Ongoing gang violence in Haiti has killed more than 1,500 people this year and lynched dozens by so-called self-defence brigades, the UN Human Rights Office said on Thursday. The office’s findings come after Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced his resignation on March 11. In the days after, Haiti experienced a surge of violence, including bombings [...]
Search Results for: violence against women
Argentina court sentences 11 former officers to prison for crimes against transgender women
An Argentinian court sentenced 10 of 12 former officers on Tuesday to serve life in prison, and one to 25 years imprisonment, for crimes against humanity they committed during the country’s military dictatorship, spanning 1976 through 1983. Apart from one acquitted, the Argentina Federal Court No. 1 in La Plata convicted the rest of the defendants [...]
Brazil police arrest three people in connection to 2018 murder of city council member
Brazilian police arrested three people Sunday in connection to the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro city council member Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes. The case has remained unsolved since 2018. The police arrested brothers Chiquinho and Domingos Brazão for ordering the murder. Police also arrested former police chief Rivaldo Barbosa for alleged [...]
The Cost of Revenge: A Cantor's Critique of Israel's Response to Hamas
In the wake of the deadly Hamas terrorist attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, many of Israel’s supporters, myself included, have succumbed to the understandable impulse for violent retribution. Israel is a land that I love, both culturally as a Jew — and third-generation Holocaust survivor — and spiritually as an ordained cantor. It follows that [...]
Iowa lawmakers passed a bill on Tuesday that would make it a crime to enter the state after being deported or denied entry into the US. The passage puts the midwestern state on track to join Texas in enforcing state immigration laws that operate independently of the federal immigration system, meaning they are not directly [...]
Social Media Giants Must Combat Harassment Against Afghan Women
When one creates a social media account, one is bound to the host platform’s privacy policies and community guidelines. Each user knows that should they violate these rules, they risk losing their account. How, then, have so many people managed to use social media to exacerbate the plights of Afghan women and girls? As I [...]
UN fact-finding mission concludes death of Mahsa Amini in Iranian custody unlawful
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFMI), mandated by the UN, concluded on Monday that the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody was unlawful and resulted from violence. The UN Human Rights Council established the mission in November 2022 to investigate alleged human rights violations in Iran. Its primary [...]
Europe humanitarian ship rescues 135 people from overcrowded boat in Malta search and rescue
SOS MEDITERRANEE, an international maritime and humanitarian organization, announced on Friday that its affiliated humanitarian ship Ocean Viking rescued 135 people, including a pregnant women and 8 children, from an overcrowded double-decker boat in the Maltese search and rescue region. It stated that the ship was compelled to navigate to a distant port at Ancona, [...]
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 [...]
Bob Rae, Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, does not shy away from tough questions. Though many in a position such as his might shy away from argument, Rae seems to relish the opportunity to engage in some intellectual sparring. It was in this context that I requested an interview as Canada grapples with multiple [...]