Bahrain Chat
Bahrain
RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTSSection 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom From: a. Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life There were no reports of arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of life committed by the Government or its agents. On April 27, the High Civil Court ordered the Ministry of Interior to pay BD 40,000 ($106,100) to the family of the 21-year old Bahraini man killed in a demonstration in April 2002. b. Disappearance There were no reports of politically motivated disappearances. c. Torture and Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment The Constitution prohibits torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. During protests on May 21, two civilians were injured by rubber bullets fired by the police. On October 28, rubber bullets or tear gas canisters fired by the police injured two protest ... [Read More]
Bahrain
Bahrain is a monarchy which, in 2002 adopted a constitution that reinstated a legislative body with one elected chamber. The Al-Khalifa extended family has ruled the country since the late 18th century and continues to dominate all facets of society and government. The King, Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, governs the country with the assistance of his uncle, the Prime Minister; his son, the Crown Prince; and an appointed cabinet of ministers. The King chairs the Higher Judicial Council. Members of the Al-Khalifa family hold 9 out of 24 cabinet positions, including all "strategic ministries." The partially elected National Assembly consists of an elected Council of Representatives and an appointed Shura Council. However, the courts have ruled against the Government in the past. The National Action Charter provides that the King is the head of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. The Constitution gives the elected Co ... [Read More]
IV. Country Narratives: South Asia
Sri Lanka’s law enforcement efforts against trafficking improved with the introduction of a computerized immigration system that expands the number of officials that can input names of suspected traffickers or sex tourists who are subjects of an investigation and prevent them from leaving the country. The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) instituted a CyberWatch Project to monitor suspicious chat rooms. Sting operations were conducted based on information gathered in these chat rooms, leading to several trafficking arrests. The Penal Code specifically criminalizes trafficking in persons. There were 190 investigations by the police into trafficking cases, which resulted in 33 prosecutions and six convictions. For those convicted, the sentence was one year of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 100,000 (about $1,000). Authorities conducted four investigations into alleged child trafficking; two cases were prosecuted and convicted, resulting in the deportation of the f ... [Read More]
Sri Lanka
In 2003, law enforcement efforts against trafficking improved with the introduction of a computerized immigration system that expanded the number of officials who could input names of suspected traffickers or sex tourists, thereby subjecting them to investigation and preventing them from leaving the country. The NCPA instituted a CyberWatch Project to monitor suspicious Internet chat rooms. Sting operations were conducted based on information gathered in these chat rooms, leading to several trafficking arrests. For those convicted, the sentence was 1 year of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of $1,000 (100,000 rupees). ... [Read More]
Report on Global Anti-Semitism
January 5, 2005 Executive Summary I. Anti-SemitismAnti-Semitism has plagued the world for centuries. Taken to its most far-reaching and violent extreme, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism resulted in the deaths of millions of Jews and the suffering of countless others. Subtler, less vile forms of anti-Semitism have disrupted lives, decimated religious communities, created social and political cleavages, and complicated relations between countries as well as the work of international organizations. For an increasingly interdependent world, anti-Semitism is an intolerable burden. The increasing frequency and severity of anti-Semitic incidents since the start of the 21st century, particularly in Europe, has compelled the international com ... [Read More]
Money Laundering and Financial Crimes
The Internet is also known as a new forum for public and private speech. This speech is carried-out via electronic mail (e-mail), chat rooms and bulletin boards. These forums are often used by potential money launderers to provide misleading and inaccurate stock and commodity market information. The idea of the money launderer is to provide penny stock or initial public offering stock information that misleads investors to interpret the electronic communication as potential (unofficial) investment advice. This information causes many investors to purchase or sell stocks by anticipating an increase or decrease in market prices. The criminals then use these market adjustments to realize millions of dollars in profits. These profits are then placed into stock transactions via the Internet with commingled lawful cash transactions. ... [Read More]
2004 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Belarus
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion; however, the Government restricted this right in practice. Although the Constitution affirms the equality of religions and denominations before the law, it also contains restrictive language that stipulates that cooperation between the state and religious organizations "is regulated with regard for their influence on the formation of spiritual, cultural, and country traditions of the Belarusian people." The Government has negotiated a Concordat and other arrangements with the Belarusian Orthodox Church (BOC), an Exarchate of the Moscow-based Russian Orthodox Church, which provides that Church with some privileges not enjoyed by other religious organizations. ... [Read More]
Ethiopia
The economy is based on smallholder agriculture, with more than 85 percent of the estimated population of 63 million living in rural areas under very basic conditions and engaged in subsistence farming. In September estimates for 2000 and the year indicated that agriculture accounted for approximately 45 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Industry accounts for approximately 12 percent of economic activity; in urban centers, the majority of economic activity is in the informal sector. Nominal GDP grew by approximately 5 percent during the year; GDP per capita was approximately $100 (856 birr) per year. Exports consist primarily of coffee, chat, hides, skins, beans, and oilseeds. Coffee exports account for more than 40 percent of export earnings; hides and skins were the second highest foreign exchange earning exports. Exports decreased during the year due to the decrease in the world price of coffee. Inflation reportedly was 3.9 percent during the year. Military spending decreased ... [Read More]
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