Women face abuse in Tajikistan
The authorities in Tajikistan must properly prosecute violence against women as a criminal offence, Amnesty International said in a report published on Tuesday.
Violence is not just a family affair: Women face abuse in Tajikistan, documents the physical, psychological and sexual abuse women face in the family and urges the authorities to address it as the crime it is and not to dismiss it as a "private family matter".
"Women in Tajikistan are beaten, abused, and raped in the family but the authorities tend to reflect the societal attitude of blaming the woman for domestic violence. They see their primary role as mediator, to preserve the family rather than protect the woman and to safeguard their rights," said Andrea Strasser-Camagni, Amnesty International’s expert on Tajikistan.
"The traditional Tajik family values, reinforced after the break-up of the Soviet Union, impose further discrimination on women by narrowing their identity to that of wife and mother, or pushing them into the lowest paid sector of the job market."
"By writing off violence against women as a family affair the authorities in Tajikistan are shirking their responsibility to a large part of the population. They are allowing perpetrators of such crimes to act with impunity and, ultimately, denying women their human rights."
Violence against women, and especially in the family, is widespread in Tajikistan. One-third to one-half of women have regularly been subjected to physical, psychological or sexual violence at the hands of their husbands or their in-laws.
Often, Tajik women are economically dependent on their husband’s family. They have told Amnesty International that upon setting foot in the in-law’s home after marriage they may be subjected to harsh treatment not only from their husbands, but also from their in-laws, and in particular from their mothers-in-law who themselves may have been abused as young brides.
"Women are being treated as servants or as the in-laws’ family property. They have no one to turn to as the policy of the authorities is to urge reconciliation which de facto reinforces their position of inferiority. This experience of violence and humiliation in the family makes many women to turn to suicide," Andrea Strasser-Camagni said.
There are insufficient services to protect the survivors of domestic violence, and most of these are provided by internationally funded local non-governmental organizations. The police, judiciary and medical staff are not sufficiently trained to deal with cases of domestic violence.
Education is a key factor in developing girls’ empowerment and providing an escape route from violence and poverty. However, girls drop out early from schools; instead, they enter into early and often unregistered or polygamous marriages, all of which increase their dependency on their husbands.
Initial measures undertaken by the Tajikistani government to combat domestic violence have proved largely insufficient.
Although Tajikistan has ratified relevant international human rights treaties, it is falling short of its international obligation to protect and fulfil women’s rights.
Amnesty International has called upon the Tajikistani authorities to:
- prevent and prosecute violence against women in the family through the introduction of an effective domestic law and nationwide support services;
- carry out a nationwide public awareness campaign in order to address the unlawful practices of unregistered, polygamous, and early marriages;
- remove all barriers to girls’ education and address the root causes of girls dropping out of education.
Canada/Afghanistan: Investigate Canadian Responsibility for Detainee Abuse
(New York) – The Canadian government should carry out a full and public inquiry into the alleged torture of detainees whom Canadian forces transferred to Afghan government custody in 2006-07, Human Rights Watch said today.
Tunisian authorities must release dissenting journalist
The Tunisian authorities must immediately release a well known government critic, journalist Taoufik Ben Brik, Amnesty International said on Tuesday, and drop trumped up charges that could lead to him being imprisoned for up to five years.
“Taoufik Ben Brik is being prosecuted on politically-motivated charges and he has not received a fair trial,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Director for the Middle East and North Africa. “He is a prisoner of conscience. He must be released immediately and unconditionally.”
Taoufik Ben Brik was put on trial on 19 November at the Court of First Instance in Tunis, on charges of committing violence, damaging property, harming public morality and defamation.
He denies the charges and says they have been manufactured and brought against him by the Tunisian authorities because of his criticism of the government. The court is due to deliver its verdict on Thursday.
During his trial, the court failed to allow his defence lawyers an opportunity to fully present their case or cross-examine prosecution witnesses, and it appears to have accepted as evidence a statement which the authorities allege was freely given by Taoufik Ben Brik in pre-trial detention but which he says is false and bears a forgery of his signature.
The court hearing last week took place amid oppressive security conditions. There was a heavy presence of security officials both inside and around the court, who prevented journalists and others from attending the proceedings. Only three members of Taoufik Ben Brik’s family were permitted to attend.
Taoufik Ben Brik, who suffers from diabetes and a rare hormonal disorder called Cushing’s Syndrome, for which he needs regular medication, appeared physically weak and was unable to stand throughout the proceedings.
“Taoufik Ben Brik’s appears to have been prosecuted on account of his criticism of the government and opposition to the recent re-election, for a fifth term of office, of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali,” said Malcolm Smart.
“It follows a pattern in which those who exercise their right to free speech to criticize the government or allege corruption are targeted for expressing dissent, in gross breach of Tunisia’s obligations under international law.”
Philippines: Let LGBT Party Contest Elections
(New York) – The Philippine elections commission should immediately reverse a decision denying a political party representing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Filipinos from taking part in the 2010 elections, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the chair of the elections commission.
Switzerland minaret ban would breach freedom of religion obligations
A ban on the construction of minarets would breach Switzerland’s obligations to uphold freedom of religion, Amnesty International said ahead of a referendum next Sunday on a constitutional amendment.
The proposal, which was initiated by members of two Swiss parties, will ask Swiss voters if they wish to add the sentence "The construction of minarets is forbidden" to Article 72 of the Constitution.
"Contrary to the claims of the initiators of the referendum, a general prohibition of the construction of minarets would violate the right of Muslims in Switzerland to manifest their religion," said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International.
"A ban on the construction of minarets while, for example, allowing those of church spires would constitute discrimination on the basis of religion."
The initiators of the referendum claim that the construction of minarets is not protected by the freedom of religion as they have "no religious significance". They assert that minarets are "symbols of a religious-political claim to power and dominance which threatens – in the name of alleged freedom of religion – the constitutional rights of others."
Islam is the second largest religion in Switzerland after Christianity, and Muslims make up over four per cent of the country’s population.
There are hundreds of places of worship (mostly in commercial buildings or private residences) in the country but only four minarets have been built.
The Swiss government and all the other major political parties are recommending a "no" vote.
Local Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders have also joined forces to reject a ban on minarets.
They say that the referendum also poses a threat to peaceful relations between religions and inhibits the integration efforts of Muslims in Switzerland.
"While there may be legitimate reasons for measures which might in individual cases interfere with the construction of minarets, there is no legitimate public policy justification for a general prohibition on their construction," Nicola Duckworth said.
"A change in the constitution which would provide for the blanket ban on the construction of minarets must be soundly rejected. Such a move is important as it will reinforce the equality of rights for all people living in Switzerland."
US: Obama Should Join Mine Ban Treaty
Update:
Philippines: Massacre Shows Arroyo’s Failure to Address Impunity
(New York) – The massacre of at least 47 people in Maguindanao in the southern Philippines tragically shows the failure of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration to hold accountable perpetrators of extrajudicial killings, Human Rights Watch said today.
Philippines election massacre must be investigated as death toll rises
Amnesty International has urged the Philippine authorities to carry out a full investigation into a brutal politically-motivated attack in the southern province of Maguindanao that has left at least 46 people dead.
Many of the victims were relatives and supporters of an opposition politician who were travelling to register his candidacy in next year’s provincial election.
Amnesty International has been told that at least 12 journalists were also part of the group who were targeted. It is not known how many journalists were killed.
They were ambushed and abducted by about 100 armed men, according to reports.
The death toll from the attack rose on Tuesday after more bodies were found in shallow graves. A state of emergency has been declared in Maguindanao to allow police to search for the gunmen.
"These killings underline the danger facing civilians in the run up to the national elections. The authorities must immediately launch an independent and effective investigation into these murders and ensure that they do all they can to prevent killings and other violence," said Donna Guest, Deputy Asia Pacific Director, Amnesty International.
The sister and the wife Esmael Mangudadatu, vice mayor of Buluan town, were among those attacked.
The province of Maguindanao witnessed widespread election violence during previous polls.
Private armies, often employed by rich and politically influential families in Mindanao, have previously committed abuses with impunity.
"The government must prohibit and disband private armies and paramilitary forces immediately. The authorities should also establish clear standards on human rights protection and ensure their implementation, particularly during the election period when politically-motivated killings could increase." said Donna Guest.
Letter to Honorable Jose A.R. Melo Chairperson of Commission on Elections
(Beirut) – Lebanese authorities should investigate the circumstances surrounding the detention and disappearance of Nawar `Abboud, Human Rights Watch and the Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH) said today. A UN panel declared on November 10, 2009, that Lebanese authorities had arbitrarily detained him a year ago and then failed to provide convincing answers concerning his disappearance.
Sri Lanka’s promise to free displaced must be followed by concrete action
Amnesty International has welcomed the government of Sri Lanka’s promise to lift by 1 December any restrictions on movement of at least 130,000 people displaced by the war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE).
"Now the Sri Lankan government needs to demonstrate that it will provide the displaced with necessary assistance such as shelter, food and security as they re-establish their homes," said Madhu Malhotra, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Asia Pacific programme.
Hundreds and thousands of Tamils who escaped the war have been detained in camps under military control for the past six months, deprived of their freedom of movement. Many of them survived months of difficult conditions as they were forced to travel with retreating LTTE forces who forcibly recruited civilians, including children, and in some instances used civilians as human shields.
The Sri Lankan government has agreed to give people a choice about whether to remain in camps to seek alternative accommodation or attempt to return home.
"For months vulnerable people have been held in inadequate conditions in camps lacking adequate sanitation facilities and clean drinking water. If the Sri Lankan government follows through on its promise to allow thousands of people to return home, it would be the first step in the long struggle ahead for people rebuilding their devastated lives," said Madhu Malhotra.
Amnesty International stressed the continued need to protect the rights of internally displaced people both within and outside the camps.
The organization also urged the Sri Lankan authorities to abide by the principles of International humanitarian law and ensure that displaced people are supported to make voluntary and informed decisions about their future.
"Humanitarian and human rights organizations should be given unimpeded access to displaced people and those attempting to resettle to monitor their safety and wellbeing and ensure their needs are being met, including that they are protected against further human rights violations," said Madhu Malhotra.
Since the war ended in May, an estimated 12,000 displaced people (including children) suspected of links to the LTTE have been arbitrarily arrested, separated from the general displaced population and detained by the authorities in irregular detention facilities, such as vacated school buildings.
Amnesty International said it is concerned about lack of transparency and accountability in that process, which is conducted outside of any legal framework and the increased dangers to detainees when they are held incommunicado.
The organization said that persons arrested on suspicion of links to the LTTE and accused of crimes should be charged with legitimate offences, tried and prosecuted in accordance with the law.