Amnesty International on Saturday issued a statement criticizing the continued harassment, arbitrary arrests, and detention of independent journalists in several countries across East and Southern Africa. In particular, the organization reported a rise in internet blockages and shutdowns, as well as the use of oppressive cybersecurity laws to restrict media freedom, especially in countries that [...]

UN rights experts urged the Court in Algiers Tuesday to stop the trial of Mohamed Tadjadit, noting that the “reclassified” charges the the prominent activist now faces are punishable by death. A poet and human rights defender, Tadjadit is associated with the Hirak movement, which first arose in 2019 in opposition to then-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika [...]

UN experts on Friday welcomed Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s ratification of the 1989 International Convention against Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries. The experts praised the signing of what amounts to a new anti-mercenary legislative package, calling it an essential step toward protecting human rights and upholding international legal obligations. Colombia has experienced a [...]

A federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from designating the artificial intelligence company Anthropic as a “supply chain risk” and banning federal contractors from using its technology. US District Judge Rita Lin in San Francisco ruled in favor of Anthropic, halting a presidential directive that ordered all federal agencies to cease using the [...]

Belarus has freed 250 political prisoners following sanctions-relief negotiations with the United States, a move human rights organizations cautiously welcomed, while warning that true justice has yet to be served. President Alexander Lukashenko ordered the mass release on Thursday. The decision was the result of direct negotiations with the Trump administration, which agreed to lift [...]

Prominent Iraqi women’s rights defender Yanar Mohammed was killed outside her Baghdad residence on March 2 by two unidentified gunmen. No group has claimed responsibility for the assassination. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has ordered an investigation into the killing. International human rights organizations are urging authorities to identify the perpetrators and halt a [...]

Indonesia announced on Friday a new policy banning social media and online platforms for children under the age of 16, aiming to protect youth from online abuse. Under the new regulation, existing accounts belonging to users under 16 will be deactivated starting March 28. Communications and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid stated that the restriction [...]

An Athens appellate court on Wednesday upheld the 2020 convictions of the leadership and senior members of far-right party Golden Dawn, confirming the party’s designation as a criminal organization. Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias welcomed the decision and described it as “a historical milestone for the Greek justice system and the rule of law.” Golden Dawn, founded [...]

A UN expert called attention to the critical role of local Emergency Response Rooms (ERRs) volunteers in delivering life-saving aid amid a brutal war in Sudan on Friday, stressing f0r more support. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan has raged for approximately three years, marked by [...]

North Korea opened the Ninth Congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea on February 20, signaling a tightening of control over youth and access to information. A key focus of the Party Congress was the current state of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s “five-point strategy for building the party in the new era,” as [...]