The Supreme Court of India (SCt) Friday transferred all petitions pending before the different high courts seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage in India to itself. One petition was filed by Supriyo Chakraborty and Abhay Dang who seek to legally recognize their ceremonial marriage under the Special Marriage Act. Another petition was filed by an [...]

The Allahabad High Court Friday granted bail to Kerala-based journalist Siddique Kappan in the case concerning the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Kappan has been in custody since September 9 under the PMLA case and was earlier detained for more than 700 days under the controversial Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) law. Siddique was arrested [...]

Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema Friday assented to Penal Code (Amendment) Bill 2022, abolishing the law of the death penalty in Zambia. On May 24 Hichilema took a pledge to abolish the death penalty in the country and coordinate with the Parliament of Zambia to end the cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment. UN OHCHR supported President Hichilema’s [...]

President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi Friday approved the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2022, abolishing colonial law regarding the criminalisation of attempting suicide. The Bill repeals Section 325 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 which stipulates that “Whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence, shall be punished [...]

The Transgender Welfare Board of Chandigarh, India Tuesday alerted the High Court of Punjab and Haryana that a scheme for providing shelter for transgender individuals will be implemented in the union territory shortly. The scheme is known as Garima Grah. The scheme stems from a petition filed by post-graduate student Ashish–who identifies themselves by the [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) Friday expressed concern over Kyrgyzstan Journalist Bolot Temirov who is expelled from Kyrgyzstan. Bolot Temirov, director of Temirov Live, an independent online outlet, was born in Kyrgyzstan; however, he used a Soviet passport until he started using a Russian passport after 2001. Temirov received a Kyrgyz passport in 2008, however the [...]

The European Parliament Thursday condemned Qatari authorities for the alleged human rights abuses and urged FIFA and Qatar to compensate for widespread human rights abuses that migrant workers have endured while building the 2022 World Cup infrastructure. European Parliament supported migrant workers and their families, human rights organization, football associations, sponsors, political leaders, athletes, and labour [...]

The Constitutional Court of South Africa Monday ordered the parole of Janusz Walus, a prisoner currently serving life imprisonment for the 1993 murder of South African Communist leader and anti-apartheid activist Chris Hani.   Walus filed an appeal application before the Constitutional Court under Section 33 of the Constitution read with Section 6 of the Promotion [...]

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) Monday supported the propositions of the Ukrainian delegation and adopted a unanimous resolution recognizing Russia as a “terrorist state” during its 68th Annual Session. The PA passed a series of resolutions calling on the 30 NATO allies to intensify backing for Ukraine’s resistance and support the country’s integration into [...]

The Bombay High Court has granted bail to former Indian Institutes of Technology professor and Dalit scholar Anand Teltumbde, an accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence case. Teltumbde was arrested by Mumbai police in April 2020 for his alleged role in the Elgar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon violence case. [...]