Allegations that Moroccan and Spanish officials were involved in the deaths of migrants are extremely serious. These incidents require an independent international investigation. |
Azerbaijan has a poor human rights record, yet it is an important U.S. ally. This is a key moment for President Bush to take a principled stand on human rights and to clarify the administration's expectations. |
Instead of going after the perpetrators of the massacre, the Uzbek government is trying to deny responsibility and silence witnesses. |
It is a violation of international law to return people to a place where they will be persecuted and tortured. Kazakh officials had an obligation to know the risk these men faced if returned, but sent them back anyway. |
Morocco must do far more to respect the basic human rights of migrants before it can be considered a safe country for returns. This is hardly the time to be discussing an EU returns agreement with Morocco. |
Russia has joined forces with other states that have poor human rights records in opposing efforts to create a more effective U.N. human rights machinery. Many of these countries clearly prefer today's dysfunctional system that allows them to shield one another from criticism. |
Shipping people back to Morocco is not an answer to this crisis. Protecting these extremely vulnerable people should be the Spanish government's priority. |
The government needs to show both perpetrators and victims that violence against minorities will not be tolerated. Condemning ethnically motivated attacks for what they are, and bringing those responsible to justice are crucial. |
The government's crackdown on civil society is unprecedented, even in Uzbekistan's 14-year history of repression since independence from the Soviet Union. |
The international community should insist on a full account of what happened and how these asylum seekers and others ended up in Uzbek custody. |
The judge did not give sufficient weight to the defendants' statements that they confessed under torture, even though the widespread use of torture in Uzbekistan is well-documented. |
The Uzbek government's promises not to torture these men are not worth the paper they're written on. Diplomatic assurances of this type from Uzbekistan do not provide a reliable safeguard against torture and ill-treatment. |
These men went to Kazakhstan seeking safety, but now face torture and imprisonment. The Kazakh government shares responsibility for their fate and must come clean about its role in their illegal detention and return. |
This is a shocking attempt on the life of a respected human rights defender and champion of the rule of law. |
This really isn't about the visa at all. This is about the authorities not wanting to let us document the abuses there. |