Deadly Risks for Transgender People in US: Daily Brief
Violence against transgender people in the US; Russian authorities target top human rights organisation; Egyptian businessmen detained for not giving up company shares; Saudi Arabia uses Justin Bieber and others to whitewash human rights record; Chinese tennis star missing after accusing government officials of sexual assault; and TV station evicted in Tunisia continues work from the front lawn.
A new Human Rights Watch report shows transgender people are at significant risk of violence and harassment in the United States. “‘I Just Try to Make It Home Safe’: Violence and the Human Rights of Transgender People in the United States,” documents how persistent marginalization puts transgender people, particularly Black transgender women, at heightened risk of violence at the hands of strangers, partners, family members, and law enforcement.
Russian authorities made clear their intentions to shut down Memorial, the country’s most authoritative human rights organization, and one of its oldest. Memorial defends human rights, works to commemorate victims of Soviet repression, and provides a platform for open debate and free artistic expression.
Two Egyptian businessmen have been detained for months, reportedly after they refused to surrender their shares in their company to a state-owned business. Egyptian authorities should immediately release the men, Safwan Thabet and his son, Seif Thabet, owners of the Juhayna Company, a major dairy producer.
On December 4, Saudi Arabia will host the Formula One Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah with superstar musicians Justin Bieber, Jason Derulo, A$AP Rocky and David Guetta scheduled to perform. A look beneath the hood makes clear the Saudi government’s intent is to use these celebrities to whitewash its abysmal human rights record.
After Chinese state media released an email allegedly written by missing tennis star Peng Shuai, the Women's Tennis Association and others raise concerns about its authenticity. Peng, formerly ranked as the number one doubles player, has not been heard of since she accused a top government official of sexual abuse.
In July, Tunisia’s current president, Kais Saied, suspended parliament, dismissed the prime minister, and seized extraordinary powers. The next day, security forces evicted the staff of TV station Al Jazeera from their Tunis bureau and confiscated their equipment. As police blocked access to their premises, journalists are now broadcasting from the front yard.