On World Water Day Israeli authorities have been urged to end discriminatory practices against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories that violate their right to adequate water supplies.
An increase in harassment, arbitrary arrests, detentions, torture and other ill-treatment by security forces is anticipated ahead of April's elections.
New measures introduced by the Commander of US forces and the NATO International Security Assistance Force are in response to resentment spurred by ongoing civilian casualties.
President Raúl Castro also called upon to allow independent monitoring of the country's human rights situation by UN experts and other human rights groups.
Father Nguyen Van Ly, who is serving an eight year jail term for spreading "propaganda" against the state in 2007, was released for a period of 12 months on humanitarian grounds to receive medical treatment.
European companies are participating in the global trade in types of equipment widely used in torture or other ill-treatment, according to evidence presented in a new report by Amnesty International and the Omega Research Foundation.
