Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 16 May 2016

Kabul protests; Gaza residents trapped; education in wartime; global aid system overwhelmed; Singapore clemency plea; Saudi women in work plan; Philippines president to bring back hanging; UAE jails two Egypt critics; Egypt jails 152 protesters; & explosive weapons turn cities into deathtraps...

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On March 15, 2016, a Saudi Arabia-led coalition airstrike on a market in Yemen killed at least 97 civilians. Human Rights Watch investigated on the ground and found remnants of a United States-made bomb, one of several used. But evidence isn't stopping the Saudi government from denying the source of the attack. The US should consider this deception and disregard for Yemeni civilians, and stop selling weapons to Saudi Arabia.
Brazil is becoming a new flashpoint for digital rights after a series of actions against WhatsApp.
Earlier this month, airstrikes hit a camp for internally displaced people, killing at least 20 and injuring more. A few days later, 19 people were killed in a village. These shocking attacks by parties to the war in Syria highlight an urgent need for accountability. Russia and the United States promised to investigate attacks resulting in significant civilian casualties in Syria, it's time to make good on that promise.
As governments begin to detail the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, they should keep in mind the commitments to human rights made at the signing ceremony in April. As governments move forward with the process, they should work to protect the most vulnerable, including women, indigenous peoples, and children.
Judicial independence was eroded in Venezuela following the 2004 political takeover of the courts, and since then, authorities have repeatedly exploited the justice system’s lack of independence to arrest and prosecute political opponents and critics. But the Organization of American States has an opportunity to restore the protection of fundamental rights and hold the Venezuelan government accountable.
From earlier today: Thousands of protesters, including hundreds of women, took to the streets of Kabul in Afghanistan today in protest over the planned rerouting of a new power project. Authorities reportedly used shipping containers and other methods to block several routes leading into the city, and some scuffles with security forces have been reported.

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