16 March 2009

AFRICA:

• Democratic Republic of the Congo = Mai Mai commander Gedeon Kyungu Mutanga was convicted for crimes against humanity by a military court in Katanga province on March 5^th. Yay! (HRW)
• This ground-breaking ruling also awarded damages to victims of militia violence and found the government liable for failure to disarm militias. (HRW)
• Nigeria = The National Assembly is debating the “Same Gender Marriage Bill” which would punish same sex marriage by imprisonment. (HRW, Queerty)
• Sierra Leone = is kicking kids out of school if they get pregnant, or get a partner pregnant. (IRIN)
• Anyone else think this is a terrible idea? Yowza.
• Somalia = is instituting Sharia (Islamic) law. (AJ)
• Sudan = 4 staff members of Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres) who were abducted in Darfur have been released. (AJ)
• Following these abductions, DWB pulled out of Darfur almost entirely, like many other aid organizations (see last week’s HRRU posting). (AJ)
• Tunisia = Political prisoner Sadok Chorou was rearrested this week for speaking his dissident views to the media, apparently. He spent almost 20 years in prison on questionable charges and was only released from that original arrest a few weeks ago. Not cool. (HRW)

MIDDLE EAST:

• Afghanistan = Journalist Jawed “Jojo” Ahmed was shot and killed this week; one of many media workers facing increasing violence and intimidation. (AI)
• Israel = Moshe Katsav, Israel’s former president, is to be charged with rape and sexual misconduct, including assault and harassment. (AJ)
• Pakistan = In response to massive street protests, the Pakistani government will restore the Supreme Court’s chief justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudry. (WP)
• Protestors began marching on Thursday in a rally against President Asif Ali Zardari, demanding the reinstatement of several judges who were dismissed, and defying the government’s ban on public gatherings. (DN)
• Hundreds of activists were jailed prior to the protest march. (DN)

CULTURAL:

• Liberia = 10 girls share their stories in a new documentary film: “I Have Something to Tell You” (UNICEF)
• Yay! Comic Relief 2009 raised £57m overnight. The money is for “disadvantaged people” in the UK and the African continent. Nice. (BBC)

AMERICAS:

• United States = Legislators in the state of New Mexico have voted to revoke the death penalty and replace it with life without parole in prison. (AJ)
• While the US does NOT view the death penalty as a human rights violation, the majority of nations globally DO. (AI)

ALSO OF INTEREST:

• Sri Lanka = UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Pillay is concerned that both the Tamil Tigers and the government are committing war crimes against Sri Lankan civilians. (AJ)
• “Pillay said the government had repeatedly shelled the designated ‘no-fire’ zones for civilians and also cited reports that the Tigers were holding civilians as human shields and had shot some as they tried to flee.” (AJ)
• Tibet = This week marked the 50^th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against China. (DN, WP))
• The Dalai Lama called for “meaningful autonomy” for Tibet. (DN, WP)
• Turkey is hosting the 5^th Annual World Water Forum this week. (ICRC)
• Turkey = Ebru Soykan, a transgender human rights activist was killed on March 10^th. Lambda Istanbul is the local transgender advocacy group. (HRW)
• Women may be at a higher risk of violence during the current and continuing global economic crisis according to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. (AJ)
• As 53 million more people are expected to fall into poverty THIS YEAR, progress toward gender equity is likely to be halted in many countries as “more pressing” concerns take precedence. (AJ)

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)