My Legal Right

NATO: Rights Key to Afghanistan’s Security

MLR — Sat, 19 May 2012 21:15:40 +0000

NATO governments at the May 20-21, 2012, summit in Chicago should endorse measures to bolster oversight and accountability of Afghan security forces and to protect women’s rights.

(Chicago) – NATO governments at the May 20-21, 2012, summit in Chicago should endorse measures to bolster oversight and accountability of Afghan security forces and to protect women’s rights.

“Beat Him, Take Everything Away” Abuses by China’s Chengguan Para-Police – Report Press Conference

MLR — Sat, 19 May 2012 21:15:37 +0000

On Wednesday, May 23 2012, Human Rights Watch (HRW) will launch its first China report of 2012: “Beat Him, Take Everything Away” Abuses by China’s Chengguan Para-Police at the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents Club.

“Beat Him, Take Everything Away” Abuses by China’s Chengguan Para-Police
Press Conference

Speaker: Dr. Sophie Richardson

China Director, Human Rights Watch

Egypt: Widespread Military Torture of Protesters Arrested in May

MLR — Sat, 19 May 2012 21:15:34 +0000

Military soldiers beat and tortured protesters they arrested at a demonstration near the Defense Ministry on May 4, 2012, Human Rights Watch said today, after interviews with numerous victims and lawyers. The military also failed to protect the protesters from attacks by armed groups in the early morning hours of May 2, at the same demonstration, which began on April 27 in Cairo’s Abbasiyya neighborhood.

(Beirut) – Military soldiers beat and tortured protesters they arrested at a demonstration near the Defense Ministry on May 4, 2012, Human Rights Watch said today, after interviews with numerous victims and lawyers.

Officials: 5 killed in Somalia blasts

MLR — Sat, 19 May 2012 20:49:32 +0000

While President Barack Obama hosts world leaders at Camp David, Michelle Obama is entertaining their spouses at the White House.

GOP leader denies Democratic claims that he’s hurting the economy to hurt Obama’s election bid

MLR — Sat, 19 May 2012 20:49:32 +0000

WASHINGTON – Are Republican lawmakers deliberately stalling the economic recovery to hurt President Barack Obama’s re-election chances? Some top Democrats say yes, pointing to GOP stances on the debt limit and other issues that they claim are causing unnecessary economic anxiety and retarding growth.

Romney points to restored bridge as Obama failure

MLR — Sat, 19 May 2012 20:49:32 +0000

Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney on Friday criticized a restored 19th century bridge as another “Bridge to Nowhere” and a fresh symbol of the waste he says is rampant in President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan.

150 years of the Department of Agriculture

MLR — Sat, 19 May 2012 20:49:27 +0000

This week President Obama released a proclamation celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Department of Agriculture. He wrote:

The USDA has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the American people for generations. During the Great Depression, the Department helped bring an end to the Dust Bowl by promoting soil conservation. Through two World Wars, the Victory Garden Program fed troops and families around the world. The USDA worked to bring electric power to rural communities, establish the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance and School Lunch Programs, implement our nation's food safety regulations, and protect our forests and private lands. For one-and-a-half centuries, USDA has empowered communities across our country and helped ensure we leave our children a future rich with promise and possibility.

Read the entire proclamation here.

US: New Prison Rape Standards Offer Landmark Protection

MLR — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:14:49 +0000

The long awaited national prison rape elimination standards issued on May 17, 2012 by the Justice Department, if fully implemented, may end widespread prison rape in the United States. The standards provide detailed guidance to federal, state, and local officials on how to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse in their confinement facilities.

(New York) – The long awaited national prison rape elimination standards issued on May 17, 2012 by the Justice Department, if fully implemented, may end widespread prison rape in the United States, Human Rights Watch said today.

US: House Vote a Step Backward for Women’s Rights

MLR — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:14:46 +0000

The US Congress should move forward with a Senate bill to renew the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and reject the dangerous alternative passed by the House of Representatives.

(Washington, DC) – The US Congress should move forward with a Senate bill to renew the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and reject the dangerous alternative passed by the House of Representatives, Human Rights Watch said today.

Honduras: Investigate Killing of Four Civilians

MLR — Fri, 18 May 2012 18:14:44 +0000

(Washington, DC) – Honduran and US authorities should ensure a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation of the alleged killing of four civilians and wounding of four others during a joint counternarcotics operation in the Mosquitia region of Honduras.