In the past week we’ve tracked international responses to several videos we’ve recently featured on the Human Rights Channel. Below we highlight some of those. But first, here are two emerging human rights stories we’re monitoring.
In the West Bank city of Hebron, a series of videos document the detention of a 5-year-old boy accused by Israeli Defense Force soldiers of throwing a stone at a passing car. The Israeli human rights organization, B’tselem, has documented a pattern of Palestinian minors detained and arrested by the IDF. However, this is among the most unsettling of cases, in which video clearly reveals that the accused child is under the age of criminal responsibility.
Citizen videos from the Central Russian town of Pugachyov last week alerted us to ethnic tension. Following a deadly fight involving a Chechen teenager, several hundred residents gathered in the streets and threatened to block roads, calling for all ethnic Chechens to leave the region.
Back in March, we featured a video documenting what appears to be the torture of prisoners in Fiji. The video, originally drawing condemnation from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, continues to shock the world. After Fijian authorities told the press in early July that they would make no further comment regarding their investigation into the case, the mother of one of the prisoners appearing in the video threatened to file a complaint. Meanwhile, the New Zealand parliament plans to vote on a resolution encouraging Fiji to investigate and prosecute such acts of torture.
UN officials in Colombia denounced excessive use of force by authorities during campesino protests centered around Catatumbo. In June, four protesters were killed in the course of one week as farmers demanded greater investment from the government in agriculture and social services. Our in-depth video playlist includes background information and videos of the protests and the violent clashes.
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