Human Rights | WPN World People News

On Wednesday, Indonesians go to the polls to determine their next president.For one demographic, the stakes of the vote, regardless of the results, remain uncertain: the country’s indigenous peoples. Indigenous rights groups that represent some 17 million people and that could be a decisive force in the elections have been reluctant to endorse either candidate—for good reason. Major questions about the future of land rights policy remain unanswered by both of them.

The Bangladesh government should thoroughly investigate the murder of a madrassa student and fairly prosecute all those responsible, Human Rights Watch said. The murder of Nusrat Jahan Rafi, who was killed after she filed a complaint of attempted rape, should spur the authorities to take concerted action to combat sexual violence in the country.

The five-year anniversary of the Chibok school abduction is a reminder that schoolchildren remain vulnerable to attacks and abductions by Boko Haram fighters in Nigeria’s beleaguered northeast region. The lack of information on the whereabouts of 112 of the schoolgirls, as well as hundreds of other children abducted from Damasak, underscores the continued suffering of their families and the continued risk of new abductions.

Authorities in South Africa should urgently investigate, and arrest and prosecute those responsible for a spate of violence against foreign nationals in Durban from March 25 to April 2, 2019, the South Africa-based African Diaspora Forum and Human Rights Watch said on April 15, 2019. Violence against foreign nationals appears to be on the rise amid political tensions in the lead-up to national elections scheduled for May 8.

The Russian government is developing a draft law to enable the authorities to freeze the bank accounts of people who donate to or finance protests that are deemed unlawful, Human Rights Watch said on April 15, 2019. If adopted, the provisions would further jeopardize freedom of assembly in Russia and could punish people for their democratic support of a variety of causes.

The decision by International Criminal Court (ICC) judges not to open a formal investigation into alleged grave crimes in Afghanistan denies the country’s victims a path to justice, Human Rights Watch said on April 12, 2019.

A Brazilian court’s decision to sentence a comedian to prison for offensive remarks about a congresswoman could have a chilling effect on free speech, Human Rights Watch said on April 13, 2019.

ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, addresses guests at a luncheon for ILO's 100 year anniversary., by UN Photo/Evan Schneider

Unaccompanied children line up for an evening meal at a detention facility run by the Greek police.

Lawyers march in Istanbul on January 24, 2019 Day of the Endangered Lawyer. The banner reads: “To silence the lawyer’s voice is to deprive the citizen of breath.”