Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 12 November 2014

Once again, Uganda appears poised to further curtail the rights of its lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens. A draft bill carries on in the sad tradition of the notorious Anti-Homosexuality Act, ruled null and void in August. But aside from further alienating Uganda’s LGBT population, might it also affect the country’s reputation with trading partners? In Iraq, thousands of vulnerable displaced families are caught in the violence gripping the country. As Iraqi and US-led coalition forces attempt to rout ISIS from the towns it has seized in recent months, these civilians are caught in the middle. The international community has overlooked the plight of Iraq's displaced. The last few weeks have brought a wave of good news for proponents of drug policy reform in the United States, with some states legalizing marijuana and other reducing drug-related penalties. But statements by a high level State Department official seem to call for a more relaxed US drug policy on a global scale, as well. Colombia's government is close to passing legislation that may deny justice to the victims of Colombian military executions of civilians between 2002 and 2008. The legislation would transfer the cases from civilian prosecution to military courts. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos should withdraw his support for the bill and instead seek transparent justice for the victims. From this morning: Three young activists have been found beheaded in Derna, in eastern Libya. Several Islamist groups are competing for control of Derna, with some militants recently declaring allegiance to Islamic State.The three activists, who had relayed information about the city through social media, were kidnapped earlier this month.