Amnesty International asks and answers questions about some of the human rights issues at stake in the current international controversy over the Wikileaks.  The discussion ranges from freedom of expression issues to the legitimacy of governments seeking to keep their diplomatic discussions confidential when they perceive it to be in their national interest.

Obama’s Changing View of Gay Marriage
Source: L.A. Times

President Obama has signaled that his position favoring civil unions over gay marriage is not fixed.  A declaration from a sitting president in support of gay marriage could fundamentally alter the national debate as well as provide cover to other politicians as they decide which way to vote on bills permitting gay couples to wed.
 

On December 21, 2010, the Thai government lifted the emergency decree which was put in place in response to the political riots earlier this year.   Thailand now seeks to release red shirts jailed for minor offenses on bail.  The Internal Security Act will replace the decree.

China Imprisons Ethnic Activist
Source: Amnesty International

Reports confirm that Ablikim Abdiriyim, a Uighur activist, is being held and tortured in a Xinjiang prison.  He has been held in solitary confinement since November 3rd and his health has suffered as a result.  This news comes a year after the disappearance of Uighur asylum-seekers who were deported to China.

Chile Targets Violence Against Women
Source: The Santiago Times

Chile’s parliament has passed a law increasing the punishment for the murder of women by their spouses or intimate partners.  President Sebastian Piñera hailed the Femicide Law as a step in the right direction for a country where one in three women has been a victim of domestic violence.
 

Human Rights Cases Overwhelm Argentina
Source: Latin American Press

Argentina’s judicial system is struggling with a flood of cases stemming from the country’s military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983.  The cases were introduced after defendants were stripped of immunity for committing human rights abuses.  However, courts have been slowed by the death of some witnesses and the need to try roughly 1,000 defendants.

Recently, a new law was introduced in the Ugandan Parliament defining homosexuality as a crime against human nature.  The law imposes stiff penalties on homosexuals as well as people who fail to report the offenders.  Additionally, physical violence against homosexuals in Uganda has recently escalated.

Kenyan Politicians Receive I.C.C. Indictment
Source: AllAfrica.com

International Criminal Court (I.C.C.) Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked the Court to issue summonses for six Kenyan politicians.  They are charged with instigating ethnic-based violence following the disputed election in Kenya in late 2007.  The I.C.C. took up the case following Kenyan authorities’ refusal to seek justice for victims and hold perpetrators accountable.

Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks, expressed concern over a possible extradition to the United States.  Extradition would become an issue if the United States formally charges Mr. Assange with espionage for leaking thousands of classified diplomatic documents via his website.

Czech Practices Criticized By E.U.
Source: The Prague Post

The European Union's Fundamental Rights Agency reprimanded the Czech Republic because of its use of phallometric tests to determine if asylum applicants are homosexual.  The report by the E.U. called the test, which measures a male's reaction to heterosexual material, as "an intrusive examination" and also questioned its reliability.

The U.N. expressed concern over the hunger strikes of jailed human rights activists in Iran.  Student Peace Prize nominee, Bahareh Hedayat, is serving nine and a half years for anti-state propaganda.  Similarly, a journalist who was jailed earlier this month has been transferred to a hospital after his condition worsened following his hunger strike.
 

Iraqi Christians Face Increased Danger
Source: Amnesty International

Christians in Iraq have been the targets of recent attacks, including an attack on a Catholic church in which forty people were killed.  Amnesty International urges the government of Iraq to do more to protect Christians in the country, especially around Christmas time, when attacks against Christians are anticipated to increase.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission has recently reported on violations of children’s rights, citing the country’s political instability and society’s lack of awareness.  The commission recommends that the government take greater notice of children’s rights by advocating child protection mechanisms and implementing laws and policies.

Positive Sign for L.G.B.T. Rights
Source: Eurasianet

Activists are praising a recent government step towards protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (L.G.B.T.) rights in Mongolia.  Officials discussed L.G.B.T. issues at the U.N. Human Rights Council meeting in November for the country’s first Universal Periodic Review.  Discrimination against sexual minorities is widespread in Mongolia and has even forced people to seek asylum.