Human Rights

Egypt: African Rights Session Amid Dire Abuses

Commission Should Loudly Sound the Alarm

Egypt is hosting an Africa human rights session beginning April 24, 2019, while its government is presiding over the worst human rights crisis in the country in recent decades, 15 African, Egyptian, and international organizations said on April 24, 2019.

Protect women’s rights ‘before, during and after conflict’ UN chief tells high-level Security Council debate

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A South Sudanese rape victim narrates her ordeal at an undisclosed location near Bentiu town. (December 2018)

US: States Use Anti-Boycott Laws to Punish Responsible Businesses

Laws Penalize Companies that Cut Ties With Israeli Settlements

Many United States states are using anti-boycott laws and executive orders to punish companies that refuse to do business with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Human Rights Watch said on April 23, 2019. More than 250 million Americans, some 78 percent of the population, live in states with anti-boycott laws or policies.

European Union: Human Rights Questions for Candidates

Questionnaire Seeks Rights Positions from Major Parties

Candidates for the European Parliament should clarify their positions on key human rights issues at a time when respect for human rights and the rule of law are under attack from some European leaders, Human Rights Watch said on April 23, 2019. Human Rights Watch has sent a questionnaire to leading candidates from European political groupings running for election and plans to make the responses public ahead of the 23-26 May, 2019 polls.

China: ‘Belt and Road’ Projects Should Respect Rights

Commit to Transparency, Public Consultation at Upcoming Forum

The Chinese government should ensure the projects it finances or engages in under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) respect human rights, Human Rights Watch said on April 21, 2019. On April 25-27, 2019, President Xi Jinping will host heads of state and international organization leaders at the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. The BRI, announced in 2013, is China’s trillion-dollar infrastructure and investment program stretching across some 70 countries, linking China to the rest of Asia, Africa, and Europe via land and maritime networks.

Sudan: Heed Calls for Justice

Al-Bashir, Other Rights Abusers Should be Held to Account

Sudan’s transitional military council should uphold their commitments to human rights and justice for past crimes by transferring Omar al-Bashir, the deposed president, and other Sudanese fugitives to the International Criminal Court (ICC). ICC states parties should step up pressure on the council to surrender al-Bashir and other war crimes suspects to the Hague court without any further delay.

Iran: Release Anti-Compulsory Hijab Activists

Prison Sentences on Vague Morality Charges

Iranian authorities should release and quash the convictions of all activists who have been prosecuted for peacefully protesting the country’s compulsory hijab laws, Human Rights Watch said on April 18, 2019. In the past week, the authorities arrested two activists – a mother and daughter – for protesting compulsory hijab laws.

Myanmar: Satire is Not a Crime

Drop Charges Against Peaceful Critics

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Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, right, and first lady Cho Cho, left, smile as they take part in the first day of Myanmar traditional water festival, also known as Myanmar New Year, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar on Saturday, April 13, 2019.

Iraq: Torture Persists in Mosul Jail

No Apparent Action Months After Allegations

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In its August 2018 report on Faisaliya detention facility, Human Rights Watch interviewed Mahmoud who said he was hung in the “bazoona” position at least six times while in detention, for hours. He said that at least four of those times, he lost consciousness before being taken down. Sometimes officers threw water at him before beating his back with a metal cable, he said.

Guinea: Create Special Unit to Probe Protest Deaths

Impunity for 2018 Violence, Rising Political Tension Raise Concern

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Anti-riot police clash with Guinean opposition supporters in Conakry on March 22, 2018.