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The Iranian government’s view of the state of human rights in the country is severely distorted, Amnesty International said on Friday in an analysis paper prepared ahead of a review of Iran by the UN Human Rights Council.

The Amnesty International paper was prepared in response to Iran’s own submission to the UN in the framework of the Universal Periodic Review. The UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group will evaluate Iran’s human rights record on 15 February.   

During the review, UN member states have the opportunity to raise questions about Iran’s human rights record and make recommendations to the Iranian government, which may then say which, if any, it will accept.

"The Iranian authorities seem either to have lost touch with reality or are unwilling to acknowledge it," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International. "The government report reads as if there is no human rights crisis, just politically motivated criticism."

"UN member states must look at what is actually happening in Iran: mass arrests and detentions, beatings of peaceful demonstrators, torture and deaths in custody, ’show trials’ and politically motivated executions. Complacency or misplaced solidarity with Iran should not stand in the way of demands for Iran to fulfil its human rights obligations."

Amnesty International’s analysis includes examples that illustrate Iran’s failure to uphold human rights, such as those to a fair trial, to freedom of expression and, in the case of women and ethnic and religious minorities, to freedom from discrimination, and highlights obfuscations in the Iranian government report.

Iran’s report states that it prohibits the use of torture to force "confessions" but the reality is very different. Torture and other ill-treatment for the purpose of extracting "confessions" are widespread. Recent Iranian broadcasts of extracts of "show trials" taking place in Tehran, show haggard-looking defendants apologizing and delivering what appear to be coerced "confessions".

Iran’s judicial system is not the independent force depicted in the government’s report, with sensitive cases heavily influenced by political considerations. It also discriminates against women from top to bottom. Women are absent in any of the senior, decision-making posts, while a woman’s testimony in court is worth only half that of a man’s and she receives only half the compensation of a man for bodily injury or death.

Amnesty International’s report criticizes Iran’s failure to engage with human rights organizations and UN human rights experts, consistently stalling on allowing visits – contrary to Iran’s own assertions that it has co-operated with human rights groups. Amnesty International has been denied access to Iran to conduct firsthand research into human rights violations since April 1979.

Several human rights bills, currently pending before the Majles, have been under consideration for years without progress. These include the Juvenile Crimes Investigation Bill, which could reduce the number of death sentences imposed on juvenile offenders, and the bill setting out "political crimes" which was drafted over five years ago, by a previous parliament.

Amnesty International acknowledged some of the improvements in legislation referred to in Iran’s report to the UN. These include the revival of the Offices of the Prosecutor, the equalization of diyeh for Muslims with non-Muslims and efforts to combat human trafficking.

"It is time for Iran to implement the necessary measures to improve human rights in the country by allowing human rights defenders to work without fear, journalists to freely report, people to protest without being exposed to violence and ensuring mechanisms are developed to improve justice and ensure accountability," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

South Korea has made progress on human rights over the decades but ldquo;room for improvementquot; remains, said Amnesty International’s Secretary General Irene Khan.br /
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Speaking at a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday to mark the completion of her visit to South Korea, Irene Khan said that the time had come for the government to quot;move forward confidently and strengthen democracy through better respect of human rights for all persons in South Koreaquot;.br /
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Five key areas of human rights in the country required urgent attention, Irene Khan said.br /
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Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s Secretary General called on the government to put into place mechanisms to improve and monitor policing, particularly of public protests, and to better protect the rights of migrant workers.br /
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She also said the government should support the work of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK), provide space for freedom of expression and retain its position on not using the death penalty. br /
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Miss Khan said now that South Korea had a strong economy and is a stable democracy; the expectations are raised in terms of better respect for human rights.br /
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Irene Khan visited South Korea between 21 and 24 November 2009. While there she launched the Korean edition of her book, emThe Unheard Truth: Poverty and Human Rights/em, which addresses the issues of poverty and human rights.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-karzai-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has urged Afghanistan’s newly re-elected President Hamid Karzai to prioritize human rights and the rule of law in his second term in order to strengthen the country’s stability and security. br /
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quot;Afghans from around the country continue to tell us that they suffer from poor governance, endemic corruption, a weak and inept justice system and lack of respect for human rights and rule of law,quot; said Sam Zarifi, director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific programme. quot;All these factors weaken support for the government and its international allies.quot;br /
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Amnesty International noted that the recent presidential elections were marred by human rights abuses by the candidates as well as the Taleban’s increasing attacks against civilians. The organization raised concerns that the upcoming parliamentary elections, currently scheduled for August or September 2010, faced potentially even greater human rights violations as well as Taleban violence.br /
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quot;Government officials and parliamentarians suspected of serious human rights violations and war crimes are enjoying blatant impunity. Many are also widely believed to be involved in corruption and criminal activities, but are rarely held accountable,quot; said Sam Zarifi.br /
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quot;In order to rebuild the trust of the Afghan people and the international community, government officials and parliamentarians suspected of serious human rights violations must be kept out of the election process and held to account.quot;

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/afghanistan-karzai-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has urged Afghanistan’s newly re-elected President Hamid Karzai to prioritize human rights and the rule of law in his second term in order to strengthen the country’s stability and security. br /
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quot;Afghans from around the country continue to tell us that they suffer from poor governance, endemic corruption, a weak and inept justice system and lack of respect for human rights and rule of law,quot; said Sam Zarifi, director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific programme. quot;All these factors weaken support for the government and its international allies.quot;br /
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Amnesty International noted that the recent presidential elections were marred by human rights abuses by the candidates as well as the Taleban’s increasing attacks against civilians. The organization raised concerns that the upcoming parliamentary elections, currently scheduled for August or September 2010, faced potentially even greater human rights violations as well as Taleban violence.br /
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quot;Government officials and parliamentarians suspected of serious human rights violations and war crimes are enjoying blatant impunity. Many are also widely believed to be involved in corruption and criminal activities, but are rarely held accountable,quot; said Sam Zarifi.br /
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quot;In order to rebuild the trust of the Afghan people and the international community, government officials and parliamentarians suspected of serious human rights violations must be kept out of the election process and held to account.quot;

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ECA/germany-berlin-wall-100.jpg alt= title= /br/Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin wall, European governments must act urgently to tackle human rights abuses against migrants, asylum seekers, detainees and minorities, Amnesty International said on Friday. br /
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quot;While the fall of the Berlin wall symbolized the opening of borders, the signature response of Europe now to the challenges of migration is to turn the continent into a fortress,quot; said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International. br /
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quot;People fleeing poverty, violence or persecution in other parts of the world have literally been pushed back into the sea.quot; br /
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In May this year, the lives and safety of hundreds of migrants and asylum-seekers on three vessels in the Mediterranean were placed at risk first by a squabble between the Italian and Maltese authorities over their obligations to respond to maritime distress calls, and then by the Italian government’s decision to send them to Libya, without assessing their protection needs. br /
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European governments must also do more to investigate allegations of torture, ill-treatment and wrongful detention during the US-led war on terror, Amnesty International said. br /
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quot;In the new, post Berlin Wall Europe, human rights are under attack again. This time they are victim to states’ claims that even the most fundamental human rights, including to be free from torture, must be sacrificed in order to counter terrorist threats,quot; Nicola Duckworth said. br /
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In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, Europe was host to secret prisons run by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), where detainees were victims of enforced disappearance, held in conditions that amounted to torture, and were subjected to abusive interrogation techniques.nbsp; nbsp;br /
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Revelations emerging last August have prompted calls to the Polish and Lithuanian authorities to investigate allegations that in detention facilities on their territories quot;high valuequot; detainees were held and questioned in secret by the CIA until late 2005. br /
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But not all of today’s challenges regarding human rights in Europe are new. br /
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quot;Shamefully, the fruits of 20 years of economic growth and greater political unity since the fall of the Berlin Wall have not been shared equally by all. Serious and deep-rooted problems of racism and discrimination remain at the heart of modern Europe,quot; Nicola Duckworth said br /
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One of the most profound illustrations of systemic discrimination in Europe is against Roma, who remain largely excluded from public life in all countries. br /
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Roma in Eastern Europe were often the first to be excluded from employment as state owned enterprises were privatised. Unlawful forced evictions are driving them deeper into poverty. br /
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In some countries such as Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Romani children continue to be overrepresented in schools for pupils with mental disabilities, and to be segregated in Roma-only schools and classes offering substandard education. The authorities have failed to take effective and unambiguous measures to eliminate racial segregation in education.nbsp; nbsp;br /
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And 20 years after the fall of the Berlin wall, Amnesty International still recognizes as Prisoners of Conscience journalists and human rights activists arrested for seeking to exercise their fundamental freedoms of expression, association and religion in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.nbsp; nbsp;br /
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quot;In Berlin today, there’s little left of the physical wall that 20 years ago was a symbol of division and repression. There still continue to be, though, walls making some people more equal than others when it comes to the enjoyment of the full spectrum of human rights,quot; Nicola Duckworth said. br /
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quot;However, in spite of threats, intimidation and detention, human rights defenders across Europe, fuelled by the energy that brought down the Berlin wall, continue to strive for the vision of a region where all human rights are upheld for all.quot;

The European Union (EU) and India should work together at the United Nations (UN) to protect human rights in places of crisis, Amnesty International has said.br /
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The call came in a letter sent on Tuesday to the Swedish Presidency of the EU, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, ahead of the EU India summit in New Delhi on Friday.br /
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Amnesty International addressed the EU’s handling of the displacement crisis in the wake of the internal armed conflict in Sri Lanka, human rights violations in Myanmar, corporate accountability over the Bhopal gas leak disaster and India’s use of the death penalty.br /
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As global actors, both the EU and India have a responsibility to play an active role in the protection of human rights internationally, regionally, and at home, Amnesty International said.br /
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quot;On the world stage the voice of the UN is particularly important in the promotion and protection of international human rights; both the EU and the Indian government should ensure that they support the UN in this role as effectively as possible.quot;br /
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The UN’s poor handling of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka during the internal armed conflict, particularly at its end, was cited by Amnesty International as a recent example of the need for principled co-operation between global actors on crisis situations.br /
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The organization said that while the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka had quot;long been foreseeablequot; earlier this year there were quot;few signs of co-operation between the European Union and India to address the human rights situation in Sri Lanka at the UN.quot;br /
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Amnesty International expressed its disappointment with the resolution on Sri Lanka adopted at the end of the UN Human Rights Council’s special session on 27 May, which quot;praised the Sri Lankan government, entirely ignored the human rights violations committed by the government, and disregarded the need to establish accountability.quot;br /
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Pointing out that the UN Human Rights council had failed to create an international fact-finding mission for Sri Lanka, similar to the one in Gaza, Amnesty International went on to say that the quot;UN handling of the situation in Sri Lanka and the outcome of the special session was very damaging to the credibility of the UN human rights political bodies.quot;br /
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The EU was urged to use its discussions with India to strongly engage with Myanmar to end quot;serious and systematic human rights violations, including detention of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, often in appalling and sometimes isolated conditions.quot;br /
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On the subject of corporate accountability, Amnesty International said that the EU needs to demonstrate its leadership to ensure that multinational companies (headquartered in the home states like the EU) respect human rights in their operations in the host states (where the human rights impact of these companiesrsquo; operations is felt, like India). The EU and India have a particular responsibility in ensuring protection of human rights in those affected communities. Both preventive mechanisms and remedies are needed in order to close the gap.br /
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With that in mind, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal gas leak disaster, Amnesty International urged the Swedish Presidency to use the EU India summit to quot;call on the Government of India to take urgent and decisive action to address to the long-term impacts of the Bhopal gas leak disaster, including proper clean-up and remediation of the factory site, adequate medical care, regular supply of safe water for the affected communities and economic rehabilitation.br /
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In line with the EU’s commitment to the worldwide abolition of the death penalty, Amnesty International also said that EU should use its discussions with India, quot;to call for India to take a positive approach in the lead up to the debate and resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty at the General Assembly in November 2010.quot; India had no executions since 2004, but voted against the UNGA moratorium on death penalty in December 2008.

The European Union (EU) and India should work together at the United Nations (UN) to protect human rights in places of crisis, Amnesty International has said.br /
br /
The call came in a letter sent on Tuesday to the Swedish Presidency of the EU, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, ahead of the EU India summit in New Delhi on Friday.br /
br /
Amnesty International addressed the EU’s handling of the displacement crisis in the wake of the internal armed conflict in Sri Lanka, human rights violations in Myanmar, corporate accountability over the Bhopal gas leak disaster and India’s use of the death penalty.br /
br /
As global actors, both the EU and India have a responsibility to play an active role in the protection of human rights internationally, regionally, and at home, Amnesty International said.br /
br /
quot;On the world stage the voice of the UN is particularly important in the promotion and protection of international human rights; both the EU and the Indian government should ensure that they support the UN in this role as effectively as possible.quot;br /
br /
The UN’s poor handling of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka during the internal armed conflict, particularly at its end, was cited by Amnesty International as a recent example of the need for principled co-operation between global actors on crisis situations.br /
br /
The organization said that while the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka had quot;long been foreseeablequot; earlier this year there were quot;few signs of co-operation between the European Union and India to address the human rights situation in Sri Lanka at the UN.quot;br /
br /
Amnesty International expressed its disappointment with the resolution on Sri Lanka adopted at the end of the UN Human Rights Council’s special session on 27 May, which quot;praised the Sri Lankan government, entirely ignored the human rights violations committed by the government, and disregarded the need to establish accountability.quot;br /
br /
Pointing out that the UN Human Rights council had failed to create an international fact-finding mission for Sri Lanka, similar to the one in Gaza, Amnesty International went on to say that the quot;UN handling of the situation in Sri Lanka and the outcome of the special session was very damaging to the credibility of the UN human rights political bodies.quot;br /
br /
The EU was urged to use its discussions with India to strongly engage with Myanmar to end quot;serious and systematic human rights violations, including detention of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, often in appalling and sometimes isolated conditions.quot;br /
br /
On the subject of corporate accountability, Amnesty International said that the EU needs to demonstrate its leadership to ensure that multinational companies (headquartered in the home states like the EU) respect human rights in their operations in the host states (where the human rights impact of these companiesrsquo; operations is felt, like India). The EU and India have a particular responsibility in ensuring protection of human rights in those affected communities. Both preventive mechanisms and remedies are needed in order to close the gap.br /
br /
With that in mind, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Bhopal gas leak disaster, Amnesty International urged the Swedish Presidency to use the EU India summit to quot;call on the Government of India to take urgent and decisive action to address to the long-term impacts of the Bhopal gas leak disaster, including proper clean-up and remediation of the factory site, adequate medical care, regular supply of safe water for the affected communities and economic rehabilitation.br /
br /
In line with the EU’s commitment to the worldwide abolition of the death penalty, Amnesty International also said that EU should use its discussions with India, quot;to call for India to take a positive approach in the lead up to the debate and resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty at the General Assembly in November 2010.quot; India had no executions since 2004, but voted against the UNGA moratorium on death penalty in December 2008.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/AFR/zimbabwe-mugabe-100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International warned on Wednesday that Zimbabwe is on the brink of sliding back into the post-election violence that marred the country last year, risking undermining the stability brought about by the creation of the unity government in February. br /
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The organization called on Southern African Development Community (SADC) foreign ministers, visiting Zimbabwe on Thursday to assess the eight month-old unity government, not to ignore the worsening human rights situation. br /
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In recent weeks, there have been several arrests of civil society leaders and reports of harassment and intimidation of political opponents by ZANU-PF supporters in rural areas. In particular, Amnesty International has received reports of increased threats of violence in Mashonaland East and Central provinces against known supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formation led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. br /
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On 25 October, Cephas Zinhumwe, Executive Director of the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO), and Dadirai Chikwengo, NANGO board chairperson, were both arrested by police in Victoria Falls after NANGO convened a workshop for NGO directors. br /
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ldquo;Dozens of human rights and MDC activists are on trial for simply exercising their internationally recognized rights, including the rights to freedom of association, peaceful assembly and expression. Some of these people were victims of enforced disappearance in 2008,rdquo; said Erwin van der Borght, Director of Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s Africa Programme br /
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Amnesty International urged the SADC ministers to rethink the role of the Joint Monitoring and Implementation Committee (JOMIC), created under the Global Political Agreement (GPA) establishing the unity government, to ensure the implementation of the agreement, including its human rights aspects. br /
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ldquo;JOMIC is ineffective and has fallen victim to political polarisation. It is very weak and is solely dependent on the good will of the feuding parties ndash; a recipe for disaster,rdquo; said Erwin van der Borght. br /
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Amnesty International also challenged the SADC and the African Union (AU) to tackle human rights violations by government bodies under the control of ZANU-PF. br /
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ldquo;Some elements in the unity government continue to persecute perceived political opponents through unlawful arrests and malicious prosecutions. This is fuelling tension in the unity government and increasing fear amongst the people,rdquo; said Erwin van der Borght. br /
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ldquo;SADC needs to recognize this recent deterioration in the human rights situation and tackle it immediately ndash; before it degenerates further.rdquo; br /
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The organization said that central to addressing the crisis in Zimbabwe was the need to rein in the countryrsquo;s security agencies and end the culture of impunity for human rights violations. Amnesty International called on the Zimbabwean government to implement institutional reforms, including reforming the countryrsquo;s security agencies to ensure that they respect and protect human rights of all people in Zimbabwe. br /