Today’s update of human rights events around the world.
U.S.: Defence role in CIA’s secret jails
Three human rights groups have obtained documents that confirm US Department of Defence involvement in the CIA’s “ghost” detention program, and the existence of secret prisons at Bagram air base in Afghanistan and in Iraq. The Age
U.S.: Judges Plead Guilty in Scheme to Jail Youths for Profit
At worst, Hillary Transue thought she might get a stern lecture when she appeared before a judge for building a spoof MySpace page mocking the assistant principal at her high school in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. She was a stellar student who had never been in trouble, and the page stated clearly at the bottom that it was just a joke. NY Times
DRC: Rwandan Rebels Slaughter Over 100 Civilians
The rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) brutally slaughtered at least 100 Congolese civilians in the Kivu provinces of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between January 20 and February 8, 2009, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch
RIGHTS: Human Slavery Thriving in the Shadows
“Dora”, a young Mexican woman, was helped by another Mexican woman to cross the U.S. border in the promise of a good job there. She ended up in Texas, working in a sweatshop and not allowed to go out or even take a shower. “Sandra” was sold as a child for 400 dollars to a pedophile, who repeatedly raped her for four years.
Both were victims of a global trafficking network that has ensnared an estimated 10 million people, although hard data about the underworld of human slavery remains elusive – partly because of the reluctance of some countries to cooperate with investigations. IPS
HONDURAS: Schools Score Points by Standing Up for Workers
In the recent Super Bowl, the Steelers and Cardinals showed that, amid the marketing hype, big time sports still have the power to bring us unique moments of human drama. Also last week, in a less-visible but perhaps more significant action, perennial basketball contenders Duke and Georgetown showed that, with some exercise of moral leadership, those in the business of sports also have the power to advance human rights. Responding to news that Russell Athletic, a leading U.S. apparel manufacturer, had shut down a factory in Honduras in retaliation for workers having organized a union, the two schools, along with others such as Columbia, Miami, Rutgers and Wisconsin, announced that they are discontinuing the company’s license to put their logos on its sweatshirts. Huffington Post
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