The E.U. claims to back basic rights abroad but often falls short at home, the report says. The 27-member community — set to become 28 when Croatia joins in July 2013 — displayed reluctance to resettle refugees from Libya and bickered about how to handle migrants in peril at sea. Meanwhile, extremist political parties are on the rise across Europe. The report also spotlighted abuse within specific member states, including France’s expulsion of the Roma, Greece’s treatment of detained migrants, Spain’s aggressive policing of antiausterity protests and the U.K.’s rendition practices.
Human Rights Under Threat: Five Not-So-Usual Suspects
Human Rights Watch this week released its 2012 World Report. The 676-page write-up covers some of the biggest stories of the year, including China’s crackdown on dissent, ongoing attacks on civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the international community's ambivalent response to the Arab Spring. But it also spotlights some lesser-known stories from places that profess to protect human rights. Here are five important examples