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Source: http://www.amnesty.nl/rss/pers

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<title>Pers Archives - Amnesty International</title>
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<description>Voor de mensenrechten</description>
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<title>Ireland: Human rights organizations under threat from draconian law as Amnesty could face criminal charges</title>
<link>https://www.amnesty.nl/actueel/ireland-human-rights-organizations-under-threat-from-draconian-law-as-amnesty-could-face-criminal-charges</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 08 Dec 2017 11:57:59 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Ierland]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Vrijheid van meningsuiting]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.amnesty.nl/?post_type=amn_news&p=13975</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Human rights groups in Ireland are being unfairly targeted under a draconian law that can be used to criminalize campaigning organizations, Amnesty International Ireland said today. The organization could face a criminal investigation and possible prosecution after being told a foreign donation it received is prohibited by law. Amnesty’s Dublin office has been ordered to […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Human rights groups in Ireland are being unfairly targeted under a draconian law that can be used to criminalize campaigning organizations, Amnesty International Ireland said today. The organization could face a criminal investigation and possible prosecution after being told a foreign donation it received is prohibited by law.
Amnesty’s Dublin office has been ordered to pay back a €137,000 grant received from the Open Society Foundations (OSF) last year. Failure to comply would be a criminal offence under Ireland’s Electoral Act. The grant was made to support a campaign to ensure abortion laws in Ireland comply with human rights.
“Ireland is targeting Amnesty International purely for its human rights work,” said Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland.
“This decision is an indefensible attack on human rights defenders and shocking evidence of the real threat the Electoral Act poses to wider civil society organizations in Ireland.”

<h2 class="x_x_MsoNoSpacing">Change of position</h2>
Amnesty International Ireland has been informed by the Irish government’s regulatory body, the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPOC), that it has broken the law by accepting funding for its human rights work from an international donor.
The Electoral Act forbids overseas donations of more than €100 to what is vaguely defined as “third party” organizations for “political purposes”.
However, SIPOC wrote to Amnesty International Ireland only last year to acknowledge that its work on reforming Ireland’s abortion laws, including that supported by the OSF grant, was not in breach of the Act and that the organization was not required to register as a “third party”.
A year later, SIPOC has reversed its position without any material change to the facts.
“Why SIPOC reversed its position on this funding is not clear. What we do know is that some domestic and international groups that oppose our work on the rights of women and girls, and some elements of the media, have been painting our campaign to reform Ireland’s abortion law as ‘controversial’ or ‘too political’. They have also portrayed foreign funding as somehow sinister,” said Colm O’Gorman.
“This is despite major public support for expanding Ireland’s harsh abortion law and repealing the Eighth Amendment. It also overlooks the fact that Amnesty International is completely independent of any political ideology, economic interest or religion.
“Amnesty International will not be complying with the instruction from the SIPOC and will deploy every means at its disposal to challenge this unfair law.”

<h2 class="x_x_MsoNoSpacing">Weaponized </h2>
SIPOC enforcement of the “third party” provision of the Electoral Act primarily involves responding to complaints it receives. In practice, this means its powers can be misused by certain groups or individuals that wish to target organizations working on particular issues, for example by bombarding SIPOC with complaints.
Amnesty International believes SIPOC’s complaint mechanism and enforcement powers are being deliberately manipulated by individuals and groups who disagree with the organization’s work.
“It is entirely unacceptable that this flawed law is being weaponized by those who are opposed to a range of human rights and equality issues, such as abortion, sexual and reproductive rights and marriage equality,” said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s Director for Europe and Central Asia.
“That the state is allowing its laws and regulations to be used in this way is deeply alarming. The Irish government must urgently intervene to ensure Ireland’s laws and regulatory frameworks stop obstructing the work of civil society.”

<h2 class="x_x_MsoNoSpacing">Flawed Law</h2>
SIPOC itself has repeatedly highlighted the Electoral Act’s flaws. In 2003, it said the overly broad definition of “political purposes” meant it could unintentionally cover the work of a wide range of organizations that the law was not meant to regulate, explicitly naming Amnesty International in that list.
The Electoral Act is also completely at odds with Ireland’s foreign policy. Ireland has been one of the more active nations seeking to defend the space for civil society and protect against repressive legislation, including in countries such as Russia, Hungary and Egypt.
“Despite SIPOC’s own concerns about the vagueness of the Electoral Act, some 14 years later it is now using this to unfairly apply the law to Amnesty International’s human rights work. The situation would be farcical were it not so disturbing,” said Colm O’Gorman.
“It is equally preposterous that Ireland, which has rightly criticized draconian anti-NGO laws elsewhere, retains a law which is even more restrictive and far-reaching.”
 The root cause of these developments is the Electoral Act itself, most specifically the 2001 amendments, which allow civil society organizations’ funding to be denied or severely restricted simply for being perceived as seeking to influence government policy.
The Act requires urgent amendment to ensure that civil society organizations are not wrongfully punished by this law.
Amnesty International, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Transparency International have previously urged the government to amend the Electoral Act and submitted proposals for straightforward amendments in July this year.
“The Irish government cannot allow this to continue. It must urgently amend the Electoral Act to make it clear that it was never the intention of the legislature to target civil society and so punitively restrict their access to funding,” said Colm O’Gorman.
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<item>
<title>Inhumane behandeling op Nederlandse terrorismeafdelingen</title>
<link>https://www.amnesty.nl/actueel/inhumane-behandeling-in-nederlandse-terrorismeafdelingen</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Oct 2017 23:01:49 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Contraterrorisme]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Detentie]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.amnesty.nl/?post_type=amn_news&p=11857</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In een vandaag gepubliceerd rapport stellen Amnesty International en het Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) dat de Nederlandse autoriteiten mensen onder inhumane omstandigheden vasthouden op speciale terrorismeafdelingen in De Schie en Vught. Gedetineerden werden onder andere buitensporig lang opgesloten in hun cel en moesten stelselmatig vernederende visitaties ondergaan. Weliswaar hebben de autoriteiten zich bereid verklaard […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[In een <a href="https://www.amnesty.nl/content/uploads/2017/10/AMN_17_26_Report-on-TA-regime.pdf?x82004">vandaag gepubliceerd rapport</a> stellen Amnesty International en het Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) dat de Nederlandse autoriteiten mensen onder inhumane omstandigheden vasthouden op speciale terrorismeafdelingen in De Schie en Vught. Gedetineerden werden onder andere buitensporig lang opgesloten in hun cel en moesten stelselmatig vernederende visitaties ondergaan.
Weliswaar hebben de autoriteiten zich bereid verklaard enkele hervormingen door te voeren, maar deze zijn onvoldoende om de ernstige mensenrechtenzorgen weg te nemen. Het rapport <a href="https://www.amnesty.nl/content/uploads/2017/10/AMN_17_26_Report-on-TA-regime.pdf?x82004">Inhumaan en Onnodig: Mensenrechtenschendingen op de Terroristenafdeling </a>bevat aanbevelingen voor concrete hervormingen van wet- en regelgeving. Amnesty en OSJI roepen op tot onmiddellijke, grondige, onafhankelijke en onpartijdige inspectie van, en sterker toezicht op de Terrorismeafdelingen (TA’s). Op deze manier moet worden gezorgd dat de mensen die daar vastzitten worden behandeld in overeenstemming met de internationale mensenrechtenverplichtingen van Nederland.
<h2>Langdurige eenzame opsluiting</h2>
In het zestig pagina’s tellende rapport worden diverse maatregelen beschreven die worden toegepast op de TA’s in de twee penitentiaire instellingen. Hieronder zijn het stelselmatig opsluiten van mensen in eenpersoonscellen, vaak 19 tot 22 uur per dag, en de beperking van contact met anderen wanneer zij zich buiten hun cel bevinden. In drie gedocumenteerde gevallen kwamen deze omstandigheden neer op langdurige eenzame opsluiting, wat volgens internationale mensenrechtenstandaarden ten strengste verboden is. Gevangenbewaarders voeren ook veelvuldig ingrijpende en vernederende visitaties uit, waarbij de gedetineerde volledig naakt is. Een van de andere tekortkomingen is dat mensen die van een terroristisch misdrijf worden verdacht — maar nog niet zijn berecht — onder dezelfde omstandigheden worden vastgehouden samen met mensen die veroordeeld zijn. Dit ondermijnt hun recht om geacht te worden onschuldig te zijn tot het tegendeel bewezen is.
<h2>Automatische plaatsing</h2>
Een belangrijk manco van de TA is het feit dat iemand die wordt verdacht van, of is veroordeeld voor, een aan terrorisme gerelateerd strafbaar feit, automatisch in een Terroristenafdeling wordt geplaatst. De autoriteiten beoordelen niet of iemand daadwerkelijk een concreet risico vormt dat zijn of haar detentie in de TA rechtvaardigt. Gedetineerden zijn niet in staat hun plaatsing en de stelselmatig tegen hen ingezette strenge veiligheidsmaatregelen effectief aan te vechten.
‘Veel van de maatregelen die stelselmatig worden toegepast in de TA kunnen mensen onnodig isoleren en vernederen, en daarmee schenden ze de verplichtingen van Nederland op het gebied van mensenrechten’, aldus Doutje Lettinga van Amnesty Nederland. ‘Zelfs iemand die geen bewezen bedreiging voor de veiligheid vormt, kan in een van de zwaarste detentieregimes van het land worden vastgehouden.’
<h2>Effectiviteit</h2>
Verschillende geïnterviewden geven aan dat de strenge veiligheidsmaatregelen in de TA, die op alle gedetineerden van toepassing zijn, botsen met het doel van bescherming van de openbare veiligheid. Officieren van Justitie overwegen zelfs om iemand niet aan te klagen voor een strafbaar feit van terroristische aard, om de nadelige gevolgen van plaatsing in de TA te voorkomen.
Er bestaan weinig mogelijkheden voor opleiding en re-integratie in de TA, waardoor het des te moeilijker voor gedetineerden is om zich voor te bereiden op hun terugkeer in de samenleving.
‘De harde behandeling in de TA en het gebrek aan mogelijkheden voor re-integratie, vergroten het risico dat gedetineerden nog meer vervreemd raken, waardoor ze slecht toegerust en niet voorbereid zijn op hun terugkeer in de samenleving’, aldus Horowitz van het Open Society Justice Initiative. ‘De TA negeert de verantwoordelijkheden van Nederlandse penitentiaire inrichtingen op het gebied van reclassering. In plaats daarvan kan het TA-systeem resultaten opleveren die het doel van openbare veiligheid tenietdoen.’
<h2>Hervormingen</h2>
De autoriteiten die verantwoordelijk zijn voor de TA hebben de bereidheid geuit de hoeveelheid tijd die gedetineerden samen met anderen hun cel uit mogen te verhogen, en om een aantal op maat gemaakte beveiligingsmaatregelen en re-integratieprogramma’s te introduceren. Deze hervormingen lijken echter ad hoc te zijn en mogelijk arbitrair. Sommige veranderingen zijn afhankelijk van de wil van de gevangenisautoriteiten, en er is zeer weinig transparantie over welke criteria gehanteerd worden als basis voor maatwerkbeslissingen binnen de zwaarbeveiligde TA.
‘Wij juichen de bereidheid van de autoriteiten toe om positieve veranderingen op de TA in overweging te nemen’, aldus Jonathan Horowitz. ‘Hervormingen dienen echter zorgvuldig te worden ontworpen en doorgevoerd, om te zorgen voor maximale transparantie en naleving van de verplichtingen van Nederland op het gebied van mensenrechten. En ze dienen toegepast te worden op een manier die niet arbitrair is.’
<h2>Familieleven geschaad en geen privacy </h2>
Het TA-systeem wordt ook gekenmerkt door constante surveillance. Veel gedetineerden zeiden dat de bewaking dusdanig was dat zij weigerden persoonlijke en familiekwesties te bespreken tijdens bezoek. Deze constante observatie door meeluisteren, meekijken en fysiek toezicht, gecombineerd met de andere veiligheidsmaatregelen, reduceert bezoek van kinderen en echtgenoten tot oppervlakkige ontmoetingen. Dit ondermijnt het recht op privacy en het recht op eerbiediging van familie- en gezinsleven van gedetineerden.
De buitensporige observatie brengt tevens de vertrouwelijkheid van de relatie tussen arts en patiënt in gevaar, wanneer bewakers aanwezig zijn tijdens medische consulten. Ook heeft dit een verlammend effect op de vertrouwelijke communicatie tussen gedetineerden en advocaten.
<h2>Aanbevelingen</h2>
Amnesty International en het Open Society Justice Initiative roepen de overheid op ervoor te zorgen dat mensen niet meer automatisch in de TA geplaatst worden uitsluitend op basis van het aan hen ten laste gelegde. Zij roepen de overheid tevens op de strenge veiligheidsmaatregelen voor gedetineerden, zoals langdurige beperkende opsluiting en ingrijpende visitaties waarbij de gedetineerde volledig naakt is, te staken zolang niet wordt beoordeeld of dergelijke maatregelen noodzakelijk en proportioneel zijn. Gedetineerden dienen tevens de mogelijkheid te krijgen hun plaatsing en de veiligheidsmaatregelen effectief aan te vechten. De organisaties roepen ook op tot een onmiddellijke, grondige, onafhankelijke en onpartijdige inspectie van de naleving door de TA van internationale mensenrechtenwetgeving.
De bevindingen zijn gebaseerd op interviews met vijftig mensen, onder wie negentien voormalige TA-gedetineerden, en op een uitgebreide analyse van de internationale mensenrechtenverplichtingen van Nederland.
De eerste van de gespecialiseerde zwaarbeveiligde Terroristenafdelingen in Nederland ging in 2006 open bij een gevangenisinstelling in Vught (Penitentiaire Inrichting Vught). In 2007 volgde een tweede, bij Penitentiaire Inrichting De Schie in Rotterdam. Tot op heden zijn meer dan 160 mensen met de TA in aanraking geweest. De twee TA’s tezamen bieden plaats aan 48 gevangenen. 
]]></content:encoded>
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<item>
<title>EU: Countries have fulfilled less than a third of their asylum relocation promises</title>
<link>https://www.amnesty.nl/actueel/eu-countries-have-fulfilled-less-than-a-third-of-their-asylum-relocation-promises</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 25 Sep 2017 13:19:52 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Vluchtelingen en migranten]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.amnesty.nl/?post_type=amn_news&p=11341</guid>
<description><![CDATA[European countries have utterly failed to fulfil their commitments to relocate asylum-seekers from Greece and Italy, Amnesty International said, as the two year period in which asylum-seekers are eligible for the relocation scheme comes to a close on 26 September 2017. “Two years after this scheme was agreed, most EU member states have fundamentally failed […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[European countries have utterly failed to fulfil their commitments to relocate asylum-seekers from Greece and Italy, Amnesty International said, as the two year period in which asylum-seekers are eligible for the relocation scheme comes to a close on 26 September 2017.
“Two years after this scheme was agreed, most EU member states have fundamentally failed refugees and asylum-seekers, shirking their responsibilities and leaving thousands abandoned in Italy and Greece,” said Iverna McGowan, Director of the Amnesty International European Institutions Office.
“This isn’t about paying lip service to doing right by refugees and asylum-seekers, it is a legal obligation. EU countries must now step up and make good on the promises they made, or risk being taken to the European Court and potentially facing tough penalties.”
Among the worst offenders are Poland and Hungary, both of which have refused to accept a single asylum-seeker from Italy and Greece. Slovakia, which unsuccessfully challenged the relocation scheme in the European Court, has only accepted 16 of the 902 asylum-seekers it was assigned, and the Czech Republic only 12 of 2691.
Spain has fulfilled just 13.7% of its quota, while Belgium has fulfilled 25.6%. The Netherlands has fulfilled 39.6% of the target it committed to, and Portugal 49.1%.
Malta is the only EU country that has fulfilled its quota. Norway and Lichtenstein opted in to the scheme voluntarily, and have both fulfilled their commitments to relocate 1500 and 10 respectively.
Notably, Finland has welcomed 1,951 asylum-seekers (or 94% of its legal commitment). Ireland has taken in 459 asylum-seekers, or 76.5% of its legal commitment.
Amnesty International is calling on European governments to step up their efforts to fulfil their quotas under the relocation scheme, as well as to accept individuals with protection needs in Italy and Greece through other means, including through work visas and swift family reunification procedures.
The relocation scheme, agreed in September 2015, offered asylum-seekers the chance to rebuild their lives in safety after surviving war and persecution and then perilous journeys to reach Europe. In Greece, where thousands of asylum-seekers without family reunification claims have been trapped since the closure of the Greek-Macedonian border in March 2016, relocation has been one of very few formal options available for most people to safely move elsewhere in Europe.
Asylum-seekers who arrived on the Greek islands since the EU-Turkey deal was agreed on 20 March 2016, have unlawfully been excluded from the relocation scheme, and many remain trapped on the islands.
‘Everybody who arrives in Greece and Italy before the impending deadline should be made eligible for relocation. As well as allowing them to carry on with their lives in safety and dignity, making these people eligible would relieve pressure and improve conditions on the Greek islands, which have deteriorated as arrivals have risen over the summer months,” added Iverna McGowan.
After the deadline for asylum-seekers to become eligible for the relocation scheme passes, governments can, and must, continue to relocate those already eligible, in line with their obligations.
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<item>
<title>Killing of Tripura journalist another blow to freedom of speech</title>
<link>https://www.amnesty.nl/actueel/killing-of-tripura-journalist-another-blow-to-freedom-of-speech</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 25 Sep 2017 07:27:41 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[India]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Vrijheid van meningsuiting]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.amnesty.nl/?post_type=amn_news&p=11327</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The killing of 28-year-old journalist Shantanu Bhowmick in the course of his work in Mandai, Tripura, is another sickening assault on freedom of expression, Amnesty International India said today. “Shantanu Bhowmick’s gruesome murder again exposes the vulnerability of journalists working in difficult situations. The perpetrators must be brought to justice, if more attacks on journalists […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The killing of 28-year-old journalist Shantanu Bhowmick in the course of his work in Mandai, Tripura, is another sickening assault on freedom of expression, Amnesty International India said today.
“Shantanu Bhowmick’s gruesome murder again exposes the vulnerability of journalists working in difficult situations. The perpetrators must be brought to justice, if more attacks on journalists are to be prevented,” said Arijit Sen, Programme Manager, Amnesty International India.
On 20 September, Bhowmick, who worked for a local television news channel “Dinraat”, was covering an agitation in Mandai by the Indigenous Peoples’ Front of Tripura (IPFT) for a separate tribal state. The IPFT had clashed in recent days with the Tripura Rajaer Upajati Ganamukti Parishad (TRUGP), a group affiliated with the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist). Authorities had issued executive orders prohibiting public assembly in several parts of Tripura.
According to some media reports, when the police baton-charged demonstrators, Bhowmick was caught in the clash, and then abducted and killed with sharp weapons, allegedly by members of the IPFT.
“Police have taken suo motu cognizance of the issue. The entire area of Mandai had witnessed violence carried out by the IPFT. Four people have been arrested as part of a violent mob. There is one First Information Report that includes the murder,” Abhijit Saptarishi, Superintendent of Police, West Tripura told Amnesty International India.
Earlier in September, prominent journalist Gauri Lankesh was killed by gunmen outside her home in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
“The killing of journalists cannot become the order of the day. State governments must everything in their power to prevent journalists from becoming targets for their viewpoints or affiliations. Authorities must end impunity for these killings,” said Arijit Sen.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has said that there have been no convictions in any of the 27 cases of journalists murdered for their work in India since 1992. In 2016, the organization urged the central government to bring together journalists, scholars and experts on freedom of expression to submit draft proposals for a national-level journalist safety and protection mechanism.
]]></content:encoded>
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<title>UK: Amnesty exposes illicit US$46m South Sudan arms deal brokered under government’s nose</title>
<link>https://www.amnesty.nl/actueel/uk-amnesty-exposes-illicit-us46m-south-sudan-arms-deal-brokered-under-governments-nose</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 25 Sep 2017 07:23:32 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Gewapend conflict en wapencontrole]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Zuid-Sudan]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.amnesty.nl/?post_type=amn_news&p=11325</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Research released by Amnesty International today reveals how a shell company in the heart of London’s West End acted as an intermediary in huge prospective arms deals to war-torn South Sudan and other countries, thanks to regulatory gaps which are making the UK a hotspot for companies involved in illicit arms transfers. Commercial documents name […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Research released by Amnesty International today reveals how a shell company in the heart of London’s West End acted as an intermediary in huge prospective arms deals to war-torn South Sudan and other countries, thanks to regulatory gaps which are making the UK a hotspot for companies involved in illicit arms transfers.
Commercial documents name S-Profit Ltd, a tiny UK-registered company, as the ‘supplier’ in a 2014 deal to provide at least US$46m worth of small arms, light weapons and ammunition to the South Sudanese government. The report, <a href="https://www.amnesty.nl/content/uploads/2017/09/Report-From-Londen-to-Juba.pdf?x82004">From London to Juba: a UK-registered company’s role in one of the largest arms deals to South Sudan</a>, also reveals that the UK government has been aware of similar practices taking place on British soil for more than eight years, without taking effective regulatory action.
“South Sudan is awash with weapons that have been used to kill and maim thousands of civilians, causing Africa’s biggest refugee crisis. The UK government has been a vocal proponent of a UN arms embargo on South Sudan, yet is turning a blind eye to illegal deals taking place right under its nose,” said James Lynch, Amnesty International’s Head of Arms Control and Human Rights.
“Glaring gaps in UK company regulation mean a dealer of illicit arms can go online and set up a UK company to front its activities with fewer checks than joining a gym or hiring a car. The UK must urgently review its company registration procedures – right now it provides the perfect conditions to become a hotspot for the kind of irresponsible arms transfers that have devastated South Sudan.”
The weapons in question form part of a previously undisclosed 2014 contract between a Ukrainian state arms company and a UAE-based company to procure US$169m of weapons on behalf of South Sudan. These include thousands of machine guns, mortars, RPGs and millions of rounds of ammunition.
If fulfilled, the total deal would constitute one of the largest publicly disclosed arms transfers to South Sudan since the outbreak of fighting in December 2013.
Amnesty International has not been able to determine whether some or all of the weapons listed in these documents have yet been delivered to South Sudan. However, a UK company may violate UK export control laws even by being involved in the negotiation of an arms deal to South Sudan. The involvement of the Ukrainian state-owned arms company and a UAE private company in weapons supplies to South Sudan also potentially contravenes the Ukraine and UAE’s obligations as signatories to the Arms Trade Treaty.
S-Profit’s director –a Ukrainian national based outside the UK – denied to Amnesty International that the firm had supplied military products to South Sudan, but has not responded to further questions, including whether it played an intermediary role.
As well as the South Sudan deal, documents seen by Amnesty International show a sequence of commercial offers and contract negotiations involving S-Profit Ltd – some unfinished — for the prospective supply of armoured vehicles, weapons and aircraft to Egypt, Senegal, Mali, Rwanda, Ukraine and Peru, as well as to private companies in Serbia, Ukraine, Poland and Australia. Amnesty International has been unable to identify UK trade control licences for any of these negotiations or deals.
<h2>Turning a blind eye</h2>
Amnesty International has provided UK authorities with the documents and information it has obtained. The report also reveals that the UK government has, for more than eight years, been aware of UK shell companies being used unlawfully as contract vehicles for weapons dealers to supply arms to human rights violators and embargoed destinations including Syria, Eritrea and South Sudan. The UK has made no regulatory changes to address these gaps.
The UK government has also failed to take any meaningful enforcement action against the companies involved, despite powers under UK company and insolvency law designed to allow the government to wind up companies acting unlawfully or fraudulently.
<h2>A regulatory vacuum</h2>
S-Profit Ltd is emblematic of how companies that wish to operate in the shadows can benefit from regulatory gaps at Companies House, the government body responsible for registering companies. Anyone in the world can set up a UK company online without needing to provide any identity documents.
The day after its registration, the shareholding of S-Profit Ltd was transferred to a Ukrainian national who lists a non-existent UK office address and a commercial ‘virtual telephone switchboard’ service for official communications.
“S-Profit Ltd’s company filings give no indication of its involvement in the arms trade – but then UK law does not require them to. This kind of weak regulation is seriously undermining the other robust domestic, EU and international controls which should make any UK involvement in arms transfers to a war zone like South Sudan unimaginable,” said James Lynch.
“This should be a wake-up call for the UK government to hold UK-registered companies accountable. Simple measures like checking the veracity of names and addresses and setting up a register of arms brokers would make it much harder for foreign arms dealers contributing to serious human rights abuses to set up shop in the UK.
“If they have not already reached South Sudan, these deliveries must be halted. In the meantime we continue to call for a comprehensive UN arms embargo on South Sudan that includes any brokering, financial or logistical activities that would facilitate these kinds of transfers. Without an embargo, weapons will continue to flow into South Sudan, and the consequences for civilians will continue to be catastrophic.”
<h2>Background</h2>
S-Profit is one of three companies named in the documents, alongside the UAE-based International Golden Group and the Ukrainian state-owned arms exporter, Ukrinmash.
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<title>Greece: Court decisions pave way for first forcible returns of asylum-seekers under EU-Turkey deal</title>
<link>https://www.amnesty.nl/actueel/greece-court-decisions-pave-way-for-first-forcible-returns-of-asylum-seekers-under-eu-turkey-deal</link>
<pubDate>Sat, 23 Sep 2017 08:37:26 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Vluchtelingen en migranten]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.amnesty.nl/?post_type=amn_news&p=11322</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Two Syrian refugees are at risk of being forcibly returned to Turkey after Greece’s highest administrative court rejected their final appeals against earlier rulings declaring their asylum claims inadmissible. This could set a dangerous precedent for future returns of asylum-seekers under the EU-Turkey deal, Amnesty International said. Today’s decisions by the Council of State come as Amnesty International […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Two Syrian refugees are at risk of being forcibly returned to Turkey after Greece’s highest administrative court rejected their final appeals against earlier rulings declaring their asylum claims inadmissible. This could set a dangerous precedent for future returns of asylum-seekers under the EU-Turkey deal, Amnesty International said.
Today’s decisions by the Council of State come as Amnesty International publishes new findings (attached) on unlawful returns from Turkey to Syria. These conclude that refugees and asylum-seekers in Turkey are at greater risk of being returned to their countries of origin since the start of last year’s state of emergency.
“Today’s ruling sets an ominous precedent for many other asylum-seekers who have fled conflict and persecution and are currently stranded on the Greek islands. Syrian refugees currently in detention following the rejection of their appeals are particularly at risk,” said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s Europe Director.
‘’These decisions breach a very clear principle: Greece and the EU should not be sending asylum-seekers and refugees back to a country in which they cannot get effective protection.” 
 If the applicants, ‘Noori’, a 21-year-old nursing student, and ‘Afaaz’, are deported it will be the first formal return of an asylum-seeker from Greece to Turkey on the basis that Turkey is a safe country since the EU-Turkey deal came into force.
Syrian refugees receive temporary protection in Turkey but many live in extreme poverty. Whilst Turkey has taken more refugees from Syria than any other state, safeguards against sending refugees and asylum seekers back to countries where they face human rights violations and abuses including violence, torture or even death have been significantly reduced under the state of emergency.
There are also grave concerns about the treatment of those returned to Turkey under the EU-Turkey deal. In a leaked letter last December, the UN Refugee Agency said that it has faced obstacles to monitoring the situation of Syrians returned to Turkey from Greece as it has not been granted unhindered access to pre-removal centers in Turkey where Syrian returnees from Greece are transferred.
“Today – for the first time since the implementation of the EU-Turkey deal – Greece, acting on behalf of the entire EU, took a conscious decision which will result in two refugees being sent to a country which is already struggling to meet the basic needs of almost three million other refugees,” said John Dalhuisen.
“Until such time as asylum-seekers and refugees can be guaranteed effective protection in Turkey, EU countries must stop sending them there.”
 Background
 The Council of State found that the decisions of the Appeals Committees holding that Turkey is a safe third country for the two applicants were reasonable.
The Council of State also decided not to refer the cases to the European Court of Justice to determine the question as to whether Turkey can be considered a “safe third country” by a narrowly majority of 13 votes to 12.
Legal changes introduced to Turkey’s Law on Foreigners and International Protection under the post-coup state of emergency, have increased the risk of refoulement, by removing the suspensive effect of appeals against deportation.
Amnesty International’s research prior to the coup attempt already showed that Turkey could not be considered a safe country for asylum-seekers and refugees.
Non-Syrian asylum-seekers in Turkey do not have access to fair and efficient procedures for the determination of their status or timely or adequate access to integration and resettlement.
“Noori” (not his real name) had to abandon his studies when the hospital he was studying at was bombed during the conflict in Syria. In April 2015, his village was hit and he saw several members of two neighbouring families die with his own eyes. He was close friends with the son of one of the families. He crossed into Turkey on 9 June 2016.
Noori told Amnesty International that during his first two attempts to enter Turkey, he was apprehended and beaten by Turkish gendarmerie, before being sent back to Syria. On his third attempt, he said his group was attacked by an armed group and 11 of his companions were killed. He stayed in Turkey for a month-and-a-half. He was attacked and robbed twice by smugglers and thieves while in Turkey.
His asylum claim in Greece was found inadmissible by the Asylum Service on the premise that Turkey was a safe country for him. This decision was upheld by one of the new Appeals Committees. He challenged the Appeals’ Committee’s decision before the Council of State last September and in mid-February 2017, one of the court’s sections referred the case to the plenary because of the importance of the issues raised in Noori’s application.
On 10 March, the Plenary heard Noori’s application, the applications of a second Syrian asylum-seeker and two Greek pro-refugee NGOs. The Plenary was called to decide on whether Turkey is a ‘safe third country’ for the two asylum-seekers and the constitutionality of the composition of the new Appeals Committees.
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<title>Myanmar: Video and satellite evidence show new fires still torching Rohingya villages</title>
<link>https://www.amnesty.nl/actueel/myanmar-video-and-satellite-evidence-show-new-fires-still-torching-rohingya-villages</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Sep 2017 11:36:36 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Bangladesh]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Discriminatie]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Myanmar]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Vluchtelingen]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.amnesty.nl/?post_type=amn_news&p=11335</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Amnesty International has assessed three new videos taken inside Rakhine State as recently as Friday afternoon showing large plumes of smoke rising from Rohingya villages, one of which was already deserted, as well as satellite imagery with smoke visible over burnt-out structures. Local sources in northern Rakhine State claim the fires were started by members […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Amnesty International has assessed three new videos taken inside Rakhine State as recently as Friday afternoon showing large plumes of smoke rising from Rohingya villages, one of which was already deserted, as well as satellite imagery with smoke visible over burnt-out structures.
Local sources in northern Rakhine State claim the fires were started by members of the Myanmar security forces and local vigilante mobs.
“This damning evidence from the ground and from space flies in the face of Aung Suu Kyi’s assertions to the world that what she called military ‘clearance operations’ in Rakhine State ended on 5 September,” said Tirana Hasan, Director of Crisis Response at Amnesty International.
“Almost three weeks later, we can see in real time how there is no let-up in the campaign of violence against Rohingya in northern Rakhine State. Rohingya homes and villages continue to burn, before, during and after their inhabitants take flight in terror. Not satisfied with simply forcing Rohingya from their homes, authorities seem intent on ensuring they have no homes to return to.
“The time has come and gone for giving Myanmar’s military and political leadership the benefit of the doubt. The international community must be unequivocal in its condemnation and take effective action to halt this ethnic cleansing campaign as well as bring the perpetrators to account.”
<div class="media--image media media--align-center"><img decoding="async" class="aligncenter" title="" ix-src="https://amnesty.imgix.net/content/uploads/2017/09/hparwatchaung.png?w=954&h=654&fit=crop" alt="Hpar Wat Chaung, Myanmar" data-image-id="11337" /></div>
One video, taken on 21 September near the village of Hpar Wat Chaung village, northern Maungdaw township, shows agricultural land in the foreground with a large plume of smoke rising from a settlement located amid a group of trees. A local resident told Amnesty International that Myanmar Border Guard Police (BGP) and vigilante groups started the fires in the early afternoon, and that there were further burning operations that same evening.
Amnesty International reviewed satellite imagery of Hpar Wat Chaung from 16 and 22 September. Smoke is still visible in the later image, which clearly showed the village had been set ablaze and structures standing just days earlier had been burnt to the ground. Additionally, satellite sensors detected a recent active fire in the village, further corroborating the incident.
Two more videos, taken from different angles reportedly outside Nga Yant Chaung village in Buthidaung township, show the village in flames on Friday afternoon. Activists, including a source in Rakhine State itself, have told Amnesty International that the burning began between 1:30pm and 2:00pm local time.
<h2>Background</h2>
On 14 September, Amnesty International published irrefutable evidence of a mass-scale scorched-earth campaign across northern Rakhine State, where Myanmar security forces and vigilante mobs have been burning down entire Rohingya villages and shooting people at random as they try to flee. The violence is part of an unlawful and disproportionate response to coordinated attacks on security posts by a Rohingya armed group on 25 August.
The organization’s analysis of active fire-detection data, satellite imagery, photographs and videos from the ground, as well as interviews with dozens of eyewitnesses in Myanmar and across the border in Bangladesh, show how an orchestrated campaign of systematic burnings has targeted Rohingya villages across northern Rakhine State.
The violence has prompted more than 429,000 people to flee to Bangladesh as refugees since 25 August. In legal terms, these are crimes against humanity – murder and deportation or forcible transfer of population.
Tens of thousands of other people – including members of Rakhine State’s other ethnic minority communities – have also been displaced as a result of the violence.
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<title>Yemen: US-made bomb kills and maims children in deadly strike on residential homes</title>
<link>https://www.amnesty.nl/actueel/yemen-us-made-bomb-kills-and-maims-children-in-deadly-strike-on-residential-homes</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Sep 2017 23:00:13 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Jemen]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.amnesty.nl/?post_type=amn_news&p=11317</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The bomb that destroyed a residential building in Yemen’s capital last month, killing 16 civilians and injuring 17 more – including five-year-old Buthaina whose photograph went viral in the aftermath of the strike – was made in the USA, Amnesty International reveals today. Amnesty International’s arms expert analysed remnants of the weapon found it bore […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The bomb that destroyed a residential building in Yemen’s capital last month, killing 16 civilians and injuring 17 more – including five-year-old Buthaina whose photograph went viral in the aftermath of the strike – was made in the USA, Amnesty International reveals today. 
Amnesty International’s arms expert analysed remnants of the weapon found it bore clear markings that matched US-made components commonly used in laser-guided air-dropped bombs.
The 25 August air strike hit a cluster of houses in Sana’a, severely damaging three of them, and killing seven children including all five of Buthaina’s brothers and sisters. Eight other children were injured, amongst them was two-year-old Sam Bassim al-Hamdani, who lost both his parents. 
“We can now conclusively say that the bomb that killed Buthaina’s parents and siblings, and other civilians, was made in the USA,” said Lynn Maalouf, Research director for the Middle East at Amnesty International.
“There simply is no explanation the USA or other countries such as the UK and France can give to justify the continued flow of weapons to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition for use in the conflict in Yemen. It has time and time again committed serious violations of international law, including war crimes, over the past 30 months, with devastating consequences for the civilian population.”
After examining photographic evidence provided by a local journalist who dug out the remaining fragments of the weapon at the site, Amnesty International’s arms expert was able to positively identify the data plate from a US-made MAU-169L/B computer control group. It is a part used in several types of laser-guided air-dropped bombs.
According to the Defence Security Cooperation Agency, in 2015 the US government authorized the sale of 2,800 guided bombs to Saudi Arabia that were equipped with the MAU-169L/B computer control group, including GBU-48, GBU-54, and GBU-56 guided bombs.
Amnesty International is calling for the immediate implementation of a comprehensive embargo to ensure that no party to the conflict in Yemen is supplied with weapons, munitions, military equipment and technology that can be used in the conflict. An independent, impartial inquiry into reported violations is urgently needed and all those responsible for crimes under international law must be brought to justice in fair trials.
<h2>
Lives devastated forever</h2>
“She had five siblings to play with. Now she has none,” Ali al-Raymi 
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition launched the devastating attacks at around 2AM in Faj Attan, a residential area in Yemen’s capital Sana’a.
Ali al-Raymi, 32, lost his brother Mohamed al-Raymi along with his sister-in-law and his five nieces and nephews aged between two and 10 years. His niece, five-year-old Buthaina, was the sole survivor. He told Amnesty International: 
“When you ask her ‘what do you want?’, she says ‘I want to go home’… She thinks that if she goes home, she will find them [her family] there… She had five siblings to play with. Now she has none… What kind of sorrow and pain could she be feeling in her heart?”
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition has admitted to carrying out the devastating attack, but maintains that the civilian casualties were the result of a “technical error”. The coalition claims it targeted a “legitimate military objective,” which belonged to the Huthi-Saleh forces. 
According to local residents, one of the buildings in the area was frequented by a Huthi-aligned individual. Amnesty International was not able to confirm his identity, role or whether he was present at the time of the attack. However, even if there were military objectives in the vicinity, international humanitarian law prohibits disproportionate attacks, including those expected to kill or injure civilians.
The Saudi Arabia-led coalition spokesperson also said that the incident had been referred to the coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT) for further investigations. To date, Amnesty International is not aware of any members of the coalition taking concrete steps to investigate, take disciplinary measures against or prosecute officers suspected of criminal responsibility for war crimes.
“The coalition’s complete disregard for civilian lives, as well as their lack of commitment to effective investigations, highlights the need for an independent international inquiry to look into alleged violations of international law,” said Lynn Maalouf.“It is shameful that instead of holding the coalition accountable for their actions in Yemen, key allies including the USA and the UK have continued to supply it with huge quantities of arms.”
<h2>
BACKGROUND</h2>
Since February 2016, Amnesty International has urged all states to ensure that no party to the conflict in Yemen is supplied – either directly or indirectly – with weapons that would be used in the conflict. It has also repeatedly called for an international independent investigation to be conducted into all alleged violations of international law committed by all parties.
According to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) annual report on Yemen, 1,120 children have been killed and 1,541 injured since the beginning of the conflict in March 2015. In the past year alone, more than half of these child casualties were attributed to the coalition airstrikes.
The Huthi-Saleh forces, as well as anti-Huthi forces on the ground, have also committed violations international humanitarian law and human rights abuses. According to the OHCHR, the Huthi-Saleh forces are responsible for the majority of child casualties caused by ground fighting, shelling
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<title>Cameroon: Three human rights organizations demand release of students sentenced to 10 years over Boko Haram joke</title>
<link>https://www.amnesty.nl/actueel/cameroon-three-human-rights-organizations-demand-release-of-students-sentenced-to-10-years-over-boko-haram-joke</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Sep 2017 13:44:10 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Kameroen]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.amnesty.nl/?post_type=amn_news&p=11318</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Authorities in Cameroon should drop all charges and release three students each sentenced to 10 years in prison for sharing a joke via SMS about Boko Haram, Amnesty International, the Réseau des défenseurs des droits humains en Afrique centrale (REDHAC) and Nouveaux droits de l’homme (NDH) Cameroun said today. The start of the hearings in […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Authorities in Cameroon should drop all charges and release three students each sentenced to 10 years in prison for sharing a joke via SMS about Boko Haram, Amnesty International, the Réseau des défenseurs des droits humains en Afrique centrale (REDHAC) and Nouveaux droits de l’homme (NDH) Cameroun said today.
The start of the hearings in the appeal of Fomusoh Ivo Feh, Afuh Nivelle Nfor and Azah Levis Gob, all younger than 30 years old, is set for today in Yaoundé after several delays. The three students were found guilty of ‘non-denunciation of terrorism acts” by a military court on 2 November 2016.
“Rather than languishing in prison simply for exercising their right to freedom of expression, these three students should have been playing a valuable role in Cameroonian society,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, Amnesty International Lake Chad Researcher.
“Today’s appeal is an opportunity for the authorities to show the world their commitment to righting this injustice by immediately and unconditionally releasing these three students.”
In December 2014, Fomusoh Ivo received a text message from a friend, saying: “Boko Haram recruits young people from 14 years old and above. Conditions for recruitment: 4 subjects at GCE, including religion”.
His friend’s message was intended as a comment on the difficulty of finding a good job without being highly qualified – joking that even the armed group Boko Haram won’t recruit you without good exam results.
Ivo forwarded the message to Afuh Nivelle Nfor, who sent it to Azah Levis Gob. One of their teachers saw the text, having confiscated the phone, and showed it to the police. 
Ivo and his friends were all arrested. They were transferred to the Prison in Yaoundé on 14 January 2015 and kept with their legs chained at the ankles.
“These three students should never have been arrested in the first instance as they have only exercised their right to freedom of expression,” said Ngo Mbe Maximilienne, Executive director of REDHAC.
The three were charged under the Cameroonian Penal Code and Cameroonian Military Code on 3 March 2015.
“A sarcastic SMS cannot possibly constitute grounds for imprisonment. These students do not belong behind bars and must be allowed to continue their lives without further delay,” said Cyrille Rolande Bechon, Executive director NDH Cameroun.
The organizations call on Cameroonian authorities to also release other individuals detained on spurious charges related to national security, such as Ahmed Abba, a journalist for Radio France Internationale’s Hausa service, who is in jail for simply exercising his right to freedom of expression. Aboubakar Siddiki, leader of the political party Mouvement patriotique du salut camerounais, and Abdoulaye Harissou, a well-known notary have also been in detention for more than three years.
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<title>Amnesty International urges Morocco to ensure full respect of freedom of expression, association and assembly</title>
<link>https://www.amnesty.nl/actueel/amnesty-international-urges-morocco-to-ensure-full-respect-of-freedom-of-expression-association-and-assembly</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Sep 2017 08:19:02 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Marokko]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Mensenrechtenverdedigers]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Vrijheid van meningsuiting]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.amnesty.nl/?post_type=amn_news&p=11321</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Amnesty International has consistently raised concerns with the Moroccan authorities about restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly. There has been a chilling wave of arrests of scores of protesters, activists and bloggers in the Rif region of northern Morocco, and peaceful protests have been forcibly dispersed, including those advocating for self-determination of Western […]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Amnesty International has consistently raised concerns with the Moroccan authorities about restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly. There has been a chilling wave of arrests of scores of protesters, activists and bloggers in the Rif region of northern Morocco, and peaceful protests have been forcibly dispersed, including those advocating for self-determination of Western Sahara.
The organization welcomes Morocco’s commitment to remove obstacles in the registration of civil society organizations, to review the Penal Code in line with Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and to develop measure to ensure full respect of freedom of expression, association and assembly in Western Sahara. However, it regrets Morocco’s rejection of recommendations to end the persecution of journalists and to release those detained solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression.
While Amnesty International acknowledges Morocco’s commitment to guarantee fair trials in accordance with international human rights standards, the organization urges it to amend the Code of Criminal Procedure, in order to ensure the right to a fair trial, such as access to a lawyer during interrogation for all suspects. Amnesty International has documented unfair trials in both Morocco and Western Sahara that relied on statements which defendants said had been extracted under torture.
The organization acknowledges steps taken by Morocco to address violence against women and girls, including the draft law to strengthen the protection of survivors of violence, in line with Morocco’s commitments made in the 2012 and 2008 reviews. However, Draft Law 103.13 on combating violence against women does not comply with international standards in its definition of rape, and other barriers remain, such as the ban on abortion and sexual relations outside marriage. Amnesty International welcomes Morocco’s acceptance of recommendations to criminalize marital rape, and ensure protection against domestic violence, however it is regrettable that Morocco has rejected recommendations and to repeal Article 489 and 490 of the Penal Code prohibiting same-sex sexual relations and sexual relations outside marriage.
Despite some reform in policies towards migrants and refugees, Morocco has yet to adopt legislation to protect asylum-seekers and refugees. The organization is pleased to note Morocco’s commitment to speed up the review of the legal framework on migration and asylum to align it with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Amnesty International is concerned that although no executions have been carried out in Morocco since 1993, death sentences continue to be handed down and proposed changes to the Penal Code would expand the scope of the death penalty. It regrets Morocco’s rejection of a number of recommendations to establish a formal moratorium on the death penalty, with a view to its abolition.
<h2>Background</h2>
The UN Human Rights Council adopted the outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of Morocco on 21 September 2017 during its 36th session. Prior to the adoption of the report of the review Amnesty International delivered an oral statement. Amnesty International also contributed to the information basis of the review through its submission on country: 
www.amnesty.org/en/documents/ior40/5941/2017/en/
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