Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report on Monday on the “pre-election crackdown” in Senegal, denouncing it for repressing the opposition, media, critics and other civil society members. Presidential elections are scheduled to be held in Senegal in February. The report accuses the authorities, led by President Macky Sall, of arresting political opponents, stifling freedom [...]
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The Senegalese Constitutional Council on Saturday released a final list of 20 presidential candidates expected to take part in the West African country’s 2024 election, notably excluding leading opposition candidate Ousmane Sonko. The list of council-approved candidates includes incumbent President Macky Sall’s chosen successor, Prime Minister Amadou Ba, as well as former heads of government Idrissa [...]
Ihor Kolomoyskyi as a Case Study in Ukraine's War on Corruption
Since 2014, Ukraine has taken decisive steps toward combating corruption. This has included the adoption of anti-corruption legislation and the establishment of anti-corruption bodies that operate in accordance with international standards. Furthermore, there has been a concerted effort to identify and address the root causes of corruption in Ukraine. Notably, the presence of an oligarchy [...]
2023 CPJ prison census shows incarceration of journalists near record high
The Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ) 2023 prison census shows near-record levels of journalist imprisonment, with Israel jumping from being tied at 24th place to ranking at sixth place amongst the world’s leading jailers of journalists. The census revealed the top five jailers of journalists as China, Myanmar, Belarus, Russia and Vietnam, respectively. Israel’s journalist [...]
Russia designates author Boris Akunin as 'foreign agent' amidst dissent crackdown
Russia’s Ministry of Justice designated popular fiction writer Grigori Chkhartishvili (pen name Boris Akunin) a “foreign agent” for his criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The ministry said Friday that Chkhartishvili “opposed the special military operation in Ukraine.” Chkhartishvili’s cited opposition was a Facebook post written the day Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in [...]
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Saturday set aside a Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) decision suspending the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) earlier order against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s (PTI) that revoked the party’s bat election symbol. This means that PTI will not be able to use their iconic bat symbol. PTI, which is led by former prime minister [...]
Pakistan rejects US State Department inclusion in religious freedom concern list
Pakistan rejected Monday its designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) by the United States State Department over religious freedom concerns in the South Asian country. The US State Department designated Pakistan as a CPC on January 4 following a recommendation from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). The Pakistan Ministry of [...]
UN Security Council calls for protection of global supply chains from Houthi attacks in Red Sea
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) officials on Wednesday urged the safeguarding of global supply chains and the prevention of heightened regional tensions in response to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The remarks come in the aftermath of the attacks on the MSC United and the Maersk Hangzhou in late December 2023. The [...]
DR Congo opposition candidates reject provisional election results
Multiple opposition presidential candidates in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) rejected the provisional election results Sunday, which incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi was announced to have won, and urged supporters to mobilize. Martin Fayulu, the leader of the Engagement for Citizenship and Development party, in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), rejected the [...]
Prominent Russia dissident Alexei Navalny missing from prison
A spokesperson for Russian dissident Alexei Navalny said on social media Monday that the activist has been missing within the prison system for six days. Spokesperson Kira Yarmysh said that Navalny’s team doesn’t “know where is or what’s happening to him.” A long-time critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s government, Navalny has been behind bars [...]