Rape and punishment in US military; DRC bans researcher - HRW Daily Brief

Rape and punishment in the US military; DRC bans HRW researcher; justice for Armenia police crackdown; Venezuela's deepening crisis; Iran executes 20 people; World's Indigenous Peoples Day; Iranian women finally able to support their team -- in Rio; Egypt prosecutes former anti-corruption official; civilian toll of ongoing Yemen crisis; critical speech suppressed in Singapore; Tanzania's crackdown on LGBT people.

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Women who report sexual assault in the United States military are often isolated and abused by their superiors. Some are eventually given "other than honorable" discharges, a stigma that can follow them through life. Dealing with not only the assault but the trauma from speaking up leaves many women with psychological stress long after their service has ended.
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has blocked a senior Human Rights Watch researcher from continuing to work in the country, an attempt to muzzle reporting on the government's brutal repression of those supporting presidential term limits in Congo. The government should stop suppressing criticism and free political prisoners, while letting Congolese and international activists continue their work.
The sacking of a police chief in Armenia may be a sign that there will be accountability for a violent crackdown on a largely peaceful protests two weeks ago. On July 29, police used stun grenades to disperse a crowd of protesters, and assaulted journalists. Police also arbitrarily detained many protesters. This is an important opportunity for Armenia to reject impunity.
Iran's recent mass execution of 20 people is a shameful low point in its human rights record. But that's not the only grim news from the country's death row, which is widely believed to also include many children, sentenced to death in trials that fell far short of international standards. A boy sentenced to death at the age of 15 received a stay in execution this month thanks only to last minute efforts by his lawyers.
From earlier today: The situation in Venezuela is getting worse, but the government refuses to acknowledge that there is a health and food crisis. Abuses against vulnerable groups as well as the firing and detention of opponents are widespread. Strong international pressure is needed to end the crisis.

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