Click here to subscribe to the print edition.New Internationalist 327September 2000Click here to search the mega index.

Evil under the sun
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This map gives some indication of just how widespread torture and related human-rights abuses are. It is derived from Amnesty International's Report 2000 which compiles data collected for 1999. As such it is a snap-shot of last year and may not always indicate more general trends.

Data for some countries may not reflect the true extent of human-rights concerns due to limited access to information. For some countries data was unavailable.
 

Routine and severe torture.

Unfair trials.

 
Torture, ill treatment (such as police beatings), and/or poor prison conditions. 'Disappearances'. Refers only to new cases and not to older unresolved instances in countries like Colombia and Argentina, for example.
Extrajudicial executions, the use of lethal force by police and/or massacres of civilians by armed groups. Arbitrary detentions, detention without trial and/or holding people incommunicado.
States that still have laws allowing for the death penalty. Sexual abuse and rape used as a form of torture in prisons, rape within conflict situations and/or highly discriminatory state policies.
States where executions were carried out in 1999.   The brutalization of children by torture, imprisonment with adults and/or militarization. Also refers to the targetting of children by death squads.
Inhuman punishments such as flogging, caning, amputations.

Action

Appalled by this state of affairs? Amnesty International’s new campaign to stop torture begins next month. Support it by registering at www.stoptorture.org or by contacting your country branch for ideas. AI’s main website www.amnesty.org has addresses for other countries and a wealth of information.

Australian Section
Private Bag 23, Broadway
NSW 2007;
Tel: +61 2 921 77 600;
Fax: +61 2 921 77 677;
E-mail: adminaia@amnesty.org.au
Web: www.amnesty.org.au

British Section
99-119 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4RE;
Tel: + 44 20 7814 62 00;
Fax: +44 20 7833 1510;
E-mail: info@amnesty.org.uk
Web: www.amnesty.org.uk

Canadian Section (English)
214 Montreal Road,
4th Floor, Vanier,
Ontario KIL 1A4;
Tel: +1 613 744 7667;
E-mail: info@amnesty.ca
Web: www.amnesty.ca

New Zealand (Aotearoa) Section
PO Box 793, Wellington;
Tel: +64 4 499 3349;
Fax: +64 4 499 3348;
E-mail: campaign@amnesty.org.nz
Web: www.amnesty.org.nz

US Section
322 8th Avenue, New York,
NY 10001;
Tel: +1 212 807 8400;
Fax: +1 212 463 9193 /
+1 212 627 1451;
E-mail: admin-us@aiusa.org
Web: www.amnestyusa.org

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