Amnesty International: Human Rights are at Risk - 2003-05-28

Amnesty International states that the global fight against terrorism has led to an increase in human rights violations and a widespread feeling of insecurity around the world. In its annual report on the state of human rights in various countries, published today at its headquarters in London, Amnesty International declared that human rights are under threat and that governments, while combating terrorism, have evaded scrutiny and oversight from observers. Amnesty International, one of the most important international organizations for the defense of human rights, criticized several countries, including Egypt, Jordan, and Yemen, stating that governments in these countries have restricted freedoms of expression, and that the United States has deprived those arrested or detained in the context of the fight against terrorism of rights recognized by international bodies. Amnesty International notes that global attention is focused on the situation in Iraq, while human rights are severely violated in countries such as Colombia, Ivory Coast, Burundi, Chechnya, and Nepal. Regarding the human rights situation in the Middle East, Amnesty International states that throughout the Middle East and North Africa last year, in the name of the fight against terrorism, human rights violations worsened. This human rights advocacy group has strongly criticized both Israelis and Palestinians, stating that the Israeli army has committed violations in Palestinian territories that amount to war crimes. Additionally, according to this organization, armed Palestinian groups have committed crimes against humanity, and the Palestinian Authority has detained dozens for political reasons. Concerning Iraq, Amnesty International warns that despite the former Iraqi regime announcing a general amnesty for prisoners before its downfall, the fate of tens of thousands of Iraqis who have disappeared in recent years remains unknown. Amnesty International has also criticized the practices of several other Middle Eastern countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran and Algeria, regarding human rights violations.