Amnesty International accuses West of double standard on Ukraine vs Mideast

A leading international rights group decries what it says are double standards by Western countries that have rallied behind a “robust response” to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but remain “lukewarm” on issues of human rights violations in the Middle East.

According to Amnesty International, such double standards only fuel further repression for millions in the region.

The sharp rebuke comes as the London-based watchdog launches its annual report at a news conference at its office in Beirut.

In the report, Amnesty urges the international community to hold perpetrators of human rights abuses in the Middle East and North Africa to account, and to address the issue of migration without discrimination.

Amid condemnations of Syria, Libya, Lebanon, Iran and Saudi Arabia, Amnesty also criticizes Israel for its ongoing raids on Palestinians in the West Bank, with the past months being among the deadliest in years.