The human rights situation remained serious throughout much of the Middle East and North Africa with impunity largely prevailing and the victims and their families still denied justice. The gross human rights violations that took place in many countries include judicial and extrajudicial executions, widespread use of torture and unfair trials, intimidation of human rights defenders and restrictions on freedom of expression and association.
More than 460 Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces, including 79 children and at least 32 individuals targeted for assassination. Palestinians armed groups killed 187 Israelis, including 154 civilians among them at least 36 children.
Thousands of Palestinians were arrested, frequently in incommunicado detention, sometimes for several days, and were reportedly subjected to torture or ill-treatment.
The Israeli authorities maintained strict closures on Palestinian towns and villages and at least 350 Palestinians houses were destroyed and 29 people died after delays impeded their access to hospitals.
Under the Palestinian Authority hundreds of suspected "collaborators" with Israel and scores of alleged members of armed opposition groups were arrested.
Reports of torture by various Palestinian security forces remained widespread and three men died in custody in circumstances which suggest that torture may have contributed to their deaths.
In Algeria where the state of emergency imposed in 1992 remained in place, hundreds of civilians, including women and children, were killed by armed groups which define themselves "Islamic groups". Dozens of civilians were shot dead by security forces during anti-government demonstrations. Hundreds of members of security service, state armed militia and armed groups were killed in armed confrontation.
Torture remained widespread and cases of secret detention continued to be reported, and no concrete action was taken to clarify the fate of some 4000 persons who "disappeared" since 1993, while changes in the Penal Code threatened the right of freedom of expression.
Torture is systematically practised in detention centres throughout Egypt, and victims of torture and their relatives continued to report harassment by security agents. The death penalty continued to be used extensively by criminal courts.
Thousands of suspected supporters of banned Islamic groups remained in detention without charge or trial. Several people suspected of supporting Islamic groups were arrested. In addition civil society institutions continued to face legal restrictions, while human rights defenders faced intimidation and imprisonment.
In Iraq which remained under stringent economic sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council since 1990, scores of suspected anti-government opponents were arrested. The death penalty continued to be applied extensively while torture of political detainees was systematic. Scores of people, including armed forces officers, were executed and in some cases the bodies bore evident signs of torture.
Civilian deaths resulting from air strikes by the US and UK forces against Iraqi targets were reported. The civilian population of Iraq continued to suffer severe hardship as a result of the sanctions.
In Iraqi Kurdistan, controlled by the two Kurdish political parties, prisoners of conscience were detained and armed Islamic groups were reportedly responsible for abductions and killings.
In Tunisia, the authorities stepped up their repression of human rights defenders and attempted to curb their peaceful activities, and continued to prevent international human rights organizations from scrutinizing human rights in the country.
Political prisoners and common law prisoners continued to be subjected to torture and at least one person was reported to have died in custody as a result of torture. Various measures continued to be used to exert pressure on relatives of political prisoners and to prevent former political prisoners from resuming normal life.
Human rights and civil society groups in Syria stepped up their campaign against human rights violations in the country, despite restrictions imposed by the authorities on pro-democracy movement. Although scores of political prisoners were released, dozens of people were arrested on political grounds. Torture continued to be used routinely against political prisoners.
At least 79 people were executed in Saudi Arabia , and over 5000 Iraqi refugees continue to live in Rafha camp as virtual prisoners. Arrests of suspected political and religious activists continued and the legal status of those held remained shrouded in secrecy. No concrete steps were taken by the government to tackle the issue of discrimination in law and practice.
In Lebanon hundreds of people were arrested and held for political reasons, while hundreds of suspected members of former Israel's proxy militia, the South Lebanon Army, continued to be tried in summary hearings before the military court. At least eight people were sentenced to death though no one was executed and human rights defenders were subjected to harassment.
At least five men were sentenced to death in Kuwait, and two men and a woman were executed. In the wake of 11 September attacks in the USA, dozens of people were reportedly held incommunicado without charge or trial. some of them were reportedly handed over to the US authorities for further questioning.
Dozens of political prisoners were released in Libya, but hundreds, including prisoners of conscience, remained in jail without charge or trial. Freedom of expression remained severely restricted and there were further reports of torture and ill-treatment from previous years where no impartial and thorough investigations have been conducted. Death sentences continued to be imposed. The fate of people who "disappeared" in previous years remained unclear.
In Morocco, despite the authorities' stated commitment to address all past human rights violations, the failure to bring those responsible for human rights violations to justice remained a major concern. The process of compensating victims of "disappearance" and arbitrary detention in previous years and their families continued. However the authorities failed to clarify the cases of several hundred people, most of them Sahrawi, who "disappeared " between the 1960s and early 1990s.
Judicial and legislative changes with a potentially positive impact on human rights were announced in Oman, and major steps were taken to promote and protect human rights in Bahrain, including the releaseof political prisoners and the return of many who had been forcibly exiled.
In Jordan hundreds of people, were arrested for political reasons and there were reports of torture or ill-treatment of detainees by members of the security services. Political prisoners continued to be tried before the State Security Court. There were at least 19 family or " honour" killings and at least nine people were executed during 2001.
HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA DETAILED IN AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S ANNUAL REPORT 2002
EXTRAJUDICIAL EXECUTIONS
Confirmed or possible extrajudicial executions were carried out in at least 3 countries
"DISAPPEARANCES"
People "disappeared" or remained "disappeared" from previous years in 6 countries.
TORTURE AND ILL-TREATMENT
Victims of torture and ill-treatment by security forces, police and other state authorities were reported in 15 countries.
PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE
Confirmed or possible prisoners of conscience were held in 12 countries.
DETENTION WITHOUT CHARGE OR TRIAL
People were arbitrarily arrested and detained without charge or trial in 7 countries.
DEATH PENALTY
People were sentenced to death in 9 countries and executions were carried out in at least 7.
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES BY ARMED OPPOSITION GROUPS
Armed opposition groups committed serious human rights violations, such as deliberate and arbitrary killings of civilians, torture and hostage taking in 3 countries
Israeli Assault on Gaza By Numbers in 30 Days
Date posted: August 09, 2014
By Safa Agency
