Human Rights

Beirut – Bahrain has routinely convicted hundreds of opposition activists and others of politically motivated charges in unfair trials, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a new report. The government should void the convictions in trials before Bahrain’s military and civilian courts that fell far short of international fair trial standards, Human Rights Watch said.

After escaping Ethiopia, Oromia refugees were subjected to further human rights violations including being hunted by armed groups. Within the last two days, Somaliland Authorities destroyed belongings of refugees and asylum seekers outside of the Social Welfare Center in Hargeisa. They used bulldozers to clear the surrounding with armed men inside the Social Welfare Center.

On 19 March last year, the UN Security Council decided to intervene militarily in Libya to protect unarmed, civilian citizens. The military intervention, which lasted more than seven months, consisted of continuos air surveillance, raids, reported ground actions and arms provision to the “insurgents” as part of such “protection” to the population of the oil-rich country.

The foundation “Humanist Home for Children”, established in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, in 2001, was legally registered in 2006 and since then has been surging forward at full strength. The largely volunteer staff have been conducting awareness programmes across the whole of Tamil Nadu, targetting both rural and urban sectors. Now an orphanage is developing.

One billion children live in urban areas, a number that is growing rapidly. Yet disparities within cities reveal that many lack access to schools, health care and sanitation. These children are at “high risk of exploitation and trafficking, as well as becoming victims of violence”.

Today there are more than 1.3 million internally displaced Iraqis, with 500,000 of them “living in extremely precarious conditions”. This is just one of the consequences of the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, started in 2003 and ended -only officially- few weeks ago.

Cairo — A Cairo military court on Sunday [26 Feb.] heard witness testimony in a case against a soldier who allegedly performed “virginity tests” on seven female protesters on 10 March 2011. 22-year-old Samira Ibrahim filed a lawsuit against the military doctor whom she accuses of conducting the tests on her and six other female detainees near Tahrir Square.

An advisor to the Sri Lankan president went to Vavuniya February 25 to talk to the people displaced by ‘the war’ and was interviewed by a BBC correspondent. Informed of the problem he stated that the administration that the British left does not work anywhere and that is the problem! This report based on a Asian Human Rights Commission press release.

“Conflict-related sexual violence is not specific to one country or continent: it is a global risk […] Wars have entered the marketplaces where women trade; they follow children en route to school; and haunt the prison cells where political activists are detained.”

The bridge over the Rio Rosselot that connects La Junta with the rest of Northern Patagonia, Chile, has been closed by La Juntan’s in solidarity with the “Tu Problem Es Mi Problema” Aysen Civil Movement. A report and the protestors set of demands is brought to Pressenza from participant local resident and “Earthwalker” Paul Coleman.