The Weekly Brief

Just a quick update in case you missed it.

Released on 21.06.2024

	High Commissioner for Human Rights Says Myanmar is Being Suffocated by an Illegitimate Military Regime The Human Rights Council this morning held an interactive dialogue with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on his report on Myanmar, hearing that Myanmar was being suffocated by an illegitimate military regime, and of stories of horrific war tactics and brutal atrocity crimes. Volker Türk, High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Myanmar was being suffocated by an illegitimate military regime. It was in agonising pain. This was a crisis, he said, emblematic of a decades-long legacy of military domination, the stifling of dissent, and division. Read more: yubanet.com
	On World Refugee Day, States Must Prioritize the Human Rights of Those Seeking protection in the Americas On occasion of World Refugee Day, Amnesty International has issued an open letter in a new tab to the states parties to the Cartagena Declaration on Refugees, who are currently meeting in Bogotá, urging them to put human rights at the heart of their new regional plan of action for the coming decade. “Every year, we see hundreds of thousands of people in the Americas forced to leave their homes, fleeing violence, the effects of climate change and massive human rights violations. Read more: amnestyusa.org
	Human rights report: Kurds suffer disproprotionate levels of torture in Turkey The latest report from the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) reveals a significant increase in cases of torture and ill-treatment in Turkey in 2023, with a disproportionate number of victims being Kurdish-speaking individuals. The TİHV report found that 781 individuals complained that they had been subjected to torture and ill-treatment in Turkey in 2023. According to the foundation’s Treatment and Rehabilitation Centres Report, 739 individuals applied to the foundation personally, while 42 applied on behalf of a relative. The foundation has been working for over 30 years to prevent torture and to provide treatment and rehabilitation for torture survivors. Read more: medyanews.net
	India's human rights body calls for scrutiny of Amazon warehouse labour practices India's human rights commission asked the government on Wednesday to look into allegations of labour law violations at an Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab warehouse near New Delhi over alleged harsh working conditions during a severe heatwave. Indian media this month reported that workers in the e-commerce giant's warehouse in Manesar, near New Delhi, complained of a lack of water and toilet breaks as they were under pressure to achieve packaging targets. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in a statement said the findings "raise a serious issue of human rights of the workers" and asked the labour ministry to look into the alleged labour law violations within one week. Read more: reuters.com
	Ethiopia: End Crackdown on Human Rights Organisations Development Diaries reports that the oldest independent human rights organisation in the country, the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), has been the target of increased intimidation, harassment, and threats by Ethiopian security and intelligence services in recent months. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW) findings, government security forces and intelligence officers have been following human rights organisation employees at their homes and places of employment since February 2024, demanding that they cease their work and reporting on human rights issues. Read more: developmentdiaries.com
	Targeting human rights defenders must stop, UN expert says: Democratic Republic of Congo A UN expert today expressed alarm at increasing targeting of human rights defenders in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly in villages and provinces in the east of the country, as the armed conflict intensifies. “Attacks, intimidation and killings of human rights defenders continue on a daily basis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite repeated calls for authorities to step up efforts to investigate human rights violations in the country and arrest and bring perpetrators to justice,” said Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. Read more: nationaltribune.com.au
	Human rights groups join in statement calling Tunisia government to end crackdown on free speech A group of human rights organizations in a joint statement released on Tuesday called on the government of Tunisia to end its recent crackdown on free speech and free association and to uphold respect for human rights as attacks on journalists, lawyers and human rights groups have “significantly escalated” in the last month. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and MENA Rights Group are among the twelve organizations that are signatories to the statement. Read more: jurist.org