Amnesty report: torture and discrimination against women

In its 50th Annual Report, which this years is dedicated in large part to countries in the Middle East and North Africa after an explosion of uprisings in the region, paints a picture of torture, excessive use of force against protesters, restrictions on freedom of speech, discrimination against women, minorities and migrants and a rise in capital punishment. From Tunisia to Egypt, Libya to Syria, Algeria to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Yemen, an alarming picture appears of the 19 countries examined in the study, which documents the human rights situation around the world for the year 2011. "Opportunities for change created by protesters now seem to have been lost," the chair of Amnesty Italia, Christine Weise, said bitterly during the press conference in Rome for the presentation of the report. The organisation says that "efforts by foreign governments to get those responsible for repression and violence against protesters and dissidents" have been insufficient. Over the last year, "it has too often been obvious that opportunistic alliances and financial interests have had the upper hand on human rights, while global powers have been jostling to wield influence in the Middle East and North Africa". The time has therefore come to ''put people ahead of companies and rights before profits," Weise warned. Amnesty has also been concerned by violations of women's rights in the countries. "In Egypt and Tunisia, Amnesty published a ten-point plan, including freedom of opinion, protest, the fight against torture and respect for women," Weise explained. "We submitted to the parties that won the elections after the departures of Ben Ali and Mubarak". But the proposals have been allowed to drift, both by Ennahdha and by the Muslim Brotherhood. "But we will continue to put forward rules for human rights," Weise added. The report also shows the extent of the persecution suffered by religious minorities, Christians in particular, who are prevented from practicing their faith and building new places of worship. An example of this comes in Algeria, where the report cites a case in 2011 in which the governor of the north-eastern province of Be'jaia ordered the closure of all churches. The order was later countersigned by the country's Interior Minister. Last year also saw an increase in violence between Muslims and the Coptic community, which has continued to suffer discrimination. Migrants have been abused and exploited in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and Lebanon, while capital punishment is on the up in Iraq, Iran, Yemen and Saudi Arabia in particular. At least 82 people were put to death last year in Saudi Arabia, Amnesty claims, three times the figure for 2010. Human rights are also at risk in Israel and in the Palestinian Territories. "Israel has continued the blockade of Gaza, prolonging its humanitarian crisis, and has continued to expand its illegal settlements in the West Bank," the report states. The Palestinian political organisations Fatah and Hamas have targeted Israeli forces and supporters, while armed Palestinian groups in Gaza have attacked one another. Another cause for alarm, beyond the violence against dissidents, journalists, bloggers and activists fighting for the defence of human rights in these countries are arbitrary imprisonments, unfair trials and torture. The most serious situations, Weise says, are to be found in Syria and Libya. "Between March 2011 and April 2012, our estimates suggest that 9,300 people have fallen victim to Assad's regime," she claimed, though Amnesty has not yet published a report on violence perpetrated by the opposition. "When we have enough proof, we will do so," she continued. In Libya, where 8,500 people have so far been thrown into prison without trial, "militias are out of control and the government has said that it cannot guarantee security". (ANSAmed).