Category: Human Rights

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 […]

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, […]

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, […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

The plan was announced by the High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), a platform for intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation. Miguel Ángel Moratinos called antisemitism – prejudice or hatred towards Jews – “a toxic ideology with deep roots in bigotry and racism that still plagues our world manifesting itself in different forms.” Eradicate […]