Inside Ethiopia’s Infamous "Room 8": Daily Brief
Inside Ethiopia’s infamous "Room 8"; Ukraine must ease hardship on older people living in conflict areas; Tripadvisor's activity in West Bank settlements; the far-right populist threat in Europe; new Greek prime minister must put human rights on the agenda; Nicki Minaj cancels concert in Saudi Arabia over rights concerns; children held in Arizona report abuse by border agents; and an attack on media freedom in Pakistan.
Until recently, Jail Ogaden in Ethiopia’s eastern Somali Region housed thousands of prisoners, many of them illegally arrested government critics and opposition figures who had been detained for years. Human Rights Watch’s senior Africa researcher Felix Horne speaks to Audrey Wabwire about his recent visit to the now-empty prison, and the Somali region’s path towards healing.
Ukraine should end discriminatory policies and practices that affect the way older people living in nongovernment-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions can access and collect their pensions.
Amnesty International is urging TripAdvisor to stop listing tourist attractions in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. Earlier this year, Human Rights Watch documented how global travel companies were listing and facilitating the rental of properties in illegal settlements in the occupied territory.
The doomsday prediction that radical right populists would double their seats in May’s European elections did not materialize. But the threat remains, as these parties seek to erode rights and freedoms across the EU.
New Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis should demonstrate that he intends to put protecting human rights high on his agenda.
Nicki Minaj has announced that she won't give a concert planned in Saudi Arabia next week, stating her support "for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression.”
Migrant children held in Arizona's border centers say they have suffered retaliation and sexual assault by guards.
And in Pakistan, authorities have taken off the air three news TV channels that broadcasted an opposition leader’s news conference.