The English Premier League should respect human rights throughout all of its operations, including as it evaluates a bid by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund to acquire Newcastle United F.C., Human Rights Watch and FairSquare Projects said today. The Premier League and the Football Association should consider adopting a comprehensive human rights policy in line with the policy put in place by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in 2017.
Human Rights Watch, in June 2020, and FairSquare, in April, separately wrote to the Premier League CEO, Richard Masters, outlining concerns around the prospective purchase by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The Premier League’s short responses, which contained identical language, failed to engage with the concerns raised about whether the buyer met the league’s own tests for prospective owners. The league also did not say whether it was taking Saudi Arabia’s human rights record into account when considering the sale, stating only that the sale to a “company based in Saudi Arabia” was subject to due processes that “cannot be conducted in public and on which we cannot comment.”
“The Premier League shouldn’t leave FIFA’s human rights policy to one side and ignore Saudi human rights abuses as it considers the sale of one of its clubs to the country’s sovereign wealth fund,” said Benjamin Ward, United Kingdom director at Human Rights Watch. “Adopting a comprehensive human rights policy and including human rights as a criterion for evaluating potential buyers of football clubs would set a positive example.”
On July 6, the United Kingdom introduced a new global human rights sanctions regime which included asset freezes and travel bans for 20 Saudi men connected to the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018. Those designated include Saud al-Qahtani, a former close adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is chairman of the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
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Three-Year-Old Girl Latest Philippines ‘Drug War’ Victim
On Sunday, a 3-year-old girl became the latest casualty of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs,” which has killed thousands over the past three years. Myka Ulpina died after being shot during a police raid targeting her father, Renato Dolofrina, in Rizal province, near Manila, media reports said. Police claimed that Dolofrina used the child as a “shield” during the operation.
Police accounts of drug raids are not reliable because the officers enforcing the “drug war” have been shown to manufacture evidence such as planting weapons and drugs to justify killings. Deceit has become the hallmark of this brutal campaign in which the authorities admit 6,600 people have been killed– other estimates suggest as many as 27,000 – because all of them, according to authorities, fought back, ignoring case after case in which witnesses say suspects were executed.
Most of those killed in Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, including the children like Myka, lived in impoverished urban areas. The United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, was among those that condemned the July 2018 death of Skyler Abatayo, 4, and that of Danica May Garcia, 5, in August 2016.
Then there are the children who themselves were targeted and killed, the most notorious case being that of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos, who was shown in surveillance footage being dragged away by police and was later found dead in a pigsty. Kian’s murder resulted in the only conviction so far of police officers implicated in a “drug war” killing. Child rights groups in the Philippines have told Human Rights Watch that more than 100 children have died since the campaign began in June 2016.
The “drug war” has also damaged countless Filipino children who continue to grapple with the psychological, emotional, social, and economic impact of the killings of their loved ones, who were often their family’s breadwinner. A web feature Human Rights Watch published last week underscored the devastation this campaign has unleashed on children.
Out of the Shadows: The Resilience and Courage of People with Albinism in Mozambique
I recently read an article about the abduction of an 11-year-old girl in Nampula Province, Mozambique. She was later found dead with her limbs cut off. Why?
Because she had albinism, a genetic condition in which the body produces lower levels of melanin, the pigment in your skin. People with albinism in Mozambique can face extreme violence, including killings, abductions, and mutilations because some believe their body parts hold magical powers and bring good fortune.
I just came back from Tete, Mozambique, where Human Rights Watch documented the violence, isolation, and discrimination people with albinism in Mozambique experience their entire lives: “From Cradle to Grave.” They face difficulties going to school, getting a job, being part of their communities. They endure name-calling, verbal abuse, and the threat of kidnapping and violence. Many wish they were invisible.
We met people like Cesaria, a teacher with albinism who told me her students are afraid to touch her, but who demonstrated incredible resilience and courage.
We spent time with Josina and her niece Luisa (who doesn’t have albinism), 8-year-olds who embody the spirit of friendship, love, and inclusion.
We spoke with Revita, a teacher who has ensured Josina gets an education along with her peers. Revita’s gift to Josina and all the children in her classroom goes beyond the lessons in a textbook; she is teaching them about compassion, equality, and human rights.
We shared these examples of courage and inclusion with Mozambique’s Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare. We brought them to the United Nations in New York, with the UN expert on the rights of persons with albinism, Ikponwosa Ero, a woman with albinism herself.
We also took our report to the albinism community in Tete, Mozambique, printed in large font since many people with albinism have low vision.
Philippines: ‘Drug War’ Devastates Children’s Lives
Kids Suffer in President Duterte’s Brutal Campaign
The Philippine government’s brutal “war on drugs” has devastated the lives of countless children, Human Rights Watch said today in a new web feature. The United Nations Human Rights Council, whose 41st session began on June 24, 2019, in Geneva, should adopt the resolution initiated by Iceland that asks the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to report on the Philippines’ “drug war” and human rights crisis.
The web feature, “Collateral Damage: The Children of Duterte’s ‘War on Drugs,’” shares stories on the plight of several children who have suffered from the emotional, psychological, and economic impacts of the “drug war” violence. The administration of President Rodrigo Duterte should not only end the violence but provide the necessary services to mitigate the damage that abuses by the police and police-backed vigilantes have caused children who have lost parents and other family members, or witnessed extrajudicial killings.
“No child should experience the loss of a parent or other family member to extrajudicial killings or witness such horrific violence at the hands of police or hitmen,” said Carlos Conde, Philippines researcher. “The toll of the Philippines’ ‘drug war’ does not end with the killing of a drug suspect, but may extend to their children, often completely destroying families.”
By the government’s own admission, more than 6,600 people have been killed since the “drug war” began after Duterte’s election three years ago. Other estimates are much higher. Children have been among those who died during police operations, either directly targeted or inadvertently shot by the police.
“Jennifer,” one of the children interviewed by Human Rights Watch, was 11 years old when police shot her father dead. She has since had difficulty eating, become withdrawn, and for a while stopped going to school.
“Kyle,” age 5, developed aggressive behavior after assailants murdered his father. Three other children interviewed by Human Rights Watch ended up living in the streets because nobody could take care of them. Most victims of the “drug war” come from poor families in impoverished urban areas in Manila and other cities across the Philippines.
Human Rights Watch: Japan’s transgender sterilization law is ‘regressive
Human Rights Watch: Japan’s transgender sterilization law is ‘regressive
March 20 UPI A Japanese law that forces transgendered people to undergo surgical sterilization if they want to be legally recognized by their preferred gender violates the Asian country’s human rights obligations, said an international human rights organization
In the 84-page report, titled “A Really High Hurdle: Japan’s Abusive Transgender Legal Recognition Process Human Rights Watch demands that the Japanese government end its regressive and harmful law Requiring a medical intervention as a condition of having their gender identity legally recognized violates Japan human rights obligations and runs counter to international medical standards the nongovernmental organization said on its website. Under Japan’s 2004 GID Act, transgender people wanting to legally change their gender must appeal to a family court and meet specific criteria, which includes being unwed childless and under 20 years of age. The applicant must also undergo a psychiatric evaluation and received a gender identity disorder” diagnosis. They must also be sterile either by birth or by medical procedure. Japan should uphold the rights of transgender people and stop forcing them to undergo surgery to be legally recognized said Japan director at Human Rights Watch .
(Beirut) – Algerian authorities have stepped up trials of members of the Ahmadiyya religious minority on charges related to the exercise of their religion, Human Rights Watch said today. Sentences range from fines to a year in prison.
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Human Rights Watch received information that, in December 2017 alone, there were at least eight new trials in Algeria involving at least 50 Ahmadi defendants. Since June 2016, 266 Ahmadis have faced charges, some of them in more than one trial. The president of the Ahmadyyia community in Algeria, Mohamed Fali, told Human Rights Watch that at least four new trials are scheduled for later in January 2018.
“Algerian authorities continue their unabated persecution of this minority, apparently for doing no more than exercising their freedom of religion,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. Read More …
(Beirut) –uthorities have stepped up trials of members of the Ahmadiyya religious minority on charges related to the exercise of their religion, Human Rights Watch said today. Sentences range from fines to a year in prison.
Human Rights Watch received information that, in December 2017 alone, there were at least eight new trials in Algeria involving at least 50 Ahmadi defendants. Since June 2016, 266 Ahmadis have faced charges, some of them in more than
man Rights Watch received information that, in December 2017 alone, there were at least eight new trials in Algeria involving at least 50 Ahmadi defendants. Since June 2016, 266 Ahmadis have faced charges, some of them in more than one trial. The president of the Ahmadyyia community in Algeria, Mohamed Fali, told Human Rights Watch that at least four new trials are scheduled for later in January 2018.
“Algerian authorities continue their unabated persecution of this minority, apparently for doing no more than exercising their freedom of religion,” saiiddle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
one trial. The president of the Ahmadyyia community in Algeria, Mohamed Fali, told Human Rights Watch that at least four new trials are scheduled for later in January 2018.
“Algerian authorities continue their unabated persecution of this minority, apparently for doing no more than exercising their freedom of religion,” saiiddle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.
China collecting DNA, biometrics from millions in Xinjiang: report
Authorities in China’s far-west are collecting DNA samples, fingerprints, eye scans and blood types of millions of people aged 12 to 65, according to a new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report.
Xinjiang, the only Chinese territory apart from Tibet where ethnic Han Chinese are not in the majority, has long been subject to tight controls and surveillance not experienced elsewhere in China.
In April, authorities banned the region’s 10 million Muslims from wearing long beards or veils in public, as well as banning home schooling and introducing new restrictions on downloading allegedly extremist materials.
Authorities in China’s far-west are collecting DNA samples, fingerprints, eye scans and blood types of millions of people aged 12 to 65, according to a new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report. Xinjiang, the only Chinese territory apart from Tibet where ethnic Han Chinese are not in the majority, has long been subject to tight controls and surveillance not experienced elsewhere in China. In April, authorities banned the region’s 10 million Muslims from wearing long beards or veils in public, as well as banning home schooling and introducing new restrictions on downloading allegedly extremist materials. Authorities in China’s far-west are collecting DNA samples, fingerprints, eye scans and blood types of millions of people aged 12 to 65, according to a new Human Rights Watch (HRW) report. Xinjiang, the only Chinese territory apart from Tibet where ethnic Han Chinese are not in the majority, has long been subject to tight controls and surveillance not experienced elsewhere in China. In April, authorities banned the region’s 10 million Muslims from wearing long beards or veils in public, as well as banning home schooling and introducing new restrictions on downloading allegedly extremist materials. In April, authorities banned the region’s 10 million Muslims from wearing long beards or veils in public, as well as banning home schooling and introducing new restrictions on downloading allegedly extremist materials.
Rohingya testimonies of Myanmar atrocities mount
Myanmar‘s military has been accused of carrying out atrocities against the ethnic Rohingya civilians in Rakhine State, which the government has adamantly denied.
In a makeshift camp in Cox’s Bazar in neighbouring Bangladesh, Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom met a young refugee who survived an attack by the army on the day Human Rights Watch says mass killings were carried out.
Myanmar’s military has been accused of carrying out atrocities against the ethnic Rohingya civilians in Rakhine State, which the government has adamantly denied.In a makeshift camp in Cox’s Bazar in neighbouring Bangladesh, Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom met a young refugee who survived an attack by the army on the day Human Rights Watch says mass killings were carried out.Myanmar’s military has been accused of carrying out atrocities against the ethnic Rohingya civilians in Rakhine State, which the government has adamantly denied.In a makeshift camp in Cox’s Bazar in neighbouring Bangladesh, Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom met a young refugee who survived an attack by the army on the day Human Rights Watch says mass killings were carried out.Myanmar’s military has been accused of carrying out atrocities against the ethnic Rohingya civilians in Rakhine State, which the government has adamantly denied.In a makeshift camp in Cox’s Bazar in neighbouring Bangladesh, Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom met a young refugee who survived an attack by the army on the day Human Rights Watch says mass killings were carried out.Myanmar’s military has been accused of carrying out atrocities against the ethnic Rohingya civilians in Rakhine State, which the government has adamantly denied.In a makeshift camp in Cox’s Bazar in neighbouring Bangladesh, Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom met a young refugee who survived an attack by the army on the day Human Rights Watch says mass killings were carried out.
Human Rights Watch flags discrimination in Muslim-only ID proposal
“Two weeks ago, authorities in the town of Paniqui, Tarlac province, imposed a Muslim-only ID card as a ‘best practice’ that authorities were urged to replicate throughout Central Luzon’s seven provinces,” HRW said.
“The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other human rights treaties to which the Philippines is a party prohibits discrimination based on religion. The IDs could also violate the rights to equal protection of the law, freedom of movement, and other basic rights,” it added.
A PLAN by local officials to implement a “Muslim-only” identification card (ID) system as a counterterrorism initiative is “discriminatory,” warned a New York-based human-rights advocacy group on Wednesday, July 5.The proposal, which Human Rights Watch (HRW) said will cover around 26,000 Muslims in Central Luzon, came amid ongoing clashes between government troops and IS-linked Maute rebels in Marawi City. “Two weeks ago, authorities in the town of Paniqui, Tarlac province, imposed a Muslim-only ID card as a ‘best practice’ that authorities were urged to replicate throughout Central Luzon’s seven provinces,” HRW said. “The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other human rights treaties to which the Philippines is a party prohibits discrimination based on religion. The IDs could also violate the rights to equal protection of the law, freedom of movement, and other basic rights,” it added. freedom of movement, and other basic rights,” it added. and other basic rights,” it added.
Rohingya villages ‘destroyed’ in Myanmar, images show
More than 1,200 homes have been razed in villages inhabited by Myanmar’s Muslim Rohingya minority in the past six weeks, Human Rights Watch says.
The group has released a batch of new satellite images that it says show 820 structures were destroyed between 10-18 November.
The military is conducting security operations in Rakhine but the government denies it is razing homes.
The Rohingya are one of the world’s most persecuted minority groups.
The BBC cannot independently verify the extent of destruction in Rohingya villages as the government has blocked international journalists from visiting the area, from where tens of thousands of people have fled.
But a BBC correspondent on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border has spoken with fleeing Rohingya families who described what was happening in northern Rakhine as “hell on earth”.