Law students and law graduates in Pakistan are reporting for JURIST on events in that country impacting its legal system. Abu Bakar Khan is a final year law student at University Law College, University of the Punjab. He files this dispatch from Lahore. Lahore hosted the 5th Asma Jahangir Conference, titled ‘People’s Mandate: Safeguarding Civil [...]
Search Results for: human rights abuses
Burkina Faso suspends several more international news organizations following HRW report
The Superior Council of Communication (CSC) of Burkina Faso said in a statement on Sunday that it had suspended several more international news outlets for covering a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report accusing the country’s military of killing civilians. According to the CSC, TV5 programs are suspended for two weeks, while access to the websites of [...]
DRC ratifies Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) ratified Friday the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The DRC’s ratification of the Optional Protocol, which will enter into force on May 26, 2024, represents a significant step toward strengthening the prevention of torture and ill-treatment in [...]
The Hong Kong Legislative Council unanimously passed the Safeguarding National Security Bill recently. Both the Chinese National People’s Congress Standing Committee and the Hong Kong government have stressed that this enactment is a constitutional duty conferred on the government under Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law, which serves as Hong Kong’s mini-constitution. The [...]
Burkina Faso military forces execute at least 233 civilians: HRW
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Thursday that military forces in Burkina Faso executed at least 233 civilians in attacks on two villages. It labels the attacks as “among the worst army abuse in Burkina Faso since 2015.” These two mass killings occurred in the villages of Nondin and Soro on February 25. At the [...]
EU Parliament approves ban on products made with forced labour
The EU Parliament on Tuesday approved new regulations prohibiting the sale, import and export of goods made using forced labour. The regulations, were approved by an overwhelming majority, with 555 in favour and six against, and aim to tighten access to EU single market for third countries. According to the press release, the regulations give [...]
Legislating Identity: A Critical Analysis of the Anti-LGBT Bills in Kenya and Ghana
Recent Afrobarometer survey data (Round 8, 2019-2021) paints a stark picture with 86% of Kenyans and 93% of Ghanaians expressing intolerance towards the LGBT community. This high level of intolerance exists despite the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guaranteeing non-discrimination based on sexual orientation. Furthermore, across Africa, laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual activity remain commonplace. [...]
US congressmen call on Biden to sanction Sudan RSF for human rights violations
A group of four US congressmen called on Friday for President Joe Biden to sanction Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its leader, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (commonly known as Hemedti), for gross violations of human rights. Senators Benjamin Cardin and James Risch of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, together with Representatives Michael McCaul and [...]
'Now I Often Sit in a Burqa, Hiding my Face, and Begging' — A Grim Glimpse Into Taliban Rule
Nearly three years after the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, the regime’s oppressive actions against women continue unabated. In a recent broadcast reminiscent of ISIS tactics, the Taliban’s leader communicated a chilling message: a declaration of war against women’s rights and human dignity, effectively shattering any remaining hopes for Afghan women’s liberation under their rule. I [...]
Dr. Ganna Yudkivska is a force to be reckoned with in the world of international law and human rights. Her impressive career trajectory originated in a newly independent Ukraine and has since spanned continents and venerable institutions. She is a partner at Equity Law Firm, Vice-Chair of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, [...]