President Obama must use his first official visit to China to urge the authorities to reverse the sharp rise in human rights violations in the country, Amnesty International said on Friday.
Youth activists Emin Abdullayev and Adnan
Hajizade have been sentenced to 30 and 24 months' imprisonment
respectively on charges of 'hooliganism' and 'inflicting minor bodily
harm'.
Musician and activist Igor Koktysh has been detained for over two years for the peaceful expression of his beliefs. If forcibly returned to Belarus, he could face the death penalty.
Amnesty International has called for the release of a human rights
activist who went on trial this week for making a video about pollution
in Tunisia and posting it on Facebook.
Hairat Niyaz has been detained since 1 October. He is thought at risk of torture and ill-treatment. Family and friends believe his detention is due to comments he made about the recent unrest.
Dr Mohammad Maleki has been held incommunicado since his arrest in August. Amnesty International has expressed grave concern for his health as he is suffering from serious illnesses.
Iranian-American academic Kian Tajbakhsh has been sentenced to 15 years in prison by
the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, for his alleged part in the protests following the June presidential election.
The de facto Honduran authorities must allow journalists to broadcast as negotiations over the country's political future continue, Amnesty International has said.
