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Human Rights Watch News Releases

News releases from Human Rights Watch

• Governments Should Improve Access to Pain Treatment

  Millions Worldwide Suffer Unnecessarily Governments around the world, including those in low and middle income countries, should take urgent action to stop the unnecessary suffering of millions of people from severe but treatable pain, Human Rights Watch said today, ahead of World Hospice and Palliative Care Day on October 11.

• Libya Frees Political Prisoner

  Idris Boufayed Is Promised Travel for Medical Treatment Libya freed Dr. Idris Boufayed from detention on October 8, almost 20 months after security agents arrested him for planning a peaceful demonstration, Human Rights Watch said today. Boufayed, who suffers from advanced lung cancer, was released from detention in a hospital and promised that he would be allowed to travel abroad for medical care.

• Uzbekistan: Journalist Sentenced to 10 Years

  With Repression Continuing, EU Should Not Drop Sanctions Uzbek authorities should immediately and unconditionally release an independent journalist sentenced on October 10 on politically motivated charges, Human Rights Watch said today. Solijon Abdurakhmanov, a journalist known for his critical reporting, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling drugs, an offense he did not commit.

• Jordan: Torture in Prisons Routine and Widespread

  Reforms Fail to Tackle Abuse, Impunity Persists Jordan should end routine and widespread torture in its prisons, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. Human Rights Watch called on the government to overhaul mechanisms for investigating, disciplining and prosecuting abusers, and in particular to transfer prosecutor’s investigations into prison abuse from police to civilian prosecutors.

• UK: Rights for Terror Suspects

  Follow UN Recommendations, and Reject Longer Pre-Charge Detention The United Kingdom should heed calls in a critical UN report to drop proposals to detain terrorism suspects for 42 days without charge, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the home and foreign secretaries. The government should bring its counterterrorism policies into line with the recommendations from the UN Human Rights Committee.

• Bangladesh: Stop Denying Killings and Torture

  Address Rights Abuses and Hold Security Forces to Account The Bangladesh interim government should use its last months in office to seriously address persistent rights abuses rather than deny that they are happening, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to the government. Human Rights Watch remains deeply concerned about continuing reports of torture and extrajudicial killings by state security forces and the government’s failure to hold those responsible to account.

• Kyrgyzstan: Protect Lesbians and Transgender Men From Abuse

  European Institutions Should Help End the Violence Lesbian and bisexual women and transgender men face violent abuse, including rape, in Kyrgyzstan, both in family settings and from strangers on the street, Human Rights Watch said in a report issued today. The report calls on the Kyrgyz government to acknowledge the problem and protect the victims, and on the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other European institutions to step up their response to violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

• US: Parole Uighur Detainees Into the United States

  Uighurs Still Held at Guantanamo Despite Being Cleared of ‘Enemy Combatant’ Status A day after this press release was issued, a US federal judge ordered that the 17 Chinese Uighurs being held at Guantanamo Bay be released into the United States on Friday, October 10. However, on Wednesday, October 8, a federal appellate court temporarily blocked the release of the Uighurs into the United States in order to give the government time to appeal the lower court’s release order. A group of Chinese Uighurs who have been cleared of the “enemy combatant” designation should be freed from Guantanamo and given parole status in the United States. Their case will be heard by a federal judge in the District of Columbia on Tuesday, October 7.

• Vietnam: End Crackdown on Catholics

  Peaceful Protesters Beaten, Arrested, and Harassed The Vietnamese government should immediately release Roman Catholics arrested for holding peaceful prayer vigils in Hanoi and hold accountable police and others responsible for attacking Catholic parishioners, Human Rights Watch said today. The protesters have been calling for the return of church properties confiscated by the government.

• United States: Bush Signs Law on Child Soldiers

  Measure to Prosecute Recruiters Abroad Puts Commanders on Notice Under a new law signed today by US President George W. Bush, leaders of military forces and armed groups who have recruited child soldiers may be arrested and prosecuted in the United States, Human Rights Watch said today. The law could apply to leaders of dozens of forces that have recruited and used child soldiers in over 20 armed conflicts.