Schlagwort: Amnesty International

Bangladeshi authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Hriday Chandra Mondal, a schoolteacher who was arrested on charges of “hurting religious sentiment” after he discussed in the classroom the distinction between religion and science, Amnesty International said.

In the discussion at school, where teachers should be free to discuss any ideas or facts without fear of reprisals, the teacher argued that “religion is a matter of faith” while “science looks at evidence”, according to a recording that was filmed by [a student/someone in the class and?] shared on social media. In the audio recording accessed by Amnesty International, the teacher said: “There is no evidence in religion. Religion in the end says God will take care of everything. Religion offers memorized words whereas science shows evidence”.

On 22 March, two days after the recording was made, the school’s headteacher told the media that students and other people from the community were demonstrating outside the school calling for punishment for Hriday Chandra Mondal. Later that day, an office assistant of the high school filed a case before the police against the teacher, who was subsequently arrested. He has since been held in judicial custody after being denied bail twice. The next bail hearing is scheduled for 10 April 2022 at the District and Sessions Judges Court.

It is outrageous that a teacher finds himself behind bars simply for voicing his opinion while teaching a class. Teachers should be free to discuss ideas and opinions of all kinds without fear of reprisals.

Smriti SinghDeputy Regional Director, South Asia

“Hriday Chandra Mondal is solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression and must be released immediately and unconditionally,” said Smriti Singh, Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International.

“Hriday Chandra Mondal’s detention is emblematic of a disturbing trend in Bangladesh where the space for free expression is rapidly shrinking. Detaining a teacher for simply discussing ideas in class sets a dangerous precedent where even challenging students to think critically can now land someone in jail”

Amnesty International has been documenting a growing sense of fear among people in Bangladesh stemming from the arbitrary detention and growing criminalization of the right to freedom of expression. Hriday Chandra Mandal’s case only exacerbates the situation and represents a direct threat for one of the last bastions of free expression in the country.

Several civil society and academic organizations, including the Bangladesh Astronomical Association and the Centre for Women Journalists, have condemned the arrest and raised concerns about the ability of academics to teach. Similarly, human rights defenders, lawyers and teachers around the country have raised questions about the time of the arrest, which according to them appears to be politically motivated.

“Hriday Chandra Mondal’s detention is a shameful demonstration of the erosion of the human rights situation in Bangladesh. The authorities must take urgent measures to improve the conditions that allow people to express freely and safely, and ensure that teachers can speak freely in class without fear of reprisals,” said Smriti Singh.

Background

Under international human rights law, the exercise of the right to freedom of expression may only be subjected to certain restrictions if they are provided by a clearly formulated law and are demonstrablynecessary and proportionate for the purpose of protecting specified public interests (national security, public order, or public health or morals) or the rights or reputations of others. Protection of abstract concepts or religious or other beliefs, or the religious sensibilities of their adherents, is not a permissible ground for restricting the right to freedom of expression.

The UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief recently observed that “sensitivity concerning religious sentiments of different religious and belief communities should become an important feature of culture of communication… Subjective feelings of offensiveness, however, should never guide legislative action, court decisions or other State activities”.

The post Bangladesh: Schoolteacher detained for discussing the difference between science and religion must be immediately released appeared first on Amnesty International.

Today, the Russian authorities have closed down representative offices of Amnesty International and other international NGOs. Reacting to the news, Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, said:

“Amnesty’s closing down in Russia is only the latest in a long list of organizations that have been punished for defending human rights and speaking the truth to the Russian authorities. In a country where scores of activists and dissidents have been imprisoned, killed or exiled, where independent media has been smeared, blocked or forced to self-censor, and where civil society organizations have been outlawed or liquidated, you must be doing something right if the Kremlin tries to shut you up.

Amnesty’s closing down in Russia is only the latest in a long list of organizations that have been punished for defending human rights and speaking the truth to the Russian authorities

Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International

“The authorities are deeply mistaken if they believe that by closing down our office in Moscow they will stop our work documenting and exposing human rights violations. We continue undeterred to work to ensure that people in Russia are able to enjoy their human rights without discrimination. We will redouble our efforts to expose Russia’s egregious human rights violations both at home and abroad.

“We will never stop fighting for the release of prisoners of conscience unjustly detained for standing up for human rights. We will continue to defend independent journalism’s ability to report actual facts, free of the Russian government’s intervention. We will continue to work relentlessly to ensure that all those who are responsible for committing grave human rights violations, whether in Russia, Ukraine or Syria, face justice. Put simply, we will never give up.”

We will continue to work relentlessly to ensure that all those who are responsible for committing grave human rights violations, whether in Russia, Ukraine or Syria, face justice

Background

On 8 April, the Russian Ministry of Justice delisted Amnesty International’s Moscow Office from the register of the representative offices of the international organizations and foreign NGOs, effectively closing it down alongside with offices of Human Rights Watch, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, Friedrich Ebert Foundation and other organizations. This decision has been taken “in connection with the discovered violations of the Russian legislation.”

On 11 March, Russia’s media regulator also blocked access to Amnesty International’s Russian-language website.

The post Russia: Authorities close down Amnesty International’s Moscow Office appeared first on Amnesty International.

At least six inmates at the New Bell prison in Douala have died of cholera since 18 February last. The latest, Rodrigue Ndagueho Koufet, who died on 7 April, had been held in arbitrary detention since September 2020 for being involved in peaceful protests.

“The Cameroonian authorities must urgently take all necessary health measures to ensure that detainees suffering from cholera and other medical conditions have prompt access to adequate medical care,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

The Cameroonian authorities must urgently take all necessary health measures to ensure that detainees suffering from cholera and other medical conditions have prompt access to adequate medical care.

Samira Daoud, Amnesty International's Regional Director for West and Central Africa

It has been confirmed that Rodrigue Ndagueho Koufet died of cholera on 7 April at Douala Hospital, where he was taken from the city’s central prison and chained to his hospital bed. According to the judgment, which we have seen, the Douala Military Court sentenced him to three years in prison and a 200,000 CFA franc fine on 7 December 2021 for ‘co-action of insurrection, gathering, meetings and public demonstrations’, having been arrested in September 2020 during peaceful protests of the Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC). Others detained for the same reasons are also likely to be in a worrying health situation.

The authorities must also release all those arbitrarily detained, including detainees from the English-speaking regions and members of the main opposition party, the MRC, who have been arrested over the past five years for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”

Background

At least six of the 10 regions of Cameroon are or have been affected by a cholera epidemic for several months. According to official data, 125 infections were recorded at Douala Central Prison between 21 and 31 March, where the overcrowding rate is said to be at least 300%.

The post Cameroon. Arbitrarily detained person dies of cholera in Douala, other detainees at risk appeared first on Amnesty International.

Following a rise in the cost of food, fuel, and fertilizers, sectors of society linked to transport and agriculture have organized demonstrations in several regions of the country since 28 March. In many cases, these protests have consisted of roadblocks.

On 5 April, the President suspended certain constitutional rights by means of a decree applicable in Lima and Callao and, in response, other sectors of the population organized new demonstrations. In addition, looting and acts of violence were reported in various parts of the country.

“We are highlighting the risk of possible unnecessary or disproportionate use of force by law enforcement officials against demonstrators in a context of heightened tension. Amnesty International has documented serious human rights violations in the past in the context of social protests in Peru,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International.

We are highlighting the risk of possible unnecessary or disproportionate use of force by law enforcement officials against demonstrators in a context of heightened tension. Amnesty International has documented serious human rights violations in the past in the context of social protests in Peru.

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International

“We call on President Castillo to guarantee strict adherence to the law by the security forces, as well as full respect for the norms of international law in all regions of the country, in order to avoid further loss of human life, harm to people’s physical integrity and possible escalation of this crisis.”

The media has reported that, in the context of the protests, at least two people have been fatally shot, four others have died in circumstances yet to be clarified and dozens more have been injured. According to official reports, at least 18 people have been detained in Lima in this context. Authorities have also reported that dozens of police officers have been injured and that several public buildings have been damaged. However, up-to-date official figures on the number of people killed, injured, and detained during the protests remain unclear.

Human rights organizations are reporting the disproportionate use of force by the National Police.

“We demand that the Peruvian State conduct thorough, immediate, and impartial investigations into allegations of human rights violations that may have been committed by the security forces, including fatal shootings in the context of the protests. Although the security forces have a duty to maintain public order, and for this purpose, they have the power to use force, if necessary, as a last resort and always in a proportionate manner, this function must be carried out with strict adherence to human rights. Using firearms to disperse demonstrations is unlawful; they should only be resorted to if the life of the officer concerned or a third party is at serious imminent risk,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International.

Today, the government published a new decree declaring a state of emergency on the National Road Network, suspending the rights to freedom of movement and assembly and security of the person for 30 days and giving the Armed Forces responsibility for maintaining internal order, in conjunction with the National Police.

“Attempts to unblock roads cannot be an excuse for excessive use of force. Our region has seen too many disastrous examples in this regard, including with the deployment of Armed Forces who have not been created or trained to police demonstrations,” said Guevara-Rosas.

Attempts to unblock roads cannot be an excuse for excessive use of force. Our region has seen too many disastrous examples in this regard, including with the deployment of Armed Forces who have not been created or trained to police demonstrations.

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International

Amnesty International notes that human rights standards protect peaceful protest and states that the fact that some groups or individuals use violence during a demonstration does not, per se, make the entire protest violent or authorize the security forces to disperse it with the use of force.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has established that there is a presumption in favour of considering protests to be peaceful and if acts of violence do occur, law enforcement officials have an obligation to use as far as possible non-violent means before opting for the use of force, where absolutely necessary, as a last resort. Any use of force must be in accordance with the fundamental principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, precaution, and non-discrimination and those who use it must be held accountable. The excessive or disproportionate use of force breaches international human rights obligations and, in the event of a death, may constitute a violation of the right to life.

CONTEXT

On the night of 4 April, President Pedro Castillo announced that the suspension of constitutional rights under a state of emergency declared on 20 March had been extended in the provinces of Lima and Callao – where protests and looting had not taken place – including “the inviolability of the home, freedom of movement in the national territory, freedom of assembly and liberty and security of the person”, and the imposition of the “mandatory social immobilization of the entire population in their homes” from 2:00 am until 11:59 pm on 5 April. In the early hours of 5 April, the Ombudsperson’s Office demanded that the Executive Branch call an “immediately end to the social immobilization because it is unconstitutional” and did not comply with the principles of necessity and proportionality. This was based on the fact that the measure lacked “due motivation” and the failure to give “any reason to justify such a strict social immobilization” or state “in what way it will contribute to maintaining public order”.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Carlos Mendoza (Amnesty International Americas): +52 55 4145 7003, carlos.mendoza@amnesty.org

Cecilia Niezen (Amnesty International, Peru): c.niezen@amnistia.org.pe

Read more:

Perú: Autoridades deben garantizar reparaciones integrales para víctimas de represión policial, [Peru: Authorities must ensure comprehensive reparations for victims of police repression], Research, 25 November 2020 (Spanish only)

Peru: Amnesty International documents excessive use of force by National Police, News 13 November 2020

Peru: Human rights cannot be sacrificed in the political crisis, Research, 10 November 2020

The post Peru: President Castillo must ensure proportionate use of force in response to social protests and prevent human rights violations appeared first on Amnesty International.

8 April 2022

I have a lump in my throat and a clenched stomach. I’m nervous, but who wouldn’t be. This is my first time as a defendant. I have a lot of worries about whether I will stay calm in court, whether I will cry out of nervousness.

I see myself in the pictures you share, I read all those beautiful words you write about me and I think – this is a matrix. This is not plausible. And I am incredibly grateful to you. I knew the pro-choice community was very supportive, but what’s happening is amazing.

I want to thank you enormously for that. For every private message, every phone call. Every public declaration of support or anonymously hung poster. Every message sent to friends, every interview read and comment made. Every Instagram Story and graphic and testimonial.

Thanks to you, I have the strength to face this matter. Thanks to you, I know that I am not alone.

Justyna

Thanks to you, I have the strength to face this matter. Thanks to you, I know that I am not alone.

It clogs the air in my lungs and squeezes tears in my eyes with emotion.

I apologise to you for not being able to see everything and for not replying to you straight away. It is difficult for me to face the situation that my photos are “everywhere”.

There are thousands of people #likejustyna, they don’t want to reveal themselves, because it’s not important. They help colleagues, sisters, friends and people they don’t know at all. They are simply there when someone needs support with their abortion. For which I sincerely thank them. We are strong because we are in this together.

The coming days will be difficult for me. The tension that accompanies is very high and I am not completely indifferent to it. However, I will stand before the court with peace in my heart.

I know that I have done the right thing, because supporting abortion is good if someone has also gained this peace of mind thanks to me.

Hugs,

Justyna Wydrzyńska.

The post My first hearing: a letter from Polish abortion activist Justyna appeared first on Amnesty International.