French Police's Crowd Control Methods Harm Demonstrators: Daily Brief

French police used crowd control and anti-riot tactics during demonstrations in Paris in November and December 2018 that caused physical harm to peaceful demonstrators, including high-school students, and journalists. As of December 11, 1,407 demonstrators and bystanders had been wounded.

Bangladesh is holding national elections on December 30. In advance, the country's security forces have arrested opposition figures and threatened freedom of expression.

Second night of demonstrations in Budapest, Hungary, where protesters clashed with the police over the recently approved "slave law". 

Also today, the Commissioner for Human Rights has called on Hungary's president to return to the Parliament the recently adopted legislative package. She is concerned about the increased powers the law would give the Minister of Justice.

Should our enjoyment of fundamental human rights diminish with age?  The answer is, “no.”

There's still no justice for horrors of Brazil’s military dictatorship 50 years later...

Repression of the Christian church intensifies in China. On December 9 and 10, police officers took into custody Pastor Wang Yi and more than 100 congregants of an independent Protestant church in Chengdu. The Church was considered “underground” because it was not registered with the government.

The Australian government should require human rights vetting for all foreign military personnel who receive Australian training, prohibiting assistance to anyone who has been responsible for serious rights violations.

A former Thai foreign minister has joined international calls for the release of Bahrain football player Hakeem al-Araibi.