Saudi Arabia faced a second consecutive defeat on Wednesday during the United Nations General Assembly’s election for the Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2025-2027 term. The kingdom’s bid for a seat was thwarted due to widespread concerns over its human rights record, with member states voting against its candidacy. The election process involved selecting 18 new members from [...]

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a report on Monday, revealing that Asian crime syndicates have increasingly integrated service-based business models and advanced technologies — including malware, generative artificial intelligence (AI), and deepfakes — into their operations alongside the establishment of new underground markets and cryptocurrency solutions for money laundering. The [...]

The Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) voted on Wednesday to formally recognize WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as a political prisoner based on his time spent in UK custody while fighting extradition to the US on espionage charges. Assange has been free since June, when he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy for releasing troves of US classified documents [...]

The Republic of Lithuania formally referred the situation in Belarus to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday, a significant action reflecting its dedication to ensuring accountability for the alleged crimes against humanity perpetrated by the authoritarian regime of President Alexander Lukashenko. The referral, submitted by Minister of Justice Ewelina Dobrowolska, invokes Articles 13(a) and 14 [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report on Thursday detailing incidents of civilian atrocities in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) amid ongoing military confrontations involving Rwandan forces and the M23 rebel group. As these forces move closer to the town of Sake, local residents and more than half a million displaced individuals [...]

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced on Sunday during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly’s Summit of the Future an ambitious initiative to create a Bektashi sovereign state within the heart of Tirana. Speaking from the prestigious hall where global leaders convene, Rama emphasized the importance of this initiative in promoting religious tolerance and [...]

Amnesty International on Wednesday urged Israel to implement a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution demanding the end to its occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The resolution, adopted earlier by a substantial majority, calls for Israel to withdraw its military forces, cease settlement activity, and dismantle illegal settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and [...]

Vietnam’s Hanoi People’s Court sentenced a prominent activist and former member of the critical YouTube channel CHTV, Phan Van Bach, to five years in prison on Monday. He was convicted under  Article 117 of the Penal Code, which criminalizes “distributing anti-state propaganda.” Phan Van Bach had faced a maximum sentence of 12 years. Phan Van [...]

The UN Security Council unanimously decided on Wednesday to extend its longstanding sanctions against Sudan by adopting Resolution 2750. This extension, set under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, prolongs the sanctions for an additional year. The resolution, issued as document S/RES/2750(2024), stipulates that the sanctions including asset freezes, travel bans, and an arms embargo will remain [...]

The Council of Europe opened the world’s first legally binding global treaty on artificial intelligence (AI) for signature on Thursday. Unveiled at a conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, this historic treaty sets a new international standard by ensuring that AI systems align with human rights, democratic values, and the rule of law. Formally known as the Framework [...]