U.S. Continues Deporting Sick Haitians
Source: The New York Times

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has called for the U.S. to stop deporting sick Haitians until conditions in Haiti improve.  Haitians deported are sent to prisons where they face grave medical conditions due to the devastating cholera outbreak which continues to cripple the country in the wake of last year’s earthquake.

Litigation Threat Deters Bush Engagement
Source: Reuters

Former President G.W. Bush canceled a speaking engagement in Switzerland amid threats of legal action from human rights groups.  Activists planned to bring a case against Bush for allegedly sanctioning torture of Guantanamo Bay detainees in violation of the U.N. Convention Against Torture - an international human rights instrument ratified by both the U.S. and Switzerland.

 

Burmese Photojournalist Sentenced to Prison
Source: The Irrawaddy

Burmese photojournalist Maung Maung Zeya received a thirteen-year prison sentence after a closed trial for violating the country’s Electronics Act and contacting an exiled media group.  Zeya has suffered health problems as a result of drugs used to interrogate him and the photos are the only evidence, his lawyer said.

Chinese Crackdown on “Jasmine Protests”
Source: The Guardian

Liu Shihui, a human rights lawyer, accused Chinese authorities of beating him outside his home before a demonstration this month.  Liu Shihui said security officers had warned him previously after abducting him earlier this year. Police reportedly detained a number of activists after learning about plans for “jasmine revolution” protests in thirteen cities.
 

Mexico’s Children: Drug-Trafficking Victims
Source: Latinamerica Press

A recent study presented to the United Nations revealed that between 2006 and 2010, Mexican drug-traffickers have recruited more than 30,000 children to carry out kidnapping, extortions, and murders.  Children’s rights groups do not consider these children criminals, but rather victims of social pressures and criminal exploitation, and in need of positive, more stable environments.

Freedom for Cuban Political Prisoners
Source: CNN

The Catholic Church announced Cuba’s release of two well-known political prisoners.  While Angel Juan Moya intends to stay, Guido Sigler Amaya plans to immigrate to the United States.  Allowing Moya to stay, as a free citizen, is a change from last year’s policy where eleven prisoners who refused exile to Spain were kept in jail.

Ugandan Gay Rights Activist Killed
Source: News From Africa

Human rights groups report increasing violence against gays and lesbians in Africa.  Victims include Ugandan activist David Kato who died following a recent attack.  The country’s gay rights community faces renewed discrimination following the introduction of a bill mandating the death penalty for certain kinds of gay sex.

Violent Response to Sudanese Protestors
Source: Human Rights Watch

A Sudanese student died as a result of injuries sustained in a violent confrontation with authorities there.  Government forces arrested roughly 100 people, including nine journalists, at a peaceful rally against the country’s National Congress Party.  Human Rights Watch condemned the violence and stated that the Sudanese people have a right to protest peacefully.

Britain Refuses Prisoner’s Rights Ruling
Source: The Guardian

David Cameron, British Prime Minister, is considering rejecting a recent holding of the European Court of Human Rights that lifts a blanket ban preventing prisoners from voting.  Cameron told Parliament, which voted to uphold ban, that a limited commission will be formed to examine the creation of a British Bill of Rights.

U.S. and Ukraine Against Trafficking
Source: The Sofia Echo

Ukraine and the United States are teaming up to combat human trafficking.  Ukraine’s foreign minister met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this month to promote joint efforts to protect trafficking victims. U.S. officials have identified Ukraine as a key location for crimes such as forced marriage and indentured servitude.
 

Iran’s Opposition Leaders Under Fire
Source: BBC News

Members of Iran’s Parliament have accused opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi of inciting protests and have called for their deaths.  Both men have been placed under house arrest to prevent them from joining opposition supporters whose protests, similar to Egypt and Tunisia, have been met with unlawful detainment and deadly force.

Iraqi Prisons Rife with Abuse
Source: Khaleej Times

Amnesty International reports that detainees in Iraqi prisons continue to be abused and tortured.  The government is currently investigating fifty-eight cases of alleged human rights abuse committed by Iraqi Ministry personnel.  Although Iraq’s parliament signed the U.N. Convention Against Torture in 2008, the treaty has yet to be ratified.
 

Pakistani Official Stops Fighting Blasphemy
Source: BBC News

Sherry Rehman, a member of Pakistan’s Parliament, has ended her proposal to reform Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.  Rehman and other officials have been persecuted for proposing alterations to the laws.  The Prime Minister stands steadfast against amending the blasphemy laws, which have come under fire after a woman was sentenced to death for insulting Prophet Muhammad.

India Condemned for Torturing Suspects
Source: Hindustan Times

Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced Indian authorities for torturing suspected extremists after the 2008 bombings in India. Suspects were held for weeks without trials as authorities tortured them to beat out confessions.  HRW requisitioned India to repeal vague confinement laws and called for new trials for the suspects who confessed.