Human rights Watch

Newsletter: The Week in Rights

Iranian Society More Closed Than Ever
Hundreds of "Green Revolution" Protesters Remain in Prison
One year after the disputed Iranian presidential election, the atmosphere in Iran is markedly different than the images of mass protests beamed across the airwaves and through cyberspace a year ago. Public demonstrations of dissent have all but disappeared and protesters have been forced underground -- Iran is more of a closed society than ever.

The Iranian government continues to harass civil society activists. Hundreds of protesters arrested during or in the months following the demonstrations languish in jail. At least six have been sentenced to death for their participation in the “green revolution.”

Many of those still in jail have never been charged, tried or convicted, and are often denied access to attorneys or family members for weeks or months on end.

Of those arrested, 250 have been tried and convicted, according to the Iranian judiciary. In addition to the six people slated to be executed, at least nine other dissidents have been hanged in the past year.

After being overwhelmed, at first, by ordinary Iranians spreading information about the protests through cell phones, e-mail, and social media sites, the government increasingly relies on surveillance and filtering technology to disrupt the flow of information to and from Iran's phone and Internet users.

On June 10 – two days before the anniversary of the protests – Iran formally rejected a number of important human rights recommendations made by the UN Human Rights Council in February.

Read about growing repression in Iran »
Photo: © 2009 Reuters

Help Stop Dictator Science Prize
UNESCO Prize Linked to Equatorial Guinea's Corrupt President
A June 15 meeting may be the last time the board of UNESCO, the United Nations body responsible for education and science, can block plans to award a life sciences prize financed by and named for the dictator of Equatorial Guinea.

UNESCO sources told Human Rights Watch that unless some of the 58 countries on the governing executive board voice objections, the UNESCO-Obiang Nguema Mbasogo International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences will be awarded at a ceremony tentatively planned for late June.

President Obiang gave US$3 million to fund the prize. Although Equatorial Guinea’s oil wealth gives it a per capita GDP on par with Spain’s, vast corruption benefitting the elite squanders funds that could be spent to improve conditions.

Socio-economic indicators reveal that Equatorial Guinea’s population suffers conditions worse than those of many war-torn regions. Many people lack clean drinking water, and a higher percentage of children under 5 years old die in Equatorial Guinea than anywhere else in the world.

Ask your government to oppose the UNESCO-Obiang prize before it’s too late. Find the contact information for your country’s delegate here.

Read more»
Photo: © 2009 Reuters
Most Popular Headlines
DR Congo: Prominent Human Rights Defender Killed
Floribert Chebeya Bahizire 's shocking death is a serious blow for human rights in the Congo. The announced police investigation needs United Nations help if it is to be credible and transparent and bring all those responsible to justice.
Jamaica: Investigate Killings In Tivoli Gardens
An independent and impartial investigation by Jamaican authorities is critical to determine whether any of the killings by state security forces in the Tivoli Gardens section of Kingston were in fact the result of excessive force or outright executions.
EU: Defer Hasty Returns of Migrant Children
Returning migrant children to their country of origin just won't work for every child. Before deporting vulnerable kids to places like Afghanistan, EU governments need to make sure it is in the children's best interests.


Editor's Picks
India: Prosecute Soldiers in Kashmir 'Encounter Killing’
The recent killing of three men by soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir in an apparent faked encounter with so-called militants underscores the urgency for the Indian government to repeal the Special Powers Act. Under the Act, soldiers may not be prosecuted in a civilian court unless sanctioned by the federal government, which is extremely rare.

Putrajaya’s 1st international human rights test
by Phil Robertson
Malaysiakini
When Malaysia joined the United Nations' Human Rights Council in Geneva, it pledged to "promote greater coherence" between the council's human rights goals and the rest of the UN's work. Malaysia also said it would use its position on the council to promote economic, social and cultural rights. An upcoming meeting in Paris offers a test of those commitments.
Morocco: Police Harass Two Outspoken Journalists
The police have pounced on a business dispute to harass and humiliate two bold journalists, Ali Amar and Zineb El Rhazoui. The police misconduct gives every reason to fear what kind of justice awaits Ali Amar.




Podcasts


HRW Film Festival:
The filmmakers discuss their movie, “Out in the Silence." It’s about being gay in small town America.
Join us at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York, June 11 - 24.


“Iran: Voices of the Unheard” brings us the story of Iranian secularists through three fascinating characters.

On each side of “12th & Delaware,” people stand locked in a heated battle. On one side of the street sits an abortion clinic. On the other side, a pro-life center.

“Enemies of the People” follows the project of Thet Sambath, whose parents perished under the Khmer Rouge regime.
Publications
World Report 2010


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