News Clips – October 28, 2016

Civil Society

• After recent protests in Argentina over the murder and rape of a teenage girl, two women who participated in the protest were murdered this week, causing civil society to argue that femicides and gender-based violence are on the rise. [Guardian]
• The police in South Africa this week used water canons, tear gas, and stun grenades against students protesting tuition fees. [Al Jazeera]
• After Canada fell in the United Nation’s gender equality ranking, activists are demanding more action from the government to improve women’s rights. [Guardian]
• Human Rights Watch reported this week that two new directives in China will hinder lawyers’ ability to speak publically about their clients’ cases due to new restrictions on their freedom of expression. [HRW]

Migrants & Refugees

• The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced this week that more people have died attempting to cross the Mediterranean this year than any other. [Guardian]
• As the French authorities start to dismantle the Calais refugee camp, the police have reportedly started to arrest individuals who remained. [Guardian]

Detention & the Death Penalty

• The Periodic Review Board, which reviews the continued detention of Guantanamo prisoners, issued a decision this week that stated Encep Nurjaman Hambali continues to pose a threat to the security of the United States and, therefore, cannot be released from detention. [Miami Herald]
• A Pakistani judge has ordered Imdad Ali, a man with a disability, to be hanged on November 2 next week. [Washington Post]
• Kenya’s President Kenyatta announced this week that all death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment. [Al Jazeera]
• The United Nations Working Group on arbitrary detention concluded its visit to the United States, calling on the country to end its practice of detaining migrants. [OHCHR Press Release]

Conflict, Violence, & Humanitarian Crises

• The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs announced this week that Nigeria is suffering from the worst humanitarian crisis on the continent due to widespread starvation and lack of access to clean water. [UN News Centre]
• An Al-Shabab suicide bomber attacked an African Union military base in Somalia this week. [Al Jazeera]
• Russia announced this week that its moratorium on air strikes in Aleppo, Syria were due to continue, but reports indicate that air strikes have continued. [Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty]
• Kenya has designated a new body, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, to start investigating this week the allegations of abuse by security forces, which is often in response to Al-Shabab attacks. [HRW]
• The United Nations will distribute cash payments to victims and communities affected by the Cholera epidemic in Haiti, which the UN’s peacekeepers introduced to the country. [NY Times]

International Criminal Law

• Following Burundi’s lead, South Africa and Gambia both announced their intentions to leave the International Criminal Court, while other countries in the region showed support for the ICC. [Washington Post; Daily Maverick]
• A Guatemalan court convicted several high-ranking officials for crimes against humanity. [telesur]
• The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on human rights in Eritrea this week called for a referral of the situation in Eritrea to the International Criminal Court. [OHCHR Press Release]