Human Rights | WPN World People News

Iraq’s crackdown on peaceful government critics and an epidemic of executions should be top agenda items during the prime minister’s state visit to Washington, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to President Barack Obama. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is scheduled to meet with Obama on November 1, 2013.

The government of Bangladesh should order a re-trial of 847 military personnel accused of murder, sexual assault, and other atrocities during the 2009 Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutiny due to serious violations of fair trial standards, Human Rights Watch said. Bangladeshi authorities should commission a thorough, independent review of both the BDR trials and verdicts, including the impending October 30 verdict which may see the death penalty imposed, and then initiate a more credible inquiry and prosecution process.

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Leo Messi invited his friends and fans around the world to join in celebrating the birthday of his son Thiago, who will be one year old on Saturday, 2 November.

A voter casts his ballot in Tbilisi during the presidential election in Georgia, 27 October 2013.

Ways to enhance women’s participation in public, political and economic life come under the spotlight at the OSCE Mediterranean Conference in Monaco on 28 October 2013.

Valerie Amos, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, has allocated US$7.9 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to boost implementation of nine underfunded humanitarian projects in Niger. The projects are part of the 2013 Humanitarian Appeal for the country and aim to provide assistance to more than 650,000 vulnerable people.

The United Nations General Assembly and Human Rights Council should act on the report by the UN special rapporteur on the right to health about attacks against health workers and services, the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition said. The report, by Anand Grover, the special rapporteur, was presented to the General Assembly on October 24, 2013. It describes a wide range of abuses occurring against health workers and highlights the need for better monitoring and accountability.