UN Commission on Human Rights

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UN Official Makes Public Plea to Musk

Letter expresses apprehension over Twitter's direction under new owner

(Newser) - Worried about the way Elon Musk's stewardship of Twitter is beginning, a UN official has made a public plea to the billionaire to ensure the platform reflects respect for human rights. Volker Türk, high commissioner for human rights, wrote an open letter to the new owner, the Guardian...

In Final Minutes of Term, UN Commissioner Releases Uighur Report

In it, UN accuses China of serious human rights violations

(Newser) - The UN accused China of serious human rights violations that may amount to "crimes against humanity" in a long-delayed report examining a crackdown on Uighurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups. Beijing on Thursday denounced the assessment, which was released late Wednesday, as a fabrication cooked up by Western...

Juvenile Offender's Execution Outrages UN

Iran violated international law, human rights office says

(Newser) - A United Nations agency has condemned Iran's execution of a man who was 16 when he was charged with crime. Mohammad Hassan Rezaiee, 30, was put to death Thursday, the BBC reports. Amnesty International said he was forced to confess to stabbing a man in 2007. Rezaiee was convicted...

UN Report Describes the Hell That Is South Sudan

Country wracked by civil war, ethnic cleansing, mass rape, and famine

(Newser) - A new United Nations report paints a bleak picture of South Sudan as teetering on the edge of genocide and experiencing ethnic cleansing, adding to crises that now include famine and systematic rape in the three-year-old civil war. The seven-month inquiry by the UN Commission on Human Rights into South...

UN: 'Clear, Convincing' Proof of Chemical Attack

Both sides have committed war crimes, another panel concludes

(Newser) - There's "clear and convincing evidence" that surface-to-air rockets loaded with sarin gas rained down on the Ghouta area of Damascus last month, UN weapons inspectors announced today. The panel concluded that chemical weapons have been used "against civilians, including children, on a relatively large scale." The...

Syria Death Toll Hits 3K: UN
 Syria Death Toll Hits 3K: UN 
Oct 14, 2011 7:00 AM CDT

Syria Death Toll Hits 3K: UN

Commissioner on human rights calls for action

(Newser) - Three thousand people have died in the seven-month protest campaign against President Bashar al-Assad, including at least 187 children, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has announced, urging international action to end Syria’s “ruthless repression” of its people. “The onus is on all members of the...

Cuba Signs Human Rights Pacts at UN
Cuba Signs Human Rights Pacts at UN
Feb 29, 2008 8:22 AM CST

Cuba Signs Human Rights Pacts at UN

But critics say the nation's dissidents must be released

(Newser) - Cuba yesterday signed a pair of legally binding human rights agreements, promising, among other things, to allow its citizens free speech, free association, and the right to travel, the BBC reports. Coming mere days after Raul Castro became president, the gesture could signal a shift in Cuba’s policy, though...

Waterboarding Violates UN Torture Law

Official urges nations to prosecute, but doesn't point finger

(Newser) - A top UN official said today that CIA waterboarding constitutes a war crime, but she stopped short of accusing Washington directly. "I would have no problems with describing this practice as falling under the prohibition of torture," Louise Arbour said. Her comment comes days after CIA chief Michael...

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