Schlagwort: Amnesty International

Responding to the ongoing protests in Kazakhstan over soaring energy prices, deteriorating living standards and the repression of peaceful protest, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said:

“The protests unfolding in Kazakhstan, which have turned violent, are a direct consequence of the authorities’ widespread repression of basic human rights. For years, the government has relentlessly persecuted peaceful dissent, leaving the Kazakhstani people in a state of agitation and despair.

“Instead of threatening to crack down on protesters, the Kazakhstani authorities must resolve the situation peacefully by immediately and unconditionally releasing all those who have been arbitrarily detained and addressing past abuses committed by the state. Protesters accused of internationally recognized crimes for violent actions should be provided with fair trials in accordance with international human rights law.

“Kazakhstan’s commitments under international law and its own constitution enshrine the right to peaceful assembly. The authorities must honour these obligations, protect peaceful protesters and respect free speech. They must also ensure that police do not use unlawful and excessive force. Any police officer or other official responsible for inflicting human rights violations must be held to account.”

Background

On 2 January, protests erupted in the Mangystau Region in south-east Kazakhstan over gas price hikes, before spreading into several other major cities, including the biggest city, Almaty.

The protests gradually turned violent, with reports of protesters damaging police cars, among other offences, and storming the Almaty city administration’s office today. In response, police fired tear gas and stun grenades at the protesters. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in a televised address that he plans “to act as toughly as possible.”

The authorities introduced a state of emergency in the Mangystau Region, Almaty and some other cities on Tuesday and Wednesday. They have reportedly also restricted the internet and social media and warned all media against “violating” Kazakhstan’s unduly restrictive media law.

Police said they have arrested at least 200 protesters and that dozens of officers have been injured. They arbitrarily detained and questioned at least two senior journalists from the RFE/RL’s local Azzattyk radio service.

For years, the authorities have repressed the basic rights of the Kazakhstani people by not only banning peaceful protest but also opposition political parties. Numerous peaceful protest leaders, human rights defenders, bloggers and others have been arrested and imprisoned following unfair trials. In 2011, at least 14 protesters were killed after police cracked down on a demonstration in Zhanaozen. 

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Wealthy states and pharma companies have catastrophically failed to ensure equal access to vaccines, leaving billions of people without life-saving medicines this year, Amnesty International said today as 2021 draws to a close.   

Despite repeated calls from Amnesty International and others such as the World Health Organization to ensure at least 40% of people in low and lower-middle-income countries are vaccinated by the end of 2021, wealthy states and pharmaceutical companies have continued to ignore these pleas.

“Although the world has produced some 11 billion vaccines doses – only seven percent of people in low-income countries have received a single dose. Why is it that poorer countries are being denied access to life-saving medicine while rich countries sit on piles of unused stock?” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

Why is it that poorer countries are being denied access to life-saving medicine while rich countries sit on piles of unused stock?

Agnès Callamard, Secretary General

“The emergence of the Omicron variant should serve as a wake-up call to the wealthy states and pharma companies that failed to address the pandemic at a global level. Failing to vaccinate everyone – no matter where they are from – leaves the entire global population vulnerable to new variants. The only way to break this vicious cycle is by ensuring everyone has access to vaccines.”

This year saw leaders around the world make numerous promises about sharing vaccines, yet time and time again they failed to honour them. In June, the G7 summit pledged to share 1 billion doses by the end of 2021, although reports suggest this target is yet to be met. In September, US President Joe Biden and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen committed to donating an extra 900 million doses to low and lower-middle income countries by September 2022. While this is a welcome move, poorer countries are in need of vaccines right now.  

Pharmaceutical companies have also failed to rise to the challenge. US pharma giant Pfizer has made misleading statements that its “vaccine would be available to every patient, country and community that seeks access”, while it has in fact delivered the large majority of its vaccines to high and upper-middle-income countries. Its rival, Moderna, was only able to develop its vaccine with the support of US government scientists and huge amounts of financial aid, but has also prioritised sales to wealthy countries. Both companies are still delivering less than 1% of their stock to low-income countries

Moderna and Pfizer, along with other vaccine manufacturers, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson, have also, critically, refused to support measures that would temporarily lift intellectual property protections and share vaccine technology with other manufacturers around the world, in order to allow for a ramping up of global production.

All businesses have a responsibility to respect human rights. Above all, this responsibility means that companies should “do no harm”. If they discover that they are the cause of human rights abuses, then they must immediately stop their harmful actions and provide remedy. This is a widely recognized standard of expected conduct as set out in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. 

But through their decisions, the vaccine makers have ended up causing or contributing to human rights harms suffered by billions of people lacking access to the Covid-19 vaccine.

“Around this time last year, the first vaccine was administered. More than 365 days later, whilst many in wealthier countries have received up to three doses, so many more in poorer countries have received none. We face the dismal reality – magnified by the brutal clarity of the pandemic – that some lives are simply considered more worthy of saving than others. What a truly devastating end to the year,” said Agnès Callamard.

We face the dismal reality – magnified by the brutal clarity of the pandemic – that some lives are simply considered more worthy of saving than others. What a truly devastating end to the year

Agnès Callamard, Secretary General

“We hoped that international pressure would help wealthy states and big pharmaceutical companies to see sense, stop hoarding vaccines and share intellectual property rights, but greed got the better of them. Let’s hope their new year’s resolutions include making good on their promises and making sure everyone has the chance to get vaccinated.

“Many low-income countries are now struggling to deal with a deadly new variant while the majority of their populations haven’t even been vaccinated at all. Unless drastic action is taken now, Covid-19 will continue to wreak havoc for years to come and the key question now is, what will happen if large parts of the world remain unvaccinated? It has never been clearer that no one is safe until everyone is safe.”

Background

Since 22 September 2021, in line with others such as the WHO, Amnesty International has been calling on states and pharmaceutical companies to ensure equal access to Covid-19 vaccines so that at least 40% of people in low and lower-middle-income countries can get vaccinated by the end of 2021 with its campaign, The 100 Day Countdown: 2 billion vaccines now!

Amnesty International will be releasing a briefing early next year with the latest data, detailing how pharmaceutical companies and states have failed to prioritise the needs of low-income countries.

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Responding to the arrests of current and former senior executives and board members of Hong Kong media outlet Stand News for alleged “seditious publication” this morning, Amnesty International’s Deputy Secretary General Kyle Ward said:

“The relentless campaign against press freedom in Hong Kong continues with the stunning early-morning police raid and arrests of senior executives of outspoken media outlet Stand News.”

“Authorities continue to weaponize Hong Kong’s legal system by invoking a colonial-era law of ‘seditious publication’. Also suggesting that articles might be ‘inciting secession’.”

“It is farcical that the government continues to claim that the arrests are in line with the ICCPR when international human rights standards clearly state that freedom of expression, whether in the name of ‘national security’ or otherwise, can only be lawfully restricted in a proportionate and clearly defined manner, instead of criminalizing a politically selected range of non-violent activities. Justifications given by authorities so far have not demonstrated that the threshold for restriction has been met.”

“The arrests, seizing of journalistic materials and freezing of assets have an immediate chilling effect with Stand News announcing that it will cease operations. This is sadly not unexpected and continues the downwards spiral for press freedom in Hong Kong.”

“All the media workers arrested today solely for doing their legitimate journalistic work must be immediately released.

Background

This morning, current and former executives of Stand News were arrested for “seditious publications” under Article 9 and 10 of the Crimes Ordinance, an archaic colonial-era provision last amended in the 1970s. According to media reports, over 200 national security police officers raided the online news outlet and authorities have confirmed that they have frozen over HK$61 million (ca. US$ 7.8 million) in assets.

Stand News has since announced that they have ceased operations.

Those arrested include former editor-in-chief Chung Pui-kuen, current editor-in-chief Patrick Lam, former board member and lawmaker Margaret Ng, former board member Christine Fong, Chow Tat-chi and pop singer and former board member Denise Ho.

Yesterday, executives of the now-defunct Apple Daily also faced the additional charge of “seditious publications”.

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Responding to the news that Moscow City Court has ordered the closure of prominent Russian NGO Human Rights Center Memorial for allegedly violating “foreign agent” legislation and “justifying terrorism and extremism,” Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said: 

“The Russian authorities’ heartless closure of Human Rights Center Memorial, an organization that has assisted thousands of individuals in times of crisis both at home and abroad for 30 years, represents yet another blow to Russia’s civil society movement after years of relentless attacks. 

“Human Rights Center Memorial has been shuttered following spurious accusations that the organization failed to observe the repressive ‘foreign agents’ legislation and that its lawful human rights work justifies ‘terrorism and extremism’. These sham charges serve as little more than a pretext for silencing dissent and blocking people’s ability to come together to defend human rights, and they must be immediately dropped. 

“The authorities’ dismantling of this outstanding human rights organization fits a broader pattern of repression that seeks to outlaw Russia’s civil society networks. The decision to close Human Rights Center Memorial must be overturned immediately.” 

Background 

Founded in 1991, HRC Memorial is one of the most respected human rights organizations in Russia. It has a month to appeal the court’s decision. 

The prosecutors claimed that HRC Memorial repeatedly violated the “foreign agents” law by refusing to label their content as produced by a “foreign agent”.  

They also claimed that HRC Memorial justified “terrorism and extremism” by keeping a list of people detained for political reasons on its website. The list featured individuals imprisoned following unfair, politically-motivated trials.  

On 28 December, the Supreme Court ordered to liquidate its sister organization, International Memorial.

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1931 – 2021

Amnesty International paid tribute today to one of the world’s dedicated human rights champions, Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu. Tutu passed away on 26 December 2021 at the age of 90.

The death of Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu leaves a big void in the struggle for human rights and freedom around the world. He dedicated his entire life to the fight to create a world where people could be free to claim and exercise their freedoms, without being prejudiced or persecuted for who they are.

The world has lost a dedicated human rights champion. Archbishop Desmond Tutu refused to sit and watch injustice meted out against the people of South Africa by the apartheid government at the time when it was costly to stand up against the regime. He also stood up for the oppressed people elsewhere around the world, ensuring that he spoke out for their freedom.

Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa.

He will be remembered for standing up for the oppressed people of South Africa during the apartheid government’s segregation and oppression of black people, denying them basic human rights such as freedom of association, movement and assembly.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has been a fervent supporter of Amnesty International’s human rights work. He supported the organization’s Arms Trade Treaty campaign, an international treaty that sets out robust global rules to stop the flow of weapons, munitions and related items to countries when it is known they would be used to commit or facilitate genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and serious human rights violations.

He also worked with the organization to campaign to free political prisoners in Burma in August 2012, including Aung San Suu Kyi.
“Archbishop Desmond Tutu devoted his entire life to ensuring justice for all. He wanted to see a world where all co-existed in peace and harmony, without any prejudice. He is a true example of a selfless human rights fighter,”

He also worked with Amnesty International to champion the rights of LGBTI people. He also supported the organization’s campaign against death penalty, putting pressure on countries still using it as punishment for crime to bring an end to the cruel and inhuman practice.

“Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu leaves a remarkable human rights legacy. It is for us to continue where he left off, to demand better from our governments and to create human rights respecting societies.”

Background

Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born in Klerksdorp on 7 October 1931, but later moved to Johannesburg at the age of 12 with his parents.

He studied theology at King’s College in the United Kingdom in the 1960s and later became the Archbishop. He was appointed as General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches in 1978. He became Bishop of Johannesburg in 1985 and in 1986 the Archbishop of Cape Town, the most senior position in southern Africa’s Anglican church hierarchy.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1984.

He was appointed a patron of the World Campaign Against Military and Nuclear Collaboration with South Africa in 1994.
In 1995 President Nelson Mandela appointed him the Chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a body set up to probe gross human rights violations that occurred under apartheid.

During the 2008-2009 Gaza war, he called the Israeli offensive “war crimes”. He retired from public life in October 2010, but he continued speak out on social justice, freedom and human rights. In September 2012, he called for former US president George W. Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to be tried for their role in the Iraqi war by the International Criminal Court. Since his retirement, Tutu has worked as a global activist on issues pertaining to democracy, freedom and human rights.

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