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Why Peru needs a Trans Law

In Peru, individuals part of the LGBTQ community have historically been discriminated against by society and the State. Despite few initiatives, the Peruvian State has not established clear policies to combat prejudice and stereotypes that generate violence, discrimination, and vulnerability for this community. Within this group, the transgender population is in a particularly vulnerable situation, as they do not have an identity document that reflects the gender with which they identify. The lack of this document denies them the possibility of opting for the work they wish to do. Without an identity document, access to essential services such as health, education, housing, and security is almost non-existent. They cannot fully identify themselves to the institution in charge, receiving numerous signs of stigmatization from public officials, authorities, and society in general. Without identity, their dignity is also diminished since they are exposed to public scorn for not identifying...
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Essay on ISRAEL-PALESTINE ISSSUE - Shershah Khan

In this essay I shall discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict, its history and current events. With regards to history, I shall talk about how this issue was created and how this issue has been seen by Zionists in the past. I shall also discuss what were the general perception and motives of these European Zionists, who wanted a Jewish homeland in Palestine. I shall also discuss the terms Zionism and Judaism. Lastly, I will mention what the International legal authorities and community has to say about the issue of Israel-Palestine. Shortly, the purpose of this essay is to prove that Israel is based on a racist extremist ideology and its very existence is a threat to not only the native Palestinians, but also to any ‘inferior non-white’ race in the world. Along with that Israel is also an imminent threat to the global world. At the beginning of this month (i.e., May 2021) the Israeli govt. forcedly evicted 13 Palestinians families from their homes in Sheikh Jarra, East Jerusalem. Israeli...

LETTER: Release Detained Human Rights Lawyer and Activist (Egypt: UA 132.19 - Update)

  Dear Counsellor, I am writing to raise my concerns about the ongoing arbitrary detention of lawyer  Mohamed el-Baqer  and activist  Alaa Abdel Fattah , who have been in pre-trial detention over unfounded terrorist-related accusations since October 1, 2019, solely for their peaceful exercise of human rights. They are held in inhumane conditions at the Tora Maximum Security 2 Prison, in Cairo. From October 1, 2019 to May 9, 2021, Mohamed el-Baqer and Alaa Abdel Fattah shared a small poorly ventilated cell of 3.5m x 5m with two other prisoners. Prison authorities have denied them beds and mattresses; they have been sleeping on the floor on rough blankets. Unlike other prisoners, they are prohibited from exercising in the prison yard and are not allowed to use the prison library nor to receive books or newspapers from outside prison at their own expense. The prison authorities have also been denying them adequate clothing, radios, watches, access to hot water and any p...

The case of Sarayaku land - By Feven

  The Sarayaku (Kichwa for “river of corn”) are an Indigenous Peoples who live in several villages along a stretch of the Bobonaza River in the province of Pastaza in the southern part of the Ecuadorean Amazon. On 6 August 1996, the Ministry of Energy and Mines in Ecuador signed exploitative contract regarding Sarayaku land with Argentinean General Fuel Company called Compañía General de Combustibles (CGC) without consultation of Kichwa natives of Sarayaku. In 1997, CGC to conduct early-stage assessment of the area.   A group called Organization of Indigenous People of Pastaza Province (OPIP) comprised of mostly Kichwa natives, protested and conducted three rallies against the operation of CGC in Sarayaku land. In 1999, after pretending to withdraw from exploiting Block 23 to ease tensions, the CGC continued their exploration. It installed military and private security guards, opened roads and cut down the forest, destroying trees and plants. As part of their drilling operat...

LETTER : Poet Detained for One Year Without Charge (Sri Lanka: UA 54.21)

Dear Mr Wickramaratne, I am deeply worried about the situation of Sri Lankan poet and teacher Ahnaf Jazeem, who has been detained without charge since May 16, 2020 by the authorities. It is distressing to know that a year has passed, and no credible, admissible evidence of wrongdoing has ever been presented before a court. The draconian Prevention Terrorist Act (PTA) under which Ahnaf is arrested, allows authorities to arbitrarily detain individuals without any charges for up to 18 months without charge or trial. I find it alarming that he has been denied due process and fair trial rights, including unrestricted access to his lawyers and his family. Ahnaf’s legal counsel states that he has been coerced to make false confessions while under interrogation and has been made to sign documents written in a language he does not understand. These are all clear violations of rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Sri Lanka and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to whic...

Letter - Release Aid Worker Sentenced to 20 Years (Saudi Arabia: UA 50.21)

Your Majesty King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, On March 12, 2018, state security forces arrested Saudi national Abdulrahman al-Sadhan from his place of work at the Saudi Arabian Red Crescent Society in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. They failed to present a warrant, confiscated his phone, and took him to an unknown location. After almost two years of no contact whatsoever, Abdulrahman al-Sadhan was finally allowed to call his family for the first time on February 12, 2020, wherein he mentioned being detained at al-Ha’ir prison, located approximately 25 miles south of Riyadh. On March 3, Abdulrahman al-Sadhan attended his first secret hearing at the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC), without legal representation and in the absence of his father, who had been assisting his legal defense. He was charged on the basis of a series of satirical tweets from an account the prosecution accused him of running, and a so-called “confession” extracted under duress. After a series of hearings, the SCC s...