#WORLD #WORLDWIDE #HumanRightsWatch #Magazine #News #Journal #Update - THE WEEK IN RIGHTS - 365 Days of Horror in Ukraine

 

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February 24, 2023

© 2023 Human Rights Watch One Year of Atrocities in Ukraine On February 24, 2022, Ukrainians awoke to Russia’s full-scale invasion of their country. A year later, Russian forces have shattered the lives of millions of Ukrainian citizens and devastated civilian infrastructure across the country. Russian forces have committed serious violations of international humanitarian law, including indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas that hit homes and healthcare and educational facilities. In areas they occupied, Russian or Russian-affiliated forces committed apparent war crimes, including torture, summary executions, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and looting of cultural property. WATCH: One Year of Atrocities in Ukraine Human Rights Watch has documented atrocities on both sides in Ukraine since the start of the invasion and released multiple reports detailing possible war crimes and crimes against humanity. We’ve compiled some of that reporting in a new, photo-driven feature story. This week, along with partners SITU Research, we released a detailed account of a cluster munitions attack on a crowded train station in Kramatorsk in April 2022, which killed dozens of civilians. Through in-depth interviews and forensic analysis, we reconstructed the events surrounding the attack, an apparent war crime, and determined Russia was responsible. One year since the invasion, victims deserve justice. And those responsible for atrocities in Ukraine, up to the highest levels, should be held accountable. Read More ‘All This Terror Because of a Photo’ WATCH: 'I'm A Victim Of Digital Targeting In The Middle East and North Africa Region' Government officials across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are targeting LGBT people based on their online activity on social media. A new HRW report details how security forces have entrapped LGBT people on social media and dating apps, subjecting them to online extortion, online harassment, and even outing them. Authorities also relied on illegitimately obtained digital photos, chats, and similar information when prosecuting people under laws criminalizing same-sex conduct, in violation of the right to privacy and other human rights. "I don’t feel safe anywhere, even in my apartment,” said Rania Amdouni, a 28-year-old lesbian woman and LGBT rights activist from Tunisia. She said she had been subjected to online harassment, bullying, and threats of violence, including rape and death. Mohamad Al-Bokari, a 31-year-old Yemeni blogger, fled on foot from Yemen to Saudi Arabia after Yemeni armed groups threatened to kill him due to his online activism and gender non-conformity. In 2020, Saudi authorities arrested him. Online abuses against LGBT people have offline consequences that reverberate throughout their lives and can be detrimental to their livelihood, mental health, and safety. While authorities in MENA should stop harassing LGBT people, social media companies should also invest in efforts to better protect their users.⁠⁠ Read More In Other News Refugee Students Cut Off from Classes in Lebanon Thousands of Syrian refugee students in Lebanon are being cut off from classes, all, according to officials, in the name of “equality.” Read More South Korea Court Recognizes Equal Benefits for Same-Sex Couple For the first time, a South Korean court has recognized the rights of a same-sex couple. This is a landmark ruling, but more needs to be done in South Korea, where same-sex partnerships are still not recognized. Read More Prominent Religious Leader on Trial in Myanmar The junta’s politically motivated case against Rev. Hkalam Samson, who is internationally renowned for his humanitarian and community work, shows that no one is safe in Myanmar. Read More Quiz Test Your Human Rights Knowledge Do you know your news? Take our weekly quiz and see how you stack up. Find It Here

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