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Last update - 15:27 11/03/2009
Amnesty: Middle East human rights activists need protection
By Reuters
Tags: Israel News, Syria, Amnesty 

Human rights activists in the Middle East and North Africa need protection from governments, which often consider them subversives and harass, threaten and jail them after unfair trials, the rights group Amnesty International said on Wednesday.

"Human rights activists in the Middle East and North Africa still face imprisonment, torture, persecution and repression for seeking to uphold the rights of others," the London-based group said in a statement accompanying a new report.

Amnesty International cited trials in Egypt and Syria and "anti-terror" laws in Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates that use broad language to penalize peaceful activity defined as, for example, disturbing "public order".
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"Some are forced to sign confessions to crimes they say they have not committed, or pledges to stop their human rights activities...National laws are routinely used to silence them and penalize their activities," the statement said.

It said rights activists who persevere against authorities have made a difference, citing the role of bloggers in exposing police torture in Egypt and legal action raised by Israeli and Palestinian rights groups over the use of torture.


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