Rights watch
A round-up of human rights stories from around the world.
About 50 people killed in Chad protests, government says
About 50 people were killed and nearly 300 injured in violence that broke out in Chad on Thursday as hundreds took to the streets to demand a quicker transition to democratic rule.
MEPs award Ukraine’s ‘brave people’ and President Zelenskyy with top human rights prize
The “brave people” of Ukraine defending their country against Russia’s relentless invasion have been awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the European Union’s highest tribute to human rights defenders.
China using influencers to whitewash human rights abuses, report finds
The Chinese Communist party is using social media influencers from troubled regions like Xinjiang, Tibet and Inner Mongolia to whitewash human rights abuses through an increasingly sophisticated propaganda campaign, a report has claimed.
EU Discusses Possible Iran Sanctions Over Arms Exports to Russia
European Union nations began discussing how to react to Russia’s possible use of Iranian drones in its war in Ukraine as the bloc sanctioned Iran’s morality police and other entities over human-rights violations related to the death of a young woman in police custody.
Saudi Arabia: Rights group warns kingdom still issuing death sentences for children
Saudi Arabia is continuing to issue and ratify the death penalty for detainees who were arrested and charged as children, despite repeated assurances from the kingdom that it had halted the practice, a rights group has warned.
French right votes down move to make abortion constitutional right
The French government has said it supports making the country the first in the world to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right, after the right-dominated senate voted down the left’s first attempt at a proposal.
Team Biden Balks on Africa Sanctions
The Biden administration is sitting on dozens of potential sanctions for human rights violators and coup-plotters in countries in Africa, refusing to pull the trigger despite mounting pressure from U.S. lawmakers and human rights advocates, according to seven officials, congressional aides, and experts familiar with the matter.
Germany violates human rights due to racial profiling, European court rules
Germany violated European Convention on Human Rights by denying independent, effective investigation into racial profiling by police officers, Europe’s top human rights court has ruled.
Let the UN’s light of scrutiny shine on Australia’s prisons and detention regimes
United Nations inspectors are currently visiting Australia to see if we are on track to implement a critical new human rights framework for people in detention.
Japan Publishes Guidelines on Corporate Human Rights Due Diligence
On Sept. 13, the Japanese government published its Guidelines on Respecting Human Rights in Responsible Supply Chains (Guidelines). The Guidelines set out how businesses active in Japan should address the human rights risks arising in their operations and supply chains.