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Summary: Latest update on government crackdowns on civil society in the region
HIGHLIGHTS: - Children tortured in school cellars in Syria Syria In Syria, children as young as 12 are being tortured in school cellars at the hands of Syrian security forces as part of the government’s mass intimidation campaign aimed at inhibiting further protests, activists and former captives have claimed. While young children are reported to suffer heavy beatings, men and women endure extreme torture such as electric shocks and the extraction of fingernails. Since the unrest began in January, as many as 750 people have been killed in the government’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, the country’s National Organisation for Human Rights has said. In the past few days, over 10,000 people have also been arbitrarily detained despite the 48-year state of emergency being lifted in April. Syrian families seeking refuge from the violence in neighbouring Lebanon have been rounded up by Lebanese security forces and sent back home, local residents have reported. The Lebanese army has refused to comment on allegations that it is colluding with the Syrian regime to return refugees. Full story. Bahrain Meanwhile in Bahrain, an undercover investigation conducted by an Al Jazeera correspondent has revealed how police carried out periodic raids on girls' schools since the unrest began three months ago. One 16-year-old has described how she and three other classmates were taken into police custody where they were subjected to severe beatings and threatened with being raped for three consecutive days. According to the mainly Shia opposition Al Wefaq party, police have raided up to 15 schools, detaining, beating and threatening to rape girls as young as 12. Seventy teachers are also alleged to have been detained. Full story. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned the government crackdown in Bahrain, citing reports that at least four people have died while in custody, that four protesters have been sentenced to death after a closed-door military trial, that 23 doctors and 24 nurses are due to be tried in a military court on charges including participation in unlicensed protests, that over 1,000 people are currently detained, and that the whereabouts of over 50 people is unknown. More details. Libya In Libya, women and children are being recruited into the national armed forces as part of a large-scale campaign to increase the size of Gaddafi’s army. A senior Libyan official commented that the security forces are preparing for any possible situation, including a NATO ground invasion. Despite claims that the new conscripts have volunteered to fight, some sources affirm that they are being forced to join, with those refusing to go to military camps being persecuted and arrested. Full story. Around 600 sub-Saharan refugees fleeing the conflict in Libya are feared to have drowned after their boat broke up off the county’s coast. Sixteen bodies have been recovered so far, including those of two babies. In the wake of the incident, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has called on European governments to improve their sea rescue services, and that all boats leaving Libya for Europe most likely need assistance. Previously, family members and survivors told the UNHCR of boats running into problems, and as many as 800 people are unaccounted for. Full story. Additionally, the International Commission of Inquiry established by the Human Rights Council (HRC) to investigate alleged violations of international human rights law in Libya concluded its field visits to Egypt, Libya and Tunisia on 29 April, and will submit its findings at the 17th Session of the HRC in June. Further Information:
- Schoolgirls beaten and threatened with being raped in Bahrain
- Women and children forcibly recruited into armed forces in Libya