Sri Lanka: President’s New Term Time for Accountability
(New York) – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and key international actors should take steps to bring accountability for Sri Lanka’s grave human rights violations so that the thousands of victims will not continue to be denied justice during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second term, Human Rights Watch said today.
Cuba: Stop Harassing Human Rights Defender and Family
(Washington, DC) – The Cuban government should immediately cease its harassment of the blind human rights defender Juan Carlos González Leiva, a leader of the Council of Human Rights Rapporteurs, and his family, Human Rights Watch said today.
Execution of ‘Chemical Ali’ in Iraq criticised
Amnesty International deplores the execution in Baghdad of ‘Ali Hassan al-Majeed, also known as Chemical Ali, for his involvement in one of the worst atrocities committed under the government of Saddam Hussain.
‘Ali Hassan al-Majeed had been sentenced to death for a fourth time on 17 January for ordering a poison gas attack on the town of Halabja in 1988, which killed more than 5,600 members of Iraq’s Kurdish minority, many of them children and women.
He was executed by hanging on Monday following his conviction by the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal (SICT), which was set up to deal with crimes committed by the former government of Saddam Hussain.
Amnesty International has repeatedly expressed concerns about trial proceedings at the SICT, which have been undermined by political interference and fall far short of international standards for fair trial.
"Despite the enormity of the crimes of which Al Hassan al-Majid was convicted, we deplore his execution and consider it a step backwards," said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Director.
"In fact, it is only the latest of a mounting number of executions, some of whom did not receive fair trials, in gross violation of human rights."
The execution of al-Majeed comes at a time when the Iraqi authorities are making increased use of the death penalty. Currently, more than 900 prisoners are reported to be on death row, many of whom could be executed in the near future. Many were sentenced to death by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq after trials that failed to conform to international standards of fair trial.
Al-Majid had been sentenced to death for genocide and crimes against humanity in three previous trials before the SICT.
"The execution of Al Hassan al-Majid was long expected and, no doubt, many people who suffered because of the crimes of which he was found guilty will see it as bringing to a close a very sad, a very bad, chapter in Iraq’s history," said Malcolm Smart.
"However, all executions brutalize society and in Iraq, where killing has become the order of the day, the time has come to say ‘Enough!’"
World Report 2010: Backsliding on Human Rights
(Rabat) – Human rights conditions deteriorated across North Africa in 2009, with unfair trials in political cases the norm, and a narrowing space for independent journalists and associations to operate, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2010.
UAE: Complete a Full and Impartial Criminal Inquiry in Dubai Rape Case
(Dubai) – The relevant authorities in Dubai should complete a full and impartial criminal investigation into a report by a British woman that she was raped on New Year’s Eve in a Dubai hotel, Human Rights Watch said today.
Human rights in Afghanistan must be guaranteed during Taleban talks
Human rights, including women’s rights, must not be traded away or compromised during any reconciliation talks with the Taleban in Afghanistan, Amnesty International said on the eve of a London conference set to discuss deteriorating security conditions in the country.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, other leaders and foreign ministers are to discuss security arrangements in Afghanistan for the next two years, including reconciliation programmes to reintegrate so-called moderate elements of Taleban.
"Any discussions with the Taleban must include clear commitments that they will respect and promote the rights of the Afghan people," said Sam Zarifi, director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific programme.
"The Taleban established a terrible record of violating human rights during their rule and they have done nothing since then to indicate they will act differently if they return to power."
"The policymakers gathered in London this week have to show that they will not sacrifice the well-being of the Afghan people at the altar of political and military expediency."
Similar deals with the Taleban in neighbouring Pakistan led to increased human rights violations in areas under Taleban control and a significant escalation in conflict and insecurity.
The Afghan government and insurgent groups must both adhere to Afghanistan’s obligations under international human rights law and domestic law, Amnesty International said.
The Taleban and other insurgent groups in Afghanistan have shown little regard for human rights and the laws of war, deliberately targeting civilians, launching indiscriminate suicide attacks in which civilians are killed and engaging in the wholesale destruction of girls’ education.
According to UN figures, the Taleban were responsible for two thirds of the more than 2400 civilian casualties in Afghanistan last year, the bloodiest year yet since the fall of the Taleban.
In areas under their control, the Taleban have severely curtailed the rights of girls and women, including the denial of education, employment, freedom of movement and political participation and representation.
Afghan civil society groups, in particular women’s groups, have voiced serious alarms about the prospect of ceding any type of political control to the Taleban.
"Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict are a positive step forward," said Sam Zarifi, "but the rights of the Afghan people must never be negotiated away.
"It is our experience that peace without justice or human rights is not real peace and could ultimately lead to further conflict."
Afghanistan: Conference Should Link Rights to Security
(London) – The Afghan government and its supporters should make human rights an integral part of the discussion of political and security strategies at the upcoming conference in London, on January 28, 2010, Human Rights Watch said today.
1 day to go: Burkina Faso maternal mortality campaign countdown
In Burkina Faso, the health care system suffers from several recurrent problems: inadequate health infrastructure, shortages and interruptions of supplies of drugs and medical equipment, blood shortages, a lack of trained medical personnel and a lack of skilled birth attendants.
Health care facilities are often far from people’s homes, especially in rural areas, and transport is unreliable and expensive. Although the government has increased the number of community health centres in recent years, enormous disparities continue to exist between urban and rural areas.
Accountability is key in any health system. The government has to account for the implementation of its health policies. Patients are also entitled to hold accountable, medical personnel who might be responsible for abuses or misconduct, such as unlawful demands for unofficial payments, and must have access to avenues of redress. However, in Burkina Faso, accountability is rare, both at government and individual levels.
Women in Burkina Faso suffer discrimination in every area of their lives, with unequal access to education, health care and employment. Particularly in rural areas, women have little or no say in key domestic decisions. They are primarily valued as wives and mothers.
World Report 2010: Harsher Climate for Human Rights
(Beirut)-Middle East governments repressed efforts to promote human rights and backed away from bold reforms despite growing human rights challenges and promises to take action, Human Rights Watch said today in releasing the Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen country studies from its World Report 2010.
Morocco: Lift Travel Restrictions on Sahrawi Activists
(Rabat) – Morocco should immediately end an effective ban on foreign travel against selected Sahrawi activists, Human Rights Watch said today. Since August 2009, the government has revived this arbitrary and repressive measure, which it had used frequently more than a decade ago but less frequently since then.