Torture in Yemen; Children Suffering in Iraq: HRW Daily Brief
Plus: Bullied for being gay in the Philippines; EU condemns Russia 'propaganda law'; Angolan journalists indicted for doing their job; starving in South Sudan; explosion in DRC injures students; China's torturers remain unpunished; Japan doing too little for asylum seekers.
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Today, the French government is due to present a draft counterterrorism law to the Council of Ministers, along with legislation to extend the controversial state of emergency. A leaked draft version of that law has already set alarm bells ringing within domestic civil society. Europe's residents have genuine reason to be wary of the risks of terrorism. But how it responds is crucial to hard-won liberties across the continent.
Two weeks ago, Stas called his mother to say he was on a bus entering Donetsk city, in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine. He has been missing since that phone call, feared forcibly disappeared by the separatist Donetsk authorities. Unfortunately, these outrageous instances are far too common in eastern Ukraine.
In a surprise move, Saudi Arabia's King Salman has appointed his son, Mohammed bin Salman, as the new crown prince. What this means for human rights in the country is unclear, but it's long past time for meaningful rights reform in Saudi Arabia, and this is an opportunity to address it.
From earlier today: Dozens of young men, including children have been arbitrarily detained or forcibly disappeared in Yemen by United Arab Emirates-backed local security forces. The UAE has led counterterror efforts against affiliates of extremist groups like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) in Yemen. It also runs at least two secret detention facilities. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that the US is cooperating with Yemeni and UAE in interrogations involving torture.
Across Iraq, children continue to witness sheer horror and unimaginable violence, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) reported today. More than 5 million children are in urgent need of aid, the UN agency says, describing the war on the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) as "one of the most brutal" in modern history. Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students in the Philippines are excluded or marginalized in schools, bullied, discriminated against, and, in some cases, even physically or sexually assaulted, a new Human Rights Watch report documents. Often, teachers and administrators are participating in the mistreatment instead of speaking out. More on LGBT rights: The European Court of Human Rights ruled this week that Russia’s gay “propaganda” ban reinforces stigma, encourages homophobia, and discriminates against a vulnerable minority. The ruling should put to rest the notion that the law, which had become a license to harm LGBT people, does not discriminate.
Across Iraq, children continue to witness sheer horror and unimaginable violence, the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) reported today. More than 5 million children are in urgent need of aid, the UN agency says, describing the war on the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) as "one of the most brutal" in modern history. Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students in the Philippines are excluded or marginalized in schools, bullied, discriminated against, and, in some cases, even physically or sexually assaulted, a new Human Rights Watch report documents. Often, teachers and administrators are participating in the mistreatment instead of speaking out. More on LGBT rights: The European Court of Human Rights ruled this week that Russia’s gay “propaganda” ban reinforces stigma, encourages homophobia, and discriminates against a vulnerable minority. The ruling should put to rest the notion that the law, which had become a license to harm LGBT people, does not discriminate.
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