Nigeria court overturns two blasphemy convictions after international outcry
The High Court of the Kano State of Nigeria Thursday acquitted a teenager sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered a fresh trial for a man sentenced to death after the convictions caused international outcry. A Sharia (Islamic law) court had convicted the two individuals in August last year. The high court that overturned [...]
Five people in Saudi Arabia who committed crimes as minors are still awaiting execution, despite the kingdom’s April announcement that juvenile offenders would no longer face the death penalty, rights groups said Monday. In April, Saudia Arabia’s government-operated Human Rights Commission (HRC) announced that a royal decree from King Salman had eliminated the death penalty [...]
The UAE government on Saturday announced that it will cancel lenient penalties for honor killings and will introduce other progressive policies. In a statement released by his government, President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan approved amendments to personal status, civil transactions, the penal code and criminal procedural laws. “Based on the UAE solid commitment [...]
Analyzing the Sufficiency of Iran's Child and Adolescent Protection Law
Iran recently passed a law criminalizing abandonment, physical or emotional abuse of children, taking a major leap in terms of rights provided to children and juveniles. The Child and Adolescent Protection Bill was approved by the Guardian Council, the body which determines if a legislation passed by the Parliament is in consonance with Sharia and [...]
On 9th January 2015, in front of the Jeddah Mosque, a Saudi activist and blogger named Raif Badawi was publicly given the first fifty out of the thousand lashes he was sentenced with, for ‘insulting Islam through electronic channels.’ The disturbing incident instantaneously became viral on social media and the #JeSuisRaif movement gained momentum. Saudi [...]
In a historic development concerning women’s rights, the Sudanese transitional government recently criminalized the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) and made it punishable by up to three years in prison. FGM is a deeply discriminatory practice which results in the partial or total removal of external female genitalia without any medical reasons. It violates [...]
On Wednesday, French lawmakers passed a bill to regulate online hate speech in the country. The law seeks to impose a strict obligation on online platforms to remove offensive content, like hate speech, violence, or racism, within twenty-four hours or risk getting fined and blocked. The over-zealous attempt to regulate the content available across online [...]
UN expert urges response to deteriorating human rights situation in Mali
UN Expert Alioune Tine reported on Tuesday that the human rights situation in Mali is of grave concern and that the country needs a comprehensive strategy to tackle it. Tine urged an effective military response to stop the violence and protect the population. Violence caused by armed extremist groups and by Malian and international security [...]
Germany court overturns lower court's acquittal of "Sharia Police"
Germany's highest federal court on Thursday overturned a lower federal court's acquittal of seven men charged with violating Germany's ban on wearing uniforms in public that convey a political message. In November...
Saudi Arabia to allow women to attend stadium sporting events
Saudi Princess Reema Bandar bint Al-Saud, vice president for women's affairs of the General Sports Authority , tweeted Sunday that the country will begin to allow women to attend sporting events in 2018. Sport stadiums...
