Human Rights Digest

Democratic Republic of Congo: Crisis in North Kivu

Otto — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:30:14 +0000

What exactly is happening in North Kivu? In late October, the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP) armed opposition group launched a major offensive against government military positions in North-Kivu province. Within days, government forces in the province all but collapsed. The CNDP captured the important town of Rutshuru, and advanced to [...]

Nicaragua: Violence spiralling out of control

Otto — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:30:12 +0000

Urgent action is needed by Nicaragua’s political parties to stop their supporters from engaging in acts of violence like those that have swept the country over the past two weeks, Amnesty International said today. The clashes have been fuelled by a dispute over the results of this month’s municipal elections which the losing parties are [...]

China: Writer and human rights activists Chen Daojun sentenced to 3 years in prison

Jim — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:24:38 +0000

Chen Daojun (陈道军) who has been imprisoned since May 9 earlier this year at the Jintang Public Security Bureau detention center, Chengdu, Sichuan province, was convicted by the People’s Intermediate court in Chengdu today the 21st November 2008 at 11.00 am to 3 years of imprisonment and 3 years of deprivation of political rights. The [...]

Colombia: Not Time for a Trade Deal, Address Human Rights Problems

Otto — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:42:56 +0000

US Congress Should Press for Sustained Results on Human Rights, Anti-Union Violence Colombia needs to do much more to address its human rights problems before the US Congress should consider the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives. The letter was [...]

USA: New Legal Victory for Guantanamo Detainees

Otto — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:35:30 +0000

Judge Orders Release of 5 Held 7 Years Without Charge in Bosnia Case The Bush administration should immediately arrange for the return to Bosnia of five detainees ordered freed by a US federal court, Human Rights Watch said today. The court today found that the government did not have evidence to justify detaining the five men, [...]

ICC: Warrants Requested for Attacks on Darfur Peacekeepers

Otto — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:24:29 +0000

The request on November 20 by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for arrest warrants for three rebel leaders believed to be responsible for attacks on international peacekeepers in Darfur is an important step toward protecting those who protect civilians, Human Rights Watch said today.Repeated attacks on international peacekeepers have severely compromised the effectiveness [...]

India: Need to Address Abuses by All Sides in Chhattisgarh State Conflict

Otto — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:14:26 +0000

Carry Out Rights Commission’s Recommendations The Indian government should take immediate steps to carry out the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission to end human rights abuses committed by all parties to the conflict in southern Chhattisgarh state, Human Rights Watch wrote in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The state-backed anti-Maoist vigilante movement [...]

UN General Assembly reinforces call for moratorium on executions

Otto — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:30:07 +0000

Amnesty International welcomes today’s adoption by the General Assembly’s Third Committee of a second resolution calling for a worldwide moratorium on the use of the death penalty. More countries voted for the resolution and less voted against it this year compared to last year, and the resolution attracted more co-sponsors. “The increased support for this year’s [...]

Yemen: Protect Victims of Forgotten War

Otto — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:41:20 +0000

Tens of thousands of civilians in northern Yemen have been displaced or cut off from aid in fighting between government and rebel forces. Yemen’s government as well as rebel forces should take immediate steps to ensure that they get the humanitarian aid they need in the aftermath of recent fighting. The 50-page Human Rights Watch report, [...]

Exceptional Uzbek woman honoured in Geneva on 20 November

Otto — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:30:25 +0000

Mutabar Tadzhibaeva, a human rights activist from Uzbekistan, will receive the 2008 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA) on Thursday, 20 November. She was released from prison on 2 June 2008 and was allowed to travel abroad and attend the international ceremony in Geneva at the prestigious Musée Ariana from 1800 local time. The [...]