Human Rights Watch

One of the world’s longest imprisoned peaceful political activists, Murod Juraev, was finally released from a jail in Uzbekistan on November 12, 2015, after 21 unjustified years behind bars.

Houthis barred Dr. Shafiqa al-Wahsh, director of the semi-governmental Women’s National Committee of Yemen, and her colleagues from traveling to preparatory peace talk meetings in the region.

Bolatbek Blyalov is the third activist in Kazakhstan arrested in the last month on suspicion of “inciting social, national, clan, racial, class, or religious discord,” a vague and overbroad criminal offense, during a crackdown on outspoken government critics.

A counterterrorism bill under consideration in Brazil contains overbroad and vague language that endangers basic human rights such as freedom of association and expression.

Malaysian authorities have brought new criminal charges against critics of the government and are showing no signs of easing this year’s intensifying crackdown on free expression.

“The government used the threat of a volcanic eruption near Quito to grant itself sweeping powers to deploy the military throughout the country and suspend fundamental rights,” said Daniel Wilkinson, Americas managing director at Human Rights Watch.

“The bill as it stands is not only a threat to the privacy of millions of people in the UK and abroad, but also sets a dangerous example for other governments.”

In an explanatory note, the authors of the draft law contend that homosexuality is “socially infectious,” especially for children and teenagers exposed to public manifestations of homosexuality.