Rights Erased in Hong Kong: Daily Brief
In Hong Kong, Beijing dismantles a free society; UN body should assess Xinjiang abuses remotely; a grim signal for justice in Chechnya; protect civilians in Mozambique; critic of Palestinian Authority arrested and killed; new German laws threaten privacy rights; historic win for women workers; and Nigerian journalist Tobore Ovuorie awarded.
The Chinese government has systematically dismantled human rights in Hong Kong over the last year. Beijing has taken a series of steps to destroy its democratic society. The closure of Apple Daily, the most popular democratic newspaper on June 23 exemplifies the speed and intensity with which rights are being erased in the city.
Pressure is mounting on the fight for accountability for Chinese human rights violations. After three years of seeking access to Xinjiang, the UN Human Rights Chief has said that her office could document alleged abuses by the Chinese government in the region, even without access.
The Kremlin is endorsing another term for the brutal Chechen regime of Ramzan Kadyrov, sending a very grim signal for justice or the rule of law in the country.
As southern African nations agree to deploy forces to Mozambique, they should prioritize civilian protection.
Nizar Banat, an outspoken critic of the Palestinian Authority was violently arrested and beaten to death by security forces on Thursday.
Germany’s new surveillance laws raise concerns about the right to privacy. Civil society organizations, opposition parties, and even senior members of the ruling coalition have publicly condemned the new laws.
Today, the International Labour Organization Violence and Harassment Convention goes into legal effect, marking a critical step to end gender-based violence at work. Governments should now ratify and implement it.
Warm congratulations to Tobore Ovuorie, who received the DW's 2021 Freedom of Speech Award. In 2014, she went undercover posing as a would-be sex worker to investigate the widespread human trafficking ring in Nigeria.