Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 9 July

In today's Brief: The "torture memos" are back in the news. A  journalist was brutally killed in Dagestan, likely for doing his job. HRW testified to Congress. Egypt's timetable for elections doesn't distract from yesterday's killings and other abuses. Plus: a car bomb in Beirut; sealed houses in Morocco; military justice for civilians in Sudan; and how should South Sudan celebrate its birthday. President Obama's nomination for FBI Director, James Comey, faced questions about waterboarding and his role in the Bush Administration's "torture memos"... Andrea Prasow, senior counterterrorism counsel, live tweeted her analysis of the hearing... Russia: The North Caucasus region is one of the most dangerous places for journalists in the world and today came the report that Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev was killed outside his home... Cambodia at this moment in history stands on a precipice - what can the US do to improve the human rights situation there? John Sifton, Asia Advocacy director, testified to Congress today...   Seven countries vying for seats on the United Nations' Human Rights Council campaigned today and Deputy Program director Iain Levine live tweeted the session... With 69 convictions, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia brought to justice many of the people behind the ethnic cleansing of the 1990's Balkan wars. But  a worrying sign has emerged from the traditional stalwart of international justice... A car bomb exploded in southern Beirut, Lebanon. Since the area is seen as a Hezbollah stronghold, some are already suggesting this attack is retaliation for Hezbollah's role in Syria's conflict, leading to increasing fears of further spill-over from the war next door.  Lebanon now hosts more refugees as a percentage of the population than any other country in the world, according to UK data, with nearly 3,000 more arriving daily...