Human Rights Watch: 'Iraqi Troops Executed Dozens of Prisoners in Mosul'

Several bodies of alleged ISIS fighters in the foreground, near the Tigris River in Mosul’s Old City executed by Iraqi soldiers identified as from the army’s 16th Division. © 2017 Private

Reuters: U.S.-trained Iraqi army unit committed war crimes in Mosul: HRW

ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - A U.S.-trained Iraqi army division allegedly executed several dozen men in the final throes of the battle against Islamic State militants in Mosul's Old City, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.

The watchdog urged the U.S. government to suspend all support for the 16th Division of the Iraqi army pending an investigation into what it called war crimes, evidence of which was seen by two international observers.

Reuters could not independently verify the claims because Iraqi authorities have restricted media access to the Old City since Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over Islamic State on July 10. Spokesmen for the Iraqi government and military could not be reached for comment.

Islamic State made its last stand in the Old City after nine months of urban warfare with Iraqi forces who are backed by a U.S.-led coalition.

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More News On Allegations From The Human Rights Watch Group That 'Iraqi Troops Executed Dozens of Prisoners in Mosul'

Iraq: US-Trained Forces Linked to Mosul War Crimes -- Human Rights watch
US-trained Iraqi army unit 'linked to Mosul war crimes' -- Al Jazeera
US-trained Iraqi unit carried out Mosul executions: HRW -- AFP
Rights Group Alleges US-Trained Iraqi Troops Executed Dozens of Prisoners in Mosul -- VOA
US Trained Unit in Iraq That 'Committed War Crimes' in Mosul Battle -- Newsweek

Report: Torture Widespread At Network Of UAE-Run Prisons In Yemen Where US Interrogated Detainees

Human Rights Watch: Yemen: UAE Backs Abusive Local Forces

Resolve ‘Disappearances’, Grant Access to Detention Sites

The UAE supports Yemeni forces that have arbitrarily detained, forcibly disappeared, tortured, and abused dozens of people during security operations, Human Rights Watch said today. The UAE finances, arms, and trains these forces, which ostensibly are going after Yemeni branches of Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State (also known as ISIS). The UAE also runs at least two informal detention facilities, and its officials appear to have ordered the continued detention of people despite release orders, and forcibly disappeared people, including reportedly moving high-profile detainees outside the country.

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More News On Reports That Torture Is Widespread At A Network Of UAE-Run Prisons In Yemen Where The US Interrogates Detainees

Beatings and ‘the grill’: Reports allege torture in secret prisons run by United Arab Emirates in Yemen -- Washington Post
In Yemen’s secret prisons, UAE tortures and US interrogates -- AP
UAE runs 'informal prisons' in Yemen: HRW -- AFP
HRW: UAE backs torture and disappearances in Yemen -- Al Jazeera
Human Rights: Yemen Violated International Law By Torturing Detainees, And The US Knew About it -- Newsweek
UAE has secret torture prisons in Yemen, US involved in interrogations – AP -- RT

Report: Nigerian Soldiers And Police Sexually Abuse Boko Haram Victims

A makeshift camp which houses internaly displaced people (IDPs) on the outskirts of Maiduguri, Borno State, northeastern Nigeria on September 15, 2016 ©Stefan Heunis (AFP)

IBTimes: Nigerian officials 'sexually abused girls' displaced by Boko Haram

Women told HRW they were drugged and raped or coereced into sex through false marriage promises.

Nigerian officials have been accused of sexually abusing women and girls displaced by Boko Haram terrorists in the country's northeast. A report by rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) alleged 43 women and girls were sexually abused in seven internally displaced camps (IDP) in Maiduguri, capital of restive Borno state.

Four of the victims told HRW that they were drugged and raped, while 37 claimed they were coerced into sex following false promises of marriage and financial assistance.

Some of the alleged victims said they had also been abused by vigilantes who are currently helping the army in the fight against Boko Haram.

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More News On The Human Rights Watch Report That Claims That Nigerian Authorities 'Sexually Abuse' Boko Haram Victims

Nigerian soldiers, police sexually abuse Boko Haram victims, Human Rights Watch says -- Reuters
Nigeria officials 'sexually abusing Boko Haram victims' -- AFP
Security Officials Raping, Sexually Exploiting Women, Girls Displaced By Boko Haram - Report -- Premium Times
Nigerian authorities raped, sexually assaulted Boko Haram victims - HRW -- Africa News

Human Rights Watch: Thousands Of Children Are Detained In War Zones

Human Rights Watch: Children Detained in War Zones

Thousands Held Without Charge, Tortured

(New York) – Thousands of children in conflict-affected countries have been detained without charge for months or even years as national security threats, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Untold numbers have been tortured or have died in custody. Governments should immediately stop detaining children without charge and appropriately punish those who mistreat them.

The 35-page report, “Extreme Measures: Abuses against Children Detained as National Security Threats,” documents the arrest and detention of children for alleged association with non-state armed groups or involvement in conflict-related offenses. Overbroad and vague counterterrorism legislation adopted in response to extremist armed groups such as the Islamic State and Boko Haram has increased the detention of children perceived to be security threats. Human Rights Watch specifically examined the detention and treatment of children in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Nigeria, and Syria.

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Human Rights Watch: Thousands Of Children Are Detained in War Zones

Report: Thousands of children arrested in war zones (Al Jazeera)
Thousands of children detained, subjected to severe beatings, burns with cigarettes in security crackdowns: HRW (AFP)
Thousands of Children Detained, Tortured in Conflict Zones: Report (Newsweek)
Rights group: Some kids detained in conflict tortured, die (AP)
Thousands of Children Detained in Conflict Zones Without Charge - Watchdog (Sputnik)

Human Rights Watch: Saudi-Led Air-Strike Used Two 2,000 lb. American Bombs On A Yemeni Civilian Market

VICE News: Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen Used 2,000-Pound American Bombs to Kill 97 Civilians

A Saudi-led coalition airstrike on a Yemeni market killed at least 97 civilians on March 15 in one of the deadliest attacks on innocents since its campaign began a year ago. On Thursday, Human Rights Watch reported that the strike had in fact been carried out with massive American-supplied bombs that weighed 2,000 pounds each.

Investigators from HRW visited the site of the attack in the northwestern village of Mastaba on March 28, where they spoke with witnesses and injured victims collected weapon fragments. They found remnants of a GBU-31 satellite-guided bomb, which combines a 2,000-pound MK-84 bomb with a DAM satellite guidance kit, also of American provenance. The team reviewed footage and photographs taken by British TV journalists two days prior, which it said showed "remnants of an MK-84 bomb paired with a Paveway laser guidance kit."

The two aerial bombs hit the crowded market around noon, according to HRW.

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More News On Reports That A Saudi-Led Air-Strike Used Two 2,000lb. American Bombs On A Yemeni Civilian Market

Yemen: US Bombs Used in Deadliest Market Strike -- Human Rights Watch
Saudi coalition used U.S. bomb in Yemen market strike that killed 119: report -- CBC/AP
Report Ties U.S. Bombs to Saudi-Led Strike That Killed Yemeni Civilians -- NYT
Saudi Air Force struck Yemeni marketplace with US bombs – HRW -- RT
U.S. Weapons Were Used In Deadly Bombing In Yemen, Says Human Rights Group -- Huffington Post
U.S. Bombs were used in Saudi-led attack on market in Yemen, rights group finds -- The Intercept

Human Rights Watch: Rebels And Government Forces Are Committing War Crimes In South Sudan

Image from The Economist

War Crimes Evident In South Sudan, Report Says -- Wall Street Journal

Human Rights Watch Says Rebels and Government Forces Abusing Human Rights

KAMPALA Uganda—Both sides in South Sudan's three-month war are committing human rights abuses that may amount to war crimes, a rights monitoring organization said Thursday.

Human Rights Watch said that rebel and government forces have targeted civilians in their fight for control of the two oil-rich states of Unity and Upper Nile. The world's youngest nation relies on oil exports for nearly all of its revenue.

Ethnic differences have compounded the ferocity of the fighting, which pits President Salva Kiir's Dinkas against the Nuer ethnic group of his former vice president, Riek Machar.

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More News On Human Rights Watch Accusing Rebels And Government Forces Are Committing War Crimes In South Sudan

S.Sudan government troops, rebels may have committed war crimes-HRW -- Reuters
HRW finds evidence of South Sudanese war crimes -- UPI
All sides committing 'war crimes' in S. Sudan -- Global Post/AFP
In South Sudan, Scenes Of Death Betray Horrific And Worsening Situation -- Huffington Post/AP
Civilians Flee as Violence Worsens in South Sudan -- New York Times
South Sudan conflict deteriorating, Kenya warns -- AFP
‘There is no humanity here,’ says UN officer about South Sudan -- Toronto Star/AP
Conflict in South Sudan: Back with a vengeance -- Economist

Human Rights Watch Releases It's Annual Report For 2014

Syria, U.S. Surveillance In Focus In Group's Annual Rights Report -- CNN

(CNN) -- Syria has been killing civilians and international powers have failed to intervene. The United States has killed people with drones and listened in on private communications in the name of national security. Russia has passed laws that target gays and lesbians. These are some of the trends in 2013 that Human Rights Watch (HRW) cited in its annual account of human rights records around the world on Tuesday.

In a 667-page report, the New York-based group highlighted key human rights issues in more than 90 countries, drawing on events through November.

HRW executive director Kenneth Roth presented the account, the 24th of its kind, at a press conference in Berlin.

Below are some of the issues in focus.

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More News On Human Rights Watch Releasing It's Annual Report For 2014

Human Rights Watch releases annual report on international rights abuses -- Deutsche Welle
Human Rights Watch annual report 2014 criticises NSA mass surveillance -- The Guardian
Human Rights Watch says Obama not gone far enough on NSA reforms -- Euronews
NSA sets global trend for invasive state snooping – HRW -- RT
HRW calls on world powers to end atrocities on Syrians -- Business Standard/ANI
Human Rights Watch slams Russia in annual report. -- RIA Novosti
Human Rights Watch chides China for failing to push reform -- Reuters
Lack of accountability in India fosters rights violations: HRW -- Economic Times
HRW expresses concern over deteriorating human rights condition in Afghanistan -- Business Standard
Human Rights Watch report notes little progress in EU -- Ekathimerini
Backward slide on human rights in Bangladesh: report -- Two Circles
Little progress on rights in Sri Lanka: report -- Two Circles
Lethal force: South Africa warned on human rights -- Mail & Guardian

WNU Editor: The Human Rights Watch 2014 Report can be read here.