Articles by Human Rights Watch
Journalist charged
(HRW/IFEX) – According to information released by HRW on 21 May 1998, the Federal Security Service (FSB) is pressing espionage charges against military journalist Grigory Pasko, who was arrested on 20 November 1997. HRW is concerned that the charges against Pasko may be connected to his environmental activities and thus may violate article 19(2) of […]
Speaker of Iranian Parliament asked to condemn comments endangering women lawyers
(HRW/IFEX) – According to Human Rights Watch, on 19 May 1998, three international human rights organizations expressed concern to the speaker of the Iranian parliament over comments made by one parliamentarian about women lawyers in Iran. The three organizations — Human Rights Watch, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, and the International Federation of Human […]
HRW condemns move to put government above the law
(HRW/IFEX) – Human Rights Watch (HRW) today condemned a draft law the Hong Kong government is rushing through the Beijing-selected legislature which would constitute an exceptionally grave setback to the rule of law in China’s new Special Administrative Region (S.A.R). The bill, which would exempt both the S.A.R. government and organs of the Chinese government […]
HRW calls for more action in the DRC
(HRW/IFEX) – As President Clinton recognizes the efforts of civil society in Africa, civil society activists in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are facing new attacks from their government. On April 2 1998, Human Rights Watch (HRW) charged that the Congolese authorities are cracking down on numerous independent voices–including journalists, academics, development experts, and […]
HRW calls for more action against China
(HRW/IFEX) – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called upon British Prime Minister Tony Blair to use the first ever European Union (EU)-China summit to define concrete benchmarks for human rights improvements in China and Tibet. In a letter made public on 1 April 1998, HRW urged Blair to use the London summit to present Chinese […]
Show trial sentences teenagers
(HRW/IFEX) – On 24 February 1998, a Minsk court sentenced two teenagers, sixteen-year-old Vadim Labkovich and nineteen-year-old Alexei Shidlovsky, respectively to a one-and-a-half year suspended prison term and a one-and-a-half year unsuspended prison term in a strict regime colony for writing political graffiti and replacing an official state flag with the banned flag of “independent” […]
Human Rights Watch protests Indonesian government warning to academics
(HRW/IFEX) – HRW’s Academic Freedom Committee is gravely concerned over the formal warning recently sent to researchers at Indonesia’s prestigious National Institute of Sciences, Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI) by Dr. B. J. Habibie, State Minister of Research and Technology. On 20 January 1998, a group of nineteen LIPI researchers held a press conference and […]
HRW writes open letter to authorities regarding broadcasting regulations
(HRW/IFEX) – The following is an open letter sent by Human Rights Watch on 16 February 1998 to the leaders of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia) regarding the recent announcement on 6 February 1998 of an open bid for temporary radio and television frequencies, and other laws regulating broadcasting in Serbia. It was sent […]