Media platform X (formerly Twitter) announced on Saturday the closure of its operations in Brazil following what it called “censorship orders” by Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. The platform noted that there is uncertainty in ensuring the safety of its employees following what it described as increasing threats from Moraes, including the possible [...]
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 30 people convicted of “crimes of the protest variety” Friday. Of those released, 14 were women and 16 were men, all retirement-aged or people who suffer from serious illnesses. According to the statement, the country’s Internal Affairs Ministry, “upon instructions of the head of state,” will supervise the individuals upon [...]
The UK Government released further documents on Friday about the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, which was designed to “bring redress” to the more than 30,000 people who were infected by HIV and Hepatitis C after receiving contaminated blood. The new information includes a government update, a series of recommendations to the government by the interim [...]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted a bill on Thursday that would ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The bill would establish Ukraine as a member state over which the ICC can exercise jurisdiction. Zelenskyy also introduced Bill 11484, which would amend certain provisions of the Ukrainian Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure [...]
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday urgently called for a humanitarian pause in the Gaza conflict to facilitate a crucial polio vaccination campaign. Guterres said that while the “ultimate vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” a pause to safely vaccinate children was a “must” for the people of Gaza. He added, [...]
The UN will send a team of experts to Bangladesh next week to investigate the killings of protesters that occurred before and after Sheikh Hasina’s resignation as Prime Minister last week, officials announced on Thursday. This mission marks the first time since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 that the UN has initiated a fact-finding mission to [...]
The UN Human Rights Office (UNHRC) said that there is a credible probability of “unnecessary” use of force by the Bangladeshi security forces against the student-led protesters that ousted the last government from power, in a report released on Friday. In its report, the UNHRC raises various human rights concerns regarding the conduct of the [...]
UN Special Rapporteur Ashwini K.P. on Friday called for action against systemic racism in Brazil after a 12-day fact-finding mission in the country. Ashwini emphasized that Brazil’s marginalized racial and ethnic groups, particularly those of African origin and Indigenous tribes, are grappling with systemic racism rooted in colonialism and enslavement despite their persistent and “courageous” [...]
Iran prison guards at Tehran’s Evin Prison caused a chest injury to Narges Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and prominent Iranian human rights activist, after she led a protest against the upcoming death penalties of 30 political prisoners, according to her lawyer Mostafa Nili and Women Press Freedom on Thursday. According to her [...]
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced Friday that it will begin public hearings on December 2, 2024, for its advisory opinion on states’ obligations regarding climate change. The UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted by consensus a 2023 resolution seeking an advisory opinion from the ICJ on states’ climate change obligations. The UNGA sought answers [...]
