Belgium continues to fall short
Belgium is also one of the countries that Amnesty International examines in its annual report. The organization points in particular to the reception crisis of asylum seekers and the disastrous situation in prisons.
“The shelter crisis created by our government itself has now been going on for two and a half years and forces thousands of people to survive on the streets for months, a situation that seriously affects their dignity and their human rights,” says Wies De Graeve.
“Our government is callously ignoring the thousands of convictions against Belgium and continues to refuse to implement solutions that would make it possible to remedy this tragic situation, such as activating the dispersal plan, which is nevertheless enshrined in law.”
Furthermore, the overcrowding and deterioration of prisons are of great concern to Amnesty International. This has disastrous consequences for the human rights of detainees, such as inadequate access to basic services – especially medical care and sanitation.
“Amnesty International, several other organizations and international institutions have been sounding the alarm for years. As recently as September 2023, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe pointed out our country’s lack of progress in this area. Previously, there were also statements from the Central Supervisory Board for Prisons, the Federal Institute for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights and Unia,” emphasizes Wies De Graeve.
“Both the reception crisis and the dire situation in prisons are the responsibility of our authorities and the result of political choices. It is all the more painful that these choices are made at the expense of people who may have little electoral interest, but who have exactly the same rights as all people.”
Another point of attention of Amnesty International with regard to Belgium is the right to protest, which, like in other countries, is under pressure, including due to repressive legislative developments.
“We have seen a number of worrying signs that our right to protest is coming under pressure. Take, for example, the bill that aimed to introduce an additional penalty of a judicial ban on demonstrations for acts committed during protest meetings. After the mobilization of a broad coalition of civil society organizations, the government fortunately gave up on this project,” says Wies De Graeve.
“To protect this essential right, we will increase our vigilance and continue to raise awareness among the public and authorities of the essential nature of the right to protest, which has enabled so much progress throughout history.”
Tags: Amnesty International annual report world leaders betray principles citizens pay price
