Search Results for: freedom religion

The Ukrainian parliament, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, announced on Thursday their adoption of decision number 8371, which bans religious organizations who have colluded with armed aggressors from operating within the state. This appears to be aimed at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which has been accused of collaborating with Russia. More than 250 members of parliament [...]

On Wednesday, two people targeted a Berlin, Germany synagogue with molotov cocktails, a type of homemade firebomb, and rioters in Tunisia burned down the historic El Hamma synagogue. The attacks came as tensions continue to boil over in the wake of Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent siege of Gaza. Berlin police [...]

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous Tuesday called for the UN Security Council (UNSC) to intervene in the Afghan women’s rights crisis. In a speech before the council, Bahous noted the deterioration of women’s rights in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Bahous made three recommendations to the UNSC including convening a dedicated session on the role [...]

On Friday, UN experts issued a formal appeal to Saudi Arabia, urging the revocation of the death sentence imposed on Mohammad Al Ghamdi, who stands accused of engaging in social media dissent. Saudi security services took Ghamdi into custody on June 11, facing a series of criminal allegations related to his social media commentary. These [...]

The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) released a special report on Tuesday saying that Iranian authorities are targeting, arresting and persecuting Sunni Muslim religious leaders for their opposition to the use of state violence. CHRI details the situation facing Sunni religious leaders, who are a religious minority in Shia-majority Iran, in the country’s [...]

King Abdullah II of Jordan approved a bill Saturday to penalise a variety of online speech, including posts that contain content ‘promoting, instigating, aiding, or inciting immorality.” Such posts are punishable with fines or months in prison. Posts that demonstrate ‘contempt for religion’ or ‘undermining national unity’ are also prohibited. The bill has been criticised [...]

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) issued a statement on Friday calling for an end to the systemic killing of Shia Hazaras in Afghanistan in order to prevent a possible genocide under Taliban rule. In their Friday statement, FORUM-ASIA urged the international community to raise awareness about the ongoing persecution of marginalized groups [...]

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed suit Monday attempting to block the Oklahoma from opening the US’s first religious charter school. The proposed charter school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, would be run by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The suit, filed by the ACLU on behalf of several Oklahoma residents, [...]

Australia is the only Western democracy not to have a Human Rights Act in its legal system or constitution. Instead, Australia has a patchwork of rights, leaning on individual legislation, such as the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1977, implied rights, common law, and state-by-state legislation. As noted by the Australian Human Rights Commission,  “There are five [...]

Myanmar law students are reporting for JURIST on challenges to the rule of law in their country under the military junta that deposed the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.  On Sunday, the Central Bank of Myanmar made an announcement concerning currency. The main points of the announcement were as follows.  [...]