Tag Archives: rights

US deportations raise serious human rights concerns

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His Office, OHCHR, has received information that over 100 Venezuelan deportees are being detained at a notorious prison in El Salvador. 

OHCHR said 142,000 people were deported from the US between 20 January and 29 April, according to official data.

Harsh treatment in detention

In particular, the fate and whereabouts of at least 245 Venezuelans and some 30 Salvadorans sent to El Salvador remain unclear. 

Many were deported under the US Alien Enemies Act as alleged members of criminal groups and have reportedly been detained at the Centre for Terrorism Confinement (CECOT) in the Central American country.

Detainees at the maximum-security prison are treated particularly harshly, without access to legal counsel or family members and have no contact with the outside world.

Serious rights concerns

OHCHR has received information from family members and lawyers regarding more than 100 Venezuelans believed to be held in CECOT. 

The reports indicate that many were not informed of the US Government’s intention to deport them to be detained in a third country.  

Furthermore, many had no access to a lawyer and were unable to challenge the lawfulness of their removal before being flown out.

“This situation raises serious concerns regarding a wide array of rights that are fundamental to both US and international law,” Mr. Türk said.

They include the rights to due process, protection from arbitrary detention, equality before the law, and protection from exposure to torture or other irreparable harm in other States.

Families feel powerless

Neither the US or Salvadoran authorities have published official lists of the detainees, and their legal status in El Salvador remains unclear. 

Many family members interviewed by OHCHR voiced deep distress at not knowing where, and in what circumstances, their loved ones are being held. Some only became aware when they recognized their relatives from videos on social media of them in or being taken to CECOT. 

“Families we have spoken to have expressed a sense of complete powerlessness in the face of what has happened and their pain at seeing their relatives labelled and handled as violent criminals, even terrorists, without any court judgment as to validity of what is claimed against them,” said Mr. Türk.

“The manner in which some of the individuals were detained and deported – including the use of shackles on them – as well as the demeaning rhetoric used against migrants, has also been profoundly disturbing,” he added.

The High Commissioner welcomed the essential role that the US judiciary, legal community and civil society are playing to ensure the protection of human rights in this situation.

“I have called on the US Government to take the necessary measures to ensure compliance with due process, to give prompt and full effect to the determinations of its courts, to safeguard the rights of children, and to stop the removal of any individual to any country where there is a real risk of torture or other irreparable harm,” he said. 

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UN rights body rules Guatemala failed displaced Mayan Peoples

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The landmark decision, announced on Thursday, also considered the harm caused to succeeding generations.

“Forced displacement is permanent in nature until the victims benefit from a safe and dignified return to their place of habitual residence or are voluntarily resettled elsewhere,” said Committee member Hélène Tigroudja.

Conflict, displacement and violations

The Committee found that the 269 members of the K’iche’, Ixil and Kaqchikel Mayan Indigenous Peoples were violently uprooted from their traditional lands and forced to seek refuge in the capital, Guatemala City, in violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

They were forcibly displaced during “scorched earth” operations amid internal armed conflict in the 1980s.

Mayan leaders approached the Committee in 2021, claiming their rights under the UN treaty were violated.

Although they had reached a settlement with the Government and agreed on several reparation measures under the 2011 National Compensation Programme – which foresaw, in particular, the resettlement and construction of alternative housing – it was never implemented.

‘Stripped of cultural identity’

The UN Committee’s decision noted that while in the capital city, Mayans were also forced to conceal and ultimately change their identities, representing another violation.

“The uprooting of the victims from their natural environment and lands had a deep, devastating, and lasting impact as they were irremediably stripped of their cultural identity,” Ms. Tigroudja said. 

“They had to abandon their cultural practices, stop wearing their traditional clothing and stop speaking their language, which also constitutes an irreparable loss for their children and grandchildren,” she added.

Transgenerational trauma

In a new approach, the Committee considered that the State violated not only the rights of those who were forcibly displaced but also the rights of third-generation children born in displacement, thus transmitting the trauma of being uprooted. 

“Indigenous Peoples’ rights are, by definition, intergenerational.  Transmission is a key condition for the continuity of Indigenous Peoples’ existence and cultures,” Ms. Tigroudja said.

The Committee also highlighted that the forced displacement and accompanying violence resulted in the victims having to leave behind the buried bodies of their relatives. 

Burial rites disrupted

Moreover, they were unable to perform funeral rituals for family members who died or were executed or forcibly disappeared during the conflict, in violation of their right not to be subjected to torture and inhumane treatment. 

“In Mayan culture, not performing funeral rites is considered a moral transgression which can lead to spiritually caused illnesses that can manifest as physical diseases and can affect the entire lineage,” Ms. Tigroudja explained. 

“These are not only performative ceremonies and rituals but an integral part of the physical, moral and spiritual integrity of members of the communities as well as of the communities as a whole,” she added.

Action by authorities

The Committee requested Guatemala to search for and hand over the remains of the disappeared family members so that funeral rituals can be carried out in accordance with cultural requirements. 

The Government is also urged to undertake other measures, including providing victims, their children and grandchildren with the necessary medical, psychological and/or psychiatric treatment; and publicly acknowledging responsibility.

About the Committee

The Human Rights Committee comprises 18 independent experts who monitor implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

More than 170 States are party to the UN treaty. Committee members are elected by States parties and serve in their personal capacity. They are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work. 

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Afghanistan’s socioeconomic crisis deepens amid crackdown on women’s rights

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As the Afghan economy faces stalled local production and weak job creation, Afghanistan continues to heavily rely on imports and international assistance.

“UNDP’s current analysis and new data indicate the continuation of a deeply troubling trajectory for the Afghan people, who have been grappling with extreme vulnerability over the past decade,” said Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and head of UNDP for the Asia-Pacific region.

Systemic challenges

In the past year, political uncertainty, an ongoing economic crisis, shrinking international aid and climate disruptions have compounded existing vulnerabilities, limiting the economy’s ability to regain momentum.

As Afghanistan heavily relies on foreign assistance, the current reduction in international aid is likely to have a significant impact on humanitarian operations and the delivery of basic services.

“UNDP stresses the need for targeted interventions to address these challenges, recognising that humanitarian assistance alone is not enough, and sustainable longer-term economic and social solutions are needed,” said Stephane Rodriques, UNDP Resident Representative in Afghanistan.

Restriction on women’s rights

As repressive laws continue to erode women’s rights, safety and access to basic services such as education and employment, Afghanistan’s socioeconomic crisis has seen the gender gap widen further, pushing women deeper into social exclusion and poverty.

With only seven per cent of Afghan women working outside of the household in 2024, restrictions on women and girls are projected to cost the Afghan economy nearly $920 million between 2024 and 2026, according to UNDP.

UNDP called for Afghanistan to lift restrictions on women and girls and for comprehensive support to women-led businesses to be provided.

Returnees

In 2024, Afghanistan also faced a major influx of returnees from Pakistan and Iran, as these neighbouring countries hardened their stance on Afghan refugees and migrants.

The UN expects the rate of returnees to increase in 2025, with an estimated 600,000 to 1.5 million people expected to return to Afghanistan.

“With the anticipated arrival of hundreds of thousands of returnees this year and a marked reduction in international support, Afghan communities will have to navigate substantial challenges that will increase pressure on an already highly tenuous daily subsistence,” said Ms. Wignaraja.

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Sudan: UN rights chief appeals for greater protection of civilians in besieged El Fasher

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“The horror unfolding in Sudan knows no bounds,” Volker Türk said in a statement calling for an end to the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and former ally the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), now in its third year.

He noted that three days ago, the RSF launched coordinated attacks from multiple directions on the North Darfur capital El Fasher and nearby Abu Shouk camp, killing at least 40 civilians.

Fear of more bloodshed

This brings the confirmed number of civilians killed in the region to at least 542 in just the last three weeks, he said, although the actual death toll is likely much higher.

“My fears are all the greater given the ominous warning by the RSF of ‘bloodshed’ ahead of imminent battles with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and their associated armed movements,” Mr. Türk said.

“Everything must be done to protect civilians trapped amid dire conditions in and around El Fasher.”

Stop the fighting

Furthermore, reports of extrajudicial executions in Khartoum state are also extremely disturbing, he added.

The High Commissioner said he has personally alerted both leaders of the RSF and SAF to the catastrophic human rights consequences of the war. 

“These harrowing consequences are a daily, lived reality for millions of Sudanese. It is well past time for this conflict to stop,” he said.

Diplomatic efforts continue

Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, was in Cairo this week where he met with senior Egyptian officials, including Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, to discuss the Sudan crisis. 

“They shared the view that an inclusive Sudanese-led political path is needed to restore peace in the country, preserving the unity of Sudan, its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, speaking on Thursday in New York.

Mr. Lamamra also exchanged views with Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, on coordinating efforts between the UN, the Arab League and concerned multilateral organizations to advance a lasting peace in Sudan.  

 

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Afghanistan: Taliban restrictions on women’s rights intensify

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The mission continued to receive reports that Afghan women are being denied the opportunity to join the workforce, are unable to access services without a male relative while girls are still deprived of their right to education.

Since the Taliban took over the country from the democratically-elected Government in August 2021, women and girls have been systemically excluded from equal participation in society, the report confirms.

UNAMA, whose mandate includes monitoring human rights, also reported public floggings, shrinking civic space, and brutal attacks on former government officials.

Beauty salons shuttered

Officials have reportedly shut down beauty salons run by women in their homes and women’s radio stations in various provinces, UNAMA said.

In the province of Kandahar, de facto inspectors asked shopkeepers in a market to report women unaccompanied by a guardian (mahram) and deny them entry into their shops.

At one hospital, authorities ordered staff not to provide care to unaccompanied female patients.

Forced conversions

Taliban authorities have also increased enforcement of repressive restrictions on media outlets, ramped up corporal punishment, and the clampdown on religious freedom and re-education.

Between 17 January and 3 February, in Badakhshan province in northeastern Afghanistan, at least 50 Ismaili men were taken from their homes at night and forced to convert to Sunni Islam under the threat of violence, the report details.

More than 180 people, including women and girls, have been flogged for the offences of adultery and practicing homosexuality during the reporting period, in public venues attended by Taliban officials.

Taliban claim support for women’s rights

Despite documented evidence from the report that de facto authorities are continuing to violate international norms and rights protections, Taliban officials disagree.

“Ensuring the dignity, honor, and Sharia-based entitlements of women remains a paramount priority for the Islamic Emirate,” Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a social media post on March 8, International Women’s Day.

“All fundamental rights afforded to Afghan women have been safeguarded in strict accordance with Islamic Sharia law, as well as the cultural and traditional frameworks of Afghan society,” he added.

International legal action

UNAMA has called for action to restore women’s and girls’ rights at the international level.

In January, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Taliban Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqan over persecution on gender grounds, a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute.

The Taliban rejected the ruling, citing national sovereignty and religious traditions.

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Look inside, not at your competition: Google CEO Sundar Pichai advises

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In an interview at the Code Conference in Beverly Hills early this week, Google CEO Sundar Pichai retorted to a question about competition in artificial intelligence stating clearly that it’s not always the competition but lack of focus within that leads to failure.

“I have always held the view that you tend to go wrong by focusing too much on competition. Big companies, particularly, fail because they stumble internally.”

In a well-connected world, companies are often struck in their plans based on the capabilities and pursuit of their competitors than what their own assessment is. Almost every business ends up paying more attention and time about the competition than it should, which is detrimental, he elaborated.

He reiterated that big companies also fail because they make bad decisions or fail to execute decisions on time. While competition remains to be watched, it should not leverage on your own plans and future prospects. Instead, it should help you revamp inside and be prepared, he suggested.

Sundar Pichai on competition and “Dharma”

“You want to be aware of everything that is going outside. But at the end of the day, your success depends on your execution,” he reminded, which means not to be naive or ignorant of happenings around you but focus on your job first. Your job is to deliver whatever it is you do.

Here, people familiar with Hindu holybook ‘Bhagavad Gita’ can infer that Pichai was referring to Indian philosophy that a person’s “Dharma” is to do his job sincerely regardless of results or rewards. At a broader level, it encompasses ideas such as duty, rights, character, vocation, religion, customs and all behavior considered appropriate, correct or morally upright, but in this context, it entails doing one’s job properly.

Since nobody knows from where the competition might come, Pichai advised companies to focus on serving customers better and at the same time take a note of the competition. “Look, I think–the thing about being in tech is competition comes from nowhere. None of us were talking about TikTok three years ago,” he reminded the audience at the code conference.

His advise remains simple — focus on what you can control.