Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 26 March 2015

Since last week's brutal murder of a young woman in Kabul, Afghans have taken to the streets in large numbers, pressuring the government to hold those responsible accountable for her death. But this murder is just the latest and most violent example of the poor state of women's rights in Afghanistan. Today marks a victory for internet freedom, with the UN Human Rights Council unanimously agreeing to appoint a new UN special rapporteur, or expert, on the right to privacy. How privacy is protected online is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and mass surveillance should not go unchecked. How does Kuwait plan to deal the 100,000 Bidun it considers "illegal residents" -- and are therefore stateless -- despite their historic ties to the country? Simple -- pay other countries to afford them the rights it refuses to. Burundi security forces executed some 47 members of an armed group who had surrendered to them in December 2014-January 2015. The US military trains and funds parts of the Burundi army, and as such the onus is on the United States to ensure that members of these units who may have committed summary executions are brought to justice. Recent news that the government of Zimbabwe is on alert for a cholera outbreak can actually be seen as progress - at least it isn't ignoring the problem any longer. From earlier today: At least 1,000 civilians have been killed this year by the Islamist armed group Boko Haram making 2015 one of the bloodiest so far, Human Rights Watch said today. Interviews conducted with victims of attacks revealed "horrific levels of brutality", and the Nigerian government should do much more to protect civilians.