Human Rights | WPN World People News

African Union (AU) forces in Somalia (AMISOM) should impartially investigate the killing by alleged Ugandan army troops of six men at a wedding on July 31, 2015, in the Somali port town of Merka. The investigation should be carried out with maximum protection for witnesses, and the Ugandan government should fairly prosecute any of its soldiers responsible for criminal offenses.

Next week, a marriage equality bill is likely to be introduced in the Australian Parliament. It will no doubt produce the same kind of intense discussions and soul searching as in the 18 other countries that have passed these laws.

A judge holds a custody hearing for a detainee in São Paulo on May 11, 2015, with the participation of a prosecutor and a public defender.

Bangladesh authorities should unequivocally declare their commitment to free speech instead of proposing self-censorship, Human Rights Watch said on August 12. The killing of secular blogger Niladri Chakrabarti on August 7, 2015, is a harrowing reminder of the need for the Bangladesh government to take immediate steps to protect the security of all and end attempts at muzzling independent voices.

“Recent reports of children being sexually abused over a period of several years in the Kasur district of Pakistan are appalling. UNICEF is in contact with the Government authorities to understand the full dimension of this crime. Our sympathies are with the children who have been victims to this abuse. It is vital that the children and families affected are immediately offered the necessary care and protection that will prevent further victimization and allow the difficult process of healing to begin.

Several thousand ethnic Batwa, or Pygmy, sought refuge in an abandoned factory building known as Cotanga in Nyunzu, southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, following a nearby attack on a displacement camp by ethnic Luba militia fighters on April 30, 2015.

Saudi authorities detained Zuhair Kutbi, a prominent writer and commentator, on July 15, 2015, following a TV interview in which he discussed his ideas for peaceful reform. Authorities apparently questioned him about his television appearance, which had attracted considerable attention on social media.

Yacine, a 22-year old asylum seeker from Sudan washes tea cups in a makeshift shelter in the "jungle" in Calais before his departure to an accommodation centre for asylum seekers the next morning. His friends have gathered to celebrate his departure.

A house in Rakhine State, Myanmar destroyed by the flooding.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.