Sanction Leaders for South Sudan War: HRW Daily Brief

Four years into the South Sudan crisis, atrocities committed by the army and rebel groups have caused a humanitarian disaster and a refugee crisis. The European Union, the United States, and other countries should vigorously pursue justice for war crimes by sanctioning top commanders, including President Salva Kiir, former Vice President Riek Machar and former army chief of staff Paul Malong. After the Constituent Assembly sham in Venezuela, two opposition leaders have been taken from their homes, where they were under house arrest. Both leaders have called on Venezuelans to join protests against President Maduro's move to consolidate authoritarian rule. Very good news from Jordan, where lawmakers have repealed an infamous provision that allows people who commit sexual assault to avoid punishment by marrying their victims. Nicaragua’s total ban on abortion – even if pregnancies are life-threatening or resulted from rape – has not stopped the women seeking abortions but has driven it underground. Joko Widodo, the President of Indonesia, should recognize that the death penalty has no place in a rights-respecting country, following a statement by the Indonesian Ombudsman regarding an execution debacle in 2016. The police in the Philippines have killed another mayor who had been linked to drug trade by President Rodrigo Duterte, who has repeatedly reassured police officers engaged in his abusive “war on drugs” that they will not face accountability for their actions, creating a climate of impunity. The authorities in Laos should urgently investigate the abduction of exiled Thai activist Wuthipong Kachathamakul. A group of unknown armed assailants abducted him, according to eyewitnesses, raising grave concerns for his safety.