Eight of 10 Countries Ill-Treat and Torture Citizens: Amnesty, A majority of the world’s countries torture or mistreat their citizens, and more people are at risk this year from the threat of violent armed groups, according to a far-reaching report by Amnesty International.
Since 2013, there has been an increase in the number of armed groups operating in countries. Today, 35 countries, or one out of every five countries Amnesty surveyed, have a “significant” presence of armed groups, such as the Russian-backed rebels fighting in eastern Ukraine and warring militias in the Central African Republic and Libya. Amnesty said this report is the first time it has measured the number of countries with armed-groups abuses; it doesn’t have figures for previous years.
he focus of this year’s report is on civilians in conflict areas, and there have been several changes since the last report, said Salil Shetty, secretary-general of Amnesty International.
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“We found that last year the number of countries where both governments and armed groups have gotten away with not protecting civilians or causing serious human rights violations has been quite exceptional in the context of conflicts,” said Shetty, citing Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and Nigeria as examples.
In its annual “State of the World’s Human Rights” report released today, Amnesty said more civilians will be at risk this year from the world’s ongoing refugee crises, threats to freedom of expression and dangerous armed groups. The international response to violence and attacks committed by countries and the armed groups operating within them has been “shameful and ineffective,” Amnesty said.
The torture and ill-treatment of civilians in 82 percent of the 160 countries surveyed by Amnesty ranges from police using a baton or other equipment to beat people to severe forms of torture, Shetty said.
“Small countries, large countries, capitalist countries—it cuts across everything. It’s a big worry,” Shetty said.Read More
Since 2013, there has been an increase in the number of armed groups operating in countries. Today, 35 countries, or one out of every five countries Amnesty surveyed, have a “significant” presence of armed groups, such as the Russian-backed rebels fighting in eastern Ukraine and warring militias in the Central African Republic and Libya. Amnesty said this report is the first time it has measured the number of countries with armed-groups abuses; it doesn’t have figures for previous years.he focus of this year’s report is on civilians in conflict areas, and there have been several changes since the last report, said Salil Shetty, secretary-general of Amnesty International.
Try Newsweek for only $1.25 per week
“We found that last year the number of countries where both governments and armed groups have gotten away with not protecting civilians or causing serious human rights violations has been quite exceptional in the context of conflicts,” said Shetty, citing Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and Nigeria as examples.
In its annual “State of the World’s Human Rights” report released today, Amnesty said more civilians will be at risk this year from the world’s ongoing refugee crises, threats to freedom of expression and dangerous armed groups. The international response to violence and attacks committed by countries and the armed groups operating within them has been “shameful and ineffective,” Amnesty said.
The torture and ill-treatment of civilians in 82 percent of the 160 countries surveyed by Amnesty ranges from police using a baton or other equipment to beat people to severe forms of torture, Shetty said.
“Small countries, large countries, capitalist countries—it cuts across everything. It’s a big worry,” Shetty said.Read More
