Maldives President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu signed a controversial media bill into law on Thursday, giving a new government-backed commission broader power to fine media outlets and even shut them down. In its press release, the President’s Office maintained that the new law “seeks to prevent the spread of false information” and “establish a framework that [...]

The American Civil Liberties Union is seeking emergency relief to prevent the deportation of a journalist after the US Board of Immigration Appeals ended bond proceedings in the case on Friday. Salvadoran journalist Mario Guevara was arrested during a June anti-Trump demonstration in Georgia while livestreaming immigration officials and law enforcement. The ACLU claims Guevara [...]

Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil informed a New Jersey court Wednesday that he will challenge a September 12 denial of his waiver of removability to Syria or Algeria. In a letter to the US District Court for the District of New Jersey, Khalil’s legal team alleged that he was denied a waiver of removability without an [...]

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has strongly condemned the sentencing of Belarusian journalist Ihar Ilyash to four years in prison and a fine of 4,200 rubles (about US$1,240), handed down by the Minsk City Court on September 16, on charges including promoting “extremist activities” and “discrediting the Republic of Belarus.” The sentencing follows a [...]

Human Rights Watch on Thursday asserted that the British Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s findings of severe issues with the Home Office’s management of the Windrush Compensation Scheme has “wider implications” for everyone seeking compensation. “The ombudsman’s decision illustrates once again that the Home Office’s Windrush Compensation Scheme is not fit for purpose and is [...]

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned a Kyrgyzstan court’s sentencing of two journalists on Wednesday. The journalists, Joomart Duulatov and Aleksandr Aleksandrov, worked as cameramen for the well-known anti-corruption investigative agency Kloop. They were detained on May 28, charged with inciting riots, and each face five years imprisonment. Two unnamed accountants were also charged [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday welcomed the signing of a new law in Brazil designed to protect children’s rights online, describing the legislation as a significant advancement and encouraging the government to further enhance data protection for all citizens. The new law, known as the ECA Digital (for Child and Adolescent Statute), seeks to [...]

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights commended the first convictions handed down by the Colombian Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP) as a “crucial milestone on the path of accountability” while cautioning that this only represents an early step in a long-term effort to restore peace and justice. “After decades of atrocity upon atrocity, [...]

International rights watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday criticized the “baseless charges” brought against two human rights defenders arrested by El Salvador police in May, and called for their immediate release. José Ángel Pérez, 55, and 29-year-old Alejandro Antonio Henríquez were arrested while peacefully protesting the mass eviction of dozens of families from El [...]

The East Timor Parliament on Wednesday said it would rescind legislation granting former members of parliament lifetime pensions, according to local media. The announcement followed several days of student‑led demonstrations in the capital city of Dili. Under a law that went into effect in 2007, former members of parliament are entitled to lifetime pensions equivalent [...]