UN human rights experts on Friday decried the decision by Indian authorities to bring terrorism charges against 10 human rights defenders. The human rights activists work with India’s impoverished and disadvantaged communities including members of India’s lowest caste, the Dalits. They were arrested due to a public meeting that was organized a day before the [...]

Tokyo passed a law on Friday that prohibits “the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, citizens, and enterprises” from “unduly discriminat on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.” The law was passed in light of Tokyo hosting the 2020 Olympic Games. After Russia passed anti-LGBT legislation before hosting the Olympics in 2014, the International Olympic Committee added a [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday that it has indicted seven officers of Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) with hacking. The charges stem from a coordinated effort by the DOJ, the FBI and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The seven defendants were charged with computer hacking, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. The actors [...]

The Court of Appeal of Quebec decided on Wednesday that religious dress is to be allowed in the courtroom. The appeal arises out of a case where a judge refused to hear an Islamic woman in court “because she refused to remove her head scarf (hijab) in the courtroom and was therefore contravening the dress [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the Egyptian government Wednesday to immediately identify the whereabouts of and free Ezzat Ghoneim, a prominent human rights lawyer who has been missing for approximately three weeks. Ghoneim was arrested earlier this year on his way home from work. His whereabouts were not known for three days until a [...]

The Parliament of Finland  on Wednesday voted 178-13 to add an amendment to the constitution  providing an exception to the right to privacy, providing the government with more ability to combat terrorism and foreign government spying. The amendment is specifically aimed at protecting confidential communications. Essentially, it will allow the government to enact legislation for [...]

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on Wednesday that the US must lift its sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran that affect imports of humanitarian goods as well as products and services linked to the safety of civil aviation. The US sanctions against Iran were reimposed in May and August  after President Donald Trump withdrew the US [...]

An Istanbul Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld the life sentences of six individuals, including prominent journalists Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan and Nazli Ilicak, on charges of assisting the plotters of a failed military coup in 2016. The journalists were originally sentenced in February, along with 221 other defendants , and appealed  to the high court for their [...]

Several human rights groups called  upon European leaders on Wednesday to offer registration to the rescue ship Aquarius. The human rights groups that signed the letter include Amnesty International, European Council on Refugees and Exiles, the Human Rights Watch, International Commission of Jurists and International Federation for Human Rights . Aquarius is a rescue ship operated [...]

British Prime Minister Theresa May announced Tueday that after Brexit, visa priority will be given to high-skilled workers while low-skilled workers may be barred from working in the country. The report was originally filed on September 18, but May announced it to the public this morning. It includes salary thresholds for different kinds of labor [...]