June 2007
Belarus Blocked in Bid for Human Rights Council Seat
On May 17, the United Nations General Assembly rejected a bid by Belarus, which has an appalling human rights record, for a seat on the Human Rights Council, signaling that the rights records of Council members matter. Working with a global coalition of nongovernmental organizations, Human Rights Watch led efforts to oppose the Belarus candidacy through behind-the-scenes meetings and public advocacy. Many observers had argued that it would be almost impossible to defeat the candidacy of Belarus. The campaign's success gave comfort to beleaguered civil society in Belarus, made it less likely that abusive governments would put themselves forward to join the Council in the future, and strengthened the Council itself. We will continue to press for more competitive HRC elections to make it easier to defeat countries with poor human rights records. Read More.
EU Calls for Release of Jailed Activists in Uzbekistan
On May 14, the European Union for the first time called explicitly for the release of Uzbek human rights defenders who have been imprisoned since the 2005 massacre of civilians by government forces in Andijan. It also reaffirmed and extended its policy of sanctions against Uzbekistan. Human Rights Watch has long pressed for the rights defenders' release, and we were among the organizations pushing for the sanctions' extension. We provided comprehensive documentation of the government's lethal use of force at Andijan and its subsequent efforts to silence witnesses and punish human rights defenders. We used this documentation to conduct an intensive advocacy campaign in the EU to press for the release of the rights defenders, and convince the EU to demand concrete human rights improvements in their dealings with Uzbekistan. As part of this campaign, we also pushed for the release of Umida Niazova, a human rights defender and translator for Human Rights Watch's Tashkent office who in April was convicted on politically motivated charges and sentenced to seven years in prison. On May 8—a day before a high-level EU delegation arrived in Tashkent and less than one week before the EU was due to decide on the future of its sanctions policy toward Uzbekistan—an Uzbek court released Umida, commuting her year prison term to a suspended sentence. Read More.
Egyptian Authorities Release Journalist
On May 30, Egypt's General Public Prosecutor ordered the release of Abd al-Monim Mahmud, a prominent TV journalist and blogger who was arrested April 14 for criticizing torture. Immediately following his arrest, Human Rights Watch called for his release and worked to highlight his case in the media. His lawyers have told the press that international pressure from Human Rights Watch and others played a major role in securing his release. Mahmud's arrest is the latest in a disturbing string of threats to freedom of expression in Egypt. Human Rights Watch will continue to monitor crackdowns on journalists and bloggers in Egypt. Read More.
Human Rights Lawyers Acquitted in Algeria
On April 25, Algerian authorities acquitted two human rights lawyers on politically motivated charges of giving unauthorized documents to their clients in prison. In February, Human Rights Watch had publicly called on the Algerian government to drop the dubious charges and allow human rights lawyers in the country to practice freely. One of the lawyers on trial told us that the public attention that Human Rights Watch and several other organizations brought to the case was enormously helpful. We will continue to speak out on behalf of human rights activists and civil society organizations in Algeria. Read More.
US Issues Waivers to Protect Asylum Seekers
In response to our advocacy, the Bush administration issued waivers in February and April to allow individuals falsely labeled as terrorists to be admitted to the United States. As a result of laws that define terrorism far too broadly, individuals forced against their will to provide food, shelter, and other assistance to armed groups have been deemed "terrorists." In addition, armed groups that the US has supported, such as the Hmong and Montagnards who fought alongside Americans during the Vietnam War, were defined as "terrorists" and barred from entering the United States without any allegation that they had ever attacked civilians, but simply because they were a nongovernmental group that bore arms. We conducted extensive advocacy on this issue, including formal briefings to Congress; spearheaded a coalition of groups from across the political spectrum; and helped convince the editorial boards of the Washington Post and the New York Times to denounce the laws. In addition to the waivers, the administration has exempted supporters of eight different groups who should never have been defined as terrorists in the first place. Thousands of previously barred refugees have since been granted admission to the United States because of these waivers. Read More.
Prevent Olympic Crackdown on Activists in China
Asia Division Director Brad Adams, writing in The Wall Street Journal Asia, describes how China is already silencing its critics with a wave of house arrests in advance of the 2008 Olympics, and urges the international community to protest.
Bhutan Should Allow Citizens to Return
In The Wall Street Journal Asia, Refugee Policy Director Bill Frelick argues that the more than 100,000 Bhutanese citizens of ethnic Nepali descent languishing in refugee camps in Nepal must not be forgotten and should be guaranteed the right to return home.
Protect Emergency Contraception in ChileWriting in
La Nación, Americas Researcher in the Women's Rights Division Angela Heimburger, and two colleagues from the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals in the United States, warn that a legal attack on emergency contraception could have dire consequences for Chilean women's health and well being.
Texas Prisons Must Expand HIV/AIDS Care
In The Austin American Statesman, HIV/AIDS and Human Rights Program Director Joe Amon and HIV/AIDS consultant Megan McLemore argue that, in order to combat alarming rates of HIV infection, Texas must expand HIV information and services in prisons, and implement public health programs that respect the rights of everyone living with HIV.
China Should Protect North Korean Refugees
In the International Herald Tribune, North Korea researcher Kay Seok writes that China should stop arresting and repatriating North Koreans and allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees access to the border area.
Europe Must Press China on Tibet
Asia Division Deputy Director Sophie Richardson, writing in La Libre Belgique, urges Belgium and the European Union to speak out against Chinese abuses in Tibet.
Zimbabwe's Neighbors Must Call for Reform
In the Sowetan, researcher Tiseke Kasambala and consultant Nobuntu Mbelle press South Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to denounce human rights violations in Zimbabwe.
Nigerian Elections Threaten African Democracy
Nigeria researcher Chris Albin-Lackey and Nigeria consultant Ben Rawlence, writing in The Guardian, discuss how Nigeria's recent and deeply flawed elections threaten democracy across the continent.
EU Must Call for Release of Uzbek Activists
Writing in the International Herald Tribune, Moscow Office Director Allison Gill highlights Uzbekistan's brutal campaign against human rights activists.
Trading Justice for Peace in Uganda Won't Work
International Justice Program Counsel Elise Keppler and International Justice Program Director Richard Dicker, writing in The Monitor, argue that a lasting peace in Uganda will not be possible unless those responsible for the crimes committed in the north are brought to trial.
Wal-Mart Must Respect Workers' Rights
In The Huffington Post, Senior Labor Rights and Trade Researcher Carol Pier discusses why Wal-Mart, the world's largest company, is a poster child for what is wrong with the US labor law system.
