At least four die as Syria forces suppress dissent
Security forces on Wednesday killed at least four people and made sweeping arrests, activists said, as Western states sought a special session of the UN human rights body on Syria’s crackdown on dissent.Continue Reading
Hamas bans Gaza students from studying abroad
A Palestinian human rights group is condemning Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers for preventing teenage students with scholarships to study in the U.S. from leaving the territory.Continue Reading
Malawi: Use Restraint in Upcoming Protests
Police in Malawi should use restraint during future protests to avoid repeating the use of excessive and lethal force that killed 19 people on July 20, 2011. Vigils and demonstrations planned throughout the countr…Continue Reading
Human Rights Concerns Over Riot Punishments
Human rights groups have criticised the severity of some of the sentences handed down to people involved in last week’s riots.Continue Reading
Egypt: Military Intensifies Clampdown on Free Expression
The military prosecutor’s decision to prosecute the youth leader Asamaa Mahfouz for “insulting the military” is a serious escalation of efforts by military leaders to silence critical voices.
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Angola: Stop Blocking Activists at SADC Summit
Angola, the incoming chair of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), should allow regional civil society debate and media coverage of the SADC summit meeting that began in Luanda on August 16, 2011. …Continue Reading
Burmese Army Exploits Prisoners
When I interviewed 20-year-old Tun Tun Aung (not his real name) he had a bullet wound in his shoulder that had shattered his arm. He was shot escaping the Burmese army early this year, after weeks of servic…Continue Reading
Meghalaya’s social activists condemn Hazare’s arrest
Shillong, Aug 16 (IANS) Social activists in Meghalaya Tuesday slammed the central government for arresting Anna Hazare, even as a women’s rights group lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).Continue Reading
Poland fires 2 for role in exposing Belarusian
Poland’s prosecutor general announced the dismissal Tuesday of two officials who played a role in giving Belarus financial data about a leading human rights activist — information that resulted in his arrest.Continue Reading
Family of missing China rights lawyer seeks news on whereabouts
BEIJING (Reuters) – The brother of missing Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng has issued a plea for news about his whereabouts, and believes that he remains in extra-judicial detention despite recently ending a five-year probationary period.Continue Reading
EU: Freeze Assets of Syrian Oil and Gas Companies
The European Union (EU) should freeze the assets of the Syrian National Oil Company, Syrian National Gas Company, and the Central Bank of Syria until the Syrian government ends gross human rights abuses against it…Continue Reading
U.N. urges inquiry into Sudan "war crime" reports
KHARTOUM (Reuters) – The United Nations called on Monday for an inquiry into reports of human rights abuses in Sudan’s Southern Kordofan region that it said could amount to war crimes but that Khartoum dismissed as “unfounded.”Continue Reading
Thailand: Human Rights Agenda for New Government
The new Thai government should make human rights a priority when it issues its inaugural policy statement to parliament.
(Bangkok) – The new Thai government should make human rights a prio…Continue Reading
Letter to the Arab League Secretary General regarding Emergency Meeting on Syria
We read your statement on August 7 in which you called on Syrian authorities to “immediately cease violent actions and security campaigns” against their people. We are writing to urge you to follow up by coord…Continue Reading
Human Rights Watch letter to Prime Minister Yingluck Regarding Your Government’s Human Rights Agenda
As you move forward to form a government, we write to urge you to address a number of important concerns regarding major human rights issues in Thailand.
August 15, 2011
Yingluck Shinawatra
Prim…Continue Reading