US Universities Should Respect Right to Protest

End Crackdown on Peaceful Pro-Palestinian Protests

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/04/26/us-universities-should-respect-right-protest

There have been troubling reports of antisemitic incidents in and around Columbia University’s campus. Allegations of antisemitic acts and speech by individuals, as well as acts of Islamophobia and other forms of discrimination, should be investigated and addressed on the merits in a case-by-case basis, through fair and transparent processes.\
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As protests spread to campuses across the country, university administrations should be careful not to mislabel criticism of Israeli government policies or advocacy for Palestinian rights as inherently antisemitic or to misuse university authority to quash peaceful protest. Instead, universities should safeguard people’s rights to assembly and free expression.

#free-speech #freedom #liberty #human-rights #human-rights-watch #hrw #palestine #gaza #israel #protest #protests #columbia-university #islamophobia #antisemitism

US Universities Should Respect Right to Protest

Pro-Palestine university campus protests have spread across the United States, with harsh crackdowns at some institutions, including Columbia University, the University of Texas, and Emory University.

Iran: Persecution of Baha’is

Deprivation of Their Basic Rights Is a Crime Against Humanity

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/04/01/iran-persecution-bahais

#iran #bahais #human-rights #human-rights-watch #hrw #persecution #bahai-faith

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bah%C3%A1%CA%BC%C3%AD_Faith

Iran: Persecution of Baha’is

Iranian authorities’ decades-long systematic repression of Baha’is amounts to the crime against humanity of persecution.

India: Authorities Revoke Visa Privileges of Diaspora Critics

Government Targets Overseas Indians Opposing Ruling Party Policies

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/03/17/india-authorities-revoke-visa-privileges-diaspora-critics

(New York) – Indian authorities are revoking visa privileges to overseas critics of Indian origin who have spoken out against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government’s policies, Human Rights Watch said today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi often attends mass gatherings of diaspora party supporters in the United States, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere to celebrate Indian democracy, while his government has targeted people it claims are “tarnishing the image” of the country.

#india #human-rights #human-rights-watch #hrw #bjp #modi #hindu-nationalism #indian-diaspora

India: Authorities Revoke Visa Privileges of Diaspora Critics

Indian authorities are revoking visa privileges to overseas critics of Indian origin who have spoken out against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government’s policies, Human Rights Watch said today.

Russia: Sham Trial of Human Rights Leader Draws to a Close

Oleg Orlov Invokes Navalny in Closing Statement

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/26/russia-sham-trial-human-rights-leader-draws-close

#human-rights #human-rights-watch #hrw #russia #orlov #oleg-orlov #navalny

Russia: Sham Trial of Human Rights Leader Draws to a Close

Oleg Orlov, a leading Russian human rights defender and co-chair of Memorial, has begun reading his closing statement following what was clearly a sham trial.

Israel Not Complying with World Court Order in Genocide Case

Failing to Ensure Basic Services, Aid

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/26/israel-not-complying-world-court-order-genocide-case

#human-rights #human-rights-watch #hrw #israel #gaza #war #hamas #netanyahu #world-court

Israel Not Complying with World Court Order in Genocide Case

The Israeli government has failed to comply with at least one measure in the legally binding order from the International Court of Justice, in South Africa’s genocide case.

Hong Kong: Governments Should Oppose Security Bill

86 Groups Urge Rebukes, Sanctions Against Beijing’s Latest Assault on Rights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yjLlYNFKCg

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/19/hong-kong-governments-should-oppose-security-bill

National governments should strongly oppose the Hong Kong government’s introduction of so-called Article 23 national security legislation, which will further devastate human rights protections in Hong Kong, 86 civil society groups including Human Rights Watch, said today in a joint statement. On January 30, 2024, the Hong Kong government announced a four-week “public consultation” period for a new national security law under Article 23 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s de facto constitution.

#hong-kong #香港 #freedom #liberty #自由 #china #human-rights #human-rights-watch #hrw #glory-to-hong-kong

Is Navalny Dead?

Let's wait to decide.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/02/16/russia-navalny-dies-prison

A spokesperson for Navalny has not yet confirmed his death and has said his lawyer is flying to the prison colony. She said she will not comment further until she has more information.

Declaring him dead is a cheap way to make his sentence a life sentence. It's also an excuse for holding him incommunicado. Why not just kill him and pretend it was "natural causes"? Maybe because that causes Navalny himself less suffering. On the other hand, Putin has tried to kill him before now.

One thing I'm pretty sure about: if Navalny is dead, he didn't die of natural causes.

#navalny #putin #russia #siberia #prison-colony #death #human-rights-watch #hrw

Russia: Navalny Dies in Prison

The Kremlin bears responsibility for Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s death in prison. Russia’s state prison service said in a public statement on February 16, 2024 that Navalny had lost consciousness and could not be resuscitated.

Hamas-Led Attack in Southern Israel Kills Hundreds

All Parties to Conflict Must Abide by Laws of War

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/10/hamas-led-attack-southern-israel-kills-hundreds

Deliberately killing civilians is a war crime, as is hostage-taking. All parties to the conflict are obliged to respect the laws of war. No matter what the other side does, no one has the right to target civilians.

#human-rights-watch #hrw #human-rights #war #israel-palestine-war #gaza #gaza-war #hamas #israel #palestine #conflict

Hamas-Led Attack in Southern Israel Kills Hundreds

Deliberately killing civilians is a war crime, as is hostage-taking. All parties to the conflict are obliged to respect the laws of war. No matter what the other side does, no one has the right to target civilians.

Saudi Crown Prince Confirms Death Sentence for Tweets

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/09/22/saudi-crown-prince-confirms-death-sentence-tweets

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, has confirmed that retired teacher Muhammed al Ghamdi was indeed sentenced to death for his social media posts. In an interview with Fox News on September 20, MBS admitted about the death sentence: “Shamefully, it's true,” and blamed the sentence on “bad laws.”\
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“Do we have bad laws? Yes. Are we are changing that? Yes,” he said.\
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MBS is right in saying that he is working to change bad laws: under his rule, bad laws have only become worse.

#human-rights #human-rights-watch #hrw #mbs #saudi-arabia #twitter #tweets #death-sentence #free-speech #freedom #liberty

Saudi Crown Prince Confirms Death Sentence for Tweets

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, has confirmed that retired teacher Muhammed al Ghamdi was indeed sentenced to death for his social media posts. In an interview with Fox News on September 20, MBS admitted about the death sentence:...

Hong Kong: Warrants Aim at Activists Abroad

Concerned Governments Should Impose Sanctions, Protections for Diaspora

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/07/04/hong-kong-warrants-aim-activists-abroad

Hong Kong authorities have issued baseless arrest warrants and HK$1 million (US$128,000) bounties on eight exiled democracy activists and former legislators that expand China’s political intimidation campaign beyond its borders, Human Rights Watch said today.

#hong-kong #hongkong #香港 #自由 #中国 #freedom #liberty #democracy #china #beijing #xe #hrw #human-rights-watch #sanctions

Hong Kong: Warrants Aim at Activists Abroad

Hong Kong authorities have issued baseless arrest warrants and HK$1 million (US$128,000) bounties on eight exiled democracy activists and former legislators that expand China’s political intimidation campaign beyond its borders.

The Chinese Government Tries to Ban a Protest Song from Major Platforms

https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/06/20/hong-kong-tech-firms-should-oppose-protest-song-ban

In a June 20, 2023 letter, more than 24 human rights and digital rights groups urged companies including Apple, Google, Meta, Twitter, and Spotify to oppose a potential injunction by the High Court of Hong Kong to protect the right to freedom of expression and access to information in Hong Kong and around the world. The injunction, if ordered by the court, would require that companies remove the song from their respective platforms, effectively banning it online.

The sought-for injunction reflects the Chinese government’s expanding efforts to control information not just within its borders, but around the world. Between July 2020 and June 2022, the Hong Kong government was responsible for 50 instances in which Meta said it was forced to remove content globally.

The song is called "Glory to Hong Kong," and (as you would expect) there are both Chinese and English versions.

English
https://invidious.baczek.me/watch?v=6yjLlYNFKCg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yjLlYNFKCg

Chinese (with English translation)
https://invidious.baczek.me/watch?v=Pe1gTPcWyds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe1gTPcWyds

live performance
https://invidious.baczek.me/watch?v=fPJESCpanq8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPJESCpanq8

#human-rights-watch #hrw #censorship #ccp #beijing #beijing-government #chinese-government #human-rights #freedom #liberty #freedom-of-the-press #freedom-of-speech #hong-kong #music #video #music-video #english #chinese #protest #protest-song

What can get you in trouble for anti-war speech in Russia?

Wearing blue and yellow, displaying the word “self-censorship” in public, displaying a blank poster in public, etc.

https://www.hrw.org/video-photos/interactive/2022/08/22/what-can-get-you-trouble-anti-war-speech-russia

Actually, the "blank" poster read "*** *****." That was assumed to be an anti-war message.

So, Mr. Putin, I would like to tell you

*** *** * ********** *********** ******* ******** **** ** ****** ******.

#hrw #human-rights-watch #human-rights #free-speech #civil-liberty #civil-liberties #war #anti-war #russia #putin #ukraine

What can get you in trouble for anti-war speech in Russia?

Russian authorities have punished a wide range of speech and actions criticizing Russia's war against Ukraine with criminal or administrative charges.

US: Dismantle Structures of Racism Now

UN Review of US Record on Racial Justice Should Prompt White House Action

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/08/08/us-dismantle-structures-racism-now

The negative effects of these policies include:\
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The average white family in the US has roughly eight times the wealth of the average Black family, and white college graduates have over seven times more wealth than Black college graduates.\
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Almost two million people are locked up across the United States, with Black people imprisoned at a rate three times higher than white people. Black women are imprisoned at 1.7 times the rate of white women.\
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Discrimination in enforcement of US immigration laws, including the US criminal re-entry statute, which a federal judge found was “enacted with discriminatory purpose” and would not have been enacted absent racial animus, continues unabated.\
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In 2020, the US had an estimated 580,000 unhoused people, 39 percent of whom were Black, even though Black people are only 12 percent of the US total population.\
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Though Black and white people use drugs at similar rates, Black people are imprisoned for drug crimes at five times the rate of white people.\
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Police in the US continue to kill Indigenous, Latinx, and Black people at significantly higher rates, as much as 350 percent more frequently, than white people. Even greater racial disparities attend nonfatal uses of force by police.

#racism #systemic-racism #structural-racism #usa #america #united-states #united-states-of-america #human-rights #human-rights-watch #hrw

US: Dismantle Structures of Racism Now

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination should recommend the United States government to take immediate, tangible measures to dismantle structural racism in the US.

Not Satire

Russia Convicts Pastafarian of Being Affiliated with an "Undesirable Organization"

His name is Mikhail Iosilevich.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/05/27/russia-authorities-double-down-persecuting-undesirables

A Russian court on May 27, 2022 handed an activist 20 months of custodial sentence and ordered him to pay civil damages of 100,000 rubles (approximately US$1,500) having found him affiliated with an “undesirable organization,” Human Rights Watch said today. The abusive law underlying the charges, the prosecution and sentencing, individually and together constitute a complete travesty of justice, Human Rights Watch said.\
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Mikhail Iosilevich, is the first person who may serve prison time for these charges as activists convicted previously had received suspended sentences or were ordered to perform community service (mandatory labor). In 2021, Iosilevich was also the first person placed in pretrial detention on these charges.

#pastafarian #pastafarians #church-of-the-flying-spaghetti-monster #russia #mikhail-iosilevich #human-rights #civil-rights #freedom-of-religion #religious-freedom #hrw #human-rights-watch

Russia: Authorities Double Down on Persecuting 'Undesirables'

A Russian court today handed an activist 20 months of custodial sentence and ordered him to pay civil damages of 100,000 rubles (approximately USD 1,500) having found him affiliated with an “undesirable organization,” Human Rights Watch said...

A Bleak Week for Rights in the UK

Eroding Civil Liberties Against Backdrop of Falling Living Standards Will Cause Harm

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/04/30/bleak-week-rights-uk

To say the United Kingdom government was busy over the past week would be a classic British understatement. It steamrolled through parliament four separate pieces of legislation that will do real harm to people’s rights.

#uk #rights #civil-rights #human-rights #human-rights-watch #hrw #civil-liberties #living-standards #cost-of-living #nationality-and-borders-bill #elections-bill #judicial-review-and-courts-bill

A Bleak Week for Rights in the UK

The government’s attacks on civil liberties and the frameworks protecting them, alongside its failure to meaningfully address an escalating cost-of-living crisis, add up to a grim picture for human rights protection in the UK.

Ukraine: Shelling Residential Areas Puts Civilians at Risk

Attacks Intensify Against Government-Controlled Areas in East

Human Rights Watch

https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/19/ukraine-shelling-residential-areas-puts-civilians-risk

The shelling of a school, a kindergarten, and residential areas along the line of contact in eastern Ukraine on February 17, 2022, apparently by Russia-backed armed groups, injured civilians and damaged civilian infrastructure, Human Rights Watch said today. The attacks, which injured at least four civilians, severely damaged or destroyed several homes.\
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Attacks that indiscriminately strike civilian objects violate international humanitarian law, or the laws of war, and if committed willfully amount to war crimes.

Fighting has escalated in Ukraine’s eastern region of Donbas amid Russia’s recent, unprecedented military build-up along its border with Ukraine. The Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) reported a significant increase in ceasefire violations in conflict-affected areas along the line of contact on February 17.\
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At around 9:04 a.m. on February 17, a munition hit a wall of Fairy Tale kindergarten in government-controlled Stanytsia Luhanska and landed in the recreation room. A second shell hit the playground outside.

#war #ukraine #russia #donbas #eastern-ukraine #hrw #human-rights-watch #kindergarten #human-rights #civilians #shelling #bombing #non-combatants #war-crime #war-crimes