BRICS nations must put human rights at the forefront of their discussions, said Amnesty International India and South Africa in a joint statement released at the commencement of the 10th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg today.
All the BRICS countries face a number of human rights challenges. In Brazil, there are still no answers for the murder of Marielle Franco, a human rights defender (HRD) who was killed in Rio De Janeiro. In Russia, LGBTI people face serious threats and live in constant fear. In China, a Tibetan HRD, Tashi Wangchuck, was handed an unjust five year prison sentence after being featured in a New York Times video. In South Africa, the wheels of justice for the victims and families of the Marikana tragedy are turning far too slowly. And in India, there is a growing trend of harassment and attacks on human rights defenders and hate crimes against marginalised communities.
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