Amnesty International Report 2007

The politics of fear dominated 2006. Unprincipled leaders deliberately manipulated fear to create divisions, stifle dissent and evade accountability. Governments fostered a climate of intolerance that fueled conflict and human rights abuses, creating a rights vacuum which armed groups and corporations exploited for their own ends.

This Amnesty International Report documents the state of human rights in 153 countries during 2006. It reveals a world ravaged by armed conflict, repression and discrimination, where women are at constant risk of violence, where entire communities are mired in poverty and social exclusion. The report also points to the crucial achievements of human rights activists around the world in countering these abuses and tackling impunity.

The human rights movement is a bulwark against fear. It stands for unity over division, solidarity over self-interest, hope over despair.