Mother of Jailed British-Egyptian Activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah Resumes Full Hunger Strike

London – May 2025 — The mother of imprisoned British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah has resumed a full hunger strike, escalating her protest against her son’s continued detention in Egypt beyond the completion of his five-year sentence. Dr. Laila Soueif, a mathematics professor and prominent advocate for human rights, had been on a partial hunger […]

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World News in Brief: Terror-crime link alarm, child detention in Australia, judiciary in Maldives, Protection of Civilians Week

In recent years, criminal and terrorist groups have seized “every” opportunity afforded by growing instability to “entrench, expand, and escalate,” said Ghada Waly, in her opening remarks to the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, in Vienna. Challenges such as human and drug trafficking, smuggling of cultural and commercial goods, and environmental crimes are […]

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India’s Forced Detainment and Deportation of 40 Rohingya Refugees to Myanmar Sparks International Outrage

The Indian government’s recent actions have drawn widespread condemnation after at least 40 Rohingya refugees—comprising women, children, and elderly individuals—were forcibly deported from New Delhi to Myanmar. These individuals had been detained on May 6, 2025, despite holding United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards, which are typically recognized as proof of refugee status. […]

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Syrians heading home find few of the basics needed to survive

Hopes rose last week in Damascus when fuel prices dropped instantly following Donald Trump’s move to end punitive sanctions. But after more than 13 years of civil war that ended with the fall of the Assad regime last December, ordinary Syrians face an exhausting list of other problems. These include an absence of housing – […]

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UN Chief Calls for Permanent Ceasefire and Humanitarian Access in Gaza at Arab League Summit

Baghdad, Iraq – May 2025 — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for a permanent ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, amid ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in the region. Speaking at the opening of the 34th Arab League Summit in Baghdad, […]

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UN General Assembly Should Act on North Korea

(New York) – The United Nations General Assembly should establish a new body to examine the connections between the North Korean government’s repressive system and its military programs and nuclear weapons development, Human Rights Watch said today. On May 20, the General Assembly will hold a special high-level plenary session on North Korea. In the December 2024 resolution […]

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France Sues Iran at ICJ for Holding Two French Nationals Hostage

France has filed a lawsuit against Iran at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a bid to secure the release of two French nationals detained by the Islamic Republic. Cécile Kohler, a modern literature teacher, and her partner Jacques Paris were arrested on May 8, 2022, while visiting Iran as tourists. The couple has […]

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UN Rights Chief Condemns Mali’s New Law Targeting Political Participation

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk strongly condemned Mali’s recent decree banning political parties, describing it as a “draconian” violation of fundamental rights. Türk warned that the law could further silence political dissent and institutionalize repression in the country. In his statement on Friday, Türk called for the immediate repeal of the decree […]

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‘We are still waiting for our loved ones’: Families of the abducted speak out

Each called for justice under international law and for perpetrators to be held accountable. Sung-Eui Lee, daughter of a South Korean man abducted by North Korean forces during the Korean War, and Ruby Chen, father of an Israeli soldier taken by Hamas during the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel, spoke in the Security Council. […]

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Amnesty International Urges New Syrian Government to Prioritize Human Rights Reforms

May 17, 2025 — In a statement released Friday, Amnesty International called on Syria’s newly established government to address the country’s legacy of human rights violations through a comprehensive agenda of justice, truth, and reparation. The appeal comes amid hopes that the political transition, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024, could […]

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