Human Rights | IDN-InDepthNews | Analysis That Matters

Upsurge in Support for Death Penalty Abolition

Public execution of a woman by Taliban members, Afghanistan, 1999 | Credit: Wikimedia Commons By J C Suresh | IDN-InDepth NewsReport

TORONTO (IDN) - There are miles and miles to go before capital punishment is at last accepted as a remnant of the gory past and abolished. But indications are that it is slowly on its way out. Amnesty International has welcomed an upsurge in global support for abolition of the death penalty, after the UN General Assembly (UNGA) voted overwhelmingly in favour of a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

In the vote on December 20, the fourth such vote by the plenary session of the UNGA since 2007, 111 states voted for the resolution – an increase of two from the last vote in 2010. There were 41 votes against, with 34 abstentions.

Women Fight for Rights in New Egypt

Women protest abuse of women by Egyptian military police | Credit: Khaled Moussa al-Omrani By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani*
IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis**

CAIRO (IDN | GCC) - Throughout the course of Egypt's January 25 Revolution, which culminated in the ouster of longstanding President Hosni Mubarak in February 2011, female protesters stood on the frontlines of the uprising alongside their male counterparts. But as Egyptians continue to celebrate the downfall of Mubarak's oppressive regime, many female activists say the lot of women hasn't improved – either socially or politically – in the post-Mubarak era.

Libya: The Fight for Women's Rights Goes On

Libyan activist Nadine Nasrat | Credit: Faten Babaa By Mel Frykberg*
IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis**

TRIPOLI (IDN | GCC) - Following the Libyan revolution, in which women played a crucial part, and the participation of large numbers of female citizens in the July 2012 elections, Libyan women are now looking forward to a partnership and full equality with their male counterparts.

"Libyan women were instrumental in the country choosing a liberal and progressive government in the recent elections as many of them voted for the winning National Forces Alliance (NFA) of Mahmoud Jibril," said Nadine Nasrat, from the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).

Drone Strikes Very Much a Human Rights Issue

Armed Predator drone firing Hellfire missile | Credit: Wikimedia Commons By Martin Khor*
IDN-InDepth NewsViewpoint

GENEVA (IDN) - The use of drones by one state to kill people in other countries is fast emerging as an international human rights issue of serious public concern. This was evident in the recent session (June 18-July 6, 2012) of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, both in the official meetings and in NGO seminars.

UN Censures Practice of Detaining Migrants

Immigration detention centre | Credit: ncadc.org.uk By Jaya Ramachandran
IDN-InDepth NewsReport

GENEVA (IDN) - The United Nations has in a new report expressed grave doubts about the widespread practice of detaining migrants. States use a variety of reasons to justify this practice and some see irregular migration as a national security problem or a criminal issue, notes the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, François Crépeau, in his latest report to the Human Rights Council. However, he warns, there are a number of human rights issues at stake.

Nobody Bothers If a Tibetan Burns Himself

Photo: A Tibetan protester burning himself By R. S. Kalha*
IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis

NEW DELHI (IDN) - When most people in India saw Jamphel Yeshi, a young 27-year old Tibetan, setting himself on fire – on March 26, 2012 – to protest the arrival in India of the Chinese leader Hu Jintao, they could not but have pondered over the sad fate that has befallen a forgotten people.

Switzerland Faulted For Racism and Xenophobia

Credit: coe.int By Richard Johnson
IDN-InDepth NewsReport

GENEVA (IDN) - Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, has expressed concern about rising racism and xenophobia in Switzerland, and called for an overhaul of the Swiss criminal law to do away with impunity for perpetrators of racism.

UN Help Sought To Halt Organ Theft in Sinai

Credit: hetq.am By Jaya Ramachandran
IDN-InDepth NewsReport

BRUSSELS (IDN) - An international non-governmental organisation has called upon the United Nations Human Rights Council, the International Criminal Court and the European Union to help put a halt to organ trafficking in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.

Women's Rights Crassly Violated

Women protesting By Jutta Wolf
IDN-InDepth NewsReport

BERLIN (IDN) - A new study on the extent of protection of women and girls has revealed that the risk of human rights abuses, such as sexual violence, discrimination, trafficking and sexual exploitation, are at "extreme" levels in more than 40 percent of the 197 countries around the world.