There were 182 recorded incidents of internet shutdowns in 2021 by governments in 34 countries, according to a report released Thursday by digital rights advocacy group Access Now. India remains the largest offender for the fourth year in a row, responsible for 106 incidents of internet shutdowns. Of these, 85 were imposed in Jammu and [...]

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Tuesday voted to suspend Russia from the organization. The move came during an emergency session convened at the request of 6 members and at the instruction of the UNWTO’s Executive Council. The Executive Council previously debated suspending Russia in an emergency meeting last month. The UNWTO is a [...]

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Thursday ruled that by subjecting a man to prolonged compulsory psychiatric treatment, Croatia had violated his right to liberty and security under Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The applicant, Luka Miklić, faced criminal proceedings as a minor in 2016 following complaints of stalking and harassment [...]

The Supreme Court of India Friday upheld a series of amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010 (FCRA) to strictly regulate the flow and utilisation of foreign contributions by organisations into the country. In the case before the court, the petitioners had challenged the constitutionality of provisions like Section 7, which forbade a recipient [...]

The Supreme Court of India Wednesday directed the central government to file its reply in a petition challenging the constitutional validity of Sections 15 and 16 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 (‘HSA’). The succession scheme for an intestate female under the HSA grants preference to the husband’s heirs over the heirs of the deceased [...]

The Delhi High Court Monday set aside a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) preventing noted journalist Rana Ayyub from traveling abroad. The LOC was issued over allegations of misappropriated money raised through crowdfunding for COVID-19 relief work. Ayyub was detained by the Bureau of Immigration at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj [...]

The Karnataka High Court dismissed a batch of petitions Tuesday challenging the proscription of hijabs (Islamic headscarves) in the uniform for pre-university colleges in the Udupi district of Karnataka. The court held that wearing a hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam and is not a protected religious right under the Constitution of India. [...]

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, Tuesday issued a report to the Human Rights Council identifying states who have supplied weapons to the Myanmar junta, which have been used against civilians since the military coup last year. The report documents the transfer of weapons to the Myanmar [...]

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Tuesday ruled that searches conducted by Russian authorities in flats and prayer halls of 14 Jehovah’s Witnesses more than ten years ago violated their fundamental rights to freedom of religion and liberty. The court jointly examined six cases against Russia wherein the applicants were individual Jehovah’s Witnesses and [...]

The Parliament of India Tuesday passed the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 for linking electoral roll data and voter identity cards with the government’s digital identity database. The bill authorizes electoral registration officers to demand voters to furnish their unique Aadhaar number for ascertaining their identity and preventing voter fraud. The bill requires all persons [...]