The politics of terrorism has hidden agendas, Amnesty International
Regional, Politics, 5/29/2002

Amnesty International said on Tuesday that human rights have suffered various setbacks in various parts of the world following the September 11 attacks against the US as governments gave themselves emergency authorities to fight terrorism.

The organization's secretary general Irene Khan said that several governments have jumped on the carriage of "fighting terrorism" and seized the opportunity to tighten repression and violate human rights protection and obstruct political opposition following the New York and Washington attacks.

"The universality of human rights is facing the strongest challenge yet. Double-standards and selectivity are becoming the norm," said Khan.

A number of governments rushed through legislation and other "anti-terrorism" measures in the name of security. These measures include indefinite detention without trial, special courts based on secret evidence, or cultural and religious restrictions -- sometimes creating shadow criminal justice systems. There was a greater reluctance by governments to criticize others' domestic policies. "Security can not and must not take precedence over human rights. The biggest danger to human rights is when political and economic interests are allowed to drive the human rights agenda," stated Ms Khan.

The Amnesty International disclosed improvement in Syria and Lebanon in the file of human rights where "several political prisoners were released." In Iraq, which is under an international boycott since 1990, the report said that "the death penalty is still widely applicable, and that political prisoners are tortured and that huge number of persons were assassinated including high ranking army officers."

The Amnesty International stressed that the two Kurdish political parties -- the Democratic Kurdistani party chaired by Masoud Barazani and the Kurdistani National Federation led by Jalal al-Talibani -- are jailing prisoners of opinions and that armed Islamic groups are carrying out kidnapping and assassination acts.

The Amnesty International report indicated that at least 79 persons were executed and that Rafha camp is still hosting more than 5,000 Iraqi refugees who are considered prisoners.

The organization also stressed that in Algeria hundreds of civilians were killed including women and children in attacks committed by armed groups and that the security forces killed scores of civilians in anti- government demonstration.

Amnesty International also accused the authorities in Algeria in not taking any practical measures to focus on the fate of 4,000 persons who are considered as missing since 1993. In Kuwait at least five persons were sentences to death and that death penalty was implemented against two men and one woman.

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  Al-Shara: US bias to Israel damages its credibility   (4/30/2002)
  Sheikh Hamad: State terrorism more dangerous than terror by an individual   (4/22/2002)
  US continues obstruction of effective international law; multinational force concept made meaningless   (4/19/2002)
  European leader: Israel is a terrorist state   (4/13/2002)
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