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Tag: Amnesty International

  • Amnesty International calls for human rights assurances at World Cups

    Amnesty International calls for human rights assurances at World Cups

    Amnesty International has urged FIFA and the countries bidding to host the 2030 and 2034 World Cups to commit to binding agreements and legal reforms to prevent human rights violations related to the tournament.

    In October, FIFA awarded the 2030 World Cup to Morocco, Spain, and Portugal, while Saudi Arabia remains the sole bidder for the 2034 edition.

    Amnesty International emphasised that there are “serious human rights” risks that must be addressed in connection with these events.

    “FIFA should ensure a rigorous and transparent bidding process based on meaningful stakeholder participation, including genuinely independent human rights risk assessments and comprehensive human rights strategies,” human rights organisation Amnesty said.

    “FIFA should be prepared not to award the rights to host the World Cup until such agreements are made and until it is clear that human rights violations can and will be prevented, mitigated and remedied.”

    Amnesty said the commitments must prevent human rights violations in relation to “labour rights, discrimination, housing, freedom of expression, policing and privacy” before finalising a decision to approve any bid.

    FIFA included human rights standards as part of the bidding requirements for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups. However, Amnesty International is concerned that single bids for each tournament reduce FIFA’s leverage to ensure these standards are met.

    The football governing body set a July deadline for submitting bids for the 2034 World Cup, which will be evaluated later this year. The host nation will be officially announced in the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Amnesty International raised concerns about the high accident rates at construction projects in Spain and Portugal, which exceed EU levels.

    They also highlighted ongoing discrimination in Spanish stadiums, citing the racism faced by Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr.

    Additionally, Amnesty called for Morocco and Portugal to increase their number of labor inspectors by over 50% to meet International Labour Organisation (ILO) benchmarks.

    Amnesty has shared its report with FIFA. Reuters has reached out to FIFA and the football associations of the countries bidding for the World Cup for comment.

    Risks associated with hosting the 2034 tournament in Saudi Arabia are of a “different magnitude and severity” that will test FIFA’s commitment to its human rights policies, Amnesty said.

    Amnesty researcher Dana Ahmed said that although they were allowed to do research on migrant workers in Qatar, which hosted the 2022 World Cup, leading to several reforms, they have not had any access in Saudi Arabia.

    “It is extremely difficult to do research from the outside,” she told reporters.

    On Wednesday, a global coalition of trade unions lodged a complaint against Saudi Arabia with a UN-backed labor organization.

    The complaint, filed by Building and Wood Workers’ International, calls on the International Labor Organization to investigate Saudi Arabia for “severe human rights abuses and wage theft.”

    According to the union group, these violations have impacted at least 21,000 workers over the past decade.

    “The complaint emphasises the exploitative living and working conditions among the country’s vast migrant workforce — conditions that BWI notes are akin to forced labour,” the global group of trade unions said in a statement.

    The BWI cited allegations of illegal recruitment fees demanded, wages and passports withheld, limits on workers leaving jobs, plus physical and sexual violence “particularly against female and domestic workers.”

    Reuters has contacted the Saudi Ministry of Sport for comment.

  • International law breaking down amid Gaza and Ukraine wars – Amnesty International warns

    International law breaking down amid Gaza and Ukraine wars – Amnesty International warns

    Amnesty International has warned of a near breakdown of international law, citing flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiple armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism, and significant rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia, and Myanmar.

    In its annual report released on Wednesday, the human rights organization highlighted a global disregard for international rules and values, as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, by some of the most powerful governments, including the United States, Russia, and China.

    Amnesty’s secretary general, Agnes Callamard, described the level of violation of international order witnessed in the past year as “unprecedented,” with civilians in conflicts bearing the highest price.

    “Israel’s flagrant disregard for international law is compounded by the failures of its allies to stop the indescribable civilian bloodshed meted out in Gaza,” she said. “Many of those allies were the very architects of that post-World War Two system of law.”

    The report emphasized the United States’ failures to condemn rights violations by Israel and its use of veto power to block a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution in Gaza.

    It also highlighted Russia’s continued aggression in Ukraine and China’s support for military forces in Myanmar, as well as Beijing’s avoidance of scrutiny regarding its treatment of the Uyghur minority.

    “We have here three very large countries, superpowers in many ways, sitting on the Security Council that have emptied out the Security Council of its potentials, and that have emptied out international law of its ability to protect people,” she told the Associated Press in London.

    The report, detailing Amnesty’s evaluation of human rights in 155 countries, highlighted a growing backlash against women’s rights and gender equality in 2023.

    It pointed to the suppression of women’s protests in Iran, the Taliban’s efforts to exclude women from public life in Afghanistan, and legal constraints on abortion in the US and Poland, among other examples.

    Amnesty also cautioned about the dangers of new technologies if not properly regulated. It warned that the rapid development of artificial intelligence and mass surveillance tools could be used to exacerbate conflicts, violate rights and freedoms, and disrupt elections in a significant election year.

    Unregulated tech advances “can be weaponised to discriminate, disinform and divide”, Callamard said.

  • Anti-LGBTQ bill doesn’t define who an LGBT person is – Amnesty International

    Anti-LGBTQ bill doesn’t define who an LGBT person is – Amnesty International

    The Country Director of Amnesty International, Genevieve Partington, has argued for a revision of sections of the Promotion of Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Value Bill in an interview on Starr FM.

    She contended that the bill, as it stands, is against the Constitution of Ghana and should be rejected.

    Partington emphasized that the current version of the bill lacks clarity in identifying who constitutes an LGBTQ person, highlighting a perceived deficiency in the legislation.

    “First of all the bill does not even define who an LGBT person is, there is no definition. So how are you going to identify who an LGBT person is?”

    “There is a certain part of the bill that talks about romantic displays of affection. How do you define romantic affection between the same sex? So do you see two men holding hands apart of the LGBT community? These are some of the concerns that we have raised from the bill and so many other parts that we have issues with,” Madam Partington stated.

    She holds that the assertion that the bill will create homophobia in the country.

    “Persons suspected to be LGBT are being forced from their houses, landlords and landlords are going through a forced eviction process. We really have to be concerned with this bill as Ghanaians and understand that it will not just affect LGBT community.

    “I have always said that Amnesty International completely rejects this bill, it should not exist and criminalizing persons for an activity that happens in their bedroom is actually against international human rights laws. So we should not even be considering it.”

    According to her, the group will proceed to court should the bill be passed into law.

    “It is against the 1992 Constitution so all these things we have to consider. For Amnesty International should the bill be passed we will take it to court. As we are allowed to so that is the agenda we have,” she added.

  • Hypocrites! Where were you when Akufo-Addo refused to assent to Witchcraft bill? – Sam George quizzes Amnesty International

    Hypocrites! Where were you when Akufo-Addo refused to assent to Witchcraft bill? – Sam George quizzes Amnesty International

    The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, has criticized Amnesty International, describing them as a bunch of hypocrites.

    This reaction comes after the human rights organization announced its intention to take legal action against the Promotion of Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Value Bill 2021 (anti-LGBT bill) if passed by Parliament.

    Amnesty International’s Country Director, Genevieve Partington, argued for a revision of sections of the bill in an interview on Starr FM, stating that the bill, in its current state, goes against the Constitution of Ghana and should be rejected.

    “It is against the 1992 Constitution so all these things we have to consider. For Amnesty International should the bill be passed we will take it to court. As we are allowed to so that is the agenda we have,” she said.

    In an appearance on Starr Chat on Starr FM with Bola Ray, Sam Nettey George criticized Amnesty International, asserting that the international body cannot remain silent over President Akufo-Addo’s refusal to sign the Witchcraft Bill.

    “Amnesty International they are a bunch of hypocrites. The Country Director just wants to earn her salary, Christmas is coming and she needs to earn her bonus and other stuff. Where is Amnesty International when the President has refused to assent to the Witchcraft Bill? The Witchcraft Bill takes away the Human Rights of mothers and some grandmothers in parts of this country.

    “When the President refused to assent to it, it has been almost almost two weeks, have you heard Amnesty International talk about it? Have they said a word about it? So if Amnesty International is really interested in human rights why have they not called out the President for refusing to assent to the bill.”

    Amnesty International’s vision is to create a world where everyone can enjoy the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights mechanisms.

    To achieve this vision, its mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of these rights.

    President Akufo-Addo has chosen not to give his approval to the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023, the Wildlife Resources Management Bill 2023, and the Armed Forces Amendment Bill 2023.

    The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, criticized the President on November 27, 2023, for not informing Parliament of his position on the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023, which aims to criminalize attacks on alleged witches.

    However, a communication from the Presidency contradicted claims that the President had decided not to approve the Bills and denied receiving them until November 27, 2023.

    In a letter to Parliament on Monday, December 4, President Akufo-Addo conveyed to the House that he is unable to give his approval to the three bills until the associated constitutional matters are resolved.

    The letter was read to members of the House by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin. He said the president in his letter noted that “upon review he noted some constitutional matters related to its passage” that must be addressed before he assents to them.

    The Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which makes it an offence to accuse any person of being a witch, was passed by Parliament five months ago.

    The Minority, championed by the MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, maintained that the failure of the President to assent to the bill constituted a constitutional breach which should not be countenanced.

  • Amnesty Int’l to head to court if anti-LGBTQ bill is passed into law

    Amnesty Int’l to head to court if anti-LGBTQ bill is passed into law

    Amnesty International has announced its intention to take legal action against the anti-LGBTQ+ bill if it is passed by the Ghanaian Parliament.

    This decision follows the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) recommending revisions to certain sections of the proposed Promotion of Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Value Bill 2021, also known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ bill.

    The Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference has expressed support for the bill, emphasizing their belief that criminalizing individuals based on their sexual orientation is inappropriate.

    Speaking on Starr Today, Country Director for Amnesty International, Genevieve Partington, asserted that the bill goes against the Constitution of Ghana and should be rejected.

    “First of all the bill does not even define who an LGBT person is, there is no definition. So how are you going to identify who an LGBT person is?

    “There is a certain part of the bill that talks about romantic displays of affection. How do you define romantic affection between the same sex? So do you see two men holding hands apart of the LGBT community? These are some of the concerns that we have raised from the bill and so many other parts that we have issues with,” Madam Patington stated.

    Amnesty International holds the position that the law will generate hatred for the LGBTQ community.

    “Persons suspected to be LGBT are being forced from their houses, landlords and landlords are going through a forced eviction process. We really have to be concerned with this bill as Ghanaians and understand that it will not just affect LGBT community.

    “I have always said that Amnesty International completely rejects this bill, it should not exist and criminalizing persons for an activity that happens in their bedroom is actually against international human rights laws. So we should not even be considering it.   

    “It is against the 1992 Constitution so all these things we have to consider. For Amnesty International should the bill be passed we will take it to court. As we are allowed to so that is the agenda we have,” she added.

  • Kenyan police arrest pro-Palestine demonstrators

    Kenyan police arrest pro-Palestine demonstrators

    Kenyan police have set free three individuals who were detained for attending a meeting in Nairobi supporting Palestine.

    The three people were released on Sunday without being accused of any wrongdoing. This happened because many Kenyans, politicians, and human rights groups criticized their arrest.

    They said they were having a “meeting to show support and unity”.

    Kenyan Member of Parliament Yusuf Hassan strongly criticized the arrests.

    Irũngũ Houghton, who leads Amnesty International in Kenya, said that the disturbance of the meeting was against the law and very troubling.

    The Kenya Palestinian Solidarity Committee arranged it after the police stopped a previous protest the group planned outside the US embassy.

    President William Ruto has said his government fully backs Israel in the current conflict.

  • Eritrea denies Amnesty’s accusations of war crimes in Tigray

    Eritrea denies Amnesty’s accusations of war crimes in Tigray

    The government of Eritrea disagreed with Amnesty International‘s claim that its soldiers committed serious crimes in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, even though a peace agreement was signed last November.

    Soldiers from Eritrea supported the federal forces during the two-year civil war.

    Eritrea’s representative at the United Nations said that Amnesty International’s accusations against the Eritrean Defense Forces are not valid or based on any evidence.

    The ministry also said that the report had problems with how it was done and contained untrue statements and twisted facts. They believe it was an unsuccessful attempt to insult the Eritrean people.

    Amnesty didn’t do any research. Instead, it decided to repeat unproven accusations against Eritrea’s military team without providing evidence. These accusations were found in sources that did not mention any names or identities. This is part of their campaign to defame the State of Eritrea, which has been going on for ten years. ”

    Please rephrase the following passage using simpler language: Please simplify the text below: “Can you please restate this paragraph using more straightforward language. ”

    The ministry also claimed that the rights group is trying to spread hate and create conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

    Eritrean soldiers helped Ethiopia’s military fight against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) from November 2020 until last year.

  • Hero of Senegal’s opposition receives intensive care

    Hero of Senegal’s opposition receives intensive care

    Popular Ousmane Sonko, the head of the Senegalese opposition who has been on a two-week hunger strike in protest of his imprisonment, has reportedly been admitted to urgent care, according to his allies.

    A Pastef party member named Ousseynou Ly asserted that Mr. Sonko was afflicted with a disease that hit last night. The Senegalese government has ordered the Pastef party to be shut down.

    A medical source at Hospital Principal in Dakar’s capital city verified his transfer to the intensive care unit to the BBC.

    After accusing and imprisoning Mr. Sonko for, among other things, insurrection and conspiracy against the state, Pastef claims that the authorities are “responsible” for his predicament. The authorities have not released a statement regarding Mr. Sonko’s health.

    He intends to run for president in February of next year, but since he was under investigation in a moral corruption case in 2021, he has been in a contentious power battle with the government.

    The rights and freedom of Ousmane Sonko are all we seek for from the government of Senegal, according to Habib Sy, leader of the opposition alliance Yewwi Askan Wi.

    Mr. Sonko was given a two-month prison sentence in absentia in June, which he claimed was driven by politics.

    According to Amnesty International, that sparked irate fights between the supporters, which resulted in the deaths of 24 individuals.

    He was detained the next month, and just this week he was accused of inciting uprising.

  • Free critics of Tanzania-UAE port agreement – Amnesty International

    Free critics of Tanzania-UAE port agreement – Amnesty International

    Amnesty International is urging Tanzania to free three people who were detained for objecting to a deal the country’s government negotiated with the United Arab Emirates to manage all of its ports.

    Over the weekend, authorities detained opposition activists Mdude Nyagali and Boniface Mwabukusi as well as former ambassador and opposition leader Willibrod Slaa.

    A court petition was spearheaded by Mr. Mwabukusi, who claimed that the agreement threatened national security, sovereignty, and the constitution. After holding a news conference in Dar es Salaam to criticise the port agreement, Mr. Mwabukusi and Mr. Nyagali were detained.

    According to their solicitors, all three men have been denied bail and were informed they would be prosecuted with treason, a crime that carries a mandatory death sentence. The accusations have received no public comments from the authorities.

    Amnesty International has called on the authorities to “immediately and unconditionally release these activists,” saying that “the authorities must stop arbitrarily detaining activists simply for peacefully expressing their views.”

  • Amnesty accuses paramilitary, RSF of inciting war in Sudan

    Amnesty accuses paramilitary, RSF of inciting war in Sudan

    Amnesty International has urged the conflicting parties in Sudan to put an end to their war crimes.

    It claims that purposeful and indiscriminate attacks are killing a lot of civilians.

    The majority of those who were questioned by the rights organization had fled from the Darfur region to camps in Chad.

    Numerous children and women, some as young as 12, have allegedly been the victims of sexual violence, including rape.

    According to Amnesty International, the majority of the crimes were committed by members of the Rapid Support Forces and affiliated Arab militias.

    Acute food shortages are anticipated to affect more than 20 million people in Sudan, or more than 40% of the population, according to UN agencies and NGOs.

  • Amnesty International reports widespread abuses in Cameroon

    Amnesty International reports widespread abuses in Cameroon

    Amnesty International has accused Cameroon’s security forces, separatists, and ethnic militias of perpetrating “rampant atrocities” in the country’s English-speaking core.

    Amnesty International documents extensive human rights violations and other crimes in the North-West region, including executions, torture, and rape.

    It says people have been caught in the crossfire as multiple fighters clash in the region, with individuals who speak out on the atrocities being threatened and arbitrarily detained.

    The rights group has also expressed “deep concerns” over the failure by the authorities to co-operate effectively with international and regional human rights institutions.

    It said repeated requests for fact-finding missions had remained unanswered.

    “We call on Cameroonian authorities to investigate allegations of human rights violations and other crimes under domestic law committed in the context of the armed violence in the Anglophone regions, and to prosecute and punish those responsible for such violations in fair trials and before independent, impartial, and competent tribunals” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

    Cameroon has been plagued by fighting since English-speaking separatists launched a rebellion in 2017.

    The conflict has claimed more than 6,000 lives and forced more than a million people to flee their homes, according to the conflict research body the International Crisis Group.

  • Iraqis protest father’s murder of YouTube star

    Iraqis protest father’s murder of YouTube star

    Demonstrators carried signs that read “stop killing women” and “Tiba’s killer must be held to account.”

    Days after a YouTuber was strangled to death by her father in an incident that sparked outrage, Iraqis are protesting to call for a law against domestic violence.

    According to Interior Ministry spokesman Saad Maan, Tiba al-Ali, 22, was killed by her father on January 31 in the southern province of Diwaniyah. He added that there had been an attempt to mediate between the young woman and her family to resolve a “family dispute.”

    Later, the father turned himself in to the police and admitted killing his daughter.

    On Sunday, security forces prevented dozens of people from demonstrating outside the country’s Supreme Judicial Council, and they gathered instead at a road leading to the building.

    Some held placards saying “Stop killing women” and “Tiba’s killer must be held to account”.

    “We demand laws to protect women, especially laws against domestic violence,” protester Rose Hamid, 22, said. “We came here to protest against Tiba’s murder and against all others. Who will be the next victim?”

    Another demonstrator, Lina Ali, said: “We will keep mobilising because of rising domestic violence and killings of women.”

    Protester Israa al-Salman, who wanted al-Ali’s father executed for the crime, said, “Anyone who wants to get rid of a woman accuses her of disgracing her dignity and kills her.”

    To date, no law in Iraq criminalises domestic violence. A draft domestic violence law was first introduced to parliament in 2014, but progress has stalled amid widespread political opposition from legislators who believe it would “erode Iraq’s social fabric”.

    Wide condemnations

    On the sidelines of Sunday’s demonstration, human rights activist Hanaa Edwar was received by a magistrate from the Supreme Judicial Council to whom she presented the protesters’ grievances.

    The United Nations mission in Iraq in a statement condemned al-Ali’s “abhorrent killing” and called on the Baghdad government to enact “a law that explicitly criminalises gender-based violence”.

    Amnesty International Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Aya Majzoub said in a press statement that violence against women and girls in Iraq will continue until “Iraqi authorities adopt robust legislation to protect women and girls from gender-based violence.”

    Article 41 of the country’s penal code allows husbands to “discipline” their wives, which includes beatings. Meanwhile, Article 409 reduces murder sentences for men who kill or permanently impair their wives or female relatives because of adultery to up to three years in prison.

    Iraqi women's rights activists lift placards
    Iraqi women’s rights activists lift placards during a rally near the Supreme Judicial Council in Baghdad, Iraq [Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP]

    Long struggle

    Al-Ali had lived in Turkey since 2017 and was visiting Iraq when she was killed. In Turkey, she had gained a following on YouTube, posting videos of her daily life in which her fiance often appeared.

    Recordings have been shared on social media by a friend of al-Ali and picked up by activists, reportedly of conversations with her father, who was angry because she was living in Turkey. In the recordings, she also accuses her brother of sexual assault.

    Al Jazeera could not independently verify the authenticity of the voice recordings.

  • Iranians demonstrate outside of prisons in an effort to stop executions

    Iranians demonstrate outside of prisons in an effort to stop executions

    Dozens of people showed up outside a prison in Iran  overnight amid reports that the government was getting ready to execute two more anti-government protesters.

    Videos of protesters yelling slogans in front of Karaj’s Rajai Shahr jail were posted online by opposition activists.

    At the gathering, the mother of Mohammad Ghobadlou—one of the two men facing execution—made a clemency request.

    On Saturday, two protesters were hanged, drawing condemnation from around the world.

    The UN human rights office deplored the “shocking” executions of Mohammad Mahdi Karami and Seyed Mohammad Hosseini, which it said followed “unfair trials based on forced confessions”.

    A Revolutionary Court found the men guilty of “corruption on Earth” over their alleged involvement in the killing of a member of the paramilitary Basij force in Karaj in November. Both denied the charge and said they were tortured.

    They were the third and fourth people to be executed in connection with the protests that erupted in September following the death in custody of a woman detained by morality police for allegedly wearing her hijab “improperly”.

    Authorities have portrayed them as “riots” and responded with lethal force.

    So far, at least 519 protesters and 68 security personnel have been killed in the unrest, according to the Human Rights Activists’ News Agency (HRANA).

    It says that another 19,290 protesters have been arrested and that 111 of them are believed to “under the impending threat of a death sentence”, having been convicted of, or charged with, capital offences.

    People gathered outside Rajai Shahr prison on Sunday night after activists warned that Mohammad Ghobadlou and Mohammad Boroughani had been transferred to solitary confinement in preparation for execution.

    Opposition activist collective 1500 Tasvir published videos showing a crowd chanting slogans warning authorities against proceeding with the executions. Shouts included “I will kill who has killed my brother”  and “This is the last warning. If you execute [them] there will be an uprising/revolt.”

    Ghobadlou’s mother, who has previously said her son has bipolar disorder, was filmed telling the crowd that 50 doctors had signed a petition calling on the judiciary chief to establish a committee to review her son’s mental health.

    “If he believed in God, he would have responded to these 50 doctors,” she said, asserting that her son is “ill”.

    She also claimed that the policeman who he is accused of killing was “martyred somewhere else”.

    1500 Tasvir also posted videos purportedly from the area around the prison in which gunshots could be heard.

    The activist collective declared later on Monday that the protest had stopped the executions “at least up to this moment”.

    The mother of Mohammad Ghobadlou appeals for clemency during a protest outside Rajai Shahr prison in Karaj, Iran (8 January 2023)
    Image caption,Mohammad Ghobadlou’s mother urged Iran’s judiciary chief to review evidence about his mental health problems

    Ghobadlou, 22, had his death sentence upheld by the Supreme Court on 24 December. He was convicted of “enmity against God” after being accused of driving into a group of policemen during a protest in Tehran in September, killing one of them and injuring others.

    He stood trial without his chosen lawyer, who said the prosecution had relied other flawed evidence. Amnesty International also said it was concerned that he was subjected to torture or ill-treatment in custody, citing a forensic report that pointed to bruising and injuries on his arm, elbow and shoulder blade.

    Mohammad Boroughani, 19, was tried alongside Ghobadlou and was also convicted of “enmity against God”.

    He was accused of allegedly wielding a machete, setting fire to a provincial government building and injuring a security officer. He was also accused of “encouraging” others to participate in protests via social media.

    Amnesty International said he was found guilty after proceedings that “bore no resemblance to a meaningful judicial trial”.

    In a separate development on Monday, the judiciary announced that a court in Isfahan had sentenced to death three people over an attack during protests in the city on 16 November in which three security personnel were shot dead.

    Saleh Mirbasheri Boltaqi, Majid Kazemi Sheikh-Shabani, and Saeed Yaqoubi Kordsofla were convicted of “enmity against God”.

    Two other defendants were sentenced to prison over their alleged involvement in the attack, including professional footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani. Nasr-Azadani, 26, was jailed for 16 years after being found guilty of three charges including “assisting in enmity against God”.

    Source: BBC.com

  • Amnesty International accuses Infantino of ‘brushing aside legitimate human rights criticisms’

    Amnesty International has accused Gianni Infantino of “brushing aside legitimate human rights criticisms” following the FIFA president’s extraordinary speech on Saturday.

    A remarkable opening address ahead of the World Cup opener between hosts Qatar and Ecuador on Sunday saw Infantino respond on a wide range of matters, claiming he had received “almost threats” around the subject of migrant workers’ rights.

    Infantino was reluctant to accept criticisms on the topic from Europe, explaining: “We know there are many illegal workers in Europe, living in conditions that aren’t the best.

    “In Qatar, of course, there are things that still don’t work, but this moral lesson-giving is one-sided, it is just hypocrisy.”

    Amnesty International responded to Infantino’s comments, stating it is unacceptable to dismiss the “enormous price paid by migrant workers“.

    Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice, said: “In brushing aside legitimate human rights criticisms, Gianni Infantino is dismissing the enormous price paid by migrant workers to make his flagship tournament possible – as well as FIFA’s responsibility for it.

    “Demands for equality, dignity and compensation cannot be treated as some sort of culture war – they are universal human rights that FIFA has committed to respect in its own statutes.

    “If there is one tiny glimmer of hope, it is that Infantino announced that FIFA would establish a legacy fund after the World Cup.

    “This cannot be mere window dressing, however. If FIFA is to salvage anything from this tournament, it must announce that it will invest a significant part of the $6billion the organisation will make from this tournament and make sure this fund is used to compensate workers and their families directly.”

    Source: Livescore

  • Iranian police launch an investigation after a video shows a man being beaten, shot

    Central command says offenders will face legal consequences according to the rules.

    Police in Iran has launched an investigation after a video showed riot police repeatedly kicking and then shooting a man.

    The two-minute clip was posted on social media on Tuesday, in the seventh week of the protests that erupted across Iran after the death of a young woman in custody.

    It shows policemen walking in an alley at night and using their batons to beat a man lying on the ground. The man, whose lower body and feet are visible in the angle of the video, tries to protect his head and body from the hits and kicks.

    The officers in riot gear then leave him on the ground but moments later, another police member arrives and starts beating him with a baton. The final moments of the video, which was shot on a mobile phone from an overlooking building, show a policeman shooting the man at point-blank range with what appears to be a pellet shotgun.

    On Wednesday, the central command of the Iranian police said in a short statement carried by state media that it had launched an investigation to determine the exact time and place of the incident and identify violating officers.

    “The police in no way condones violence and unconventional behaviour and offenders will certainly face legal measures according to the rules,” it said.

    British-based rights group Amnesty International also posted the video on Twitter, calling it “another horrific reminder that the cruelty of Iran’s security forces knows no bounds” and urging the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate.

    The release of the video comes amid the protests that broke out shortly after the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16.

    The 22-year-old woman died in a hospital in Tehran after collapsing in a “re-education” centre that she had been taken to by the country’s so-called “morality police” following her arrest due to alleged non-compliance with a mandatory dress code. Her family has challenged an official investigation that found she was not beaten and died of pre-existing conditions.

    Dozens of people, including security forces, are believed to have been killed during the protests, but authorities have not published an official tally. Many more have been wounded or arrested, and Iran this week began holding the first court cases for “rioters”.

    The UN has expressed “concern” about developments in Iran, while the United States and Albania are due to hold an informal Security Council meeting on the protests on Wednesday that can be attended by all UN members.

    Iranian officials have denounced the meeting as politically motivated and criticised the special UN rapporteur on human rights in the country for agreeing to brief it.

    In a speech delivered on Wednesday, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, repeated once again his claim that the United States, Israel, and others have been behind unrest across Iran.

    The events of the past few weeks constitute not only “street riots” but also a “hybrid war”, Khamenei said.

    “Enemies, meaning the US, the Zionist regime (Israel), some insidious and treacherous European powers, and some groups came to the field with everything at their disposal and tried to hurt the nation using their intelligence and media organisations and social media and employing past experiences in Iran,” he added.

    The supreme leader for the first time said some of the many young people who have taken to the streets in the protests were “our own children”, but had been misled and acted as a result of “excitement and feelings, and some carelessness”.

     

  • Amnesty International accuses Latvia of mistreating migrants on Belarus border

    According to Amnesty International, Latvia “violently” forced migrants back into Belarus and even tortured some of them.

    They say a recent complaint by the rights group, border guards beat and humiliated individuals trying to enter from Belarus into neighbouring Latvia.

    Latvia’s government denied officials used undue force, and said the measures were due to “illegal crossings”.

    Last year it declared a state of emergency, which suspended the right to seek asylum in four border areas.

    Latvia says that means so-called pushbacks are allowed, even though they contravene EU law.

    The state of emergency, which is still in place, was introduced after a surge in people trying to cross over the border from Belarus.

    Amnesty International’s report details alleged abuses of power, arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, unsafe and unsanitary conditions, and even torture.

    It quotes an Iraqi man named Zaki, who said he was pushed back and forth at the border more than 150 times in three months, including sometimes as many as eight times per day.

    Another Iraqi man, Adil, said he and fellow migrants slept in the forest on the snow.

    “We used to light a fire to get warm, there were wolves, bears but because we had a fire… they [were] afraid,” he is quoted as saying in the report.

    “That is how we survived it, but they [Latvian authorities] did not provide us with special clothes for the weather,” he added.

     

    Amnesty reports that migrants, including children, were held arbitrarily in undisclosed sites in the Latvian forest, and then returned to Belarus.

    Many faced beatings and electric shocks with tasers, including on their genitals. Some were returned “voluntarily” to their home countries.

    “The Latvian authorities have left men, women and children to fend for themselves in freezing temperatures, often stranded in forests or held in tents,” said Eve Geddie, Amnesty’s Director of the European Institutions Office.

    “They have violently pushed them back to Belarus, where they have no chance of seeking protection. These actions have nothing to do with border protection and are brazen violations of international and EU law.”

    Amnesty added that Latvia’s treatment of migrants from Belarus stood in stark contrast to its “swift mobilisation” to provide refuge for more than 35,000 Ukraine migrants.

    Kristaps Eklons, Latvia’s Minister of the Interior, defended the government’s measure on the border in a written response included in the report.

    “The [state of emergency] order was adopted to ensure the internal security of the state,” he said.

    Mr Eklons added that authorities had found no evidence of officials using “physical force of special means” against those crossing the border.

    Last year Latvia, Poland and Lithuania all saw a huge surge in the number of people trying to enter their countries from Belarus.

    The European Union accused the country’s leader Alexander Lukashenko of orchestrating the problem in retaliation against sanctions, which were introduced in response to a crackdown on mass protests.

    The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.

     

     

  • Relatives: Egyptians sentenced in Saudi Arabia

    Relatives of 10 Egyptian men say they have been sentenced to up to 18 years in jail in Saudi Arabia for trying to organise a remembrance event for the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

    The men, all from Egypt’s Nubian minority, had organised similar events there without a problem.

    But in December 2020 they were charged with establishing an association without a licence and showing solidarity with the Muslim Brotherhood – designated a terrorist organisation in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

    Amnesty International, which has campaigned for their release, has denounced the proceedings as a “travesty of justice”.

     

  • View from a Tigray hospital: No medications, no treatments

    A surgeon at the main hospital in the capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray region says that the 23-month civil war has led to patients dying needlessly because of a lack of medicines and treatments.

    “We don’t have medicines for our patients, we don’t have surgical materials… we don’t have vaccines… we don’t have insulin,” Dr Fasika Amdeslasie told the BBC’s Newsday programme.

    Tigray has been cut off for most of the conflict which has seen forces from Tigray clashing with Ethiopian federal troops and their allies since November 2020.

    Some medicine has got through, thanks to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the World Health Organization, but the supply has been sporadic, Dr Fasika said.

    He added that diabetic patients are dying because of a lack of insulin and kidney patients may also die because dialysis treatment cannot continue.

    On top of this, Dr Fasika says that the staff at the hospital have not been paid for 17 months.

    “We are trying to save those who we can… but it’s difficult now to save those who can be saved,” he concluded.

    Some of the 42,000 Arema fans flung bottles and other missiles at players and officials and at least five police vehicles were toppled and set alight outside the stadium.

    Riot police trying to stop the violence fired tear gas in the stadium, triggering panic in the crowd and sparking the crush as they stampeded for the exits.

    Most of the 125 people who died were trampled or suffocated.

    Arema FC players and officials pray as they pay condolence to the victims of the riot and stampede following a soccer match between Arema vs Persebaya, outside the Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, East Java province, Indonesia, October 3, 2022. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan
    Image:Arema FC players and officials pray for the victims

    Petals and Arema FC supporters' attributes are placed on a monument to pay condolence to the victims of a riot and stampede following a soccer match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya teams, outside the Kanjuruhan Stadium, in Malang, East Java province, Indonesia, October 3, 2022. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

    Police chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo said in a news conference: “I ensure that investigation on this case will be conducted thoroughly and seriously.”

    President Widodo has ordered a suspension of the Indonesian premier league until safety is re-evaluated and security is tightened.

    The nation’s football association has also banned Arema from hosting any matches for the rest of the season.

    Human rights group Amnesty International has urged the Indonesian government to investigate the use of tear gas at the stadium and ensure that those found in violation are tried in open court.

    Police are still questioning witnesses and analysing footage from 32 security cameras inside and outside the stadium and nine mobile phones owned by the victims, as part of the investigation to identify suspects.

    The 18 officers responsible for firing tear gas as well as security managers are also under investigation.

    ‘A tragedy beyond comprehension’

    FIFA, which has no control over domestic games, has previously advised against using tear gas at stadiums.

    Hooliganism is rife in Indonesian football, with fanaticism often spilling over into violence.

    Prior to the stampede on Saturday, 78 people have died in game-related incidents over the past 28 years, according to data from Indonesian watchdog Save Our Soccer.

  • COP27: Egypt pushed for a human rights initiative before climate summit

    Before hosting the COP27 summit, Egyptian human rights organizations demand that their nation release political prisoners and open civic space.

    It comes in response to a study by Amnesty International that claimed Egypt was experiencing a “human rights catastrophe.”

    According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), Egypt has severely restricted the activities of environmental organizations. Cairo authorities deemed the information to be “misleading.”

    The UN Climate Change Conference takes place in Sharm el-Sheikh in November.

    More than 100 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have already signed a petition organized by the Egyptian Human Rights Coalition, which consists of 12 groups.

    “We emphasize that effective climate action is not possible without open civic space,” a petition launched by the coalition says. “As host of COP27, Egypt risks compromising the success of the summit if it does not urgently address ongoing arbitrary restrictions on civil society.

    “Moreover, we stress the importance of the right to freedom of expression and independent reporting to foster efforts to address the climate crisis.”

    In a joint statement in July, three dozen groups expressed concern that Egypt would largely maintain its prohibition on protests during the conference aimed at slowing climate change.

    Under Egypt’s President Abdul Fattah al-Sissi, there has been a widespread crackdown on dissent. Rights groups estimate the country has had as many as 60,000 political prisoners, many detained without trial.

    They say that activists are routinely intimidated and that new laws make it practically impossible for many civil society groups to function.

    “You will have activists from everywhere in the world coming to COP, but Egyptian activists are either blocked from going or they’re in jail,” a leading human rights campaigner in Cairo told the BBC, asking not to be named for fear of reprisal.

    “Basically, nobody is safe in Egypt,” the campaigner said.

    The Egyptian authorities say they hope to use their presidency of COP27 to urge the international community to act on pledges of support for developing countries to cope with the devastating impacts of climate change.

    “They are the most deserving of our support,” Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told the UN General Assembly this month.

    After a tumultuous decade since the 2011 uprising that overthrew then-President Hosni Mubarak, the country is also looking to boost its standing on the world stage.

    ‘PR tool’

    However, critics, such as the Egyptian human rights campaigner, said the government sees the event as a way of “whitewashing its reputation”.

    A few hundred less high-profile prisoners have been released in recent months since Mr Sisi unveiled a new pardon committee, in a move that many link to Egypt’s hosting of COP.

    Amnesty’s new report focused on how Egyptian authorities have used a National Human Rights strategy launched a year ago “as a PR tool to deflect attention from its real human rights record”.

    Meanwhile, HRW researched instances of repression against environmental groups.

    Following interviews with academics, scientists and activists, it said that government restrictions amounted to human rights violations and left in doubt Egypt’s ability to meet basic climate commitments.

    A spokesperson for the Egyptian foreign ministry dismissed the report as “deplorable and counterproductive” saying it contained “inaccuracies”, and questioned the use of unnamed sources.

    Sameh Shoukry, who will act as president of COP, has said that space will be set aside in Sharm el-Sheikh for protests to take place.

    This week, Ambassador Wael Abul-Magd, assisting him, told journalists that civil society and environmental groups would be represented at the talks.

    “We don’t believe in tokenism,” he said in a virtual briefing. “We are involving these stakeholders across the board in every step of the way.”

    However, Egyptian activists told the BBC that many local groups had been unable to register for the conference.

    They questioned the independence of those who had been given access in a special process overseen by the government and facilitated by the UN. One called the lack of transparency “a scandal”.

  • Lesotho has a dangerous trend of abuse, says Amnesty

    A rights organization has revealed that the Lesotho security forces have a “dangerous pattern” of mistreatment that includes torturing and illegal killings.

    Police allegedly killed and injured students at a protest in June, according to Amnesty International.

    A man died in suspicious circumstances while in detention last year.

    The security forces have been accused of torturing suspects by beating them with spades and repeatedly pouring cold water on their faces while their limbs are bound.

    The police have blamed “rogue elements” for the abuse. One legal firm in the capital Maseru is pursuing 58 cases of alleged police brutality recorded in the past four years.

    Amnesty has tweeted its report:

     

  • Dangerous pattern of abuse in Lesotho – Amnesty

    A rights group says the security forces in Lesotho are engaging in a “dangerous pattern” of abuse, including unlawful killings and torture.

    Amnesty International said police had killed and injured students during a protest in June.

    A man died in suspicious circumstances while in detention last year.

    The security forces have been accused of torturing suspects by beating them with spades and repeatedly pouring cold water on their faces while their limbs are bound.

    The police have blamed “rogue elements” for the abuse. One legal firm in the capital Maseru is pursuing 58 cases of alleged police brutality recorded in the past four years.

    Amnesty has tweeted its report:

    Source: BBC

  • Iran: Ex-child bride among three women executed in one day – report

    Protesters in London campaign against Iran’s use of the death penalty in 2020

    Iranian authorities put three women to death on Wednesday for murdering their husbands, a human rights charity says.

    According to the Iran Human Rights Group, they were among 32 people executed in the past week alone.

    A former child bride, convicted of later killing the man she had married at the age of 15, was among them.

    Authorities are believed to have substantially stepped up their use of the death penalty, executing twice as many people so far this year than last.

    Rights groups report that Iran also executes more women than any other country, the majority of whom are thought to have been found guilty of killing their husbands.

    On Wednesday, the Iran Human Rights Group says former child bride Soheila Abadi was hanged in prison after being convicted of killing her husband after marrying him 10 years previously when she was 15 years old.

    The sentencing court reportedly said the motive for the murder had been “family disputes.”

    Two other women executed on Wednesday had also been convicted of murdering their husbands, the group said.

    Activists say many of the cases involve accusations of domestic violence but that Iranian courts frequently do not take that into account.

    Precise figures on execution numbers are not available as Iranian authorities do not officially announce every case where the death penalty has been carried out.

    According to research published in April by two rights groups, only 16.5% of executions believed to have been carried out in Iran last year were announced by officials.

    Reports this year suggest the use of the death penalty has spiked even further since.

    Human rights group Amnesty International this week accused Iran of having embarked upon a “horrific” execution spree in recent months, reportedly putting more than 250 people to death in the first six months of 2022 – more than double the number executed over the equivalent period in the previous year.

    “The state machinery is carrying out killings on a mass scale across the country in an abhorrent assault on the right to life,” said Diana Eltahawy, deputy regional director at Amnesty International.

    Some of those convicted have been put to death in mass executions, the rights group reports, including a dozen people in one prison on 15 June and the same number in a separate prison on 6 June.

    Ethnic minorities are also overrepresented in the statistics.

    Despite making up around 5% of Iran’s general population, members of the Baluchi minority made up more than one in four of those believed by Amnesty International to have been executed so far this year.

    Official and unofficial reports of executions in Iran during 2021. Ebrahim Raisi was elected president in June and took office in August. Official and unofficial reports of executions in Iran during 2021 .
    Source: bbc.com

  • Abolish death penalty Amnesty International to Akufo-Addo

    Amnesty International (AI) has made a strong case to President Akufo-Addo, for the abolishing of the death penalty from the Statute books of the country.

    It is the position of Amnesty International Ghana that the country can achieve over ninety-five (95%) of the abolition of the death penalty without a constitutional amendment.

    Addressing the President at the Jubilee House when a delegation led by the Director of Amnesty International Ghana, Robert Akoto Amoafo, paid a courtesy call on him, a member of the Delegation and well known Ghanaian lawyer, Martin Kpebu, noted that legal authority for capital punishment in Ghana can be found in six instances in the Statute books of the country.

    The 1992 Constitution, specifically, Article 3(3) which states as follows, “Any person who (a) by himself or in concert with others by any violent or other unlawful means, suspends or overthrows or abrogates this Constitution or any part of it, or attempts to do any such act; or (b) aids and abets in any manner any person referred to in paragraph (a) of this clause; commits the offence of high treason and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to suffer death” is the first instance. The remaining five (5) instances are all in an ordinary Act of Parliament, The Criminal and Other Offences Act 1960, (Act 29) and specifically sections 46, 49, 49A, 180, 194 and 317A, which can easily be amended.

    “Our submission is that to the extent that section 46 which is on murder and that is by far overwhelmingly the commonest offence that the death penalty is given today is in an ordinary Act of Parliament, all that we have to do is to Amend section 46 and the other sections of Act 29” Martin Kpebu said.

    “Even though we know that for a long time now Ghana does not execute a person on death roll, but your excellency, the conditions, the solitary confinement is practically mental torture. I have been to Nsawam a couple of times and it is not a good sight to behold” Mr Kpebu added.

    Improving prison conditions

    Another member of the Delegation, Mr. Samuel Agbotsey, addressing the issue of “improving prison conditions”, indicated that the issue of overcrowding in Ghanaian prisons is a matter of International concern. Amnesty International Mr. Agbotsey said is calling on government to take immediate steps to improve prison conditions in Ghana. He urged government to take steps to actualize its plans regarding building two prison service hospitals in the Southern and Northern sectors of the country as contained in the 2016 manifesto of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

    President Akufo-Addo

    President Akufo-Addo in response to the arguments of the Amnesty International Ghana delegation noted that the concern about the death penalty in the Statute books of Ghana is a genuine one that must be resolved.

    “The solution that you are proposing is an ingenious one. To the extent that five out of six offences can, in fact, be dealt with by statutory enactments is something that the Attorney General and Minister for the Interior and other security agencies in the country will put their heads around the idea and bring some suggestions to us in cabinet for a decision” President Akufo-Addo stated.

    The President further signaled to the delegation that all the other issues they tabled such as the Advancing of Non-Custodial Sentencing in Ghana, Improvement of prison conditions, and the ratification of some three international protocols; the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aimed at the abolition of the death penalty, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED), and Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, will all be addressed and dealt with appropriately.

    Amnesty International

    Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who take injustice personally. They campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all.

    They are independent of any political ideology, economic interest or religion. They investigate and expose the facts, whenever and wherever abuses happen as well as lobby governments, and other powerful groups such as companies to make sure they keep their promises and respect international law.

    Source: kasapafmonline.com