Human rights in the 20 countries where Alkarama is active

• Gulf region

Gulf countries all apply a common political pattern defined by how citizens relate to their rulers. Gulf people are subjects of the King, the Sultan or the Emir, rather than citizens. Anything, including life, is considered a favour and any criticism is seen as an attack against the ruler. Powers are not separated and the judiciary is not independent. In Oman, in Saudi Arabia and recently in Kuwait, Alkarama documented cases of Parliamentarians, lawyers and human rights defenders who were arrested or jailed on the charge of “insult to the Emir” or “breaking allegiance with the King”. Another worrying practice observed in the region is the growing cases of citizens stripped of their nationality as a punitive measure.

• Mashreq region

In 2015, Iraq witnessed enforced disappearances, torture and other human rights violations under the pretext of the fight against the organisation “Islamic State”; however, the Iraqi authorities deny all violations. In Jordan, freedom of opinion and expression keep moving backwards, and peaceful protestors were arrested in 2015 for “insult to the King”. In Lebanon, the current political stalemate prevents any major improvements of the human rights situation, even though there is a political will. Palestine was the scene of a deterioration of the situation of minors, with an increasing number of Palestinian teenagers and children being arrested, detained and sentenced to heavy penalties by the Israeli occupying forces. As for Syria, the country is experiencing an ever increasing number of human rights violations, resulting in a rising death toll among civilians and a rising number of refugees.

• Nile region

In 2015, Alkarama extended its work on human rights violations in Djibouti. Since the head of State announced that he will run again for president, a violent crackdown against political opponents took place with a peak in December 2015 with the killing of Afar tribe's members. Egypt witnessed in 2015 a violent crackdown on political opponents and civil society that took new forms, including systematic enforced disappearances also targeting minors. In this unstable country, the authorities keep benefiting from impunity and Egypt is sinking into dictatorship. In Sudan, despite governmental promises, Alkarama noticed no improvement in the human rights situation. In a country where rebel areas such as the Darfur still face an armed conflict, overall humanitarian conditions remain a concern. Human rights violations are widespread and systematic, as is the censorship of the media. Torture is also widely practiced by security forces.

• North Africa region

In 2015, Libya remains the main concern in the region since the lack of a political solution to the conflict is resulting in worsening security conditions. In Tunisia, Alkarama is concerned with the overall deterioration of the human rights situation, officially justified by the counterterrorism policy. Re-emerging violations that were widespread before the Revolution were noticed, including arbitrary detention, torture and restrictions of freedom of association as well as other fundamental rights. In Algeria, families of victims of enforced disappearances are still claiming their right to know the truth about the fate of relatives who were abducted by security forces during the “black decade“. Members of the civil society and human rights defenders are also subjected to punitive measures. In Morocco, hundreds of persons remain arbitrarily detained for over a decade despite the repeated UN calls for their release. In Mauritania, the enforcement of the anti-slavery legislation is still not effective and human rights defenders peacefully protesting continue to be subjected to police intimidation and judicial harassment.

Summary of 2015 Cases Map (click to enlarge)

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