Just a quick update in case you missed it.
 | Released on 16.08.2024 |  |
 | ‘Worse than business as usual’: EU overlooks Uganda’s attack on human rights The European Union claims to stand up for human rights, the rule of law, transparency in government and peaceful, democratic elections. Yet in recent years it has allowed one of its partners, Uganda, to repeatedly violate these ideals. In 2020 and 2021, President Yoweri Museveni’s government oversaw the most violent election cycle in Ugandan history. At least 54 people were killed during campaign season, more than any election season before. When the dust was settled, Museveni secured his sixth term and 35th year in power. Read more: opendemocracy.net |
 | Claim condition to protect Sheriff Hutton site breaches human rights A Romany Gypsy family seeking consent to establish a home in open countryside have claimed restricting the site to their use would breach their human rights as they have already spent a “vast” amount of money developing it. North Yorkshire Council’s Thirsk and Malton planning committee will on Thursday (August 15) consider the Sykes family’s revised proposal to create four 22m by 31m pitches west of Sheriff Hutton. Read more: thenorthernecho.co.uk |
 | UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemns storming of his office in Sana’a UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Tuesday strongly condemned the storming of his Office’s representation in Sana’a by the Ansar Allah (Al Houthi movement) and renewed his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN staff detained in Yemen. “Entering a UN office without permission and seizing documents and property by force are wholly inconsistent with the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. This is also a serious attack on the ability of the UN to perform its mandate, including with respect to the promotion and protection of human rights, which my Office is there to defend,” Turk said in a press release today. Read more: ohchr.org |
 | Russian spy agency hackers breach human rights groups, victims say Reports published Wednesday by digital rights group Access Now and Canadian research nonprofit Citizen Lab include samples of the emails sent during the past two years to targets such as Russian rights organization First Department, which represents Russians accused of treason or espionage. While the FSB and other Russian services have used similar tactics before, the new research shows that they have altered their techniques to avoid immediate detection and that they don’t mind being identified later, according to Citizen Lab. Read more: washingtonpost.com |
 | Pakistan: Human Rights group Paank condemns targeted killing of Baloch official Paank, the Human Rights Department of the Baloch National Movement, denounced the targeted killing of Panjgur District Commissioner, Zakir Baloch. They claim that the killing was a result of the officer's refusal to follow orders from Pakistan's defence forces to use force against Baloch protesters. In a post on X, Paank on Tuesday said, "Paank strongly condemns the tragic and unlawful assassination of District Commissioner Panjgur, Zakir Baloch. We are deeply concerned by the reports suggesting that Zakir Baloch was targeted for refusing to comply with orders from the Pakistani military to use force against Baloch protestors. Read more: lokmattimes.com |
 | UN-led investigation to be launched soon: UN rights chief The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, has made a phone call to Bangladesh chief adviser professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday, says a press release of the chief adviser's press wing. The chief adviser thanked him and his longtime friend Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, for supporting the Bangladesh students revolution and championing their rights during unprecedented and devastating killings of student protestors. The 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate said human rights will be the cornerstone of his administration and the protection of every citizen is the top most priority of the government. Read more: en.prothomalo.com |
 | Greece: Continued judicial harassment of migrants’ rights defender Panayote Dimitras The recent summons by the Athens Magistrate marks a new development in Mr Dimitras’ long history of judicial harassment, this time also prospecting the criminal prosecution of his wife, constituting a major violation of their right to defend human rights as well as of the recently adopted European Union (EU) anti-SLAPP Directive. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT) urges the Greek authorities to put an immediate end to this practice of harassment and to ensure that all human rights defenders in the country can carry out their legitimate activities without hindrance or fear of reprisals. Read more: fidh.org |
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