The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged El Salvador on Friday to repeal its newly enacted “foreign agents” law, calling it a direct threat to press freedom and civil society. The law, approved on May 20 by the Legislative Assembly dominated by President Nayib Bukele’s party, requires organizations and individuals receiving international funding to register [...]

British-Egyptian writer and human rights activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah is being unlawfully detained by the Egyptian government, according to an investigation by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on Tuesday. Following the 18-month investigation, the panel concluded that his arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment violated international human rights law and constituted a clear attempt [...]

UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Margaret Satterthwaite on Friday stated that Guatemala’s legal system is at a turning point, stressing that the country’s democratic future depends on whether upcoming judicial appointments are handled with transparency and whether criminal law is applied fairly and without political interference. Satterthwaite raised alarm over [...]

Hungary’s parliament passed a bill on Tuesday that begins the country’s formal withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). This move has drawn sharp international criticism and stirred controversy over its timing. The bill, approved by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party, sets off a one-year departure process under Article 127 of the Rome [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Tuesday to address ongoing human rights issues in discussions with Cambodian officials as she begins her two-day official trip to Cambodia. The visit, marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, offers an opportunity to highlight ongoing concerns regarding transnational repression [...]

Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal dismissed a prominent challenge to the federal government’s 2020 ban on assault-style firearms on Tuesday. The ruling upheld the legality of the government’s decision to prohibit over 1,500 models of firearms deemed by Ottawa to be “assault-style” and unsuitable for civilian ownership. The challenge was led by the Canadian Coalition [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) raised concerns on Tuesday regarding Syria’s newly ratified constitutional declaration, intended to regulate the nation’s traditional phase. This human rights organization warned that the new constitutional structure perilously concentrates authority in the executive branch, which could threaten the judiciary’s independence and undermine the democratic ideals that many Syrians have persistently championed. At [...]

Amnesty International on Wednesday condemned the extensive use of Paragon Solutions‘ Graphite spyware to target journalists and human rights defenders in Europe, and called for urgent regulatory action to protect civil liberties. The condemnation comes following a recent Citizen Lab investigation report, which revealed a growing spyware crisis in Europe, raising critical questions about privacy, surveillance, [...]

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on Friday for the immediate release of investigative journalists Bashdar Bazyani and Sherwan Sherwani, stating that their detention by authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan is on “baseless” grounds, and intended to silence critical reporting. Bazyani, the founder of the newly established digital media outlet Media21, was arrested by Kurdish security forces [...]

Amnesty International stated Wednesday that Lebanon’s recent Shura Council ruling in actor Ziad Itani’s case signifies a pivotal moment in the battle against torture and impunity. Amnesty said the ruling, announced on December 5, 2024, is not only crucial for recognizing the Lebanese government’s accountability for the torture endured by Itani, but also for requiring [...]