Human rights defenders in prison, severe repression of dissent, scores of executions and persecution of homosexuals. Late to arrive The New Renaissance Suggested it Matteo Renzi During his last trip to Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaEven today, in an interview with her, it is a country Courier serviceSpecific a ‘A bulwark against Islamic extremism’. According to the latest 2020-2021 report issued by Amnesty InternationalIn the country of Al Saud The repression intensified The right to freedom of expression, association, and assembly. Among those who have been subjected to harassment, arbitrary arrest, trial and / or imprisonment are government opponents and activists Women’s rightsHuman rights defenders, relatives of activists, journalists, members of the Shi’a minority and those who have criticized the government’s responses to the Covid-19 pandemic online. At the end of the year practically All known Saudi human rights defenders have been arrested or imprisoned inside the country“.
On the other hand, the country has shown tepid signs of improvement, such as a reduction Corporal penis Like skin, it is only used in cases where it is considered mandatory for Islamic Law, Impossibility Sentenced minors to death, Except when Islamic law explicitly states so, or the slow and gradual restriction of Private classes For women, on the other hand, the repression against dissidents remains fierce, especially for those who struggle to respect human rights.
One of the points that Renzi made to justify his supportive stance The person who came to define “friend”, the heir Mohammad bin Salman, Which is considered by US intelligence The instigator to kill the opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Related to The death penalty. In his self-interview He intended to answer questions posed by journalists regarding his trip to RiyadSenator Reniano had specified that “executions by death penalty)In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ed) From 184 in 2019 to 27 in 2020. However, the NGO report highlights a still very problematic case: “The courts have done this Heavy use of the death penalty People have been executed for a wide range of crimes. ”Not forgetting that“ the authorities did not respect international standards for due process in cases involving the death penalty, and they often took Brief procedures Secretly And without allowing the accused to have representation or legal aid. Foreign citizens were often not able to access translation services during the various stages of detention and trial. “
Until th Labor cost Envy of Renzi, by his own admission during the now well-known post on Davos del Desherto, Hides stories Exploitation and enslavement For those migrant workers who are forced to work for poor wages with the system Warranty (Bail) that prevents migrants from leaving the country or changing jobs without the permission of the employer, which increases their vulnerability to abuse and exploitation. Approximately $ 10 million Migrant workers in the country with this system. Since the start of the epidemic – the report reads – thousands of Ethiopian immigrants, including Pregnant women and children, They have been Prisoners Arbitrarily, under extremely harsh conditions, in at least five detention centers across the country. The detainees said they did not have enough food, water, health care, sanitation, and clothes. The cells were very overcrowded, and inmates were unable to leave. The specific needs of pregnant and lactating women were not met. Children, infants and teenagers were held in the same appalling conditions as adults. “
After callingwar crimes And other serious violations of international law “committed by the Saudi-led coalition in To whomThe report focuses on the strong hold against human rights defenders. With a clip that gives an idea of the situation the country finds itself in: “The authorities have arbitrarily arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned human rights defenders and family members of women’s rights activists for their peaceful human rights activities, also under the anti-terrorism law and the anti-computer crime law. On human rights issues in Saudi Arabia will almost be in detention without charge or trial or serving prison terms by the end of the year.
Bahrain and the suppression of opponents and death sentences
Some of the problems highlighted in the chapter on Saudi Arabia are also present in this chapter the two seasAnd Another country that Senator Renzi recently visited, and attended too Formula 1 Grand Prix. Also here recorded one AI Severe suppression Against those who have demonstrated publicly, on the street or online, any form of opposition to decisions taken by the government, in a systematic way Restricting freedom of expression. The report reminds us that “Bahrain It does not have independent media. All national press and broadcasters support the executive and are owned and / or run by people close to the government. Bahrain has used the Covid-19 pretext to further suppress freedom of expression. In March, the Public Prosecutor threatened to prosecute anyone who published or circulated “false news” or “biased rumors,” on the grounds that “current circumstances” require “support from state agencies and institutions.” A few days later, the Ministry of Interior announced that the Cyber Crime Directorate had issued instructions to its employees Monitoring and tracking offensive (social networks) accounts. Face those who have publicly denounced human rights violations, as well as their family members Revenge“.
Also with respect to TormentedAnd what is specified is that “the judiciary did not intervene effectively to deal with complaints of torture that were submitted to it, despite the frequent occurrence of this phenomenon in specific places, and the identification of detainees to the responsible authorities and sometimes their name and rank.” Of the alleged executioners. In Bahrain during the past four years, there was no trace of any trial that came in a court ruling in cases of torture with the aim of extracting a “confession.” The courts continued to issue them. Death sentences, In some cases at the end “Deeply flawed” operationsThe government continues to prevent entry to the country Independent Observers On human rights.
Egypt: persecution of dissidents, enforced disappearances, and “widespread torture”
Finally thereEgypt, A country that Italy had been calling unsuccessfully for years to cooperate in the search for truth and justice for the killing Jules Regeni Who was in prison for 14 months without due process Patrick ZakiThe Egyptian student at the University of Bologna was arrested on February 7, 2020, at Cairo Airport. Here, the repression of dissent intensified after the 2013 military coup that led the general to lead the country. Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, it causes Thousands of opponents of the regime were imprisoned. The authorities continued to punish any form of dissent, whether real or perceived, and severely suppressed the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, expression, and association. Bundles of Journalists were arbitrarily arrested Just because of their work or to express critical opinions. The authorities also continued to severely restrict freedom of association, human rights organizations, and political parties. Thousands of people stayed in Prolonged pretrial detention, Including human rights defenders, journalists, politicians, lawyers and social media influencers. Conditions of detention remained cruel and inhuman Prisoners were denied adequate medical care, a situation that led or at least contributed to this 35 deaths in prison Or shortly after his release. It has been released New death sentences There were executions. The women have been prosecuted for crimes that violate “morals,” because of the way they dress, behave, and make money on the Internet, “according to the report.
The mass prison was also followed by many cases of torture and ill-treatment of detainees in prisons designated for political opponents: “The authorities subjected hundreds of detainees, including prisoners of conscience, to Enforced disappearance In unknown locations – they keep. Torture remained rife In official and unofficial places of detention. Defendants arrested in connection with the September protests told prosecutors that they were beaten and subjected to subjugation Electric shocks By the security forces. The judiciary regularly failed to open investigations against NSA agents regarding reports of torture and enforced disappearances.
In addition, conditions of detention in Egyptian prisons remained cruel and inhuman. Prisoners protested against overcrowdingPoor ventilation Lack of hygiene Access to toilets and an insufficient amount Food and water Drinking. The authorities tortured some detainees by holding them in solitary confinement for prolonged or indefinite periods in appalling conditions. Authorities prevented prisoners from receiving adequate medical care. At least 35 prisoners died in prison or shortly after their release, as a result of medical complications and, in some cases, due to the denial of adequate treatment. ”This is while the courts continue to issue“ death sentences at the end of their life. ” Mass and unfair trials“.
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