Responding to the opening of criminal investigations against the editor-in-chief and three journalists of Mada Masr, one of the few remaining independent media platforms in Egypt, in relation to an article on a pro-government party’s alleged corruption, Philip Luther, Middle East and North Africa Research and Advocacy Director at Amnesty International said:

“This latest attack on journalists who dare to deviate from the official narrative in Egypt further exposes the chasm between the Egyptian authorities’ self-declared commitment to human rights, including ‘free speech’, and the grim reality. Harassing one of the few remaining independent media platforms in Egypt reinforces concerns over the ability of independent civil society actors and others to voice their opinions without fear of reprisals at the fast-approaching UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Sharm al-Sheikh in November.

“The authorities must immediately drop all the bogus charges and close this politically motivated investigation against Mada Masr journalists”

Philip Luther, Amnesty International

“The authorities must immediately drop all the bogus charges and close this politically motivated investigation against Mada Masr journalists. They must also release all journalists who have been detained solely for carrying out legitimate media work and exercising their right to freedom of expression; end all forms of censorship, harassment and intimidation of journalists; and repeal the draconian media laws undermining press freedoms.”

On 7 September, Mada Masr editor-in-chief Lina Attalah and three journalists, Rana Mamdouh, Sara Seif Eddin and Beesan Kassab were questioned by prosecutors on charges of “spreading false news” and “defamation” of Nation’s Future party members and “deliberately disturbing [them]”, in addition to “operating an unlicensed website” in the case of Lina Attalah. According to Mada Masr’s lawyers, prosecutors asked the editor-in-chief to identify the authors and editors of the article in question as well as the outlet’s sources, institutional workflow and funding.

The journalists were all released on bail, but may still will face trial, if indicted, on charges punishable by up to two years imprisonment and fines.

The Egyptian authorities have increasingly consolidated their grip on the media in recent years through online censorship, raiding and closing independent media outlets and controlling content in both public and private media.

Background

In November 2019, security forces raided the Mada Masr office in Cairo and briefly detained four journalists, including the editor-in-chief Lina Attalah, in what appeared to be direct retaliation for a report on the Egyptian president’s son Mahmoud Al-Sisi being sidelined from a powerful intelligence position. Mada Masr has unsuccessfully sought a license since 2018.

Since 2013, the authorities have arbitrarily arrested, detained, prosecuted and/or convicted journalists and other media workers simply for expressing critical views or carrying out their media work. At least 23 journalists remain behind bars, including six who were detained during the last five months, simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

The post Egypt: Authorities must immediately drop all charges against four independent Mada Masr journalists appeared first on Amnesty International.

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Sri Lanka: Authorities’ crackdown on protest rights must end 

The Sri Lankan authorities have fiercely clamped down on protests and demonized protesters during a period of economic crisis and hardship in the country, Amnesty International said in a new digest released today. 

The briefing, Penalized for Protesting: Sri Lanka’s crackdown on protestors, details how the authorities have failed to protect peaceful protesters and resorted to excessive use of force, deploying the military to police protests and carrying out reprisals against protestors while also demonizing those who exercise their protest rights peacefully.

“Over the last few months, Sri Lanka has seen widespread protests over the worst economic crisis in the country’s post-independence history. People have the right to express discontent peacefully and the state has an obligation to facilitate this right but the Sri Lankan authorities have repeatedly and unrelentingly stifled the voice of the people,” said Yamini Mishra, Amnesty International’s South Asia Regional Director.

“The new government in Sri Lanka has continued resorting to the unlawful use of force, intimidation and harassment to subdue protestors, sending a chilling message to the people of Sri Lanka that there is no room for dissent. The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is a keystone of any rights respecting society. It must be respected and protected.”

It must be noted that there have been some incidents of violence during protests since the protest movement began in February 2022.  While these protests cannot be deemed as peaceful, the response by the authorities to such protest must still comply with human rights laws and standards. 

The Sri Lankan authorities have repeatedly and unrelentingly stifled the voice of the people.

Yamini Mishra, Amnesty International’s South Asia Regional Director

read the campaign briefing

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Tear gas, water cannons — and live ammunition

Since the protests began five months ago, the police and armed forces have routinely misused tear gas and water cannons against largely peaceful protesters. On two occasions, security forces fired live ammunition at protesters, killing at least one person in Rambukkana on 19 April.  

This unlawful use of force was also witnessed in other key incidents demonstrating the government’s refusal to facilitate the right to peaceful assembly, despite their obligations under international human rights laws and standards. 

Since President Ranil Wickremesinghe came into power on 21 July, over 140 protesters have been arrested, while a further 18 have been issued travel bans. Furthermore, Members of Parliament and the President have repeatedly described protesters as “terrorists”. President Wickremesinghe, meanwhile, also labelled protesters as “fascists” amid a broader pattern of demonizing the protest movement. The authorities have taken this one step further by weaponizing the draconian anti-terror law Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to arrest three protesters. Amnesty International has, in the past, documented the use of the draconian PTA by the authorities to target, and harass minorities, activists, journalists and critical voices. The PTA is in violation of international human rights law and must be repealed.

Image by Tavish Gunasena

Many of us got travel bans, and surveillance and tear gas attacks and baton charged and, at times, court orders and imprisonment…A protestor

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The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is a keystone of any rights respecting society.
It must be respected and protected.

Yamini Mishra, Amnesty International’s South Asia Regional Director

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‘They want me in jail’ 

Since 2 April, the authorities have arrested some people in a manner that flouts due process. Security forces did not produce official identification or produce arrest warrants or adequately explain the reason for arrests. Certain individuals were taken away and held for several hours at undisclosed locations. On these occasions, no confirmation of arrest was issued, nor were detainees given the opportunity to inform their relatives, friends or lawyers of their whereabouts.

One of the protestors told Amnesty International: “I’m still worried that they are trying to arrest me and accuse me of things I have not committed, because they want me in jail.” 

These arrests, which constituted unlawful deprivation of liberty, should immediately be stopped and the authorities must carry out arrests in keeping with their obligations under the international law and standards, including the ICCPR which prohibits arbitrary detention and protects the right to liberty and security of person. The authorities must also end their use of Emergency Regulations, which give sweeping powers to the police and the armed forces to search and make arrests without due process safeguards and have been shown to flout international human rights law.

Image by Tavish Gunasena

I’m still worried that they are trying to arrest me and accuse me of things I have not committed, because they want me in jail.

A protestor

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The Sri Lankan authorities should change course and immediately end their suppression of the
people’s right to protest.

Yamini Mishra

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‘The state does not stand on the side of the people’ 

Another protestor, who suffered repeated harassment at the hands of the authorities, told Amnesty International: “Many of us got travel bans, and surveillance and tear gas attacks and baton charged and, at times, court orders and imprisonment… The state is always protecting and only defending political power and does not stand on the side of the people.” 

Amnesty International calls on the Sri Lankan authorities to drop all charges against those protesters who were participating peacefully in so called “unlawful assemblies”. All those facing such charges must be immediately released. The authorities must also hold prompt, transparent and impartial investigations into all allegations of attacks on peaceful protesters, with support from international observers.

“The relentless repression of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, movement and expression speaks to Sri Lanka’s legacy of suppressing dissent. Given the immense and historic support for the peaceful protest movement, the Sri Lankan authorities should change course and immediately end their suppression of people’s right to protest,” said Yamini Mishra. 

Image by Tavish Gunasena

The state is always protecting and only defending political power and does not stand on the side of the people.

A protestor

read the new campaign briefing

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The relentless repression of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, movement and expression speaks to Sri Lanka’s legacy of suppressing dissent.

END CRACKDOWN ON PEACEFUL PROTESTS

Add your voice to our global call to protect the protest and join our campaign today:

Sign the Petition

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Background

International human rights law protects the right to protest through a number of separate provisions enshrined in various The right to protest is under threat across all regions of the world. Amnesty International’s new global campaign “Protect the Protest” is challenging attacks on peaceful protest, standing with those targeted and supporting the causes of social movements demanding human rights change.

read Protect the Protest!: Why we must save our right to protest

The post Sri Lanka: Authorities’ crackdown on protest rights must end  appeared first on Amnesty International.

Responding to the news that the UN has verified that Russian soldiers have subjected Ukrainian civilians to a rights-abusing process known as “filtration”, a practice independently verified by Amnesty International as deeply abusive and humiliating, Marie Struthers, Amnesty’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said:

“The abusive and humiliating process known as ‘filtration’ is a shocking violation of international human rights and humanitarian law. Our research shows that many displaced Ukrainians end up inside Russia or Russia-occupied territories involuntarily, even if they are not physically forced to move. Deportation and forcible transfer of civilians in occupied territory are prohibited by international humanitarian law and can constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity.  Putting these forcibly displaced civilians through the abuses of ‘filtration’ is both cynical and cruel.

Deportation and forcible transfer of civilians in occupied territory are prohibited by international humanitarian law and can constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity

Marie Struthers, Amnesty’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

“We are also concerned for vulnerable groups, including unaccompanied, separated, or orphaned children, older people, and people with disabilities, some of whom were prevented from fleeing towards Ukrainian-controlled territory by Russian soldiers. Many found themselves unable to leave Russia or Russian-occupied areas once transferred to such locations.”

“The Russian authorities must urgently allow the international community to access and monitor temporary placement shelters for Ukrainian civilians and evacuation procedures for civilians trapped in the conflict. They must also immediately ensure that Ukrainian civilians are able to safely leave warzones and enter Ukrainian-controlled territories. Those in Russia must be able to access resources that enable them to leave the country for Ukraine or a third country.”

Background

Amnesty International has documented several cases of Russian soldiers abusing detained Ukrainian civilians going through the ‘filtration’ procedures while exiting the warzone or crossing the border into or out of Russia.

Some unaccompanied, separated, and orphaned children, as well as civilians from Mariupol-based institutions that care for older people and people with disabilities, were forcibly transferred to Donetsk. Some of the children and civilians were in the process of being evacuated to Ukrainian-controlled areas at the time.

Older people in particular are at a greater risk of getting trapped in Russian-controlled areas or in Russia, due to a lack of information, funds and mobility issues.

There appear to be no systems in place to facilitate the return of older people or people with disabilities from Russia or Russian-occupied territories to territories controlled by the government of Ukraine.

The post Russia: ‘Filtration’ of Ukrainian civilians a ‘shocking violation’ of people forced to flee war appeared first on Amnesty International.

Reacting to today’s expected appointment of Volker Türk as the new UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Agnès Callamard, Amnesty’s Secretary General, said:

“Volker Türk is being appointed to the UN’s top human rights role at a time of considerable threats to human rights around the world. Immediately, he has to help shape an effective human rights response and accountability for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, China’s persecution of millions of Uyghurs, and far too many forgotten crises, from Yemen to DRC to Myanmar and beyond. His agenda should also include strengthening the human rights response to climate change and rising inequality.

[The High Commissioner’s] voice in defence of the victims of human rights violations around the world will need to be loud and clear. They count on him to stand up to human rights abusers even when they are powerful states.

Agnès Callamard, Amnesty’s Secretary General

“His voice in defence of the victims of human rights violations around the world will need to be loud and clear. They count on him to stand up to human rights abusers even when they are powerful states.

“We equally expect him to respect and support the role of civil society in informing and shaping human rights positions and responses. 

“Amnesty International is looking forward to working with him in responding to the many existential threats and violations to human rights which the world is confronting.”

Volker Türk, an Austrian national, was previously the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Policy. His four-year mandate begins immediately, ahead of the 51^st Human Rights Council Session, which opens on 12 September. He takes over from Chilean national Michelle Bachelet, who decided not to seek a second term. He is the ninth High Commissioner since the role was created in 1994.

The post UN: New High Commissioner must be a champion for the victims of human rights violations appeared first on Amnesty International.

Responding to the ‘surveys’ conducted on Wednesday by the Income Tax Department of India at multiple locations, including the premises of Oxfam India, Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF) and the Centre for Policy Research, Yamini Mishra, South Asia Regional Director at Amnesty International said:

“The coordinated raids, which are being presented as ‘surveys’, carried out by the Income Tax department against multiple civil society organisations in India are yet another blatant example of how financial and investigative agencies of the government have been weaponised to harass, intimidate, silence, and criminalise independent critical voices in the country. It is alarming how the attack on the rights to freedom of expression and association by the authorities keeps growing unabated every day in India.”

It is alarming how the attack on the rights to freedom of expression and association by the authorities keeps growing unabated every day in India.

Yamini Mishra, South Asia Regional Director at Amnesty International

“The raids are clearly a heavy-handed attempt by the government to instill fear among the staff, supporters and funders of these organisations, and to impose a chilling effect to silence civil society at large. Indian authorities must immediately stop these tactics of repression and ensure that civil society organisations are able to operate free from fear of reprisal in the country.”

Background

On 7 September 2022, the Income Tax Department of India conducted raids at multiple locations including the two NGOs and a public policy think-tank named above as part of a probe investigating alleged contraventions of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. This is not the first time that central investigative or financial agencies have raided premises and conducted investigations against civil society organisations. Previously, Amnesty International India and Greenpeace India’s offices were raided by various central agencies. The Income Tax department have also previously raided the premises of independent media houses critical of the government, including Newclick, Newslaundry, The Quint, Dainik Bhaskar, and Bharat Samachar.

These raids which constitute intrusive scrutiny and burdensome administrative requirements are a violation of the rights to association and to privacy protected under international human rights law. Authorities must ensure that any processes undertaken to ensure transparency and accountability from organizations are not arbitrary and are non-discriminatory.

The post India: Authorities must stop weaponizing central agencies to clamp down on civil society appeared first on Amnesty International.