Human Rights Watch Daily Brief, 5 February 2014

Armed Seleka commanders and fighters are leaving their bases in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, regrouping in northeastern towns, and engaging in a new wave of horrific attacks against civilians, according to a new Human Rights Watch Report. In some cases, Chadian peacekeeping troops have facilitated the movement of armed Seleka leaders complicit in grave abuses. Here's a powerful photo essay from Marcus Bleasdale.  In South Sudan, fighting has not stopped, despite an apparent ceasefire deal between rebels and government reached on 23 January. Imagery acquired by the Satellite Sentinel Project documents recent destruction of Riek Machar's hometown, Leer, in South Sudan's Unity State.  LGBT rights activists across the world are protesting against the Russian government two days before the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Activists seek to persuade sponsors of the event to speak out over Russia's controversial laws on homosexuality. Activists are harassed, abducted, beaten and subjected to horrific acts of violence and humiliation by mobs of anti-gay vigilantes.  This video documenting vigilante violence against the LGBT community in Russia has been viewed more than 1 million times in the last 48 hours: Staying with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights, the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina should publicly condemn an attack on LGBT activists during cultural event in Sarajevo on February 1, 2014 and bring the attackers to justice.