Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 19 July

Russia, Egypt, Cambodia, South Sudan, Israel, new World Bank report In today's Brief: Navalny released in Russia pending appeal, Egypt braces itself for a new round of protests, opposition leader returns to Cambodia, army abuses in South-Sudan, police violence against peaceful protesters in Israel and a preview of a new report on the World Bank, going out on Monday. The Russian political opposition leader Aleksandr Navalny was released from prison, one day after a court convicted him to 5 years behind bars. He has to stay In Russia pending appeal. The initial verdict against Navalny was the culmination of a criminal prosecution brought for political reasons with a preordained conclusion. Thousands of Russians protested his conviction.  In Egypt a new round of protests is expected after Friday prayers. The Guardian published a reconstruction today of the Republican Guards' club shootings, on 8 July in Cairo, when 51 Muslim Brotherhood supporters were killed by security forces. Human Rights Watch has investigated the violence and called for an independent investigation into the deathly clashes. Sam Rainsy, the Cambodian opposition leader, returned to his country.  He lived in France after being jailed in absentia in 2010 on politically motivated charges. A royal pardon made it possible for Rainsy to return to Phnom Penh, were he was welcomed by thousands of supporters. Prime minister Hun Sen is expected to win elections in Cambodia on July 28. In South Sudan, the government and army are responsible for serious abuses against civilians in its anti-insurgency campaign in Jonglei state. Soldier’s abuses and conflict with rebels have caused thousands of civilians to flee. Yesterday, Human Rights Watch, along with over 20 tech companies and over 30 NGOs and investors, sent a letter asking President Barack Obama, directors of US security and intelligence agencies, and Congressional leaders to expand reporting on national security surveillance. "Excuse me, Mr. President .. @hrw's David Mepham got a chance to ask Burma's President Thein Sein what he was doing to bring justice to the Rohyinga. We were not impressed with answer.  On Monday, the Business and Human Rights Division of Human Rights Watch will publish a new report on the World Bank, that spends tens of billions of dollars every year on “development.” But despite working in some of the most complex environments around the world, in cooperation with some of the most repressive governments, it does not safeguard against contributing to or exacerbating human rights violations. Follow @evans_jessica, the author of the report.