Millions pushed to ‘brink of survival’ in Sudan

Sudan stands at the epicentre of one of the world’s “most severe” humanitarian crises, according to the UN. Over 30 million people now need urgent humanitarian assistance, among them 9.6 million displaced from their homes and nearly 15 million children caught in a struggle for daily survival. “This is one of the worst protection crises […]

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World Court: Israel Needs to Allow UN Aid into Gaza

(The Hague) – Israel should comply with its obligation to cooperate with the United Nations by ensuring the unhindered provision of essential aid to Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in an October 22, 2025 advisory opinion, Human Rights Watch said today.  The court concluded that Israel’s […]

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Forty migrants, including children, perish in Tunisia shipwreck

The tragedy came amid concerns that worsening conditions for refugees and asylum-seekers in North Africa are pushing more families to embark on perilous journeys. The boat, which had departed from the Tunisian village of Salakta, capsized shortly after setting off, killing nine women, 19 men and 12 children under the age of five, according to […]

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Calls Grow for Immediate Release of Sonia Dahmani: Tunisia Human Rights Defender Turned Political Prisoner

TUNIS, Oct. 23, 2025 — The imprisonment of Sonia Dahmani, a Tunisian lawyer, writer, and outspoken media commentator, has become a defining case in the country’s democratic backsliding. Convicted on multiple anti-state charges for her televised and radio commentary, Dahmani is serving a five-year sentence while facing two additional trials that could extend her imprisonment […]

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New German Guidelines on Colonial Returns Fail Rights Test

Last week, German federal, state, and local authorities adopted Common Guidelines on the handling of cultural assets and human remains from colonial contexts. Despite the welcome efforts to regulate the returns cultural belongings and ancestral remains from colonial contexts, the guidelines appear to go out of the way to distance such returns from international human rights […]

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United States: Federal Agents Use Excessive Force in Illinois

Federal law enforcement agents have since mid-September used excessive force against peaceful protesters, legal observers, volunteer street medics, and journalists during demonstrations outside a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in suburban Chicago. This is not crowd control but a campaign of intimidation and a clear message that dissent will be punished. It […]

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Brazil Resumes Key Dialogue over Equality

This week Brazil is hosting the 4th National Conference on the Rights of LGBTQIA+ People, an ambitious effort to chart new directions for public policy on equality and inclusion. Beyond its national scope, the conference underscores Brazil’s reemergence as a key voice in global equality debates. And as many countries, including in the Global North, roll back support of LGBTQIA+ rights, the conference shows […]

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CPJ Urges Madagascar to Investigate Attacks on Journalists Covering Political Turmoil

ANTANANARIVO, Oct. 22, 2025 — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Madagascar’s interim leadership to investigate two shootings and two assaults targeting journalists covering the country’s escalating political crisis. The incidents occurred during nationwide protests over water and electricity shortages, which culminated in a military coup and the ousting of President Andry Rajoelina. […]

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Three Women Die in Iran’s Qarchak Prison Due to Alleged Medical Neglect

TEHRAN, Oct. 21, 2025 — Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned the Iranian government following the deaths of three women in Qarchak prison, citing a pattern of medical negligence and rights violations. The organization claims that the women—Soudabeh Asadi, Jamile Azizi, and Somayeh Rashidi—died between September 16 and 25 after being denied timely and adequate […]

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UN rights office sounds alarm over ‘skyrocketing’ Israeli settler violence during olive harvest

Ajith Sunghay said on Tuesday that “settler violence has skyrocketed in scale and frequency, with the acquiescence, support, and in many cases participation, of Israeli security forces – and always with impunity.” In the first half of 2025 alone, there were 757 settler attacks causing casualties or property damage — a 13 per cent increase […]

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