In August 2021, the world watched as the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, sweeping away two decades of progress toward democracy, human rights and gender equality. While international headlines have since moved on to other crises, millions of Afghan women and girls continue to live under increasingly restrictive policies that have systematically stripped away their [...]
Search Results for: assisted suicide
US civil rights groups sue White House over transfer of migrants to Guantánamo
Several civil rights organizations on Saturday filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration to halt the transfer of noncitizens from the US to the US Naval Station at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The lawsuit, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Center for Constitutional Rights, International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) and the ACLU of [...]
Multiple plaintiffs filed a lawsuit on Tuesday asking a federal court in Maryland to block President Donald Trump’s executive order to discontinue all federal funding for gender-affirming care in individuals under the age of 19. The lawsuit asked for a preliminary and permanent injunction based on several grounds. Plaintiffs alleged that the order violated the [...]
Trump administration rescinds sweeping federal funding freeze after court challenge
The administration of US President Donald Trump on Wednesday rescinded a directive to freeze funding across federal agencies just one day after announcing the sweeping measure, which had left agencies and beneficiaries scrambling to determine its impact. However, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that only the memo instating the freeze was being rescinded, [...]
Torture by Any Other Name: The Brutal Reality of Hostage Survival
The evidence is now irrefutable that Hamas and its confederates tortured the hostages released from Gaza in November 2023. A new hostage exchange deal has just seen the release of three Israeli women who had been held hostage by Hamas for 471 days. Make no mistake, despite braided hair, clean clothes, and “gift bags” for [...]
Kenya High Court declares criminalization of attempted suicide unconstitutional
The High Court of Kenya on Thursday delivered a landmark judgment declaring the criminalization of suicide unconstitutional. In its decision, the court agreed with the petitioners that the criminalization of attempted suicide is unacceptable from a constitutional view and that such individuals need care and assistance rather than punishment. Justice LN Mugambi, delivering the judgment [...]
UK parliament gives initial approval to pass assisted dying bill
The UK parliament voted to advance an assisted dying bill on Friday, after hours of parliamentary debate. The bill proposes to give adults over the age of 18 with less than six months left to live the possibility of choosing to end their lives through compassionate medical cases, in a manner modeled on the Dignitas [...]
Ireland parliament indicates approval of assisted dying legislation recommendation
Ireland’s lower house of parliament, the Dáil Éireann, voted to “take note” of the final report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying (JCAD), with 76 votes for and 53 against, on Thursday. The vote has no legal effect but indicates support for legislation in the area. It is up to both houses of parliament [...]
Switzerland assisted suicide organization suspends applications amid criminal investigation
Switzerland-based assisted suicide organization The Last Resort said Sunday that it has suspended applications amid a criminal investigation into the use of a suicide “capsule.” Swiss authorities detained the president of The Last Resort, Dr. Florian Willet, following the death of a 64-year-old woman from the US in late September, according to a statement from [...]
Disability rights groups challenges Canada's assisted dying law in court
Disability rights groups launched a Charter challenge Wednesday against Canada’s medical assistance in dying (MAiD) provisions, seeking a court declaration that portions of the Canada Criminal Code are unconstitutional, and thus of no force and effect. The legal challenge is grounded under sections 7 and 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Section 15 [...]