Chaos in Kabul as Taliban Grab Power in Afghanistan: Daily Brief

Afghans at risk of persecution from Taliban forces in urgent need of evacuation; new report on decade of disappearances in Bangladesh; new UN cybercrime treaty could be very bad for rights; Covid-19 surge in Myanmar’s prisons; political homophobia ramps up; and a cautionary tale on police violence from Brazil.

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Desperate people are trapped at Kabul airport, as they seek refuge from Taliban forces who have taken control of Afghanistan over the weekend, almost 20 years after being ousted by a United States-led military coalition. Foreign governments should prioritize providing visas and helping ensure safe passage for civilians whom the Taliban may target for abuse because of their past work or status, along with their immediate family members.

United Nations human rights experts should lead an independent international investigation into enforced disappearances by security forces in Bangladesh, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today.

A proposed UN cybercrime treaty could enlarge law enforcement access to data and regulation of on-line content, undermining privacy and threatening free expression. Read this comment by HRW's expert Deborah Brown.

Myanmar’s Covid-19 crisis is spiraling out of control, as the coronavirus spreads among the most marginalized populations, including those in the country’s prisons. 

During Pride month, LGBT rights once again became a flashpoint in Europe, where the rights of LGBT people have become a wedge issue, deployed for political effect. This simmering conflict is coming to a head between Hungary and Poland and the EU.

And read this cautionary tale on police violence in Rio de Janeiro, by HRW's César Muñoz.