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Human Rights in the Middle East and North Africa

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Human Rights in the Middle East and North Africa HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REVIEW OF 2019 Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million people who campaign for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. © Amnesty International 2020 Cover photo: Except where otherwise noted, content in this document is licensed 2TQVGUVGTUENCUJYKVJ+TCSKTKQVRQNKEGXGJKENGUƂTKPI under a Creative Commons (attribution, non-commercial, no derivatives, YCVGTHTQOECPPQPUFWTKPICFGOQPUVTCVKQPCICKPUV international 4.0) licence. UVCVGEQTTWRVKQPCPFRQQTUGTXKEGUDGVYGGPVJG https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode ECRKVCN$CIJFCFoU6CJTKT5SWCTGCPFVJGJKIJ For more information please visit the permissions page on our website: UGEWTKV[)TGGP<QPGFKUVTKEVQP1EVQDGT www.amnesty.org #JOCF#N4WDC[G#(2XKC)GVV[+OCIGU Where material is attributed to a copyright owner other than Amnesty International this material is not subject to the Creative Commons licence. First published in 2020 by Amnesty International Ltd Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X 0DW, UK Index: MDE 01/1357/2020 Original language: English amnesty.org HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA REVIEW OF 2019 CONTENTS REGIONAL OVERVIEW 5 ALGERIA 12 BAHRAIN 15 EGYPT 18 IRAN 23 IRAQ 27 ISRAEL AND THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES 31 JORDAN 35 KUWAIT 38 LEBANON 40 LIBYA 43 MOROCCO/WESTERN SAHARA 47 OMAN 50 PALESTINE (STATE OF) 52 QATAR 55 SAUDI ARABIA 57 SYRIA 61 TUNISIA 65 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 68 YEMEN 71 HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA 4 REVIEW OF 2019 Amnesty International There were widespread patterns of military powers fuelled violations through violations by security forces in the illicit arms transfers and direct military REGIONAL context of the criminal justice system, support to belligerents. In the context of including torture and other ill-treatment widespread impunity, progress towards and enforced disappearances, most an investigation by the International OVERVIEW notably in Egypt, Iran, Libya, Saudi Criminal Court into the situation in the Arabia and Syria. In general, security Occupied Palestinian Territories was forces enjoyed impunity. The most welcome news. Lebanon and Jordan Mass protests shook the Middle East UKIPKƂECPVKPKVKCVKXGVQUJGFNKIJVQP continued to host over 3 million refugees and North Africa (MENA) in 2019, and seek redress for abuses of security from Syria, but blocked the entry of notably in Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon forces, albeit past rather than current new arrivals and, in Lebanon’s case, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. abuses, was undoubtedly Tunisia’s expelled thousands who had entered Authorities used excessive force – Truth and Dignity Commission, which “illegally”. Military offensives and other most outrageously lethal force causing concluded its work in 2019 and made ƂIJVKPIKPVGTPCNN[FKURNCEGFJWPFTGFUQH hundreds of deaths in Iran and Iraq – as recommendations that were relevant to thousands of people in Libya, Syria and well as arbitrary detentions in a bid to governments across the region. Yemen. quash them. Governments across the region heavily restricted freedom of #EVQTUKPVJGTGIKQPoUCTOGFEQPƃKEVU Reforms were announced in several expression and civil society activities, committed war crimes and other serious countries, particularly in the Gulf, to with some particularly clamping down violations of international humanitarian improve protection for migrant workers, on those criticizing the authorities on law, in some cases restricting but they continued to face exploitation social media. Hundreds of human rights humanitarian access that affected health and abuse. Like the two previous years, defenders were targeted. care and other basic services. Other 2019 saw a few welcome developments #OCPJQNFUCUOCTVRJQPGEQPPGEVGFVQCYKƂPGVYQTMYKVJQWVKPVGTPGVCEEGUUCVCPQHƂEGKPVJG+TCPKCPECRKVCN6GJTCPQP0QXGODGT6JGCWVJQTKVKGUJCF KORNGOGPVGFCPGCTVQVCNUJWFQYPQHVJGKPVGTPGVUKPEGOCUUFGOQPUVTCVKQPUDTQMGQWVVYQFC[UGCTNKGT #VVC-GPCTG#(2XKC)GVV[+OCIGU HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA 5 REVIEW OF 2019 Amnesty International at a legislative and institutional level with The impact of Israel’s 52-year-old – over 800, according to Amnesty respect to women’s rights and violence occupation of Palestinian territories +PVGTPCVKQPCNoUNCVGUVƂIWTGUsCPF against women, but the severe repression and its illegal 12-year-old air, thousands of injuries. Israeli military of women’s rights defenders in countries land and sea blockade of the Gaza and security forces killed dozens of like Iran and Saudi Arabia cast a long Strip, which amounted to collective Palestinians during demonstrations in the shadow over them. Authorities across punishment, continued to be the focus Gaza Strip and West Bank, continuing a the region heavily repressed the rights of demonstrations by Palestinians in long-standing pattern. of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender Gaza and the West Bank. Both the and intersex people, arresting scores occupation and the blockade severely Security forces arbitrarily arrested of individuals because of their real or impacted freedom of movement and thousands of protesters across the perceived sexual orientation or gender health services, particularly in Gaza, region, particularly in Algeria, Egypt, identity and subjecting some men to and led to the demolition of hundreds of Iran and Iraq, detaining many and forced anal examinations. homes in the West Bank, including East accusing them of security-related Jerusalem, and the ensuing displacement offences. Governments also sought to of hundreds of Palestinians. The situation disrupt communication networks. In Iran, PROTESTS was exacerbated by Israel’s expansion of authorities implemented a near-total illegal settlements in the West Bank and internet shutdown during protests in Mass protests shook countries across the the US government’s announcement that November in a bid to prevent people from Middle East and North Africa, as well – in contradiction with international law – sharing images and videos of the lethal as many other places across the world, it no longer considered those settlements force used by security forces. In Egypt, in 2019. Those in Algeria, Iraq and as illegal. authorities disrupted online messaging Lebanon, like their equivalents in Sudan, applications to thwart further protests. coalesced into long-running waves of Authorities employed a range of tactics to contestation that challenged the entire repress protests. Amnesty International political system and called for profound recorded credible allegations of institutional reform; those in Iran might unnecessary or excessive use of force, Governments in the MENA region must have done had they not been so violently such as the deployment of rubber respect the right to protest peacefully, rein repressed. The ability of largely peaceful bullets, tear gas, water cannons and in security forces, particularly to stop them protesters to maintain momentum over DCVQPYKGNFKPIQHƂEGTUCICKPUVRGCEGHWN using live ammunition when there is no weeks and months was striking in a demonstrators, by security forces during imminent risk to life and open independent context where many assumed that the demonstrations in 10 countries in 2019. and impartial investigations into killings repression and armed violence that In Iran and Iraq, security forces resorted of protesters. They should also address followed the uprisings in the region a GZVGPUKXGN[VQƂTKPINKXGCOOWPKVKQPCV the rights-based demands of protesters. decade ago – Iran in 2009, Tunisia, protesters, causing hundreds of deaths Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Syria in 2010-2011 – had intimidated populations from taking to the streets in numbers to demand their rights and challenge injustice. Smaller protests also broke out elsewhere in the region, including Egypt, where they represented a rare challenge to the current president, the Gaza Strip (against the de facto Hamas authorities), Jordan, Morocco and Western Sahara, Oman and Tunisia. In these and the bigger waves of protests in Algeria, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, many protesters demanded an end to corruption, while demanding better living and working conditions and greater respect of socio-economic rights. Some called for gender equality and an end to gender-based violence; women’s rights groups in Algeria, for instance, called for the repeal of the discriminatory Family Code. Some were campaigning on (QWT;GOGPKIKTNUCVCECORHQTKPVGTPCNN[FKURCEGFRGQRNGKP5CDT.CJLIQXGTPQTCVG;GOGPKP,WPG6JG[ environmental concerns. CPFVJGKTHCOKNKGUJCFDGGPFKURNCEGFD[ƂIJVKPIKP6CoK\KP #OPGUV[+PVGTPCVKQPCN HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA 6 REVIEW OF 2019 Amnesty International FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION two Moroccan human rights defenders Facebook, Telegram, Twitter and YouTube had been targeted repeatedly by remained blocked. Authorities across the MENA region surveillance technology developed by heavily restricted freedom of expression. the Israeli company NSO Group since According to Amnesty International’s 2017. It had previously documented the MENA governments must release all ƂIWTGUHQTYJKEJCTGD[PQ targeting of activists from Saudi Arabia prisoners of conscience immediately and means comprehensive, individuals
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