Best of Dispatches: Top News Posts This Week

Another abusive homophobic law in Russia; the Philippine government cuts contraception; and what the Plastic People of the Universe can teach today's Europe - these were among the most popular posts to Dispatches, our daily forum for breaking human rights news and commentary.

Dispatches: Jail Time for Being Gay in Russia

Tanya Cooper
Russia is again making media headlines for all the wrong reasons. On January 19, parliament will hold the first reading of another abusive homophobic law...

Dispatches: Backward Step for Philippine Women

Phelim Kine
The Philippine government has taken a serious step backward in its obligation to protect maternal health, reduce infant mortality, and prevent the spread of HIV...

Dispatches: Plastic People and Human Rights

Hugh Williamson
It’s not every day that Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany’s foreign minister, makes a speech about the Plastic People of the Universe, a rock band from the former Czechoslovakia...

Dispatches: Clock Ticking on Closing Guantanamo - Take Action!

W. Paul Smith
It is time to finally close Guantanamo and end indefinite detention without charge, but Obama is running out of time. Individuals who share the concerns of Human Rights Watch and other organizations should sign a new petition at WhiteHouse.gov that urges Obama to close Guantanamo the right way. Make this anniversary the last one...

Dispatches: Education a Casualty of War

Jo Becker
“[Fighting] is the only thing we can do, there is nowhere to go to school,” a child soldier inSouth Sudan told Human Rights Watch...