Human Rights | WPN World People News

Russia’s cluster munition strike on the crowded Kramatorsk train station in eastern Ukraine in April 2022 killed dozens of civilians in violation of the laws of war, and was an apparent war crime, Human Rights Watch and SITU Research said in a report and video released on February 21, 2023.

Russian authorities have refused for a month to provide information about the location of a political prisoner, Andrey Pivovarov, raising concerns that he has been forcibly disappeared, Human Rights Watch said on February 18, 2023.

Street scene in Tunisia.

WHO reports that 32.8 per cent of European inmates have mental health disorders.

The Thai government’s decision to delay enforcement of key provisions of the new torture and enforced disappearance law should be immediately reversed, Human Rights Watch said on February 15, 2023.

The Ugandan government should immediately reverse its decision to end the mandate of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Uganda, Human Rights Watch said on February 15, 2023. On February 6, 2023, Uganda’s Foreign Affairs Ministry informed the OHCHR Uganda country office that it would not renew its agreement to host the UN entity beyond its current three-year term ending in February 2023.

A new United States Department of Defense directive concerning development of autonomous weapons systems is an inadequate response to the threats posed by removing human control from the use of force, Human Rights Watch said in a report issued on February 14, 2023. Instead of creating adequate controls on the development of these weapons, the directive could facilitate it.

Myanmar’s new political parties law will prevent key members of the political opposition from running in upcoming elections, Human Rights Watch said on February 14, 2023. The law, announced on January 26, 2023, adds to concerns that the vote now slated for August will lack all credibility and be used merely to try to legitimize further military control.

Gaza authorities should urgently ensure the safety and freedom of two adult sisters reported to be in forced confinement at the hands of their father and at risk of serious harm since their forcible return a month ago, Human Rights Watch said on February 07, 2023.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) should work with Pakistan’s government to protect the economically disadvantaged by broadening social protection systems and minimizing reform measures that risk further harm to the most vulnerable people, Human Rights Watch said on February 06, 2023. With poverty, inflation, and unemployment soaring, Pakistan is facing one of the worst economic crises in its history, jeopardizing millions of people’s rights to health, food, and an adequate standard of living.