Since the beginning of its revolution [JURIST backgrounder], Egypt has been plagued by continuing political turmoil, protests, and violence. Earlier this week, the SCC dismissed complaints [JURIST report] against the assembly responsible for drafting the country's new constitution. Specifically, the complaints challenged the method for selecting the assembly's members, which was boycotted [JURIST report] by liberals and Christians as a misrepresentation of all Egyptians. Last month the SCC postponed ruling [JURIST report] on whether the assembly was legitimate. In January UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] voiced concern [JURIST report] over the growing violence and rising death toll stemming from the country's ongoing protests. Also that month Morsi declared a state of emergency in an attempt to quell growing unrest and violent political protests in cities brought on by an Egyptian court ruling handing down 21 death sentences [JURIST reports] for a 2012 soccer riot that resulted in 74 deaths and thousands of injuries.

The arrests of children at their homes between midnight and 5:00 am by heavily armed soldiers; the practice of blindfolding children and tying their hands with plastic ties; physical and verbal abuse during transfer to an interrogation site, including the use of painful restraints; lack of access to water, food, toilet facilities and medical care; interrogation using physical violence and threats; coerced confessions; and lack of access to lawyers or family members during interrogation.

Last month Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] called [JURIST report] Israeli airstrikes in Gaza a violation of the laws of war. In January UN rights experts concluded [JURIST report] Israeli settlements violate human rights. Last December UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk [official website] called on Israel [JURIST report] to fully implement and continue to support the recent conflict-ending ceasefire agreement with Palestinians in Gaza. In November UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] pressured Israel [JURIST report] to avoid targeting civilian structures in Gaza, expressing acute concern over the surge in the number of Palestinian civilian deaths that month. Also, last July, a UN committee raised [JURIST report] similar concerns over children detainees.

In the aftermath of highly public tragedies over the past year, women, men and young people have raised their voices in a singular cry: enough is enough. People demand an end to impunity and insist on the protection of the rights of women and girls to live lives free of violence. And they do this because we are at this tipping point of deeper social transformation where indeed, and this is my biggest hope, gender equality becomes reality for all.

Violence against women has been a long-standing issue around the world. Last month Bachelet denounced [JURIST report] rising violence against women in Egypt. In January Ban urged India's government [JURIST report] to strengthen critical services for rape victims, expressing sympathy for the family of the 23-year-old medical student who died from injuries sustained in a gang-rape in December. Police in New Delhi charged six men [JURIST report] with rape and murder of the woman. In December the UN released a report declaring that women in Afghanistan [JURIST report] are still suffering abuse at the hands of men. In November the UN urged countries to implement policies that will end violence against women [JURIST report]. Also in November the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly approved a resolution calling for a global ban on female genital mutilation [JURIST report]. At the same time, Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] released a report detailing violence and obstacles women are facing in Colombia [JURIST report], where the legal framework is often not properly applied despite the government's progress in enacting legislation to protect violence against women.

Musharraf has been a controversial figure in Pakistan. Pakistan authorities pledged [JURIST report] in February 2012 to arrest Musharraf for his alleged involvement in the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto [BBC obituary; JURIST news archive]. Bhutto was assassinated in 2007 in a suicide attack at a rally in Rawalpindi after she returned from her exile [JURIST reports] in Great Britain and Dubai. In November 2011, an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan indicted seven people [JURIST report] in the assassination of the former prime minister. At that time, Musharraf was not charged despite allegations that he played a part in the assassination. However, his property was seized [JURIST report] by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) [official website] after an order rendered by Pakistani Judge Shahid Raffique due to Musharraf's failure to respond to multiple subpoenas. Those documents were issued because the FIA accused [JURIST report] Musharraf in the assassination of Bhutto.

The use of drone strikes by the US has come under scrutiny in recent months. In January UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism Ben Emmerson announced that he will begin investigating the legality [JURIST report] of the use of drone strikes. Emmerson said that after asking the US to allow an independent investigation [JURIST report] of its use of targeted killings last year, there is still no consensus among the international community as to the legality of the conduct. Also in January Pakistan's Foreign Affairs Minister Hina Rabbani Khar condemned US drone attacks [JURIST report] as a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and international law. In December the US Department of Justice filed a motion to dismiss [JURIST report] a lawsuit challenging the US government's targeted killing of three US citizens in drone strikes. In July Pakistan's Ambassador to the US called upon the US to end the practice [JURIST report] of using drone strikes in targeted killings. That same month US lawmakers expressed concern [JURIST report] over the use of drone strikes. Samar Warsi [corporate profile] of the Muslim Civil Liberties Union recently argued that Obama administration's drone policy sets a dangerous precedent [JURIST comment] and undermines national security.

Mendez has traveled around the world to report on the use of torture. In September Mendez said that the human rights situation in Morocco was improving but that more effort was needed to eradicate torture [JURIST report]. Earlier that month he called on the Egyptian government and courts to stop permitting evidence acquired through torture [JURIST report] to be admitted in any legal proceedings including military trials. In May Mendez made a nine-day visit to the Republic of Tajikistan [BBC profile], where he praised that country's effort to modify its criminal justice system designed to aid in eradicating torture [JURIST report], but he also found that mistreatment of suspects remains the norm.

From anti-terrorism and other legislation relating to public security to legislation governing registration, functioning and funding of associations, from defamation and blasphemy legislation to legislation relating to public morals, States are using laws and administrative provisions to unduly restrict the work of human rights defenders.

The UNHRC has recently addressed a variety of human rights abuses around the world. In February UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay urged [JURIST report] the international community to continue to prevent human rights abuses and hold perpetrators accountable. Speaking at the opening of the 22nd session of the UNHRC in Geneva, Pillay specifically mentioned the ongoing situations in Rwanda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Palestine, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, Sudan and Syria. Also in February, Pillay expressed concern [JURIST report] over reports that three Palestinians being held in Israeli custody are in poor health from hunger strikes protesting Israel's use of administrative detention. In the same timeframe, Pillay unveiled a report [JURIST report] criticizing Sri Lanka for failing to investigate widespread reports of killings and other atrocities during the latter days of the nation's 26-year civil war it fought with the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Also in February, Pillay expressed shock and sadness [JURIST report] concerning the brutal rape and murder of 17-year-old Anene Booysen in South Africa. Pillay urged South Africa to take a stronger approach to prevent the ongoing sexual violence incidents against tens of thousands of South African women every year.