Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 23 April 2015

EU leaders are holding an emergency summit today to discuss the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean Sea. At least 1,750 migrants have died trying to reach Europe from North Africa since the start of the year. But there are serious concerns that the EU's proposals won't go nearly far enough, and won't help stem the terrible tide of deaths at sea. An airstrike by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that destroyed an aid warehouse in northern Yemen last week was an apparent violation of the laws of war. The aid group Oxfam, whose warehouse it was, had given the building’s coordinates to the coalition to keep it from being targeted. Authorities in Somaliland have detained a prominent human rights activist, apparently for criticizing the government’s execution of six prisoners, Human Rights Watch has said. Across the border, Ethiopia should immediately release nine bloggers and journalists arrested a year ago, who are being prosecuted on politically motivated charges. In California, if you are arrested for a minor drug offense and successfully complete a reform programme, you can avoid jail time and even a criminal record – unless you are an immigrant. But this unequal treatment – which has led to deportations and split families – may finally be set to end. The political reform proposal unveiled by the Hong Kong government yesterday is nothing more than "a farce", says Human Rights Watch. While the proposal does allow the Hong Kong people to vote, citizens can only vote for candidates who have been pre-approved by a committee dominated by pro-China members. A court in Azerbaijan has sentenced Intigam Aliyev, the country's leading human rights lawyer, to seven years and six months in prison on bogus charges. Aliyev’s conviction comes just 51 days before Azerbaijan will host the inaugural European Games. Australia is trying to persuade would-be refugees that they should fly to Cambodia, instead of seeking asylum in Australia. But Australia's advice for its own citizens is somewhat different, warning that Cambodia is a hotspot for assaults, armed robberies, banditry, extortion and violent crime.