Spain’s National High Court Judge Santiago Pedraz ordered on Monday a temporary suspension of his own previous order to ban the social media app Telegram in Spain. Pedraz said that he issued the suspension pending a report from the General Information Commissioner’s Office on the instant messaging platform requesting information about Telegram’s characteristics and the [...]
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Spain’s Audiencia Nacional high court ordered Telegram on Saturday to temporarily suspend its activities in the country, after a complaint by major media companies that users were sharing content without their permission, according to consumer advocacy group FACUA. FACUA condemned the decision, calling it “disproportionate.” The decision came after company officials in the Virgin Islands [...]
India Supreme Court to take up petitions challenging controversial citizenship laws
The Indian Supreme Court announced Friday it will take up a batch of petitions on Tuesday, which seek to challenge the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) and the recently introduced Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. The CAA is an Indian law that fast-tracks citizenship for persecuted minorities from neighboring countries. Also, the Indian government introduced [...]
CIVICUS 2024 Report Highlights Civil Society and Global Rule of Law in Crisis
Civil society is facing unprecedented challenges globally due to escalating conflicts and crises. In 2023, groups that were pivotal in advocating for human rights, offering humanitarian aid and giving a voice to the marginalized encountered increasing difficulties. Their work has become more challenging due to growing repression and conflict, yet they remain beacons of hope [...]
Silk Road Resurgence Ignites Fierce Regional Competition Among Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan
The idea of reviving the Silk Road is gaining traction, but with a twist: this time, it’s expected to ignite competition regionally and globally. China, spearheading the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aims to create a massive economic bloc by connecting its economy to around 150 countries. The World Bank estimates BRI’s potential to [...]
The Associated Press (AP) reported that a Pakistani court sentenced a 22-year-old student to death and gave a teenager life in prison on Monday under the country’s blasphemy laws. The 22-year-old student’s lawyer, Aslam Gujar, told the AP that Junaid Munir had been sentenced to death last week. The charges come as a result of [...]
Breaking Barriers: A Global Review of Legislative Reform on Women's Rights
The plight of women’s rights in various countries reflects a complex interplay of legal, cultural and societal norms that significantly disenfranchise women and girls, threatening their human rights and dignity. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Pakistan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Nigeria present challenging environments where women’s rights [...]
India unveils rules to implement controversial legislation amending citizenship laws
The Indian government unveiled Monday the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 (CAR), in accordance with the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), which aims to amend the laws governing citizenship in India. The CAA helps persecuted religious minorities gain access to Indian citizenship but specifically excludes Muslim immigrants. The government also stated that the application procedure under the [...]
In a groundbreaking ruling delivered on Thursday, the Supreme Court of India declared that the lawful exercise of dissent is protected under the Indian Constitution. The verdict addressed a case involving Javed Ahmad Hajam, a resident of Baramulla in Kashmir, who faced charges under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charges stemmed [...]
Pakistan court orders authorities to restore access to social media platform X
The Sindh High Court issued a directive on Wednesday to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to restore access to social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) which has been blocked by the orders of PTA since February 17, 2024. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, ordered “uninterrupted” access to the social [...]