Latest news with #HRW


New Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Rights groups seek CBI probe into killing of Maoists in Andhra's ASR
VISAKHAPATNAM: The Human Rights Forum (HRF) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday demanded criminal prosecution of police personnel involved in the killing of three armed Maoist squad members on June 18, in Rampachodavaram mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district. In a press release, the rights groups alleged that the incident was a staged encounter and called for an independent investigation by the CBI or under Supreme Court supervision, stating that local police cannot be trusted as they are directly involved. HRF and HRW representatives Y Rajesh, VS Krishna, and Balu Akkisa conducted a fact-finding mission in the area on July 18. They said villagers in Vemulakonda, Akuru, and Kintukuru reported no exchange of fire, contradicting police claims that the Greyhounds acted in self-defence.


The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Human Rights Watch alleges abuses at Florida immigration detention centers
Immigrants detained in federal sites in Florida have faced inhumane conditions, including substandard medical care, abuse and neglect and overcrowding, Human Rights Watch alleged in a report released Monday. The advocacy group in the 93-page report detailed the conditions migrants described at three Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in the Sunshine State — Krome North Service Processing Center (Krome), Broward Transitional Center (BTC) and the Federal Detention Center (FDC) in Miami. According to the report, detainees and their allies claimed serious violations of medical standards and other breaches of ICE's own guidelines at the three Florida facilities. A Bureau of Prisons spokesman told The Hill that the agency cannot comment on specific conditions, but noted it is the BOP's mission 'to operate facilities that are safe, secure, and humane.' 'We take seriously our duty to protect the individuals entrusted in our custody, as well as maintaining the safety of our employees and the community,' the BOP said in a statement. The Hill has also requested comment from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 'Some were detained shackled for prolonged periods on buses without food, water, or functioning toilets; there was extreme overcrowding in freezing holding cells where detainees were forced to sleep on cold concrete floors under constant fluorescent lighting; and many were denied access to basic hygiene and medical care,' HRW's researchers wrote in their report. 'The Trump administration's one-track immigration policy, singularly focused on mass deportations will continue to send more people into immigration detention facilities that do not have the capacity to hold them and will only worsen the conditions described in this report.' President Trump's administration ramped up detention and deportations this year as part of a sweeping immigration crackdown. Additionally, Congress passed a law earlier this year, dubbed the Laken Riley Act, that mandates federal detention of migrants accused of theft, burglary and other crimes. Records show that more than 56,000 migrants were held in detention facilities each day across the country this month. Florida has drawn attention for migrant detention after the opening of the so-called 'Alligator Alcatraz' site that Trump recently toured in the Everglades, but that facility wasn't among those reviewed in HRW's report. HRW cited interviews with 11 currently held and recently detained migrants; family members of seven detainees; and 14 immigration lawyers to document the experiences of 17 immigrants across the Krome, BTC and FDC facilities. 'If you ask for help, they isolate you,' one woman, who wasn't named in the report, told the researchers. 'If you cry, they might take you away for two weeks.' 'So, people stay silent,' she added. HRW offered several recommendations for improving detention facilities and procedures for interacting with undocumented migrants who do not pose an immediate threat to the public. HRW suggested policy changes to avoid detaining people with disabilities, ensure medical conditions are treated and allow oversight of how facilities are being run, among other efforts to improve detention efforts.


The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
HRF and HRW demands criminal prosecution against police personnel
The Human Rights Forum (HRF) and the Human Rights Watch (HRW) demanded criminal prosecution of police personnel responsible for the killing of three Maoist armed squad members on the morning of June 18, 2025 in the forest area of Rampachodavaram mandal in Alluri Sitharama Raju district, Andhra Pradesh. In a statement released by HRF on Monday (July 21), they noted that those involved must be booked under relevant provisions of the law, including murder and the SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. It is imperative that an independent, impartial investigation — either by the CBI or under Supreme Court monitoring — be taken up. It cannot be entrusted to the local police, regular or special, since they are implicated in the crime, as HRF's AP and TS coordination committee member V. Krishna said. A three-member HRF and HRW team on July 18, 2025 visited the Rampachodavaram Agency area on a fact-finding into the 'encounter'. 'We spoke with Adivasis of several villages in the Vemulakonda and Akuru panchayats as well as residents of Kintukuru, a remote habitation. The version of the police that a combing party of Greyhounds personnel were fired upon by the Maoists and the retaliatory fire in self-defence resulted in the death of three Maoists is a patent falsehood,' Mr. Krishna told The Hindu on Monday. The rights activists alleged that the three Maoists were ambushed and executed in a burst of one-sided firing by the Greyhounds in the early morning of June 18. The Maoists had encamped deep in the forest area at a location about 3.5 km to the West of Kintukuru village. The camp is at a place referred locally as 'Oota mamidi' a perennial spring abutting a mango tree. Just behind it is a rivulet that flows East to merge with the Pamuleru vaagu. The three Maoists had camped at that spot for over two weeks. A large contingent of Greyhounds went via Kintukuru (Akuru panchayat) past midnight of June 17. They evidently had precise detail of the camp location, which they surrounded from two sides to the South. The Greyhounds opened fire at daybreak, killing all three Maoists. There was no exchange of fire — no crossfire — only a targeted execution. The Greyhounds could have easily apprehended the three alive but they chose to kill them instead, the HRF and HRW members alleged. The three Maoists killed were Gajarla Ravi (of Velishala village in Chityala mandal, Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, Telangana), who was also a member of the Central Committee of the banned Maoist party, Venkata Ravivarma Chaitanya (of Karakavanipalem in Pendurthi mandal, Visakhapatnam district, A.P.) and Kovvasi Anju, an Adivasi from Bodagubal village, Konta block, Sukma district of Chattisgarh. The bodies were taken to the Rampachodavaram Area Hospital the same evening, but the post-mortem was deliberately delayed until the next day. Relatives were forced to wait, plead, and it was only after sustained media pressure that they ultimately received the decomposed bodies late on the night of June 19. By the time they were brought home, the bodies were infested with worms, HRF A.P. State general secretary Y Rajesh said. Since January 2024, over 440 Maoists and unarmed civilians — preponderantly Adivasis in Chattisgarh — have been killed in encounters, many of them allegedly staged, they alleged. 'We call on the Central and State governments in Maoist-affected regions to immediately halt this campaign,' HRW A.P. State president Balu Akkisa said. HRF and HRW are of the opinion that the Maoists' repeated offers to cease hostilities and pursue peace talks warrants the government's utmost seriousness and constructive engagement.


Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
HRF and HRW demands criminal prosecution of police for killing Maoists
VISAKHAPATNAM : The Human Rights Forum (HRF) and the Human Rights Watch (HRW) demand criminal prosecution of police personnel responsible for the killing of three Maoist armed squad members on the morning of June 18, 2025 in the forest area of Rampachodavaram mandal in Alluri Sitharama Raju district, Andhra Pradesh. Those involved must be booked under relevant provisions of the law, including murder and the SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. It is imperative that an independent, impartial investigation – either by the CBI or under Supreme Court monitoring – be done. It cannot be entrusted to the local police, regular or special, since they are implicated in the crime. A three-member HRF and HRW team (Y Rajesh – HRF AP State general secretary, VS Krishna – HRF AP&TG Coordination Committee member and Balu Akkisa – HRW AP State president) on July 18, 2025 visited the Rampachodavaram Agency area on a fact-finding into the 'encounter'. We spoke with Adivasis of several villages in the Vemulakonda and Akuru panchayats as well as residents of Kintukuru, a remote habitation. The version of the police that a combing party of Greyhounds personnel were fired upon by the Maoists and the retaliatory fire in self-defence resulted in the death of three Maoists is a patent falsehood. The three Maoists were ambushed and executed in a burst of one-sided firing by the Greyhounds in the early morning of June 18. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo The Maoists had been encamped deep in the forest area at a location about 3.5 km to the West of Kintukuru village. The camp is at a place referred locally as 'Oota mamidi' a perennial spring abutting a mango tree. Just behind it is a rivulet that flows East to merge with the Pamuleru vaagu. The three Maoists were camped at that spot for over two weeks. A large contingent of Greyhounds went via Kintukuru (Akuru panchayat) past midnight of June 17. They evidently had precise detail of the camp location which they surrounded from two sides to the South. The Greyhounds opened fire at daybreak, killing all three Maoists. There was no exchange of fire – no crossfire - only a targeted execution. The Greyhounds could have easily apprehended the three alive but they chose to kill them instead. The three Maoists killed were Gajarla Ravi (of Velishala village in Chityala mandal, Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, Telangana), Venkata Ravivarma Chaitanya (of Karakavanipalem in Pendurthi mandal, Visakhapatnam district, AP) and Kovvasi Anju, an Adivasi from Bodagubal village, Konta block, Sukma district of Chattisgarh. The bodies were taken to the Rampachodavaram Area Hospital the same evening, but the post-mortem was deliberately delayed until the next day. Relatives were forced to wait, plead, and it was only after sustained media pressure that they ultimately received decomposed bodies late on the night of June 19. By the time they were brought home, the bodies were infested with worms. These killings by special forces are part of a chilling, systematic ongoing campaign. Since January 2024, over 440 Maoists and unarmed civilians – preponderantly Adivasis in Chattisgarh - have been killed in encounters, many of them allegedly staged. We call on the Central and State governments in Maoist-affected regions to immediately halt this vicious slaughter. No democracy that claims to uphold Constitutional values can legitimise such a brutal policy of State-sanctioned extra-judicial bloodletting. HRF and HRW are of the opinion that the Maoists' repeated offers to cease hostilities and pursue peace talks warrants the government's utmost seriousness and constructive engagement. There is now a rare political opening to mitigate suffering, particularly among Adivasis, and address long-standing and deep-rooted grievances. This protracted conflict has already exacted a significant human cost, the three-member team added.


Daily News Egypt
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Angolan Police Accused of Violently Dispersing Peaceful Protesters
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday accused the Angolan police of using excessive force and carrying out arbitrary arrests during the dispersal of a peaceful demonstration in the capital, Luanda, on July 12. In a statement, the rights organization said that Angolan police fired tear gas and rubber bullets 'without justification' and assaulted protesters, injuring several individuals. According to HRW, police also detained 17 demonstrators, some of whom were released only after legal intervention. The organization urged the government to launch an 'immediate and impartial investigation' into the use of force and the arrests, and to hold those responsible accountable, regardless of their rank. 'A peaceful protest against government policies should not be met with excessive force and violations of basic rights,' said Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz, Deputy Director of Human Rights Watch's Africa Division. Budoo-Scholtz called on the Angolan government to conduct a thorough and independent inquiry and to bring perpetrators to justice, adding that the excessive use of force by police reflects 'a deeper problem within Angola's security institutions.' She further urged the government to implement comprehensive reforms to ensure police respect the law and are held accountable when violating protesters' rights. Hundreds of Angolans took part in the protest, which began in the São Paulo neighborhood and was scheduled to conclude at a symbolic square in central Luanda. The demonstration was organized by youth movements and civil society groups in response to the government's decision to raise fuel prices and eliminate public transport subsidies without public consultation. Angolan police justified their intervention by claiming it was necessary to 'maintain public order and calm,' asserting that protesters had deviated from the agreed-upon route.