Rights groups in El Salvador noted the anniversary of the massacre of 966 villagers at El Mozote by a US-trained battalion, decrying continued impunity after 30 years. The authors of the massacre are known, but protected by an amnesty law.
The Dutch government on Dec. 9 formally apologized for a massacre of at least 150 non-combatants in the village of Rawagede, in West Java, 64 years ago that day. The apology comes after a long legal battle by survivors and widows.
At least four Palestinians are dead in new Israeli air-strikes on the Gaza Strip—including a home-owner and his 12-year-old son, whose house was destroyed in apparent “collateral damage” from a raid on a nearby Hamas safe-house.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), successor to the good ol’ Soviet-era KGB, applies pressure on Facebook and the VKontakte social networking site in a bid to snuff post-electoral protests against Vladimir Putin’s continued rule.
Conserva-bloggers are making much of a statement by ILWU president Robert McEllrath disavowing Occupy Wall Street’s call for a general strike to shut down the West Coast ports on Monday. But the statement is not the ILWU website.
Following an appeal from Christian Salazar, representative to Colombia for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the FARC rebels said they will go ahead with plans for the unilateral release of “war prisoners.”
Some 2,000 protesters filled Tripoli’s Martyrs’ Square to demand withdrawal of the militia forces that have been in the capital since the fall of Qaddafi. Jurists and police were among the march leaders, accusing the militias of terrorizing residents.
As Egypt’s military rulers say they will appoint a council to oversee the drafting of a new constitution to balance the influence of Islamists, pro-secular protesters demand a broad-based, all-civilian “national salvation” government.
Reports from Homs suggest an outbreak of sectarian killings, with numerous bodies—many tortured or mutilated—left on the streets. A pro-government militia called the Shabiha is apparently arming Alawite militants and attacking Sunni protesters.
Ashura celebrations saw multiple bomb attacks on Shi’ite pilgrims in Iraq, leaving at least 20 dead. Attacks on public Ashura celebrations in the Afghan cities of Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif and Kandahar meanwhile left 58 dead.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay urged all sides in Yemen to cease ongoing deadly attacks and live up to previous commitments to investigate the serious human rights violations of its former government.
Norma Andrade, a critical voice demanding justice in the long string of “femicides” in Ciudad Juárez is stable condition after being shot twice Dec. 2, as she drove home from her job as a teacher in the violent Mexican border city.
