Syria and Iran have both been facing global criticism for their human rights records. Earlier this month, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned [JURIST report] recent attacks by troops loyal to the Syrian government against innocent civilians. In March, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published an open letter to leaders of a movement opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, alleging that members of the opposition movement have tortured [JURIST report], kidnapped and executed supporters of the Assad government. Also in March, a UN human rights expert criticized the Iranian government for human rights violations. In February, Obama signed [JURIST report] an executive order [text] imposing strict sanctions on Iran as part of an effort to enforce a bill he signed into law in December 2011.

Last week, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang [official profile] spoke [JURIST report] to the Constituent Assembly of Nepal (CA) [official website] about several human rights issues in the country, including a reluctance to prosecute war crimes and insufficient progress increasing women's rights [texts, PDF]. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and HRW [JURIST reports] have both previously appealed to the government of Nepal [BBC backgrounder] to investigate human rights violations allegedly committed during the civil war. The decade-long Maoist guerrilla insurgency that left more than 13,000 people dead ended [JURIST report] in late 2006 when the Napalese government signed a peace agreement that established the CA. In November, the CA announced it will finish drafting a new constitution [JURIST report] within 18 months. Last May, the CA voted to abolish the monarchy [JURIST report], giving King Gyanendera 15 days to abandon his royal palace, which cleared the way for Maoists to serve in government. As part of the peace accord, the CA was elected [JURIST report] in April 2008, an organization dominated by members of the Communist Party of Nepal- Maoists (CPN-M) [party website].

Haarde's trial resumed in March after originally opening in September [JURIST reports] with Haarde's lawyers moving to dismiss all of the charges against him, a request which was denied. Haarde pleaded not guilty [JURIST report] in June, vowing to fight the charges and claiming they were the result of politics. In September 2010, the Icelandic Parliament referred charges to the Landsdomur after the Special Investigation Committee (SIC) released a "Truth Report" claiming that seven Icelandic government officials acted with gross negligence in their management of the country's financial system prior to a 2008 bank collapse. The SIC determined that Haarde and former central bank head David Oddsson knew that banks were assuming overseas debt but took no action to prevent or mitigate the effects of the accumulation.

Four independent human rights experts called for the immediate release [JURIST report] of Al-Khawaja last week. Earlier this month, Amnesty International reported that human rights violations continue [JURIST report] in Bahrain despite reported reforms. Al-Khawaja's lawyers and members of the Bahrain opposition appealed his conviction and UN experts' called for his release after international concern arose over his health due to repeated hunger strikes, which at that point had passed 50 days [JURIST reports]. Last May, Special Rapporteur on torture Juan Mendez [official profile] condemned the Bahraini government for failing to adhere to the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners [text] regarding Al-Khawaja physical and mental integrity. He was allegedly physically mistreated and perhaps tortured [JURIST report] while in custody, displaying visible physical signs of abuse at trial.

Guinea-Bissau has experienced instability, resulting in several coups, since gaining independence from Portugal in 1974. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official website] hoped to prevent another coup when she urged [JURIST report] the people of Guinea-Bissau in March to refrain from any violence during the upcoming election. The same month, Ban asked the government, military and civilians to maintain order [text] during the elections. In 2010, the EU discontinued [JURIST report] its EU SSR Guinea-Bissau Mission [official website] that provided assistance to the country's security forces in developing a legal framework, citing the breakdown of law and order in the country. A few months earlier, Ban called on leaders in Guinea-Bissau to respect the rule of law [JURIST report] and maintain constitutional order in the wake of another confrontation between the military and government.

The international community has continued to call for end to the violence in Syria. Earlier this month, Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] released a report claiming the Syrian government has executed more than 100 civilians [JURIST report] and opposition fighters during recent attacks. Also this month, Ban reaffirmed his call for an end to the violence and condemned attacks [JURIST report] by pro-government troops against civilians. Last month, the UN Human Rights Council [official website] passed a non-binding resolution [JURIST report] condemning Syrian authorities for ongoing bloodshed and violations of human rights. This official condemnation from the rights body came after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] demanded a cease-fire [JURIST report] in late February.