Web pages about "Impunity"

Tunisia: Human rights lip service

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:37:52 +0100

The Tunisian government is misleading the world as it conveys a positive image of the human rights situation in the country while abuses by its security forces continue unabated and are committed with impunity, Amnesty International revealed in a new report today.

“The Tunisian government has repeatedly asserted that it abides by its international human rights obligations, yet this is far from the reality. It is high time that the authorities stop paying lip service to human rights and take concrete action to end abuses,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Programme. “As a first step, the Tunisian authorities must acknowledge the disturbing allegations documented in this report, commit to investigating them and bring those responsible to justice."

The report, In the Name of Security: Routine Abuses in Tunisia, details Amnesty International’s concerns regarding serious human rights violations being committed in connection with the government's security and counter-terrorism policies. In their efforts to prevent the formation of what they call “terrorist cells” inside Tunisia, the authorities have been responsible for arbitrary arrests and detentions which breach Tunisian law, and have forcibly disappeared detainees, used torture and other ill-treatment and tried, convicted and sentenced people using unfair proceedings. In addition, they have tried civilians before military courts and produced little evidence to substantiate the charges.

A broad definition of terrorism in the Tunisian Anti-Terrorism Law is used by the authorities to criminalize legitimate and peaceful opposition activities. Although some legal reforms were introduced in recent years to provide better protection for detainees, the laws are routinely flouted by the Tunisian security forces, and have not served as an adequate safeguard against torture, unfair trial and other serious human rights abuses.

Ramzi el Aifi, Ousama Abbadi and Mahdi Ben Elhaj Ali were three of the co-defendants in the Soliman case. Their lawyers report that they were punched, tied up and kicked by prison guards at Mornaguia prison on 16 October 2007, apparently because they had gone on hunger strike in protest against their conditions of detention. Abbadi sustained a serious eye injury and a deep, open leg wound and was in a wheelchair, unable to stand, when seen by his lawyer on 20 October 2007. Ramzi el Aifi told his lawyer that he had been tied up with a rope, beaten up and that a stick had been inserted into his anus. No investigation into these abuses is known to have been initiated by the Tunisian authorities and those allegedly responsible have not faced ustice. Ramzi el Aifi and Ousama Abbadi were sentenced to life imprisonment, though Abbadi's sentence was reduced to 30 years' imprisonment on appeal. Mahdi Ben Elhaj Ali was sentenced to 12 years in prison, reduced to eight years on appeal.

Most human rights abuses are committed by forces of the Department of State Security (DSS), who use torture virtually with impunity.

By failing to investigate allegations of torture, the Public Prosecutor and his staff as well as judges, who often lack independence, effectively help to cover up instances in which detainees are held incommuncado for prolonged periods in breach of Tunisia's own law, as well as torture of detainees in violation of Tunisian and international law. Through their silence and failure to act, they become complicit in the abuses.

“The Tunisian authorities have an obligation to protect the public and combat terrorism, but when doing so they must comply with their obligations under international human rights law," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui. "They must ensure that the anti-terrorism and related provisions do not facilitate human rights abuses, and that, in practice, the DDS and other security forces at all times fully respect international human rights laws and standards.”

Despite this record of abuses, a number of Arab and European governments and the US government have returned people they suspected of involvement in terrorism to Tunisia, where they have then suffered arbitrary arrest and detention, torture or other ill-treatment, and blatantly unfair trials.

Houssine Tarkhani was forcibly returned from France to Tunisia on 3 June 2007, and detained on arrival. He was kept in secret detention in the DSS in Tunis for nine days, in violation of international human rights law, as well as three days longer even than the period permitted by Tunisian law for garde à vue detention. During this time, his lawyer reported, Houssine Tarkhani was beaten with a stick all over his body, given electric shocks, insulted and threatened with death. He was subjected to further beating when he asked to be allowed to read the police report, which he was not permitted to read. During tis detention in garde à vue, none of his immediate relatives were informed of his detention as required under Tunisian law. His family knew of his whereabouts only when he was brought before an investigating judge on 12 June 2007. He first appeared before the investigating judge without the assistance of his lawyers, who were not permitted access to him until 19 June 2007, when they saw him at Mornaguia prison. His lawyer’s request to have him examined for evidence of torture still remains unanswered.

“Instead of forcibly returning Tunisian nationals who face torture and unfair trials, foreign governments should be pressing the Tunisian government to take concrete steps to promote human rights reform,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Note to editors:

Amnesty International experts will present the findings of the report at a press briefing in Paris at 15:00 GMT on Monday 23 June.

To arrange for an interview with a spokesperson in Paris, please contact Aurélie Chatelard on + 33 (0) 6 76 94 37 05.

To arrange for an interview with a spokesperson in London, please contact Nicole Choueiry, Middle East and North Africa Press Officer on +44 (0) 7831 640 170.

Myanmar government puts cyclone survivors at increased risk

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:05:23 +0100

Myanmar's government is keeping aid from reaching survivors of Cyclone Nargis and stepping up efforts to force them out of emergency shelters, according to new research published by Amnesty International. The government's actions place tens of thousands of already vulnerable survivors at increased risk of death, disease and hunger.

On 20 May, Myanmar’s government, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), announced an end to the rescue and relief phase of the disaster response and the beginning of the reconstruction phase. Since then, the SPDC has launched a campaign to force homeless cyclone survivors out of government and unofficial resettlement camps.

The authorities have targeted schools and monasteries, as both were used as polling stations for the delayed May constitutional referendum, and because the school term began on 2 June.

Most of the displaced survivors cannot return to their original homes as large swathes of the Irrawaddy delta, which bore the brunt of the cyclone, remain largely uninhabitable.

"After surviving the cyclone's fury, thousands of cyclone survivors are now suffering at the hands of the SPDC," said Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty International's Myanmar researcher.

Amnesty International’s findings, which include eyewitness accounts and interviews with people with first-hand information from cyclone-hit areas, highlight the urgent need for the SPDC and international donors to adopt human rights standards as safeguards in the disaster response.

Amnesty International is also concerned about aid delivery. On 16 May, the SPDC mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar pledged to "conduct investigation into the cases [of misappropriation of aid] to expose the offenders and take punitive action against them in accordance with the law." Amnesty International has welcomed such steps and calls on the SPDC to strictly monitor the distribution of aid by its officials and to investigate any allegations of theft, abuse of power or other diversion of aid.

"Given the SPDC’s long track record of abuses, humanitarian agencies should be especially alert to the SPDC diverting or obstructing their aid," said Zawacki, who has been in the region for the past month gathering information from the affected areas.

Amnesty International has confirmed more than 30 instances and accounts of people being forcibly removed from emergency shelters in monasteries, schools and other places.

In the last two weeks, the relocation campaign has become more systematic and widespread. The authorities have forcibly relocated people out of Maungmya, Maubin, Pyapon, and Labutta, where they had been originally displaced, back to their original villages.

Of the 45 camps that existed in Pyapon, by 28 May only three remained. On 23 May, authorities in Yangon forcibly removed more than 3,000 cyclone survivors from an official camp in Shwebaukan in North Dagon Myo Thit, and from an unofficial camp in State High School No. 2 in Dala township.

Abuses also include confiscation and misuse of aid. Amnesty International has received over 40 reports or accounts of aid being confiscated by government officials, diverted or withheld instead of being handed to cyclone survivors.

Despite statements against such conduct by senior SPDC leadership, local officials can act with impunity. For example, Amnesty International received eyewitness testimony that on 26 May, at the Pan Hlaing bridge in Yangon’s Hlaing Tharyar township, Police Major U Luu Win stopped 48 trucks carrying supplies from private Myanmar donors. As of 1 June, the police had not released the trucks.

See also:
Myanmar ethnic group faces crimes against humanity (Report, 5 June 2008)

Zimbabwe violence reaches crisis levels

Fri, 16 May 2008 18:08:33 +0100

Zimbabwean “war veterans” are forcibly recruiting local youths to attack perceived supporters of the opposition as violence in the country reaches crisis levels, Amnesty International has warned.

“Those who refuse to commit violence are assaulted and accused of being MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) supporters by the ‘war veterans’,” said Simeon Mawanza, Amnesty International’s Zimbabwe researcher.

Eyewitnesses told Amnesty International that large numbers of ZANU-PF supporters and “war veterans” are assaulting perceived MDC supporters in Mberengwa district in Midlands province and Mazowe district in Mashonaland Central.

In Mberengwa, a large gang of ZANU-PF supporters -- most of them youths forcibly recruited by “war veterans” -- are going around attacking homes of people suspected of voting for the MDC in the 29 March 2008 elections. A similar gang was reported by an eyewitness in the Chiweshe area in Mazowe district.
Police appear to be unwilling to stop the violence, only acting to arrest MDC supporters suspected of carrying out attacks on perceived ZANU-PF supporters.

“We are particularly worried about people living in more remote rural areas, where violence is taking place away from the spotlight,” said Mawanza. “The situation for these victims of violence is dire. Humanitarian organisations and local non-governmental organisations are being targeted for helping victims, who are being blocked from receiving medical assistance.”

Victims of attacks in rural areas are walking long distances to escape the violence and increasingly seeking refuge in towns and cities. Some schools in rural areas have been forced to close as teachers perceived to be supporters of the MDC flee from the state-sponsored violence.

Amnesty International fears for the safety of Tonderai Ndira, a supporter of the MDC who was reportedly abducted from his home in Mabvuku, a low income suburb of Harare, on 14 May in the early hours of the morning. Reports indicate that nine armed men in plain clothes assaulted him before driving him away while he was still naked in a white Toyota truck. He has not been seen since.

Tonderai Ndira is one of the 32 MDC members who were tortured by state agents while in detention in 2007. He was detained for more than two months in Harare Central Remand Prison before the charges against him were dropped.

Amnesty International has also received a report of the alleged abduction of Sinoia Pfebve (79) and his wife Serena Pfebve (76) on 13 May by people believed to be “war veterans” in the Mukumbura area in Mt. Darwin district, Mashonaland Central province. They are believed to have been taken to Nyakatondo Primary School, where the abductors are camped. The Pfebve family have political connections to the MDC: the couple’s son was an MDC candidate in the parliamentary election in 2000 and a by-election in 2001.

At least 22 people have been killed, and over 900 have been treated for injuries sustained from the violence, since the elections took place. Several hundreds have been hospitalised. Hundreds of families have been forced to flee their homes after they have been burnt by gangs of “war veterans” and ZANU-PF youths.

Amnesty International has called on the Zimbabwean government to publicly denounce all acts of violence by ZANU-PF supporters, “war veterans” and soldiers, as well as by any other party, and work with other political parties to end political violence immediately.

Amnesty International’s Secretary General to meet Solana, Pöttering and Rehn

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:22:25 +0100

The Secretary General of Amnesty International, Irene Khan, is in Brussels on Tuesday to meet top officials in the EU Council, Parliament and Commission.

Irene Khan will address the role of the EU in ensuring accountability for war crimes in Croatia, following her High Level Mission to the country last week and ahead of accession talks scheduled for this month in Brussels. She will also highlight Amnesty International’s concerns about the implementation of human rights commitments in EU policies and institutions.

“Croatia is a prime example of how the EU can use its leverage within the accession process to push for an end to impunity for war crimes ”, said Irene Khan. “The EU should use this leverage in all its relations with third countries and, for the sake of coherence and credibility, also look at its own human rights record,” she added.

Amnesty International is particularly concerned about the slow pace of prosecutions for war crimes in Croatia and the apparent ethnic bias of investigations, most involving only Croatian Serb perpetrators. The organization is also worried about harassment and intimidation of victims and witnesses, as well as journalists reporting on war crimes. Croatian authorities have not made accountability for war crimes a clear political priority. The EU has a responsibility within the accession process to demand that they do so.

Regarding human rights shortcomings in EU policies and institutions, the head of Amnesty International highlights the failure of the Union to implement its decision to include human rights in all its policies. The organization is also concerned that EU and Member States’ policies in crucial areas like asylum and counter terrorism may be undermining their human rights commitments.

The Secretary General of Amnesty International, therefore:

calls on the Commission to press the Croatian Government to actively pursue the investigation and prosecution of war crimes, provide assistance for the necessary judicial reforms and continue to monitor the situation beyond the conclusion of accession talks.
calls on the Commission and the Council to fulfil the EU’s commitment to include human rights in all its policies, including the Common Foreign and Security Policy.
calls on the EU Parliament, as co-legislator with a specific human rights mandate, to ensure that EU policies do not undermine compliance with the human rights obligations of its Member States and that the Commission and Council are accountable for any violation thereof.

While in Brussels, Irene Khan will also introduce the screening of an Amnesty International film documenting impunity for war crimes in Croatia and address the European Policy Centre on EU asylum policies in the context of security.

Media materials available:
- Amnesty International film “War crimes in Croatia”.

For further comment/background and interviews:

Amnesty International EU Office (Brussels):
Tel: 32-2-502 1499
Fax: 32-2-502 5686
Email: amnesty-eu@aieu.be

Gangs and police cripple Jamaica's inner cities

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:07:01 +0100

Poor inner city Jamaicans are left at the mercy of gangs and abusive police officers who are rarely, if ever, brought to justice for human rights abuses.

A new Amnesty International report exposes how the Jamaican authorities are wilfully neglecting the poorest communities by failing to tackle the violence - and its causes - that is shattering inner cities. This particularly includes abusive policing methods that lead to hundreds of fatal shootings and extrajudicial executions.

"Poor inner city Jamaicans are paying the price of this public security crisis with their lives. They are being held hostage in an endless confrontation between gangs and police officers who kill with impunity," said Kerrie Howard, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Americas programme.

Jamaica has one of the highest murder rates and police killings in the Americas with around 1,500 homicides and 272 police killings in 2007. Gang leaders use the vacuum left by the absence of the state to control huge aspects of inner city people's lives -- including the collection of "taxes", allocation of jobs, distribution of food and the punishment of those who transgress gang rules.

"Criminal gangs make up a small proportion of the community population but their actions are devastating: they keep thousands of people living in constant fear and provide an excuse for government officials and the society in general to label all community members as criminals," said Kerrie Howard.

Despite the violence, community members are reluctant to report abuses due to fear of reprisals by gang leaders, lack of confidence in the judicial system and mistrust of police officers working in their communities.

18-year-old Ravin Thompson was shot by police and soldiers in July 2007, while talking to his aunt at her house. The officers had been pursuing another young man who ran into the home.

Ravin's aunt insisted on accompanying him to the hospital in the officers' jeep but, while on route, she claims a soldier pushed her out. When she finally arrived, Ravin was dead. The autopsy later revealed that he had four gunshot wounds. Yet Ravin's aunt and others present at the shooting were certain he had only been injured in the arm and shoulder. They claim he was murdered in the jeep, before arriving at the hospital.

The police recorded the incident as a "shoot-out". They initiated investigations but, to Amnesty International’s knowledge, no officer has been charged in connection with Ravin’s death.

"There are many good serving police officers in Jamaica who risk their lives every day to help improve security for Jamaican citizens. However, until human rights abusers are brought to justice and corruption purged they won’t be able to make a change," said Kerrie Howard.

Amnesty International has called on the Jamaican authorities to take urgent and effective measures to tackle the underlying causes of this public security and human rights crisis – including the reduction of homicide rates in inner cities, the introduction of human rights-based policing and the reform of the judicial system to improve access to justice.

"The conversation that needs to take place in Jamaica is no longer about 'ifs' or 'hows' but about when will the urgent changes be made in order to stop the crisis taking any more lives - and the answer must be today," said Kerrie Howard.

Video: Gangs and police cripple Jamaica's inner cities

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 16:10:33 +0100

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Poor inner city Jamaicans are left at the mercy of gangs and abusive police officers who are rarely, if ever, brought to justice for human rights abuses. Watch Amnesty International's exclusive interviews and footage.

Georgian government urged to end police abuse

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:23:59 +0000

Despite the storm force winds and heavy rain, Amnesty International members held a vigil outside the Embassy of Georgia in London on Tuesday.

Representatives for the organization made it through the severe weather to call on the Georgian authorities to end impunity for police abuse.

They also urged the Georgian government to introduce identification badges for all police, to safeguard against torture and ill-treatment.

During the hour-long vigil, protestor Barrie Hay, Country Coordinator on the South Caucasus for Amnesty International’s UK section, wore camouflage and a mask to illustrate the anonymity the perpetrators of abuse have when allowed to fully disguise their identities.

“I believe that the anonymity of police officers increases the risk of torture or other ill-treatment and perpetuates impunity,” said Barrie Hay. At the end of the vigil, he handed over a written appeal from the organization, as well as mock ID badges, to embassy staff.

The action follows events in Georgia on 7 November 2007, when police were accused of using excessive force to disperse demonstrators calling for the resignation of President Mikheil Saakashvili.

The mass demonstrations were also calling for parliamentary elections, changes to the election rules, and the release of a number of prisoners, whom they regarded as political prisoners.

Police officers, many of whom were wearing masks, were said to have used truncheons, rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons to break up three rallies in the capital, Tbilisi.

Eye-witnesses reported that police beat and kicked scores of demonstrators, and were also said to have assaulted the Georgian Ombudsperson. According to official statistics, over 550 demonstrators and 34 police officers were hospitalized.

The November events triggered calls by a number of international organizations and individual governments for the authorities to instigate effective investigations into allegations of excessive use of force.

On 28 February 2008, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the authorities “to make public the process and the results of the internal investigation carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs as soon as possible, and to inform the public of any systemic failings in addition to the personal responsibility of any public officials involved”. However, the authorities have not done so to date.

Amnesty International has also received numerous other complaints of police abuse in recent years, particularly when conducting arrests and dispersing demonstrations. Anna Sunder-Plassmann, Amnesty International's researcher on Georgia said that, “while 39 officers have been imprisoned for torture or other ill-treatment since Mikheil Saakashvili came to power in 2004, impunity persists amidst allegations that investigations are often not conducted adequately.”

In numerous cases where police abuse has been alleged, police did not wear identification tags and officers of the special operative department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were, in addition, often masked.

Three years after editor's murder, Azerbaijan journalists still abused

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:19:36 +0000

Azerbaijani journalist Elmar Hüseynov was murdered outside his home in the capital Baku, three years ago on Sunday. His case has become a symbol of the continuing human rights abuses faced by journalists in the country.

The outspoken editor-in-chief of Azeri opposition magazine Monitor, Hüseynov was shot seven times walking out of a lift on 2 March 2005. Thought to be the victim of a contract killing, Hüseynov’s death is the most serious case in a continuing series of assaults on opposition journalists.

His colleagues and international press freedom organizations ascribed his murder to the political content of the newspaper, which closed following his death.

In July 2006, a former Ministry of Internal Affairs official, charged with kidnapping and murder, admitted to Hüseynov’s murder while testifying at his own trial. He claimed that he carried out the killing on behalf of the former Minister of Economic Development, himself on trial for plotting the overthrow of the government. So far no one has been prosecuted for Hüseynov’s murder.

Marking the third anniversary of Hüseynov’s death, Amnesty International has called upon the Azerbaijani authorities to fulfil their international and domestic legal obligations to guarantee freedom of expression.

Azerbaijan continues to imprison journalists for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression. Despite the release of five journalists in December 2007, others remain behind bars in cases which human rights activists in the country consider politically motivated.

One of those still in prison is opposition newspaper editor Eynulla Fətullayev who, after years of harassment by the authorities, was tried twice in 2007. He was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment on charges of defamation, terrorism, incitement of ethnic hatred and tax evasion.

Eynulla Fətullayev worked on Monitor until it was closed. He then launched two popular opposition newspapers, Realny Azerbaydzhan (Real Azerbaijan) and Gündəlik Azərbaycan (Azerbaijan Daily). Both newspapers closed in May 2007 after a series of inspections of their premises by the authorities.

A series of vicious physical assaults against journalists by unknown assailants in 2006 and 2007 remain unpunished with little or no investigation. This climate of impunity has seen one assault in a busy street in broad daylight, the attackers having no fear of prosecution.

The situation has not been helped by the mixed messages sent by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. He said in April 2005, “it is unacceptable for government officials to attack journalists”. However, he told a meeting of police academy graduates in July 2007 that he had “banned sanctions” against police who had used violence against journalists in disturbances in October 2005. He went on to say that he would “always support the police” in such cases.

The lack of police investigation into cases of violence and harassment against journalists means that there are few suspects or arrests and that many crimes have so far gone unpunished.

The editor-in-chief of the opposition newspaper Bizim Yol (‘Our Way’) and Deputy Chairman of the Popular Front of Azerbaijan party, Bahəddin Həziyev, was abducted and beaten by unidentified men on 18 May 2006. The men were reported to have told him to stop writing “critical articles”.

The men then drove their car over his legs and left him on the shores of a lake outside Baku. Bizim Yol had alleged corruption in the oil and fishing industries and had named several high-ranking officials. Speaking to Amnesty International in July 2006, Baxaddin Xəziəv said that the police showed no interest in investigating the case and had recorded it as a case of minor injury rather than abduction and grievous bodily harm.

A journalist working for the Azadlıq newspaper, Nicat Hüseynov, was attacked by unknown men on 25 December 2006 as he left his home in Baku for work. He was thrown to the ground, beaten and attacked with a knife. Eyewitnesses called for help and the attackers fled in a waiting taxi.

He was later hospitalized with internal injuries, head injuries and a minor stab wound. Hüseynov had published articles on alleged corruption in high office and claimed to have received threatening phone calls before the attack. In January 2008, he was still suffering severe headaches and nosebleeds; no progress was reported in the investigation of his case.

A journalist for the Impuls newspaper, Süheylə Qəmbərova, was reported to have been beaten by court verdict executors on 28 September 2007 while researching an article on forced evictions. She was beaten alongside evicted residents who had asked to see the court orders approving the evictions. Her sister reported that Sühayle Qamberova was pushed to the floor and kicked in the head and body. She was later hospitalized.

“Unfortunately the Azerbaijani authorities continue to send mixed signals on freedom of expression”, said Laurence Broers, Amnesty International’s researcher on Azerbaijan. “On the one hand, the authorities condemn assaults on journalists while, on the other, law enforcement agencies and the judiciary are failing to prosecute assaults against them.

"Other government officials have abused Azerbaijan’s defamation laws to silence critical reporting. To demonstrate their commitment to human rights principles, the Azerbaijani authorities should release prisoners of conscience, decriminalize defamation, ensure the thorough, independent and impartial investigation of assaults on journalists and bring perpetrators to justice."

Call on Kenya's leaders to respect and protect human rights

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:35:37 +0000

Amnesty International urges Kenya's leaders to ensure the human rights of Kenyan people are protected.

An international day of public and online action this month will demonstrate solidarity with the people of Kenya and call on the Kenyan government to protect people from politically-motivated and ethnic violence.

On 27 February, people can show their outrage at the continuing human rights abuses in Kenya in a series of events organised by Amnesty International; including an online Facebook action and a series of street demonstrations.

The disputed election of 27 December 2007 sparked an outbreak of fighting and a series of grave human rights violations. At least 1,000 people have been killed so far, while more than 300,000 have been displaced.

Amnesty International's recent visit to Kenya found evidence of unlawful killings, the ethnically targeted forced relocation and burning of homes by armed militias, excessive use of force by security officials, sexual violence against women and girls, and violations of freedom of expression and assembly. Amnesty International has also documented death threats against human rights defenders and activists.

The death toll includes hundreds shot dead by police, who were deployed to quell the post-election violence and break up mass protests against the election called by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) opposition party.

Subsequent violence has seen increasingly organised attacks by ethnic militia and youth gangs against people of Kikuyu ethnicity, which has led to retaliatory attacks by Kikuyu militias and youth gangs.

There is particular concern at the ethnic dimension to the political violence and its possible long-term implications for Kenyan society.

Amnesty International calls on the Kenyan government to protect the people of Kenya, many of whom have endured unrelenting suffering in the last two months. Kenyan leaders must end the cycle of impunity that perpetuates the politically motivated violence in Kenya.

Join the protest:

Amnesty International organizing streets demonstrations in the on 27 February. If you turned up to show your support...

Please send your photos to cold27south@photos.flickr.com

Kenyan victims of political violence speak out (26 February)
Kenyan activists receive death threats (1 February)
Killings continue in Kenya (28 January)
Kenyan police fire at protesters (18 January)
Kenyan election sparks political killings (4 January)

Rape: ever present danger for Darfur's women

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:14:09 +0000

"All around the camps there is not enough wood. But the Arab Jammala dominate the area and we daren’t go far out. If you are a man you will be beaten, if you are a woman you will be raped." – Internally displaced man living in a camp, 2007.

At least 2.3 million people have been displaced by the conflict in Darfur. Most of those driven from their homes and communities are now living in more than 65 camps dotted around Darfur.

Hundreds of thousands of people were driven from their home in 2003-4 in attacks that were accompanied not only by killing, but also by rape of women on an unprecedented scale.

Janjawid militias used rape as a weapon to humiliate and punish the communities they attacked. They often carried out assaults in public and abducting some women, taking them to militia camps to live for months in sexual slavery.

There are more women living in camps than men and the threat of rape remains rife for those who venture outside the camps. Many of the camps are surrounded by belts of deserted land with hardly a tree standing. Rapes are carried out on women who leave the camps to go to market or collect firewood. They are carried out by Janjawid militia, government soldiers, armed opposition groups and even by other displaced people.

One girl displaced during the conflict told of being raped by a group of men from the Sudanese army while collecting fire wood. When her brother took her to report this to the local police, the policeman refused to report the case and detained her brother when he questioned the procedure.

"The images of that day occupied my mind. I can’t say I have completely recovered. The shock is still terrible. I don’t trust the police and I never will trust them," said the girl to Amnesty International.

Most women raped in Darfur never report what has happened because it’s so unlikely that the perpetrator will be brought to justice that there’s little point in a woman harming her reputation and prospects of marriage.

Police rarely investigate cases of rape reported to them, while if the alleged rapists are members of the Sudanese Armed Forces, justice appears to be impossible. In some instances, it is the person who makes the complaint who is detained.