The amended constitution that came into force december 16 limits the public defender to one sixyear. Independent voices offers perspectives from those at the forefront of research on human rights and islam, globalization, transnational advocacy, and the politics of key states such as egypt, morocco, and yemen. This document provides an overview of human rights developments in the countries where there were uprisings five years ago. The arab spring and degrees of change in human rights. The arab spring, massive violations of human rights and the use of force. The idea behind this report is to draw attention to the violation of human rights violations in those countries that traditionally represent themselves as developed democracies. Watenpaugh, war comments off on as america leaves iraq, human rights questions remain women, religious minorities at high risk.
On 15 march 2017, tayseer najjar, a jordanian journalist, was sentenced to a threeyear prison term and a fine of 500,000 uae dirhams by abu dhabi federal appeals court. Which also included a remarkable lecture by the mideast director of human rights watch, sarah leah whitson. Ive been away from the eleanor blog for some time as i had both a heavy human rights teaching load human rights. Watenpaugh comments off on praguecairodamascus remembering havel and his power of the powerless. Other countries affected by the arab spring showed a drastic increase in risk in maplecrofts 2012 extrajudicial or unlawful killings index euki and other indices assessing human security as well as in the civil and political rights index particularly in relation to freedom of opinion and expression. Human rights organisations have also criticised the regime.
Executions in idlib governorate execution of fighters in first defense line, march 11, 2012 mass executions at the bilal mosque, march 11, 2012 executions of four residents in ayn larouz village, midmarch 2012 execution of. Inroads towards charting its own path shadi mokhtari i. Amsterdam law forum alf is the studentrun international law journal of vu university. Although human rights violations are still occurring in both countries, the evaluation of past research and the tracing of current transnational involvement with respect to human rights conditions. Egypt some progress with respect to human rights appears to have been made in egypt. Other countries affected by the arab spring showed a drastic increase in risk in maplecrofts 2012 extrajudicial or unlawful killings index euki and other indices assessing human security as well as in the civil and political rights index particularly in. Genocide as well as organizing the human rights and the humanities week. The arab spring was caused by a multitude of factors economic, political, social, cultural and religious, but its origins also lay in belief. How french arms were used to crush dissent 3 amnesty international contents 1.
The notion of dignity is so central to human rights that it hadfor me at leastbecome an abstraction until the arab spring protests forced me to. In the midst of the arab awakening, there is a new sunnishia divide which has greatly complicated the diplomatic and geopolitical challenges facing the united states. London the euphoria of the arab spring has given way to the sobering challenge of creating rightsrespecting democracies, human rights watch said. Challenges ahead 7 sessions before finally suspending syrias membership and adopting a resolution imposing economic sanctions against syria following the violent crackdown on the popular uprising. Posted in history of human rights, human rights and law, human rights and the arab spring, human rights and the humanities, posts by k. It summarizes key human rights issues in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide. The arab spring, massive violations of human rights and the use of force this article is based on a presentation given at the british institute of international and comparative law in london on 25 october 2012 on the occasion of its annual conference and its theme for this year of international law, the rule of law and constitutional change. Arab spring fails yet to deliver on human rights arbitrary arrests, torture are growing in the middle east as despots more often than not. The arab spring and the eus democracy promotion in.
Constitutionalism, human rights, and islam after the arab spring offers a comprehensive analysis of the impact that new and draft constitutions and amendments such as those in jordan, morocco, syria, egypt, and tunisia have had on the transformative processes that drive constitutionalism in arab countries. It was founded in 1989 at the initiative of the arab organization for human rights, the arab lawyers union, and the tunisian league for human rights and with the support of the united nations centre for human rights. The 2004 arab charter on human rights pdf, 85 kb is the main arab league treaty in the field of human rights, and entered into force in 2008. The kremlin has sought to suppress reporting of many such abuses. Ntroduction 1 the stunning wave of protest and change taking shape in the middle east has had profound implications for human rights dynamics in the region. Ngos viewed the public defenders office, which has a mandate to monitor human rights and investigate allegations of abuse and discrimination, as the most objective of the governments human rights bodies. The arab human rights system deutsches institut fur. London the euphoria of the arab spring has given way to the sobering challenge of creating rightsrespecting democracies, human rights watch said today in issuing its world report 20. Human rights watch is a 501c3 nonprofit registered in the us under ein.
Suggested citation kritsiotis, dino, the arab spring, massive violations of human rights and the use of force april 1, 20. Longstanding authoritarian rulers have been overthrown in tunisia and egypt, and in libya, a new interim government controls much of the country. This book aims to identify and analyze the key issues. Relations we live as in war crackdown on protesters in the governorate of homs, syria.
Constitutionalism, human rights, and islam after the arab. A brief reading of human rights trends in the arab region. As of this year, alf also creates a section for inaugural speeches. Tunisias postarab spring period marks a time of considerable improvements in human rights conditions and the general respect for human rights. The arab spring, social media, and human rights by tina xu when mohammed bouazizi doused himself with gasoline and lit his fatal match, he ignited not only his flesh but the spirit of a revolution that would transform the face of north africa and the middle east. The middle east and north africa region is large and diverse, and it is difficult to make regional generalisations about the impact of the arab spring on human rights. Human rights, culture and social work vishanthie sewpaul 1 published online. Human rights in the united arab emirates wikipedia. Jan 28, 2015 freedom from official corruption as a human right. Before the arab spring, the unseen thaw human rights watch. Thus, the human rights violations that occur on a regular basis in each of the countries surveyed arguably occur as a result of three primary factors. In addition, alf hosts a conference in spring with a relevant legal.
The week was a great success and the study and teaching of human. Tunisia, egypt, human rights, arab spring introduction awarding the 2011 nobel peace prize to yemens prominent nonviolent activist. Human rights violations, use of force, arab spring, humanitarian intervention, nicaragua case, oppenheim, libya, security council, kritsiotis suggested citation. Country by country tunisia the only relative success story with a new constitution and some justice for past crimes.
The arab spring and its impact on human rights in the mena region. It does not aim to give a detailed account of rights violations, but rather to offer a reading of the most significant types of violations in their local and regional political context. The arab spring has had the effect of a wakeup call for the eu. The human rights watch issued a report regarding the violation of the rights to freedom of expression in the united arab emirates. Tunisia, egypt, human rights, arab spring introduction awarding the 2011 nobel peace prize to.
Arab spring fails yet to deliver on human rights the. On the occasion of international womens day, march 8, 2016, the middle east program and the women in public service project at the wilson center asked a number of women in the middle east and north africa mena region and the united states about what they hope the status of women in the region will be in the next year and what needs to happen for women to get there. Jan 24, 2014 the development of the arab spring across the middle east was not a gender based issue, yet it was the issue of womens rights which sought to define it in the perception of the west. All of which has brought about a totally inadequate leverage policy whose impact in favor of democratization, human rights and the rule of law. The purpose of the study is to give an analysis of the humanitarian situation and the case of human rights in syria after the events of the arab spring. During the arab spring, the chinese government instigated a series of harsh crackdowns on the exercise of free speech, a human right, to crush any budding pro. Aihr memorythe arab institute for human rights is an independent arab nongovernmental organization based in tunisia. Rights and insecurity of tunisian, egyptian and libyan women article pdf available in security dialogue 4456.
Reflections on human rights understandings in light of the. But human rights are still under attack, and reforms are urgently needed. Loyalty to autocratic friends shouldnt stand in the way of siding with democratic reformers. Every year alf publishes a winter, spring, and summer issue. The arab spring, massive violations of human rights and the. Tunisia tunisia stands out as the only relative success story to emerge from the arab spring, but reforms are urgently necessary to avoid a relapse into the repression of the past. Sep 01, 2011 arab spring fails yet to deliver on human rights arbitrary arrests, torture are growing in the middle east as despots more often than not ignore promises to end the worst abuses. The ouster of the two longestlived authoritarians in the arab region abdelaziz bouteflika in algeria and omar albashir in sudan offered a glimmer of hope evoking the values of the arab spring, after years of a fullscale regional offensive against democratization and the uprisings, and a series of preemptive strikes against political reform and change in states throughout the region. Some chapters provide essential historical background to current political realities, while others. Double standards in the past have undermined the eus credibility in the arab world and have created a mistrust of its intentions. Roots and causes of the arab uprisings there is a consensu s among politica l analysts regardin g the cocktai l of major factors that, when combined, created the socia l explosio n known as the 2011 arab uprisings. These include discriminatory policies against crimeas ethnic tatar minority, infringement of property rights, and intimidation of independent voices through selective use of the law and physical force. Human rights a record incompatible with the civilized world.
Its 1994 predecessor never entered into force for lack of ratifications. Arab countries attack israel on trumpedup charges of human rights violations to cover up their own systemic human rights violations. Instead, a new arab political identity with an antidespotic, pluralis t and democracyseekin g approach is dawning. Human rights violations in certain countries in 2012. It illustrated the limitations of the stability versus human rights paradigm and prompted a fundamental rethinking of eu policies. Some states condemned the egyptian authorities for their egregious human rights violations, and denounced the impunity that the security. Posted in human rights and 911, human rights and law, human rights and the arab sprin, humanitarianism, posts by k. The people driving the arab spring deserve strong international support to realize their rights and to build genuine democracies, said kenneth roth, executive director of human rights watch.
The inextricable relationship between socioeconomic development, democracy, culture and human rights, with intersecting brace, gender and nationalregional belonging are predisposing determinants of poverty and human rights violations. Constitutionalism, human rights, and islam after the arab spring. The arab spring and its impact on human rights in the mena. The arab spring and the eus democracy promotion in egypt. The arabic network for human rights information anhri, is a legal institution with lawyers and researchers working on defending freedom of expression in egypt and the arab world, especially freedom of the press as a gateway. In his keynote, human rights watch executive director kenneth roth reflects on a year so tumultuous, it can seem as if the world. I must begin by saying that the topic of my presentation massive violations of human rights and the use of force in the context of the arab spring was not one of personal design reached after moments of prolonged deliberation but, rather, in a very good oldfashioned way, it was allocated to me by the conveners of the annual. The arab spring, massive violations of human rights and.
Reactions to protests saw violent retaliations from government forces, with the response to womens involvement being especially harsh. Not only does the arab world ignore the rule of international human rights law, many of its violations from sanctioning honor killings of women to crossamputations for criminals are enshrined in the legal system of most muslim countries. Apr 10, 20 in the midst of the arab awakening, there is a new sunnishia divide which has greatly complicated the diplomatic and geopolitical challenges facing the united states. Egypt peaceful activists, critics of the government and many others remain in jail. It began in response to oppressive regimes and a low standard of living, starting with protests in tunisia noueihed, 2011. Calls for human rights echoed throughout egypt from men and women, with women playing a significant role in the protests and social movement.
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