'Covid-19 has become an additional punishment for prisoners'

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Governments who were lauded for releasing prisoners in response to Covid-19 outbreaks have excluded human rights defenders from the measures and continue to make new arrests of activists, journalists and critics, Amnesty International said in a statement yesterday (August 6). 

In a briefing titled, "Daring to Stand up for Human Rights in a Pandemic", the organization said it "highlights the hypocrisy of governments," including Egypt, India, Iran and Turkey, which "left prisoners in appalling conditions despite widely publicized prisoner release programs."

"Covid-19 has been an added punishment for human rights defenders who are unjustly imprisoned, and has also been used as a pretext for further harassment, prosecution and even killings," said Lisa Maracani, Amnesty International's Researcher on Human Rights Defenders.

"The exclusion of human rights defenders from release measures underscores the political nature of their imprisonment. In Turkey, for example, journalists, lawyers, activists and opposition politicians held in pre-trial detention on baseless charges remain behind bars despite government measures that have seen over 100,000 people released since April. It is plain to see that the Turkish government still fears criticism more than the pandemic."

The new briefing documents attacks on human rights defenders during the COVID-19 period in 46 countries, and shows how "fake news" laws, movement restrictions, reduced police protection and heightened intolerance to criticism have led to new crackdowns around the world, including against whistle-blowers in the health sector and those highlighting inadequate responses to the pandemic.

Amnesty International has identified 131 people who speak up for human rights globally who have been harassed, prosecuted, killed or imprisoned on COVID-19-related pretexts – this figure is likely to be the tip of the iceberg.

"Instead of making space for human rights defenders to support their efforts to address the pandemic and prepare for a just recovery, states are taking counterproductive measures to silence perceived opponents," said Lisa Maracani. (AS/VK)