Amnesty International denounces inability to deal with crises

The international community is unable to consistently unite in the protection of human rights and demonstrates “double standards”. The conclusion is in Amnesty International’s annual report on the state of these universal values ​​around the world. For the NGO, the West’s robust response to Russian aggression in Ukraine contrasts with the “lack of action” in the face of serious human rights violations in other nations, such as Israel or Saudi Arabia. “The war on Ukrainian soil exposed the hypocrisy of Western states that mobilized against Kremlin aggression but tolerated or were complicit in serious human rights violations committed in other countries,” says Amnesty International. In the report The State of Human Rights in the World, the NGO denounced “double criteria” and “inadequate responses” to violations of these rights at a global level, which foment impunity and instability. As examples, Amnesty lists cases in Saudi Arabia, where authorities are imposing travel bans on activists and journalists; Egypt, where cases of torture, disappearances and extrajudicial executions persist; or Israel, where an “apartheid system” is maintained against the Palestinians. For the secretary general of Amnesty International, Agnès Callamard, if the quick response given to the war in Ukraine – which included sanctions, financial assistance and military support – had also been given to Russian crimes in Chechnya and Syria, thousands of lives could have been saved. “Instead, the result is more suffering and devastation,” she lamented. “The responses to the Russian invasion of Ukraine have given us some evidence of what can be done when the political will is there. We’ve seen global condemnations, criminal investigations, open borders for refugees. This approach must be contemplated in dealing with all serious human rights violations in the world”. Agnès argues that “we need less hypocrisy and cynicism, and more consistent, ambitious and principled action by all States to promote and protect all rights”. Western hypocrisy Amnesty International highlights how the United States, for example, has hosted tens of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing war while, on the other hand, used “racist policies and practices” to expel more than 25,000 Haitians from its territory in one space of a few months. The Member States of the European Union, which opened their doors to Ukrainian refugees, providing them with access to health, education and housing, “kept their doors closed to migrants seeking to escape war and repression in Syria, Afghanistan and Libya”. China, where reports persist of human rights violations in the persecution of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities, has escaped international condemnation from the United Nations. “The UN Human Rights Council has established a special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Russia and an investigation mechanism on Iran due to the demonstrations that have devastated the country. On the other hand, he voted not to continue investigating and discussing the UN’s own conclusions on potential crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, China, and suspended a resolution on the Philippines. In the case of journalists, several were punished in Russia just for making reference to the war in Ukraine. But also in other countries, including Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Belarus, many of these professionals were arbitrarily detained. Also in the climate crisis, nations proved unable to “act in the interest of humanity and address dependence on fossil fuels”. In 2022, global warming continued to progress catastrophically, particularly in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where floods triggered waves of waterborne diseases, killing hundreds of people. “This collective failure was another glaring example of the weakness of current multilateral systems,” accuses Amnesty. Non-Ukrainian crises The case of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is one of those highlighted by Amnesty International, with 2022 being “one of the deadliest years” since the UN began recording the number of victims. “Israeli authorities continued to force Palestinians from their homes, and the government is launching plans to dramatically expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. Instead of demanding the end of Israel’s apartheid system, many western governments chose to attack those who denounced it”, says the NGO. In the cases of Australia, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom, authorities have passed new legislation to restrict demonstrations. British law “gives the authorities wide powers, such as the ability to ban ‘noisy demonstrations’, undermining freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” the report says. These freedoms are also on the agenda in Iran, where for decades the authorities have responded to population protests with “illegal force” and resorting to “live ammunition, metallic grenades, tear gas and aggression”, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people, including children. . Police violence has also been felt in Peru, especially in the demonstrations that followed the ousting of former president Pedro Castillo. The report also underlines the impact of the year 2022 on women’s rights, highlighting the repeal of the constitutional right to abortion in the United States. According to Amnesty, this episode calls into question other human rights, such as the right to life, health, privacy, security and non-discrimination of millions of women and girls. In 2022, women’s rights were also more fragile in countries like Afghanistan – where, after the Taliban took power, women’s autonomy, education, work and other freedoms deteriorated. In Iran, the so-called “morality police” were globally condemned for the death of young Mahsa Amini, after having incorrectly used the Islamic headscarf (hijab). The incident led to demonstrations across the country, in which several women and girls were arrested and beaten. “Even if global power dynamics are in real chaos, human rights cannot be lost in the disarray,” urges Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard. “On the other hand, it is human rights that must guide the world as increasingly unstable and dangerous contexts multiply. We cannot wait for the world to burn again.” Ukrainian crisis Amnesty’s report details the main human rights problems in 2022 and 2023 in 156 countries. Ukraine is, naturally, one of the highlights, as a result of the Russian invasion that began on February 24 last year. “Russian forces carried out indiscriminate attacks that resulted in thousands of civilian casualties, amidst mounting evidence of other crimes including torture, sexual violence and murder. Attacks on civil infrastructure also led to violations of the rights to housing, health and education”, denounces the NGO. The war further exacerbated existing inequalities for women, with reports of increased gender-based violence. In addition, repression of dissidents and human rights defenders continued in Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014. “On September 30, a Russian missile attack on a humanitarian convoy in Zaporizhia killed at least 25 civilians. Russian forces also occupied large tracts of territory and denied civilians access to humanitarian aid,” the report reads. *Reproduction of this content is prohibited

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