Times of Zambia (via AllAfrica.com) – Human Rights Commission expresses concern at the continued illegal detention of suspects in police cells and congestion in prisons: “Mr Mulembe in an interview in Lusaka yesterday said most police cells were over-crowded because some suspects had been kept longer than necessary without charges. He called for upholding of the rule of law and respect for the rights of suspects, and reaffirmed that the commission would continue to advocate for suspects’ rights.”

Toronto Star – Cambodia’s poor must fight for their homes, despite legal protections on the books:  “In a rundown enclave of the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, hundreds of poor people can’t sleep at night. They’re afraid to go to work in the morning for fear their homes will be gone when they return. Today the clock has run out for the community of 150 families, slated to become the latest victims of clearance projects that have rolled across Cambodia since its land became a prize for developers.”

AP – Judge frees Zimbabwean rights activist: “Zimbabwean rights activist Jestina Mukoko and 14 other people were ordered freed on bail Wednesday after the president and the prime minister forced a judge to reverse the previous day’s decision that had sparked outrage.”

Reuters – Pakistan braces for flood of displaced people leaving Swat valley: “Pakistan is bracing for its biggest ever displacement of people, as many as 800,000, as a military offensive against Taliban militants in their stronghold in the Swat valley appears imminent.”