UN human rights experts on Thursday condemned acts of “extreme violence” committed by the Movement du 23 Mars (M23) armed group against human rights defenders in North and South Kivu provinces of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), warning that activists documenting abuses face escalating reprisals. According to the Office of the UN [...]

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Amnesty International stated that the India AI Impact Summit 2026 did not secure concrete commitments to halt “destructive practices” by governments and technology companies, warning that the gathering failed to address the human rights risks posed by artificial intelligence meaningfully.  The organization pointed to the continued problematic deployment of AI tools in contexts such as [...]

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Child trafficking by gangs in Haiti has intensified amid escalating violence, and institutional collapse and has placed the country’s long-term stability in jeopardy, according to a report released on Friday by the UN’s human rights office. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) found that gangs are systematically recruiting, coercing, and [...]

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Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on Monday sounded the alarm via X on the re-arrest of opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa, pointing to ongoing concerns over arbitrary detention and political repression in the country.  According to Machado’s public statements on social media, Guanipa, former vice president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, was detained by [...]

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Eswatini’s education minister has publicly opposed protections for LGBTQ+ students in schools, drawing condemnation from Amnesty International, which says the remarks conflict with the country’s constitutional and international human rights obligations. Minister Owen Nxumalo publicly rejected calls to recognize or protect LGBTQ+ students in schools, asserting that such recognition would conflict with Eswatini’s cultural values. [...]

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Egyptian authorities must immediately end their crackdown on individuals who discuss religious beliefs online, Amnesty International said on Thursday, warning that prosecutions and arrests under broadly worded laws are violating the rights to freedom of religion and expression. The statement urges a halt to arbitrary arrests, and respect for freedom of religion and belief in [...]

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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) stated Wednesday that it will not recognize the elections recently held in Myanmar, reflecting a growing rejection of the junta-led process that many have described as “sham elections.” The Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro spoke on the organization’s position during a press conference, and later described online [...]

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UN experts on Monday cautioned against the escalating use of arrests and criminal proceedings against agricultural trade union activity in France, after authorities detained 52 farmers during peaceful protests in Paris this month. On January 15, union leaders and members of the Confédération Paysanne held protests in opposition to the EU-Mercosur Deal, signed in December [...]

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An alarming rise in abductions, sexual violence, and attacks on civilians in South Sudan prompted renewed condemnation from the United Nations on Friday. Officials warned that the scale and persistence of these violations may amount to grave breaches of human rights. According to the quarterly brief released by the United Nations Mission to South Sudan [...]

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The Africa deputy director at Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday expressed concern over the arrest of well-known government critic Sarah Bireete in Uganda ahead of the country’s upcoming elections. Ashwanee Budoo-Scholtz stated: “Sarah Bireete’s arrest is a demonstration of the Uganda government’s continuing intolerance of dissent. The Ugandan authorities should release Bireete, drop all [...]

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