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BRAZIL'S EXPLODING PRISONS
FindLaw columnist and human rights attorney Joanne Mariner explains thestory behind Brazil's recent prison riots. Based on numerous interviewsshe conducted for Human Rights Watch in Brazil, she explains how the SãoPaulo prison that exploded into violence is effectively run by powerfulinmates, and marked by police and guard abuse of inmates. She alsonotes Brazil's record of failing to punish officials responsible forviolence against inmates -- and, indeed, of electing one notoriouspolice commander who was involved in a prison massacre to the Sao PauloState Legislative Assembly.
Thursday, Feb. 22, 2001
THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S STEALTH WAIVER OF HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION FOR COLOMBIA
FindLaw columnist, attorney, and human rights advocate Joanne Marinerexplainshow, in the last days of the Clinton administration, a legal technicalitywasemployed so that the U.S. could, without expressly waiving human rightsrequirements, continue to give military aid to Colombia despite human rightsviolations there. Mariner describes the aid legislation; notes theadministration's August 2000 claim that Colombia simply needed more time tocomply with human rights protections; and explains how January 2001massacresdisproved that claim- yet aid was still not cut off.
Thursday, Feb. 08, 2001
THE LATEST TREND IN CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION: RAPE IN ADULT PRISONS
FindLaw columnist, attorney, and human rights activist Joanne Mariner citesevidence that the movement (supported by Attorney General nominee JohnAshcroft, among others) to incarcerate young offenders in adult prisons isgreatly increasing the minors' risk of being raped. In arguing that thistrend should be reversed, Mariner stresses the irony that the samelegislators who favor a harsh crackdown on child molestation also favorputting child offenders into adult prisons, where molestation willinevitablyoccur.
Thursday, Jan. 25, 2001
AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE SUPREME COURT'S NGUYEN CASE
FindLaw columnist, attorney, and human rights activist Joanne Marinerchallenges the basis for the argument by which the government seeks, in theSupreme Court's Nguyen case, to justify a naturalization provision thatdiscriminates by sex. The provision makes it harder for U.S. citizen fathersthan it is for U.S. citizen mothers to confer U.S. citizenship on theirchildren born abroad. The justification claims that U.S. mothers abroaddeserve special treatment because their children risk statelessness -- thatis, being a citizen of no country at all. The problem with thisjustification, Mariner contends, is that children born to U.S. fathersabroadrisk statelessness, too, due to the laws of many foreign countries.
Thursday, Jan. 11, 2001
DUE PROCESS FOR PINOCHET?
FindLaw columnist and human rights activist Joanne Mariner explains the recent series of Chilean judicial decisions affecting the prosecution there of notorious human-rights violator General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte. As Mariner explains, the decisions raise two issues -- one easy, one more difficult. The investigating judge's failure to question Pinochet is easily remedied, but Pinochet's claimed physical and psychological disabilities might, if proven, pose a true obstacle to prosecution.
Thursday, Dec. 28, 2000
ELECTION LESSONS FROM ABROAD
What can America learn from criticism of our election in foreign media, andfrom international organizations that aim to improve elections worldwide? Agreat deal, it turns out. FindLaw columnist, Human Rights Watch DeputyDirector, and attorney Joanne Mariner explains several respects in whichU.S.elections, in Florida and nationally, fall woefully short of internationalstandards.
Thursday, Dec. 14, 2000
FLORIDA'S 436,900 MISSING VOTES
FindLaw columnist and Human Rights Watch Deputy Director Joanne Marinerdiscusses the almost half a million voters who were barred from the polls inFlorida, as a result of a state law that imposes lifetime disenfranchisementon persons convicted of a felony. Mariner argues that, among its otherdefects,the law is racially discriminatory: Nearly one-third of AfricanAmerican menin Florida were barred from casting their vote because they had committed afelony at some point in the past.
Thursday, Nov. 30, 2000
KOSOVO AFTER MILOSEVIC
Human rights activist and FindLaw columnist Joanne Mariner considers the prognosis for Kosovo and Serbia now that Milosevic has been ousted, and Kostunica is the new Yugoslav President. Among other issues, Mariner reflects on how the resolution of the current, contested U.S. election may affect the Balkans.
Thursday, Nov. 16, 2000
DEFENDANT DESPOT: PINOCHET AND THE PROSPECT OF CHILEAN JUSTICE
Until recently, only foreign courts appeared likely to bring Chileandespot Augusto Pinochet to justice. Human rights activist JoanneMariner explains how a Pinochet prosecution in Chile itself has gonefrom unthinkable to possible, and why the former dictator's efforts toimmunize himself at home may not be successful.
Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000
HAITI'S TARNISHED ELECTION RESULTS
A human rights attorney discusses the troubling procedures followed in therecent elections in Haiti.
Friday, Jul. 21, 2000
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