UN Appeals for $910 Million to Address Humanitarian Crisis in Northeast Nigeria

The United Nations is set to launch an appeal for $910 million to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in northeastern Nigeria, a region severely impacted by an Islamist insurgency since 2009 and recent flooding. This appeal, the largest of its kind in West and Central Africa, aims to assist 3.6 million people out of the […]

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Swazi Lawyers Face Growing Fear and Intimidation Following Thulani Maseko’s Assassination, ICJ Report Reveals

A recent report by the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) highlights growing concerns over the independence and safety of lawyers in Eswatini, two years after the assassination of prominent human rights lawyer and political activist Thulani Maseko. The report underscores the chilling impact his murder has had on the legal community, particularly for those handling […]

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UN Urges Thailand to Halt Uyghur Deportations, Citing Human Rights Risks

The United Nations has called on Thailand to immediately halt the deportation of 48 Uyghur detainees to China, citing concerns over the risk of torture, enforced disappearance, and other human rights violations. The UN emphasized Thailand’s obligation under the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to countries where they face serious harm. The Uyghurs, […]

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Outrage in Iraq as Parliament Passes Law Allowing Child Marriage

The Iraqi parliament’s recent passage of a law permitting child marriage has sparked widespread condemnation from both women’s rights organizations and political figures. The controversial legislation allows girls as young as nine years old to marry, drawing strong criticism from activists who argue that the law effectively legitimizes child exploitation and abuse. The new law, […]

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World News in Brief: Hostilities in northeast Syria, response plan in Mali, Uyghur deportations in Thailand

Between 16 and 18 January, at least three civilians were killed and 14 injured in shelling and other attacks impacting Manbij, Ain al-Arab and other villages near the Tishreen Dam in the eastern Aleppo region. UN partners also reported that shops in the main market were damaged when an improvised bomb detonated inside a car […]

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Republic of Georgia’s Criminal Justice System Used to Suppress Dissent, Say Activists

Human rights organizations have raised alarms over the use of Georgia’s criminal justice system to suppress political opposition, following the sentencing of two activists involved in protests against a controversial “foreign influence” law. Amnesty International condemned the sentences, calling them a “parody of justice” and criticizing the government for its treatment of protesters. Denis Krivosheev, […]

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22 State Democratic Attorneys General Challenge Trump’s Executive Order on Birthright Citizenship

A group of 22 state attorneys general, predominantly from Democratic-led states, have filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending birthright citizenship. The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, asserts that the executive order violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born or naturalized in the United […]

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Trump’s Executive Orders Threaten Broad Range of Human Rights

United States President Donald Trump, on his first day in office on January 20, 2025, issued numerous executive orders that threaten to undermine respect for international human rights both in the US and abroad, Human Rights Watch said today.  “The sweeping scope and impact of these executive orders is deeply alarming,” said Tirana Hassan, executive […]

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UN rights expert calls for end to Russia’s crackdown on lawyers

Mariana Katzarova, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, urged Russian authorities to release lawyers Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser and Igor Sergunin, who were sentenced on 17 January to prison terms on “extremism” charges. Their trial, held in the Petushki district court of the Vladimir region, was criticized as a […]

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Iranian Court Sentences Singer Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo (Tataloo) to Death for Blasphemy

Iran’s First Criminal Court has sentenced popular singer Amir Hossein Maghsoudloo, better known as Tataloo, to death after he was convicted of blasphemy for allegedly insulting the Prophet Muhammad. The sentence follows an appeal, which overturned a previous decision that had sentenced the 37-year-old musician to five years in prison. Tataloo, a well-known figure in […]

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