The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled Tuesday that a UN judge was unlawfully detained in Türkiye in 2016. The Turkish court failed to recognise Aydin Sefa Akay’s diplomatic immunity when they arrested and detained him on terrorism charges following a failed coup d’État in 2016. Akay made his application to the ECHR in [...]
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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 [...]
The US Department of State released its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices on Monday, amidst the seventy-fifth anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or UDHR. The report emphasized “several new commitments, including to renew investments around the world in democracy and human rights, to help protect human rights defenders online, [...]
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. [...]
UK Parliament approves bill declaring Rwanda a 'safe country,' sidestepping Supreme Court judgment
The UK’s Parliament on Tuesday approved the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill, which would declare Rwanda a “safe country” in order to send certain asylum seekers there while they await their applications to be assessed. The bill would enable the deportation of irregular migrants under the UK-Rwanda international treaty on asylum partnership. The [...]
Ecuador votes to approve tightened security measures amid wave of violence
Ecuadorians voted to approve a number of security proposals from President Daniel Noboa on Sunday as the South American country experiences a surge in violence that has claimed the lives of multiple public officials, including a presidential candidate. Among the proposals was a proposition to amend Ecuador’s constitution to allow the country’s armed forces to [...]
The Australian Human Rights Commission released a report on Monday outlining concerns regarding the conditions at the Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre in Northam, Western Australia. The report highlights issues related to drug trafficking, insufficient healthcare services and the overall well-being of detainees and staff members. According to the report, the Australian Human Rights Commission [...]
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office in California announced charges on Thursday against three City of Alameda police officers for involuntary manslaughter of detainee Mario Gonzalez. On April 19, 2021, the officers tried to detain Gonzalez after receiving “a call involving a man behaving oddly in a public park”. They later learned he was a [...]
The United Nations Refugee Agency’s (UNHCR) Cyprus spokesperson Emilia Strovolidou urged the country on Friday to stop forcibly pushing away Syrian refugee boats arriving from Lebanon in violation of international human rights law and the principle of non-refoulment, according to reports from the Associated Press and European human rights group EuroMed Rights. Strovolidou said authorities’ [...]
US Secretary of State to announce sanctions against IDF unit: Axios report
Axios reported Saturday that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to announce sanctions against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) battalion “Netzah Yehuda” for human rights violations in the West Bank, according to three informed sources. The battalion is a special IDF unit mainly comprised of ultra-Orthodox soldiers. According to the report, the sanctions [...]