The AHRC‘s Human Rights Commissioner, Edward Santow has called for the “urgent” and “immediate” release of immigration detainees in line with recommendations of peak medical bodies advising the federal government on their response to COVID-19.

About 1,400 people are currently in detention centres on mainland Australia, including in “alternative places of detention” (APODs) where there have been daily protests in Brisbane and Melbourne. Commissioner Santow said immigration detainees should be put into community detention where it is safe to do so.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission is warning that inequality will be amplified by the COVID-19 crisis. While social distancing, self-isolation, and quarantining are essential to flattening the curve, the Commission states it is likely that these measures create unintended and disproportionate consequences for people living in vulnerable circumstances.

The Ombudsman for Cyprus (Office of the Commissioner for Administration and Protection of Human Rights) has issued a statement on the measures for persons deprived of their liberty in the context of coronavirus. Despite considering the measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 necessary, it underlines that fundamental rights of prisoners during the pandemic must be fully respected, with particular attention to vulnerable groups. It also notes that states should continue to guarantee access to monitoring bodies in all places of detention.

Great Britain’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Chair, David Isaac, wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson about the human rights and equality considerations in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. The letter considers the legislation the Government has put in place to give legal effect to the COVID-19 lockdown measures. While recognising that such changes are necessary, the letter stresses that changes of such magnitude should be proportionate and measured, and rooted in science and the law. They must have clear review and end points, be flexible to specific needs, and remain open to challenge.

The EHRC has this week (22.04.20) published interim findings from its criminal justice inquiry, into the use of video and phone hearings that has been swiftly expanded in response to COVID-19. This inquiry is to help mitigate the risks that these technologies pose to disabled people. The interim findings warn that there is a heightened risk that disabled people may not be able to realise their right to a fair trial if their specific needs are not recognised and met during remote hearings. In particular, the inquiry highlights how the use of video hearings in England and Wales can significantly hinder communication and understanding for people with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and mental health conditions.

Also this week (22.04.20), the EHRC wrote to the British Retail Consortium expressing concerns about opportunities for disabled people to buy food and other essential items during the COVID-19 lockdown. This is based on a survey of disabled people’s experiences during the Coronavirus outbreak coordinated by the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers. The survey found that 45 percent of respondents stated that supermarkets had responded poorly or very poorly to their needs. A key issue raised was the availability of online deliveries and priority shopping slots for those outside the high-risk group. Those impacted include people with visual impairments, chronic pain conditions and some mental health conditions.

The Indian National Human Rights Commission has asked the Union Home Ministry to inform them about the arrangements made for people with mental health conditions, to issue directions to States and Union Territories to ensure they don’t become carriers of the deadly virus. The Commission has also asked that the Government ensure people with mental health conditions provided with proper counselling, and not deprived of basic amenities like food, shelter and medical care.

Last month The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights issued a statement on the actions of law enforcement agencies responsible for enforcing the curfew, following reports of harassment and of violence against members of the public. The KNCHR states that these incidents are breaches of human rights, and state police must adhere to their basic checklist on human rights and fundamental freedoms, included in the statement.

The KNCHR has also raised concerns about harassment and intimidation by law enforcement of journalists covering COVID-19. The Commission states that journalists and media establishments have a duty to inform the public and the public has a right to receive information, and this requires an enabling and secure environment for the enjoyment of this right.

The Commission has also released an advisory note to the Government regarding human rights during the COVID-19 lockdown. The note mentions in particular the preservation of human dignity, the rights of the most vulnerable and that some rights are non-derogable under any circumstances.

SUHAKAM, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, has expressed concern about arrests and detention of members of the public for breaching the Movement Control Order, which was put in place to limit the spread of COVID-19. The Commission referred to a video of young people being caned by the police in Sabah, which it claims is evidence of cruel and degrading treatment, and is a potential breach of their human rights.

SUHAKAM’s Children’s Commissioner has also released a statement expressing concern over the spread of COVID-19 in a religious school, Maahad Tahfiz An-Nabawiyyah, in Kampong Sungai Lui, which has had an enhanced movement control order put in place. The Children’s Commissioner stressed that any such initiative must be aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, in particular Article 3, that children’s best interests must be the primary consideration in such decisions.

New Zealand Human Rights Commission‘s Chief Commissioner, Paul Hunt, called on the Government to respect the rights of people it is holding for detention purposes in its response to COVID-19.  The Commissioner stated “The Government has binding domestic and international human rights obligations to ensure that people in places of detention have access to adequate food and shelter, meaningful activity and engagement with others, health care and protection, and accurate information.”

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) has stated that it would review government powers and measures being introduced to deal with COVID-19 against human rights standards, and advise on their appropriateness of these powers and the extent to which control measures are strictly required. The Commission will monitor how the application of the powers are used in practice and respond to the Joint Human Rights Select Committee invitation to submit evidence on the powers and how they are used.

Chief Commissioner, Les Allamby, has also written an article for the Belfast Telegraph on the protection of the vulnerable during the pandemic.

The Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC), The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), and the Children and Young People’s Commissioner for Scotland (CYPCS) have called for an inquiry by the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities and Human Rights Committee committee to identify individuals and groups who are disproportionately impacted by Covid-19 and measures related to tackling it. They urge Scottish Government and other public bodies to identify the actions they need to take to minimise the negative effect on equality and human rights, and to scrutinise measures taken by the Scottish Government and other public bodies for their impact on equality and human rights.

Following recent video evidence of security forces acting in a violent and abusive manner toward citizens, the South Africa Human Rights Commission issued a statement reminding members of law enforcement that the fundamental human rights of everyone in South Africa, such as Freedom and Security of the Person and the right to Life, remain intact, even under lockdown conditions.

UNICEF South Africa has signed a historic agreement with the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to advance children’s rights in all spheres of society. This includes ensuring that all children, without discrimination and regardless of migratory status, are considered and included in policies and actions responding to COVID-19, and have access to basic services such as health and education.

UNICEF and the SAHRC will work to ensure that all children have their rights to birth registration, health, immunization, early childhood development, education, shelter, food and social protection met, and that children’s voices are fully heard through their meaningful participation in society.

Zambia’s Human Rights Commission has received numerous complaints regarding actions and public statements by some public officials advocating violation of human rights where individuals fail to comply with the guidelines. In a statement on the issue the Commission recognises that there are necessary and legitimate restrictions on human rights, in particular freedom of association, assembly and movement, as a matter of public health interest. However, it states the physical beating of suspects and other forms of corporal punishment are and remain unlawful. All statements are available on the Commission’s Facebook Page.