Amnesty exposes world of atrocities
By Ben Mensah
Recently when Amnesty International criticised Ghana's tribunal system for not allowing the right of appeal, the government controlled 'Ghanaian Times' reacted in an editorial which condemned the "International Organisation's attitude towards the revolutionary process in the country, its hypocrisy and double standards."In one way there is no comfort to be taken from the current annual report of Amnesty International whose efforts are geared towards identifying and freeing prisoners of conscience, securing fair and prompt trials for political prisoners and ending torture and executions throughout the world.
For with the meagre exception of countries like Liberia, Botswana, the Seychelles and a few others where agents of Amnesty International could not visit, the report under review depicts a world of senseless atrocities committed indiscriminately by people in government against those in opposition.
In another vein however, the annual report is a source of comfort due to its exposure of governments which are guilty of gross abuses of human rights. It represents the success story of the international effort to break certain governments' secrecy and obstruction of the free flow of information about their victims.
While some governments receive the annual reports with contempt, others too are jerked by them. Such governments often show their irritation at the reports with official statements that label Amnesty International as an imperialist organisation which aims to impose on all peoples of the world a particular mode of human behaviour.
Recently when Amnesty International criticised Ghana's tribunal system for not allowing the right of appeal, the government controlled 'Ghanaian Times' reacted in an editorial which condemned the 'International Organisation's attitude towards the revolutionary process in the country, its hypocrisy and double standards'.
The Ghanaian Times' wrote, "Amnesty is a political organ set up and controlled by world counter- revolutionary forces to oppose peoples revolutions throughout the world. Ghanaians are fortunate to know that Amnesty International is making no secret of its opposition to the revolution going on in Ghana."
In another development, a formal telex sent by Amnesty International in August to the Cameroonian Head of State, Paul Biya expressing the organisation's concern over widespread reports of the execution of over one hundred people in the wake of the April 6 abortive coup elicited the following reaction from the Cameroon government:
A statement released by the Ministry of Information and Culture in Yaounde published in the Cameroon Tribune described the episode as "unacceptable, discourteous and contemptuous for a private organisation to address a Head of a Sovereign State by telex."
Such reactions are not surprising especially when they come from African governments who despite unanimously adopting the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights at an Organisation of African Unity summit in 1981 have with the exception of ten, failed to ratify it..
Amnesty International was concerned about the detention without trial of suspected political opponents of the Sierra Leone government or of the ruling All Peoples Congress Party (APC), inadequate conditions of detention and the judicial death penalty.
A majority of the fifty OAU member states must ratify it for the charter to become operational and make it easy for Amnesty International to monitor its implementation.
But despite this handicap, Amnesty International has persisted in its goals and is always determined never to allow prisoners of conscience to be forgotten.
Their latest report covering 1983 reveals the tactics of the governments of the following countries in trampling over the rights of their subjects.
BENIN
Amnesty International's main concern was the imprisonment of prisoners of conscience and other political prisoners, some of whom had been detained without trial for several years, others having been sentenced to prison terms after unfair trials. There were also disturbing reports of ill-treatment of prisoners.Amnesty International continued in 1983 to seek the release of 42 untried detainees who were held for their real or suspected involvement in non-violent protests against government policies. Thirty-five of them, mainly students and teachers, had been arrested between 1979 and 1981 following protests against the government's education policy at the university and in schools in Benin's major towns. They remained in detention as "administrative internees", without any right to a trial or access to a lawyer, the authorities continued to deny them knowledge of any charges against them and of the reasons for their detention.
CHAD
Amnesty International was concerned about alleged extrajudicial executions and by the detention without trial of real or suspected political opponents of the government headed by President Hissene Habre.GHANA
Amnesty International was concerned about the detention without trial of real or suspected opponents of the government and by trials before the Public Tribunals which did not conform to internationally recognized standards of fairness. There were allegations that detainees, particularly those detained in military custody, had been beaten, and disturbing reports of extrajudicial executions, notably after unsuccessful attempts to overthrow the government in February and June.The action the government took to investigate the murder of three judges and a former army officer in June 1982 remained controversial. The Special government to investigate the murders issued its final report on 30 March, recommending the prosecution of 10 people on charges of murder or conspiracy to murder. They included Joachim Amartey Kwei and Sergeant Alolga Akata-Pore at the time of the murders, and ex- Captain Kojo Tsikata, the Head of Security and Special Advisor to the PNDC. In May, Attorney General George Aikins stated notwithstanding the recommendation of the Special Investigation Board, there was insufficient evidence to prosecute five of those named including Sergeant Akata-Pore and Captain Tsikata.
Throughout the year individuals and groups of people were detained onsuspicion of opposing the government. The largest such groups were of people arrested in the aftermath of alleged conspiracies or attempts to overthrow the government. After the jailbreak and coup attempt of 19 June, some hundred people, including lawyers, soldiers and students, were detained on suspicion of involvement in the attempted coup, or because they had welcomed the apparent overthrow of the PNDC.
Several political detainees whose cases were being investigated by Amnesty International were released during the year. Former President Hilla Limann and former Vice- President Joseph de Graft Johnson were released on bail by the end of the year. However, nine former ministers or former members of parliament were. still being held at the end of 1983 including George Garbrah, former Deputy Minister for Defence, and Dr John Nabila, former Minister for executed. Presidential Affairs.
There were continuing reports of beatings and killings carried out by members of the armed forces, although the government condemned such actions on numerous occasions. Several members of the armed forces were prosecuted for murder or assault. However, Amnesty International was also concerned about reports that suspected political opponents of the government, including many suspected of opposition, were extrajudicially executed.
On 26 October, taking into account the report of its trial observer, Amnesty International submitted to the authorities a memorandum on the Public Tribunals. The memorandum examined the operation and constitution of the Public Tribunals and proposed 10 specific amendments. Amnesty International concluded that there should be a right of appeal and that every Public Tribunal should include at least one qualified lawyer who should have the right to decide questions of law put to the panel. Amnesty International also called on the authorities to specify in any amendment to PNDC Law 24, the fundamental law governing the Public Tribunals, that proof was to be established "beyond all reasonable doubt".
Amnesty International received no reply to its memorandum. In some prisons warders beat criminal inmates, although the senior prison authorities sometimes acted to prevent such ill-treatment. The most severe beatings occurred at military detention centres including Burma Camp near Accra, and the military guardroom at the Castle, the government headquarters. Amnesty International was particularly concerned about reports that suspected political opponents of the PNDC were beaten at the Castle with the apparent knowledge of senior members of the government. Those reportedly beaten at the Castle included Kofi Ashiboe- Mensah, former PNDC Secretary for Trade.
There were continuing reports of beatings and killings carried out by members of the armed forces, although the government condemned such actions on numerous occasions. Several members of the armed forces were prosecuted for murder or assault.
Amnesty International interviewed one civilian who was detained on 19 June and was subsequently shot without being killed at the Air Force Station guardroom. Although he reportedly had no connection with the 19 June coup attempt he was suspected of opposition to the government.
NIGERIA
On 31 December, 1983 President Shagari's government was overthrown in a coup led by Major-Gen. a Muhammadu Buhari. Before then Amnesty International was concerned about reports that large numbers of people were detained during national elections in August.SIERRA LEONE
Amnesty International was concerned about the detention without trial of suspected political opponents of the government or of the ruling All People's Congress Party (APC), inadequate conditions of detention and the judicial death penalty.Over 100 people were reportedly in detention in the Pujehun area at the end of the year, apparently on suspicion of having committed acts of political violence. Many of them, possibly including some who were detained in 1982, had not been charged by the end of the year.
On 20 September Amnesty International wrote to President Siaka Stevens expressing concern about reports that agents of government security forces or of the APC had been responsible for, or had deliberately failed to prevent, acts of political violence including political killings in the Pujehun area. The organisation urged the authorities to act to prevent such abuses and to institute an inquiry into the disturbances. On 17, November President Stevens replied to Amnesty International, stating that the security forces had inflicted casualties only when defending themselves against armed opponents.
