• Venezuela: Respect Free Speech and Assembly
    April 17, 2013

    The government of Venezuela should not limit citizens’ rights to freely express their views and assemble peacefully in response to the disputed presidential election, Human Rights Watch said today. It should respect freedom of the press and all violent incidents should be subject to prompt, thorough, and impartial investigations, Human Rights Watch said.

  • Libya: Ensure Abdallah Sanussi Access to Lawyer
    April 17, 2013
    Abdallah Sanussi, the long-time intelligence chief for Muammar Gaddafi, told Human Rights Watch in a prison visit on April 15, 2013, that he has not had access to a lawyer or been informed of the formal charges against him during almost eight months in Libyan detention. He did not complain of physical abuse and said his conditions in custody have been “reasonable.”
  • US: Senate Immigration Plan Important Yet Flawed
    April 16, 2013
    The US Senate is set to take an important step toward establishing landmark protections for unauthorized immigrants. The plan could grant eventual legal status to millions of people and reduce their vulnerability to human rights abuses. A summary of the proposed bill was made public on April 16, 2013, outlining significant changes to the complex array of immigration laws in the United States.
  • US: Ban Fully Autonomous Weapons
    April 16, 2013

    Temporary US restrictions on lethal fully autonomous weapons should be strengthened and made permanent.

  • US: Bipartisan Study Shows Need to Investigate Torture
    April 16, 2013
    A bipartisan study finding “indisputable” evidence of torture for which the highest United States officials bear responsibility should spur the US government to thoroughly investigate detainee abuse since September 11, 2001, and provide redress to victims.
  • Somalia: New Al-Shabaab Attacks are War Crimes
    April 16, 2013
    The attacks claimed by the Islamist armed group al-Shabaab on the Mogadishu regional courthouse and on an aid workers’ convoy on April 14, 2013, were grave violations of the laws of war. At least four legal professionals were killed, including a judge and three lawyers.
  • Ukraine: Reject Discriminatory LGBT Laws
    April 16, 2013
    The Ukrainian parliament should reject two draft laws that would discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and infringe on their free expression rights.
  • Bangladesh: Crackdown on Bloggers, Editors Escalates
    April 15, 2013
    The Bangladesh authorities should immediately drop charges against and release four bloggers and a newspaper editor arrested this month.
  • Kuwait: Drop Charges for ‘Offending Emir’
    April 15, 2013
    The Kuwaiti authorities should drop criminal charges against dozens of online activists, journalists, and politicians for legitimately exercising their rights to freedom of expression. The authorities should also withdraw charges and overturn the sentences for at least 10 people already convicted in such cases, as recently as April 15, 2013.
  • UAE: Obama Should Press Crown Prince on Rights
    April 15, 2013
    US President Barack Obama should press the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to reverse the worsening human rights situation in the country, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to Obama. Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is scheduled to meet with President Obama in Washington, DC, on April 16, 2013.
  • Saudi Arabia: Free Detainee in ‘Eye-for-an-Eye’ Case
    April 13, 2013
    Judicial authorities in Saudi Arabia should take urgent steps to end the indefinite detention of a man who can’t raise the money to compensate an attack victim. In addition to the criminal sentence, he also faced a Qisas, or “equal retaliation” judgment, which under Saudi law stipulates a direct “eye-for-an-eye” physical punishment or payment of compensation to the victim.
  • Burundi: New Law Would Muzzle Journalists
    April 12, 2013

    The adoption of a new media law by Burundi’s National Assembly on April 3, 2013, is an attempt to curtail free speech and independent journalism. The Senate and president should reject this version of the draft law, which would undermine Burundians’ hard-won struggle for fundamental freedoms.

  • Libya: Release Ailing Newspaper Editor
    April 12, 2013
    Libyan authorities should immediately drop criminal defamation charges and free Amara Hassan al-Khatabi, editor of al-Ummah daily. Al-Khatabi, who has been in detention since December 19, 2012, is on trial for “insulting” and “slandering” members of the judiciary. His private lawyer was not allowed to visit him while he was detained in prison and says he was transferred to a medical facility due to his fragile health on April 6, 2013, where he remains detained under guard.
  • Egypt: Release Report on Abuse of Protesters
    April 12, 2013
    President Mohamed Morsy of Egypt should immediately release the report by a fact-finding committee he created to investigate police and military abuses against protesters from January 2011 to June 2012. The committee submitted its report to the president in December, but the president has not made it public
  • Saudi Arabia: Huge Obstacles for First Woman Lawyer
    April 12, 2013
    Saudi authorities need to lift the many obstacles facing the first woman to train as a lawyer in Saudi Arabia before she can enter the profession on an equal basis with men.
  • Yemen: Military Changes a Major Transition Step
    April 12, 2013
    President Abdu Rabu Hadi’s removal from military command on April 10, 2013, of senior figures linked to abuse was a key step in Yemen’s post-uprising transition. The president’s appointment of some of these key figures to posts in which they would have diplomatic immunity is a source of concern, however.
  • Tunisia: Release TV Station Director
    April 12, 2013
    Tunisia’s new justice minister should ensure the immediate release of Sami Fehri, the director of the privately owned Attounissia TV channel.
  • Russia: Worker Exploited on Olympic Venues is Detained
    April 11, 2013
    The Russian authorities have unlawfully detained a migrant construction worker who was seeking to file a complaint for nonpayment of wages on Olympic venues in Sochi.
  • Mali: Two Torture Victims Die in Detention
    April 11, 2013
    Two ethnic Tuareg men who had been arrested on February 15, 2013, and tortured by Malian soldiers in the town of Léré, Timbuktu region, have died in detention at the Central Prison in Bamako.
  • Côte d’Ivoire: Soldiers on Trial for Abuses
    April 11, 2013

    The opening in Côte d’Ivoire on April 11, 2013, of trials against soldiers allegedly implicated in crimes against civilians is a positive development, but little progress has been made in investigating the most politically sensitive cases involving government forces.

  • Gaza: ‘Collaborator’ Murders Go Unpunished
    April 11, 2013
    The Gaza government has apparently not even begun a promised investigation more than four months after gunmen killed seven Palestinian prisoners accused of collaboration with Israel. Meanwhile, the Hamas government has set a deadline of April 11, 2013, for suspected collaborators to turn themselves in, promising them an amnesty.
  • Syria: Aerial Attacks Strike Civilians
    April 10, 2013
    The Syrian Air Force has repeatedly carried out indiscriminate, and in some cases deliberate, air strikes against civilians. These attacks are serious violations of international humanitarian law (the laws of war), and people who commit such violations with criminal intent are responsible for war crimes.
  • Malaysia: Drop Sedition Charges for Opposition Leader
    April 10, 2013
    Malaysian authorities should drop sedition charges against a political opposition leader that violate rights to free expression.
  • Egypt: Address Recurring Sectarian Violence
    April 10, 2013

    Egyptian authorities should bring to justice those responsible for the sectarian violence that left five Christians and one Muslim dead on April 5, 2013, in the town of Khosus, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should also investigate police failure to intervene effectively to prevent an escalation of violence outside the main Coptic cathedral in Cairo on April 7, after a funeral service for the Christians killed at Khosus.

  • Bahrain: Targeted Raids and Arbitrary Detentions
    April 10, 2013
    Bahraini authorities are carrying out home raids and arbitrarily detaining opposition protesters in advance of the Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend of April 19 to 21, 2013, Human Rights Watch said today, based on information from a variety of local sources.
  • Vietnam: Rights Dialogue Should Produce Concrete Steps
    April 9, 2013
    The Vietnamese government should use the opportunity of the upcoming US-Vietnam Human Rights Dialogue to release political prisoners and make commitments to end the persecution of bloggers, land rights activists, and other peaceful critics.
  • China: Kerry Should Prioritize Rights With New Leadership
    April 9, 2013
    US Secretary of State John Kerry should publicly deliver a strong message in defense of human rights to China’s new leadership when he visits the country later this week.
  • Thailand: Defamation Charges Chill Labor Rights Inquiries
    April 9, 2013
    Criminal defamation charges against a prominent labor activist violate his right to free speech and will have a chilling effect on investigations of alleged rights abuses by companies in Thailand.
  • Peru: Reject ‘Terrorism Denial’ Law
    April 9, 2013
    The Peruvian Congress should reject a legislative proposal that includes overly broad language to criminalize the denial of terrorist crimes, Human Rights Watch said today.
  • Chad: Don’t Welcome Back Al-Bashir
    April 9, 2013
    The government of Chad should arrest President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan or bar him entry to the country.
  • Kenya: New Leadership Should Uphold Rights and Obligations
    April 8, 2013

    President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, who are being sworn in April 9, 2013, should ensure full cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC), Human Rights Watch said today. Their new government should also uphold and protect the bill of rights in Kenya’s constitution, Human Rights Watch said.

     

  • Turkmenistan: EU Should Press Foreign Minister on Rights
    April 8, 2013
    European Union officials should press the Turkmen foreign minister for concrete human rights improvements during his meetings in Brussels on April 9, 2013.
  • UAE: Don’t Deport Tamil Refugees to Sri Lanka
    April 6, 2013
    United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities should not deport 19 Tamil refugees to Sri Lanka because they would be at serious risk of torture and persecution upon return. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has recognized all 19 as refugees, but the UAE authorities have told the group they must leave the country by April 11, 2013.
  • Russia: Woman in Dire Health Is Freed
    April 5, 2013
    Russian authorities on April 5, 2013, released a young woman with a severe health condition after three months in pretrial detention.
  • Kyrgyzstan: Violence Mars Supreme Court Hearing
    April 4, 2013
    Violence in the courtroom during an April 2, 2013 Supreme Court hearing undermined the fairness and integrity of the process.
  • Russia: Merkel, Rutte Should Press Putin on Rights
    April 3, 2013
    The leaders of Germany and the Netherlands should urge President Vladimir Putin of Russia during his upcoming visit to reverse his administration’s crackdown on civil society and erosion of human rights.
  • Côte d’Ivoire: Unrealized Promises for Impartial Justice
    April 3, 2013
    The Ivorian government has not yet delivered on its promises of impartial accountability for the serious international crimes from the 2010-2011 post-election crisis, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The government should step up support to judges and prosecutors handling these cases so that victims from both sides can finally see justice.
  • China: Free Anti-Corruption Activists
    April 3, 2013
    The Chinese government should immediately release four activists detained after calling for requiring government officials to disclose their assets publicly.
  • Yemen: Reveal Any Military Role in Journalist’s Killing
    April 3, 2013
    Yemen’s Defense Ministry should cooperate in bringing the killer of a journalist and his friend to justice, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the defense minister, Maj. Gen. Mohammed Nasser Ahmed, requesting information about possible military involvement in the case.
  • UAE: Unfair Mass Trial of 94 Dissidents
    April 3, 2013
    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities have compounded serious pre-trial violations of fair trial rights by arbitrarily denying family members, international observers, and the international media access to the mass trial of 94 critics of the government, a coalition of seven international human rights organizations said today. The organizations urged the UAE authorities to investigate allegations of torture and to grant full public access to trial sessions.
  • Azerbaijan: Authorities Targeting Youth Activists
    April 2, 2013
    An Azerbaijan court sent three political activists to pretrial detention in recent days on dubious charges of illegal weapons possession.
  • Italy: Leather Buyers Beware
    April 2, 2013
    (Barcelona) – Leather buyers at an international leather fair in Italy should only purchase leather goods from tanneries that comply with laws that protect the right to health and labor rights, Human Rights Watch said today as the fair opens in Bologna. Such compliance should include respecting both national and international environmental standards. Tanneries in the Hazaribagh area of the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka, do not meet these criteria, Human Rights Watch said.
  • Uruguay: Marriage Equality Approved
    April 2, 2013
    The Uruguay Senate, in approving a bill on April 2, 2013, to legalize same-sex marriage, has moved to guarantee marriage equality and diminish discrimination. The vote was 23 to 8. Uruguay would be the 12th country to approve same-sex marriage nationwide.
  • Morocco: French President Should Raise Rights Issues
    April 2, 2013
    President François Hollande of France should press for further human rights reforms in Morocco during his first state visit to this longtime French ally. Hollande is expected to meet with King Mohammed VI in Rabat and address the parliament while in the country on April 3 and 4, 2013. Several French ministers are scheduled to accompany the president, including Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Najat Vallaud Belkacem, the minister of women’s rights and government spokesperson.
  • Ethiopia: Muslim Protesters Face Unfair Trial
    April 2, 2013
    The prosecution of 29 Muslim protest leaders and others charged under Ethiopia’s deeply flawed anti-terrorism law raises serious fair trial concerns. The trial is scheduled to resume in Addis Ababa on April 2, 2013, after a 40-day postponement.
  • Burma: Satellite Images Detail Destruction in Meiktila
    April 1, 2013
    The Burmese government should thoroughly investigate and hold accountable those who incited and committed deadly violence in Meiktila in central Burma from March 20 to 22, 2013, Human Rights Watch said today. Decisive government action to combat impunity, end discrimination, and promote tolerance among religious groups is needed to end the tide of attacks against Muslim communities.
  • Morocco: Tainted Trial of Sahrawi Civilians
    April 1, 2013
    A Moroccan military court has sentenced 25 Sahrawis to prison, including nine to life sentences, without looking into their allegations that their confessions were extracted under torture and other forms of coerciony. The defendants include several advocates of human rights and independence for Western Sahara. The confessions were apparently the primary, if not the only, evidence against them, as the court’s written judgment, released the week of March 18, 2013, makes clear.
  • Nepal: Climate of Fear Imperils LGBT People
    April 1, 2013
    The government of Nepal should allow lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) groups to operate freely and end arbitrary arrests of LGBT people. The government should investigate threats and attacks against LGBT people. Widespread harassment, including by the government, has contributed to a climate of fear among LGBT people and activists in Nepal, and has interrupted vital activities, including HIV prevention work.
  • Libya: Ensure Due Process for Extradited Libyans
    March 30, 2013
    Libya should ensure that two Libyans with ties to the previous government of Muammar Gaddafi who were extradited from Egypt on March 26, 2013, are treated humanely and granted their full due process rights. Libya should grant humanitarian and human rights organizations access to them to monitor their detention conditions and treatment and respect for their basic rights as detainees – including giving them access to a lawyer and promptly taking them before a judge.
  • Cambodia: Supreme Court Keeps Activist Jailed
    March 29, 2013
    The Cambodian Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the trumped-up imprisonment of a land-rights activist should prompt Cambodia’s donors to demand her unconditional release, Human Rights Watch said today.