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Introduction





Asia

Europe and Central Asia

Middle East and North Africa

Special Issues and Campaigns

United States

Arms

Children’s Rights

Women’s Human Rights

Appendix




Defending Human Rights

The Burundian human rights league, Iteka, continued its strong programs of monitoring abuses and education concerning human rights and undertook a campaign to establish an international criminal tribunal for Burundi. The Association for the Defense of Burundian Prisoners (ABDP) assisted prisoners both in preparing their cases for court and in improving the material conditions of life in the prison. It also drew public attention to an important case where a detainee was tortured and beaten to death and sought to bring the responsible officials to trial. To assist the backlog in the judicial system, Iteka provided transport to witnesses and complainants and ABDP transported judicial personnel to courts often many miles from their homes.

In general, human rights monitors worked without difficulty, but in a number of cases soldiers or officials excluded them from areas of alleged abuses, supposedly to protect them from harm. Following publication of information critical of the government, two human rights workers received a series of threatening phone calls, but there was no indication that these had been officially inspired.

The government established a National Human Rights Commission in April to monitor the situation of human rights generally and to ensure that governmental bodies observe human rights. The commission included representatives from the president, the vice-president, and the ministers of defense, justice, communications, and human rights.

Human Rights Watch World Report 2000

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