Notices by Andrew Stroehlein (andrewstroehlein@mastodon.social)

So, German leaders are talking about creating a second-class citizenship.

Now, where have we heard that before?

Oh, right...
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-could-withdraw-citizenship-due-to-antisemitism/a-72104457

Empathy is the foundation of civilization.

"Women and girls face particularly extreme risks, with significant reports of sexual abuse by #Belarus forces, including rape and gang rape," says the report.
https://euobserver.com/Migration/arf740e957

Today's "woke" is yesterday's "political correctness" is the day-before-that's "try to be polite and treat people decently."

If you think a brutal dictator whose armies have been engaged in an atrocity-ridden invasion of a neighbouring country is going to stop his armies after this and not launch another atrocity-ridden invasion of another country, and then another… you have not read a single page of European history.

The truth:

Putin's Russia invaded #Ukraine.

Russia's invasion started in 2014 & accelerated in 2022.

Russian forces in Ukraine have been committing war crimes & other mass atrocities from the beginning, both in areas outside their control & in areas they occupy.

https://www.hrw.org/the-day-in-human-rights/2024/11/19?story=paragraph-9792

“In Munich, the Czechoslovak delegation were kept in an adjoining room to await details of when and how they would surrender the Sudetenland to Hitler. On Tuesday, the Ukrainians were not even in the same country.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/18/ukraine-and-europe-made-to-sit-outside-as-us-and-russia-sharpen-their-carving-knives

I wish political leaders in Europe over the last decade had spent less time & effort fighting the invented “invasion” of immigrants and more time & effort addressing the very real, atrocity-ridden invasion to the east.

I mean, call me old fashioned, but armies with tanks, planes, and drones do infinitely more damage than desperate families carrying everything they own on their backs.

As the Rwanda-backed M23 takes another city in eastern Congo, the humanitarian situation is dire. The international community has levers to pull - why isn’t anyone pulling them? My Daily Brief:

📰 Read: https://www.hrw.org/the-day-in-human-rights/2025/02/17?story=paragraph-10222

🔊 Listen: https://www.hrw.org/video-photos/audio/2025/02/17/calculated-chaos-congo-daily-brief-february-17-2025

Question of the day: What does the geopolitical map of Europe look like in 6 months, 2 years, and 5 years?

Trump's gift to China's government...

"Dozens of non-government groups monitoring dissent, human and labour rights in China have laid off staff after being forced to suspend work following a freeze on foreign aid by US President Donald Trump."
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-rights-monitors-suspend-work-lay-off-staff-after-us-aid-freeze-2025-02-14/

“If these reports are true, this is an alarming overreach by the UK authorities seeking to access the private data of not only people in the UK, but anyone worldwide with an Apple account.”
https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/14/uk-encryption-order-threatens-global-privacy-rights

While the pushback against the sanctions is an important endorsement of global justice, more needs to be done.

A number of ICC member countries, including Australia, Japan, and EU members Italy, Czechia, and Hungary, did not sign the joint statement. Hungary even signaled that it may reassess its ICC membership.

After Trump signed an executive order authorizing sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) officials & supporters, 79 ICC member countries issued a statement reaffirming their “unwavering support” for the ICC.

LESSON: Governments can stand up to Trump's madness.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/12/world-responds-trumps-targeting-international-criminal-court

Report what Trump tells you to report the way Trump tells you to report it - or else.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-ap-journalism-first-amendment-8a83d8b506053249598e807f8e91e1ae

"On President Trump’s 3rd day in office... Human Rights Watch seemed to gain an enthusiastic new supporter: The same person signed up for four of its newsletters, including daily, weekly and monthly updates on its work.

Its new fan subscribed under the name Zenith Flowers. The person’s email: deiatruth@opm.gov, the same email the Trump administration set up for federal employees to report on colleagues who defy new executive orders to end diversity programs."
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/us/politics/nonprofits-dread-attempts-to-scrutinize-diversity-initiatives.html

"How does one defend democracy if the state’s very representatives are involved in systematically dismantling it?"

A question a lot of folks are asking in many countries these days.

This article looks at the steady creep to authoritarianism in #Slovakia.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jan/29/in-slovakia-a-frenzy-of-cultural-repression-is-underway-as-we-turn-back-to-soviet-times

On Musk: “The salute, the message to the AfD, the fact that he is willing to joke about the criticism he is getting, it all demonstrates that [those around Trump] are unwilling to recognize how dangerous their words and actions are.” - Halie Soifer, chief executive of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA).

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/28/elon-musk-germany-afd-rally

“OK, if you feel that way, don’t read Human Rights Watch’s new report.” My take on our latest #Gaza research:

📰 English: https://www.hrw.org/the-day-in-human-rights/2025/01/28?story=paragraph-10099

📰 Français: https://www.hrw.org/fr/news/2025/01/28/les-femmes-enceintes-gaza-punies

📰 Deutsch: https://www.hrw.org/de/news/2025/01/28/bestrafung-der-schwangeren-gaza

🔊 Listen: https://www.hrw.org/video-photos/audio/2025/01/28/punishing-pregnant-gaza-daily-brief-january-28-2025

Russian court sentences 3 lawyers to prison for providing legal services.

Yep, you read that right: lawyers jailed for doing lawyer things.

Their client was Alexei Navalny, once Russia's leading opposition politician, who died suddenly in a prison colony last year.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/22/prison-terms-navalnys-russian-defense-lawyers