The Taipei District Prosecutors Office (TDPO) on Thursday charged  Ko Wen-je, the former mayor of Taipei and leader of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), for bribery and other corruption offenses in connection with a real estate development project known as the Core Pacific City. The prosecutors sought an imprisonment sentence of 28 years and six [...]

Malaysia’s state investment fund, 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), on Monday filed  a lawsuit against corporate services provider Amicorp Group and its chief executive officer (CEO), Toine Knipping, for allegedly facilitating the laundering of over $7 billion in misappropriated funds, local media reported. In its claim, 1MDB accused Amicorp Group of “fraudulently aiding and abetting [...]

The Provincial Court of Madrid on Friday sentenced Spanish politician and former director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Rodrigo Rato to four years, nine months and one day in prison for corruption and money laundering crimes. The verdict concludes a criminal investigation that began in 2015, prompted by an alert from the Anti-Fraud Office [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the Egyptian government on Tuesday to revise the draft of the new asylum bill, known as the Law Regarding the Asylum of Foreigners (LRAF), and urged the government to consult with civil society and the United Nations (UN) Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to ensure that the bill aligns with international [...]

Austria’s lower house of parliament, the National Council, voted Wednesday to lift the parliamentary immunity of Herbert Kickl, leader of the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) and chairman of its parliamentary group. This decision clears the way for investigations into allegations of perjury against him. A majority in the National Council voted in favor [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday criticized the inhumane treatment of migrants attempting to cross into Poland from Belarus, especially criticizing the actions to Polish border guards. According to the organization, Polish law enforcement “unlawfully” pushed migrants back into Belarus, sometimes using violence, while also denying them access to asylum procedures in violation of international [...]

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change Elisa Morgera on Thursday stated that climate change has negatively impacted the lives of the ni-Vanuatu people and threatened their well-being. This statement concluded Morgera’s nine-day visit to Vanuatu. She is expected to present a full report [...]

Amnesty International urged the Egyptian government on Tuesday to reject the new refugee law, citing violations of international human rights and refugee laws. The organization stated that the proposed law should be returned to parliament for further revisions and called on the European Union (EU) to press the Egyptian government to introduce necessary safeguards to [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Kazakhstan’s authorities on Thursday to guarantee a fair appeal for an investigative journalist sentenced to prison for spreading false information. The rights group also called on the country to revise its laws concerning speech offenses to align them with international standards for freedom of expression. HRW considered the reporter’s imprisonment [...]

Police forces clashed violently with supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan in Pakistan on Monday as nationwide protests erupted against Khan’s detention, local media reported. The confrontations led to injuries among both demonstrators and police officers as well as the death of four Pakistani paramilitary officers. Protests began on Sunday when demonstrators across Pakistan [...]