабильно растет. В прошлом году из Норвегии нелегально вывезли 150 детей, из Великобритании – более тысячи. И это только зарегистрированные случаи. В основном проблема смешанных браков.

Юристы говорят: страны, которые подписались под Гаагской конвенцией о похищении детей – с недавнего времени Россия в их числе – обязаны возвращать ребенка на родину незамедлительно. Но на практике договор работает в одном случае из двадцати.

“Там есть исключение. Если вы докажете, что на родине ребенок подвергался насилию или за ним не было надлежащего ухода, тогда он останется с вами. В результате начинаются многолетние тяжбы. В конце концов, суды говорят: да, наверное, вам не стоило забирать ребенка, но он уже здесь так долго, для него будет лучше остаться”, – сказал адвокат Мортен Фурухолмен.

По возвращении в Норвегию Гейр сдержал обещание и купил сыну собаку. Мать, которая приехала следом, чтобы в очередной раз в очередном суде побороться за ребенка, задержали прямо в аэропорту и отправили в тюрьму на 6 месяцев. Самому Оливеру до сих пор не дает покоя этот двадцатисекундный эпизод его жизни, хотя прошло уже больше года.

“Когда они выскочили из машины, я подумал, что меня захватывают в заложники. Сейчас со мной все хорошо. Только сложно понять, почему у меня может быть только один родитель”, – говорит Оливер.

Гейр надеется, что большего вреда сыну он никогда не причинит. И что бывшая жена, когда выйдет из тюрьмы, не попытается организовать еще одно похищение. Что лучше для Оливера? Конечно же, каждый останется при своем мнении. Но за будущее ребенка всегда ответственны оба родителя, в каких бы отношениях они не находились.

Смотрите оригинал материала наhttp://www.1tv.ru/news/world/234859

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ABP World Group Risk Management

June 10 , 2013

Source: ExtraBladet.dk

Den danske far i Oliver-sagen føler sig ignoreret af de danske myndigheder oven på dramatisk retssag i Østrig

Thomas Sørensen, der er far til den nu seksårige dreng Oliver, er dybt skuffet over det manglende engagement fra de danske myndigheder i sagen om forældremyndigheden over sin søn.

I torsdags blev han af retten i den østrigske by Graz idømt 12 måneders betinget fængsel for at have bortført Oliver.

Se også: Olivers far: Dommen er dybt uretfærdig

Det skete ifølge Thomas Sørensens talsmand, Janus Bang, efter en farceagtig retssag, hvor dommeren konstant afbrød danskerens forsvar.

- Den slags ting hører ikke hjemme i et moderne og civiliseret samfund. Jeg vil hellere i retten i Uganda, siger Janus Bang.

Se også: Olivers far får et års betinget fængsel

Den danske lejr er desuden meget skuffet over, at det danske udenrigsministerium intet har gjort for at bistå faderen, der hverken har fået tildelt tolk eller dækket retsomkostninger og rejseudgifter.

- Jeg spytter foran vores udenrigsministeriums hoveddør. At danske statsborgere bliver udsat for sådan noget i udlandet, og at vi så intet hjælp har at hente i Danmark. Det er skamfuldt, at man kan behandle en borger på denne måde, siger talsmanden.

Se også: Olivers far i retten: Sådan hentede jeg min søn

- Og specielt når det er danske dommere, der har truffet en afgørelse om, at Thomas’ søn skal bo i Danmark, så har en embedsmand bare øjeblikkeligt at rette ind.

Thomas Sørensens talsmand oplyser, at rasende østrigere spytter efter den danske far på gaderne, og at de nærmest måtte flygte til Italien.

Se også: Oliver-retssag aflyst: Far dukkede ikke op

Janus Bang fortæller desuden, at han forgæves har kontaktet udenrigsminister Villy Søvndal (SF) for at bede ham om at engagere sig.

- Når han har så travlt med alle disse piratgidsler og alt muligt andet, hvorfor kan han ikke koncentrere sig om to danske statsborgere – for Oliver er også dansker – og den beskyttelse, de modtager i udlandet? Det er helt ude i skoven.

Se også: Olivers mor får nej til Højesteret

Thomas Sørensen har af hensyn til sin søn valgt ikke at anke den østrigske domstols afgørelse.

Den danske far fortæller, at han via advokater, statsforvaltningen og Familiestyrelsen har forsøgt at få en form for mægling med Olivers mor, som også har fået tilbud om samvær med drengen og om at se ham halvdelen af tiden.

Se også: Olivers far: En julegave fra landsretten

Men moren har ifølge Thomas Sørensen nægtet at komme til Danmark.

Østre Landsret gav i april 2011 faren forældremyndigheden over drengen.

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ABP World Group Risk Management

June 25, 2013

Kilde: abcnyheter

June 27 , 2013

Source: theshapirolawfirm.com

As international travel has become more and more accessible, one thing that, sadly, has been becoming increasingly common is international parental child abduction. International parental child abduction is when one parent takes a child to another country to interfere with the other parent’s custody rights.

International parental child abduction can be incredibly impactful on the child involved and the parent who has had the child abducted from them. Sadly, a custodial parent who has had a child abducted from them to another country can sometimes face major legal hurdles in getting their child back.

Recently, some news has arisen regarding an international parental child abduction case involving a Texas man.

The man was married to a Russian-born woman. The two lived in Texas together and they had two daughters.

The man and the woman eventually got divorced. In the divorce, the man was granted custody of the former couple’s two daughters.

In 2008, the unthinkable happened to the man; his daughters were abducted by his ex-wife to a foreign country. Specifically, during one of her visitations with the children, the woman took the children to Russia. The children have been in Russia ever since, as issues regarding the Russian legal system reportedly prevented the man from being able to retake custody of the children.

It appears that the man may now finally be able to get his daughters back. Recently, the man’s ex-wife died. This reportedly makes it so the man no longer just has custody of the children under U.S. law, but also has custody of the children under Russian law. However, there still could be some challenges awaiting the man in his efforts to reunite with his daughters.

The man reportedly plans to go to Russia next month to try to get his daughters back. One wonders what will ultimately happen during this trip.

As this case shows, child custody matters with international aspects, such as child custody matters involving international parental child abduction, can be incredibly complicated. Thus, if a person is involved in a child custody matter with international aspects, having a strong and experienced family law attorney on one’s side can be very important.

Source: KHOU, “Hope arises for dad in custody battle for daughters taken to Russia,” Jim Douglas, June 20, 2013

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ABP World Group Risk Management

June 28 , 2013

Source: aamdispatch / bdlive

By Greta Ghacibeh, Directrice, Association Tunisie Media

Two years after the “Jasmine revolution,” Tunisia seems to be the most stable compared to other Arab countries that experienced popular uprisings that led to the toppling of their dictators. But in recent months, with the political turmoil and hostile environment that reached its peak with the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid, the situation on the ground never felt more fluid, unstable, and especially chaotic.

Daily protests, strikes, and clashes in the capital Tunis, as well as in the disenfranchised regions; rising anger among Tunisians fueled by what most see as an “underperforming government”; and security concerns in the country, have led to an out-of-control state of corruption.

Corruption itself was one of the driving forces that ignited the popular uprising in Tunisia. Large scale corruption may have decreased, but daily briberies have, on the contrary, increased substantially.

I, myself, experience this lawlessness regularly from Tunisia’s police. A recent incident where a Tunisian girl and her boyfriend who were stopped by a police patrol, who raped the girl and extorted the man, is an extreme example of what happens regularly to unsuspecting citizens.

I am stopped by the police on almost a daily basis, regardless of the area I’m driving through, or whether I’ve been pulled over for allegedly breaking the law or for a routine security check. The fact that I drive a rental car is usually a reason in itself to be “checked”. The first time it happened to me, I was at fault. I was talking on the phone while driving. But, what I didn’t expect was to be given a “choice” by the two cops who stopped me.

After questioning me for ten long minutes, and inspecting my driver’s license and car papers, they proceeded to tell me that they were going to take my driver’s license and my car and send me to court, in addition to paying a fine of sixty Tunisian dinars. They succeeded in scaring and intimidating me. As I was contemplating how to get out of this trouble, both cops grinned and laid out an “alternative suggestion”: “It’s either that, or we split the fine”.

I didn’t get it at first. Both cops gave me ear-to-ear smiles and repeating their suggestion, then one of them whispered to me: “discreetly, we keep it between us”.

Since that day, these kinds of incidents have happened multiple times. The most scary ones are when I am stopped while driving home alone at night.

During the Ben Ali regime, an order was given by the ousted president that “no woman driving a car alone at night was to be stopped by the police, under any circumstances”. No law was needed to execute the presidential desire. A dictator’s order was enough.

When I tell these stories to my Tunisian friends, I get various reactions. Some tell me I should pay them off. Others tell me I shouldn’t give them anything and encourage bribery.

The best advice I’ve received is to pretend not to speak any French or Arabic, and play “dumb foreigner” when I am stopped by a police officer.

So far, it’s working.

Rights of persons under arrest in Tunisia

Post-revolutionary amendments to Tunisia’s law on torture brought it more into line with international law. Though there continue to be accusations of torture, such incidents are far less common than before the revolution. Most such accusations concern the beating of protestors at demonstrations or at police stations. Freedom House notes that human-rights reforms have not taken place in the law-enforcement sector as extensively as in other spheres of Tunisian society. And Amnesty International has noted that while Tunisia’s post-revolutionary Interior Ministry planned sweeping police reforms, it has not addressed pre-revolutionary human-rights violations by the police and others in authority.

Meziou noted in December 2012 that the post-revolutionary government was arresting people but not bringing them to trial. “Some of the officials from the former regime have been under arrest for almost two years and they are still awaiting trial, which does not seem imminent,” she wrote. Also, young demonstrators in various places around the country had been arrested and were awaiting trial under “miserable conditions.”

Torture in Tunisian Prisons

TUNIS — The head of a campaign group says dozens of prisoners have been tortured in Tunisia since a revolution toppled the country’s autocratic ruler last year.

Victims included political activists and criminals, said Radhia Nasraoui, president of Tunisia’s Organisation Against Torture. Women, children and elderly people were assaulted in police stations after protests over living standards last month in the central city of Sidi Bouzid, she said.

A man died in hospital in the capital, Tunis, on Monday after he was beaten by police following his arrest for theft, his lawyer, Abd Elhak Triki, said. Four police officers were arrested after the interior ministry in Tunisia confirmed the man had died of concussion.

It was the first death from abuse in custody to be reported in the country since the overthrow in January last year of former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, whose officials had long been accused of torturing prisoners by global human rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

That case and the new torture allegations could embarrass the new government led by the Islamist party Ennahda, which has pledged to respect human rights and ensure proper treatment of prisoners, and relies on financial aid from the West.

Ms Nasraoui said the allegations could also hinder efforts to secure the extradition of Ben Ali loyalists who had fled abroad.

“After the revolution, the torture did not stop in prisons and police stations, it became an endemic phenomenon which is sad for Tunisia,” she said on Tuesday.

“We recorded dozens of cases of torture in the prisons. The torture includes men, women, children and the elderly.” A justice ministry spokesman denied the allegations. “The situation is bad in prisons due to the outdated buildings and equipment shortages sometimes, but not to the extent of talking about the torture of prisoners,” he said.

However, Ms Nasraoui’s allegations were backed by Amnesty.

“Violations did not stop and there have been several cases of ill-treatment and also torture in Tunisia after the revolution,” said Lotfi Azzouz, executive director of the group’s Tunisian branch.

Ms Nasraoui, a lawyer, produced photographs of alleged torture victims, including a young man with a badly bruised face and another with bruises on his body. She said her information came from interviews with victims, and photographs were provided by victims or their families.

She said methods of torture her independent organisation had recorded included beatings with fists and sticks, and victims being dragged along the ground. Police have begun to feel above the law, she added.

Ms Nasraoui said torture victims included three politicians from opposition parties who were arrested after demonstrations over unemployment in Tunis and Seliana last month, and four trade unionists detained after they demanded better healthcare at a hospital in the city of Sfax.

The rumours say that you only get out of Tunisian prison if you pay bribes.

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ABP World Group Risk Management

June 28 , 2013

Source: Aftonbladet/Sveriges Radio

Startsidan / Nyheter 2013-06-26

Daniel och Pelle ännu fängslade i Tunisien

 

 

Daniel Backe

 

I mer än sju månader har Daniel och Pelle suttit fängslade i Tunisien utan rättegång.

Nu riskerar de att få sitta minst fyra månader till, då landets rättssystem tar semester – och svenskarna börjar tappa hoppet.

– Jag orkar inte ett bakslag nu. Jag är helt slut och måste hem till barnen, skriver Pelle i ett brev från fängelset.

Svenskarna Daniel Bakke, 36, och Per-Åke ”Pelle” Helgesson, 54, åkte i november på uppdrag av företaget ABP World Group till Tunisien för att frita ett barn som förts bort från sin mamma i Norge.

Juni 29 , 2013

ABP World Group Ltd.

A Desperate cry for help. Swedes held imprisoned innocent for 8 months

In November 2012, on behalf of the company ABP World Group, Daniel Bakke, 37, and Per-Åke “Pelle” Helgesson, 54, went to Tunisia together with a Norwegian woman to  help her retrieve her child  who had been illegally taken by the child’s Tunisian father.

Instead, they were arrested by Tunisian police on suspicion of preparing an armed kidnapping. Since their arrest in November, the Norwegian mother has been awarded sole custody of the child in both Norwegian and Tunisian courts, but the Swedes remain in the Mornaguia prison, southwest of the capital Tunis without trial.

Due to the fact that the legal system in Tunisia will close for summer vacation, they now face the risk of spending at least another four more months in prison – and the Swedes are starting to lose hope.

“I cannot take another setback now. I’m exhausted and have to go home to my children”, Pelle writes in a letter from prison.

Per Åke “Pelle” Helgesson

FACTS

This has happened:

November 11, 2012: The two Swedes went together with a Norwegian woman to Tunisia to help her retrieve her child that the child’s father had illegally taken from Norway.

November 17 2012: Daniel Bakke’s brother, Christian Franzetti, says in an interview to Aftonbladet that the Swedes are suffering in the Tunisian prison, only getting dry pieces of bread and bad water. According to their lawyer, they risk up to ten years in prison for attempted kidnapping.

January 11, 2013: Aftonbladet published a letter written by Per-Åke “Pelle” Helgesson and smuggled out from prison in which he says that there are bed lice and they have been denied visits, are being harassed and abused, both mentally and physically, by the police,”

June 20, 2013: The Swedes are denied the preliminary investigation which should have been carried out by a so-called pre-trial judge. They instead refer the case to criminal court.

Daniel Bakke

Want to get attention

Now the men’s families come forward in the hope that the case will get attention and that the men will be freed.

Melody Guarino Bakke, in December celebrated one-year wedding anniversary but she was alone at the couple’s home in the Philippines, while Daniel was locked up in a Tunisian prison – There are no words to describe the situation. Daniel is the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last when I go to bed, she says to Aftonbladet.

Her wish is that the Swedish authorities and the State Department put more effort into helping free the two Swedes.

Last Thursday the relatives received more bad news when a judge rejected a request that the investigation should be closed. The two men could now be forced to wait all summer before their case reaches court since they will be closed between 15 July and 15 September.

As a relative, you feel powerless. This can be compared to a similar case where a couple of journalists were detained in an African country, but with the difference that the pressure from Swedish authorities was very high. Here, the guys did not even do anything wrong and yet they are imprisoned without being charged, says Daniel Bakke’s brother, Christian Franzetti to Aftonbladet.

Christian Franzetti

He continues:

I wish that someone would put a foot down, demanding to know what they are being accused of and presented with supporting proofs. I also wish for more backbone and higher pressure. The State Department probably do the best they can, but I wish they took more interest in the case and did more.

The Swedish Foreign Ministry says that they follow the matter closely and have discussions with the Tunisian authorities regarding the Swedes.

We know that the lawyer is trying to push for a main hearing before the summer and we do what we can to bring the matter to the table in our conversations with the Tunisian authorities, says Camilla Åkesson Lindblom at the Foreign Ministry’s press service.

You can help! Please e-mail the Swedish Foreign Minister asking him to take action before it´s too late! carl.bildt@gov.se

En Novembre 2012, pour le compte de la société norvégienne ABP World Group, Daniel Bakke, 36 ans, et Per-Åke “Pelle” Helgesson, 54 ans, sont allé à la Tunisie avec une femme norvégienne pour les aider à récupérer son enfant qui avaient été prises illégalement par le père tunisien de l’enfant.

Au lieu de cela, ils ont été arrêtés par la police tunisienne, soupçonnés de préparer un enlèvement à main armée. Depuis leur arrestation en Novembre, la mère norvégienne a reçu la garde exclusive de l’enfant devant les tribunaux tant norvégiens que tunisiens, mais les deux Suédois sont toujoursen prison de Mornaguia sans procés, sud-ouest de la capitale Tunisie.

En raison du fait que le système judiciaire en Tunisie sera bientôt fermé pour les vacances d’été les Suédois commencent à perdre espoir, faisant face maintenant aurique de dépenser au moins quatre mois de plus en prison.

«Je ne peux pas prendre un autre revers maintenant. Je suis épuisé et je dois rentrer à la maison pour prendre soins de mes enfants “, Pelle écrit dans une lettre de la prison.

Per-Åke “Pelle” Helgesson

FAITS

Ce qui s’est passée

11 novembre 2012: Les deux Suédois allaient de pair avec une femme norvégienne à la Tunisie pour l’aider à récupérer son enfant que le père de l’enfant avait pris illégalement de la Norvège.

17 novembre 2012: le frère de Daniel Bakke, Christian Franzetti, explique dans une interview à Aftonbladet que les Suédois sont détenues dans la prison tunisienne, forcés a survivre sur des morceaux de pain sec et de l’eau mauvaise. Selon leur avocat, ils risquent jusqu’à dix ans de prison pour tentative d’enlèvement.

Christian Franzetti

11 janvier 2013: Aftonbladet a publié une lettre écrite par Per-Åke “Pelle” Helgesson  sorti clandestinement de la prison dans laquelle il dit qu’il ya des poux de lit et ils se sont vus refuser des visites, sont harcelés et maltraités, à la fois mentalement et physiquement par la police »,

20 juin 2013: Les Suédois sont privés de l’enquête préliminaire qui aurait dû être effectuée par le soi-disant juge d’instruction. Les autorités tunisiennes réfèrent plutôt l’affaire devant un tribunal pénal.

Vous voulez attirer l’attention

Maintenant les familles des hommes s’agitent dans l’espoir que l’affaire attireral’attention publique et que les hommes seront libérés.

Melody Guarino Bakke, en Décembre a célébré son premier anniversaire de mariage    seule à la maison du couple aux Philippines, tandis que Daniel était enfermé dans une prison tunisienne – Il n’y a pas de mots pour décrire la situation. Daniel est la première chose a qui je pense quand je me réveille et la dernière quand je vais au lit, dit-elle à Aftonbladet.

Daniel Bakke

Son souhait est que les autorités suédoises et le Département d’Etat s’impliquedavantage pour libérer les deux Suédois.

Jeudi dernier, les parents ont reçu de mauvaises nouvelles quand un juge a rejeté une demande de fermé l’enquête. Les deux hommes pourraient maintenant être obligés d’attendre tout l’été avant que leur affaire soit reconsidéré devant les tribunaux, quiseront fermés entre le 15 Juillet et le 15 Septembre.

En tant que parenté, on ce sent impuissant. Cela peut être comparé à un cas similaire où un couple de journalistes ont été arrêtés dans un pays africain, mais avec la différence que la pression des autorités suédoises très élevé. Ici, les gars n’ont rien fait de mal et pourtant ils sont emprisonnés sans avoir été inculpés, dit le frère de Daniel Bakke, Christian Franzetti à Aftonbladet.

Il poursuit:

Je souhaite que quelqu’un mettra son pied à terre, exigeant de savoir de quoi ils sont accusés et présentés des preuves à l’appui des accusations. Je souhaite également  une pression plus élevée. Le Département d’Etat probablement fait de son mieux  mais je souhaite un compromis plus fort de leur part.

Le ministère suédois des Affaires étrangères dit que suive l’affaire de près et essaye d’avoir des entretiens avec les autorités tunisiennes concernant les Suédois.

L’avocat tente de faire pression pour obtenir une audience principale avant l’été et il faitce qu’il peut pour porter l’affaire devant les autorités tunisiennes, explique Camilla Åkesson Lindblom au service de presse du ministère des Affaires étrangères.

Vous pouvez aider! S’il vous plaît envoyé un e-mail au ministre suédois des Affaires étrangères pour lui demander de prendre des mesures avant qu’il ne soit trop tard! carl.bildt @ gov.se

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ABP World Group Risk Management

July 2 , 2013

Source: The Huffington Post

In recent years, the world has seemed a more connected place.

Palm-sized technology has condensed contact between continents while the flow of people across time zones has increased dramatically.

Experience of new horizons – and the different cultures, cuisines and tongues which comes from it – has made for a more cosmopolitan life.

However, official research and the daily caseload of myself and other family lawyers all too often illustrates that there can be negative consequences.

The number of international family disputes requiring the involvement of UK courts has almost quadrupled in the space of only four years, according to a report published by one of this country’s most senior judges.

The data, which was published by Lord Justice Thorpe, who acts as the Head of International Family Justice for England and Wales, showed there were only three new cases of that type handled by the office in 2007. The following year, the total had risen to 65 but by the end of last year, it had reached 253.

Lord Justice Thorpe said that the matters involved child abduction, adoption and forced marriage and were due, he claimed, to “globalisation, increasing movement of persons across borders, and the ever rising number of family units which are truly international”.

His remarks confirm something which is all too apparent to myself and my colleagues atPannone LLP, as we have remarked upon previously.

The comments are also supported by figures released not by the courts but by Government which evidenced what many believe to be at the heart of the trend which Lord Justice Thorpe is witnessing.

Last year, the Foreign Office published its own figures, illustrating that the number of parental child abductions which it had been called upon to assist in had climbed by 88 per cent in a decade.

It revealed that a specialist unit which it had set up to deal with the problem was getting four calls every day, half of which were turning into new cases.

Of course, it is not only relationships forged by individuals of different nationalities which run into difficulties. However, when these partnerships break down, there is often a natural tendency to return to family and familiar surroundings to recover from any feelings of disappointment or distress.

Where children are involved, such matters become more complicated, especially when one or other partner decides to remove them from the country in which they had been resident.

A country’s incidence of these sorts of cases mirror its ties with other states. The Foreign Office cited parental child abductions involving 84 different nations. According to Lord Justice Thorpe’s report, Poland, Pakistan and Spain were the three places which featured most frequently in the disputes which came to his attention.

Once removed, children are sometimes only returned after a complex process which can be long and drawn out. There can be serious ramifications for the families concerned, both legally and emotionally.

Taking a child out of the country without the express permission of a court or the other parent can be a criminal offence. No matter how comforting the prospect of returning to one’s family overseas might seem once a relationship has broken down the consequences need to be seriously considered.

Sadly, my workload and that of other family lawyers specialising in these cases shows no sign of letting up, regardless of the legal and personal consequences. If anything, the increasingly common nature of international partnerships makes further rises likely.

Given the prominence of Poland in figures from both Lord Justice Thorpe and the Foreign Office, it will be interesting to see whether allowing two other East European countries – Romania and Bulgaria – to live elsewhere across the continent without limitation will further fuel the number of international family units living in Britain and the terrible complications of their breaking apart.

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ABP World Group Risk Management

July 7 , 2013

ABP World Group can now be contacted Toll-Free in the U.S, U.K and Norway.

Making it more convenient and affordable to contact us at anytime. 

1-800-847-2315 US Toll free Number
0-808-189-0066 UK Toll Free Number
800-11-618        Norway Toll Free Number

24/7 Emergency Number: 0047 40466526

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ABP World Group Risk Management

July 7 , 2013

Source: pasadenalawoffice.com

Parental kidnapping, while not something most parents will need to worry about after a Pasadena divorce, is still a risk all custodial parents must be aware of.

The term parental kidnapping is used to mean that a parent who does not have legal custody has taken the child without the permission of the custodial parent. The parent taking the child may leave the state or even the country in order to avoid having the custodial parent make contact.

If your ex threatens to leave with your child, there are several preventative measures you can take. If you are separated, but not yet divorced, a judge can provide you with a temporary order of custody. Without a temporary order of custody, you both have equal rights to the child. Your lawyer can also help you implement protections in your custody order, such as having precise pickup times and requiring regular phone contact during visits.

Keep current photos of your child and your ex on hand to provide to police if needed. It is also a good idea to keep info such as your ex’s Social Security number, driver’s license number, and the make and model of his or her car on hand to provide law enforcement in the event of an abduction.

Talk to your child’s daycare provider and/or teacher to make sure they know that your ex is not allowed to pick up your child. Schools and child care facilities assume both parents have equal custody rights unless they are told otherwise.

If your child has a passport, place it in a safe deposit box that your ex can not access. If your child does not have a passport, you should have his or her name added to the Children’s Passport Issuance Alert System. This ensures that you will be contacted if someone tries to apply for a passport in your child’s name.

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ABP World Group Risk Management

July 7 , 2013

Source: ASP

Kidnapping Western nationals for ransom has unlocked an alarming source of funds for terrorist organizations, and current counter-strategies don’t seem to offer an effective deterrent.

According to David Cohen at the U.S. Treasury Department, terrorist organizations have accumulated over $120 million through kidnapping for ransom (KFR) between 2004 and 2012—a fairly enticing supply of cash for organizations that have increasingly turned to criminal networks and techniques to finance attacks.

The U.K.’s Office of Security and Counter-Terrorism estimates that over 150 foreign nationals have been kidnapped by Islamist terrorist groups since 2008, many by al-Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM). In fact AQIM alone received an estimated $65 million in KFR payments between 2005 and 2011, with notable kidnappings that include the In Amenas hostage crisis and the abduction of a German, a Swiss, and two British tourists in Mali.

Providing a rare look into the inner workings of the AQIM organization, a few weeks ago the Associated Press discovered a letter (verified by the Pentagon) from AQIM leaders scolding Mokhtar Belmokhtar, leader of the AQIM faction al-Mulathameen Brigade, for his handling of the hostage negotiations for kidnapped Canadian diplomat Robert Fowler.

While the letter did provide valuable insight into the inner workings of AQIM, it most notably confirmed that leaders recognize the profitability of KFR as a long term strategy and that they are confident in their ability to negotiate higher and higher sums.

Although Canadian officials denied involvement, the letter indicated that Belmokhtar had negotiated $1.1 million in ransom (“meager” by AQIM standards) to secure the release of captured diplomat Robert Fowler in 2009. Some argued that while the Canadian government may not have paid the sum directly, officials have not denied that a third party was involved.

Most Western governments denounce negotiating with terrorists, but with the exception of the U.S. and the U.K. few seem to actually adhere to this pledge.

The G8’s communiqué issued last week did include a staunch guarantee from all member states to not paying terrorist ransoms. In addition to the three T’s—trade, taxes, and transparency—on the agenda, the world leaders united to “unequivocally reject the payment of ransoms to terrorists.”

This declaration marks an important step towards showing solidarity among world leaders and publicizing the issue of KFR in regions like North Africa. Higher awareness among travelers and private sector workers might be the best first step.

However given the inconsistency of governments in the past, the G8 declaration needs some more prescriptions to have consequence.

Interestingly the other recommendations that the G8 made to improve transparency and fight corruption could also help to mitigate KFR if thoroughly pursued, such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations.

Pertinent FATF standards include:

• Linking customs and tax agencies to prevent money laundering and cash couriers
• Establishing financial intelligence units that track illicit money flow
• Stricter requirements for financial institutions to report suspicious activity
• Criminalizing funding a terrorist organizations regardless if those funds are linked to an attack

These will help expose private companies or third party organizations that may be paying ransoms, with or without government knowledge, and impose much stricter consequences.

One potential obstacle is the difficulty with which governments label terrorists. As terrorist groups and other criminal organizations collaborate more, radicals will begin to use criminal surrogates to kidnap foreigners and negotiate ransoms on their behalf.

This aspect has to be approached at a local and regional level. The U.S. can work with high KFR risk nations to improve protection services and institutions, but regional cooperation must improve, especially in North Africa. Morocco and Algeria have to reengage and participate in organizations such as the Arab Maghreb Union. Intelligence sharing from local sources and border cooperation can effectively combat criminal and terrorist operations.

If AQIM and other groups continue to reap cash from the KFR industry, other efforts to limit terror financing will become futile. The U.S. and the U.K. must continue to press Europe to commit to non-negotiation, foster greater regional cooperation in the Sahel and Maghreb, and increase public awareness of the high risk of kidnapping.

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ABP World Group Risk Management

July 13 , 2013

Source: wincountry

LANSING, MI- State Senator John Proos is backing new legislation that would give divorce judges the power to order a change of custody for children when they perceive a risk of parental abduction. 

Proos says that, sometimes, a parent will kidnap a child when the divorce isn’t going smoothly. This plan would let judges evaluate possible risk factors and respond accordingly.

Risk factors for parental abduction might include previous threats to do so, or recent actions to get a passport. The new law would let a judge order prevention measures like imposing travel restrictions or placing the child’s name in the US Department of State’s Child Passport Issuance Alert Program, in addition to the possible custody changes.

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ABP World Group Risk Management

July 13 , 2013

Source: Star Local News

“Hermer and his parents have spent around $75,000 on an international custody battle that has left them drained both monetarily and emotionally”.

For the last two years, Plano father Bart Hermer has dedicated his life to seeing his daughter returned from overseas. Alessia was abducted by her mother and represents one of more than 200,000 family abduction cases in the United States every year.

Bart Hermer carries a pacifier with him at all times. It’s purple with flecks of glitter and has the words “Princess Alessia” scrolled across the plastic.

He keeps the soother as a small comfort of his own — a reminder that his 2-year-old daughter, Alessia, is still out there and waiting to be reunited with her father.

For now, Alessia lives in the United Kingdom with her mother, 40-year-old Simmone Cohen, who is a British citizen. Hermer and his parents have spent around $75,000 on an international custody battle that has left them drained both monetarily and emotionally.

For the last two years, Plano father Bart Hermer has dedicated his life to seeing his daughter returned from overseas. Alessia was abducted by her mother and represents one of more than 200,000 family abduction cases in the United States every year.

Every night, Hermer sleeps on a bed in the nursery to feel closer to his daughter, but an empty crib is a constant reminder that the woman who first stole his heart, also stole his most precious possession.

Blindsided

Hermer and Cohen’s relationship started out as a picture-perfect romance. He fell for her British accent and stunning looks when they met on a single’s cruise in 2007, and months later they were visiting each other’s countries. The aging couple talked about both wanting children, so within a matter of months they were engaged.

“I swear on my daughter’s life, heart and soul we never had an argument,” Hermer said, reflecting on the blissful times. “We were the envy of everybody we knew.”

The two began planning for a wedding at the Dallas Arboretum — plans that were delayed when Cohen found out she was pregnant with Alessia. When the baby was 10 months old, Cohen planned a regular trip for the three of them to visit her family in London. Hermer said he had just been laid off from his job as an advertising executive, but Cohen had income from her marketing business she ran from their Plano home.

While going through customs at the London airport, Hermer was pulled aside and questioned. A customs officer accused him of trying to enter the country with the intention to live there — information Hermer’s fiancee had told them. As much as Hermer denied the story, he was sent back to the United States alone, and Cohen and Alessia remained in England.

“I was set up,” Hermer said. “The truth was she just wanted a baby.”

Back in Texas, Cohen’s designer clothes still hang in the closet. Her laptop was left behind, and a Plano detective confirmed in writing that she wrote messages contradicting their happy engagement.

“I definitley [sic] don’t want to marry him,” Cohen wrote in one Skype message to a family member. “… he knows I am delaying things so he may have guessed,” she wrote to a friend.

“She played him like a sucker,” Hermer’s mother, Kathy, said. “She lied about everything.”

An epidemic

The Hermer’s are not alone in their daily struggle with parental kidnapping. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) estimates more than 200,000 family abduction cases occur annually in the United States.

In cases involving children taken from the United States to the United Kingdom, 92 percent of cases are unresolved for longer than a year, and 38 percent are unresolved for more than five years, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children database.

Hermer has tried to use international child abduction laws from the Hague Convention to get Alessia back. Article 3 of the convention talks about the “rights of custody” and says the courts must use the law of the state — in this case Texas — where the child was a resident before being abducted.

Even with letters of support from Texas Senators Florence Shapiro and Jane Nelson and state Rep. Jerry Madden, most of Hermer’s evidence was not allowed in the British court.

“I was not given a fair trial,” Hermer said. “I have solid evidence from credible people … and that evidence was not allowed. A lot of these countries will not return a child because of gender bias.”

After a crushing loss with denial of appeal, Hermer is trying a different approach. He hopes Attorney General Greg Abbott will push to have Cohen extradited to Texas on felony kidnapping charges.

“If my child stays there, it sets the precedent for thousands of children in the future,” Hermer said.

Time is ticking

Two years have passed with Hermer devoting his life to studying state and federal parental kidnapping law. He now works as assistant director of the Global Missing Children Fund.

Precedence from other international kidnapping cases shows that courts consider a child acclimated to their new country once they reach 3 years old. After that point, the courts are reluctant to return the child.

“I’ve got six months,” Hermer said, desperation in his voice. “She’s my life. She’s my pride. I don’t want to catch up with her in my 70s.”

He sees her occassionally when he is allowed to enter England for scheduled court hearings, but the trips are expensive and visitation is never guaranteed.

“When they are together it’s like they’ve never been separated for a moment,” Kathy said. “They had such a tight bond.”

Hermer is praying that someone will hear Alessia’s story and know how to help. While he is openly thankful for the ongoing support from Jewish Family Services, a separate fund has been set up for donations to offset some of the court costs at www.firstgiving.com/Bring-Alessia-Home.

“I’ll never quit until she’s in that crib,” he said. “I don’t care what it takes.”

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ABP World Group Risk Management

July 14 , 2013

“After all my years of experience as Worldwide Medical Director for the worlds largest medical assistance company, I found only ABP World Group capable of providing the unique service of non-violent recovery of  an abducted child.