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STOCKHOLM, Sweden – More than six of the 10 countries around the world have taken action during the COVID-19 pandemic that threatens democracy or human rights, a report by the democracy institute International IDEA said on Wednesday.
The study, which examined the situation in almost every country in the world, found that 61 percent of nations “implemented illegal, disproportionate, indefinite, or unnecessary restrictions” on at least one area of democratic freedoms.
Among countries widely regarded as democracies, 43 percent fell into this category, a figure that rose to 90 percent for authoritarian regimes, according to the Stockholm-based intergovernmental organization.
“It was to be expected that the authoritarian regimes that had [fewer] the checks and balances would use the excuse provided by the pandemic to reinforce their control, ”Secretary General Kevin Casas-Zamora told AFP.
“What is most surprising is that so many democracies have adopted measures that are problematic from the point of view of democracy and human rights.”
India, a democratic country, topped the list in that regard, with measures of “concern” in nine of the 22 areas studied, including freedom of movement, freedom of expression and freedom of the press, ahead of Algeria and Bangladesh with eight areas of concern.
They were followed by China, Egypt, Malaysia and Cuba, each with seven.
Russia was the top European nation, with six, along with Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Jordan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
IDEA examined the various measures taken around the world to determine whether they were problematic from a democratic and human rights perspective, regardless of their effectiveness from a health perspective.
Five countries of the European Union were mentioned: Bulgaria (three areas of concern), Hungary (two) and Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia (one).
Among the major Western democracies, only the United States stood out, in two areas. Israel (five) and Argentina (two) were also cited.
Among the most frequent concerns were restrictions on freedom of the press in the name of fighting disinformation, excessive use of force (such as the deployment of troops to enforce the rules, internment camps for the sick), corruption in emergency contracts with suppliers and blaming migrants for the pandemic. Casas-Zamora said.
The study also praised several countries as role models for combining effective health measures with respect for democratic principles.
They were Iceland, Finland, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Taiwan, Uruguay, Cyprus, Japan, Senegal, and Sierra Leone.
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