Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday condemned the Indonesian police for the reported unlawful dispersal, physical assault, and detention of Papuan protesters in the town of Merauke, South Papua province, on January 25. Meenakshi Ganguly, the deputy Asia director at HRW, reiterated Indigenous Papuan communities’ right to protest without fear of reppresion. Ganguly stated, “Police [...]
The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria welcomed the ceasefire agreement between the Government of Syria and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on Friday, while urging the return of displaced populations and access to aid in Northeastern Syria. Paulo Pinheiro, the chair of the Commission of Inquiry, stated: “We welcome efforts to bring stability to [...]
As of the time of writing, Iranian citizens have remained without internet or telecommunications access for 96 hours, according to online monitoring group NetBlocks. Amid the collapse of Iran’s currency, protests erupted in Tehran late last month and quickly spread across the country. Dozens of protesters and bystanders have been killed, according to human rights [...]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Friday urged the Israeli government to abandon proposed legislation that would mandate death sentences exclusively for Palestinians in specific cases, for crimes committed either in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Türk stated that the proposed legislation is “inconsistent with Israel’s obligations under the International Covenant [...]
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te vowed on Thursday to defend the island’s sovereignty, just days after Beijing concluded the “Justice Mission 2025” military drills near Taiwan. President Lai pledged in his New Year’s address to firmly safeguard national sovereignty, strengthen national defense and the resilience of the whole society, and comprehensively construct an effective deterrence and democratic [...]
Thailand and Cambodia on Saturday signed a new ceasefire agreement, ending weeks of military conflict over disputed territories. Thai Defense Minister General Natthaphon Narkphanit and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Tea Seiha signed the joint agreement at the third special meeting of the General Boundary Committee (GBC), reaffirming a previous ceasefire in July and outlining 16 [...]
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled on Thursday that the Danish “ghetto law” may constitute both direct and indirect discrimination under Council Directive 2000/43/EC. Senior legal advisor at Amnesty International Denmark Dina Hashem commended the decision as an important step in protecting basic human rights. The ECJ noted that the law creates a disparity [...]
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.” [...]
Democratic lawmaker Rashida Tlaib on Friday introduced a resolution in the US Congress to recognize Israel’s assault on Gaza as a genocide. This resolution, if passed, would officially recognize that the Israeli government has committed the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Co-sponsored by 21 Democratic lawmakers, Resolution H.RES. 876 urges the [...]
The Danish government announced on Friday a national minimum age requirement of 15 years for “certain” social media platforms. The Ministry of Digitalization describes the implementation as “groundbreaking,” noting that Denmark is the first EU country to establish such an age limit on social media. The agreement prohibits children under 15 from self-registering on platforms [...]
