A Russian court sentenced a Dutch citizen, Harry Johannes van Wurden, on Wednesday to three years in prison for assaulting a police officer.  The ruling was issued after van Wurden was found guilty of punching a police officer during an incident in central Moscow in October. Wurden was initially arrested and placed under house arrest [...]

Iran’s government announced on Tuesday that it had lifted a two-year ban on WhatsApp and the Google Play Store, marking a significant shift in the country’s internet restrictions. The official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported the decision after a meeting involving top government officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian. This move is seen as an [...]

A Moscow court on Tuesday sentenced Gene Spector, a Russian-born US citizen, to 15 years in a high-security penal colony on espionage charges. The ruling adds 13 years to an existing three-and-a-half-year sentence he was already serving for bribery. According to local media sources, the espionage trial was conducted behind closed doors, and specific details [...]

Vietnam brought into force new internet regulations on Wednesday mandating that social media platforms verify user identities and share data with authorities. The rules, encapsulated in Decree No. 147/2024, have sparked significant criticism from activists and human rights organizations, who contend that they represent a severe infringement on freedom of expression in the country. Under [...]

Bangladesh informed media on Monday that it had that requested India extradite former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in exile since fleeing the country in August, following widespread protests that led to her removal from office as Prime Minister. The request was formally communicated to the Indian government through a diplomatic note, [...]

Amnesty International called on the Chinese government to release human rights lawyers Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi, who have been imprisoned for subversion over attending a social gathering on December 26, 2019. In its statement, Amnesty International described their treatment as emblematic of the Chinese authorities’ brutal repression of civil society, further highlighting that Xu [...]

An independent UN expert commended Malaysia on Friday for prioritizing aging in its policy framework, noting the necessity for comprehensive measures to safeguard the human rights of older individuals. The commendation from Claudia Mahler, the UN independent expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, was issued following a recent visit to [...]

The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Israel’s obligations to facilitate humanitarian aid for Palestinians. The General Assembly adopted the resolution with significant support — 137 votes in favor and 12 against. The initiative was spearheaded by Norway and supported [...]

The European Parliament condemned ongoing human rights violations in Azerbaijan on Thursday, urging the country’s government to release Armenian prisoners and cease its repression of civil society. In a resolution passed with 434 votes in favour, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) highlighted alleged rights violations in Azerbaijan including the suppression of activists, journalists, and [...]

Leaders from the European Union (EU) and the US issued a strong joint statement Thursday condemning the recent crackdown on opposition activists and the decline of human rights in Georgia. This condemnation follows a series of protests against the Georgian government where police have faced accusations of using excessive force against demonstrators advocating for democratic reforms and [...]