Tag: police state

Southeast Asia
Cambodia

Cambodia passes bill to stifle opposition

Cambodia's National Assembly passed a bill prohibiting political parties from being affiliated with convicted criminals—clearly aimed at weakening the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, whose leader Sam Rainsy was sentenced to two years on "defamation" charges. The CNRP is building support among peasants angered by land-grabbing, and several peasant leaders also face politically motivated charges for opposing land-grabs by agribusiness interests.

Greater Middle East

Turkish court detains six human rights activists

A Turkish court ordered that six human rights activists, including Amnesty International’s Turkey director Idil Eser, remain in custody pending trial for allegedly aiding an armed terrorist group. Amnesty issued a statement rejecting the “bizarre accusations” and charging the Turkish state with a “politically motivated witch-hunt.”

Greater Middle East
Persian Gulf

Bahrain sentences rights defender to two years

Amnesty International condemned Bahrain's sentencing of human rights defender Nabeel Rajab to two years in prison—for the crime of protesting on his Twitter account the harsh conditions in Bahrain's prisons. Rajab has served time for illegal tweeting before, and still awaits sentencing on other similar charges. Amnesty condemned the conviction as a "flagrant violation of human rights."

Southeast Asia

Philippine strongman’s bloody drug war: year one

One year after Rodrigo Duterte took office on a pledge to expunge the  "virulent social disease" of drug abuse, the civilian death toll in his crackdown may be as high as 8,000. Among the upwards of 80,000 arrested under Duterte's rule are some, including opposition politicians, who have been clearly framed for speaking out against him. And in the restive southern island of Mindanao, he has made good on his threats to instate martial law.

Greater Middle East

Civil resistance to Erdogan dictatorship moves

Civil resistance is mounting to the consolidating dictatorship in Turkey, with thousands marching cross-country from Ankara to Istanbul and protests emerging to Erdogan's power-grab.

Southeast Asia

Philippines: protests against martial law

Protests are emerging in the Philippines against ultra-hardline President Rodrigo Duterte's declaration of martial law in the southern island of Mindanao.

Southeast Asia

Duterte declares martial law in south Philippines

Duterte's declaration of martial law in Mindanao is ostensibly in response to an ISIS-linked terrorist group, but will give security forces a still freer hand in his murderous "war on drugs."

Greater Middle East

Bahrain: ‘total suppression’ of human rights

A court in Bahrain dissolved the main opposition political party, an act Amnesty International said is a step toward the "total suppression of human rights" in the Persian Gulf monarchy.

Greater Middle East

Turkey: 200 on trial over coup attempt

Amid jeers and demands for the death penalty from government supporters, a trial opened for over 200 Turkish ex-officials accused in last year's attempted coup.

North America

Dangerous conditions in US immigration centers

Human Rights Watch warned of "systemic failures" in health care at US immigration detention centers, leading to several "needless and preventable deaths" in recent years.