Human Rights | WPN World People News

The Fatah-led Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas authorities in Gaza routinely arrest and torture peaceful critics and opponents, Human Rights Watch said in a report released on October 23, 2018. As the Palestinian Authority-Hamas feud has deepened, each has targeted the other’s supporters.

Sri Lanka’s draft counterterrorism law significantly improves upon the current, abusive Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) but needs further safeguards against rights violations, Human Rights Watch said in a commentary released on October 21, 2018. Parliament should amend the bill to fully comply with international human rights standards and resist pressure to roll back its reforms.

The United Arab Emirates detained a British academic for months without charge, denying him his due process rights, Human Rights Watch said on October 21, 2018. The abuses raise serious concerns about whether Matthew Hedges, a doctoral candidate at Durham University in England, can get a fair trial in the UAE.

Young boys standing in front of damaged buildings in Saada, Yemen, where bombing has left many neighbourhoods in the city are strewn with wreckage and debris following ground fighting between armed groups.

Vietnam should reverse the draconian sentence imposed on a veteran environment and democracy activist, Le Dinh Luong, and release him, Human Rights Watch said on October 16. The appeals court is scheduled to hear his case on October 18, 2018, in Nghe An province.

Iranian intelligence officials have increased the arrests of the country’s Baha’i religious minority over the past two months, with no clear charges, Human Rights Watch said on October 16, 2015. In August and September 2018, authorities arrested more than 20 Baha’i citizens, as well as a city council member who a colleague said offered support for those arrested.

The Syrian government is unlawfully preventing displaced residents from former anti-government-held areas from returning to their properties, Human Rights Watch said on October 16, 2018.

The United Kingdom Parliament should scrap provisions in a new counterterrorism bill that excessively restrict freedom of expression, freedom of movement, and privacy, Human Rights Watch said on October 15, 2018. The draft law punishes a single click on terrorist content online with up to 15 years in prison.

Ahead of Mali's 2018 presidential elections, this young women is picking up her new voter's card at an electoral station in Gao, in the country's north.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman should immediately release all evidence and information Saudi Arabia holds regarding the status of the prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Human Rights Watch said on October 11, 2018. Khashoggi, 59, entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, and has not been seen or heard from since. Saudi Arabia has denied involvement in Khashoggi’s disappearance, claiming he left the consulate alone shortly after his arrival, but has produced no evidence to support the claim.