Human Rights

Belarus: Use Europe Games to Spur Media Freedom

Press Freedom Day Throws Spotlight on Need to Assure Safe Reporting

The European Olympic Committees (EOC) should establish a complaints hotline for journalists during the 2019 European Games, Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists said on May 03, 2019. Belarus will host the games, a multi-sport event for more than 4,000 athletes, in Minsk from June 21-30.

End ‘political opportunism’ that’s letting hate speech flourish, urges top UN genocide official

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Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng briefs the press.

UN rights experts call on Philippines Government to halt ‘unacceptable attacks’ on Victoria Tauli-Corpuz

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Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, at a press briefing on indigenous peoples' collective rights to lands, territories and natural resources on 16 April 2018, at UN Headquarters in New York.

US: New Satellite Imagery Shows Growth in Migrant Tent Jails

Tents Intended to Hold Families with Children

Satellite images taken on April 25, 2019 show rapid construction of migrant tent jails intended to house families and children at Border Patrol stations in El Paso and Donna, Texas.

Iran: 2 Child Offenders Executed

17-Year-Olds Were 15 When Arrested

The execution of two children in southern Iran is an abhorrent violation of Iran’s human rights obligations, Human Rights Watch said on May 01, 2019. On April 25, 2019, authorities in Adel Abad prison in Shiraz, Fars province executed two 17-year-old cousins, Mehdi Sohrabifar and Amin Sedaghat.

Acknowledging the Plight of Pain Patients in the US

CDC Clarifies its Opioid Prescription Guideline

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) took an important step last week toward acknowledging the suffering of chronic pain patients in the United States who face unnecessary barriers to accessing opioid medications.

Sri Lanka: Refugees Threatened, Attacked

Ensure Safety of South Asians Vulnerable Since Easter Sunday Bombings

The Sri Lankan government should take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of South Asian refugees and asylum seekers from violence. Since the April 21, 2019 Easter Sunday bombings by alleged Islamist militants on churches and hotels that killed more than 250 people, angry crowds have threatened and assaulted primarily Muslim South Asian migrants.

Bolivia: Dozens of Judges Arbitrarily Dismissed

OAS Should Condemn Threat to Judicial Independence

Bolivian authorities have arbitrarily dismissed almost 100 judges since 2017, seriously undermining judicial independence in the country, Human Rights Watch said on April 29, 2019. The Organization of American States (OAS) should convene a meeting of its Permanent Council to address ongoing justice system changes in Bolivia that are weakening the rule of law.

Myanmar: Surge in Arrests for Critical Speech

Repeal Laws Criminalizing Peaceful Expression

Myanmar’s authorities have in recent weeks engaged in a series of arrests of peaceful critics of the army and government, Human Rights Watch said on April 26, 2019. The parliament, which begins its new session on April 29, 2019, should repeal or amend repressive laws used to silence critics and suppress freedom of expression.

India: Sexual Harassment Case Against SC Chief Justice

High-Level Independent Inquiry Needed

India’s Supreme Court should ensure that its examination of the sexual harassment complaint against the sitting Supreme Court chief justice protects the rights of the woman who filed the complaint, Human Rights Watch said on April 25, 2019. The court’s decision on April 23, 2019 to set up an inquiry committee of three sitting supreme court judges safeguards the independence of the judiciary, but it would deny the woman access to an effective remedy as guaranteed under international human rights law.

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