The Latest News from Human Rights Watch

Rights Guarantees Should Be In All Israeli, Palestinian Agreements
(New York, November 30, 1998) --Human Rights Watch called upon donor governments meeting in Washington today to incorporate human rights guarantees in all their agreements with Israel or the Palestinian Authority. In a letter released today, the New York-based human rights group urged that all new aid, trade, or security treaties include explicit provisions for monitoring and preventing human rights violations by Israeli or Palestinian forces.

U.S. ‘Neutrality' on Pinochet Blasted
(New York, November 25, 1998) -- Human Rights Watch today criticized the U.S. government for failing to support international efforts to extradite Augusto Pinochet to Spain. It also urged the White House to declassify documents that could assist in the prosecution of the ex-Chilean dictator.

HRW Deplores Pattern of Harassment and Killing of Opposition Figures in Iran
(New York, November 25) In an open letter sent today to Iran's President, Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami, Human Rights Watch expressed its shock about the killing by unknown assailants of opposition figures Darioush and Parvaneh Forouhar, in their Tehran home on Sunday November 22, 1998.

House Of Lords' Decision On Pinochet Hailed
(London, November 25, 1998) — Human Rights Watch today hailed the House of Lords' decision to reject immunity for Chilean ex-dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Authorities Must Free Malaysian Activist
(November 24, 1998) -- Human Rights Watch today urged Malaysian authorities to release activist Tian Chua from detention pending a hearing before a magistrate on November 30.

East Timor Massacre Reports Still Unconfirmed, Both Sides Must Respect Rights
Human Rights Watch today urged all parties to the conflict in East Timor to respect humanitarian law after reported abuses by both the Indonesian army and East Timorese independence supporters near the town of Alas, Manufahi district, East Timor.

Italy Urged to Prosecute PKK Leader Ocalan
(November 21, 1998, New York)—Human Rights Watch today urged the Italian authorities to deny the asylum request of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Workers' Party of Kurdistan (PKK), noting that those believed responsible for crimes against humanity are ineligible for asylum under international law.

Were Chemical Weapons Used in Bosnia?
(Washington, November 19, 1998) -- Human Rights Watch today released the results of a 2-year investigation of allegations that a chemical agent was used against Bosniaks fleeing Srebrenica during the war in Bosnia and Hercegovina in July 1995.

HRW Calls On Britain to Extradite Pinochet If Lords Rule He Is Not Immune
(New York/London, November 18, 1998) -- Human Rights Watch today called on the British Home Secretary, Jack Straw, to hold General Augusto Pinochet for extradition if the House of Lords rules that he is not immune from prosecution as a former head of state.

Egyptian Government Urged to Act Now on Torture
(New York, November 17) -- In a letter to President Hosni Mubarak made public today, Human Rights Watch appeals to the Egyptian government for urgent measures to halt torture by police and security forces.

Guyana Plans to Opt Out of Human Rights
Washington, D.C., November 16, 1998) -- In a letter released today, two human rights groups urged the Guyanese government to abandon plans to withdraw from a leading international human rights treaty.

Jakarta Killings Need International Response
(November 13, 1998) -- Human Rights Watch today called on Indonesia’s major donors and APEC leaders to urgently make personal calls to Indonesian President Habibie and General Wiranto, asking them to investigate excessive use of force by soldiers confronting angry mobs in Jakarta.

Why Chile Won't Prosecute Pinochet
(London, November 11, 1998) -- Human Rights Watch today denounced suggestions by Augusto Pinochet's lawyers that the ex-dictator could be prosecuted in Chile.

APEC Leaders Should Press Human Rights in Malaysia
(November 11, 1998) -- Human Rights Watch today urged all government leaders attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Kuala Lumpur on November 17-18 to raise concerns about the deterioration of human rights in Malaysia.

Algeria : Lift Economic Siege against Critical Newspapers
(New York, November 10, 1998) — Human Rights Watch today called on the government of Algeria to end the politically motivated financial pressures against four private dailies that have led to a three-week-long strike by seven of the country’s leading newspapers.

Avoid Harms to Iraqi Civilians
(November 10, 1998, New York) -- Bill Clinton and Tony Blair should take all feasible steps to protect civilians from injury in the event of an attack on Iraq, Human Rights Watch said in letters to the U.S. president and U.K. prime minister today.

Civilian Guards Pose Threat in Indonesia
(November 10, 1998) Human Rights Watch today expressed deep concern over the Indonesian army's use of 125,000 civilian guards to help with security during a meeting of the country's highest legislative body.

U.N. Must Take Action on Human Rights in Burma
As the United Nations General Assembly this week begins its annual consideration of human rights in Burma, Human Rights Watch urges U.N. member states to call on the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) to immediately and unconditionally release opposition supporters and to ease restrictions on freedom of expression, association, and assembly.

Chile Still Limiting Free Expression
(Santiago de Chile, November 6, 1998) -- Eight years after Chile regained democracy, legal restrictions on free expression are more pervasive than in any other democratic society in the Western hemisphere, according to a report published today by Human Rights Watch.

Pinochet Extradition Hearings
(London, Nov. 6, 1998)—The House of Lords has completed two days of hearings about the detention of Augusto Pinochet. Lawyers for the Crown, representing Spanish authorities who are seeking extradition, presented arguments and answered questions from the five-member panel of judges. The lawyers for Pinochet, who will argue against extradition, have not yet pled their case.

Yugoslavia Blocks War Crimes Investigation
(New York, Nov. 5, 1998)—Human Rights Watch strongly condemned the Yugoslav government for denying visas to a team of investigators from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

Use of International Law Against Pinochet Urged
(New York, November 4, 1998) - Human Rights Watch today called on the House of Lords to follow international law in its decision on extraditing former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Afghanistan - Letter to Karl Inderfurth, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs
We were greatly troubled to learn that a State Department official will be meeting today with Gen. Abdul Malik Pahlavan of Afghanistan.

An Analysis of the Wye River Memorandum
Human rights and security concerns are in no way mutually exclusive. Unfortunately, this point appears to have been forgotten during the negotiation of the Wye River Memorandum, signed by Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization on October 23. Instead the memorandum presents human rights as an afterthought, without any provisions for monitoring or enforcing human rights standards.

Human Rights Watch On Malaysia: It's Not Just The Trial
As the trial of Anwar Ibrahim opens in Kuala Lumpur, Human Rights Watch said the Malaysian government was responsible for a wide range of human rights violations in its efforts to remove Mr. Anwar from political power.

Survivors Describe Taliban "Killing Frenzy"
(New York, November 1, 1998) -- An August massacre of civilians by Taliban troops in Mazar-i Sharif is one of the worst atrocities of Afghanistan's long civil war, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today.

HRW Condemns the Forcible Repatriation of Five Congolese Asylum Seekers
(New York, October 30, 1998) — Human Rights Watch today condemned the forcible repatriation of five Congolese asylum seekers by Burundian authorities to rebel-held eastern Congo. The five were members of the official escort of former governor of South Kivu who recently fled eastern Congo to Belgium. They are currently being interrogated by the rebels.

HRW Welcomes Release of South African Truth Report
(New York, October 30, 1998)—Human Rights Watch today welcomed the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's (TRC) draft report as an important step in establishing the truth about past human rights abuses committed in South Africa. Human Rights Watch criticized former State President F.W. De Klerk and the African National Congress (ANC) for their attempts to suppress the truth about their conduct.

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