Human rights in Chad have been described as "poor"; for example, since 1972, Freedom House has designated the country as "Not Free.""Chad" Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2006. United States Department of State. Accessed on September 4, 2007.Chad (2007) Freedom House. Accessed on September 4, 2007. Chad received a score of 7 for political rights and 6 for civil liberties (with 1 being the most free, 7 being the least free).
According to the U.S. State Department's country report on Chad in 2006, "The government's poor human rights record deteriorated further during the year; security forces committed numerous serious human rights abuses." Among the abuses listed were extrajudicial killings, beatings, torture, and rape by security forces; limits on freedom of speech and the press and freedom of assembly; arbitrary arrest and detention; and widespread corruption. Security forces commit these and other abuses with "near total" impunity.Chad: Events of 2006 Human Rights Watch. Accessed on September 4, 2007.Annual Report: Chad Amnesty International. Accessed on September 4, 2007.
In their annual report from 2007, Amnesty International noted sexual violence against women resulting from incursions by the Sudanese militia group Janjawid, stating that "the widespread insecurity in eastern Chad had particularly severe consequences for women, who suffered grave human rights abuses, including rape, during attacks on villages." Female genital mutilation, while technically illegal, is still widely practiced. Harassment of journalists and human rights activists has also been documented, as well as the use of child soldiers by Chadian security forces, by various human rights groups."Chad: Government Keeps Children in Army Ranks" Human Rights Watch. Accessed on September 4, 2007."Chad: Army Forcibly Recruiting Youths, Rights Group Says" allAfrica.com. Accessed on December 16, 2007
Transparency International has ranked Chad as one of the most corrupt nations in the world. In 2007, it scored 1.8 out of 10 on the Corruption Perceptions Index (with 10 being the least corrupt). Only Tonga, Uzbekistan, Haiti, Iraq, Myanmar, and Somalia scored lower."Corruption Perceptions Index 2007" Transparency International. Accessed on December 16, 2007. Critics of former President Idriss Déby accused him of cronyism and favoring his own tribe, the Zaghawa."'Isolated' Déby clings to power" BBC News. April 13, 2006. Accessed on September 4, 2007. Déby's re-election in May 2006—in which he won a third term—was boycotted by the opposition, who denounced the results as fraudulent.Country profile: Chad BBC News. Last updated: August 28, 2007. Accessed on September 4, 2007. The previous election, in 2001, was similarly viewed as fraudulent by the opposition parties, although a team of foreign observers said that polling had taken place "without major problems or intimidation"."Deby re-elected president of Chad" CNN. May 28, 2001. Accessed on September 4, 2007."Deby claims Chad electoral victory" BBC News. May 28, 2001. Accessed on September 4, 2007.Background Note: Chad United States Department of State. Accessed on September 4, 2007.
Historical situation The following chart shows Chad's ratings since 1972 in the Freedom in the World reports, published annually by Freedom House. A rating of 1 is "most free" and 7 is "least free". Historical ratings YearPolitical RightsCivil LibertiesStatusPresident 197267 Not Free N’Garta Tombalbaye 197367Not FreeN'Garta Tombalbaye 197467Not FreeN'Garta Tombalbaye 197576Not FreeN'Garta Tombalbaye 197676Not FreeFélix Malloum N'Gakoutou 197776Not Free Félix Malloum N'Gakoutou 197866Not FreeFélix Malloum N'Gakoutou 197966Not FreeFélix Malloum N'Gakoutou 198076Not FreeGoukouni Oueddei 198176Not FreeGoukouni Oueddei 198276Not FreeGoukouni Oueddei 198376Not FreeHissène Habré 198477Not FreeHissène Habré 198577Not FreeHissène Habré 198677Not FreeHissène Habré 198767Not FreeHissène Habré 198867Not FreeHissène Habré 198976Not FreeHissène Habré 199076Not FreeHissène Habré 199166Not FreeIdriss Déby 199266Not FreeIdriss Déby 199365Not FreeIdriss Déby 199465Not FreeIdriss Déby 199565Not FreeIdriss Déby 199665Not FreeIdriss Déby 199765Not FreeIdriss Déby 199864Not FreeIdriss Déby 199965Not FreeIdriss Déby 200065Not FreeIdriss Déby 200165Not FreeIdriss Déby 200265Not FreeIdriss Déby 200365Not FreeIdriss Déby 200465Not FreeIdriss Déby 200565Not FreeIdriss Déby 200666Not FreeIdriss Déby 200776Not FreeIdriss Déby 200876Not FreeIdriss Déby 200976Not FreeIdriss Déby 201076Not FreeIdriss Déby 201176Not FreeIdriss Déby 201276Not FreeIdriss Déby 201376Not FreeIdriss Déby 201476Not FreeIdriss Déby 201576Not FreeIdriss Déby 201676Not FreeIdriss Déby 201776Not FreeIdriss Déby 201876Not FreeIdriss Déby 201976Not FreeIdriss Déby 202076Not FreeIdriss Déby 202176Not FreeIdriss Déby 202276Not FreeMahamat Déby 202376Not FreeMahamat Déby
International treaties Chad's stances on international human rights treaties are as follows:
International treaties Treaty Organization Introduced Signed Ratified Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide United Nations1948—— International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination United Nations1966—1977 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights United Nations1966—1995 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights United Nations1966—1995 First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights United Nations1966—1995 Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity United Nations1968—— International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid United Nations197319741974 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women United Nations19791995 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment United Nations1984—1995 Convention on the Rights of the Child United Nations198919901990 Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty United Nations1989—— International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families United Nations1990—— Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women United Nations1999—— Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict United Nations200020022002 Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography United Nations200020022002 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities United Nations2006—— Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities United Nations2006—— International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance United Nations20062007— Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights United Nations2008—— Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure United Nations2011——
See also
Freedom of religion in Chad Human trafficking in Chad Internet censorship and surveillance in Chad LGBT rights in Chad Politics of Chad
Notes 1.Note that the "Year" signifies the "Year covered". Therefore, the information for the year marked 2008 is from the report published in 2009, and so on. 2.As of January 1. 3.The 1982 report covers the year 1981 and the first half of 1982, and the following 1984 report covers the second half of 1982 and the whole of 1983. In the interest of simplicity, these two aberrant "year and a half" reports have been split into three year-long reports through interpolation.
References
External links 2012 Annual Report, by Amnesty International Freedom in the World 2012 Report, by Freedom House Review of Chad by the United Nations Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review, May 5, 2009. (Scroll down past Belize.)