One Of World's Longest-Imprisoned Journalists Is Freed: HRW Daily Brief
Plus: Orphanages are tearing apart families in Armenia; Canada & France endorse Safe Schools; Germany will "relax" asylum seeker safeguards; UK immigration ruling; South Africa leaving ICC ruled unconstitutional; jail-time for Malaysia movie; CIA agent facing jail for rendition; & #CARcrisis.
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new immigration order in the United States exponentially expands the number of people subject to or at risk of fast-track deportation. Under the new rules, just the signature of a single Border Patrol agent and their supervisor -- as opposed to consideration by a judge -- can send someone back, possibly to a dangerous situation.
Staying with the US, the Trump administration has announced it will roll back guidance issued by former President Obama instructing United States schools to respect the gender identity of transgender students. This disappointing move could seriously impact the freedom of transgender students to use the same facilities as their peers, and open them up to bullying and discrimination.
In welcomed news, two Russian activists detained by security forces in eastern Ukraine in late January have been freed. Their story is evidence of the lawlessness of the security services in the separatist-held regions of eastern Ukraine.
From earlier today: Thousands of children in Armenia are needlessly separated from their parents and placed in institutions due to disability or poverty, HRW said in a new report released today. Some children live in orphanages for years, separated from their families. A staggering 90 percent of children in residential institutions in Armenia have at least one living parent.
Breaking news from Uzbekistan this morning, where one of the world's longest-imprisoned journalists, Muhammad Bekjanov, has been freed from prison. Like scores of others unjustly imprisoned, he should never have been there in the first place.
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