AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2016/17

Basin. The deteriorating security situation in
the border areas of the Lake Chad region
from late July onward affected humanitarian
access and the protection of vulnerable
populations. Internally displaced people in
the Lake Chad Basin lived in dire conditions
with extremely limited access to water and
sanitation, especially in the Baga-Sola sites of
Bol, Liwa and Ngouboua.
RIGHT TO AN ADEQUATE STANDARD OF
LIVING, EDUCATION AND JUSTICE
People continued to flee the escalating
violence in the Lake Chad area, disrupting
agriculture, trade and fishing with dire
economic and social consequences. The
volatile security situation exacerbated food
insecurity. In September, the UN estimated
that 3.8 million people were food insecure,
including 1 million people at crisis or
emergency level.
Delays in salary payments led to regular
public sector strikes, restricting access to
education and justice.
In August, the government adopted 16
emergency reform measures to tackle the
economic crisis linked to the drop in the
price of oil, including cancelling scholarships
for university students in the countryside. In
response, students organized both peaceful
and violent demonstrations in the main cities,
including N’Djamena, Sarh, Pala and Bongor.
SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
Despite national law providing for the right of
couples and individuals to decide freely the
number, spacing and timing of their children,
to manage their reproductive health, and to
have access to the information and means to
do so, many people had no access to
reproductive information or care, particularly
in rural areas. The UN Population Fund
(UNFPA) estimated that only 3% of women
used any form of contraception. According to
2014 figures from the National Institute of
Statistics, only 5% of married women used
modern contraceptive methods.
In December the National Assembly
adopted a reform of the penal code raising
the legal age of marriage for girls from 16 to
18 years.
INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE
On 30 May, former President Habré was
sentenced to life imprisonment by the EAC in
Senegal, a court established under an
agreement between the African Union and
Senegal. He was found guilty of crimes
against humanity, war crimes and torture
committed in Chad between 1982 and 1990.
His lawyers lodged an appeal.
On 29 July, the EAC awarded the victims
of rape and sexual violence in the case 20
million CFA (US$33,880) each; the victims of
arbitrary detention and torture, as well as
prisoners of war and survivors, 15 million
CFA (US$25,410) each; and the indirect
victims, 10 million CFA (US$16,935) each.
CHILE
Republic of Chile
Head of state and government: Michelle Bachelet Jeria
Impunity for past and continuing human
rights violations remained a concern. Legal
proceedings relating to allegations of past
crimes under international law and other
human rights violations continued; in a few
cases, those involved were imprisoned. For
much of the year, cases of unnecessary and
excessive use of force by the police
continued to be dealt with by the military
courts. However, a law passed in November
excludes civilians from military jurisdiction.
Abortion remained criminalized in all
circumstances, although some steps were
taken to decriminalize it in limited
circumstances.
BACKGROUND
Between April and August, the government
carried out a consultation process open to all
citizens as the first step towards the adoption
of a new Constitution. The current
Constitution, adopted during the military
government under General Pinochet,
116 Amnesty International Report 2016/17