Two expert committees from the UN said Friday that states of transit and destination have an obligation to ensure the human rights of Central American migrants, regardless of legal immigration status. The Committee on the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (CMW), along with the Committee on the [...]

The Supreme Court of Spain on Thursday ordered 18 former politicians to stand trial for their involvement in the region’s independence referendum proposed by parliament last year. Out of the 18 pro-independence leaders, nine are being held in prison and are expected to stand trial for rebellion, a charge that carries a 30 year prison [...]

The South Korean Embassy in Canada tweeted Thursday to warn its nationals currently studying or visiting Canada that if they are caught smoking marijuana on Canadian soil, they can still be held criminally liable under South Korean law. Recently, Canada became the second nation in the world to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, following [...]

Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the UN Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, said Thursday that trans and gender-diverse people around the world are overwhelmingly and disproportionately the victims of violence to levels that “offend the human conscience.” “Despite the United Nations treaty bodies’ affirmation of sexual orientation and gender [...]

In response to last week’s revelations about journalist Jamal Kashoggi’s death in Istanbul, the European Parliament on Thursday passed a resolution urging all European nations to partake in an arms embargo against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia until there can be an “International impartial investigation into the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.” Saudi Arabia initially denied [...]

A UN human rights expert on Wednesday highlighted the role of aid workers, urging states not to criminalize such efforts in the name of combating terrorism.  According to the expert, because there is no “globally agreed definition of terrorism” or what constitutes support for terrorism, states have argued that acts of humanitarian aid can be [...]

A UN human rights expert on Thursday urged the Japanese government to delay the relocation of evacuees from the Fukushima Disaster back to their homes over concerns about ongoing toxic waste. “Many feel they are being forced to return to areas that are unsafe, including those with radiation levels above what the Government previously considered [...]

Amnesty International India called Thursday for an independent and impartial investigation into the killing of seven people in a blast in Kulgam on Sunday. Kulgam, a district of Kashmir and Jammu, is the site of ongoing conflict between Lashkar-e-Taiba, which translates to “Army of the Pure,” and the Indian government. According to a Stanford report, [...]

The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran on Wednesday urged Iran to respond to social challenges in the country by putting international human rights law at the center of a government response. Javaid Rehman was appointed Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran in July. He recently presented his report to the General Assembly [...]

Tomas Ojea Quintana, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, said Wednesday that although there has not been any improvement in the human rights situation in the country, these rights should continue to be an “essential” part of any strategy aimed at building a lasting peace [...]