Human Rights Watch on Friday issued a warning that growing irregularities, political interference and security pressures threaten to compromise the credibility and inclusiveness of the upcoming general elections in the Central African Republic (CAR), scheduled for December 28. The warning comes against a backdrop of political manoeuvring in the CAR. In a 2023 constitutional referendum, [...]

Amnesty International on Friday called for Tunisian authorities to revoke the “unjust convictions and sentences” in the conspiracy case against several activists, politicians, and lawyers, calling their detention a blow to human rights. Sara Hashash, the deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, called for an immediate “quash” of [...]

UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned on Friday the military coup in Guinea-Bissau that took place just days after national elections, saying that it gravely violates constitutional order and democratic principles. Guterres urged all parties to respect the rule of law by immediately and unconditionally restoring constitutional order and releasing all detained officials, including political figures [...]

Amnesty International reported Friday that an acquittal of 87 individuals, including protestors, journalists, and lawyers, reveals an endemic misuse of the criminal justice system by the Turkish government and authorities. Those acquitted had originally been arrested and detained for eight months following the police response to largely peaceful protests held between March 19 and 26. [...]

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned on Friday that the Myanmar military junta’s planned elections could only worsen repression and instability rather than restore democracy. OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence described the elections, scheduled for December 28, as a military-controlled process conducted in an environment “rife with threats and violence.” [...]

Houthi de facto authorities in Yemen have detained dozens of political opponents since July, Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Thursday. The rights group said that at least 70 people associated with the opposition party Yemeni Congregation for Reform, or Islah, were detained on October 28 in Dhamar governorate. HRW noted that 21 of these [...]

The Tokyo High Court on Friday issued the final pending appellate decision in Japan’s nationwide same-sex marriage litigation, holding that the country’s statutory framework limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples does not violate the Constitution of Japan. The court dismissed the plaintiff’s claims of breach of constitutional guarantees to equality and individual dignity. It rejected their [...]

A UN expert on Wednesday urged increased efforts to promote the implementation of laws to protect people with albinism in Portugal, ensuring their equitable access to education, health, and employment. Independent Expert Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond elaborated in her report that Portugal lacks specific legal provisions on albinism.  Though the UN expert recognized that Portugal has implemented [...]

Georgia’s prosecuting district attorney on Wednesday dropped the closely watched case against US President Donald Trump and co-defendants for interference in the 2020 election, stating he made the decision “to serve the interests of justice and promote judicial finality.” In a motion of nolle prosequi, District Attorney Pro Tempore Peter J. Skandalakis cited the legal [...]

Amnesty International charged on Thursday that governments and the global fashion industry profit from the ongoing abuse of workers’ right to freedom of association in four major garment manufacturing hubs, asserting that this violates international labor rights. The organization based its findings on two reports compiled between September 2023 and August 2024 across 20 garment [...]