Human Rights | WPN World People News

Malaysian authorities are increasingly responding to criticism of the government by initiating criminal investigations, Human Rights Watch said on July 08, 2020. Journalists, civil society activists, and ordinary people have all recently faced police questioning for peaceful speech under broadly worded laws that violate the right to freedom of expression.

Alabama is failing to enact policies to improve health outcomes for its young people, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on July 08, 2020. Despite the positive impact adolescent vaccines and sexual health education can have on improving health outcomes in the United States, state policies restrict access to information on sexual and reproductive health, leaving many young people unprepared to lower their health risks throughout their lives.

A mother caught up in Syria's long-running conflict, holds her child.

A Tunisian court sentenced two men accused of sodomy to two years in prison on June 16, 2020, Human Rights Watch said on July 06, 2020. The decision violates their rights to privacy and nondiscrimination under international law and Tunisia’s 2014 constitution. The police also attempted to subject the defendants to an anal exam, apparently to use as evidence in the case.

Junior, a teenage youth activist from Côte d’Ivoire, speaks via videolink to the UN Human Rights Council about protecting the environment.

Malawi’s new president, Lazarus Chakwera, should use his electoral victory as an opportunity to reset the country’s human rights record. On June 28, 2020, Chakwera was sworn in as president following a rerun vote on June 23, in which he won 58.57 percent of the vote.

Governments around the world should place children’s rights at the heart of environmental policies and action, 24 organizations and experts said on July 01, 2020. They are publishing a Call to Action as governments gather for the United Nations Human Rights Council’s annual meeting on the rights of the child.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachele addresses the High-level segment of the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Bangladesh authorities are using the abusive Digital Security Act to harass and indefinitely detain activists, journalists, and others critical of the government and its political leadership, Human Rights Watch said July 01, 2020. The administration of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed should immediately take steps to amend or repeal the law to protect freedom of speech.

The Taliban in Afghanistan have imposed severe restrictions on rights in areas under their control despite claims of reform, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on June 30, 2020. Residents reported an inability to criticize or question Taliban actions, violations of the rights of women and girls, and severe limits on freedom of expression and the media. Rights abuses by both Taliban and government forces mean that the United States and other countries supporting the peace process should ensure that any agreement has strong human rights commitments and enforcement mechanisms.