Human Rights Watch

Sudan should end the crackdown on peaceful protesters, release people who have been detained, and allow journalists to report freely on the events, Human Rights Watch said.

Press freedom and human rights groups condemn politicised trial.

Riot police used teargas and sound bombs to disperse a peaceful demonstration on 22 June called by Al-Wefaq, the country’s largest opposition group.

Efforts to promote rights in the region are hampered by the EU’s reticence to outline clear expectations for reform and follow through with policy consequences when the expectations aren’t met, says Human Rights Watch.

Security forces arrested the activists following anti-government protests in several towns across the country’s Arab-majority Khuzestan province on or after April 15, 2011.

A number of non-governmental organisations expressed concern over AICHR’s official consultation process, which is seriously flawed in several aspects.

For Immediate Release EU: Turn Rights Promises Into Actions Foreign Ministers Adopt Landmark Human Rights Package (Brussels, June 25, 2012) – With the adoption on June 25, 2012, of a comprehensive human rights package, European Union (EU) foreign ministers made a powerful pledge to prioritize human rights in EU policy at home and abroad, Human […]

“This conviction is another sad example of the Russian authorities’ misuse of legal mechanisms to silence critical voices,” says Human Rights Watch.

For Immediate Release Iraqi Kurdistan: ‘Insulting’ Religion Bill Threatens Free Speech Penalties Include 10-Year Prison Term, Closing of Media (Erbil, June 22, 2012) – Members of Parliament in the Kurdistan Regional Government should oppose the Draft Law to Protect Sanctities because it clearly restricts the right to free expression, Human Rights Watch said today. The […]

For Immediate Release Bahrain: Reject Confessions Linked to Torture Prosecution Using Tainted Evidence in Protest Leaders’ Retrial (Beirut, June 21, 2012) – Bahrain’s High Court of Appeal, which is reviewing the convictions of 21 political activists by a military court, should firmly reject any use of confessions possibly obtained by torture, Human Rights Watch said […]

For Immediate Release Turkey: Scrap Flawed Plan for Rights Body Proposed National Human Rights Institution Lacks Independence (Istanbul, June 19, 2012) – The Turkish government should withdraw its draft law for the establishment of a national human rights institution because the proposed body would lack impartiality and independence from government, Human Rights Watch said today. […]

The presiding Judge declared a law that criminalised a variety of political speech unconstitutional, but added that the decision did not affect other pre-existing restrictions on speech, such as insulting Islam.

A court of appeal on June 14, 2012 upheld the convictions of nine doctors and medical personnel for transparently political offenses such as “inciting and participating in an illegal gathering.”

Arrests since the end of May include 22 peaceful protesters and nine online activists and writers amid rising discontent in the Persian Gulf sultanate over its perceived failure to carry out promised reforms.

Rustam Matsev, a lawyer with rights group Memorial, is representing a client who says he was abducted, beaten and threatened in 2010.

For Immediate Release France: Exclude Syria’s Arms Supplier from Paris Arms Show Companies Should Shun Russian Arms Exporter Rosoboronexport (Paris, June 9, 2012) – France should reconsider allowing Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state-owned arms trading company, to participate in Eurosatory, a major international arms show being held outside Paris from June 11 to 15, 2012, Human Rights […]