There are more than 1,850 known political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Myanmar (formerly Burma). Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is the best-known.
The co-founder of Myanmar’s main opposition party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), Aung San Suu Kyi is also one of the country’s best-known political figures and campaigners for human rights.
Aung San [...]

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Over 400 people were arrested in Nepal on Monday as the authorities clamped down on peaceful demonstrations against Chinese human rights abuses in Tibet.

"Nepal is sending a message of no-tolerance of dissent by arresting peaceful demonstrators," said Amnesty International, cautioning that the latest wave of repression extends beyond Tibet-related protests. "This is the latest in [...]

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Human rights activist Eren Keskin has been sentenced to six months and 20 days in prison after being convicted of “denigrating the Turkish army”.
The conviction comes under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, which Amnesty International has long campaigned against.
Eren Keskin’s sentence can be converted into a fine of 4,000 Turkish Liras (US$3,250) [...]

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Instead of Protection, Children are Exposed to Danger
Saudi Arabia should urgently enact a penal code to protect all criminal suspects against arbitrary arrest, Human Rights Watch said in two reports released today. Criminal defendants, especially children, need greater protection against gross abuses during interrogation and unfair trials. The new reports are the result of a [...]

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Hold Accountable Those Responsible for Unlawful Killings
Syrian authorities should seek an independent investigation into the March 20 shootings by security forces that left three Kurds dead and at least five wounded at a New Year’s celebration, Human Rights Watch said today. The circumstances of the shootings raise concerns that state security forces used unnecessary lethal [...]

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Account for Missing and Dead; Reopen Lhasa to Media and Monitors
The Olympic torch, which was lit today in Olympia, Greece, should not go through Tibet unless the Chinese government agrees to an independent investigation into the recent unrest in Tibetan areas, Human Rights Watch said today.
Link to hrw.org

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Government Campaign to Coerce Defections to Ruling Party
Politically motivated criminal charges against at least three opposition party officials are part of a ruling party campaign to weaken political rivals prior to national elections in July 2008, Human Rights Watch said today.
Link to hrw.org

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by Some Chinese Intellectuals
Link to hrw.org

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Opposition groups in Zimbabwe are suffering harassment, intimidation and discrimination in the run-up to national elections on 29 March.
Police in some parts of the country are clearly restricting the activities of opposition party members, while supporters of the ruling party enjoy total rights. Amnesty International has warned that the right to freedom of expression, association [...]

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Discussion of the situation in Tibet was stifled at the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva on Tuesday.
Following repeated Chinese protests, the President told NGOs that they could not limit their remarks under the agenda item before the Council to the situation in only one country.
Amnesty International had prepared an oral statement focussing [...]

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