Page 6 - Human Rights

S Korea to hold international forum on N Korea's human rights situation

South Korea's new envoy for the North's human rights, Lee Shin-hwa, plans to serve as a moderator for the seminar

Rajasthan's Dr. Kriti Bharti bags Global Youth Human Rights Champion Award

Rajasthan's Child Marriage Warrior Dr. Kriti Bharti honored with Geneva's Global Youth Human Rights Champion Award

UN economic body accredits 9 human rights, minority groups after US push

After years of delay, the UN body overseeing economic development and social issues voted Wednesday to give nine human rights and minority groups the right to raise concerns and participate in its discussions, overriding objections from Russia, China, India, Arab nations and others. The Economic and Social Council approved a US draft decision giving a green light for the nine groups to get special consultative status with the 54-nation UN body by a vote of 24-17 with 12 abstentions. The United States decided to go to the body's full membership after its 19-member Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, which handles requests for accreditation, deferred action again on the nine groups. The vote accredited Arab-European Center of Human Rights and International Law; Bahrain Center for Human Rights; Coptic Solidarity; Gulf Centre for Human Rights; International Dalit Solidarity Network; and the interregional rights group Man and Law. It also accredited Andrey Rylkov Foundation for

Iran accuses West of 'false human rights gestures', 'inciting riots'

'These officials, who are self-purported human rights defenders, work for the regimes that have "a history of coups, conspiracies, interference'

Taliban becoming more defiant, embracing policies of the past: US envoy

Taliban are becoming more defiant in embracing the policies of the past, US special envoy Rina Amiri has said, condemning the reports of public flogging in eastern Logar province, amid the growing concern over the human rights situation in Afghanistan."This is both appalling and a dangerous sign that the Taliban are becoming more defiant in showing the world that they are embracing the policies of the past. It didn't end up well before & it will once again take the country on a perilous path," US envoy Amiri said in a tweet.Media reports on Thursday said that three women and eleven men, who were charged with moral crimes were publicly flogged in Logar province."Fourteen people, including three women were lashed in the presence of scholars, authorities and people ... for different sins including adultery, robbery and other forms of corruption in a football stadium in Logar (province)," the Supreme Court said on Twitter, as quoted by Reuters.Earlier this month, Taliban supreme ...

Iran in a 'full-fledged human rights crisis,' says UN rights chief Turk

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Chief Volker Turk on Thursday said that a "full-fledged" crisis is underway in Iran amid a crackdown on protesters.He said that Iran is in a "full-fledged human rights crisis" as authorities clamp down on anti-regime dissidents, reported CNN.The Islamic Republic has been gripped by a wave of anti-government protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman detained by the morality police in September allegedly for not wearing her hijab properly.Turk called for "independent, impartial and transparent investigative processes" into violations of human rights in Iran during a special session of the UN Human Rights Council, reported CNN.Authorities have unleashed a deadly crackdown on demonstrators, with reports of forced detentions and physical abuse being used to target the country's Kurdish minority group.In a recent CNN investigation, covert testimony revealed sexual violence against protesters, ...

Religious freedom, related human rights in India under threat: USCIRF

Religious freedom and related human rights in India are under ongoing threat, the US Commission for International Religious Freedom alleged on Tuesday in an unusual year-end update of the status of its assessment of religious freedom in the country. India has previously rejected the USCIRF's observations, terming them as "biased and inaccurate". The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is a Congressional-appointed body. Its recommendations are, however, not mandatory to be implemented by the US State Department. In its 2022 Annual Report early this year USCIRF recommended that the US Department of State designate India as a country of particular concern for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations, as set forth by the International Religious Freedom Act. The US State Department has refused to incorporate the commission's recommendations so far. Reiterating its recommendations of early this year, USCIRF argued t

UN human rights ooffice urges Iran to free detained peaceful protesters

The UN human rights office is calling on Iran's government to immediately release thousands of people who have been detained for participating in peaceful protests, faulting its increasing harshness as Western countries seek to ratchet up scrutiny of Tehran's crackdown against demonstrators. Spokesman Jeremy Laurence of the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said it was calling for all charges to be dropped against the demonstrators and cautioned that Iran can only mete out the death penalty for the most serious crimes" under international law amid concerns that some protesters could be facing capital punishment. Instead of opening space for dialogue on legitimate grievances, the authorities are responding to unprecedented protests with increasing harshness, Laurence said at a regular UN press briefing in Geneva. He said at least 10 protesters had been charged with offenses that carry the death penalty including one found guilty of either "waging war against God o

United Nations criticises China's human rights abuses in Xinjiang

'OHCHR found evidence of patterns of torture, forced medical treatments, forced labour, incidents of sexual and gender-based violence, violations of reproductive rights'

Job cuts at Twitter spur concerns about US midterms, human rights

Product and engineering teams were gutted by well over 50%, according to two sources, and other groups - like communications, marketing, human rights and diversity - were almost completely eliminated

India has role in shaping global human rights: UN secretary general

'As an elected member of the HRC, India has a responsibility to shape global human rights, and to protect and promote the rights of all individuals, including members of minority communities'

An own goal: FIFA World Cup and human rights

The rumblings of discontent from Righteous Europe over Qatar's admittedly appalling human rights record can only be viewed as deeply disingenuous and phoney

Nobel Peace Prize: A look at the peacemakers from Belarus, Russia & Ukraine

For many years, these laureates promoted the right to criticise power and protect the fundamental rights of citizens

NHRC issues notice over death of four while cleaning sewage tank in Haryana

The National Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognisance of a report that four persons died after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning the sewer tank in Haryana's Faridabad district

Rights group APDR demands release of leaders, withdrawal of ban on PFI

Association for Protection of Democratic Rights demanded the withdrawal of the ban for five years imposed on Popular Front of India and its affiliate organisations, by the Union Home Ministry

EU seeks laws against human rights issue in Pakistan after MEP's visit

The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), who paid a three-day visit to Pakistan, have called for timely reforms and legislative changes on human rights issues including enforced disappearances

UK envoy raises concern on 'grave' oppression of Afghan women under Taliban

As human rights violations continue to take place in Afghanistan, Britain's Human Rights Ambassador, Rita French condemned the suppression of women in Afghanistan

Women trafficking rife in Bihar's Seemanchal; locals says problem endemic

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Bihar reported 111 human trafficking cases in 2021, an increase from 75 cases in 2020

Uyghurs abuse: Why UN is accusing China for 'crimes against humanity'

The extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity, the UN said

US Congress mulls American aid to India on improvement in human rights

Members of the US Congress could consider whether or not to condition future American aid to India on "improvements" in human rights and civil liberties in the country, an independent and bipartisan congressional research body has said. The Biden Administration has requested USD 117 million in foreign assistance to India for FY 2023. Congress could consider whether or not to condition some or all of such aid on improvements in human rights and civil liberties in India, Congressional Research Service said in its In Focus report titled India: Human Rights Assessment. The USD 117 million aid to India through USAID is a proposal by the Biden Administration. Notably, India has not asked for any such American assistance. Also, this amount is insignificant considering the India-US trade and business ties. During COVID-19 pandemic, the US corporate sector alone donated equipment and aid worth USD 500 million in a matter of weeks. India has repeatedly rejected criticism by foreign government