AMNESTY IN1tRtWIONAl. REPORT 1986 This reportcovers the period January to December 1 985 AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL is a worldwide movement which is independent of any government, political grouping, ideology, econo­ mic interest or religious creed. It plays a specific role within the overall spectrum of human rights work. The activities of the organization focus strictly On prisoners: -It seeks the release of men and women detained anywhere for their beliefs, colour, sex, ethnic origin, language or religion, provided they have not used or advocated violence. These are termed "prisoners of conscience". -It advocates fa ir and early trials for all political prisoners and works On behalf of such persons detained without charge or without trial. -It opposes the death penaltyand torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of all prisoners without reservation. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL acts on the basis of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other interna­ tional instruments. Through practical work for prisoners within its mandate, Amnesty International participates in the wider promotion and protection of human rights in the civil, political, economic, social and cultural spheres. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL has more than 500,000 members, subscribers and supporters in over 150 countries and territories, with over 3,600 local groups in 60 countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Each group works on behalf of at least two prisoners of conscience in countries other than its Own. These countries are balaneed geographically and politically to ensure impartiality. Information about prisoners and human rights violations emanates from Amnesty International's Research Department in London. No section, group or member is expected to provide information on their own country, and no section, group or member has any responsibility for action taken or statements issued by the international organization coneerning their Own country. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL has formal relations with the United Nations (ECOSOC), Unesco, the Council of Europe, the Organization of American States and the Organization of African Unity. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL is financed by subscriptions and donations from its worldwide membership. To safeguard the independence of the organization, all contributions are strictly controlled by guidelines laid down by the International Council and income and expenditure are made public in an annual financial report. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 1986 Amnesty International Publications 1 Easton Street. London WC1X 8DJ • United Kingdom First published 1986by Amnesty [nternationalPublications I Easton Street, London WCIX 8DJ, United Kingdom © Copyright Amnesty [nternationalPublications 1986 [SBN 0 86210 106 9 AI Index: POLOI103I86 OriginalLanguage: English Prinled, designed and typeset in Great Britain by Redesign, 9 London Lane, London E8 Cover design by John Finn Allrights reserved. No part of this publicatioll may be reproduced, stored ill a retrieval system, or Irammitted, in any fonn or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise, without tire prior pemJission of the publishers. This report documentsAmnesty International's work and its """"""" throughout the world during 1985. The absence of an entry in this report on a particularoountry does not imply that no human rightsviolations of concern to Amnesty International have taken place there during the year. Nor is the length of a country entry any basis for a comparison of the extent and depth of Amnesty Intematiooal's concerns in a country. Regionalmaps have been included in this report to indicate thelocation of countriesand territories cited in the text and for that pul'J'O'l" only. It is not possible on the smallscale usedto show precisepoUtical boundaries, nor should the maps be taken as indicatingany view on the status of disputed territory. Amnesty International takes no position on territorialquestions. Disputed boundariesand cea.e-flfe linesare shown, where possible, by broken lines. Areaswhose disputed status is a matter of unresolved concernbefore the relevant bodiesof the United Nations have been indicated by striping. Amnesty International Report 1986 ERRATA The Americas Page 135 (Chile), line 31, should read: 22 February Page 149 (Ecuador), line 12, should read: Pichincha province Page 178 (Mexico), line 35, should read: San Juan Copala Page 181 (Nicaragua), line 15, should read: 31 July Page 181 (Nicaragua), line 34, should read: July Page 183 (Nicaragua), lines 16/17, should read: the name Unidad Nicaraguense OpQSilOra (UNO), United Nicaraguan Opposition, continued to Asia Page 226 (Indonesia and East Timor), line 36, should read: Irfan Suryahardy, who was brou!;ht to trial in October after having been The Middle East and North Africa Page 336 (Israel and the Occupied Territories), line 35, should read: who had reportedly been administratively detained Page 356 (Saudi Arabia), line 6, should read: monitor with concern over Appendices Page 375 Appendix V: In order to make the text of the new Inter­ American Convention 10 Prevent and Punish Torture available as ,oon as possible, the text reprinted as Appendix V to this Report was that adopted by the OAS General Assembly in December 1985, before it had been stylistically revised for official publication. Ho\\-'cvcr, sinl'c (hi, lext wa� SCllt 10 the prilllcrs. the Convention has now been produced, with a number of editorial changes, as No.67 of the OAS Treaty Series. The official text is available from the OAS Secretariat, Washington, DC. First published 1986 by Amnesty International Publications I Easton Street, London WC1X 801, United Kingdom © Copyright Amnesty International Publications 1986 ISBN 0 86210 106 9 AI Index: POL 01103186 OriginalLanguage: English Printed. designed and typeset in Great Britain by Redesign,9 London Lane, London E8 Cover design by John Finn Allri ghts reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or Iransmitled, in any fonn or by any means, electronic, mechanical, phOlocopying. recording andlor otherwise, without the prior pennissiofJ of Ihe publishers. This report documents Amnesty International's work and its concerns throughout the world during 1985. 1be absence of an entry in this report ona particular country does not imply that no human rightsviolations of concern to Amn<sty International have taken place thereduring the year. Nor is thelength of a countryentry any basisfor a oompariisonof the extent and depth of Amnesty International's concerns in a country. Regional maps have heen included in thisreport to indicate the location of countries and territories cited in the textand for that pu"",""only. It is not possible onthe small scale used to show precise politicalboundaries, nor should the mapsbe taken asindicating any viewon the statusof disputedterritory. Amn<sty International takesno JlO6ition on territorial questions. Disputed boundariesand cease-firelines are shown, where possible, by broken lines. Areas whose disputed statusis a matter of unresolved coocernbefore the relevant bodiesof the United Nationshave beenindicated by striping. Contents I Introduction 9 Amnesty Intemational- a worldwide ca.""':lpaign l3 Work with international organizations 19 Africa 19 Angola (the People's Republic of) 22 Benin (the People's Republic of) 25 Burkina Faso 27 Burundi (the Republic of) 30 Cameroon (the United Republic of) 32 Central African Republic (the) 35 Chad (the Republic of) 38 Comoros (the Federal and Islamic Republic of the) 40 Congo (the People's Republic of the) 42 Equatorial Guinea (the Republic of) 43 Ethiopia 47 Gabon (the Gabon.. ", Republic) 48 Gambia (the Republic of the) 49 Ghana (the Republic of) 52 Guinea (the Revolutionary People'sRepublic of) 54 Guinea-Bissau(the Republic of) 56 Kenya (the Republic of) 58 Lesotho (the Kingdom of) 59 Liberia(the Republic of) 62 Madagascar(the DemocraticRepublic of) 64 Malawi (the Republic of) 66 Mauritania (the Islamic Republic of) 67 Mozambique (the People's Republic of) 70 Namibia 75 Niger (the Republic of) 76 Nigeria (the Federal Republic of) 78 Rwanda (the Rwandese Republic) 81 Senegal (the Republic of) 82 Seychelles(the Republic of) 84 Sierra Leone (the Republic of) VI AmnestyInternational Report 1986 85 Somalia (the Somali Democratic Republic) 88 South Africa (the Republic 01) 94 Sudan (the Democratic Republic 01) 98 Swaziland(the Kingdom 01) 100 Tanzania (the United Republic 01) 102 Togo (TheTogolese Republic) 106 Uganda (the Republic 01) 110 Zaire(the Republic 01) 115 Zambia(the Republic 01) 117 Zimbabwe (the Republic 01) 123 TheAlI*'Icas 123 Argentina (the Argentine Republic) 126 Bolivia (the Republic 01) 129 Brazil (the Federative Republic 01) 133 Chile (the Republic 01) 137 Colombia (the Republic 01) 143 CostaRica (the Republic 01) 143 Cuba (the Republic 01) 147 Dominican Republic (the) 148 Ecuador (the Republic 01) 152 El Salvador (the Republic 01) 157 Grenada 158 Guatemala (the Republic 01) 163 Guyana (the Republic 01) 164 Haiti (the Republic 01) 169 Honduras (the Republic 01) In Jamaica 174 Mexico(the United Mexican States) 179 Nicaragua(the Republic 01) 184 Panama (the Republic 01) 184 Paraguay (the Republic 01) 188 Peru (the Republic 01) 193 St Christopher and Nevis (the Federation 01) 194 Suriname (the Republic 01) 195 Trinidad and Tobago (the Republic 01) 196 United States of America (the) 201 Uruguay (the Eastern Republic 01) 204 Venezuela (the Republic 01) 205 AsIII 205 Afghanistan