Urgent Call to Protect Rights in Brazil: Daily Brief

Plus: Turkey airport opens amidst labor dispute; rights at stake in US midterm elections; migrant domestic workers in the Middle East face abuse; rights summit opens in Paris; and film festival in Nairobi a platform to discuss rights.

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Jair Bolsonaro, a pro-torture, openly bigoted member of Congress, won the presidential election in Brazil today. Human Rights Watch will closely monitor the rhetoric and actions of his government, and resist any attempt to undermine human rights.

Turkish President Erdogan is set to open a new airport in Istanbul today. But the project has been dogged by concerns about labor rights, including a dispute where 31 construction workers were arrested for protesting working conditions on the site. 

Voters in the US should think of the human rights at stake during upcoming midterm elections. 

Many migrant domestic workers in the Middle East work long hours with no rest, receiving little to no pay working under the “kafala” system, where foreign maids are legally bound to their employer and have limited rights.

More than 150 activists will attend this year’s Human Rights Defenders Summit that opens in Paris today. The event recognizes the crucial role that defenders play in civil societies around the world.

And the 6th edition of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival will take place in Nairobi this week, showcasing films that explore the power of investigative journalism, counter-terrorism, natural resource-related conflicts and unaddressed historical injustices.