The Supreme Court of Canada ruled Thursday that children who were born in Toronto to Russian spies are Canadian citizens. The case arose out of one of the children’s attempts to renew his Canadian passport after his parents were arrested “and were returned to Russia” in 2010. After his parents’ arrest, his “attempts to renew [...]

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović said Tuesday that Albania’s proposed anti-defamation legislation, expected to pass this week, is incompatible with freedom of expression. Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and [...]

India’s Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019, to allow religious minorities persecuted in neighboring countries to seek citizenship. The draft legislation proposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been criticized for being discriminatory and unconstitutional, as the term “religious minorities” excluded the Muslim community. Amending the Citizenship Act 1955, Section 2 [...]

US authorities on Thursday filed charges and sanctions against two Russian nationals who allegedly run a cyber theft operation known as Evil Corp. The organization used malware to steal personal banking information from victims in more than 40 countries, netting them more than $100 million in stolen funds. The two nationals are named in an [...]

The US House of Representatives voted 417-1 Wednesday to pass legislation supporting Hong Kong protesters. Th Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act aims to place sanctions on individuals who have committed human rights violations in Hong Kong. It would also require an annual review by the State Department to ensure that Hong Kong maintains [...]

A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) sentenced Frederic Masudi Alimasi to life in prison on Tuesday after a two-month trial. Alimasi, also known as Kokodikoko, is head of the Raia Mutomboki, one of the most powerful militia groups operating in the Eastern DRC. He and four others were arrested in April [...]

A terminally ill man lost his challenge to the assisted dying law in the UK on Tuesday. The case was brought by Philippe Newby, who suffers from motor neurone disease, a terminal disease. His claim centered around Section 2(1) of the Suicide Act 1961, which makes it illegal for people to assist or encourage others [...]

Human rights groups filed a criminal lawsuit in Argentina on Wednesday, alleging that the government and military of Myanmar, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, have committed crimes against humanity and genocide against the ethnic Rohingya minority. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority group in the Buddhist majority nation, residing largely in Rakhine state, [...]

The New Zealand Parliament voted Wednesday to send the End of Life Choice Bill to a public vote. The bill itself provides certain citizens with terminal illnesses the option to receive medical assistance in order to end their lives. There are a number of requirements that one must meet in order to be eligible to [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Wednesday that Tunisia’s newly-inaugurated parliament should focus on human rights issues. HRW stated that the new parliament “should strengthen rights protections by electing its allotted quota of Constitutional Court members.” The group also urged the new parliament to update laws “to eliminate gender discrimination in inheritance” as well as strike [...]