Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 18 April 2016

Fresh refugee hell; xenophobia in Europe; journalists prosecuted in India; opposition figure dies in custody in Gambia; child offenders to be executed in Saudi; outrageous statements in Philippines election; Indonesia and Europe; not celebrating in Kenya; US Supreme Court on deportations; more.

Get the Daily Brief by email.
The 2016 Pulitzer Prize awards were announced today, and harrowing photographs of refugees fleeing desperate situations to Europe led the list of winners. Searing, often gut-wrenching photographs document the arrival of refugees to European shores following perilous and often deadly journeys by boat.
An Associated Press series on slavery in the Southeast Asian fishing trade also received a Pulitzer this year. The series documented forced labor of in the fishing industry in multiple countries in Southeast Asia, and resulted in the release of over 2,000 people by governments and major companies involved in the trade.
And the Marshall Project and ProPublica shared an award for an investigation into a serial rapist and one of his victims.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is meeting this month to discuss the future international response to drugs. The global "War on Drugs" has resulted in drug policies that have caused needless suffering, violence, and death. In Indonesia, for example, those convicted of drug offenses are often sentenced to death. This special session of the UNGA is a chance to rethink the harsh approach to drugs and build policies that encourage treatment and relief over penalty and pain. Human Rights Watch held a Facebook Q&A today, live from the United Nations.
The trauma of slavery under the Islamic State (ISIS) are still felt by the nearly 1,500 Yezidi women and girls who were taken captive in Iraq but managed to escape. They describe horrific accounts of rape and psychological abuse. Support for these women in the form of mental health care cannot keep up with the demand, and with around 2,000 women still held in captivity by ISIS, resources to provide psychological support upon release will continue to be necessary.
A new measure in California seeks to overhaul the state's criminal justice policies, which include harsh approaches to juvenile justice. The Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act also advocates for stronger and more accessible rehabilitation and treatment programs for people in prison. A petition is open through April 27 to get the measure on the state's election ballot in November 2016.

Region / Country