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January 16, 2013

Amnesty Calls for International Human Rights Monitors in Mali 
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The U.S.-backed French strikes in Mali have already killed a reported 11
civilians, including three children. On Tuesday, an Amnesty
International spokesperson called for the deployment of international
human rights monitors and urged all sides to safeguard civilian life.

Scott Edwards: "Amnesty is calling for an immediate deployment of human
rights monitors precisely because the risk to civilians is so great. And
this isn't risk just posed by indiscriminate bombing, but Amnesty has
documented over the course of fighting in northern Mali sexual violence,
rape of women and children, torture, arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial
executions. If there is any hope that the civilians aren't going to be
bear the brunt of these security operations, we have to have monitors in
place, and it has to done with a very — much urgency."

 

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