Protect Civilians in Last ISIS Holdout: Daily Brief
Concerns for civilians as 'Islamic State' defends its last territory; Saudi arms sales put UK on wrong side of law; Turkey should drop bogus coup charges; civilians caught in tightening siege in Derna, Libya; justice is vital to peace in Central African Republic; Talibé children deserve protection in Senegal; outspoken senator Leila de Lima has been arbitrarily detained for 2 years now in Philippines; and will Europe's Christian democrat establishment finally #ExpelFidesz?
Protecting civilians should be a key priority for the US-led coalition and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) makes its last territorial stand in Syria, Human Rights Watch says today, based on research in northern Syria and analysis of satellite imagery.
The international relations committee of the parliament in the United Kingdom recently concluded that the UK is on the wrong side of international humanitarian law when it comes to arms sales to Saudi Arabia. It’s the first time a parliamentary committee has found UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia to be unlawful under the country’s own export rules, which prohibit sales when there is a risk they will lead to violations of humanitarian law.
Turkey’s president and government should stop making baseless accusations, and the Istanbul prosecutor should drop the new charges against 16 people, including Osman Kavala, that view the Gezi protests as a coup attempt.
Forces allied with one of Libya’s two competing governments who appear to have defeated local fighters in the Old City quarter of Derna, in eastern Libya, should immediately allow aid and medical workers into the area, HRW said today.
The peace accord between the government of the Central African Republic and armed groups that was signed earlier this month should not deter or displace efforts to deliver justice for the gravest crimes committed during the conflict.
Political parties and candidates for Senegal’s presidential election on Sunday should commit to ending the abuse and exploitation of talibé children.
The government of the Philippines should drop the politically-motivated charges against Senator Leila de Lima, a prominent critic of President Rodrigo Duterte’s abusive “war on drugs” who has been arbitrarily detained inside the headquarters of the Philippine National Police since February 24, 2017, in violation of her constitutional rights as a sitting senator and in contravention of international human rights law.
And it seems that the European People's Party may finally be about to expel Fidesz, the ruling party in Hungary, from its Christian democrat ranks.