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Summer 2017
DEFENDERS
34
Regional Overview
of Human Rights in 2016
By: Paria Danaee
Researcher in International Law
F
or millions, 2016 was a year of unrelenting misery and fear, as governments
and armed groups abused human rights in a multitude of ways.
From the worsening plight of the Rohingya people in Myanmar to mass
unlawful killings in South Sudan, from the vicious crackdowns on dissenting
voices in Turkey and Bahrain to the rise of hate speech across large parts of
Europe and the USA, the world in 2016 became a darker and more unstable
place.
In this report we take a look at the human right’s conditions in 3 different
regions of the world with a background in human rights violations. In each
region some of the gravest case of violations has been chosen to be further
explained.
Africa
Mass protests, movements, and mobilization – often articulated and organized
through social media – swept the continent in 2016. Given the scale and long
history of repression, some of the protests – as in Ethiopia and Gambia – would
have been unthinkable only a year previously. Demands for change, inclusion
and freedom were often spontaneous, viral and driven by ordinary citizens, in
particular young people who bear the triple burden of unemployment, poverty
and inequality.
Dissent was brutally repressed, as evidenced in widespread patterns of attacks
on peaceful protests and the right to freedom of expression. Human rights
defenders, journalists and political opponents continued to face persecution
and assault. Civilians continued to bear the brunt of armed conflicts, which
were marked by persistent and large-scale violations of international law.
Impunity for crimes under international law and serious human rights
violations remained largely unaddressed.
• Crackdown on Peaceful Protests
The year saw widespread patterns of violent and arbitrary crackdowns on
gatherings and protests – hallmarked by protest bans, arbitrary arrests,
detentions and beatings as well as killings – in a long list of countries including