The National Free Press - World Edition: Free Speech, Free Press and Human Rights

What do athletes do after a humiliating defeat? Say, a 7-0 loss in a football match broadcast on national television?

It's not hard to imagine the locker room scene, as some players shuffle off to the showers with their heads hung low while others stare at the floor. Some probably vent their anger by throwing things, or perhaps pounding their lockers or kicking a nearby garbage can. The coach would have to say something, perhaps give a little pep talk about how to learn from the defeat and move on. The players would want to avoid the media horde outside the locker room, but the coach would have to explain what went wrong. 
 

Discriminatory Israeli Policies Demolish Village, Forcibly Displace West Bank Residents - The Israeli government should immediately stop the arbitrary destruction of Palestinian homes and other property in the West Bank and compensate the people it has displaced, Human Rights Watch said today. Israeli authorities destroyed 141 Palestinian homes and other buildings in July 2010, the largest number in any month since at least 2005, and have already carried out dozens of demolitions in August.

"While Israel is demolishing more and more Palestinian homes, it continues to subsidize the Jewish settlements nearby," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Israel has flouted international law not only by supporting settlements on occupied territory, but also by erasing longstanding Palestinian communities next door."
 

Harassment on the Rise Against Women - Russia should put an end to local rules forcing women in Chechnya to observe an Islamic dress code, Human Rights Watch said today.

Since the start of Ramadan in mid-August, Human Rights Watch has received numerous reports from Chechnya about women being harassed in the streets of Grozny, the republic's capital, for not covering their hair and/or wearing clothes deemed too revealing.
 

Governments and UN Should Press for Justice - Israeli military investigations into the Gaza war have brought some results over the past 18 months but fall far short of addressing the widespread and serious allegations of unlawful conduct during the fighting, while Hamas has announced no serious investigations whatsoever, Human Rights Watch said today.

Human Rights Watch called on governments and the United Nations to increase their pressure on Israel and Hamas to conduct credible, independent investigations. 
 

Six Vietnamese writers are among a diverse group of 42 writers from 20 countries who have received the prestigious Hellman/Hammett award, which recognizes courage in the face of political persecution, Human Rights Watch announced today.

"Vietnamese writers are frequently harassed, or even jailed, for peacefully expressing their views," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, which administers the annual Hellman/Hammett awards.
 

30 Years on, Obama Administration, Senate Leaders Should Press for Action - The United States' long delay in ratifying the global women's rights treaty undermines fulfillment of the US commitment to women's rights at home and abroad, Human Rights Watch said today.

Former President Jimmy Carter signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on July 17, 1980, but the treaty has never been brought before the full Senate for a vote. The Obama administration has expressed support for ratification, but has yet to take the actions needed to secure ratification, Human Rights Watch said.