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TOYKO — A Japanese man said to have spent the world’s longest time on death row was cleared in a retrial of the 1966 murders of four people on Thursday, ending his family’s search for justice for a wrongful conviction. On Thursday, the Shizuoka district court acquitted the former boxer. He spent 48 years behind bars — more than 45 of them on death row — making him the world’s longest-serving death row inmate, according to the rights group, Amnesty International. Hakamata’s lawyers had argued that DNA tests on bloodstained clothing said to be their client’s showed the blood was not his. Amnesty International hailed the exoneration as a “pivotal moment for justice” and urged Japan to scrap the death penalty.

Persons: TOYKO, Iwao Hakamata, Hideko Hakamata, ”, “, Hakamada, Hakamata, Hideko, Hideyo Ogawa Organizations: Prosecutors, Japan’s, Amnesty, Norimichi, Amnesty International, ” Amnesty Locations: Shizuoka, Japan, Norimichi Kumamoto

☆ Nigerian official says gunmen ‘made tea’ as they kidnapped at least 160 in hours-long deadly raid
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The attack occurred in Kuchi village, Munya district, in Niger state, beginning at about 5:30 p.m. on Friday and lasting until 4:00 a.m. Saturday, according to district official Aminu Abdulhamid Najume. Najume reported that about 300 gunmen arrived on motorbikes and stayed for several hours, making themselves at home before leaving with the abductees. “This is not the first or second time Kuchi village has been attacked. “The invasion of the village by the gunmen is yet another indication of the Nigerian authorities’ utter failure to protect lives,” Amnesty added. The Kuchi abduction comes two months after 21 people, including a newlywed, were killed when gunmen described locally as ‘bandits’ stormed a market in Rafi, another affected district in Niger.

Persons: Boko, Najume, “, ” Najume, ”, ’, Rafi Organizations: CNN, Niger State Police Command, Amnesty Locations: Nigeria, Kuchi, Munya, Niger, Najume, Nigeria’s, Abuja, Niger’s, Kaduna

☆ Saudi women’s rights activist sentenced to 11 years in jail, rights groups say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Radina Gigova | Hande Atay Alam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Human rights groups are calling for the release of a Saudi woman, who they say has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for supporting women’s rights and for the way she dressed. Manahel al-Otaibi, a 29-year-old fitness instructor and women’s rights activist, was sentenced during a “secret hearing” before the kingdom’s Specialized Criminal Court on January 9, 2024, Amnesty International and the London-based Saudi rights organization ALQST said in a joint statement Tuesday. Saudi Arabia’s authorities “must immediately and unconditionally” release Manahel al-Otaibi, as the decision to imprison her “directly contradicts the authorities’ narrative of reform and women’s empowerment,” Amnesty and ALQST said. “Manahel’s conviction and 11-year sentence is an appalling and cruel injustice,” said Bissan Fakih, Amnesty International’s Campaigner on Saudi Arabia. Al-Otaibi’s sentencing comes “amid an intensified crackdown on free speech in Saudi Arabia, including online expression,” the groups said.

Persons: Manahel, ”, ALQST, Otaibi “, Al, Fawzia, “, Bissan Fakih, Otaibi, Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Organizations: CNN, Amnesty International, Saudi, United Nations, UN, Amnesty, Human Rights Locations: Saudi, London, Geneva, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh

☆ A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Abuja, Nigeria CNN —A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business. Her post, accompanied by a photo of an opened can of Nagiko Tomato Mix, produced by local company Erisco Foods Limited, sparked varied reactions from commenters, one of whom replied: “Stop spoiling my brother’s product. This case is due to be heard on May 20, her lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, told CNN. National police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi told CNN he could not comment on the case as the matter was in court. Hard to proveNigerian legal and public affairs analyst Kelechukwu Uzoka told CNN that there are limits to the freedom of speech defense.

Persons: Nigeria CNN —, Chioma, ” Okoli, Okoli, Erisco, ”, “, Inibehe Effiong, Nwokolo, who’s, Effiong, couldn’t, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, ” Adejobi, David, ” Effiong, Kelechukwu Uzoka, Eric Umeofia Organizations: Nigeria CNN, CNN, Facebook, Erisco Foods, Nigeria Police Force, Okoli, National, “, Amnesty Locations: Abuja, Nigeria, Lagos, West African, ”, ” The Lagos, Erisco’s Lagos

The U.N.-backed International Labor Organization says reforms introduced following the World Cup have improved the situation of migrant workers, while adding that more needs to be done. Meanwhile, human rights group Amnesty International says migrant workers still face abuses. Photos You Should See View All 21 ImagesLast November, Amnesty urged Qatar and FIFA to do more for migrant workers - particularly in terms of compensation. Migrant workers collect litter, serve coffee, drive taxis and provide security. The number of work-related deaths in the delivery of the World Cup came under intense scrutiny in the lead-up.

Persons: Jordan, Stephen Cockburn, ″, ”, Max Tunon, ” Tunon, it’s, “, ” Cockburn, ” ___ James Robson Organizations: Qatar, International Labor Organization, Amnesty International, “, AP, FIFA, Qatari, Workers, ILO Locations: DOHA, Qatar, Doha, Kenya, Ghana, Saudi Arabia

☆ Qatar World Cup: Amnesty International says ‘abuses persist’ and ‘too little has been done’ to protect workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Qatar now leads the region on workers’ rights and labor reforms, setting an example for other countries on how a system can be successfully overhauled. Argentina's Lionel Messi lifts World Cup after defeating France in the final. Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe/Getty ImagesIn the build-up to last year’s World Cup, the organizers received widespread criticism for their treatment of migrant workers. The report did not connect all 6,500 deaths with World Cup infrastructure projects and has not been independently verified by CNN. Amnesty International also reiterated its 10-point plan which was published in the build-up to the 2022 World Cup.

Persons: Qatar’s, “, Argentina's Lionel Messi, Julian Finney, Hassan Al Thawadi, CNN’s Becky Anderson, Steve Cockburn, “ Qatar’s, ” Organizations: CNN, Amnesty International, Amnesty, Qatar’s International Media, FIFA, France, Getty, Guardian, Economic Social Justice, Qatar “, Qatar Locations: Qatar, Qatari, Europe

LONDON (AP) — One year after Qatar hosted the men’s World Cup, the gas-rich emirate and soccer governing body FIFA were urged Thursday by human rights group Amnesty International to do more for migrant workers who were essential to prepare the tournament and still face labor abuses. FIFA, under a different leadership, is now embarked on a similar journey toward Saudi Arabia hosting the World Cup in 2034. “Qatar’s continued failure to properly enforce or strengthen its pre-World Cup labor reforms puts any potential legacy for workers in serious peril,” Amnesty said. A key point for activists and some FIFA member federations has been compensating the families of workers in Qatar who were injured or died. Weeks before the World Cup started, FIFA’s top lawyer had said it was open to helping create a compensation fund.

Persons: ”, Steve Cockburn, “ Qatar’s, “, Weeks, Michael Llamas Organizations: —, Qatar, FIFA, Amnesty, Progress, “ Qatar, United Nations, International Labor Organization, Labor, ” Amnesty, InBev, Budweiser, ” FIFA, “, ILO, Ministry of Labor Locations: Qatar, United States, Saudi Arabia, Gibraltar, “, Geneva

☆ Leila de Lima: Philippine court grants bail to fierce ‘war on drugs’ critic after six years in custody
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Jinky Jorgio | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A Philippine court has granted bail for Leila De Lima, one of the most vocal critics of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody “war on drugs” after being held in police custody for over six years. Organizations like the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch have criticized De Lima’s detention, calling it “arbitrary” and demanding her immediate release. De Lima’s bail “must lead to dismissal of last bogus charge against her,” Amnesty International said in a statement on Monday. “The court’s granting of Leila de Lima’s bail application is indeed a welcome development. “Leila has been targeted by the government for her criticism of the murderous ‘war on drugs’ and other human rights violations.

Persons: Leila De Lima, Rodrigo Duterte’s, “, ” De Lima, Gener, Gito, Leila, ”, De Lima, De, de Lima, Leila de Lima, Eloisa Lopez, “ She’s, She’s, Leila de Lima’s, Butch Olano, “ Leila, expeditiously, ” Olano Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Human Rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reuters, Amnesty Locations: Muntinlupa City, De Lima, Muntinlupa, Philippines, Amnesty International Philippines

☆ El Salvador’s abortion laws are notoriously harsh. These women say they were convicted of homicide after having stillborn babies
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Catherine E. Shoichet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

CNN —A sign greets visitors arriving at a sun-filled two-story house in El Salvador’s capital. But within El Salvador, a largely Catholic and evangelical Christian country, some viewed the women’s accounts with skepticism and hostility. Again, the UN’s human rights office weighed in, calling El Salvador’s laws “draconian.”Two months later, 11 justices from El Salvador’s Supreme Court commuted Vásquez’s sentence, saying evidence in the case did not prove that she had taken any action to end her baby’s life. The Harvard professor has been studying these women’s cases and the impact of El Salvador’s abortion restrictions for years. This shows her after a visit in August 2018, six months after El Salvador's Supreme Court commuted her sentence.

Persons: Teodora Vásquez, they’ll, It’s, El Salvador, it’s, Vásquez, who’ve, “ We’ve, ” Vásquez, “, ”, Teodora, Oscar Rivera, Salvador Melendez, Jocelyn Viterna, ” Viterna, Viterna, Dana Sussman, —, Benedicte, Ra’ad Al Hussein, José Miguel Fortín Magaña, Jose Cabezas, El, ‘, ’ ” Vásquez, Libres, who've, Jessie Wardarski, “ I’ve, Jacqueline Castillo, “ It’s, ” Castillo, she’s, Mujeres, there’s, Marvin Recinos, She’s, Merlin Delcid, CNN’s Tierney Sneed Organizations: CNN, El, Getty, Hollywood, Amnesty, of Women, Harvard University, Salvadoran, Pregnancy, UN, Human Rights, El Salvador’s Institute of Legal Medicine, Reuters, Citizen Group, Harvard, Mujeres Libres El, Inter, American, of Human, “, of Steel Locations: El Salvador’s, “, Libres El Salvador, Mujeres, Salvadoran, El Salvador, United States, New York, El, San Salvador, Mujeres Libres, Mujeres Libres El Salvador, AFP

Vietnam’s opaque legal system has come under increased criticism from Western observers this year, even as the Southeast Asian country draws closer to the United States. In April during a visit to Hanoi, a delegation of the European Parliament’s Subcommittee of Human Rights expressed “great concern at the worsening human rights situation in the country” calling for the release of “political prisoners” including NGO leaders, journalists and environmental activists, according to Reuters. “Vietnam and the United States are critical partners at what I would argue is a very critical time,” Biden said at the time, referencing climate change. The importance of her cause has been underlined by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which lists Vietnam as one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change. Ben Swanton, co director of The 88 Project, which advocates for human rights in Vietnam, called her trial “a total sham.”“This is yet another example of the law being weaponized for the purpose of political persecution,” he said.

Persons: Hoang, Hong, Nguyen Van Tu, Matthew Miller, “, ”, ” Miller, Joe Biden’s, ” Biden, “ I’m, Hong “, Ben Swanton Organizations: CNN, US State Department, State, European, Human, Reuters, Human Rights Watch, Obama, Columbia University, HRW, United States Agency for International Development, USAID, Amnesty Locations: Ho Chi Minh City, United States, Vietnam, Hanoi, “ Vietnam

☆ As Anniversary of Women’s Uprising Nears, Iran Cracks Down
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | More About Farnaz Fassihi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The professor of artificial intelligence was a rising star at Iran’s elite Sharif University of Technology. He gained wider fame for his vocal support of the women-led uprising that rocked Iran last year. At one point, he refused to teach until Sharif students arrested in the government’s crackdown against protesters were released. The purging of academics like Mr. Sharifi Zarchi is part of a wide and intensifying crackdown by the government before the anniversary of the start of the uprising this month. In the past few weeks, Iran has arrested women’s rights activists, students, ethnic minorities, an outspoken cleric, journalists, singers and family members of protesters killed by security agents.

Persons: Ali Sharifi Zarchi, Sharifi, “ Organizations: University of Technology, Amnesty Locations: Iran

☆ Chau Van Kham: Australian retiree accused of terrorism freed from prison in Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Acting Australian Prime Minister Richard Marles said Chau Van Kham was released on humanitarian grounds and “in the spirit of friendship” between Australia and Vietnam. The Vietnamese government declared the California-based Viet Tan, or Vietnam Reform Party, a terrorist organization in 2016, accusing it of recruiting and training armed operatives. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese traveled to Vietnam last month to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. “We share the happy news that Mr Chau Van Kham is well and has returned to his family today,” the statement said, according to Amnesty. Pearson said Kham was one of more than 150 political prisoners detained in Vietnam for peaceful acts of free expression.

Persons: Australia CNN —, Richard Marles, ” Marles, Viet Tan, Tan, it’s, Anthony Albanese, Kham’s, Dan Nguyen, Chau, “, ” Elaine Pearson, Pearson, Kham, Pham Doan Trang, Mai Phan, Dang Dinh Bach, Hoang, Hong, ” Pearson Organizations: Australia CNN, Australian, Amnesty International, Amnesty, Vietnam Reform Party, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Human Rights Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Sydney, Vietnam, California, United States, Asia

CNN —Elena Milashina, a prominent Russian journalist who uncovered the horrific crackdown on gay men in Chechnya, was severely beaten alongside a lawyer in an attack in the southern Russian republic, according to her employer Novaya Gazeta. Russia’s human rights commissioner, Tatyana Moskalkova, “agreed to intervene in the situation on the request of the editorial office,” Novaya Gazeta said. Moskalkova also said she asked the Commissioner for Human Rights in Chechnya to ensure the safety of the journalist. Following her reporting on a crackdown on gay men in Chechnya in 2017, Muslim clerics in Chechnya called for “retribution” against her and other journalists. The country has a checkered record on gay rights, breaking up gay pride marches and passing anti-gay propaganda laws.

Persons: CNN — Elena Milashina, Alexander Nemov, Elena, Alexander, ” “ Elena Milashina, “, Nemov, Milashina, Musaeva, Ramzan Kadyrov, Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin, Tatyana Moskalkova, Moskalkova, ‘, Sergey Babinets, ”, Marie Struthers, Kadyrov Organizations: CNN, Novaya Gazeta, Milashina, Human, Novosti, Human Rights, Amnesty Locations: Russian, Chechnya, Grozny, Novaya, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Russia

☆ Tangaraju Suppiah: Singapore executes man for trafficking two pounds of cannabis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Tangaraju Suppiah, a 46-year-old Singaporean, was hanged early on Wednesday in Changi Prison and the family have received a death certificate, his sister Leelavathy Suppiah told CNN. Tangaraju was first sentenced to death in 2018 for “abetting the trafficking of more than one kilogram of cannabis (1,017.9 grams),” according to a statement from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB). The court found he was in phone communication with two other men caught trying to smuggle cannabis into Singapore. “As is the case for many people currently on death row in Singapore, Tangaraju was forced to represent himself to seek a review of the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold his conviction. Singapore has a strong reputation as a rule of law country so this concerning omission is not normal,” Perrett added.

"The worst governments are already going to suppress speech," said David Kaye, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine and the former free speech watchdog for the United Nations between 2014 and 2020. The free speech experts who spoke to NBC News on Friday said Twitter's actions could invite international attempts to manipulate Musk. Would some head of state say, 'Hey, can you do this for my country and prevent public reporting?' Kaye, the former U.N. free speech watchdog, said Musk's behavior reminded him in part of authoritarian leaders who enforce rules against challenging the government or criticizing powerful figures, such as royal family members or regime allies. Musk can talk about standing for free speech all he wants, but this should make it clear to everyone that what he’s doing is quite the opposite.

"Grateful for the long-overdue release of Brittney Griner today from Russian custody. "Thank you to every single person that kept Brittney Griner’s name alive #WEAREBG," tweeted one of her Phoenix Mercury teammates, Brianna Turner. The Biden administration wasn't able to secure Whelan's release because the Russian government is treating his case differently than Griner's, Biden said. “While we celebrate Brittney’s release, Paul Whelan and his family continue to suffer needlessly,” Blinken said. Share this -Link copiedWho is Viktor Bout, Russian arms dealer that the U.S. exchanged for Brittney Griner?

In the 2005 Nicolas Cage movie “Lord of War,” the character loosely based on Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout evades his American law enforcement pursuers, apparently saved by the CIA. Now he is on his way back to Russia after a high-profile prisoner exchange that saw WNBA star Brittney Griner free early Thursday. Under federal sentencing rules, Bout could have been released from prison in five years. Bout, a former Soviet military officer who became rich as an arms dealer, has always maintained his innocence. His U.S. lawyer, Steve Zissou, says the whole operation was unfair, because Bout had been retired and living in Moscow.

☆ Rohingya seek reparations from Facebook for role in massacre
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

But some very narrow minded and very nationalist types escalated hate against Rohingya on Facebook,” he said. Instead, Meta’s algorithms “proactively amplified and promoted content” on Facebook, which incited violent hatred against the Rohingya beginning as early as 2012. And they are asking Meta to pay reparations for its role in the violent repression of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, which the U.S. declared a genocide earlier this year. “These algorithms are really dangerous to our human rights. The Rohingya refugees are seeking unspecified reparations from the Menlo Park, California-based social media giant for its role in perpetuating genocide.

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