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UK's 'headlong rush into abandoning human rights' rebuked by Amnesty

Covid failings, crackdown on protest, police discrimination and resumed arms trade with Saudi Arabia all listed in annual report
Amnesty International has published a stark rebuke of the UK government’s stance on human rights, saying that it is “speeding towards the cliff edge” in its policies on housing and immigration, and criticising its seeming determination to end the legal right for the public to challenge government decisions in court.
In its annual report on human rights around the world, Amnesty International says the UK’s increasingly hostile attitude towards upholding and preserving human rights legislation raises “serious concerns”.
The report also highlights Britain’s poor handling of the coronavirus pandemic, recent assaults on the right to protest, police discrimination against black and Asian communities, and the resumed arms trade with Saudi Arabia.
“For years, the UK has been moving in the wrong direction on human rights – but things are now getting worse at an accelerating rate,” said Amnesty International’s UK director, Kate Allen.
“Having made mistake after lethal mistake during the pandemic, the government is now shamefully trying to strip away our right to lawfully challenge its decisions, no matter how poor they are.”
The report – which details 2020 global human rights trends, as well as those of 149 individual countries – condemns the UK’s high Covid-19 death rate, one of the highest in Europe, which saw at least 74,570 deaths over the course of the year, many of them in care homes. The failure to provide adequate PPE and regular testing, the direct discharge of infected patients from hospitals to care homes and blanket imposition of do not resuscitate orders on care home residents without due process all gave rise to further serious concern, the report says.
The refusal to conduct an urgent independent inquiry into its handling of the pandemic is a “shocking demonstration that there is no appetite from this government to learn lessons and apply them in real time”, said Allen. “There needs to be an inquiry that gets to the bottom of all of this.”The report also underscores the disproportionately high death rate among black and minority ethnic healthcare workers, as well as racial discrimination against black and Asian people by police during 2020. Official figures show that black people are nine times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people, and more likely to have force used against them, said Amnesty.The government’s decision in July to resume military exports to Saudi Arabia, resulting in about £1.4bn worth of sales, while slashing foreign aid to Yemen, was also heavily criticised in the report.
Amnesty expressed serious concern about the government’s reviews into the Human Rights Act and judicial review – both of which “are being sped through during the pandemic” and could seriously diminish the public’s capacity to challenge government decisions, said Allen. The report also highlighted the controversial and far-reaching police, crime, sentencing and courts bill, which Amnesty warns could severely curtail the right to peaceably challenge or protest in the UK.
Two separate pieces of legislation that could effectively give “get-out clauses” for rape, murder and torture to police, MI5 officers and overseas military personnel are also deeply troubling, said Allen.
“On the right to protest, on the Human Rights Act, on accountability for coronavirus deaths, on asylum, on arms sales or on trade with despots, we’re speeding toward the cliff edge,” said Allen.
“We need to stop this headlong rush into abandoning our human rights.”
source: Kate Hodal
Levant
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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