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Arrests, imprisonments, electronic surveillance and emergency measures … are all concerns expressed by human rights organizations around the world, especially in the Middle East and North Africa, which could lead to more violations, on the pretext that they aim to limit the spread of the Coronavirus.
In the face of the outbreak of the epidemic, nearly half of humanity is living in isolation, and these people are under strict control. Not to mention that the majority of public opinion supports the measures taken by governments, but voices have started to rise to warn of the repercussions on human rights and of the exploitation by governments of these conditions for violate human rights in more than one place in the world.
This concern is particularly true in the region of the Middle East and North Africa, often referred to as a “bad example” in this area, with regimes working to strengthen their security apparatus without any oversight.
Images in a number of Arab countries showed deserted streets with military vehicles and armored vehicles running to enforce home quarantine and curfews, in a scene that contrasts with the popular protests these streets have witnessed, which led in 2019 to the fall of governments and presidents in Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon and Sudan.
Jordan
And in Jordan, King Abdullah II signed a “defense law” that only takes effect in states of emergency and grants exceptional powers to the government. The army closed the capital, Amman, and all governorates in the kingdom, and blocked movement between them, while hundreds of people were arrested for failing to respect curfew orders.
Although Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Omar Razzaz pledged to apply it “within the narrowest limits”, stressing that it would not affect political rights, freedom of expression or private property, the human rights organization “Human Rights Watch” urged Jordan to pledge not to violate the basic rights of citizens. .
Morocco, West, sunset
In Morocco, armored patrols have also appeared in Rabat to ensure that citizens comply with “the health emergency”. But in the kingdom, which is known for its security policies, arrests of people who risk inflicting heavy fines on them, leading to prison terms, don’t spark much protests, and are sometimes hailed on social media.
A Moroccan journalist, who preferred to remain anonymous, told “France Press”: “People are asking for more order. We are witnessing a major political recession facilitated by the broad consensus on the role of the state at the time of the emergence of the Corona virus ”.
Israel .. “Accelerate the repression”
In Israel, a heated controversy erupted after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to allow the Internal Security Agency “Shin Bet”, which generally focuses on “counterterrorism activities”, to collect data on citizens in as part of a campaign to fight against the emergence of the corona virus, especially since it intervened against the backdrop of a crisis. Politics in the country.
Israeli anthropologist Yuval Noah Harari said in an editorial in the “Financial Times” newspaper that “the epidemic could represent a turning point” as “the use of huge surveillance tools” exposes citizens to more scrutiny. intrusive.
Algeria
In Algeria, after more than a year of unprecedented popular protests, the emergence of the epidemic put an end – albeit temporarily – to the weekly protests against the regime, while non-governmental organizations expressed their dissatisfaction with the continuation of judicial activity.
Reporters Without Borders announced on Friday evening the arrest of independent Algerian journalist Khaled Dararni and condemned “the shameful use by the Algerian regime of Covid-19 to settle scores with the free and independent press”.
Tunisia
In Tunisia, where democracy is young but fragile, the old police system, which had become accustomed to security practices, has not been completely reformed. The Tunisian League for Human Rights has called for clarification on home quarantine measures after it condemned on the internet arbitrary interventions by police against people leaving their homes to shop, and suspicions arose that other people had denounced them.
Lebanon
In Lebanon, despite the decline in protests that began on October 17 against the ruling political class accused of corruption and incompetence, police dismantled the tents of demonstrators at Place des Martyrs in downtown Beirut on Friday evening and Saturday. morning in the face of “mobilization on the state of health” and “self-curfew” measures. It was announced by Prime Minister Hassan Diab.
Egypt … prisoners of conscience
In Egypt, the government has targeted media that questioned the official low number of people infected with the emerging coronavirus. The British newspaper “The Guardian” reported that its correspondent in Egypt was forced to leave the country after an article which the authorities regarded as “in bad faith”.
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