The following information is based on the Amnesty International Report 2021/22. This report documented the human rights situation in 149 countries in 2021, as well as providing global and regional analysis. It presents Amnesty International’s concerns and calls for action to governments and others.
A decade-old procedure that infringed the rights of protesters in Lisbon was exposed. Migrant agricultural workers continued to live in overcrowded and substandard conditions, leaving them vulnerable to Covid-19. Racism within the police remained a concern. High levels of violence against women persisted.
In June, it emerged that since 2011 Lisbon’s municipal authorities had been passing personal information to foreign embassy officials about protesters who demonstrated in front of their embassies. The authorities agreed to conduct risk assessments to ensure the rights to privacy and peaceful assembly.
The government took measures to facilitate access to Covid-19 vaccination for people with irregular immigration status.
In May, a Covid-19 outbreak among 13,000 migrant agricultural workers in Odemira exposed their poor living conditions in substandard, overcrowded houses or container dwellings. The workers, mostly from south and south-east Asia, were temporarily rehoused to prevent further infections.
Following the Taliban seizure of power in Afghanistan, Portugal resettled 764 Afghan nationals seeking safety.
In May, three officials of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) were sentenced to between seven and nine years’ imprisonment for the assault, aggravated by unintentionally causing his death, of a Ukrainian national who had died in SEF custody in March 2020. In December, on appeal, the sentence was increased to nine years’ imprisonment for all.
In March, the Council of Europe (COE) Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern about racism in the police. She recommended recruitment procedures promoting access for people from minority groups and the establishment of a fully independent police complaints mechanism. She also noted the rise of racially motivated hate crimes and hate speech, especially targeting Roma and people of African descent.
In March, the Ministry of Home Affairs introduced a Plan for the Prevention of Manifestations of Discrimination in the Security Forces.
In March, the COE Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern at the persistence of high levels of violence against women. She called for domestic violence to be more effectively prosecuted and punished and for further amendments to the definition of rape in the Criminal Code so that it is entirely based on the absence of free consent of the victim.
In August, a new law entered into force to strengthen protection for children who witness or are exposed to domestic violence.
In March, the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) welcomed the adoption, in 2019, of the Basic Housing Law, in which the right to adequate housing was recognized and safeguards against evictions were strengthened. However, ECRI noted that it had not received sufficient information to assess the implementation or impact of the law on people at risk of forced eviction.
Substandard conditions persisted in several prisons, aggravated by the pandemic. In May, the Ombudsperson criticized a plan for the social reintegration of inmates released during the pandemic to avoid overcrowding because it failed to prevent homelessness for those with no family or other support network.
International protection of human rights is in danger of unravelling as short-term national self-interest and draconian security crackdowns have led to a wholesale assault on basic freedoms and rights, warned Amnesty International as it launched its annual assessment of human rights around the world. “Your rights are in jeopardy: they are being treated with utter contempt by many governments around the world,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
This has been a devastating year for those seeking to stand up for human rights and for those caught up in the suffering of war zones. Governments pay lip service to the importance of protecting civilians. And yet the world's politicians have miserably failed to protect those in greatest need. Amnesty International believes that this can and must finally change.
PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC Head of state Aníbal António Cavaco Silva Head of government Pedro Manuel Mamede Passos Coelho There were reports of excessive use of force by police against demonstrators and …
Europe: Open Secret: Mounting Evidence of Europe’s Complicity in Rendition and Secret Detention Available in PDF only.
Head of state Aníbal António Cavaco Silva Head of government José Sócrates Carvalho Pinto de Sousa Death penalty abolitionist for all crimes Population 10.7 million Life expectancy 78.6 years Under-5 …
On the launch of its 2015 State of the World report, Amnesty International USA urged President Obama to use his last year in office to bring U.S. laws and policies in line with international human rights standards.
International protection of human rights is in danger of unravelling as short-term national self-interest and draconian security crackdowns have led to a wholesale assault on basic freedoms and rights, warned Amnesty International as it launched its annual assessment of human rights around the world. “Your rights are in jeopardy: they are being treated with utter contempt by many governments around the world,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
Over 35 human rights and free press groups from across the globe, including Amnesty International USA, have written an open letter on behalf of Journalist Rafael Marques de Morais.