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Amnesty International has called on the Sri Lankan government to ensure the safety of three men who have been tortured and jailed following their forced return from Australia in 2009.

Two of the men, Sumith Mendis and Lasantha Wijeratne, were transferred to a hospital to be examined by a judicial medical officer on 1 September amid claims that they were beaten and tortured following an alleged new attempt to migrate to Australia. It is not clear if they are still in hospital or have returned to prison.

All three are at risk of further abuse from guards and prisoners when they are returned to prison where Sumith's brother, Indika, is already being held.

"This is an appalling situation that calls into question the actions of both the Sri Lankan and Australian governments,"said Madhu Malhotra, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for Asia.

"Both governments are culpable in the forced return and mistreatment these men have endured, and both must bear responsibility for the results of their policies and procedures."

Sumith Mendis and Indika Mendis were detained in 2009 at the Christmas Island detention centre after the boat they were crew members on was stopped by Australian authorities and found to be carrying Sri Lankan asylum-seekers.

They were deported to Sri Lanka and promptly arrested and handed over to the Central Investigative Department (CID).

Sumith Mendis was released, but Indika Mendis was tortured in CID custody, sustaining severe ear injuries before being transferred to the notorious Negombo prison where he was held for eight months.

On 14 August 2010, the brothers were arrested again, apparently on suspicion that they were again planning to migrate to Australia. Sumith Mendis was then tortured by the CID for six days, experiencing beatings and psychological abuse.

On 22 August, the brothers were taken to Negombo prison, along with Lasantha Wijeratne, another Sri Lankan who had also been deported from Australia and tortured in custody.

Following examination by a judicial medical officer, Sumith Mendis and Lasantha Wijeratne were transferred to the hospital.

They now face the risk of abuse by both prisoners and guards when they are again taken to Negombo prison unless authorities take the necessary steps to ensure their safety.

"The Sri Lankan Authorities must ensure that all three men are not subject to any more torture or ill-treatment, either at the hands of the CID or prisoners or guards in Negombo prison,"said Madhu Malhotra.

"The Australian government must re-examine its claims that asylum-seekers returned to countries they are fleeing from are not subjected to torture and mistreatment."

Amnesty International has urged Mozambique’s police not to use live ammunition to disperse violent demonstrations in the capital Maputo unless lives are at risk.

According to media reports up to six people, including two children, were killed on Wednesday during clashes between police and demonstrators protesting the rising price of commodities in the country. The protests are continuing across the city.

“While we recognize that the police are trying to contain a violent protest, live ammunition - which amounts to lethal force - should not be used except when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life,” said Muluka-Anne Miti, Amnesty International’s Mozambique researcher.

Amnesty International calls on the Mozambique police authorities to ensure that police have non-lethal means of force at their disposal to control the situation and disperse the demonstrators.

A text message has been circulating in Maputo encouraging demonstrators to continue their protests till Friday, according to information obtained by Amnesty International.

According to a recent Amnesty International report at least 46 people were unlawfully killed by the police in Mozambique between January 2006 and the end of 2009.

“The government must conduct an impartial and independent investigation in the circumstances surrounding today’s deaths and if people were killed unlawfully prosecute those responsible,” said Muluka-Anne Miti.

Despite repeated requests, the authorities have provided Amnesty International with very little information into investigations into police killings in Mozambique, including during visits to the country.

In some cases, Amnesty International was told that investigations were not carried out because the killing was presumed to be lawful.

International standards require an effective investigation be carried out into all cases of death or serious injury as a result of use of force or firearms by the police.

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have urged the Cambodian government to immediately release a human rights worker who was sentenced to two years in prison for giving out anti-government leaflets.

Leang Sokchouen, who works for the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), was convicted on charges of"disinformation"on Monday after a trial marked by numerous procedural flaws.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) have called or Sokchoeun’s release in a joint statement. 

“This conviction once again highlights the lack of independence and impartiality of the courts, which are all too often used as a tool against the less powerful, rather than to uphold their rights,” said Donna Guest, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific deputy director.
 
Cambodian police arrested Sokchouen on 29 May on charges of involvement in the production and distribution of anti-government leaflets in Takeo province in January.

He was held incommunicado for over 33 hours, despite numerous requests by his family and lawyer to visit him. Sokchouen was given a US$500 fine, plus a two-year prison sentence.

“Unfounded charges of disinformation or defamation are well-worn tactics used by the Cambodian government to create a climate of fear,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
 
Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH President, added: “We reiterate our call to the Cambodian authorities to abolish the crimes of defamation and disinformation in Cambodian criminal law and ensure that the Criminal Code is not used to abusively restrict the right to freedom of expression.”

Eric Sottas, Secretary General of OMCT, urged the Cambodian authorities to free the activist.

“Leang Sokchouen should be immediately and unconditionally released as his detention is arbitrary and due process was blatantly violated throughout investigation and trial,” he said.

Amnesty International has urged the Slovak government to immediately end the segregation of Romani children in the country's education system.

This practice leaves thousands of Romani pupils in substandard education in schools and classes for pupils with"mild mental disabilities"or ethnically segregated mainstream schools and classes.

In a briefing to the Slovak government,Steps to end segregation in education, Amnesty International points to serious gaps in the enforcement and monitoring of the ban on discrimination and segregation in the Slovak educational system.

"Romani children across Slovakia remain trapped in a school system that keeps failing them as a result of widespread discrimination. It deprives Romani children of equal opportunities and sentences them to a life of poverty and marginalization,"said David Diaz-Jogeix, Amnesty International Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director.

"The Slovak government has much to do to end the segregation that has an impact on a large part of the country's population. Segregation in education means a life-long stigma for children whose future chances are brutally limited. It is a practice that does not belong to 21st century Europe and must be eliminated."

Segregation of Romani children takes various forms: special schools or special classes within mainstream schools designed for pupils with"mild mental disabilities"and mainstream Roma-only schools and classes.

While Roma are estimated to comprise less than 10 per cent of Slovakia's total population, they make up 60 per cent of the pupils in special schools, according to a 2009 survey.

In regions with high Romani populations three out of every four pupils in special schools are Roma. Eighty five per cent of the children in special classes in mainstream schools across the country are Roma.

The causes of segregation are complex and include entrenched anti-Roma attitudes as well as policy failures in the education system such as early and flawed child assessment and insufficient support for Romani children within mainstream education.

Widespread anti-Romani sentiment across the country expressed by non-Roma parents and educational professionals, has also led to segregation of Romani children even in mainstream schools and classes.

This has led to a situation in which Romani children are sometimes literally locked into separate classrooms, corridors or buildings to prevent them from mixing with non-Roma pupils.

The coalition government's programme adopted in August 2010, included the commitment to eliminate segregated schooling of Roma.

Amnesty International said it is concerned that this has not been followed by a clear and unequivocal statement by the head of government that ethnic discrimination and segregation of Roma is unacceptable and will be combated as a matter of priority.  

"The idea that separate can be equal has been discredited. Slovakia cannot continue to deny its Romani children their right to education without discrimination,"David Diaz-Jogeix said.
 
"The choices that the government makes now will affect the lives of thousands of Romani children. The government holds the key to allow the Roma in Slovakia full participation in Slovak and European society."  

Amnesty International called on the Slovak authorities to:

• Provide the State School Inspectorate with adequate resources, including robust, detailed guidelines and procedures on how to identify, monitor and combat segregation in practice;
• Begin the systematic collection of data on education, disaggregated on the basis of gender and ethnicity;
• Introduce a clear duty on all schools to desegregate education and provide them with effective support;
• Introduce adequate support measures for Roma and non-Roma children who need extra assistance, so that they may achieve their fullest potential within mainstream schools.

This work is part of Amnesty International’s Demand Dignity campaign which aims to end the human rights violations that drive and deepen global poverty. The campaign will mobilise people all over the world to demand that governments, corporations and others who have power listen to the voices of those living in poverty and recognise and protect their rights. For more information visit the

Read more:(Blog, 3 September 2010)

Amnesty International has urged the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina to reject a draft law, set to be debated on Wednesday, prohibiting the wearing in public of clothes which prevent identification.

"If adopted, such a law would violate the human rights of women who choose to wear a full-face veil as an expression of their religious, cultural political or personal identity or beliefs. It would violate their right to freedom of expression and religion,"said Marek Marczynski, Amnesty International's researcher on Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"At the same time, a general ban on wearing full-face veils in public could result in some women being confined to their homes and unable to participate in public life."
 
The draft law envisages imposing penalties such as a fine of 100 KM (50 euro) or imprisonment between one and seven days.  

The advocates of thelaw have been arguing that its adoption is needed in order to address security concerns, however they have failed to identify them.

However, Amnesty International said it believes that Bosnia and Herzegovina already has a legal framework which is able to address this issue.

Under international human rights law the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and to manifest religious belief can only be restricted when necessary and proportionate.

This may include certain clearly defined restrictions on the wearing of full-face veils if that is shown to be necessary for a legitimate purpose such as protecting public safety.

"Any such measures must be the least restrictive to achieve that purpose. For example, a requirement to show one's face in demonstrably high-risk locations or to lift a veil when requested by a police officer for a necessary identity check,"said Marek Marczynski.

The draft law was proposed by the Serbian Alliance of Independent Social Democrats. It comes before the parliamentary elections scheduled for 3 October.

Amnesty International said it is also concerned that the law may have a negative impact on inter-ethnic relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina as it may be perceived by some Muslim citizens of the country as an attack on their identity.

"The authorities and politicians representing all nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina must work together to resolve all political issues in ways which are consistent with human rights standards,"said Marek Marczynski.

It has also been asserted that some women may be wearing a full-face veil under pressure from their families or communities.

States are obliged under international law to protect women against pressure or coercion in their homes or communities to wear full-face veils.

However, they should do this by taking steps to combat gender stereotypes and discriminatory attitudes and, where appropriate, by intervening in individual cases through criminal or family law.

"Imposing bans on what people choose to wear is neither going to address the stated security concerns, nor will it help to combat gender discrimination in the country,"said Marek Marczynski

Amnesty International has also opposed similar legislation in France, Belgium and other European countries.