Support the human rights revolution

The opportunity to put right and end decades of human right abuses across the Middle East and North Africa has never been greater.

For those who have found their voice, the stakes have never been higher. Right now we need your support more than ever.

In just a few weeks, the long suffering people in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Yemen and elsewhere in the region have defied decades of repression to demand their human rights Because of their courage, sometimes at the cost of their own lives, many of their fellow citizens are now experiencing a life free from oppression for the very first time – the same freedom that people in New Zealand have enjoyed for years.

Those who dared to oppose the repressive regimes of Egypt’s President Mubarak, Libya’s Colonel al-Gaddafi or Tunisia’s President Ben Ali have edged closer to realising their dreams of a life of possibilities, rather than oppression. They are an inspiration to oppressed peoples everywhere.
Yet many, who have now had a taste of freedom, still live with the very real fear that their basic rights as human beings will be taken away again at any moment.

We must show our support to the peaceful protestors in the Middle East and Northern Africa. A donation from you today could help us further pursue freedom and justice for the disenfranchised peoples of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and elsewhere in this troubled region.

We need your support to

• increase our capacity to get researchers on the ground quickly and securely to monitor human rights violations wherever people are fighting for their rights.
• mobilise local legal defence networks to get legal support to individuals in detention and track missing persons.
• translate publications, campaign materials, social networking content and press releases so local human rights defenders have the resources they need to campaign for change.

Be assured that Amnesty International is making a significant difference and will continue to do so with your support. During this moment of unprecedented challenge and opportunity to change the human rights landscape, we have triggered our crisis response mode to maximise our efforts.

We have sent experienced research staff to countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa to witness and document human rights abuses during and after the demonstrations. We have mobilised our global movement to demand the release of people swept up in the repression including, at one point, two of our staff who were arrested in Egypt.  Click here to contribute to our efforts.

For some nations, the fight for freedom has been successful but the fight for justice has only just begun.  Just this month, thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, Amnesty International, for the first time ever, has been able to launch a full report in Tunisia detailing shocking accounts of brutality committed by Tunisian security forces during protests that led to the departure of former President Ben Ali.

But there is a lot more to be done. As events in Libya and elsewhere are unfolding it has once more become apparent what brutality some regimes unleash in order to hold onto power. Air strikes, heavy artillery, killings and torture are all used to terrorise and deter people from protesting.

It is this brutality that has made the people in North Africa and the Middle East even more determined to bring about change and they can use all the help they can get. Support them!

Another country where people are peacefully assembling in protest is Bahrain. But any change will come at a high cost. Oppression is still a part of daily life. At least seven people were killed and scores of people were wounded by security forces that used excessive force during the protests.  Those targeted and injured included ambulance staff and medical workers seeking to assist the wounded.

Amnesty International has condemned the heavy-handed tactics used by Bahrain's security forces during these peaceful protests and has called for an independent investigation into claims that some of the 23 Bahrain activists were tortured while in custody.

Abdallah Salman Mohammad Hassan (pictured right) told Amnesty International that he and a friend had endured torture and other ill-treatment during hours of detention and interrogation after police arrested them on Friday 18th February.                      

The friends were stopped at a checkpoint near the roundabout. The police searched the vehicle and found a Bahraini flag with the words “We are staying in the Martyrs Roundabout until our demands are met” written on it. They were then beaten and taken to a police station in the district of al-Na’im where they were again assaulted.  Abdallah Salman Mohammad Hassan was also blindfolded and beaten with a wooden stick after being taken to another police station in the district of al-Gadhaibiya.

“They tied my hands behind my back and then put me on a chair. I was standing on the chair,” he said, “They then put my arms behind the door from the top and pushed the chair away. I was left suspended: my body on one side of the door and my arms on the other side. It was very painful.”

“I asked for water and they didn’t give it to me. I wanted to pray and they refused. I didn’t sleep. I was left suspended on the door for a few hours.”

Abdallah Salman Mohammad Hassan was interrogated about the protests and held for 30 hours before being released. He went to al-Salmaniaya hospital for x-rays and his right arm was put in plaster. He said his friend was released earlier than him but did not give any details.

The way people in the Middle East and North Africa have taken to the streets in unprecedented numbers to demand dignity and social justice has been an inspiration to oppressed peoples everywhere. But there is still much more to be done to achieve real, permanent change. It is vital that we have enough resources to work on the region to help them realise their human rights demands. 

With your support you will help Amnesty make those responsible for these atrocities on other human beings to be held accountable. Please support the people in the Middle East and North Africa and donate today.

You can also take action by signing our petition calling on Syria's authorities to end the use of lethal force against peaceful protesters. Add your voice to ours demanding an end to the bloodshed in Syria.