Human Rights Watch

It is exactly one month since 37-year-old journalist Jean Bigirimana vanished after leaving his home in Burundi’s capital, Bujumbura, for Bugarama, a town about 40 kilometers away. There are unconfirmed reports that he was arrested there by members of the intelligence services, but his whereabouts remain unknown.

Russia further undermined its civil society when the country’s prosecutor general ordered nongovernmental organisations IRI and MDIF can no longer work or have a presence in Russia.

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe announced at a press conference on Friday that some of the country’s political prisoners would be released. He also said bans on two media outlets close to the opposition would be lifted as part of an effort to ease political tensions.

The Hong Kong government should quash the convictions of the students and revise the Public Order Ordinance to bring it in line with international human rights standards, Human Rights Watch said.

New anonymous death threats have been made against staff members of a Palestinian human rights organization advocating an investigation by the International Criminal Court into alleged war crimes in Palestine.

Serious concerns follow the deployment of Angolan military police over protests against the demolition of 625 homes.

The suspension and even sacking of police officers, especially such senior figures, was dramatic and could be a sign that there will be accountability for what happened on July 29, when police violently dispersed a crowd of protesters.

“This is about more than forcing Ida Sawyer out of Congo, but is a brazen attempt to muzzle reporting on the government’s brutal repression of those supporting presidential term limits.”