Human Rights Watch

This report analyzes Iraq's new draft law on information technology crimes. It finds that the draft law is part of a broad effort by authorities to suppress peaceful dissent by criminalizing legitimate information sharing and networking activities.

This report describes how thousands of people with mental disabilities are forced to live in psychiatric institutions and spiritual healing centers, often against their will and with little possibility of challenging their confinement. In psychiatric hospitals, people with mental disabilities face overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. In some of the spiritual healing centers, popularly known as prayer camps, they are often chained to trees, frequently in the baking sun, and forced to fast show more for weeks as part of a “healing process,” while being denied access to medications.

The report also highlights the challenges of people with mental disabilities who live in the community, who face stigma and discrimination and often lack adequate shelter, food, and healthcare. show less

The 57-page report provides a detailed account of the mutiny and documents serious abuses in the aftermath, including torture by security forces of people in custody on suspicion of planning the mutiny, and of ongoing concerns about fair trial violations in mass trials of hundreds of suspects at a time. The notorious Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has allegedly been involved in many of the abuses.

Probably a 3.5. This is a series of essays about torture around the world and consequently is a rather depressing book. It was not my choice to read, but was required for a course that I am tutoring at the Mount. Some of the essays were actually interesting - like how many techniques of torture were developed by the French after their experiences in Southeast Asia and then exported from France to Africa and South America, with some extensive training of U.S. forces in the mix. There was show more intersting commentary on the Abu Gharab (sp?) prison scandels, the issue of responsibility, and the perceived "necessity" of torture for national security. I can't say I enjoyed the book, but it was informative. show less