UN experts on Wednesday declared that the partial US maritime blockade on Venezuela is violating fundamental rules of international law. The US has been attempting to seize sanctioned vessels headed to or from the South American country since mid-December. On December 10, the US seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela after President [...]

Amnesty International on Thursday urged all states to prevent the Portuguese-flagged Holger G vessel, carrying munition components bound for Israel, from docking at their ports. Having departed from India on November 16, the cargo is destined for Israel’s biggest arms manufacturer, Elbit Systems, and its subsidiary IMI Systems. Erika Guevara Rosas, senior director for research [...]

The US government on Friday announced sanctions on two judges from the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court, Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia, due to their “illegitimate targeting of Israel.” The sanctions bar the named individuals from entry into the US, and extends to their family members. The measures also block [...]

The UN Special Rapporteur on torture, Alice Jill Edwards, on Friday urged Pakistani authorities to take immediate and effective action to address reports of inhumane and undignified detention conditions of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, warning that they could amount to torture and other cruel or degrading treatment. Imran Khan, a cricketer turned politician who [...]

A UN Special Rapporteur on Friday released a report urging the UK government to condemn Myanmar’s upcoming military junta-orchestrated election that appears to be a “sham,” as well as to continue its support of human rights in the area. Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, stated: “I urge [...]

Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, a Libyan prison chief, appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday, standing accused of six counts of war crimes and six counts of crimes against humanity. These charges ranged from February 2015 to early 2020, and concern his role at the Mitiga prison near Tripoli. The description of [...]

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. [...]

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 former Wales leader of right-wing populist political party Reform UK,  Nathan Gill, was imprisoned on Friday after pleading guilty to accepting bribes from Kremlin-linked figures. The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales sentenced Gill to 10 years and six months imprisonment under Section 2 of the Bribery Act 2010. Gill pleaded guilty to [...]

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development on Wednesday released a statement urging the German government to promote inclusivity, sustainability and protection of human rights, following a visit to the country. Special Rapporteur Surya Deva visited Germany this month to assess the nation’s commitment to human rights, sustainable development goals, and local democratic [...]