Child Brides Flogged for Fleeing Illegal Marriages

He's at large, mom who aided him busted: cops

(NEWSER) - An Afghan militiaman strangled his wife for giving birth to a third daughter instead of a son, according to law enforcement authorities. The 28-year-old victim was killed in her home in the northern province of Kunduz by her husband and his mother just three months after the woman had the baby, reports the Guardian . The victim's mother-in-law has been arrested, but the husband has fled. It's uncertain who will care for the couple's daughters. Two months ago, attackers in the same province poured acid over parents and three children after the parents refused to hand over their young daughter in marriage. The rejected suitor has been arrested. More»

'Even stones confess here,' one guard said; Kabul promises reform

(NEWSER) - A UN investigation has uncovered “a compelling pattern … of systemic torture and ill-treatment” in Afghan prisons, with prisoners reporting being beaten and shocked with electrical cables, hung by their hands, and having their genitals twisted until they passed out, the New York Times reports. Nearly half of all detainees of the National Directorate of Intelligence reported such abuse, as did a somewhat smaller portion of those held by the national police. More»

Trial designed to counter accusations of Tehran's own abuses

(NEWSER) - Iran intends to try 26 current or former US officials in absentia for human rights violations and forward its findings to international tribunals, one lawmaker said today. He didn’t specify which officials, but Reuters believes it’s likely to be the same people listed on a bill currently in Iran’s parliament, which would sanction the likes of Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and the military commanders in charge of the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prisons. More»

Human rights groups scream as official talks of 'right path'

(NEWSER) - Human rights groups have expressed alarm after some 66 boys determined to be "effeminate" by Malaysian public schools have been picked for re-education at a macho boot camp. The education department in Terengganu state established the camp to help boys deal with "identity issues" and place them on a "proper path in life," reports the Angola Press . The camp requires rigorous physical training and is intended to prevent boys, ages 13 to 17, from continuing or developing feminine traits, reports CNN . The education director said boys could face big problems in society if their behavior doesn't change. More»

Yemen, Congo, Niger among lowest ranking

(NEWSER) - To mark International Women's Day, AoL News takes note of countries that treat their women the worst. The findings are based on a UN index that factors in categories such as jobs, education, political representation, and reproductive health. The worst offenders:

1. Yemen: Its female citizens routinely face "violence and discrimination," says Amnesty International.