GENEVA, Switzerland, March 12 (UPI) -- A Human Rights Watch briefing paper called on the U.N. Human Rights Council to address a backlog of abuses.
"Victims and defenders deserve much better," Peggy Hicks, global advocacy director of Human Rights Watch, said in the paper. The U.N. Rights Council meets this week in Switzerland.
The Human Rights Watch briefing paper charged "serious human rights situations" in 26 problem countries and notes the council has only taken action in situations in three countries.
Human Rights Watch said Sri Lanka is a "deteriorating situation" because the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Karuna group continue to recruit child soldiers.
Human Rights Watch also said: In Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, more than 1,100 political prisoners are being held; In Uzbekistan security forces killed hundreds of "mostly unarmed protesters" in Andijan in 2005; Iran increased executions by 70 percent in 2006, executing more juveniles than any other country in the world.
In addition, the paper cites Iran's restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of association, particularly for women's rights protesters.
Human Rights Watch said despite these actions, the Human Rights Council is taking up a recommendation to end consideration of Uzbekistan and Iran.
