Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 14 October

African Union (AU) heads of state gathered in Addis Ababa on Saturday for an extraordinary summit to discuss the continent's relationship with the International Criminal Court (ICC). They called for a deferral of the trial of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, charged with crimes against humanity during the 2007-2008 post-election violence, and agreed a resolution stating that no sitting African head of state should appear before an international court.  Coincidentally, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation launched its annual Ibrahim Index of African Governance today and announced the result of this year's Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership. There were some significant signs of progress noted across the continent, but no leader was thought worthy of the top award. The five-million-US-dollar prize can only be given to a democratically elected former African head of state or government who has left office in the previous three years, having served her or his constitutionally mandated term and demonstrating excellence in office. Indonesia is proving to be an early test for of the new Australian government's foreign policy, as Prime Minister Tony Abbott apparently confused the issues raised by West Papuan activists by conflating exposure of Indonesian human rights violations with separatism. In Russia, hundreds of people have been arrested in connection with a nationalist riot in the Moscow district of Biryulyovo following the murder of local resident, allegedly by a migrant from the North Caucasus. The authorities have arrested hundreds more people in "pre-emptive raids" targeting migrants. Such round-ups have been seen before. Tunisia took an important step forward last week, with a new law to establish a National Authority for the Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, creating an unprecedented opportunity to address the country's legacy of abuses. Six Red Cross workers and a local Red Crescent volunteer have been abducted by gunmen in northern Syria. Given the dire situation on the ground, this is the last thing the humanitarian effort needs.