Torture Persists in Mosul Jail: Daily Brief
Torture persists in Mosul jail; Sudan should transfer Al-Bashir and other Sudanese fugitives to the International Criminal Court; Myanmar satire should not be a crime; if Brunei's stoning law is enforced, sanction the sultan; Georgia must protect fleeing Saudi sisters; Pakistan cares about the rights of all Muslims - except those oppressed by China; the European Parliament calls for targeted sanctions over Xinjiang crackdown; and two human rights defenders amongst the 100 most influential people of 2019.
Iraqi officers have committed torture at a detention facility in Mosul at least through early 2019, months after Human Rights Watch reported on the abuses and shared information about those responsible. The Iraqi government did not respond to two Human Rights Watch letters requesting an update on steps taken to investigate the allegations.
Sudan’s transitional military council should uphold their commitments to human rights and justice for past crimes by transferring Omar al-Bashir, the deposed president, and other Sudanese fugitives to the International Criminal Court.
Myanmar authorities should drop charges against four performers for criticizing the military in a satirical thangyat performance, a form of slam poetry traditionally performed during Myanmar’s April New Year holiday that has long been a vehicle for humorous criticism of everything from politics to social behavior.
If Brunei’s new stoning law is enforced, governments should impose sanctions on the sultan. Those governments that really want to send a tough message should be informing Brunei that any of its government officials implicated in the execution of the country’s new law and punishments, including the sultan, could face travel bans and financial sanctions.
Human Rights Watch calls on the authorities in Georgia to protect Saudi sisters Maha al-Subaie and Wafa al-Subaie, seeking safety in Georgia after fleeing Saudi Arabia.
Pakistan seems to care about the rights of all Muslims, except for the Muslim Uyghurs oppressed in Xinjiang by China, its ally.
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the situation of religious and ethnic minorities in China. Members call on the EU to consider adopting targeted sanctions against officials responsible for the crackdown in Xinjiang and to take the lead during the next session of the UN Human Rights Council to establish a fact-finding mission to the region.
And two human rights defenders are on the Time's list of the 100 most influential people of 2019: Radhya Almutawakel, Yemeni human-rights defender, and Loujain Al-Hathloul, Saudi activist which is now serving harsh sentences solely for her human rights work.