According to the UK-based human rights organization , we are at a “critical juncture” when it comes to universal human rights worldwide. Its report underlines religious, patriarchal and racist assaults on the system of human rights conventions, universal human rights, international humanitarian law, and international courts agreed upon by states after the crimes of the and .
“Unprecedented forces are hunting down the ideals of human rights for all , seeking to destroy an international system forged in the blood and grief of World War Two and its,” writes Agnes Callamard, International Secretary General of Amnesty International (AI), in the foreword to her organization’s annual report. Amnesty International assesses the human rights situation in a total of 150 countries every year.
Increasing violence against civilians and minorities
Amnesty’s annual report identifies three main ongoing trends. Firstly, civilians are coming under increasing pressure in war zones like , , and the .
“The rules that are supposed to apply in conflicts, the red lines that the international community has set itself, are being more and more disregarded,” Julia Duchrow, the secretary general of Amnesty’s German section, told DW.
Secondly, minorities in particular were at risk in many countries, particularly people from LGBTQ+ communities, refugees and dissidents.
And, thirdly, states were increasingly failing to take action to counter this crisis in human rights. This was particularly true of states that once were committed to universal human rights, such as the US.
“The US government is acting as an accelerant in this human rights crisis, putting billions of people worldwide at risk,” said Duchrow.
She added that sanctions against the and the US’ withdrawal from the UN Human Rights Council were tantamount to taking an ax to international law.
Israel and Gaza once again in focus
The human rights NGO also once again draws particular attention to the war in , in which tens of thousands of people have been killed. The current conflict broke out after the Palestinian Islamist group , which is classified as a terrorist organization by Germany, the US and the EU among others, launched an attack in Israel on October 7, 2023. retaliated by launching a military operation in Gaza.
Amnesty International accuses Israel of committing “genocide” against Palestinians.
“States watched on as if powerless, as Israel killed thousands upon thousands of Palestinians, wiping out entire multigenerational families, destroying homes, livelihoods, hospitals and schools,” the report reads.
The organization made a similar argument in an almost 300-page report in December 2024.
The accusation of genocide is controversial. The Israeli government vehemently rejects it, and some international law experts have also called the use of the term into question. German-British expert Stefan Talmon has described the legal argumentation of Amnesty’s report as flawed. On the other hand, other organizations such as Human Rights Watch have also accused Israel of “acts of genocide,” such as deliberately starving the civilian population in Gaza.
Sudan: A humanitarian disaster
The crisis in Sudan also features in this year’s annual report. The country has been embroiled in a civil war for more than two years, with devastating consequences for the civilian population, and tens of thousands of victims, according to the UN. More people have been displaced in Sudan than anywhere else in the world, says Amnesty International
The former US government accused the rebel group involved of “genocide.” Amnesty International refers instead to violence on both sides and calls for an arms embargo. However, Germany’s AI Secretary General Duchrow did not rule out the possibility that the NGO could, in future, also conclude that genocide has been committed in Sudan.
Criticism of Germany
Germany also comes in for criticism for a series of changes relating to the rights of immigrants and refugees. Amnesty International lists the expansion of authorities’ powers of entry to premises, search and detention, and the further increased risk of unlawful detention for asylum seekers in Germany. The NGO also points specifically to the resumption of deportations to Afghanistan and Syria, the suspension of asylum applications for Syrians, and the restoration of Schengen border checks without “reasonable suspicion.”
AI also condemns the “excessive use of force in the policing of and supporters of Palestinians’ rights.
Call to reflect on human rights
Amnesty is calling for a return to the rules-based order of human rights and for governments to respect human rights and international law. According to Duchrow, this would include respecting and complying with international arrest warrants such as the one against Israeli Prime Minister . She also believes that reform of the UN Security Council is necessary.
But the Secretary General of Amnesty Germany also mentioned some positive developments.
“We see positive developments time and again, alongside the negative ones,” Duchrow said. “Human rights have a powerful impact on the people who take to the streets. That is why we are calling on governments to put human rights at the heart of their policies. But of course, it also requires commitment from everyone; it depends on all of us.”
This article was originally written in German.
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