Category: Human Rights

Volker Türk told the Human Rights Council that the investigation and analysis undertaken by his office, OHCHR, had revealed “an apparent total disregard for the protection of civilians during and after military operations.” The OHCHR’s Fact-Finding Mission in the eastern DRC is also investigating other alleged violations of international humanitarian law, “many of which may […]

On Thursday, the US Supreme Court unanimously ruled that public school students with disabilities may pursue discrimination claims under the same standard of proof applied to other institutions facing disability discrimination lawsuits. This decision overturns a more stringent legal standard previously applied by some lower courts specifically in education cases. Writing for the Court, Chief […]

On the first anniversary of her sentencing, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has renewed its call for the immediate release of Chinese journalist Sophia Huang Xueqin. Huang, whose investigative reporting was instrumental in sparking China’s #MeToo movement, was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of inciting “subversion of state power.” RSF condemned the verdict […]

On Friday, United Nations human rights experts issued a strong appeal to the Tanzanian government to immediately halt the practice of enforced disappearances. The experts voiced serious concerns over an escalating pattern of violence, repression, and abuses targeting opposition figures, youth leaders, and human rights defenders in Tanzania. In their statement, the experts condemned the […]

A German regional court has sentenced a former Syrian military doctor, identified as Alaa M., to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and murder committed during the Syrian civil war. The Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht) of Frankfurt found that Alaa M. actively participated in the Assad regime’s campaign against opposition members by torturing […]

In Nepal’s latest attempt to silence online speech, police are trying to arrest a well-known journalist who published on his YouTube channel claims about the business interests of a leading political family. Dil Bhushan Pathak reported three weeks ago about the alleged investments of a member of a political family. Kathmandu’s district court issued an […]

June 18, 2025 Arusha, Tanzania — Two prominent East African human rights advocates, Boniface Mwangi of Kenya and Agather Atuhaire of Uganda, have jointly filed legal actions against the governments of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, alleging state-sponsored abduction and torture in a case that is drawing intense regional and international scrutiny. The duo, both long-standing […]

As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan remains amongst the most severe in the world, the European Commission will provide €161 in humanitarian aid to help the most vulnerable Afghans in the country and in the broader region. This funding will support humanitarian organisations working inside Afghanistan with over €141 million, while also responding to the […]

“It is an alarm bell: the louder it rings, the greater the threat of genocide,” he warned. As part of its core mission to combat hatred, discrimination, racism and inequality, the UN is stepping up efforts to challenge hate speech wherever it arises. “Hate speech is poison in the well of society. It has paved […]