The UN General Assembly adopted the new United Nations Convention Against Cybercrime on Tuesday, the first international criminal justice treaty negotiated in over two decades. Adopted without a vote by the 193-member General Assembly, the convention addresses crimes committed using information and communications technology (ICT) systems. It targets offenses ranging from online fraud and hacking [...]
The United Nations on Friday raised alarms over the worsening humanitarian situation in El Fasher, capital of Sudan’s North Darfur state, where a months-long siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated lives and infrastructure. According to the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) report, more than 782 civilians have been killed and 1,143 injured [...]
Venezuelan opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia were awarded the EU’s prestigious Sakharov Prize on Tuesday in recognition of their unwavering fight for democracy and human rights in the South American country. The prize, regarded as the EU’s highest tribute to defenders of freedom, was presented during a ceremony at the European [...]
The human rights situation in Ukraine has worsened significantly as intensified hostilities and systematic Russian aerial strikes target critical infrastructure, according to a report by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on Friday. The Sixth Interim Report on violations of international humanitarian and human rights law covered developments from June to November [...]
Human trafficking has surged globally, with a 25 percent increase in victims detected between 2019 and 2022, according to a report released on Wednesday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The 2024 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons revealed rising child exploitation and forced labor cases fueled by poverty, conflict, and [...]
The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) on Thursday condemned a new Taliban directive barring Afghan women and girls from attending classes at medical institutions, warning that it will have devastating consequences for the country’s healthcare system. OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani stated: “The measure is profoundly discriminatory, short-sighted and puts the lives of women and [...]
34 rights organizations on Wednesday called on the Egyptian government to immediately lift the travel bans and asset freezes imposed on three directors of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), a prominent human rights organization. The coalition of organizations denounced the restrictions imposed upon former executive director Gasser Abdel Razek, administrative director Mohamed Bashir, [...]
A Russian District Military Court on Friday sentenced anti-war activist and former Moscow municipal deputy Aleksei Gorinov to an additional three years in prison, according to local media. The court found Gorinov guilty of “justifying terrorism” and ordered him to serve his sentence in a stricter prison facility than the one he is currently in. [...]
The Scottish Parliament passed the Prisoners (Early Release) (Scotland) Bill on Tuesday to reduce short-term prisoners’ time served from 50 percent to 40 percent of their sentence. The legislation, introduced on November 18, aims to alleviate pressure on the prison system, with changes expected to take effect in February 2025. The bill applies to prisoners [...]
The Donetsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office on Friday accused Russian soldiers of executing five Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) near the village of Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. The office stated: “The killing of prisoners of war is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and is classified as a serious international crime.” The office confirmed [...]
