Category: Human Rights

On April 25, 2025, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the rescission of a policy implemented during the Biden administration that restricted the Department of Justice (DOJ) from subpoenaing journalists’ records in criminal leak investigations. This policy change signifies a shift towards more aggressive measures in investigating unauthorized disclosures of sensitive information. Policy Reversal Details […]

Turkish prosecutors have filed terrorism and defamation charges against Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, a correspondent for Dagens ETC, over alleged pro-PKK activity and “insulting the president.” Medin, who has extensively reported from Kurdish regions, faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted. His trial is scheduled for April 30, 2025, in an open court […]

UN human rights experts have issued a sharp rebuke of the Belarusian government, condemning the use of forced psychiatric treatment as a tool to suppress political opposition. In a statement released Thursday by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the experts said at least 33 individuals have been subjected to […]

A Trump-appointed federal judge has ordered the U.S. government to arrange the return of a Venezuelan asylum seeker who was deported to El Salvador in violation of a binding court settlement. The decision comes amid rising legal scrutiny over the use of wartime-era deportation authority against migrants. Court: Deportation Violated Settlement U.S. District Judge Stephanie […]

The United Nations has commended the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for its ongoing efforts to combat the sale, sexual exploitation, and abuse of children, while also urging the country to bolster support systems and improve reporting mechanisms. UN Special Rapporteur Fatima Singhateh, following an 11-day fact-finding visit—the first since 2009—praised the UAE’s commitment to child […]

The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has released its 34th General Report, highlighting significant concerns regarding prison conditions and psychiatric care across Europe. Prison Overcrowding and Informal Hierarchies The CPT reports that many European prisons are operating beyond capacity, leading to overcrowded conditions […]

(Bangkok) – The Maldives government should immediately reinstate three Supreme Court justices who were improperly suspended and cease other efforts to undermine judicial independence, Human Rights Watch said today. The three justices had until April 24, 2025, to respond to a Maldives Judicial Service Commission report recommending their dismissal. On February 26, the Judicial Service Commission […]

The latest Russian strikes reportedly damaged 12 buildings in the capital, causing widespread damage to homes, businesses and key services, while phones have been heard ringing from the rubble. Other Ukrainian cities targeted included Zhytomyr – due west of Kyiv – and the northeastern cities of Sumy –  where a daytime missile strike killed at least […]

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed grave concern over the Ethiopian authorities’ recent actions against the independent media outlet, Addis Standard. On April 17, Ethiopian police raided the offices of Addis Standard and the home of one of its senior staff members, detaining three managers for several hours and confiscating multiple electronic devices, […]

In two months, the FIFA Club World Cup, an international football tournament for club teams, will kick off in the United States, serving as a testing ground for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup next year. But FIFA has inexcusably not put a clear and comprehensive child safeguarding framework in place to protect children from […]