Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 17 November 2014

A UN inquiry in North Korea has documented widespread forced labor,deliberate starvation, executions, torture, rape, and infanticide against the people detained in its political prison camp. Tomorrow, the UN General Assembly members should vote in favor of a landmark resolution that will seek to advance justice for crimes against humanity in North Korea.
The General Assembly will also consider the deteriorating human rights situation in Iran tomorrow. Thirty organizations, including Human Rights Watch, are urging member states to vote for a resolution designed to help promote and protect rights in Iran. In Crimea, Russian authorities have severely curtailed human rights protections since their occupation of the Ukrainian peninsula began in February. Russia has violated many of its obligations as an occupying power, most severely in regards to civilian rights. Human Rights Watch has documented the intimidation and harassment of Crimea residents who oppose Russia’s actions in Crimea, in particular Crimean Tatars, as well as activists and journalists. A recent decree by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt vastly extended the reach of the country’s military courts and risks militarizing the prosecution of protesters and other government opponents.
The United Kingdom House of Lords should amend a draft law on“modern slavery” to also protect migrant domestic workers from abuse. Despite recommendations from three parliamentary reviews, the Modern Slavery Bill does not address a visa system that effectively ties migrant domestic workers to their employers, contributing to their abuse. Staying with the UK, Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday announced new counterterrorism proposals aimed at preventing British citizens from becoming foreign fighters with groups such as the Islamic State (ISIS). But without proper safeguards, these measures risk undermining human rights and could prove counterproductive. Azerbaijan,with its abysmal human rights record, may not seem like the greatest country to emulate but Hungary doesn’t seem to mind.
From earlier today: