February 23, 2010 - Amnesty International today denounced an increase in attacks against Indigenous Peoples across Colombia during 2009, which is leaving many communities struggling for survival.

Madrid (Spain): the Iranian Islamic theologian Emad Baghi was awarded with the 2009 Martin Ennals Award, considered the Nobel Prize for Human Rights, from a jury which includes representatives of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and eight other NGOs.

At a press conference today, the president of the jury and also president of the Martin Ennals Foundation), Hans Thoolen, underlined the enormous courage and tenacity of Baghi, who during the last ten years has spent 4 years in prison, has been arrested 67 times and has been threatened with death for his writings, which condemns the death penalty as contrary to the precepts of the Koran.

Emad Baghi, the second Iranian citizen to receive the Martin Ennals in recent years, use arguments based on Islamic precepts to promote has promoted gender equality and to combate torture in his country.

Although a peace agreement was signed months ago, Amnesty International has found substantial evidence that armed groups in North Kivu are still committing crimes under international law, including unlawful killings, rape, torture, and the recruitment and use of child soldiers, even after the armed groups promised to immediately end these abuses in a 23 January 2008 “Act of Engagement”.

Government security forces have also unlawfully detained and in some cases tortured and ill-treated captured children, and continue to rape and otherwise sexually abuse women and girls.

The political background of this conflict is very complex, involving many armed groups like the FDLR, the CNDP, the PARECO or rhe Mayi Mayi milicia as well as different ethnic groups, including Rwandan Hutus and Tutsis.