Syrian blogger gets five years’ jail: rights group
Syrian woman blogger Tal al-Mallouhi has been sentenced to five years in prison by a state security court, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement on Monday.Continue Reading
Egypt: Free Detainees, Lift Emergency, End Torture
(Cairo) – Egypt’s Higher Military Council should take immediate steps to free those detained during the recent unrest, lift emergency laws, and make a clear commitment to end torture and police abuse, Human Rights Watch said today. On February 13, 2011…Continue Reading
Somalia: Stop War Crimes in Mogadishu
(New York) – The scale and severity of the crimes during the intense fighting in Somalia in recent months demonstrates the need for an international commission of inquiry, Human Rights Watch said today. A recent Human Rights Watch investigation found t…Continue Reading
Yemen: Don’t Use Stun Guns on Peaceful Protesters
(Sanaa) – Yemeni security forces used electroshock stun guns and batons against peaceful anti-government demonstrators in the capital, Sanaa, on February 13, 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch called on the Yemeni government to c…Continue Reading
Burma’s Authoritarian Avatar
If Burma’s newly formed parliament seems eerily familiar, that’s because most of its members are. As the new national and regional assemblies formed last week, many of the generals who have ruled the country for years assumed nominally civilian roles i…Continue Reading
Afghanistan: Government Takeover of Shelters Threatens Women’s Safety
(New York) – An Afghan government move to take over the operations of women’s shelters threatens the safety of women and girls in Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch urged the government to support, rather than control, the w…Continue Reading
Yemen: Crackdowns on Protesters Continue
(New York) – Continued assaults, intimidation, and beatings targeting protesters in Yemen raise concerns about the Yemeni government’s respect for the right to free assembly, Human Rights Watch said today.
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Egyptians rally in US, express hope about future as human rights activists call for reforms
DEARBORN, Mich. – Egyptians who gathered Saturday in major cities across the U.S. for a second day of celebration after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down expressed hope about the future, even as a leading human rights group said major refor…Continue Reading
Rally near UN calls for human rights in Egypt
Egyptians living in the U.S. and their supporters are celebrating the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak with rallies in several major U.S. cities.Continue Reading
What will the Uzbeks say about us in their Tahrir Square?
The dramatic developments in Egypt’s Tahrir square and across the Middle East should make Western policy-makers think twice about the wisdom of long-term, unconditional support for hardened autocracies. I just spent two months in one – Uzbekistan.
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400 arrested in Algeria at rally demanding reforms
A human rights activist says more than 400 people have been arrested during a pro-democracy protest that brought thousands of people onto the streets of the Algerian capital.Continue Reading
Yemen: Pro-Government Forces Attack Demonstrators
(Sanaa) – Hundreds of men armed with knives, sticks, and assault rifles attacked anti-government protesters in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, as Yemeni security forces stood by, Human Rights Watch said today. Within an hour, the 1,000-plus protesters had been…Continue Reading
Will Egypt End Emergency Law as Hosni Mubarak Steps Down?
Human rights in Egypt have been a point of contention during the tenure of Hosni Mubarak. With his era coming to an abrupt end, will Egypt end its reliance on emergency law?Continue Reading
UK: Proposed Counterterrorism Reforms Fall Short
(London) – The United Kingdom coalition government’s proposals to reform controversial counterterrorism measures contain improvements, especially on pre-charge detention, but fall short of bringing counterterrorism law and policy in line with internati…Continue Reading
US concerned on China activist: official
China should immediately allow freedom of movement to blind human rights activist Chen Guangcheng after accounts that he was severely beaten by police, a US official said Friday.Continue Reading