June, 23 2010, 10:33am EDT
![Amnesty International - USA](https://assets.rbl.ms/32012686/origin.png)
Amnesty International Charges That Human Rights Suffer as Libya Stalls on Reform
Human rights are suffering
in Libya as it continues to stall on reform, Amnesty International has
warned in a new report, despite the country's efforts to play a greater
international role.
The new report, 'Libya of Tomorrow:'
What Hope for Human Rights? documents floggings are used as punishment
for adultery, indefinite detentions and abuses of migrants, refugees and
asylum seekers as well as the legacy of unresolved cases of enforced disappearances
of dissidents. Meanwhile, the security forces remain immune from the consequences
of their actions.
WASHINGTON
Human rights are suffering
in Libya as it continues to stall on reform, Amnesty International has
warned in a new report, despite the country's efforts to play a greater
international role.
The new report, 'Libya of Tomorrow:'
What Hope for Human Rights? documents floggings are used as punishment
for adultery, indefinite detentions and abuses of migrants, refugees and
asylum seekers as well as the legacy of unresolved cases of enforced disappearances
of dissidents. Meanwhile, the security forces remain immune from the consequences
of their actions.
"If Libya is to have any international credibility,
the authorities must ensure that no one is above the law and that everyone,
including the most vulnerable and marginalized, is protected by the law.
The repression of dissent must end," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui,
Deputy Director at Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa
program.
Violations continue to be committed by the
security forces, particularly the Internal Security Agency (ISA), who appear
to have unchecked powers to arrest, detain and interrogate individuals
suspected of dissent or of terrorism-related activities. Individuals can
be held incommunicado for long periods, tortured and denied access to lawyers.
Hundreds continue to languish in Libyan jails
after serving their sentences or having been cleared by the courts despite
hundreds of releases in recent years, including of those detained unlawfully.
Mahmud Hamed Matar has been imprisoned since
1990. He was first held without trial for 12 years and then convicted to
life imprisonment in a grossly unfair trial. Statements reportedly obtained
under torture or other duress were used as evidence. His brother Jaballah
Hamed Matar, a Libyan dissident, forcibly disappeared in Cairo in 1990.
The Libyan authorities have not taken steps to investigate his disappearance.
During its visit to Jdeida Prison in May 2009,
Amnesty International found six women convicted of zina (defined
in Libyan law as sexual relations between a man and a woman outside a lawful
marriage). Four of them were sentenced to between three and four
years of imprisonment and two were sentenced to 100 lashes. Thirty-two
more women were awaiting trial on charges of zina.
Mouna [not her real name] was arrested in
December 2008, shortly after giving birth. The hospital administration
at the Tripoli Medical Center allegedly informed the police that she had
given birth to a child outside of marriage. She was arrested at the hospital,
tried shortly and sentenced to 100 lashes.
The Libyan authorities also use the 'war
on terror' to justify the arbitrary detention of hundreds of individuals
viewed as critics or a security threat, following the September 11th,
2001,
attacks in the United States.
The United States has returned a number of
Libyan nationals from its Guantanamo bay detention center or secret detention,
including Ibn Al Sheikh Al Libi,
who is reported to have committed suicide in 2009 while being held in Abu
Salim Prison. No details of the investigation into his death have been
made public. Libyan nationals suspected of terrorism-related activities
who return to the country remain at risk of being detained incommunicado,
tortured and tried in grossly unfair proceedings.
Amnesty International has observed a modest
increase in the flexibility of the Libyan authorities towards criticism.
Since late June 2008, protests by families of victims of the Abu Salim
Prison killings of 1996, in which up to 1,200 detainees are believed to
have been extra-judicially executed, have been allowed to take place.
But activists continue to face harassment
including arrest; and the authorities have yet to respond to their demands
for truth and justice. Libya has released about 15 prisoners of conscience
in the past two years,
but failed to compensate them for violations suffered or to reform draconian
legislation curtailing the rights to freedom of expression and association.
Migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers, many
from across Africa, attempting to seek sanctuary in Italy and the European
Union, instead face arrest, indefinite detention and abuse in Libya, the
report finds.
The country is not a signatory to the 1951
U.N.
Convention on Refugees, so refugees and asylum-seekers risk being sent
home regardless of their need for protection. In early June, the Libyan
authorities told the U.N.
High Commissioner for Refugees to leave the country, a move likely to have
a severe impact on refugees and asylum seekers.
The death penalty continues to be used widely
in Libya, with foreign nationals particularly affected. It can be
imposed for a wide range of offenses, including activities that amount
to the peaceful exercise of rights to freedom of expression and association.
There were 506 individuals on death row in
May 2009, around 50 percent of them foreign nationals, the Director General
of the Judicial Police told Amnesty International.
"Libya's international partners cannot ignore
Libya's dire human rights record at the expense of their national interests,"
said Hadj Sahraoui. "As a member of the international community, the Libyan
authorities have a responsibility to respect their human rights obligations,
and tackle their human rights record instead of concealing it. The contradiction
of Libya being a member of the UN Human Rights Council, while refusing
for the body's independent human rights experts to visit the country,
is striking."
Background
The report, which covers developments up to
mid-May 2010, is partially based on Amnesty International's findings during
a week-long visit to Libya in May 2009, the organization's first visit
for five years.
The visit followed lengthy negotiations with
the relevant authorities, with Amnesty International seeking to visit cities
in the south-east and east of the country as well as Tripoli. In the end,
the itinerary was limited to Tripoli and a short visit to Misratah.
The visit was facilitated by the Gaddafi International
Charity and Development Foundation, an organization headed by Saif al-Islam
al-Gaddafi,
the son of Libyan leader Colonel Mu'ammar al-Gaddafi who was instrumental
in securing Amnesty International's access to a number of detention facilities
and has helped secure the release of detainees.
During the visit, Amnesty International's
delegates discussed the organization's long-standing human rights concerns
with senior government officials, met representatives of civil society
institutions and obtained access to a number of detainees held on security
grounds or as irregular migrants.
Libyan security officials prevented Amnesty
International delegates from travelling to Benghazi as planned, in order
to meet families of victims of enforced disappearance, and denied them
access to several prisoners.
In April 2010, Amnesty International sent
its findings to the Libyan authorities offering to integrate any feedback
provided, but received no response.
Amnesty International is a global movement of millions of people demanding human rights for all people - no matter who they are or where they are. We are the world's largest grassroots human rights organization.
(212) 807-8400LATEST NEWS
'Tragic Outcome' for Gig Workers as California Supreme Court Hands Win to Uber, DoorDash
"Today's ruling only strengthens our demand for the right to join together in a union so that we can begin improving the gig economy for workers and our customers," the case plaintiff said.
Jul 25, 2024
Labor advocates on Thursday decried a ruling by the California Supreme Court upholding a lower court's affirmation of a state ballot measure allowing app-based ride and delivery companies to classify their drivers as independent contractors, limiting their worker rights.
The court's seven justices ruled unanimously in Castellanos v. State of California that Proposition 22, which was approved by 58% of California voters in 2020, complies with the state constitution. Prop 22—which was overturned in 2021 by an Alameda County Superior Court judge in 2021—was upheld in March 2023 by the state's 1st District Court of Appeals.
The business models of app-based companies including DoorDash, Instacart, Lyft, and Uber rely upon minimizing frontline worker compensation by categorizing drivers as independent contractors instead of employees. Independent contractors are not entitled to unemployment insurance, health insurance, or compensation for business expenses.
There are approximately 1.4 million app-based gig workers in California, according to industry estimates.
While DoorDash hailed Thursday's ruling as "not only a victory for Dashers, but also for democracy itself," gig worker advocates condemned the decision.
"Over the last three years, gig workers across California have experienced firsthand that Prop 22 is nothing more than a bait-and-switch meant to enrich global corporations at the expense of the Black, brown, and immigrant workers who power their earnings," plaintiff Hector Castellanos, who drives for Uber and Lyft, said in a statement.
"Prop 22 has allowed gig companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash to deprive us of a living wage, access to workers compensation, paid sick leave, and meaningful healthcare coverage," Castellanos added. "Today's ruling only strengthens our demand for the right to join together in a union so that we can begin improving the gig economy for workers and our customers."
Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO, said that "we are deeply disappointed that the state Supreme Court has allowed tech corporations to buy their way out of basic labor laws despite Proposition 22's inconsistencies with our state constitution."
"These companies have upended our social contract, forcing workers and the public to take on the inherent risk created by this work, while they profit," she continued. "A.B. 5 granted virtually all California workers the right to be paid for all hours worked, health and safety standards, unemployment insurance, workers compensation, and the right to organize."
"Rideshare and delivery drivers deserve those rights as well," Gonzalez stressed.
The Gig Workers Rising campaign said on social media that "Uber and other app corporations spent $220 million to buy this law, and they did it by tricking Californians."
Prop 22's passage in November 2020 with nearly 59% of the vote was the culmination of what was by far the most expensive ballot measure in California history. App-based companies and their backers outspent labor and progressive groups by more than 10 to 1, with proponents pouring a staggering $204.5 million into the "yes" campaign's coffers against just $19 million for the "no" side.
"Voters were told the initiative would provide us with 'historic new benefits' and guaranteed earnings," said Gig Workers Rising. "But since it went into effect, drivers have seen our pay go down, learned the benefits are a sham, and have to accept unsafe rides because of the constant threat of being 'deactivated,' kicked off the app with little explanation or warning."
"If Uber really cared about good benefits and fair wages, it could make that happen tomorrow," the campaign added. "Instead, it has shown it would rather slash pay, bamboozle voters, and put drivers' lives and livelihoods in danger—all while promising $7 billion in stock buybacks to banks and billionaires."
Veena Dubal, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine who focuses on labor and inequality, toldCalMatters that Thursday's ruling was "a really tragic outcome," but "it's not the end of the road."
Dubal's sentiment was echoed by some California state legislators, who said the ruling presents an opportunity to act.
"While this decision is frustrating, it must also be motivating," said state Senate Labor Committee Chair Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-28). "I'm more determined than ever to ensure that all workers—including our diverse and Black, Indigenous, and people of color-led gig workforce—have the basic protections of workers compensation, paid sick leave, family leave, disability insurance, and the right to form a union."
Prop 22 has served as a template for lawmakers in other states seeking to deny or limit basic worker rights, benefits, and protections.
In Massachusetts, app-based companies have been fighting for years to get a measure to classify drivers as contractors on the state ballot. In 2022, Lyft made the largest political donation in state history—$14.4 million—to a coalition funding one such proposal.
Last month, Uber and Lyft reached an agreement with the office of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, a Democrat, to pay $175 million to settle a lawsuit filed in 2020. As part of the deal, the companies also agreed to increase driver pay and provide paid sick leave, accident insurance, and some health benefits. The agreement does not address how app-based gig workers should be classified.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Young Voters Tell Kamala Harris to 'Fight for Our Future'
"This is your chance to energize young people and our communities to vote, mount one of the greatest political comebacks in decades, and deliver a resounding defeat to the far-right agenda of Trump and Vance."
Jul 25, 2024
Four youth-led groups on Thursday urged Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, to "fight for our future" by pursuing a policy agenda the coalition unveiled in a March letter to U.S. President Joe Biden.
It's been less than a week since Biden left the race and endorsed Harris, who is expected to face former Republican Donald Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), in the November election. Since then, she's racked up endorsements from Democratic members of Congress and progressive groups focused on issues including climate, labor, and reproductive rights.
March for Our Lives, which was launched after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, honored Harris with the group's first-ever endorsement on Wednesday, calling her "the right person to stand up for us and fight for the country we deserve."
"To defeat Trump, you must rebuild support and enthusiasm among young voters."
The gun violence prevention organization is part of the youth-led coalition behind the new letter, which also includes the climate-focused Sunrise Movement; Gen-Z for Change, which advocates on a range of issues; and the national immigrant network United We Dream Action.
"You have an urgent and important task. To defeat Trump, you must rebuild support and enthusiasm among young voters," the coalition told Harris on Thursday, noting that she sought the Democratic nomination during the last cycle. "You should build on your 2020 campaign platform where you put forward a strong vision to make the economy work for everyday people and ensure a livable future for us all."
The groups urged Harris to support the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and the Reverse Mass Incarceration Act. They pushed her to expand pathways to citizenship, keep families together, end fossil fuel subsidies, and create good, union jobs. They also called on her to prioritize gun violence prevention and investments in public health solutions and green, affordable housing.
"Democrats are at a critical crossroads with young people," the coalition wrote to Harris on Thursday. "Polls showed Biden and Trump neck-and-neck among young voters."
ANew York Times/Siena College poll conducted July 22-24 shows Trump leading Harris 48% to 47% among likely voters and 48% to 46% among registered voters—differences that fall within the margin of error.
Forbesnoted Thursday that "Democrats are far more enthusiastic about Harris than they were Biden, the Times/Siena survey found, with nearly 80% of voters who lean Democrat saying they would like Harris to be the nominee, compared to 48% of Democrats who said the same about Biden three weeks ago."
The outlet also pointed to two other polls conducted by Morning Consult and Reuters/Ipsos since Biden dropped out, which both show Harris with a narrow lead over Trump.
"You have an opportunity to win the youth vote by turning the page and differentiating yourself from Biden policies that are deeply unpopular with us, such as approving new oil and gas projects, denying people their right to seek refuge and asylum, and funding the Israeli government's killing of civilians in Gaza," the youth coalition highlighted Thursday. "You must speak to the economic pain young people are facing from crushing student debt and skyrocketing housing and food prices."
Looking beyond November, the groups told Harris—who could be the first Black woman and person of Asian descent elected to the country's highest office—that "you could be a historic president. Not just because of who you are, but what you can accomplish."
"Young people are energized and ready to organize against fascism and for the future we deserve," they concluded. "This is your chance to energize young people and our communities to vote, mount one of the greatest political comebacks in decades, and deliver a resounding defeat to the far-right agenda of Trump and Vance."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Video Game Actors Strike for AI Protections
"The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually," said one union leader. "The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games."
Jul 25, 2024
After nearly two years of negotiations with video game giants and no deal that would protect performers from artificial intelligence, unionized voice and motion capture actors who work in video game development announced Thursday that they will go on strike starting at 12:01 am on Friday, July 26.
The performers are represented by Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which last year won a contract for TV and film actors that included "unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI," after the union went on strike for four months.
The union has been negotiating on behalf of video game actors with major production companies including Disney Character Voices Inc., Activision Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc., and has won concessions over wages and job safety—but "AI protections remain the sticking point," said SAG-AFTRA on Thursday as the impending strike was announced.
Unionized actors want protections that would stop video game companies from training AI to replicate actors' voices or likeness without their consent and without compensating them.
"The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually," said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director and chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA. "The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games. That includes the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and they deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as performers in film, television, streaming, and music: fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the AI use of their faces, voices, and bodies."
"Frankly, it's stunning that these video game studios haven't learned anything from the lessons of last year—that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to AI, and the public supports us in that," he added.
Sarah Elmaleh, negotiating committee chair for the union's interactive media agreement, said the negotiations have shown the companies "are not interested in fair, reasonable AI protections, but rather flagrant exploitation."
"We look forward to collaborating with teams on our interim and independent contracts, which provide AI transparency, consent, and compensation to all performers, and to continuing to negotiate in good faith with this bargaining group when they are ready to join us in the world we all deserve," said Elmaleh.
The unionized actors voted in favor of the strike authorization with a 98.32% yes vote, said SAG-AFTRA.
The strike was announced as more than 500 workers who help develop the popular World of Warcraft video game franchise voted to join the Communications Workers of America (CWA), with the games publisher, Blizzard Entertainment, recognizing the bargaining unit.
CWA noted that the workers' journey to union representation began with a walkout in 2021 at Activision Blizzard, which was later bought by Microsoft, over sexual harassment and discrimination.
"What we've accomplished at World of Warcraft is just the beginning," Eric Lanham, a World of Warcraft test analyst, said in a statement. "We know that when workers have a protected voice, it's a win-win for employee standards, the studio, and World of Warcraft fans looking for the best gaming experience."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular