Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 29 June 2015

The US has been celebrating the Supreme Court's historic decision in support of marriage equality, but the victory in the US also reminds us of how much is yet to be done on LGBT rights... There's been a major push by over 70 countries and scores of independent non-governmental organizations for the UN Security Council to help stop the Syrian government's indiscriminate "barrel bomb" attacks that have killed countless civilians. The Security Council condemned the attacks generally in a resolution adopted in 2014, but despite only the Assad forces having aircraft, Russia has blocked the UN body from assigning blame for the bombings. Russia has also rejected calls for the creation of a UN tribunal to prosecute those responsible for last year's downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine, where Moscow-backed rebels have blocked access to Dutch law enforcement officials' own investigation. Rights groups have called on the Thai authorities to immediately drop all charges and release unconditionally 14 student activists who peacefully expressed opposition to military rule. Until Friday's horrific suicide attack on a Shia mosque, Kuwait had escaped the extremist sectarian violence that has become so widespread across the region. Now there are concerns that the authorities will respond in a way that threatens rule of law. In Kosovo, parliament has rejected proposed constitutional amendments that would have helped create a special court to prosecute war crimes. Tales of torture: time spent in Chinese police custody leaves victims permanently scarred. Strapped to a chair hanging above ground; strangled, shackled and barred from using the toilet… China's activists recount their traumatic ordeals under police detention. Over 100 groups have called on the US to investigate and prosecute those responsible for torture.