A lawsuit challenging the use of a commercial messaging app by members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet to coordinate military strike plans in Yemen was assigned on Wednesday to Judge James Boasberg, the same federal judge whose ruling on Venezuelan deportations to El Salvador recently sparked tensions between the White House and judiciary. The latest [...]

The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in California allowed President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking the processing of refugee applications to take effect on Tuesday. However, the order states that processing of individuals conditionally approved for refugee status before the executive order was issued must continue. The executive order effectively suspends the [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the Georgian Parliament on Wednesday to reject the new “foreign agents” bill. Europe and Central Asia director at HRW Hugh Williamson argued that if the bill passes, “it could spell the end of Georgia’s independent civil society”. Besides posing problems for independent civil society in Georgia, HRW believes the government [...]

The Tokyo District Court ordered the dissolution of the Japanese branch of the Unification Church, colloquially known as “moonies,” following an inquest from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology into alleged violations of the Japanese Civil Code and Religious Corporations Act, according to local media. Presiding Judge Suzuki found that the methods [...]

The Saharawi Youth Union, advocating for the independence of Western Sahara, together with the International Service for Human Rights, urged the UN Human Rights Council on Monday to “take action” and uphold its obligations in ensuring the protection of Saharawi peoples’ human rights and access to human rights mechanisms. The Saharawi Youth Union (UJSARIO) addressed [...]

Thirteen EU governments demanded Tuesday that the Union welcome scientists and researchers from abroad, including the United States, who might suffer from momentary research interference. The letter warns that current political developments pose a threat to academic freedom, but also an opportunity for the EU to attract academic quality from abroad. The letter was endorsed [...]

Amnesty International on Tuesday criticized the unlawful expulsion of 238 Venezuelan nationals from the United States to El Salvador, saying the action endangers their lives. The expulsion contravenes a court order, which barred removal of the Venezuelans. In response to the deportation in defiance of the court’s decision, Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, [...]

The Osaka High Court held that Japan’s lack of recognition of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional on Tuesday. The Osaka High Court is the fifth court to rule that the ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional after similar rulings in the high courts of Sapporo, Tokyo, Fukuoka and Nagoya. While Presiding Judge Kumiko Honda upheld the [...]

The Sport and Rights Alliance (SRA) called on FIFA on Tuesday to take action to recognize the Afghan women’s football team in exile as the representative of Afghanistan to ensure their return to international competition, after being banned in 2021 when the Taliban took power in the country. The SRA noted that denying Afghan women [...]

Amnesty International (AI) on Monday called for an end to unlawful violence against protesters and detention of journalists by police in Türkiye. The country has seen mass protests in the wake of the detention of opposition presidential candidate, Ekrem İmamoğlu. According to AI, authorities have confirmed the arrest of 1,133 protesters and at least eight [...]