CHRI Human Rights Update
Your round up from CHRI on 06/05/2016
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Selected news:
· Nigeria: Government tells ECOWAS to dismiss case of Nnamdi Kanu
· Uganda: Uganda bans media coverage of election protest
· Pakistan: Girl burned to death for helping friend elope
· Australia: Refugees set themselves on fire in protest against refugee legislation
Commonwealth Countries
Africa
African court of justice initiative initiated
New Era
The Africa Union is becoming the first regional body that is trying to set up an international criminal justice system ‘through an international crimes chamber to the African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples Rights’
Ghana
Civil liberties cause youth indiscipline
Ghana Web
The Queen of Kenyasi Number One in Brong-Ahafo, Ghana has blamed the ‘unnecessary hype of civil liberties’ for youth indiscipline in the country.
Kenya
HRW speaks up against intrusive anal examinations
Newsweek
Human Rights Watch has spoken up against the practice of anal examinations to determine if a person is homosexual or not in Kenya and has pushed for the end of that practice.
Malawi
Nyasa Times
The President of Malawi has vowed to end the killings of people with albinism saying that ‘we [the government] will not tolerate this malpractice’.
Two men jailed for albino killing
Herald
Two men have been jailed for the brutal killing of a 17 year old male with albinism with the judge describing the killing as an ‘’unwelcome act’ in society’.
Mozambique
CNDH calls for ‘full investigation’ of alleged mass grave
allAfrica
The National Human Rights Commission of Mozambique (CNDH) has called for the ‘full investigation’ of the alleged mass grave in the Sofala and Gorongosa districts, something which both districts denies exists.
Four travellers from Malawi killed by gunmen in Mozambique
News 24
Four travellers in a group of 24 Malawian people going to South Africa were killed by gunmen in Mozambique that were allegedly dressed in ‘military attire’.
Nigeria
Activists on a ‘leave of absence from activism’
allAfrica
Silence has become the norm in Nigeria, and activists who once spoke up against injustice and protected human rights and freedoms have now gone silent as well.
Azibaola Robert alleges unlawful arrest and detention by the EFCC
allAfrica
Azibaola Robert, a relative of Goodluck Jonathan, the former president of Nigeria, has alleged that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arrested and detained him unlawfully and is calling for the restoration of his rights.
Government tells ECOWAS to dismiss case of Nnamdi Kanu
Daily Post
The Nigerian government has at a court hearing before ECOWAS to dismiss the case against it concerning the continued detention and trial against the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu.
South Africa
The burning of schools condemned by SAHRC
News 24
The South African Human Rights Commission has condemned the burning of 17 schools as it is detrimental to children’s rights and educational rights in the country.
Mother tries to sell her child
Central Illinois Proud
A mother in South Africa has tried to sell her child online for about $335, she was arrested as she accepted the money and handed over her child.
Swaziland
Freedom of speech is not un-Swazi or un-African
Times of Swaziland
The Law Society of Swaziland have come out with a statement saying that freedom of expression is neither un-Swazi nor un-African and the country should not be hasty to label things as such just because the people on power disagree with them.
Uganda
Uganda bans media coverage of election protest
ABC news
The Ugandan government banned the media coverage of a protest against the re-election of the long-time president of the country lead by the opposition leader Kizza Besigye who claims that he won the elections.
Sweden provides money to Uganda to protect civil space
New Vision
The Swedish government has provided Uganda with sh11.85 billion to initiate the Connecting Voices of Citizens which is to ‘protect civic space in Uganda’.
Prisoners’ rights violated, detained in a container
New Vision
The rights of several prisoners were violated in Uganda as they were detained in a large container that was unfit to be a detention cell.
Americas
Canada
Human rights inquiry into fire department
CBC
A fire fighter has been granted a human rights enquiry into the Halifax fire department for systematic gender discrimination after fighting for this for 9 years.
Asia
Bangladesh
Women’s rights and child brides in Bangladesh
Refinery 29
Bangladesh has made progress on women’s rights in the country, however, on the matter of child brides not a lot has been done. Even though the practice is illegal, the law is not enforced.
Amnesty calls for the halting of an execution and a moratorium on the death penalty in Bangladesh
Amnesty
Amnesty has called for the execution of Motiur Rahman Nizami to be halted and for the death penalty in the country to be banned after the Supreme Court upheld Nizami’s sentence.
(Amnesty International urges Bangladesh to halt execution of war crimes convict Motiur Rahman Nizami)
Differing opinions are not welcome in Bangladesh
Forbes
Several brutal deaths of activists, bloggers and professors in Bangladesh, without much action being taken to solve the cases or stop them shows that different opinions are not welcome in the country.
India
Worker’s daughters campaign for their own rights
Daily Mail
The daughters of domestic workers in Chennai, India, have gathered to campaign for their rights in the rough living conditions that the face on a daily basis.
Re-integration of child victims of human trafficking is lacking in coordination
AAP
The strategy of India created to re-integrate child victims of human trafficking into society is plagued by ‘poor co-ordination, a lack of accountability and inadequate resources that can leave children at risk of further harm’
Malaysia
Amnesty speaks up against travel restriction
Free Malaysia Today
Amnesty has spoken up against the travel restrictions that have been imposed in Malaysia against politicians to travel into Sarawak, something that violates freedom of movement.
Pakistan
Human rights violations bring Pakistan down in the world
Pakistan Observer
Human rights violations in Pakistan have increased with instances of killings and unlawful arrests becoming too prominent. This is what is ‘bringing a bad name to Pakistan across the globe’.
Girl burned to death for helping friend elope
Newsx
A 16 year old girl has fallen victim of an honour killing by the council of a village after she helped cause ‘irreparable damage to the village’s reputation’.
Caribbean
Jamaica
Human rights groups concerned over move to reintroduce capital punishments
Jamaica Observer
Minister of National Security, Robert Montague, expressed a move towards the reintroduction of capital punishments in Jamaica, this has caused great concern among human rights groups.
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago human rights record under scrutiny
Antigua Observer
The human rights record of Trinidad and Tobago is coming under the scrutiny of the UNHRC Universal Periodic Review next week.
Europe
United Kingdom
Corbyn calls for human rights focus and independence vote in West Papua
Guardian
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said that human rights and justice should be the base of the labour party and drew attention to West Papua and the need for an independence vote.
Theresa May gets backing in deportation matter
Western Telegraph
The matter of the deportation of a Somali man that has involve human rights complaints has been reviewed and the Lords and Lady reviewing the case have agreed with May’s decision.
Pacific
Australia
Human rights focus for new ‘freedom commissioner’
Australian
Edward Santow will be focusing on the human rights crises that the nation is facing and is hoping to avoid political heat in his approach.
Government’s failure to act on indigenous rights sees rising suicide levels
Guardian
The Government of Australia has been slow at working for indigenous rights and the high suicide rates that have been the result of this.
Refugees set themselves on fire in protest against refugee legislation
Libertarian Republic
Refugees in Australia have started to set themselves on fire in protest against the Australian refugee laws and policies, the government is blaming pro-refugee activists for the practices.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea human rights to be scrutinized
Radio NZ
Human Rights Watch has called on the UN to scrutinize Papua New Guinea’s human rights record and for UNHRC to get PNG to show a timeline for the closing of the detention centre.
Other
Child rights continuously violated
Treehugger
Children’s rights are continuously being violated all around the world from Nigeria to Bangladesh, HRW has thus published a report on human rights and hazardous substances and wastes.
