The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies has issued a scathing report on the state of human rights in the Arab world, saying that the situation has deteriorated greatly over the past year and the future of reforms in the region is not promising. The report from one of the oldest such institutions in the region accused Arab governments of silencing rights organizations in their country and abroad. The report, the first of its kind published by the Cairo organization to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, chronicles the human rights records of 12 Arab nations. It said that judicial systems lacked independence and that power-sharing mechanism were absent. Egypt received much of the criticism, with the institute saying Egypt is using its influence in a number of international organizations, including the United Nations, to stem human rights reforms. The Arab League was also criticized for its continued support of repressive regimes. “The Arab League has become more expressive of authoritarian tendencies than any time in the past,” the report said.
The rights group said Islamic extremists are no longer the principal targets of Arab government repression, adding: “There is an increase in repression of reformists, human rights defenders and independent press.”
