16 April 2011

AFRICA:

• DR Congo = Representatives from civil society organizations from all 11 provinces of the DRC have agreed to terms for the creation of a special independent court within the national judicial system for the prosecution of international crimes against humanity committed in the DRC since 1990. (HRW)

• Libya = The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights has instituted proceedings against the state of Libya in the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights in response to the massive number of NGO communications imploring it to do so. Libya now “has 60 days to respond to … (the allegations of) serious and widespread violations of the African Charter, including the repression of peaceful demonstrations and the use of heavy weapons and machine guns against its population.” (FIDH)

AMERICAS:

• USA = Attention New Yorkers: the Human Rights Campaign wants you! If you support marriage equality and would like to say so in a video, show up between 11am and 4pm tomorrow (Sunday)at Gansevoort Plaza in the Meatpacking District and speak out for equal rights. (ADV)

• USA = OMG! WTF? The Red Cross just published a new survey … in which 60% of American teenagers support torture for POWs … and over half of American teenagers support murder of POWs who had killed an American citizen. (GOOD)

• How did this happen? What messages are these kiddos getting? These are the people who will making our policy decisions in the not-so-distant future. This does NOT make me wanna LMFAO.

• Venezuela = The Inter-American Commission's Friday report found that Venezuelan human rights activists are working in a “growing climate of hostility” including unjust arrests, assaults, and harassment. President Chavez denies these allegations, saying the claims are politically motivated. (CHRON, WP)

ASIA:

• Tibet = YAY for citizen action! Residents near the Kirti Monastery have gathered to block Chinese military access to the monastery, protecting the 2500 monks within from a forced re-education program led by Chinese security forces, despite the use of excessive force and attack dogs. (HRW)

EUROPE:

• Croatia = About time! Yesterday the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) convicted Croatian Generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac for their crimes against ethnic Serbs in 1995. (AI)

• For more information on the ICTY's prosecution of war criminals, you can check out Amnesty International's report, Behind a Wall of Silence: prosecution of war crimes in Croatia here.

MIDDLE EAST:

• Iran = A proposed law before the Iranian parliament, the Bill on the Establishment and Supervision of Non-Governmental Organisations, will seriously restrain independent activities of Iranian NGOs if passed. Rights at risk include the freedom of association and the freedom of assembly, which would be monitored by the newly created Supreme Committee Supervising NGO Activities, an “unaccountable body” requiring registration of every active NGO in Iran. (AWID)

ALSO OF INTEREST:

• FREE conference in the Hague next month! On May 5-6, a short conference on Post-Conflict Justice and “Local Ownership” will be offered for free at the University of Leiden Campus. Register BEFORE 29 April by emailing pcj @ cdh.leidenuniv.nl

16 January 2011

AFRICA:

• Tunisia = This week, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled the country amid massive protests and Prime Minister Mohammad Ghannouchi declared himself interim president on Friday. A curfew has been established, where “gatherings of more than 3 people will not be tolerated” and the security forces have permission to SHOOT ON SIGHT anyone breaking curfew. Already the government reports that 23 Tunisians have been killed. At this point, apparently 95% of Tunisian lawyers are on strike, with the support of their Bar Association. (AI, HRW, FPA)

• Clearly this is illegal under the ICCPR; how are Tunisia’s leaders justifying this? Thoughts? Comments?

AMERICAS:
• USA = The state legislature of Illinois this Tuesday passed a bill to abolish the death penalty in Illinois. It will become law only after Governor Pat Quinn signs the bill; (you can contact Governor Quinn here). The death penalty was reinstated in the United States in 1977, despite the general international understanding that the death penalty is a human rights violation. Some US states are now making strides to once again abolish the death penalty and help bring their country within international judicial and human rights standards. (AI)

• Brazil = The Open Society Justice Initiative this week published a piece remarking on the December Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling on Brazil’s amnesty “for ‘political offenses’ committed during its 1970s military dictatorship.” The decision, Gomes Lund v. Brazil, essentially articulated that the public’s right to truth and information outweighs a government’s right to political amnesty for past offenses. (OSF)

ASIA:
• China = As always, you can check out the excellent China Human Rights Defenders Weekly Briefing here.
• Nepal = The International Center for Transitional Justice has published a new report entitled Across the Lines: the Impact of Nepal’s Conflict on Women. This report documents women’s roles in the conflict as well as the sexual violence perpetrated against women during this “people’s war.” (ICTJ)

• The report is available online here.

EUROPE:
• Hungary = On Friday evening, protestors demonstrated against Hungary’s new media law which came into effect on 1^st January this year. The law allows the government to penalize content which is not “in the ‘public interest.’” Protestors argue against both the vagueness of the law and its over-breadth: it includes “all public or privately owned media content, whether broadcast, print or web-based.” (AI)

• You can check out photos from Friday night’s protest here.

MIDDLE EAST:
• Iran = Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights lawyer and mother of two young children was this week sentenced to 11 years in prison for “activities against national security” and “propaganda against the regime.” She has also been prohibited from practicing law or for leaving Iran for 20 years. Meanwhile, Shirin Ebadi says that “Iran’s government routinely levels these charges against lawyers, journalists, NGO workers and others whose work it finds troublesome.” (NYT, WSJ)

CULTURAL:
• 6 Billion Ways 2011: This gathering is taking place on Saturday 5^th March 2011 in London to address the effect of large-scale human rights abuses on each of us individually. Its purpose is to inform and mobilize “a wide range of people on local and global justice issues” and it is billed as “a day that explores resistance.” This event is FREE and you can register online here.

ALSO OF INTEREST:
• HURIDOCS, Human Rights Information and Documentation Systems International, is calling for applications from disability rights organizations to receive free access to their Global Disability Rights Library. Check it out here.

9 January 2011

AFRICA:

• Tunisia = A protestor last month set himself on fire to campaign against unemployment measures. Since then, protests have continued across the country eliciting a violent reaction from police officers who have used live ammunition against the protestors, killing at least 20 people. (EGV)

• Sudan = Today is voting day; Sudanese are deciding whether to pass the Independence Referendum which will decide whether the South will gain independence from Sudan. (EGV)

• Congo = The Republic of Congo is on the brink of adopting a new law which would make it the first nation in Africa to ensure judicial protection for its indigenous peoples, as soon as President Denis Sassou Nguesso signs it. (IRIN)

MIDDLE EAST:
• Iran = Executions have reached a total of almost 70 people in one month, most recently including a public hanging in Tehran on January 5^th. Advocates are concerned that many of these deaths are the result of Iran’s political and free-speech repression. Karim Lahidji of the Iranian League for the Defense of Human Rights has called on the international community to adopt targeted sanctions per the UN General Assembly Resolution of 21^st December 2010 [Addendum 3, Draft resolution III]. (FIDH)

CULTURAL:
• The Human Rights World Affairs Blog Network has published a Human Rights Year in Review for 2010, which you can check out here. It also lists some issues to pay attention to in 2011; what do you think of these “predictions”? Do you agree? Did the author miss anything from 2010 you think should have been included?

• Kakenya is a short film about a young Kenyan girl who is trying to become a teacher; you can find an interview with the filmmaker here. Have you seen it? Feel free to post a review here.

ALSO OF INTEREST:
• US law firm Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll is continuing their human rights advocacy work on behalf of foreign subcontractors working on US bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most recently Agnieszka Fryszman, a partner at the firm, initiated a case under the World War II era Defense Base Act, scoring a 7 figure settlement for the family of a Nepalese subcontractor who was killed while working in Iraq. According to Fryszman, the men they represent were hired by a subcontractor working for KBR, a Halliburton subsidiary. (NLJ) Do you know of any other law firms or big businesses doing good work? Let me know and I’ll highlight them on the HRRU.

• Dutch lawmakers are questioning Royal Dutch Shell PLC this month about its oil sector activities in Nigeria. Amnesty International claims oil pollution is degrading locals’ water and food supplies, as well as their livelihoods. (WSJ)

• Columbia University’s Law School has put together an online Islamic Law Research Guide, a good resource for some basics on Islamic Law.

• UN Women, a United Nations agency focused on “gender equality and the empowerment of women,” officially began operating on 1^st January, 2011. (UNWomen)

As always, your comments, story suggestions and feedback are always welcome.

Here’s to a happy and human-rightsy 2011 for all!

5 July 2009

AFRICA:

· Darfur, Sudan = Two foreign aid workers, Hilda Kawuki from Uganda and Sharon Commins from Ireland, were abducted Friday from their compound in Kutum, northern Darfur. Six armed men allegedly took them hostage. They have not been heard from since. (AJ, BBC)

o Almost as newsworthy as this clip, is the fact that Sudanese women are often abducted, kidnapped, held hostage … and it doesn’t make international news to nearly this effect … but maybe I’m just a cynic.

• Gambia = YAY! Twenty-four districts in Gambia’s Upper River Region have signed a public declaration abandoning female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C). These communities are all from the Mandinka or Fula ethnic groups – because this region has the country’s highest FGM/C rates, with 90 percent of women and girls being cut. FGM/C poses many health risks, including birth complications, maternal death, infertility, and urinary incontinence, including fistula. (IRIN Africa, UNICEF, Tostan)

· Namibia = Two HIV-positive Namibian women allege that they were sterilized, without their knowing consent and against their will, in local public hospitals. The International Community for Women Living with HIV/AIDS (ICW) has been hearing accounts of this type of abuse through its regular forums for HIV-positive young women. The ICW has now partnered with the Legal Assistance Centre, to bring these two cases before a judge. (IRIN)

o Deciding to take legal action is an incredibly difficult step. Many victims are reluctant to come forward due to fears that both their HIV status and their inability to bear children will be made public, both of which are causes of shame. (IRIN)

· Zimbabwe = BOO! This is yet another reason why you should never buy a diamond. Children as young as 13 years old have provided testimony to Human Rights Watch regarding their forced labor in diamond mines. The report is entitled Diamonds in the Rough and also suggests that some of the money from these diamond operations has funded military actions. (HRW)

MIDDLE EAST:

• Iran = The head of the Majlis’ (Iranian parliament) judiciary commission has changed some legal penalties, deeming them unnecessary. So, hopefully, we can say goodbye to stoning and the cutting off of hands. (AWID)
• The Guardian Council holds final approval for these changes. If you speak Persian, I encourage you to be an advocate on this issue.
• Israel = BOO! When one makes a mistake … the best action is usually to correct said mistake. Israel seems not to agree. After forcibly boarding a ship on a humanitarian mission to Gaza, the Israeli Navy detained all of the passengers, and “illegally took them to Israel against their will.” Some of these activists are still imprisoned. (AJ, DN)
• How do we know this was a mistake? That group of “suspicious” activists includes Irish Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mairead Maguire and US Congressperson Cynthia McKinney. You can watch Mairead Maguire on video here. (AJ, DN)
• It’s time to correct this mistake and let these activists advocate. I would imagine that Israel’s actions have significantly strengthened their desire to help Gaza, too. Nice.

CENTRAL ASIA:

• Afghanistan = The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan has acceded to Additional Protocols I and II to the Geneva Conventions of 1949. These Additional Protocols address the protection of victims of armed conflicts. Accession to these Protocols does not mean that they are legally binding in Afghanistan – first they must be incorporated into Afghan domestic law, a step which may or may not follow. Let’s keep our eye on that, noting that the US is notoriously bad about incorporating international human rights standards into our own domestic law. (ICRC)

AMERICAS:

• United States = YAY! President Obama has created a new White House position: Advisor on Violence Against Women. Lynn Rosenthal has been appointed to this position which will focus on domestic violence and sexual assault issues. Vice President Biden, an author of the Violence Against Women Act, announced the appointment. (AWID)

CULTURAL:

• Sweet! IPS News has launched a new gender-focused portal, online at http://www.ipsnews.net/genderwire/. The website “intends to provide a knowledge center (for those) working for gender equality.” (AWID)

9 March 2009

AFRICA:

• Kenya = Oscar Kamau Kingara and John Paul Oulu, two Kenyan human rights activists, were executed at close range while trapped in their car in a traffic jam in downtown Nairobi. (WP)
• The two had recently cooperated with a UN investigation into illegal killings by police officers during Kenya’s recent political turmoil. This UN investigation led to calls for the resignation of Kenya’s Attorney General and Police Commissioner. (WP)
• The UN has called for an investigation into their murders. (NYT)
• Tunisia = Tunisian human rights activist Mohamed Abbou was again denied (for the 7^th time, now) permission to leave Tunisia. He was hoping to attend an Amnesty International conference in London; it was suggested to him that he should not try to leave Tunisia again. (AI)

MIDDLE EAST:

• Iran = Independent journalist, Roxana Saberi, will allegedly be released this week, after nearly a month in detention. [see previous posts for more details on Ms. Saberi] (NYT)
• Iraq = View results of studies on the effect of violence on Iraqi civilians’ mental health here. It’s been especially tough for the ladies. (NYT, IRIN)
• Israel = YAY! Bedouin tribes in Southern Israel’s Negev area have stopped practicing female genital mutilation (FGM) according to new research. (IRIN)

CULTURAL:

• PRI published a great story, “Responsibility to Protect”: When will “never again” really mean “never again”? (PRI)
• Clearly I’m not the only one who found the fatwa against yoga ridiculous … (NYT)
• Yoni Goodman of Waltz With Bashir fame, turns his talents to Gaza. Watch the video here.
• Visit mideastyouth.com to see just how cool teenagers can be.

AMERICAS:

• Unites States = Binyam Mohamed, a 30 year old prisoner caught in America’s “extraordinary rendition” program and held at Guantanamo Bay for seven years, was recently released without charge. (WP)
• He now alleges that the British government assisted the US in both his rendition and subsequent torture; the British government will hold a judicial inquiry into these allegations that directly contradict Britain’s previous claims of ignorance of rendition and torture. (WP)

ALSO OF INTEREST:

• China = Chinese police shot and killed a Tibetan monk who set himself on fire as a protest after he was refused entrance at a prayer hall. (WP)
• INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY was yesterday, March 8^th
• Then and now. (AI)
• In Afghanistan, women celebrated by gathering at cities throughout the country for a Prayer for Peace With Justice.
• The women wore blue scarves, that match the burka (widely viewed as a symbol of women’s oppression under the Taliban) to “call attention to the need to look beyond the burka toward a future where women’s contribution to society is fully acknowledged.” (UNIFEM)
• Jacqueline Nolley Echegaray suggests issues for women’s human rights advocates to address here. (CAP)
• UNICEF sponsored a “Girl Power and Potential” Reception at UN HQ (UNICEF)
• Sri Lanka = Humanitarian conditions for civilians caught in the middle of the conflict between the government and the Tamil Tigers are “dire.” (IRIN)
• Thailand = the first annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was a bit of a farce. (WP)
• ASEAN’s charter mandates the formation of an independent human rights body … which seems rather unlikely to happen since Burma and Cambodia threatened to leave the summit if human rights activists from their countries were allowed to participate. (WP)
• UNIFEM Executive Director Ines Alberdi issues a Call to Action around women’s treatment in conflict zones, including sexual violence, the lack of female voices in peace processes and the implementation and enforcement of Security Council Resolutions 1325 and 1820. (UNIFEM)
• See also the Human Rights Index on Women and Armed Conflict here.

2 March 2009

AFRICA:

• Ghana = Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu, the first female Minister of Justice and Attorney General has been appointed. She has a background as a human rights advocate, and will hopefully continue along that same path toward justice for all … (AT, GG)
• Kuwait = Dr. Lubna Al-Kazi is been a powerful voice for women's suffrage as well as women’s rights to run for political office. She is a leader of the Kuwaiti Women's Social and Cultural Society, one of the most pwerful women's rights group in Kuwait.
• Dr. Al-Kazi was interviewed for a podcast with Vital Voices and gives a very thorough and educational account of the current situation in Kuwait. She also advises advocates where to focus our efforts. You can listen here. (VV)
• Sierra Leone = Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao from the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), a former rebel group, have been convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity (including forced marriage and recruiting child soldiers) committed during the country's civil war. (AJ)
• Tanzania = superstitious killings of albinos for their body parts have now claimed the 45th victim since 2007 – a 14 year old girl. Witch doctors are allegedly fueling the killings. (AT)
• Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General, has called for the killings to cease. (ABC)

MIDDLE EAST:

• Iran = Yay! Hana Abdi, a Kurdish student and activist, was released after spending 15 months in prison. Her release was largely due to women’s human rights activists advocating on her behalf. She was originally charged with "enmity against God" and "gathering and colluding to harm national security". (AI)
• Iran = Boo! Iran has admitted to holding a US journalist, 31 year old Roxana Saberi, in detention since January of this year. She is a freelance reporter for the BBC, FoxNews, and NPR. (DN)
• Saudi Arabia = Local activists have been taking action to highlight the abuses of the religious Hey’a police force – formerly the Commission to Promote Virtue and Prevent Vice – by posting videos to YouTube. Yay! (NPR)

CULTURAL:

• United States = the media ban on soldiers’ coffins has been lifted. The decision of whether or not to allow media to show photos or video of the soldiers who have given their lives in service of their country. (DN, NYT)
• Barbie® turns 50 = see my previous posting on another blog to feel good about YOUR body.
• “Killer’s Paradise” is a great movie about the depressing phenomenon of femicide in Guatemala …

AMERICAS:

• United States = Ali al-Marri is FINALLY being charged with a crime: providing support to terrorism. He has been held for 5 years at a navy prison. It’s ‘bout time. (AJ)
• United States = The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (the NAACP) is 100 years old – Happy Birthday!
• United States = Boo! US Secretary of State Clinton says that human rights concerns should not impede our relations with China … (DN)

ALSO OF INTEREST:

• Malaysia = Human rights groups rebel against the latest fatwa: leading Islamic clerics have issued an edict against women doing yoga. For real.
• Sisters in Islam, a women’s rights group, and other advocates from 47 countries are using the Quran to support their opposition to this fatwa. They argue that the human interpretation is patriarchical and inconsistent with the original text’s emphasis on justice and equality. (AWID)
• Myanmar = Ummm … ? 24 political prisoners in Myanmar were released this weekend … after the government said it would release 6,313 prisoners. (AI)
• Serbia = the former President, Milan Milutinovic, was acquitted of murdering hundreds of Kosovan Albanians by the UN criminal tribunal. Five others were found guilty. (AJ)