Schlagwort: human rights

In order to fight inequality and discrimination, governments in the Americas must adopt all measures necessary to ensure full enjoyment of economic, social, and cultural rights in the region, Amnesty International said today in an open letter to the heads of state who will attend the 52^nd General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS). In addition, they must guarantee protection for refugees and migrants who face high levels of violence and discrimination based on their gender, race, or nationality, among other factors.

“The main theme of the OAS General Assembly is ‘together against inequality and discrimination’, but it is time for governments to move from words to urgent action to tackle the systemic failures that are preventing the full realization of human rights for all people in the region. This requires comprehensive action to dismantle inequality, racism, and discrimination,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International.

As Amnesty International has documented, the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted and exacerbated the deep structural inequalities in the Americas that are rooted in economic, racial and gender-based factors. Many people in the region, among them women, Indigenous people, and people of African descent, suffered disproportionately in terms of rights to life, health, social protection, and the rights to an adequate standard of living and to work.

Emergency measures adopted by governments to deal with the pandemic have not been sufficient insofar as complying with their duty to eradicate discrimination and actively promote substantive equality in the enjoyment of human rights, particularly economic and social rights.

The main theme of the OAS General Assembly is ‘together against inequality and discrimination’, but it is time for governments to move from words to urgent action to tackle the systemic failures that are preventing the full realization of human rights for all people in the region.

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International

Furthermore, the structural problems in the health systems in the Americas in terms of free and universal access and adequate budgetary and human resources mean that the healthcare systems do not comply with the requirements of accessibility, availability, quality, and cultural relevance established by the right to health.

Almost every country in the region spends less than 6% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on public health, which is the standard set by the Pan-American Health Organization to achieve universal health coverage. Governments in the Americas must, at the very least, ensure that public spending on health is at least 6% of GDP as established by PAHO. To achieve this, they must organize their tax policies, both in revenue collection and expenditure, in order to progressively seek to significantly reduce discrimination and inequality.

The American continent is the location of some of the world’s most important cross-border movements of people. The human rights crisis in Venezuela has forced more than 6.8 million people to flee the country in search of international protection. Meanwhile, the political and humanitarian crisis in Haiti has led to the movement of thousands of people who are trapped at different borders in the region. In addition, as a result of the situation of generalized violence, compounded by natural disasters associated with climate change in Central America, tens of thousands of people from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala have set off for the north of the continent.

For women refugees and migrants, their migration status is a risk factor that increases their vulnerability, exposing them to gender-based violence throughout the migration route or in the cities where they decide to stay. A recent Amnesty International investigation revealed that figures on gender-based violence against Venezuelan women refugees in Colombia and Peru have increased alarmingly in recent years. 

In the case of Haiti, Amnesty International concluded that the mass or collective expulsions of Haitian asylum seekers by US authorities under Title 42 form part of a practice of detention, exclusion, and deterrence based on systematic discrimination against people of African descent. The treatment of Haitians by US authorities constitutes race-based torture under international human rights law.

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Responding to the deaths of at least 130 people following a stampede at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java on 1 October, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said:

“We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. No one should lose their lives at a football match.”

“We call on authorities to conduct a swift, thorough, and independent investigation into the use of tear gas at the stadium and ensure that those who are found to have committed violations are tried in open court and do not merely receive internal or administrative sanctions.”

“We also call on the police to review policies on the use of tear gas and other ‘less-lethal weapons’ to ensure that such a heartbreaking tragedy never occurs again.”

“This loss of life cannot go unanswered. The police themselves have stated that the deaths occurred after police use of tear gas on the crowd resulted in a stampede at the stadium exits.”

This loss of life cannot go unanswered. The police themselves have stated that the deaths occurred after police use of tear gas on the crowd resulted in a stampede at the stadium exits.

Usman Hamid, Executive Director, Amnesty International Indonesia

“Tear gas should only be used to disperse crowds when widespread violence has occurred and when other methods have failed. People must be warned that tear gas will be used and allowed to disperse.” 

“Tear gas should also never be fired in confined spaces. FIFA’s stadium safety guidelines also prohibit the carrying or use of ‘crowd control gas’ by pitchside stewards or police.”

Background:

On the night of 1 October 2022, after a football match between Arema and Persebaya in the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, ended in defeat for Arema, dozens of Arema supporters invaded the pitch and attacked players and police. To disperse the crowd, police fired tear gas into the stands. 

East Java police chief Insp. Gen. Nico Afinta told the press that the tear gas caused supporters to head to one exit. “There was a crush and because of that crush people were asphyxiated,” Nico said.

As of the time of writing, at least 130 people have been reported dead, including two police officers. At least 180 more have been injured.

The UN Human Rights Committee is clear in their General Comment 37 that in all cases the law enforcement rules on use of force must be strictly followed. The use of teargas will only be proportionate in responding to incidence of widespread violence, and only where other methods of dispersing an assembly have failed or would fail. 

The type of equipment used to disperse an assembly must be carefully considered and used only when necessary, proportional and lawful. Policing and security equipment – such as tear gas, often described as “less-lethal” weapons – can result in serious injury and even death.

The use of force directly impacts on the right to life, which is protected under Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Indonesia is obliged to comply with as a state party. The use of force is therefore subject to strict human rights safeguards as set out in the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials (1979) and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials (1990). The use of force by law enforcement officials in Indonesia is further regulated by the Indonesian Chief of Police Regulation on the Use of Force in Police Action (No. 1/2009).

While Amnesty International acknowledges the complex environment law enforcement officials often find themselves in when carrying out their duty, they must ensure full respect for the right to life and security of all persons, including those suspected of crime.

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Responding to reports that at least 25 civilians were killed today by a missile strike on a humanitarian convoy in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said:

“The fact that a humanitarian convoy was struck in this horrendous attack is further proof of Russia’s utter disregard for civilian lives in Ukraine. People delivering humanitarian aid are not military targets, and it is devastating to see more lives ruined by wanton death and destruction. All those responsible for Russia’s repeated unlawful attacks in Ukraine must be held accountable for their actions.”

The convoy was struck as it was preparing to go a Russian-occupied part of the region to deliver humanitarian aid. Intentionally directing attacks against personnel, installations, material, units or vehicles involved in a humanitarian assistance mission is a war crime.

The fact that a humanitarian convoy was struck in this horrendous attack is further proof of Russia’s utter disregard for civilian lives in Ukraine

Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

By analysing photos and video from social media, Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab confirmed that the strike hit the line of civilian vehicles as it gathered at the Avtorynok car scrapyard market on the southern outskirts of Zaporizhzhia, approximately 27.5 kilometres from the front line. A crater near the convoy measured approximately five meters wide and 2.5 metres deep, which is consistent with the warhead of a large guided missile.

According to media reports, at least 25 people were killed and 50 wounded – all of them civilians. Amnesty International was able to confirm 23 individual deaths of women and men by analysing photos and videos to identify unique clothing and distinctive features on the victims’ bodies.

Amnesty International

Ukrainian authorities reported that 16 missiles were fired at or near Zaporizhzhia during the attack, and online records indicate that the alarm sirens of the civil defence warning system sounded at 7.11am local time, nearly simultaneously with the strike. Based on the distance inside Ukrainian controlled territory, the warning sirens, the size and type of crater, and the number of weapons simultaneously fired, Amnesty International believes this was almost certainly an attack by Russian military forces.

The strike comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin today announced the annexation of four Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian forces in the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Amnesty International has previously declared the so-called referenda that preceded the announcement illegal, and their results a “sham”, and warned that Russia’s annexation of occupied territory would violate international law.

Accountability for war crimes

Since the beginning of the conflict, Amnesty International has been documenting Russian war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law committed during Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. All of Amnesty International’s outputs published to date – including news updates, reports, briefings and investigations – can be found here. 

Amnesty International has called repeatedly for members of Russian forces and officials responsible for violations to be held to account, and has welcomed the ongoing International Criminal Court investigation in Ukraine. Comprehensive accountability in Ukraine will require the concerted efforts of the UN and its organs, as well as initiatives at the national level pursuant to the principle of universal jurisdiction.

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Responding to news that Zimbabwean author and activist Tsitsi Dangarembga and fellow protester Julie Barnes were each convicted for “inciting violence”, handed a six-month suspended sentence for participating on the 31 July 2020 protest against economic hardship, and fined, Lucia Masuka, Executive Director of Amnesty International Zimbabwe, said:

The conviction of Tsitsi Dangarembga and Julie Barnes for fighting for political reforms and a better country for themselves and their fellow Zimbabweans is a travesty of justice

Lucia Masuka, Executive Director of Amnesty International Zimbabwe

“The conviction of Tsitsi Dangarembga and Julie Barnes for fighting for political reforms and a better country for themselves and their fellow Zimbabweans is a travesty of justice. The conviction and sentence send a clear and chilling message that there is no space for dissenting views in Zimbabwe, and that anyone who dares to freely express themselves will face persecution.

Authorities must stop targeting opponents and critics with prosecution and long pre-trial detentions

Lucia Masuka

“The Zimbabwean authorities must uphold the rule of law and create an environment where people like Tsitsi Dangarembga and Julie Barnes can freely exercise their freedom of expression without any fear. Authorities must stop targeting opponents and critics with prosecution and long pre-trial detentions. They must end their relentless harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders and activists who have committed no crime other than to demand that the government deliver better services to the people of Zimbabwe.

“It is not a crime for people to exercise their right to protest peacefully, and Tsitsi Dangarembga and Julie Barnes are not criminals. Authorities must end the criminalizing of protests.”

Background:

Both Tsitsi Dangarembga and Julie Barnes were arrested in July 2020 after they marched in the streets of Harare, holding banners demanding reforms of the country’s institutions. They were later released on bail and their trial has been ongoing for over two years until they were convicted on 29 September.

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.

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Responding to the reports of a suicide bomb attack that has left dozens dead and many more injured at an educational center in the predominantly Hazara Shiite community area of Dasht-e- Barchi in Kabul today, Samira Hamidi, Amnesty International’s South Asia Campaigner, said:

“Today’s horrific attack is just the latest in a series of attacks in areas dominated by the minority Hazara Shiite population and a shamefaced reminder of the inaptitude and utter failure of the Taliban, as de-facto authorities, to protect the people of Afghanistan. Urgent steps must be taken to ensure the safety of all people under the Taliban’s rule, especially the members of minority communities.”

Today’s horrific attack is… a shamefaced reminder of the inaptitude and utter failure of the Taliban to protect the people of Afghanistan.

Samira Hamidi, Amnesty International’s South Asia Campaigner

“Since their takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban have done little to put in place any measures for the protection of the public, especially of Shia-Hazaras who have been systematically targeted largely by the Islamic State (IS) in schools, mosques, training centers and public places. Instead, their actions of omission and commission have only further aggravated the risk to the lives of the people of Afghanistan especially those belonging to ethnic and minority communities.”

“It is essential that the de-facto authorities immediately carry out an effective, thorough, and independent investigation into the attacks, which should be conducted in line with international law and standards. Those suspected of criminal responsibility for the suicide bombing must face justice in fair trials before ordinary civilian courts and without recourse to death penalty.”

[Taliban’s] actions of omission and commission have only further aggravated the risk to the lives of the people of Afghanistan especially those belonging to ethnic and minority communities.

Samira Hamidi

Background

The bomb blasts took place in the early morning hours on Friday at Kaaj Educational Center in west Kabul where students in packed classrooms were given mock tests in order to prepare for their college entrance exam. According to initial local media reports around 100 students and employees of this center were killed and injured, among whom at least 21 were girls. Meanwhile the Police in Kabul have reportedly said at least 19 were killed and many more injured in the attack at the time of publication of this press release.

Earlier, in April this year, bomb blasts targeted schools in the same Hazara Shiite community area of Dasht-e-Barchi in west Kabul. Amnesty International has repeatedly documented the targeted killing of ethnic minority Hazara Shiite community members following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021

According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) report (Human rights in Afghanistan: 15 August 2021 – 15 June 2022) 2106 civilian casualties (700 killed, 1406 wounded) were recorded in the country in the one year since the takeover by the Taliban.

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