women’s rights advocate arrested

http://www.feministing.com/archives/011694.html

http://www.change4equality.org/english/spip.php?article373

Esha Momeni, women’s rights advocate and Campaign's volunteer from California was arrested on Wednesday October 15, 2008, while on a visit to Tehran. Momeni who is a photographer and graduate student was arrested in an unusual and illegal manner after being pulled over on Moddaress highway, by individuals who identified themselves as under cover traffic police on the pretense that she had unlawfully passed another vehicle while driving. Esha was arrested and taken to Section 209 of Evin Prison, managed by the Intelligence and Security Ministry.Esha Momeni is a graduate student at the School of Communications, Media and Arts at California State University, Northridge. Esha had come to Iran two months ago to visit with her family and to work on her Masters thesis project, focused on the Iranian women’s movement.

HRW monthly digest

September-October 2008 IMPACT

Protecting Civilians in the Georgia Conflict
Moving Congress to Prosecute Recruiters of Child Soldiers
Pressing South Africa on its Treatment of Zimbabweans
Pressuring Burma through Targeted Sanctions

Jordan: Torture in Prisons Routine and Widespread
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.Read more Read the report
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.Read more

IN THE NEWS - Op-Eds by Our Staff
Saudi Arabia's Shia MinorityWriting in the Guardian Online, Christoph Wilcke, a senior researcher with Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa Division, reports on Saudi Arabia’s discriminatory treatment of one of its own Shia Muslim minorities, the Ismailis.
Corporal Punishment: Discriminatory and Ineffective Writing in Mississippi’s Clarion-Ledger, Alice Farmer, the Aryeh Neier fellow at Human Rights Watch and the ACLU, and Nsombi Lambright, the executive director of the ACLU of Mississippi, show that corporal punishment in Mississippi schools—a legal practice in that state—is counterproductive and applied in a discriminatory manner.
Kashmir’s Cycle of Violence Meenakshi Ganguly, senior researcher on South Asia for Human Rights Watch, writes in the New Statesman about the latest outbreak of violence in Kashmir, criticizing New Delhi’s failure to act promptly to prevent escalation.The Costs of Marital Rape in Southern Africa Nada Ali, researcher in the Women’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch, writes in the Independent Online, urging the Southern African Development Community to take domestic violence and marital rape more seriously, since they clearly undermine efforts to combat the HIV pandemic.
Military Commissions Fail to Deliver Justice In an “opposing view” in USA Today, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth, explains the myriad failings of the US administration’s military commissions, which were created to try Guantanamo detainees outside of the regular court system. Get Involved Become a Member or Make a ContributionHuman Rights Watch does not accept financial support from any government or government agency. Every investigation we undertake, every advocacy campaign we embark on, and every report we produce is funded solely by generous private contributions.

Chávez da la razón a HRW, violador de Derechos

Mujeres se manifiestan en favor de la libertad de elección reproductiva. © 2006 Reuters -->
Venezuela: Derechos socavados bajo Chávez
Discriminación política e instituciones democráticas debilitadas caracterizan su presidencia

En sus esfuerzos por contener a la oposición política y consolidar su poder, el gobierno del Presidente Hugo Chávez ha debilitado las instituciones democráticas y las garantías de derechos humanos en Venezuela , señaló Human Rights Watch en un informe difundido hoy. Delegación de Human Rights Watch Expulsada


Venezuela: Rights Suffer Under Chávez
Political Discrimination and Weakened Institutions Define PresidencyIn its efforts to counter political opposition and consolidate power, the government of President Hugo Chávez has weakened democratic institutions and human rights guarantees in Venezuela. Read the Report Human Rights Watch Delegation Expelled
After winning a referendum on his presidency, President Chavez appears from the Presidential Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, before supporters. © 2004 Christopher Anderson/Magnum

Weekly Digest HRW

Georgia: Satellite Images Show Destruction, Ethnic Attacks
Russia Should Investigate, Prosecute Crimes
(New York, August 29, 2008) – Recent satellite images released by the UN program UNOSAT confirm the widespread torching of ethnic Georgian villages inside South Ossetia, Human Rights Watch said today. Detailed analysis of the damage depicted in five ethnic Georgian villages shows the destruction of these villages around the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali, was caused by intentional burning and not armed combat.Read more Satellite Imagery

Mexico: Supreme Court Upholds Mexico City Abortion Law
Landmark Decision Confirms Right to an Abortion up to 12th Week of Gestation
(Mexico City, August 28, 2008) – In a historic decision today, the Mexican Supreme Court ruled that Mexico City’s law decriminalizing abortion during the first 12 weeks of gestation is constitutional. In a publicly broadcast proceeding, the court voted 8-to-3 in favor of upholding the Mexico City law, which came into force in 2007. A written decision is expected from the court within days.Read more

EU: Protect Civilians in Gori District
Security of Civilians Should Be Central to Summit Discussions on Russia
(Tbilisi, August 28, 2008) – The European Union should act to protect Georgian civilians from continued attacks by Ossetian militias and opportunistic violence, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch called on the European Union to use its unprecedented summit on Russia on September 1 to make a plan for ensuring protection for civilians in Georgia. Read more

HRW weekly digest

August 15th - August 22nd, 2008
China: Hosting Olympics a Catalyst for Human Rights Abuses
IOC and World Leaders Fail to Challenge Great Leap Backward for Rights in China
(New York, August 22, 2008) – The hosting of the 2008 Beijing Olympics has set back the clock for the respect of human rights in the People’s Republic of China, Human Rights Watch said ahead of the Games’ closing ceremony in Beijing on Sunday, August 24. Read more

Georgia: Civilians Killed by Russian Cluster Bomb 'Duds'
More Attacks Confirmed; Unexploded Ordnance Threatens Many
(Tbilisi, August 21, 2008) – Georgian and Russian authorities should take urgent measures to protect the civilian population in Georgian villages from unexploded ordnance left by Russian attacks, Human Rights Watch said today. Read more Photo Essays

Mongolia: Protect Rights of North Korean Migrant Workers
Conduct Investigations in Facilities Where North Koreans Work
(New York, August 20, 2008) – The Mongolian government should protect the human and labor rights of North Koreans coming to Mongolia to work, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Mongolia’s minister of social welfare and labor.Read more

US: End Beating of Children in Public Schools
Abusive, Discriminatory Punishment Undermines Education
(Dallas, August 20, 2008) – More than 200,000 US public school students were punished by beatings during the 2006-2007 school year, Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union said in a joint report released today.Read more Audio Clip Interactive Graphic

Syria: Wives of Islamist Suspects Detained, Whereabouts Unknown
Authorities Have Not Said Why the Women Were Detained
(New York, August 18, 2008) – The Syrian government should immediately release three women detained by state authorities since July 31, 2008, unless they have evidence that these women have committed criminal offenses and intend to try them for these, Human Rights Watch said today. Read more

Colombia: Bomb at Party Kills Many Civilians
FARC Should Stop Indefensible Attacks
(Washington, DC, August 18, 2008) – The bombing of a party in Ituango, Colombia, is an indefensible attack on civilians and the perpetrators should be prosecuted, Human Rights Watch said today.Read more

India: Repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act
50th Anniversary of Law Allowing Shoot-to-Kill, Other Serious Abuses
(New York, August 18, 2008) – India’s Armed Forces Special Powers Act has been used to violate fundamental freedoms for 50 years and should be repealed, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.Read more

China: Olympic Sponsors Ignore Human Rights Abuses
TOP Sponsors Should Back Introduction of a Permanent Olympic Rights Monitor
(New York, August 19, 2008) – The major corporate sponsors of the Beijing Olympics have failed to uphold their own principles of corporate social responsibility. Sponsors have failed to speak out about human rights abuses linked to the Beijing Games, and should be prepared to support the establishment of a permanent body inside the International Olympic Committee to monitor rights abuses at future Olympics.Read more

Georgia: International Groups Should Send Missions
Investigate Violations and Protect Civilians
(Tbilisi, August 18, 2008) – Mounting evidence that Russian and Georgian military used armed force unlawfully during the South Ossetian conflict highlights the need for international fact-finding missions in Georgia.Read more

Russia/Georgia: Militias Attack Civilians in Gori Region
Russia Should Curb Militias and Allow in Humanitarian Aid
(Tbilisi, August 17, 2008) – Russian authorities should immediately take steps to end Ossetian militia attacks on ethnic Georgians in the Gori district of Georgia. The Russian military should also ensure safe passage for civilians wishing to leave the region and for humanitarian aid agencies to enter.Read more

Turkey: Support Justice in Darfur
Turkey Should Reject Calls to Suspend the ICC Investigation
(New York, August 15, 2008) – The Turkish government should reject efforts by Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir to secure a suspension of the International Criminal Court’s investigation against him. Turkey should also convey a clear message that Khartoum must not respond to the investigation with retaliation against civilians, peacekeepers, or humanitarian workers.Read more

Georgia: Civilians Killed by Russian Cluster Bomb ‘Duds’

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Georgia: Civilians Killed by Russian Cluster Bomb ‘Duds’
More Attacks Confirmed; Unexploded Ordnance Threatens Many
(Tbilisi, August 21, 2008) – Georgian and Russian authorities should take urgent measures to protect the civilian population in Georgian villages from unexploded ordnance left by Russian attacks, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch researchers documented additional Russian cluster munitions attacks during the conflict in Georgia, refuting Russia’s earlier denials that it used the weapon.Human Rights Watch researchers saw and photographed unexploded submunitions from cluster munitions in and around the villages of Shindisi, in the Gori district of Georgia. Residents from Shindisi and the nearby Pkhvenisi village told Human Rights Watch researchers there are hundreds of unexploded submunitions in the area. Submunition “duds” are highly dangerous and can explode if picked up or otherwise disturbed. “Many people have died because of Russia’s use of cluster munitions in Georgia, even as Moscow denied it had used this barbaric weapon,” said Marc Garlasco, senior military analyst at Human Rights Watch. “Many more people could be killed or wounded unless Russia allows professional demining organizations to enter at once to clean the affected areas.” Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that on August 8, 2008, Russian air strikes on Georgian armored units located near Shindisi and Pkhvenisi were followed by extensive cluster munition strikes that killed at least one civilian and injured another in Shindisi. At least two more civilians were killed and five wounded in the following days when they handled unexploded submunitions, including an incident 10 days after the initial strikes. As of August 20, Shindisi and Pkhvenisi areas remain under Russian control.

Human Rights Watch called upon Russia to immediately stop using cluster munitions, weapons so dangerous to civilians that more than 100 nations have agreed to ban their use. Human Rights Watch also called on Russia to provide precise strike data on its cluster attacks in order to facilitate cleanup of areas contaminated by submunitions. Human Rights Watch called on Georgia to undertake an immediate risk education program for its population, including radio and television announcements about the dangers of submunitions. In Shindisi, Human Rights Watch researchers saw unexploded dual purpose (anti-armor and antipersonnel) submunitions, commonly known as Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition (DPICM) submunitions. “Highly dangerous unexploded bomblets now litter farms, roads, and pathways in Shindisi and Pkhvenisi,” said Garlasco. “People remaining in these areas don’t realize the dangers these submunitions pose and are at serious risk of injury or death if they handle, or even approach, the bomblets.” Human Rights Watch first reported on Russian use of cluster munitions in Georgia on August 15, after it identified strikes on Gori and Ruisi on August 12 that killed at least 11 civilians and injured dozens more. Russia subsequently denied any use of cluster munitions. Colonel General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy head of the Russian General Staff, stated on August 15, “We did not use cluster bombs, and what’s more, there was absolutely no necessity to do so.” Zura Tatrishvili, 62, showed Human Rights Watch researchers an unexploded submunition that he had picked up without realizing that just touching it could make it explode. “We were playing with them, as were the Georgian soldiers,” said Tatrishvili. “It was only when one of the bombs exploded after a soldier threw it that we understood that they were dangerous.” Even now, Tatrishvili continues to keep his livestock in a pen with unexploded submunitions, demonstrating the need for clearance as well as education.

Georgia. These submunition "duds" are highly dangerous and can explode if picked up or otherwise disturbed.

During the attack on August 8 in Shindisi, Vano Gogidze, 45, was killed and his relative, Dato Gogidze, 39, was injured. Also in Shindisi, Ramaz Arabashvili, 40, was killed and four people were wounded when a submunition that they had gathered from a field exploded on August 10. On August 18, in Pkhvenisi, Veliko Bedianashvili, 70, died when a submunition exploded in his hand. “There are so many of these lying around. The fields are full of them,” said his son, Durmiskhan Bedianashvili. Zviad Geladze, 38, showed Human Rights Watch researchers fields contaminated with submunitions. He estimated the submunitions covered an area extending at least one kilometer through his farm. The fields are full of produce ready to harvest. Because humanitarian agencies continue to lack access to much of the Gori region, fields like Geladze’s may provide residents of the region with their only food source. Cluster munitions contain dozens or hundreds of smaller submunitions or bomblets and cause unacceptable humanitarian harm in two ways. First, their broad-area effect kills and injures civilians indiscriminately during strikes. Second, many submunitions do not explode, becoming de facto landmines that cause civilian casualties for months or years to come. Under international humanitarian law, indiscriminate attacks including attacks in populated areas with weapons that cannot be targeted solely at military targets are prohibited. Russia has an obligation not only to cease any such attacks, but also to take all necessary measures now to ensure the safety of the civilian population in areas over which it exercises effective control. Human Rights Watch called on Georgia, which is known to have cluster munitions in its stockpiles, to join the international move to ban the use of cluster munitions and to publicly undertake not to use such weapons in this conflict. Human RIghts Watch has also called on Russia to join the convention. Neither Russia nor Georgia was part of the Oslo Process launched in February 2007 to develop a new international treaty banning cluster munitions.

In May 2008, 107 nations adopted the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which comprehensively bans the use, production, trade and stockpiling of the weapon. It will be open for signature in Oslo on December 3.
Related Material
Georgia: International Groups Should Send MissionsPress Release, August 18, 2008
Russia/Georgia: Militias Attack Civilians in Gori RegionPress Release, August 17, 2008
Q & A: Violence in South OssetiaQuestions and Answers, August 15, 2008
Georgia: Russian Cluster Bombs Kill CiviliansPress Release, August 15, 2008
Georgian Villages in South Ossetia Burnt, LootedPress Release, August 13, 2008
Safe Corridor Urgently Needed for Civilians in Gori DistrictPress Release, August 13, 2008
Georgia/Russia: Use of Rocket Systems Can Harm CiviliansPress Release, August 12, 2008
Georgia/Russia: Update on Casualties and Displaced CiviliansPress Release, August 10, 2008
Georgia/Russia: Do Not Attack Civilians in South OssetiaPress Release, August 9, 2008
More of Human Rights Watch's work on GeorgiaCountry Page
More of Human Rights Watch's work on RussiaCountry Page

Human Rights Abuses in China

China: Olympic Sponsors Ignore Human Rights Abuses
TOP Sponsors Should Back Introduction of a Permanent Olympic Rights Monitor
(New York, August 19, 2008) – The major corporate sponsors of the Beijing Olympics have failed to uphold their own principles of corporate social responsibility, Human Rights Watch said today. Sponsors have failed to speak out – either individually or collectively – about human rights abuses linked to the Beijing Games, and should be prepared to support the establishment of a permanent body inside the International Olympic Committee to monitor rights abuses at future Olympics.Read more

Weekly Digest Human Rights Watch

Georgia: International Groups Should Send Missions
Investigate Violations and Protect Civilians
(Tbilisi, August 18, 2008) – Mounting evidence that Russian and Georgian military used armed force unlawfully during the South Ossetian conflict highlights the need for international fact-finding missions in Georgia, Human Rights Watch said today. Ongoing militia attacks and a growing humanitarian crisis also indicate the urgent need for the deployment of a mission to enhance civilian protection.Read more
Russia/Georgia: Militias Attack Civilians in Gori Region
Russia Should Curb Militias and Allow in Humanitarian Aid
(Tbilisi, August 17, 2008) – Russian authorities should immediately take steps to end Ossetian militia attacks on ethnic Georgians in the Gori district of Georgia, Human Rights Watch said today. The Russian military should also ensure safe passage for civilians wishing to leave the region and for humanitarian aid agencies to enter.Read more
Georgia: Russian Cluster Bombs Kill Civilians
Stop Using Weapon Banned by 107 Nations
(Tbilisi, August 15, 2008) – Human Rights Watch researchers have uncovered evidence that Russian aircraft dropped cluster bombs in populated areas in Georgia, killing at least 11 civilians and injuring dozens, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch called upon Russia to immediately stop using cluster bombs, weapons so dangerous to civilians that more than 100 nations have agreed to ban their use. Read more
India: Repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act
50th Anniversary of Law Allowing Shoot-to-Kill, Other Serious Abuses
(New York, August 18, 2008) – India’s Armed Forces Special Powers Act has been used to violate fundamental freedoms for 50 years and should be repealed, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.Read more
Commentary: "The show trial in Guantánamo"
By Carol Chodroff
(Aug. 12, 2008) "A young man once captured a live bird in his hands and asked his wiser elder whether the bird was alive or dead. If the old man said 'alive,' the young man would have crushed his hands together to kill the bird and prove the old man wrong. If the old man said 'dead,' the young man would have opened his hands and let the bird fly free. But when asked if the bird was alive or dead, the old man replied, 'Young man, the bird's life is in your hands.'" Read more
Colombia: Bomb at Party Kills Many Civilians
FARC Should Stop Indefensible Attacks
(Washington, DC, August 18, 2008) – The bombing of a party in Ituango, Colombia, is an indefensible attack on civilians and the perpetrators should be prosecuted, Human Rights Watch said today.Read more
Syria: Wives of Islamist Suspects Detained, Whereabouts Unknown
"Being married to an Islamist or to a criminal suspect is not a crime”
(New York, August 18, 2008) – The Syrian government should immediately release three women detained by state authorities since July 31, 2008, unless they have evidence that these women have committed criminal offenses and intend to try them for these, Human Rights Watch said today. Read more

Defeat for Discrimination, Victory for Inclusion

United Nations: Defeat for Discrimination, Victory for Inclusion
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Groups Gain Consultative Status
(New York, July 23, 2008) – The decision by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) granting consultative status to two groups that work on sexual orientation and gender identity is a victory in the ongoing struggle for inclusion at the UN, a coalition of six human rights organizations said today. The two groups approved on July 21 and 22, 2008 are COC Netherlands and the State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals of Spain (FELGTB), national organizations representing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the Netherlands and Spain. “COC Netherlands is delighted about obtaining consultative status with the UN,” said Björn van Roozendaal, COC international advocacy officer. “It means we can join the efforts at the UN to address human rights violations against people with an alternative sexual orientation or gender identity.” “Spanish-speaking LGBT voices will be heard in UN meetings where human rights questions are debated,” said David Montero, FELGTB Spain’s officer for international issues and human rights. “We thank all who have contributed to this exciting outcome, and especially Spain’s UN mission for their support.” Consultative status is a key means for civil society to access the UN system. It allows nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to deliver oral and written reports at UN meetings, and to organize events on UN premises. With it, these groups can share their information and analysis of the abuses and discrimination LGBT people confront around the world. ECOSOC, consisting of 54 member states of the UN, grants consultative status to NGOs after reviewing recommendations made by its subsidiary body – the NGO Committee – which screens the applications. COC Netherlands and FELGTB Spain join approximately 3,000 other NGOs with consultative status at the UN. However, only a handful of LGBT groups have received the status. In recent years, some states have treated LGBT groups’ applications with intense hostility, and ECOSOC has only granted such groups consultative status after first overturning negative recommendations from its NGO Committee. ECOSOC approved the Danish National Association for Gay and Lesbians, the European Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA-Europe), and the Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany in December 2006. The Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Québec and the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights gained consultative status in July 2007. The US-based International Wages Due Lesbians and Australian-based Coalition of Activist Lesbians have had consultative status at the UN for more than a decade. At its January session, the committee tied 7-7 on consultative status for FELGTB Spain, meaning the motion to recommend it failed, but at the following session in June it voted 7-6 to grant the status for COC Netherlands. At the July session in New York, ECOSOC adopted by consensus the recommendation on COC Netherlands and voted to overturn the recommendation not to grant status to FELGTB Spain. “ECOSOC has recognized the place of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people in the work of the United Nations,” said John Fisher from ARC International, which supported the groups’ advocacy efforts. “In this 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is particularly important to affirm the core principle that all human beings are entitled to the full enjoyment of all human rights, without discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Yesterday’s vote sends a clear message that discrimination has no place in the UN system, and that sexual orientation and gender identity issues can, and must, be addressed.” “Many states that harass or persecute LGBT people at home also try to shut down scrutiny of their records internationally,” said Boris Dittrich, advocacy director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Program at Human Rights Watch. “This vote ensures that two more voices will be raised to defend basic human rights at the UN.” “States from all five regions voted to overturn the negative recommendation from the NGO Committee in regards to FELGTB Spain,” said Philipp Braun, co-secretary general of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA). “We would like the committee to acknowledge the repeated message sent by ECOSOC that it should recommend LGBT groups. We also congratulate our members COC and FELGTB on their victory.” “Many states claim that ECOSOC’s votes need to follow the recommendations of its NGO Committee; the view of those who voted in favor of the LGBT groups, however, is that this cannot be done at the price of discriminating against anyone, including LGBT voices,” noted Adrian Coman from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), who participated in monitoring the ECOSOC and NGO Committee meetings. The NGO Committee is due to review a number of additional applications from LGBT groups at its next two sessions in January and May 2009.

News of HRW

Burma: Cyclone Donors Should Ensure Transparency and Accountability
Independent Monitoring Body Should Be Established to Oversee Aid
(New York, July 23, 2008) – Donors assisting in Burma’s reconstruction after Cyclone Nargis should ensure that aid reaches the Burmese people, and is not manipulated by its repressive government. The devastating cyclone that struck southern Burma on May 2-3 directly affected approximately 2.4 million people, with 140,000 killed or listed as missing.Read more

US: A Test of Justice for Rape Victims
By Sarah Tofte
Every two minutes, someone is raped in the United States. Every year, more than 200,000 rape victims, mostly women, report their rapes to police. Most consent to the creation of a rape kit, an invasive process for collecting physical evidence (including DNA material) of the assault that can take up to six hours. What most victims don't know is that in thousands of cases, that evidence sits untested in police evidence lockers.Read more

Good News from HRW

111 Nations Agree to Landmark Ban on Cluster Bombs
In a major victory, more than 110 nations agreed on May 28 in Dublin to a strong international treaty banning cluster munitions. In February 2007, Human Rights Watch helped launch a global campaign to prohibit the use of cluster bombs. We coordinated international treaty negotiation efforts and defeated attempts to weaken the treaty text. Human Rights Watch also successfully countered US efforts to pressure its allies to undermine the ban. As a result, in a decisive policy shift, Britain and other NATO allies endorsed the cluster ban treaty. Cluster munitions contain "bomblets" that are scattered from planes or by artillery shells and detonate like landmines. Thousands of unsuspecting civilians, many of them children, are killed or maimed by dormant cluster bombs each year. Like the ban against landmines, the cluster munitions ban represents a momentous advancement in the protection of people affected by conflict. Learn more.

Fewer Conflicts Involve Child Soldiers
The number of conflicts in which children are used as soldiers has dropped sharply over the past four years, according to the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers’ 2008 Child Soldiers Global Report. Human Rights Watch is a leading member of the coalition, which surveyed military recruitment, policy, and practice in more than 190 countries. The report found that the number of conflicts using child soldiers has declined from 24 to 17 since 2004. Tens of thousands of children have been released from armed groups, as long-running conflicts in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere have ended. High-profile prosecutions by the International Criminal Court also seem to have contributed to enhanced public consciousness of child soldier recruitment as a crime. Despite these signs of progress, Human Rights Watch continues to document the use of children in conflict and to advocate that the children who are demobilized should get the rehabilitation they desperately need.Read more.

European Parliament, Belgian Senate, and Liberal International Party Endorse Yogyakarta Principles
In a recent victory for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, Human Rights Watch successfully pushed for the endorsement and use of the Yogyakarta Principles by the European Parliament, Belgian Senate, and Liberal International Party. Human Rights Watch wrote targeted resolutions on the rights of LGBT people for these political bodies. The Yogyakarta Principles were adopted by a meeting of international law experts in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in November 2006 in response to well-documented patterns of abuse against millions of people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Principles set forth legal standards and recommendations for how governments and UN agencies can end widespread violence, abuse, and discrimination against LGBT people worldwide. Read more.


IN THE NEWS - Op-Eds by Staff HRW
After Guantánamo: The Case Against Preventive Detention Writing in Foreign Affairs, Kenneth Roth, executive director for Human Rights Watch, argues that terrorism suspects should be tried in the US justice system rather than languish in preventive detention.
Assessing the Human Cost of Air Strikes in Iraq In an interview with National Public Radio, Marc Garlasco, a senior military analyst for Human Rights Watch and former chief of high-value targeting for the Pentagon in 2003 during the Iraq war, reviews the loss of civilian life due to air strikes in Iraq and argues for greater restraint in how air strikes are used.
China Must Expand Press Freedom in Lead-up to 2008 Olympic Games Speaking to the Carnegie Council as part of an expert panel on China and human rights, Minky Worden, media director for Human Rights Watch, discusses the need to extend the temporary press freedoms given to Western journalists beyond the Games and to grant Chinese journalists the same freedoms as their international colleagues.

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