Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 12 May 2015

Yesterday, the United Nations reviewed the human rights record of the United States, focusing on the continued use of the death penalty and police abuse. US President Obama should urge the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council to show greater respect for human rights when he meets them on May 13 and 14 to discuss partnership and security. The arrest of a German sports journalist in Qatar signals a big problem in the country, which is hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Curtailing free expression has long been Qatar's method of dealing with critics, and it's time the international community - and FIFA - took notice. From earlier today: Prison staff in the United States have used unnecessary, excessive, and even malicious force against prisoners with mental disabilities, Human Rights Watch said in a major new report today. Research suggests that correctional staff have "deluged" prisoners with painful chemical sprays, shocked them with powerful electric stun weapons, and strapped them for days in restraining chairs or beds. There is another humanitarian crisis looming at sea, this time in Asian waters. Up to 6,000 asylum seekers - many of them Bangladeshis or Rohinga Muslims fleeing Burma - are thought to be trapped at sea right now, crammed onto overcrowded wooden boats and running dangerously low on fuel, water and food.