Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 5 February 2016

There was rare, positive news on justice in China this week. Chen Man, who was wrongfully convicted on a murder charge in 1994, was finally released after spending 21 years in prison. But the regime has a long way to go before its claim of being governed by rule of law becomes a reality. If you think Europe has a refugee crisis, you’re not looking hard enough. A military offensive by the Assad-regime, backed by its allies Russia and Iran, has led to a new wave of tens of thousands of refugees fleeing Aleppo, the biggest city in war-torn Syria. The Democratic Republic of Congo lost a hero this week. Rebecca Masika Katsuva, a women’s rights activist who dedicated her life to helping rape victims in eastern Congo, passed away unexpectedly on February 2. The number of female genital mutilation victims is 70 million higher than thought, according to new Unicef statistics. Half of 200 million girls and women who have been cut live in just three countries: Indonesia, Egypt and Ethiopia. Please spread the word and join the #Watch4Women campaign to remind the regime in Iran and the International Volleyball Federation that women watching sports is NOT a crime. Women and girls should be able to attend a prestigious beach volleyball event that begins on February 15 in Iran.