The US Department of State imposed arms restrictions Thursday on the import or export of US-origin weapons and services from or to Nicaragua. In a statement to the press, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller cited “brutal repression” and “recent sham elections” as ongoing concerns for the Biden administration, vowing to continue to use “diplomatic and [...]
Search Results for: Iran
CIVICUS 2024 Report Highlights Civil Society and Global Rule of Law in Crisis
Civil society is facing unprecedented challenges globally due to escalating conflicts and crises. In 2023, groups that were pivotal in advocating for human rights, offering humanitarian aid and giving a voice to the marginalized encountered increasing difficulties. Their work has become more challenging due to growing repression and conflict, yet they remain beacons of hope [...]
The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill that could ban TikTok in the US. If enacted, the bill would outlaw the distribution, maintenance, or updating of any app owned by or affiliated with the Beijing-based TikTok owner ByteDance, Ltd., or any successor or subsidiary if such is owned by “foreign adversaries” — a [...]
DC dispatch: Kurds make pitch for support and recognition at Georgetown panel
Marissa Zupancic is JURIST’s Washington DC Correspondent, a JURIST Senior Editor and a 3L at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. She’s stationed in Washington during her Semester in DC. This week I attended a talk hosted by Georgetown University entitled “Kurds in Iraq, Iran, Syria and Türkiye: At the Epicenter of Conflict in the [...]
UN report urges immediate action as Syria confronts escalating violence
The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry released a report Monday concerning the most severe escalation of violence in the country since 2020. Explosions during a military academy graduation ceremony in Homs triggered the escalation, which began in October, leading to a series of indiscriminate attacks by Syrian and Russian forces on opposition-held areas. The commission [...]
Silk Road Resurgence Ignites Fierce Regional Competition Among Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan
The idea of reviving the Silk Road is gaining traction, but with a twist: this time, it’s expected to ignite competition regionally and globally. China, spearheading the ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aims to create a massive economic bloc by connecting its economy to around 150 countries. The World Bank estimates BRI’s potential to [...]
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) on Monday accused the US of orchestrating a covert campaign to interfere with the upcoming Russian presidential election, set to take place on Mar. 15-17. The spy agency claims the administration of US President Joe Biden has ordered a group of American NGOs to stifle voter turnout in a bid [...]
Breaking Barriers: A Global Review of Legislative Reform on Women's Rights
The plight of women’s rights in various countries reflects a complex interplay of legal, cultural and societal norms that significantly disenfranchise women and girls, threatening their human rights and dignity. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Pakistan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Nigeria present challenging environments where women’s rights [...]
UN report alleges human rights violations by Iran government during Mahsa Amini protests
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran unveiled a report on Friday alleging widespread human rights violations committed by the Iranian government, particularly in response to the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests that began on September 16, 2022. “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests were sparked by the death of Jina Mahsa Amini [...]
Sweden Supreme Court upholds life sentence of former Iran official
The Swedish Supreme Court upheld on Wednesday the guilty verdict and life sentence of Hamid Nouri, a former Iranian official convicted for his involvement in a mass execution of political prisoners in Iran in 1988. Nouri was previously arrested in 2019 at a Swedish airport on charges of grave violations of international law and 24 [...]