While the West strongly supported Ukraine after the Russian military invaded its territory in February 2022, it is quite remarkable for its “deafening silence” in the face of gross human rights violations in other conflicts, according to an annual report published today. Amnesty International, an NGO that denounces its “double standards”.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year shed a harsh light on “the hypocrisy of Western states that reacted strongly to Russian aggression but turned a blind eye to very serious violations committed elsewhere” by being tolerant of their own interests or even complicit. Amnesty puts accents in the text.

The NGO specifically opposes Western “deafening silence” and “inaction” on Saudi Arabiacountries where, according to Amnesty International, the judiciary handed down death sentences in “grossly unfair” trials and peaceful protesters were “sentenced to lengthy prison terms”, as regards Egyptwhere thousands of opponents of the regime “continue to be arbitrarily detained and/or unjustly persecuted.”

“The response to Russia’s attack on the Ukrainian people has been wonderful. This response should be a model for other current and future crises,” said Anis Calamar, Secretary General of Amnesty International, in an interview with Agence France-Presse.

But “ignoring other crises undermines the value” of what was done in the Ukraine case, she continued, as her organization argued that the West “tolerates” other, “similar attacks in other countries” simply because “its interests are at stake.” “. “

V Israelgovernments last year imposed even more “restrictive measures” against “increasing numbers of Palestinians”, continued to issue permits to build “illegal settlements” and “legalize” others in the occupied West Bank, but governments in the West “choosed to oppose those who condemn apartheid,” Amnesty notes.

IN EthiopiaThe NGO criticizes “pathetic responses” in the face of “one of the deadliest conflicts in recent history” that has killed half a million people, according to US estimates.

closed doors

Another spectacular contrast, according to Amnesty, can be seen in the doors of the European Union, which are “open wide” to receive and “hospitality Ukrainian refugees”, but remained “closed” to people who left to escape from Afghanistan, Syria…

The United States, having received tens of thousands of Ukrainians, from September 2021 to May 2022 “deported more than 25,000 people.” Haitiansoften after they were imprisoned and many of them were tortured,” Ms. Kalamar emphasized indignantly.

The “selective” approach based on the “interests” of fundamental rights on the part of the West characterizes their actions towards other countries criticized for human rights violations, in particular Chinawhich also observes “double standards” but bears no particular repercussions for “the ongoing systematic crackdown on ethnic minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet” or “the ongoing crackdown by Hong Kong authorities against the pro-democracy movement,” according to the NGO. .

The war in Ukraine has also diverted “not only resources but also attention away from the climate crisis” and global warming disasters now seem “out of control” and world leaders have not agreed on measures that will limit rising temperatures below the limit. 1.5° Celsius.

Globally, 2022 saw a “deterioration” of the situation “in terms of civil and political rights” amid “repressive” policies in Western countries, including France, where Ms Calamar points to “illegal violence” by the police and gendarmerie in towards the protesters.

With regard to women’s rights, the situation has also “deteriorated” dramatically. Especially in Iranwhere women were killed “for dancing, for singing, for not wearing headscarves”; V Afghanistanwhere they were “objectified” after the Taliban seized power; even in the US, where the right to abortion is now increasingly contested, the NGO said.

Source: RES-IPE