Burkina Faso Monday announced that it will suspend broadcasts from France 24, a French international news network, after the network aired an interview with the head of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The interview effectively classifies France 24 as a “communications agency for these terrorists,” according to Minister of Communication Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo. “France [...]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk Tuesday issued an urgent call for international action in Haiti to confront escalating gang violence, including a “time-bound specialized support force.” Haiti is currently experiencing a crisis of instability and gang violence which “continues to spiral out of control.” Türk has previously expressed concerns about violence in [...]
Deaf advocates in Liberia Wednesday criticized the Liberian government and National Elections Commission (NEC) for failing to make the voter registration and election process accessible for deaf Liberians. They specifically cited the lack of sign-language interpreters available during the voter registration process as a significant barrier in deaf citizens casting their vote. Without sign language [...]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) Thursday called for Mozambican authorities to “promptly and impartially” investigate police use of teargas at the March 14 funeral procession of rapper and prominent government critic Edson da Luz, also known as “Azagaia,” in in Maputo. Azagaia died on March 9 from complications from a sudden illness. “Mozambique police responsible for safety [...]
Tennessee lawmakers Thursday passed a bill that bans gender-affirming medical care for minors under 18 and a bill that bans “adult cabaret performances” in public places. The bills now heads to Governor Bill Lee for his signature. LGBTQ advocates strongly opposed the bills, saying they unfairly target transgender children seeking necessary medical care and violate [...]
The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Plea Bargain Task Force Wednesday released its 2023 report, which found that 98 percent of criminal proceedings end in a plea bargain instead of a jury trial. According to the report, the emphasis on resolving criminal proceedings through plea bargains negatively impacts the integrity of the process by creating “perverse [...]
The European Commission Wednesday referred Poland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for rulings by Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal that the Commission argues violate EU law. The Commission expressed deep concern about rulings that challenged the primacy of EU law in Poland, which they allege breach Article 19(1) TEU provisions that “ensure effective [...]
The US Department of the Treasury Thursday announced sanctions against nine entities involved in the production, sale and shipment of millions of dollars worth of Iranian petrochemicals and petroleum. The action targets entities across multiple jurisdictions, including six Iranian manufacturers and their subsidiaries and three companies in Malaysia and Singapore. Under Secretary of the Treasury [...]
The Attorney General of Texas Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over federal guidance informing pharmacies that refusing to fill prescriptions for abortion medication breaks federal civil rights law. The complaint argues that the guidance was procedurally invalid and violates federal law, saying “the question of abortion is up to the people’s elected [...]
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported Tuesday that killings of journalists “rose sharply” last year, with 68 journalists being killed in 2022. This is a 50 percent increase from 2021. Of those deaths, CPJ confirmed that 41 were related to their journalistic work. CPJ continues to investigate the other 26 killings to determine if [...]
