Violence has escalated across the Middle East and North Africa in recent months . Dictators across the region are fighting to cling to power , while protesters refuse to back down . The protests have been fueled by anger over unemployment, corruption and economic hardship -- but also a sense of injustice at being denied basic rights such as freedom from torture or fair trials for political opponents. The group 's 57-page document contains details from dozens of victims and witnesses to abuses in Daraa province , the southwestern Syrian powder keg where the unrest engulfing the country began in mid-March before spreading across the country . The U.S. and other Western powers have not pushed as hard for change in certain countries .
Violence has escalated across the Middle East and North Africa in recent months . Dictators across the region are fighting to cling to power , while protesters refuse to back down . The protests have been fueled by anger over unemployment, corruption and economic hardship -- but also a sense of injustice at being denied basic rights such as freedom from torture or fair trials for political opponents. The U.S. and other Western powers have not pushed as hard for change in certain countries .