Violence and Security

UN Agent: Tunisian Counterterrorism Drive Threatens Rights

February 17, 2017

Citing the use of counterterrorism measures such as "prolonged" detention and restriction of movement, UN human rights mandate holder Ben Emmerson has called on Tunisian officials to base their fight against terrorism in the global human rights agenda.
HRW Warns Against MB Terrorist Designation

February 17, 2017

Calling the global movement "a large and complex political organization operating in many countries," Human Rights Watch has warned the Trump Administration that a draft order reportedly under consideration at the White House designating the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) a terrorist organization would be a blow to domestic and international democratic politics.
Google, Kenya Campaign for "Considerate" Internet

February 17, 2017

Technology giant Google and government agencies of Kenya have formed a joint "online safety campaign" to promote "safe and responsible Internet use" during the country's 2017 election season.
UN Officials Criticize EU Push-back of Migrants

February 16, 2017

A group of UN officials has called on EU leaders, recently meeting in Malta to discuss the bloc's strategy to deal with migration, to end policies, often implemented to deter dangerous sea journeys to Europe, involving the push-back of migrants by European authorities to places where they face "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment."
UNESCO Publishes Guide on Media Coverage of Terrorism

February 16, 2017

The UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has published a handbook on "Terrorism and the Media" to guide journalists on how to report on acts of terror in a way that is "free from sensationalism and fear-mongering" and on appropriate "framing" techniques to avoid association of terrorism with any religion or nationality.
OSCE Official Questions Legality of US Travel Barriers

February 16, 2017

The Chair of the human rights committee of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, Ignacio Sanchez Amor, has raised doubts about the compatibility of a recent US executive order establishing barriers against travelers from seven countries deemed a terror threat with international humanitarian law.
UN Chief Points to "Islamophobia" as IS Recruiting Tool

February 15, 2017

At a joint news conference in Saudi Arabia with Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asserted that "Islamophobic" policies and hate speech in Western countries in some cases provide "the best support" for recruiting by Islamic extremist groups such as the Islamic State (IS).
UN Observers: US Migration Barriers Violate Rights

February 15, 2017

A group of UN human rights mandate holders has released a statement labeling the Trump Administration's restriction on migration from seven countries identified as terror threats a violation of international human rights law and calling on the US to "live up to its international obligations" by resuming its refugee program.
NGO Criticizes US Focus on "Islamic Extremism"

February 15, 2017

An article published by the nongovernmental organization Human Rights Watch criticizes the Trump Administration's redirection of a Department of Homeland Security program on "countering violent extremism" to focus solely on "Islamic extremism" and asserts that equating "extremism" with "violence" will result in human rights violations.
NGO Identifies Danger of Jihadi Child Recruitment in Europe

February 14, 2017

The British think tank Quilliam Foundation reports that there is a need for the EU and international organizations to develop systematic policies to counter a strategy by jihadi terrorist groups targeting refugee children for indoctrination and exploitation as they arrive in Europe.