Amnesty International (AI) on Thursday urged Kazakhstan to drop allegedly politically motivated charges against satirical blogger Temirlan Ensebek, and encouraged the government to respect Ensebek’s freedom of expression. Temirlan Ensebek was charged with “inciting interethnic discord” under Article 174 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code and now faces up to seven years in prison. This is primarily [...]

The Coroner’s Court in Northern Ireland ruled on Thursday that the use of lethal force by the British Special Air Service (SAS) in 1992 was “not justified.” The incident resulted in the killing of four members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). The judgment found that the SAS, a specialist British military force, did not [...]

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar formally announced on Thursday that Israel will withdraw from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). According to Saar’s letter, addressed to the UNHRC president, the decision was reached “in light of the ongoing and unrelenting institutional bias against Israel in the Human Rights Council.” Saar further wrote: The UNHRC has [...]

In a statement issued Wednesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned Ethiopian authorities for shutting down two prominent human rights organizations in recent weeks, deepening an ongoing crackdown against civil society. An Ethiopian government body overseeing civil society ordered a halt to the operations of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council and Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center in [...]

Human Rights Watch urged Egyptian authorities on Wednesday to drop terrorism-related charges against Hossam Bahgat, executive director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). Bahgat was briefly detained before being released on bail of 20,000 Egyptian pounds (US$398). He faces three charges which include participating in the activities of a terrorist group, financing a terrorist [...]

The UK Justice Committee announced Tuesday it will relaunch a major inquiry to examine mounting delays in the County Court system. This follows new data that reveals the lengthening of trial wait times in both small claims and multi- or fast-track cases. The Committee Chair Andy Slaughter said the inquiry will seek to address the [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) and 16 other organizations urged the European Union on Wednesday to confront Azerbaijan’s government on human rights abuses during the upcoming COP29 climate conference. The organizations call for EU leaders to help end the increasing politically motivated arrests, detainments, and restrictions on free speech in Azerbaijan. The joint statement was released [...]

Press freedom organizations urged the Georgian government to protect journalists on Thursday, following a surge of threats and restrictions targeting reporters covering the country’s recent parliamentary election. A joint report reveals a concerning environment for journalists covering the elections, which were held on October 26. In one incident, a CNews reporter was assaulted at a [...]

A United Nations Fact-Finding Mission reported Tuesday that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed extensive sexual violence against civilians. The report highlights what it describes as “staggering” levels of abuse, with victims aged from eight up to 75 years old. According to the report, victims were targeted based on gender and [...]

The European Parliament awarded the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Venezuelan opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia on Thursday. The award was given in recognition of their efforts to restore democracy and freedom in Venezuela amidst ongoing political repression under the regime of President Nicolás Maduro. The decision was [...]