Millions of Domestic Workers Lack Adequate Legal Protection
Governments in the Middle East should act quickly in 2009 to fulfil long standing promises to protect migrant women’s rights, said Human Rights Watch today, ahead of December 18, 2008, International Migrants’ Day. A number of governments have promised major reforms in the response to widespread and egregious [...]

Tags: Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

Leave a comment »

A Lebanese court’s decision to dismiss charges of criminal slander against Muhammad Mugraby, a prominent lawyer and human rights activist, is an important victory for freedom of expression in Lebanon, a group of 11 Lebanese and international human rights organizations said today. At a news conference in Beirut, the groups urged the Lebanese government to [...]

Tags: Lebanon

Leave a comment »

Many migrant and domestic workers still face abuse and exploitation in Middle Eastern and Asian countries because governments have failed to adopt measures needed to protect them.
Few domestic workers have access to the justice system in the countries where they work, and even those who are able to make complaints of physical or sexual violence [...]

Tags: Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates

Leave a comment »

The British head of the UN Mine Action Programme in southern Lebanon and his 990-member team of mine clearers will receive the 2008 Nansen Refugee Award for their courageous work in removing tonnes of deadly munitions that had prevented the safe return of hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres [...]

Tags: Israel, Lebanon, UN

Leave a comment »

Most Deaths From Suicides or in Botched Escapes
The high death toll of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon, from unnatural causes, shows the urgent need to improve their working conditions, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch called on the official steering committee tasked with improving the situation of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon to [...]

Tags: Lebanon

Leave a comment »

A bomb attack on a commercial bus containing civilians in Tripoli, north Lebanon, on Wednesday 13 August killed at least 14 people, according to reports.
The bomb exploded while the bus was near a bus-stop on a busy street. The dead included both civilians and soldiers who were travelling on the bus or who were bystanders [...]

Tags: Lebanon

Leave a comment »

(Beirut: 27 June) Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Khan called on top Lebanese officials today to reaffirm their commitment to human rights by taking concrete action, including the creation of a fully independent judicial system.
 
In a meeting with President Michel Suleiman, Ms. Khan urged him to show leadership for human rights issues during his term [...]

Tags: Lebanon

Leave a comment »

Justice for Attacks on Civilians and Summary Killings Key for Future Stability
Lebanese authorities should investigate killings of civilians and other serious violations of international humanitarian law during last week’s fighting, Human Rights Watch said today. Lebanon’s political leaders, meeting in Qatar to try to resolve their differences, should support impartial judicial investigations and not try [...]

Tags: Lebanon

Leave a comment »

All political leaders in Lebanon to clearly instruct their supporters to fully respect human rights and to refrain from recklessly carrying out attacks in heavily-populated areas that endanger civilians uninvolved in the clashes, Amnesty International said today.
“They must also ensure that any person within their custody is treated humanely and is not subjected to torture [...]

Tags: Lebanon

Leave a comment »

Labour Day Campaign Challenges Employers to ‘Put Yourself in Her Shoes’
Lebanese employers, placement agencies, and the Lebanese authorities should improve the treatment of domestic workers by ensuring fair contracts, timely payment of wages, and a weekly day’s leave, Human Rights Watch said today, on the eve of Labour Day. Human Rights Watch is launching a [...]

Tags: Lebanon

Leave a comment »