Human Rights

Central African Republic: Short Sentences Cheat Victims

3-Year Terms for Peacekeepers for Mass Murder

Three-year prison sentences for three Congolese peacekeepers convicted for the 2014 murder of 11 civilians in the Central African Republic does not reflect the gravity of the crime. The sentences deny justice to the victims, who included women and children.

Zimbabwe: Intensified Crackdown on Opposition

End Attacks, Hold Those Responsible To Account

The Zimbabwe Security Forces and unidentified gunmen have intensified a crackdown on supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDCA) in the aftermath of August 1, 2018 post-election protests in Harare, Human Rights Watch said. The police, soldiers, and unidentified armed men also beat up and harassed scores of people in Harare over the last few days as they searched for opposition party officials.

Bangladesh: Rohingya Endure Floods, Landslides

Refugees Awaiting Future Return to Myanmar Need Safer Camps

The Bangladeshi government should relocate Rohingya refugees living in a severely overcrowded mega camp to safer ground in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, Human Rights Watch said in a report issued on Aug 05, 2018. The refugees, who fled the Burmese military’s campaign of ethnic cleansing that began in August 2017, should not have to face flooding and landslides, and should have sturdier shelters and adequate education for their extended stay.

Human rights experts denounce Trump’s attacks against media

image1170x530cropped_168_0_0.jpg
Journalists being briefed during Intra-Syrian talks at the UN Office at Geneva in 2017.

Iran: Environmentalists Face Arbitrary Detention

Activists Face Prolonged Detention, Threat of Torture

Iranian authorities should immediately release eight environmental activists detained for six months unless they can immediately charge them with recognizable crimes and produce evidence to justify their continued detention, Human Rights Watch said on Aug 03, 2018. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence organization has arrested at least 50 environmental activists across the country since January 2018.

Syria: Armed Group Recruiting Children in Camps

People’s Protection Units Enlist Under 18s from Vulnerable Families

The People’s Protection Units (YPG), the largest member of the Syrian Democratic Forces military alliance in northeast Syria, has been recruiting children, including girls, and using some in hostilities despite pledges to stop the practice, Human Rights Watch said on Aug 03, 2018.

Businesses, don’t risk forced labour affecting your cotton

Louise Eldridge on why businesses should not source cotton from Uzbekistan or Turkmenistan.

Anti-Slavery has worked to end state-sponsored forced labour in the cotton sector in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan for a decade. We have witnessed some changes – particularly in Uzbekistan – so, should businesses now start feeling it is safe to invest in cotton from Central Asia? Whilst there are no prizes for guessing the answers are ‘no’ for both countries, let’s analyse the level and nature of risks that businesses would face if they wanted to source cotton from them.

Legal charges initiated by Turkey against Turkish Cypriot journalists Şener Levent and Ali Osman should be dropped, urges OSCE Representative

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, on August 2, Harlem Désir in a letter to the Turkish authorities expressed his concern over recent judicial action launched by the country’s prosecution against two journalists of the Turkish Cypriot daily Afrika.

Chinese Police Remove Professor During Broadcast of VOA Program

Chinese police broke into the home of a retired Shandong University professor who is critical of China's human rights record as he was expressing via a telephone interview his opinions on the Voice of America (VOA) Mandarin television show, Issues & Opinions.

UN officials call for children’s rights to be respected in Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel

image1170x530cropped_167_0_0.jpg
On 12 July 2018 in the State of Palestine, 8-year old Hamid looks out over the old city of Hebron from the roof of his house. Checkpoints punctuate Hebron’s old city, part of the area known as H2, and affect the movement of people, including access to education as many children must pass one or more checkpoints on their way to school.