human-rights – Page 3 – 4VF News

Swim club offers olive branch after racism allegations

A suburban Philadelphia swim club has invited children from a largely minority day-care center to come back after a June reversal that fueled allegations of racism against the club, a spokeswoman said Sunday. The development came during a hastily called Sunday afternoon meeting of the Valley Club in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania. Club members voted overwhelmingly to try to work things out with the day-care center, which accused some swim club members of making racist comments to black and Hispanic children contracted to use the pool, said Bernice Duesler, the club director’s wife.

Saudi woman activist demands right to travel

Wajeha al-Huwaider picked up her passport, got in a taxi, and headed from her home in eastern Saudi Arabia to the nearby island kingdom of Bahrain — a 45-minute drive that many Saudis take to get away for the weekend. Despite having a valid passport, Saudi authorities at the border sent al-Huwaider home. That’s because in Saudi Arabia, a woman needs permission from her male guardian before she can leave the country

India: Legal gay sex ruling challenged

A landmark ruling that legalized gay sex between consenting partners in India was challenged Thursday in the country’s high court, lawyers said. The supreme court issued a notice to the nonprofit Naz Foundation that had won a lower-court verdict after a seven-year legal fight to decriminalize gay sex

Zimbabwe military blamed for bloodshed in diamond mining

Illegal diamond mining by Zimbabwean troops is leading to bloodshed and attacks against civilians, said a global watchdog group formed to cut the flow of so-called "blood diamonds." Residents and workers contributed accounts of attacks detailed by the interim findings of the Kimberley Process after a weeklong investigation in Zimbabwe. The probe started days after a Human Rights Watch report accused the nation’s armed forces of violently taking over the diamond fields in Marange district and killing about 200 people since last year.

Nobel laureates urge U.N. to help free Iran protesters

The United Nations should "urge" Iran to release political prisoners rounded up during the recent unrest following last month’s disputed presidential elections, a group of Nobel Peace Prize winners have declared.

On Agenda, Gays Ask, But Obama’s Not Telling

On January 9, the President-elect’s spokesman Robert Gibbs gave a rare one-word answer. Asked if Barack Obama would “get rid” of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which prohibits gays from serving openly, Gibbs replied firmly, “Yes.” Ever since, the relationship between the President and his gay and lesbian supporters has only gotten more complicated. Soldiers continue to be discharged from the military for being openly gay, and activists have voiced increasing concern over the administration’s lack of action on other key issues.

Amnesty: Economic troubles heighten rights abuses

Global economic troubles are fueling a human-rights crisis, Amnesty International warned as it released its "Report 2009: State of the World’s Human Rights" on Thursday. “The economic downturn has aggravated abuses, distracted attention from them and created new problems,” Amnesty Secretary General Irene Khan said in a news release. “In the name of security, human rights were trampled on

U.S.: Afghan militants using white phosphorus

Militants continue to use a material not designed for use as a weapon against people to strike international forces in Afghanistan, the U.S.-coalition said Tuesday. White phosphorus, a smoke-producing agent commonly used to hide military operations, can cause severe burns.

Sri Lanka denies claims civilians hit by shelling

Sri Lankan officials on Sunday disavowed rebel claims that government troops had indiscriminately shelled a no-fire zone, killing many civilians Saturday night and Sunday morning. The accusations came after the government announced Thursday that it had “re-demarcated” the no-fire zone to encompass a new area 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) long and 1.5 kilometers (0.9 mile) wide

Probe calls for Bangladesh troop deaths

Human rights groups in Bangladesh and abroad are calling for an investigation after 16 borders guards accused of participating in a bloody revolt in February died in custody in recent days. The Bangladesh military acknowledged the deaths of the Bangladesh Rifles paramilitary troops, or jawans — but insisted they were the result of illness and suicide. “Given the history of abuses by security forces in Bangladesh, there is no reason to take at face value the claim that these detainees have committed suicide,” said Brad Adams, Asia director or the New York-based Human Rights Watch, in a statement