The Viasna Human Rights Center, a human rights organization based in Belarus, reported Tuesday that imprisoned Belarusian activist Maryia Kalesnikava resurfaced after more than 18 months without contact. Kalesnikava met her father in the prison hospital. Kalesnikava, a well-known opposition activist in Belarus, was the head of presidential candidate Viktar Babaryka’s 2020 campaign team. She [...]

Amnesty International (AI) on Monday urged FIFA to halt the bidding process for World Cup 2034 unless Saudi Arabia conducts major human rights reforms. The human rights organization also demands a more credible human rights strategy for the 2030 World Cup in Morocco, Spain and Portugal. Several human rights and sports organizations have already demonstrated [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the government of Mozambique Wednesday to halt internet restrictions and re-establish full access to social media platforms following post-election protests. HRW argued that these shutdowns violate several human rights, such as access to information, freedom of speech, and peaceful protest. Allan Ngari, Africa advocacy director at HRW said, “The shutdown [...]

The International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) recalled on Monday the need for further action to hold China accountable for grave rights violations in Xinjiang. The ISHR calls for the Chinese government to ensure timely implementation of the recommendations made by the the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in addition to [...]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged on Wednesday for a “process of truth and healing” following the recent wave of student protests in Bangladesh that culminated in resignation of the prime minister. During his visit to Bangladesh, the High Commissioner for Human Rights highlighted the need for accountability. He stated the importance [...]

Several human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, expressed concerns Monday over a “flawed” human rights assessment of Saudi Arabia’s FIFA 2034 World Cup bid. The 11 organizations issued a joint communication including a list of concerns regarding the human rights assessment from AS&H Clifford Chance, a Saudi law firm. This assessment was published in July [...]

Amnesty International, along with 14 other organizations, issued a complaint on Wednesday demanding the French Social Security Agency’s National Family Allowance Fund (CNAF) stop using a risk-scoring algorithmic system. The algorithm is used by the CNAF to flag overpayments and errors in benefit payments. This works with a scoring system, selecting individuals to be further [...]

Iran implemented new restrictions and sanctions for violations of the country’s dress codes, Human Rights Watch (HRW) confirmed on Monday. The group calls for the international community to act against the “Hijab and Chastity” law . Among the proposed restrictions, Article 49 of the law imposes severe fines against women who appear in public without [...]

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on Tuesday there was no violation of human rights in a corruption case against former  Romanian Member of the European Parliament Adrian Severin. In 2011, the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Romania initiated an investigation against Severin, who was suspected of accepting a payment of 100,000 euros for [...]

The European Commission sent a request on Wednesday for information to TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The three platforms must provide information regarding their recommender system’s design and functioning. Particularly, YouTube and Snapchat have to provide evidence of their parameters to recommend content and role in amplifying systemic risks such [...]