Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara confirmed Monday that one of two Japanese nationals detained in Iran has safely returned to the country. The individual, who had been held by Iranian authorities since last year, arrived in the country Sunday in good health. The confirmation followed an announcement by Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who stated [...]

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) released a report Friday revealing that global progress toward gender parity in national parliaments has slowed to its lowest rate in nearly a decade. Released ahead of International Women’s Day, the “Women in Parliament in 2025” report indicates that women held 27.5 percent of parliamentary seats worldwide as of January 1, [...]

The International Criminal Court (ICC) handed down a 20-year prison sentence on Tuesday to former Janjaweed militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Darfur region of Sudan. Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb, was found guilty of 27 counts, including murder, rape, torture, persecution and pillaging. [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Monday accused Iranian authorities of causing three women to perish in Qarchak prison after systematic denial of adequate medical care, raising serious concerns over right violations and medical negligence in the country’s penal system. The deceased prisoners were identified as Soudabeh Asadi, Jamile Azizi, and Somayeh Rashidi. Asadi, who was [...]

Amnesty International and 34 other organizations sent an open letter on Tuesday to Brazilian authorities and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), urging them to ensure the protection of human rights in the Host Country Agreement for the upcoming COP30 climate conference. The summit is scheduled to take place in Belém, Brazil, in [...]

A faction of Madagascar’s military announced Tuesday that it has seized government power following reports of President Andry Rajoelina’s evacuation from the country. The apparent coup follows weeks of Gen Z protests against high unemployment, the rising cost of living, and government corruption. On national radio, Colonel Michael Randrianirina annouced, “We have taken the power.” [...]

Egyptian authorities have detained prominent independent journalist and researcher Ismail Iskandarani over Facebook posts critical of government policies, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Wednesday. HRW reported that Iskandarani, known for his reporting on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and abuses by state security forces, was arrested on October 24, in Cairo after publishing a series of posts [...]

The UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) said Monday that Myanmar’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Border Guard Police (BGP), and private corporations have benefited from the destruction and dispossession of Rohingya property during the military’s 2017 operations in Rakhine State. In a public summary released on Monday, the IIMM documented how Rohingya homes, mosques, [...]

Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger announced Monday that they will withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the tribunal of serving “imperial” rather than African interests. The three countries, each governed by military juntas and members of the newly formed Alliance of Sahel States, issued a joint declaration stating that they no longer recognize [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Tuesday that Iranian authorities have failed to investigate or prosecute security officials responsible for the 2022 crackdown on nationwide protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody. HRW’s report, released on the third anniversary of Amini’s death, stated that the Iranian judiciary has not pursued cases against [...]