Witness: An Aerial Attack Killed his Family – Walid’s Story‏

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THE WEEK IN RIGHTS July 2, 2015 Follow us on:

Witness: An Aerial Attack Killed his Family - Walid's Story Photo © 2015 Ole Solvang/Human Rights Watch The ancient mud-house city of Saada, under the control of Houthi rebels since 2011, was almost deserted when Belkis Wille arrived in late May to investigate damage caused by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition's aerial bombing of Yemen. By that time, the scorched streets were dotted with craters but empty of people - most women and children had already fled, heeding Saudi warnings that the nine-country coalition now considered the entire city of 40,000 to be a military target. As Belkis and her colleague Ole Solvang began asking those remaining about the air strikes, they heard one story over and over - the attack on a two-story, two-home residential building that killed 27 members of the al-Ibbi family, including 17 children. "Everyone kept telling us about it, because it was so dramatic," Belkis recalls. "But also because the townspeople insisted that the father was just a simple retired barber, that his sons worked in the family's two barber shops, and that they had no connection to the rebel Houthi forces." Read more » share on:

Dispatches: Elections Begin in Burundi in a Climate of Fear By Carina Tertsakian  Yesterday, Burundians went to the polls to elect local and parliamentary representatives, in the country's most controversial elections for many years. Initial reports indicate a low turnout; many people chose to stay at home. After weeks of police violence, fierce clashes between demonstrators and the police, scores of deaths, and the closure of most private radio stations (the main source of news in the country), it is no wonder many Burundians are not in the mood to vote.  See the Latest News in Africa »  share on:

In the Dominican Republic, Thousands at Risk of Expulsion to Haiti The Dominican Republic is denying tens of thousands of citizens their right to a nationality, and are unable to access basic civic functions such as registering children at birth, enrolling in school and college, and participating in the formal economy. Despite mixed messages, people are also being detained and shoved over the border.  See the Latest News in the Americas >>  share on:

Thailand's Junta Arrests 14 Student Activists While insisting they aren't dictators, the Thai generals have used the military courts as a central feature of their crackdown against peaceful criticism and political dissent.  See the Latest News in Asia »  share on:

US: Supreme Court Upholds Same-Sex Marriage  The Supreme Court's decision is a huge victory for same-sex couples in the US that will reverberate in many countries that still deny people the right to marry the person they love. It will strengthen everyone's fundamental rights to equality and non-discrimination, irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity.  See the Latest News in the United States >>  share on:

VIDEO     Dominican citizens risk expulsion to Haiti.  Watch Now » NEW WEBSITE       Human Rights Watch launched its new website - check it out!   http://www.hrw.org » TWEET of the WEEK Here's why yesterday's vote by #Brazil's Chamber of Deputies to send 16-yr-olds to adult court is a bad idea.  Follow Michael Bochenek »