Brussels, 05/12/2007 (Agence Europe) - Human Rights Watch (HRW) and in this instance its regional vice-director for the Middle East and North Africa, Joe Stork, is concerned by the situation in the region and above all by the fact that civilians are targeted in armed conflicts. Mr Stork's criticism spares no country although he does differentiate between them. “Generally speaking, the governments that cooperate the most are those that have a good human rights record”, he said. Iraq and the occupied territories, he said, are extreme cases. The Gulf countries are closed to all collaboration. Egypt, he went on, which has been “very open” until now is closing up and “we cannot say that the government is really collaborating with us”. He went on to note that “the situation has worsened in recent years after a short period of openness between 2002 and 2004”. “Journalists find themselves threatened with imprisonment. Torture is also a very serious problem” and “the higher one goes in the hierarchy, the more impunity becomes the rule”. The situation of women, he said, is also worrying: “The problem of sexual harassment and complaints from women about this are not taken seriously”.
The HRW leader believes that greater interest must be given to human rights rather than to democracy which is a very subjective notion, the criteria for which cannot be defined in international treaties. This can give rise to manipulation, as is indeed the case. A speech on democracy allows one to escape the consequences that such a speech implies, he said. (F.B.)