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Summary: Government crackdowns on pro-democracy protesters and their civil liberties persist across the Middle East and North Africa.
Libya In Libya, security forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi have launched a wave of arbitrary arrests and forced disappearances in the country’s capital, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports. According to eyewitness testimonies given by local residents, security forces have arrested scores of anti-government protesters and other suspected opposers, including those believed to have provided information to international media and human rights organisations. There are also reports that some detainees have allegedly been subjected to torture. Full story. On the situation in Libya, the Arab League has agreed that a no-fly zone should be imposed to stop Gaddafi planes from bombing civilians. It has also called for the UN Security Council and NATO forces to take action. View footage here. Yemen Meanwhile in Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh's promise to end attacks on peaceful demonstrators has been repeatedly broken as security forces intensify their crackdown on protesters, of which 37 have been killed to date. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has called on the government to investigate allegations of extra-judicial executions by Yemeni security forces. Its spokesperson, Rupert Colville added that, ”people should be allowed to exercise their internationally recognised rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression.” More on the story. In an incident last week, police attacked protesters in the centre of Sana’a, leaving six people dead and dozens injured, after tear gas, the water cannon and live fire were used to disperse protesters. Doctors working in makeshift field hospitals treating wounded protesters have claimed that tear gas used is poisonous. A spokesman from the Ministry of Interior denied these claims saying they were unjustifiable. However, one doctor reported that, “The material in this gas makes people convulse for hours. It paralyses them. They couldn’t move at all. We tried to give them oxygen but it didn’t work.” Full story. Iran The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has accused the government of using children as young as 14 to fight anti-government protesters in the country alongside riot police, arming them with batons, clubs and air guns. According to witnesses, the young troops are recruited from rural areas and comprise up to one-third of the total force. They are being used to ensure there is a good ratio of government forces to protesters and because the average policeman in Tehran could have some kind of family connection to the people they have to beat up. Full story. Bahrain The King of Bahrain has declared a three-month state of emergency in response to civilian protests and clashes with security forces. The King thus authorised the commander of the country’s defence forces to take all necessary measures to protect the safety of the country. This follows the entry of Saudi military troops allegedly to protect government facilities. Full story. A 12-hour curfew has been imposed in some areas of the capital, Manama, where six protesters are reported to have been killed after security forces dispersed crowds at the Pearl Roundabout. Previously, seven protesters were killed last month, and two on Tuesday. There are even reports that the government used Apache helicopters to shoot at peaceful protesters. Full story. The news network Al-Jazeera has also released footage of a police officer firing live rounds indiscriminately at protesters, and one man being shot in the chest at point-blank range by an officer apparently with a tear gas canister. View footage here. Sudan Human Rights Watch revealed last week that the Sudanese national army subjected numerous youth protesters to severe physical abuse while in detention following the country’s January and February protests this year. Victim testimonies tell of beating with metal rods, batons, whips and electric shocks, while others were forced to sign statements vowing not to continue protesting or to talk about the conditions of detention. One female activist has told how she was abducted by two security officers, beaten unconscious and then raped. Full story. Further Information: