Human Rights

In just a few days, New Hampshire legislators could make their state's death penalty law the most expansive in the country if they vote in favor of a bill that allows capital punishment to be eligible for all murders without any distinction. Anti-death penalty organizations and church groups are calling for lawmakers to vote against the proposed bill, arguing that capital punishment is too expensive and puts innocent lives at risk.

State Rep. Phil Greazzo (R-Manchester) wrote the bill, HB 162, to make all "purposeful" murders eligible for the death penalty. The Republican legislator claims current state law is unfair and that the death penalty should be more expansive and apply to all cases involving murder.

In New Hampshire, the only crimes that are eligible for the death penalty include the murder of on-duty law enforcement officers, murder-for-hire cases, murder during imprisonment, murder during a rape, kidnapping or burglary, and murders involving drug crimes. more >>

On Friday, a day after North Korea completed its nearly two weeks of “mourning” for the late Kim Jong-il, the country sent a stern message to the world vowing that it would not alter policies despite the death of their “Dear Leader.”

North Korea is widely known as an intelligence “black hole” and leaders of the international community have expressed grave concerns over the future of the nuclear-armed nation, especially under a new and inexperienced leader.

The North Korean populace lives in some of the worst human rights conditions on the planet, with virtually no freedoms and all aspects of cultural, political, and social life tightly monitored and controlled by the leading Workers’ party. more >>

An Egyptian court ordered Tuesday that the ruling military council stop “virginity testing” on female detainees.

The ruling comes after the court case of female protester Samira Ibrahim, who sued the country’s military for forcing the invasive test after she was detained during Tahrir Square’s March protests.

“The court orders that the execution of the procedure of virginity tests on girls inside military prisons be stopped,” Head of the Cairo Administrative Court Judge Ali Fekri announced Tuesday. more >>

Tens of thousands took to Cairo’s streets Friday to protest the ruling military’s violent tactics against protesters and its continued control over the country’s government.

Thousands gathered in Tahrir Square Friday for the “Regaining Honor and defending the revolution” rally.

Egypt’s violent clashes between military and protesters began last week when a small group of sit-in protesters clashed with soldiers. The group was protesting the military’s continued hold in Egypt’s government. more >>

A human rights group wants the international community to keep pressure on Iran during the Christmas season and into next year to secure the acquittal and release of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani and all others unjustly imprisoned or facing execution.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide says that in addition to the plight of Nadarkhani, who is facing death penalty for converting to Christianity, they have received reports of another pastor jailed and tortured.

Pastor Behnam Irani from the Church of Iran denomination is serving a five-year sentence in Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj for charges of apostasy and “action against the order,” reports CSW. more >>

Actor Christian Bale made international headlines when he attempted to visit Chen Guangcheng, the Chinese human rights activist who has brought attention to massive forced abortions in his country, but was forced away by security officials, which was all caught on camera.  The “Batman” star insisted that he is not a hero, rather, the Chinese villagers fighting for Chen's release are the ones who deserve recognition.

Bale was in Beijing for the premier of “Flowers of War,” a film he is starring in about the 1937 Nanking massacre, said to be the most expensive movie production in Chinese history. But during the filming of the movie, Bale learned about Chen, a blind, self-taught human rights lawyer who is known for exposing the fact that government officials in Linyi County forced 130,000 abortions and sterilizations in 2005, according to Women's Rights Without Frontiers (WRWF).

In 2010, a local court sentenced Chen to a 4-year house arrest sentence for disrupting traffic during a protest. more >>