AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2016/17

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its stranglehold on communications technology. Often the stern measures were simply an attempt to mask government failures, such as in Venezuela, where the government sought to silence critics rather than address a spiralling humanitarian crisis. In addition to the direct threats and attacks, there was an insidious chipping away at established civil and political freedoms in the name of security. For example the UK adopted a new law, the Investigatory Powers Act, which significantly increased the authorities’ powers to intercept, access, retain or otherwise hack digital communications and data without any requirement of reasonable suspicion against an individual. By introducing one of the broadest regimes for mass surveillance of any country in the world, the UK took a significant step towards a reality where the right to privacy is simply not recognized. However, the erosion of human rights values was perhaps most pernicious when officials blamed a specific “other” for real or perceived social problems in order to justify their repressive actions. Hateful, divisive and dehumanizing rhetoric unleashed the darkest instincts of human nature. By casting collective responsibility for social and economic ills onto particular groups, often ethnic or religious minorities, those in power gave free rein to discrimination and hate crimes, particularly in Europe and the USA. One variant of this was demonstrated by the escalation, with enormous loss of life, of President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs” in the Philippines. State-sanctioned violence and mass killings by vigilantes claimed more than 6,000 lives following repeated public endorsements by the President for those allegedly involved in drug-related crimes to be killed. When self-styled “anti-establishment” figures blamed so-called elites, international institutions and the “other” for social or economic grievances, they chose the wrong prescription. The sense of insecurity and disenfranchisement – arising from factors such as unemployment, job insecurity, growing inequality and the loss of public services – demanded commitment, resources and policy shifts from governments, not easy scapegoats to blame. It was clear that many disillusioned people around the world did not seek answers in human rights. However, the inequality and neglect underlying popular anger and frustration arose at least in part from the failure of states to fulfil people’s economic, social and cultural rights. The story of 2016 was in some ways a story of people’s courage, resilience, creativity and determination in the face of immense challenges and threats. Every region of the world saw evidence that where formal structures of power are used to repress, people will find ways of rising up and being heard. In China, despite systematic harassment and intimidation, activists found subversive ways to commemorate online the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. At the Rio Olympic Games, Ethiopian marathon runner Feyisa Lilesa made global headlines with a gesture to draw attention to the government’s persecution of Oromo people as he crossed the finishing line to win a silver medal. And on Europe’s Mediterranean coasts, volunteers responded to the inertia and failure of governments to protect refugees by physically dragging drowning people out of the water themselves. People’s popular movements across Africa – some unthinkable only a year earlier – galvanized and channelled popular demands for rights and justice. Ultimately, the charge that human rights is a project of the elite rings hollow. People’s instincts for freedom and justice do not simply wither away. During a year of division and dehumanization, the actions of some people to affirm humanity and the fundamental dignity of every person shone more brightly than ever. This compassionate response was embodied by 24-year-old Anas al-Basha, the so-called “clown of Aleppo”, who chose to remain in the city to bring comfort and joy to children even after government forces unleashed their horrific 14 Amnesty International Report 2016/17
ombardment. After his death in an air strike on 29 November, his brother paid tribute to him for making children happy in “the darkest, most dangerous place”. As we begin 2017, the world feels unstable and fear for the future proliferates. Yet it is in these times that courageous voices are needed, ordinary heroes who will stand up against injustice and repression. Nobody can take on the whole world, but everyone can change their own world. Everyone can take a stand against dehumanization, acting locally to recognize the dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all, and thus lay the foundations of freedom and justice in the world. 2017 needs human rights heroes. Amnesty International Report 2016/17 15
Page 1 and 2: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2016/1
Page 5 and 6: CONTENTS ANNUAL REPORT 2016/17 Abbr
Page 7 and 8: ABBREVIATIONS ASEAN Association of
Page 9: PREFACE The Amnesty International R
Page 12 and 13: FOREWORD “2016 saw the idea of hu
Page 16 and 17: AFRICA REGIONAL OVERVIEW Mass prote
Page 18 and 19: democracy activist Itai Dzamara, af
Page 20 and 21: continue attacking its civilian pop
Page 22 and 23: leader to be prosecuted before a co
Page 24 and 25: AMERICAS REGIONAL OVERVIEW Despite
Page 26 and 27: HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AT RISK In m
Page 28 and 29: economic need rather than soaring v
Page 30 and 31: that were perpetrated in the contex
Page 32 and 33: ASIA-PACIFIC REGIONAL OVERVIEW Whil
Page 34 and 35: ill-treatment was hindered by const
Page 36 and 37: landline, mobile and internet servi
Page 38 and 39: ahead of Cambodia’s elections pla
Page 40 and 41: EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA REGIONAL OV
Page 42 and 43: EU and member state foreign policy.
Page 44 and 45: members appointed by the Prime Mini
Page 46 and 47: surveillance, while independent med
Page 48 and 49: MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REGION
Page 50 and 51: Government of National Accord (GNA)
Page 52 and 53: law allowing detention without char
Page 54 and 55: number of countries, exacerbated by
Page 59 and 60: Affairs (UNOCHA) reported some 25,0
Page 61 and 62: defenders. Threats continued agains
Page 63 and 64: prosecutor revealed the scale of th
Page 65 and 66:
activist Kameleddine Fekhar and oth
Page 67 and 68:
efore the Supreme Tribunal. The Tri
Page 69 and 70:
Supreme Court ultimately ordered th
Page 71 and 72:
and others. On several occasions, p
Page 73 and 74:
RIGHTS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, T
Page 75 and 76:
ights defenders, journalists, polit
Page 77 and 78:
group reported receiving threats fr
Page 79 and 80:
of protesters for questioning, incl
Page 81 and 82:
Regulation Act which significantly
Page 83 and 84:
DEATH PENALTY On 18 April, Siarhei
Page 85 and 86:
employment. Several individuals and
Page 87 and 88:
eport on Bolivia. Among its recomme
Page 89 and 90:
found Radovan Karadžić, the warti
Page 91 and 92:
BRAZIL Federative Republic of Brazi
Page 93 and 94:
In July the Attorney General reques
Page 95 and 96:
children - were deported, many with
Page 97 and 98:
administrative detention, often for
Page 99 and 100:
ABUSES BY ARMED GROUPS Throughout t
Page 101 and 102:
declared in August and cases of mal
Page 103 and 104:
The operational phase of the Truth
Page 105 and 106:
28 April and charged with bribing a
Page 107 and 108:
civilians. On 10 February in the to
Page 109 and 110:
On 2 August, three young men were a
Page 111 and 112:
case involving Tahoe Resources’ G
Page 113 and 114:
REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED P
Page 115 and 116:
demonstration on 5 April to demand
Page 117 and 118:
contains several provisions that ar
Page 119 and 120:
LEGAL, CONSTITUTIONAL OR INSTITUTIO
Page 121 and 122:
lawyers of their choice for at leas
Page 123 and 124:
Uighur teachers to schools througho
Page 125 and 126:
SECURITY FORCES There were continue
Page 127 and 128:
industrial projects known as Zones
Page 129 and 130:
l'alternance démocratique” (IDC-
Page 131 and 132:
d’Ivoire, was charged with threat
Page 133 and 134:
politicized and unimplemented in so
Page 135 and 136:
convicted for the beating of a deta
Page 137 and 138:
custodian of the child, was unconst
Page 139 and 140:
the prosecutor opened an investigat
Page 141 and 142:
On 11 October, Gedeon Kyungu Mutang
Page 143 and 144:
American States (OAS) was held in S
Page 145 and 146:
Corporation, accusing it of violent
Page 147 and 148:
ailed Amro Badr on 28 August and Ma
Page 149 and 150:
information. The court sentenced si
Page 151 and 152:
esult in human rights violations, a
Page 153 and 154:
charge at the end of the year. Over
Page 155 and 156:
REFUGEES’ AND MIGRANTS’ RIGHTS
Page 157 and 158:
of terrorist acts punishable by up
Page 159 and 160:
Changes to the asylum procedure aff
Page 161 and 162:
authorities did not have the capaci
Page 163 and 164:
footage of an opposition candidate
Page 165 and 166:
treatment by police were reported.
Page 167 and 168:
304,900 arrivals between January an
Page 169 and 170:
continued to face discrimination, v
Page 171 and 172:
and the constitutionality of the co
Page 173 and 174:
surgery. In June, the Athens Magist
Page 175 and 176:
BACKGROUND Local elections were pos
Page 177 and 178:
Tension between President Vaz, the
Page 179 and 180:
outbreak. The UN continued to deny
Page 181 and 182:
HUNGARY Hungary Head of state: Ján
Page 183 and 184:
the applicant’s vulnerability in
Page 185 and 186:
Court rejected a petition challengi
Page 187 and 188:
grounds. Hundreds of people, includ
Page 189 and 190:
District and Pontianak City, West K
Page 191 and 192:
1. Indonesia: Defamation investigat
Page 193 and 194:
to punish prisoners or to coerce
Page 195 and 196:
government announced that optional
Page 197 and 198:
Following a suicide bombing that ki
Page 199 and 200:
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION - MEDIA WORKE
Page 201 and 202:
safeguards when threatened with and
Page 203 and 204:
continued to arrest hundreds of Pal
Page 205 and 206:
1,460 Palestinian civilians were ki
Page 207 and 208:
In August, Italian and Sudanese pol
Page 209 and 210:
of officers named in the Commission
Page 211 and 212:
In June, the Kumamoto District Cour
Page 213 and 214:
plans to amend Article 308 and othe
Page 215 and 216:
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION NGOs Leading
Page 217 and 218:
EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS Police and
Page 219 and 220:
esidents agreed that permanent resi
Page 221 and 222:
iefly detained incommunicado, inter
Page 223 and 224:
eing sanctioned by the government.
Page 225 and 226:
term in a separate case but he hand
Page 227 and 228:
they believed to be sex workers and
Page 229 and 230:
people remained stateless. Individu
Page 231 and 232:
Syrian and Palestinian refugee wome
Page 233 and 234:
ongoing construction of Polihali Da
Page 235 and 236:
General National Congress abducted
Page 237 and 238:
Libya’s coastguard service, which
Page 239 and 240:
dubious grounds related to national
Page 241 and 242:
Act and Penal Code that increased t
Page 243 and 244:
Rohingya were released and some wer
Page 245 and 246:
MALI Republic of Mali Head of state
Page 247 and 248:
policy framework relating to the re
Page 249 and 250:
three years’ imprisonment for usi
Page 251 and 252:
Dozens of mass graves were uncovere
Page 253 and 254:
2014. The GIEI confirmed that the a
Page 255 and 256:
generally restrained, occasionally
Page 257 and 258:
Conservation Foundation. The Nation
Page 259 and 260:
office after the Minister of Justic
Page 261 and 262:
law to combat human trafficking. In
Page 263 and 264:
him that they had been ordered to l
Page 265 and 266:
LACK OF HUMANITARIAN ACCESS From Ap
Page 267 and 268:
In March, the UN Human Rights Counc
Page 269 and 270:
Omid Masoumali, an Iranian refugee,
Page 271 and 272:
sowing “social discord” in soci
Page 273 and 274:
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS Se
Page 275 and 276:
NIGER Republic of Niger Head of sta
Page 277 and 278:
treatment. Conditions in military d
Page 279 and 280:
military and later arrested by the
Page 281 and 282:
state, were forcibly evicted when s
Page 283 and 284:
under vaguely worded public order,
Page 285 and 286:
allegedly ill-treated and denied pr
Page 287 and 288:
On 8 May, the Pakistani Taliban sho
Page 289 and 290:
UNFAIR TRIALS In both the West Bank
Page 291 and 292:
the outcomes were not known at the
Page 293 and 294:
Guaraní de Sauce community in conn
Page 295 and 296:
hours a day as an “escort” in a
Page 297 and 298:
amounts of drugs. The bills sparked
Page 299 and 300:
FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY In December, th
Page 301 and 302:
wellbeing. The reform of the police
Page 303 and 304:
on whether to appoint a commission
Page 305 and 306:
created but was not operational at
Page 307 and 308:
NGOs continued to face administrati
Page 309 and 310:
Failure to provide adequate medical
Page 311 and 312:
preparing and planning the genocide
Page 313 and 314:
internationally recognized governme
Page 315 and 316:
TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT Sec
Page 317 and 318:
Amendments to the Code of Criminal
Page 319 and 320:
across the country. Infections and
Page 321 and 322:
the Committee on the Rights of the
Page 323 and 324:
“most serious crimes” under int
Page 325 and 326:
REFUGEES AND ASYLUM-SEEKERS Before
Page 327 and 328:
intensified attacks and called on f
Page 329 and 330:
death in proceedings that fell shor
Page 331 and 332:
displaced. Earlier in the year, res
Page 333 and 334:
discovered in a shallow grave. Part
Page 335 and 336:
arbitrary arrests, prolonged and -
Page 337 and 338:
investigate crimes committed during
Page 339 and 340:
protection for some of the most vul
Page 341 and 342:
newspaper editor Lasantha Wickremat
Page 343 and 344:
In January, Parliament passed an am
Page 345 and 346:
In February, NISS officials and stu
Page 347 and 348:
emedies available to them under dom
Page 349 and 350:
September, the Lower Chamber of the
Page 351 and 352:
controlled or contested by armed gr
Page 353 and 354:
ecruitment of 12 children by the As
Page 355 and 356:
TAJIKISTAN Republic of Tajikistan H
Page 357 and 358:
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION The authoriti
Page 359 and 360:
and violence for opposing developme
Page 361 and 362:
ights violations against members of
Page 363 and 364:
ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS Th
Page 365 and 366:
ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS, A
Page 367 and 368:
estaurants, internet cafés, grocer
Page 369 and 370:
FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY The authorities
Page 371 and 372:
life and the principle of humanity.
Page 373 and 374:
UGANDA Republic of Uganda Head of s
Page 375 and 376:
September, the Court refused to con
Page 377 and 378:
ARBITRARY ARRESTS AND DETENTIONS Bo
Page 379 and 380:
detention centre in the vicinity of
Page 381 and 382:
and his son, Mohammed Eldarat, both
Page 383 and 384:
TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT Int
Page 385 and 386:
In January, an Independent Review i
Page 387 and 388:
the case in what was still likely a
Page 389 and 390:
ecommendations that would limit the
Page 391 and 392:
Naval Fusiliers and was due to make
Page 393 and 394:
esidents and their families and too
Page 395 and 396:
economic, social and cultural right
Page 397 and 398:
cases that did reach the courts did
Page 399 and 400:
arrested and severely beaten in cus
Page 401 and 402:
of the population, relied on humani
Page 403 and 404:
incidents to investigate, conducts
Page 405 and 406:
discriminatory traditional attitude
Page 407 and 408:
and unconstitutional. However, Evan
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