Vietnam’s controversial new cybersecurity law took effect Tuesday, alarming free speech advocates. While the law has not been officially published, a copy of the draft, which was passed by the National Assembly on June 12, has been released by VNEconomy. This text indicates the provisions of the law, outlining the scope and the information that [...]
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced Wednesday that JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. has agreed to pay a $135 million settlement for charges related to improper handling of “pre-released” American Depository Receipts (ADR). The SEC found that JPMorgan had improperly provided ADRs in pre-release transactions, despite neither the broker nor customers having the requisite [...]
The Rwandan government released a statement Monday that French Magistrates Jean-Marc Herbaut and Nathalie Poux closed an ongoing investigation last Friday, into the 1994 downing of former Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana’s plane. Habyarimana, a member of the Hutu ethnic majority, died in April 1994 when his plane was shot down near the Rwandan capital. The assassination [...]
The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, the highest court in Russia, on Thursday upheld a decision to draw a border between the Republics of Ingushetia and Chechnya. In September the two Republics signed an agreement to define the border between them. This was the first time that the border has been defined since the [...]
A group of UN human rights experts on Thursday criticized the actions of the Iranian government in jailing human rights defenders and lawyers. “We urge the Government to immediately release all those who have been imprisoned for promoting and protecting the rights of women.” The experts called for the government of Iran to guarantee the [...]
The Ukrainian parliament on Monday passed Bill N. 9338 declaring martial law from November 28 to December 27. The move comes in response to growing aggression from Russia after three Ukrainian navy vessels were seized off the Crimean Peninsula. The Ukrainian president also stated that there is an “unspecified threat” against Ukraine. During the debate [...]
Fundamental freedoms are under attack in countries and regions around the world, according to a report released Tuesday by CIVICUS Monitor, a global civil society alliance. The report, entitled “People Power Under Attack 2018,” details the crisis facing civic activism. The statistics and information gathered by CIVICUS demonstrate the continued rise in the number of [...]
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Tuesday urged Turkey to end the pre-trial detention of Selahattin Demirtaş, a co-chair of the Kurdish separatist Peoples’ Democratic Party. The Turkish government lifted parliamentary immunity in May 2016, ending special protections for politicians. Demirtaş was arrested on November 4, 2016, and has been in pre-trial detention [...]
In a joint report released on Tuesday, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) highlighted the challenges that are faced by the authorities and families of the victims found in mass graves in the territory seized by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). [...]
A UN human rights expert on Wednesday highlighted the role of aid workers, urging states not to criminalize such efforts in the name of combating terrorism. According to the expert, because there is no “globally agreed definition of terrorism” or what constitutes support for terrorism, states have argued that acts of humanitarian aid can be [...]
