Israel’s Public Security Minister, Omer Barlev, announced Monday that he will set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the Israeli police’s alleged use of NSO group’s Pegasus spyware for illicit surveillance of citizens. Barlev initially denied that the Israeli police used the spyware for illegal surveillance following allegations by Israeli news portal Calcalist’s investigative [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) Monday publicly released a letter that found Pennsylvania’s court system violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because it prohibited or limited individuals under court supervision from taking medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD). The DOJ opened an investigation after receiving complaints from two individuals alleging that the [...]

The US Supreme Court reinstated Alabama’s new congressional map Monday, which had previously been blocked by a lower court for violating § 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). In November 2021, two lawsuits were filed challenging the congressional map on the grounds that the map unlawfully dilutes African-American voting strength because the map has [...]

South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa Monday released an expert report to the public regarding the July 2021 civil unrest in South Africa. The review was delivered to Ramaphosa on November 29, 2021 by a panel including Professor Sandy Africa as chair, advocate Mojankunyane Gumbi and former national intelligence officer Silumko Sokupa. Civil unrest erupted in [...]

A labor rights workforce led by US Vice President Kamala Harris revealed recommendations Monday aimed at strengthening the capacities of workers to unionize, stating that “strong worker organization can result … in a stronger economy and democracy.” The Harris-led Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment had initially presented the recommendations to US President Joe [...]

An Ohio woman pleaded guilty to defrauding the US and Polish governments in connection with an illicit adoption to a convicted criminal that resulted in the hospitalization of a child, according to court documents obtained Monday by JURIST. Margaret Cole, former executive director of European Adoption Consultants (EAC) — a Strongsville, Ohio agency that facilitated [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Tajikistan authorities Monday to restore internet connectivity in the autonomous region of Gorno-Badakhshan (GBAO), and urged federal authorities to ensure due process for a political activist from the region whose whereabouts remain unknown weeks after he was detained. The trouble in the GBAO began in late November, when the shooting [...]

International leaders and advocacy groups recognized Sunday the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Responding to a UNICEF report released earlier this week which found COVID-19 slowed progress towards ending FGM, the international community banded together to show continuing support to end FGM across the globe. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General [...]

The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, Sunday proposed the country’s ombudsman lead an independent official investigation into Catholic Church sexual abuse of minors, according to El País. This is the latest step towards justice for Spain minors who suffered abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church’s clergy. Spain’s Catholic Church has been under [...]

The Federal Supreme Court of Iraq suspended former foreign minister and Kurdish politician Hoshyar Zebari’s candidacy for president Sunday during the pendency of a case seeking his disqualification over corruption allegations. On Monday, Iraq’s parliament reportedly lacked the quorum to hold a session and indefinitely postponed the vote for the president. Iraq’s state news agency [...]