The Canadian Civil Liberties Association on Thursday sued the governments of Canada and Manitoba for the province’s “extremely underfunded” criminal legal aid, arguing that the underfunding violates the right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence, and is discriminatory against Indigenous people in effect. The lawsuit argued that the financial eligibility criteria for [...]

UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher on Wednesday warned that the recent rise in the use of drones poses a risk for aid operations in multiple conflicts around the world. He emphasized that international humanitarian law, which prohibits attacks on humanitarian workers and civilians, continues to apply to drone warfare regardless of how sophisticated or autonomous [...]

The Hong Kong Court of First Instance on Friday found Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan, and the pair’s now-disbanded  Hong Kong Alliance, guilty of a “subversion” offense under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law (NSL). They each face up to 10 years in prison. Three NSL-designated judges unanimously ruled that the defendants’ advocacy for “the end of [...]

Amnesty International on Wednesday accused Argentina of putting in place a “techno-authoritarian” surveillance infrastructure without adequate legal safeguards, as the government’s newly created AI security unit expands state monitoring powers over citizens’ online communications and physical movements.  In a new report, the rights group stated that Argentina‘s Ministry of Security spent at least USD$1.2 million [...]

The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan (UN Commission) reported Thursday that a rise in violence and atrocity crimes is disrupting South Sudan’s conflict resolution trajectory as the country is set to hold its first elections since independence in 2011. Under the authority of President Salva Kiir and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement [...]

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) on Wednesday unanimously expanded the scope of the landmark Maria da Penha Law (Law 11.340/2006), ensuring women are protected from gender-based violence not only in domestic settings but also in public, professional, political and community spaces. The STF ruled that protective measures under the law apply to all forms of [...]

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk raised concerns Wednesday about arrests and detentions of opposition members surrounding Zambia’s elections on August 13. Türk stated that “arrests and resulting court proceedings…must be fully consistent with international human rights standards, as well as Zambian domestic law.” He continued: “All detainees must be notified…of the reasons for their [...]

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday condemned the US for its latest sanctions against Tomoko Akane, the president of the court, and Abdoulaye Seye, senior trial lawyer at the Office of the Prosecutor. The court reiterated its steadfast commitment to upholding accountability and protecting victims of international crimes. The court’s statement described the sanctions [...]

The human rights watchdog Corporate Accountability Lab (CAL) released a report on Tuesday finding that forced labor persists on sugarcane plantations in the Dominican Republic (DR). CAL called for the US to impose an import ban in response to the findings. The alleged labor abuses include issues concerning both working and living conditions. Workers reported [...]

A Russian court sentenced politician Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month in a penal colony on charges of “discrediting” the Russian military and spreading “false information,” Amnesty International said on Monday. Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia director, called the charges “blatant reprisals for exercising his right to freedom of [...]