The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday that it will audit the DOJ’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA). According to the announcement, the OIG audit will examine DOJ’s “processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records in its possession as required by the Act,” [...]

UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, warned Thursday that despite government efforts, structural challenges continue to undermine the safety of human rights defenders in Mexico, citing organized crime, state authorities, and business interests as driving forces behind ongoing attacks. In a statement issued by the Office of the UN [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday lambasted the arrest of at least four in Bangladesh for posting social media content that allegedly criticized the new government, calling it an alarming continuation of the previous regime’s repressive practices. “Tarique Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government should live up to its promises on freedom of expression, end [...]

Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (SMIL), Hanna Tetteh, on Wednesday briefed the Security Council on how Libya’s political leaders have delayed implementation of the political roadmap intended to lead the country toward establishing national unity and democratic elections. Tetteh said Libyan authorities have fallen short of goals set in SMIL’s 2025 roadmap [...]

In a unanimous decision Thursday, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed all charges against Philippines ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, sending him to a formal trial. The chamber based its decision on document submissions and evidence presented during confirmation hearings that occurred in February, concluding that there are “substantial grounds” to believe that [...]

Rights organizations released a joint statement Wednesday condemning the UK’s conviction of pro-Palestine organizers Ben Jamal and Chris Nineham. Organizations spoke of “grave concerns” over the broader impacts of these convictions, writing: Many of the human rights we cherish–civil liberties, workers’ protections, votes for women, environmental safeguards–were won through protest. Recasting those same forms of [...]

The Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration announced Thursday that FDA-approved marijuana products and medical marijuana products covered by a qualifying state-issued license have been moved to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, a significant loosening of federal restrictions on the drug for medical use. The order, issued by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, [...]

Joshua Villanueva is JURIST’s Washington, DC Correspondent and an LL.M. candidate in National Security and U.S. Foreign Relations Law at The George Washington University Law School.  The US Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in Blanche v. Lau, a case asking whether Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may parole a returning lawful permanent resident into [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday called on Hungary to repeal its 2021 anti-LGBTQ “child protection” law, one day after the European Union’s top court ruled the measure illegal. “This is a landmark ruling making clear that Hungary’s anti-LGBT law has no place in the European Union and should be repealed,” said Lydia Gall, HRW’s [...]