Human Rights Watch (HRW) and 16 other organizations urged the European Union on Wednesday to confront Azerbaijan’s government on human rights abuses during the upcoming COP29 climate conference. The organizations call for EU leaders to help end the increasing politically motivated arrests, detainments, and restrictions on free speech in Azerbaijan. The joint statement was released [...]
Press freedom organizations urged the Georgian government to protect journalists on Thursday, following a surge of threats and restrictions targeting reporters covering the country’s recent parliamentary election. A joint report reveals a concerning environment for journalists covering the elections, which were held on October 26. In one incident, a CNews reporter was assaulted at a [...]
A United Nations Fact-Finding Mission reported Tuesday that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed extensive sexual violence against civilians. The report highlights what it describes as “staggering” levels of abuse, with victims aged from eight up to 75 years old. According to the report, victims were targeted based on gender and [...]
The European Parliament awarded the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Venezuelan opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia on Thursday. The award was given in recognition of their efforts to restore democracy and freedom in Venezuela amidst ongoing political repression under the regime of President Nicolás Maduro. The decision was [...]
The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, on Wednesday officially recognized the mass deportation of the Crimean Tatars by the Soviet Union in 1944 as an act of genocide. The statement passed in the 101-seat body with 83 votes in favor and eight abstentions. The decision comes at a time of renewed focus on Russia’s ongoing policies [...]
The UN Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) is set to review Pakistan’s human rights record this Thursday and Friday under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). According to Amnesty International (AI), the review “comes at a crucial time for the country, as human rights violations and abuses remain rampant.” The review is part of Pakistan’s commitments [...]
The charity Victim Support released a report on Thursday revealing that prolonged delays in the UK court system are leading to severe mental health impacts on survivors of sexual violence. These impacts include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal thoughts, and even a suicide attempt. The report focused on victims of sexual violence whose cases have [...]
The UK on Wednesday accused Russia of violating international humanitarian law in its ongoing war against Ukraine, citing UN findings of war crimes including rape, sexual violence and torture, as well as repeated large-scale attacks on Ukraine’s electricity infrastructure. During a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, UK [...]
The UK announced on Thursday that it will transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, now ruled as the British Indian Ocean Territory, to Mauritius after more than two centuries of control. A joint statement issued by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth hails the accord as a “historic political agreement [...]
A coalition of human rights organizations on Wednesday called on United Nations member states to refrain from voting for Saudi Arabia in the upcoming Human Rights Council election, scheduled for October 9. The joint appeal was led by groups such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the International Service for Human Rights. They have cited [...]
