Kategorie: Humans

Authorities in Angola must account for the whereabouts of a five-year-old boy who went missing after police raided the Mucubai Community in Ndamba area in the outskirts of the city of Moçâmedes, the capital of Namibe Province in which 16 houses were torched and personal belongings including blankets, clothes and water containers set alight, Amnesty International said today.

Mbapamuhuka Caçador’s disappearance amounts to enforced disappearance, a crime under international law.

Muleya Mwananyanda, Director for East and Southern Africa

Five-year-old Mbapamuhuka Caçador disappeared following the raid on 12 October by Rapid Intervention Police, which was sparked by a land dispute. Residents fear the boy may have been burned alive in one of the houses attacked by police as they unleashed violence on the community.

“Mbapamuhuka Caçador’s disappearance in Ndamba, following the raid by the police, amounts to enforced disappearance, a crime under international law. Angolan authorities must leave no stone unturned in ensuring his safe return,” said Muleya Mwananyanda, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa.

“It is also deeply disturbing that the police were deployed with such force and brutality to resolve a domestic matter. Police have a duty to protect rather than terrorize people.”

It is also deeply disturbing that the police were deployed with such force and brutality to resolve a domestic matter

Muleya Mwananyanda

“Authorities must promptly, thoroughly, impartially, independently and transparently investigate the circumstances leading to Mbapamuhuka Caçador’s disappearance, make public the outcome of any investigation, and bring to justice in fair trial anyone suspected to be responsible. Authorities must provide the victim with access to justice and effective remedies.”

Police unleash violence against community

The raid was led by the son of Sr. Cunha, the former (deceased) Provincial Chief of Police in Namibe province, southern Angola. The attack was carried out on behalf of Cunha’s widow, Antonia Fernanda, as part of a campaign to forcibly annex Mucubai community land adjacent to her commercial farm.

Authorities must halt the forced eviction of the Mucubai community from their land and ensure that their welfare and livelihoods are secured

Muleya Mwananyanda

“Authorities must halt the forced eviction of the Mucubai community from their land and ensure that their welfare and livelihoods are secured,” said Muleya Mwananyanda.

Residents and witnesses said police arrived in Ndamba in the afternoon to raid and burn houses, including all the contents inside such as blankets, bed sheets, mattresses, clothes, shoes, food and water containers. The police also destroyed vegetable gardens and killed livestock belonging to members of the Mucubai ethnic minority group.

Five people were detained before they were released on 13 October without being charged. They were named as: Jose Mbapiluka, Mbakahako Muandjissamo, Mukamuavia Mbakahako, Tchimupepa and Zacarias. Mbakahako was forced by police to inhale a toxic gas which caused him to faint. While unconscious, the police handcuffed him and threw him in a police car.

Background

Forced evictions of rural communities such as this are widespread in Angola, particularly in the south where powerful individuals connected to the MPLA, the ruling party, have grabbed the communal grazing lands of the traditional pastoralists, aggravating their vulnerability especially in relation to food and water insecurity. The Mucubai are an economically, socially and politically marginalized and oppressed minority group in southern Angola.

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The Egyptian authorities are holding state critics and political opponents in cruel and inhuman conditions in Badr 3 Prison, Amnesty International said today, as Egypt prepares to host COP27, the annual UN Climate Change Conference, in Sharm El-Sheikh in November.

In Badr 3 Prison, located 70 kilometres to the northeast of Cairo, prisoners are held in horrific and punitive conditions comparable to or even worse than those consistently documented at Egypt’s notorious Tora Prison Complex.  Detainees shiver in cold cells with fluorescent lights switched on round the clock; CCTV cameras are trained on them at all hours; and access to basic necessities such as sufficient food, clothing and books is banned. They are denied any contact with their families or lawyers and detention renewal hearings are held online. There has been at least one death in custody since the prison was opened in mid-2022.

“The Badr Prison Complex opened to great fanfare by the authorities, as if the new facility signified an improvement to Egypt’s human rights record. Instead, prisoners are facing the same human rights violations that have repeatedly blighted older institutions, exposing the lack of a political will from the Egyptian authorities to bring an end to the human rights crisis in the country,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

“Ahead of COP27, Egypt’s PR machine is operating on all cylinders to conceal the awful reality in the country’s jails, where prisoners held for political reasons are languishing in horrific conditions violating the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment. But no amount of PR can hide the country’s abysmal human rights record that demands real reform from the government.”

Amnesty International has gathered evidence from relatives and lawyers of prisoners held for political reasons, all of whom were transferred to Badr 3 from Tora Maximum Security 1 and 2 prisons in mid-2022. Several prisoners are being held in violation of Egyptian law, as their pretrial detention has extended beyond legal limits, while scores are detained arbitrarily following grossly unfair trials.

‘Prisoners here have no rights’

Concerns over prison conditions and access to healthcare intensified following the death in custody of El-Sayed al-Sayfi on 5 October. Al-Sayfi, who was 61 years old and had cancer prior to his arrest, died within days of being transferred to Badr 3 after a prosecutor ordered his pretrial detention. So far, there has been no independent and impartial investigation into the causes and circumstances of his death, including into reports on the lack of access to adequate healthcare in Badr 3.

The Egyptian authorities have imposed a blanket ban on family visits for all detainees in Badr 3, many of whom had already been denied family visits for over five years while held in the Tora Prison Complex. Prison staff also bar prisoners from sending letters to their families or loved ones, or even receiving them, effectively subjecting them to incommunicado detention.

No amount of PR can hide the country’s abysmal human rights record that demands real reform from the government.

Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International

Anas Beltagy, 29, has been arbitrarily detained since December 2013 despite being acquitted of all crimes in three separate criminal cases and a judicial order for his release pending investigations in a fourth case. However, the authorities never released him. Instead, he is now detained pending investigations over identical charges in relation to a fifth case. His family has been deprived of all communication with him since 2018 and all his detention renewal hearings have taken place online since his transfer to Badr 3, further blocking his family and lawyer from any access. Amnesty International calls for his immediate release as he is being held solely for his family connections; his father Mohamed al-Beltagy is a senior figure of the Muslim Brotherhood and was sentenced to death in an unfair trial.

Another detainee in Badr 3 said he was kept under constant surveillance, including during visits to the bathroom where guards taunted him for taking too long. Others said the use of constant fluorescent overhead lights affected their sleep and mental health, which directly contravenes the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and the absolute prohibition on torture and other ill-treatment.

Prisoners often rely on their families to meet their basic needs. However, Badr 3 prison officials prevent relatives from delivering food, clothing and items for personal hygiene. One relative of a Badr 3 detainee told Amnesty International that she tried to deliver clothes, books and food to the facility, but was told by guards that such items were not permitted. When she told prison officials that prisoners have a right to receive them, they said “prisoners here have no rights”.

The lack of family visits and communication means relatives cannot be sure their loved ones even receive medicine they have delivered. Amnesty International learned that prison officials withheld medicine from at least one prisoner after accepting the delivery from his relatives.

The authorities have also established a new online system for detention renewals hearings, with detainees not physically present in the same courtroom as judges, lawyers and prosecutors. Such hearings violate fair trial rights including the rights to adequate defence and to meaningfully challenge the legality of their detention. They take place under coercive circumstances in the presence of prison guards and detainees are prevented from communicating with their lawyers, given the ban on lawyer visits to prison. Further, they expose detainees to risks of reprisals from guards for complaining about torture or other ill-treatment and impede the ability of judges to spot visible bruises or other injuries.

“The Egyptian authorities must immediately release all those arbitrarily detained.  Everyone detained in Egypt must be protected from torture and other ill-treatment, held in conditions in line with international law and standards and granted immediate access to their families and lawyers with sufficient privacy. The authorities must fully uphold fair trial rights and stop holding pretrial detention renewal hearings online,” said Agnès Callamard.

Background

The Badr and Wadi al-Natrun prison complexes were opened shortly after the authorities launched Egypt’s National Human Rights Strategy in September 2021, which hailed the authorities’ purported efforts at modernizing prisons and upholding prisoners’ dignity. In mid-2022, the authorities started relocating prisoners from the ill-reputed Tora Prison Complex into the new facilities.

COP27, the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference, will be held from 6 to 18 November in Sharm El- Sheikh.

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The Qatari authorities must re-commit to fully delivering on promised labour reforms now and beyond the World Cup, Amnesty International said today, as its final pre-tournament briefing on migrant workers’ conditions revealed that abuses remain rife across the country. With just one month until kick-off, the human rights organization again reiterated its call on FIFA and Qatar to establish a compensation fund for abused migrant workers. 

Qatar’s overhaul of its labour system since 2017 has led to some noticeable improvements for the country’s two million migrant workers – hundreds of thousands of whom have been engaged in projects essential to the World Cup. However, a lack of effective implementation and enforcement continues to undermine their impact on migrant workers. Thousands of workers across all projects are still facing issues such as delayed or unpaid wages, denial of rest days, unsafe working conditions, barriers to changing jobs, and limited access to justice, while the deaths of thousands of workers remain uninvestigated. 

“Although Qatar has made important strides on labour rights over the past five years, it’s abundantly clear that there is a great distance still to go. Thousands of workers remain stuck in the familiar cycle of exploitation and abuse thanks to legal loopholes and inadequate enforcement,” said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice. 

With the World Cup looming, the job of protecting migrant workers from exploitation is only half done, while that of compensating those who have suffered abuses has barely started

Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice

“With the World Cup looming, the job of protecting migrant workers from exploitation is only half done, while that of compensating those who have suffered abuses has barely started. It’s also imperative that Qatar commits to improving conditions in the long term. Progress must not grind to a halt once the World Cup roadshow leaves Doha.” Last month, a global poll commissioned by Amnesty International revealed overwhelming support among both the general public and football fans for the compensation of migrant workers who suffered during preparations for the 2022 World Cup. The findings back the #PayUpFIFA campaign launched by a coalition of human rights organizations—including Amnesty International—fans groups and trade unions in May 2022, which calls on FIFA and the Qatari authorities to establish a comprehensive remediation programme to compensate workers and prevent future abuses.  

“Despite huge and growing support in favour of compensating migrant workers among fans, football associations, and sponsors, Qatar and FIFA are still not budging. With only a month to go, time is fast running out for them to do the right thing,” said Steve Cockburn.   

“Turning a blind eye to the abuses suffered by thousands of migrant workers over the years flies in the face of their respective international obligations and responsibilities. They must come together to ensure that those who suffered so much to make this tournament possible are not left behind.”  

Reforms enacted by Qatar since 2017 include a law regulating working conditions for live-in domestic workers, labour tribunals to facilitate access to justice, a fund to support payment of unpaid wages, and a minimum wage. Qatar has also ratified two key international human rights treaties, albeit without recognizing the right of migrant workers to join a trade union. Qatar’s World Cup organizing body, the Supreme Committee, also introduced enhanced labour standards for workers, but only on official tournament sites such as stadia, although these cover just a small proportion of workers on projects essential to the World Cup, and just 2% of Qatar’s workforce. 

Despite huge and growing support in favour of compensating migrant workers among fans, football associations, and sponsors, Qatar and FIFA are still not budging

Steve Cockburn

While recognising the importance of these reforms, Amnesty’s briefing provides an action plan to address ongoing failings across ten areas. To this end, the organization urges the Qatari authorities to enforce and strengthen labour protections, empower workers, make work pay, and guarantee access to justice and remedy.  

Forced labour and unexplained deaths 

Migrant workers on both World Cup and non-World Cup related projects continue to face abuses on a significant scale in Qatar. Many workers, particularly in the domestic and security sectors, continue to be subjected to conditions that amount to forced labour, with domestic workers still typically working between 14 and 18 hours a day without a weekly day off, isolated in private homes.  

Security guards are often also repeatedly denied their rest days and forced to work under the threat of penalties, such as having their salaries arbitrarily deducted or sometimes their passports confiscated, despite such practices being in violation of Qatari law. Joshua,* a private security worker from Kenya who recently left Qatar before the end of his contract due to the working conditions, told Amnesty International:   

“It was unbearable to stay on in the company I was in due to the treatment and overload of work. In four months, you get just two days off. There’s late salaries and too many fines deducted unnecessarily…The company has withheld my visa such that I can’t go back [to Qatar] if I get a job with another company.” 

The deaths of thousands of migrant workers over the past decade and beyond—on World Cup-related projects or otherwise—remain unexplained. At least hundreds of these fatalities were likely a consequence of working in the extreme heat. New heat legislation is an improvement but must be strengthened to bring it into line with international standards and adequately protect outdoor workers. Despite clear evidence that heat stress poses a huge risk to health, the Qatari authorities have done little to investigate, certify or remedy migrant workers’ deaths, contrary to international best practice. 

It was unbearable to stay on in the company I was in due to the treatment and overload of work

*Joshua, private security worker

It is not just the devastating emotional impact on victims’ families but also the loss of a family’s main breadwinner coupled with the lack of financial compensation that leaves many in even deeper poverty. Bhumisara,* whose husband’s death in Qatar remains unexplained, told Amnesty:  

“Now everything is shattered… Life itself has become like a broken mirror…I have cried many times in emotion. Being alone is very difficult…I feel like I’m burning in oil.”  

Migrant workers remain unable to form or join trade unions in Qatar, contrary to their fundamental right under international law to do so. Instead, Joint Committees formed and led by employers, cover only 2% of the workforce. These committees provide workers with some representation, yet remain beset with serious flaws, as they lack mechanisms for collective bargaining and fail to provide workers with crucial legal protections. 

Extortionate recruitment fees and elements of kafala remain 

The payment by prospective migrant workers of extortionate recruitment fees to secure jobs in Qatar remains rampant. Fees of between US$1,000 and US$3,000 leave many workers needing months or even years to repay the debt, trapping them in cycles of exploitation.  While workers on some World Cup projects under the purview of the Supreme Committee, Qatar’s tournament organizers, are able to claim some reimbursement of these fees, this option is unavailable to the vast majority of workers in the country. 

Crucial changes to the kafala system—which made workers entirely dependent on their employer—mean the vast majority of migrant workers are now legally able to leave the country and change jobs without permission. Migrant workers, however, still risk being arrested or deported if their employers cancel their visas, fail to renew their residence permit or report them as having ‘absconded’ from their job.  

Despite the government saying that it approved more than 300,000 migrant worker job transfer applications since October 2020, Amnesty International has documented several cases over recent months in which unscrupulous employers used their powers to cancel visas, renew residence permits and report workers for ‘absconding’ to exploit and punish those who complained about working conditions or wanted to change jobs. For instance, in one case, Geoffrey*, a delivery driver who complained to the Ministry of Labour about withheld wages and a lack of food and sanitary accommodation, was detained by police on “runaway” charges and held for three weeks. 

Background 

*Real names not used 

The briefing, Unfinished Business: Roadmap for Qatar to fulfil promises on migrant workers’ rights, is available here. 

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Responding to the news that Pulitzer Prize winning Kashmiri photojournalist, Sanna Irshad Mattoo has been stopped again from travelling abroad by immigration authorities at the Delhi airport on Tuesday, Aakar Patel, chair of board of Amnesty International India, said:

“Arbitrary travel bans have increasingly become the principal tactic of the Indian authorities to silence independent and critical voices in the country. These arbitrary executive actions are not backed by any court order, warrant or even a written explanation, making it difficult for the activists and journalists to challenge these in the courts. This has led to the authorities routinely using travel bans as a preferred tool in the wider crackdown on dissent. This is a blatant violation of human rights and must end now.

The (Indian) authorities routinely using travel bans as a preferred tool in the wider crackdown on dissent.
This is a blatant violation of human rights
and must end now

Aakar Patel, chair of board of Amnesty International India

“In particular, the Indian authorities have increased the use of travel bans against journalists and human rights defenders from region of Jammu and Kashmir in the last three years. This incessant witch-hunt is contrary to India’s international human rights obligations and reflects poorly on its record which is up for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) early next month.

“The Indian authorities must lift all arbitrary travel bans, stop this unlawful practice and live up to their human rights obligations by respecting, protecting, promoting and fulfilling the human rights of everyone including to freedom of expression and movement.”

Background:

Sanna Irshad Mattoo was barred from travelling “despite having a valid visa and ticket” to the United States to attend the award ceremony of the prestigious Pulitzer prize for her coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to media reports, she has not been given an official reason yet despite being stopped from international travel previously in July as well.

In October 2019, right before Jammu & Kashmir was dismantled into union territories, over 450 people including journalists, lawyers, politicians, human rights activists, and businessmen were placed on a temporary “No Fly List” without any judicial order.

Since 2019, Amnesty International has documented the cases of at least six Kashmiri journalists, human rights activists, academics, and politicians including Gowhar Geelani, Shah Faesal, Bilal Bhat, Zahid Rafiq, Sanna Mattoo and Aakash Hassan who have been barred from travelling outside India without any lawful justification.

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On 19 October, UK-Egyptian activist will have been on hunger strike for 200 days 

Sister Sanaa Seif is demanding a meeting with the Foreign Secretary

David Lammy to attend Tuesday evening demo

The sister of a UK national jailed in Egypt will begin a sit-in outside the Foreign Office in central London this week calling for the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to urgently meet the family to explain what the Government is doing to secure their relative’s release.
 
Alaa Abd el-Fattah, 40, a prominent human rights activist and blogger, is on hunger strike in Wadi al-Natrun prison after being unfairly convicted and jailed late last year. 
 
On Wednesday (19 October), Abd el-Fattah will have been on hunger strike for 200 consecutive days and with fears mounting for his well-being his family have stepped up their campaign for his release.

Tomorrow (18 October, 5:00-6:30pm*), Abd el-Fattah’s sister Sanaa Seif will stage a protest at the FCDO which will see her beginning a sit-in at the location until the Foreign Secretary agrees to meet her, or until the beginning of the COP27 climate change conference in Egypt, which is set to start on 6 November. 

The Labour shadow foreign secretary David Lammy is also expected to attend tomorrow’s protest, and Amnesty International activists will be attending the sit-in in solidarity with the family. 
 
Abd el-Fattah rose to prominence in Egypt during nationwide protests in 2011 against Hosni Mubarak’s repressive government and has been targeted by the authorities for most of the past decade. Among other things, the activist suffered torture soon after his detention in 2019. He is from a well-known Egyptian family which includes several human rights activists. His mother – Laila Soueif, a mathematics professor at Cairo University – was born in London and the family have significant ties to the UK.

Event details  

WHO: Sanaa Seif, David Lammy
 
WHAT: protest and sit-in outside FCDO, with various banners calling for release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah
 
WHERE: FCDO building, King Charles Street, London SW1A 2AH
 
WHEN: Tuesday 18 October (5:00-6:30pm), with sit-in to follow

*Note the time has been brought forward from 5:30 (which the photo above still shows) and it will now start at 5:00

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