Activists across the region, comprising 20 countries or territories, have been intimidated, harassed, and sentenced to long jail terms or death after unfair trials. Amnesty’s report says the environment for human rights defenders has worsened since the US-led “war on terror”, which has provided a pretext for many western-backed regimes to silence domestic dissent. Governments including Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia have cracked down on media and legal professionals. Amnesty says that although there have been some moves towards tolerance of criticism by civil society organisations, they have been largely symbolic.
