An Algerian military appeals court on Saturday acquitted three top officials who were jailed in 2019 during mass protests. On trial was Said Bouteflika, brother of the country’s longtime former leader, and two ex-intelligence chiefs, General Mohamed Lamine Mediene and his former right hand General Athmane Tartag. Also on trial was Louisa Hanoune, who had [...]

The Cabinet of Iran approved a bill Sunday to bolster protections for women against violence in the country. The Cabinet meeting saw the Council of Ministers approve the Protection, Dignity and Security of Women against Violence bill, moving the bill along the country’s law-making process. The bill defines violence as “any behaviour that is committed [...]

A British judge on Monday denied a request from US officials to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges. In her ruling, the judge stated that extraditing Assange would be “oppressive” on his mental health, citing evidence of harsh US prison conditions and risk of suicide. Assange, an Australian internet activist, has been [...]

China’s revised National Defense Law took effect Friday after its adoption by China’s top legislature, the Standing Committee of the 13th National People’s Congress (NPC), at its twenty-fourth session on December 26 and subsequent promulgation by President Xi Jinping. The amendment makes significant changes, with a total of 54 articles revised, six added and three deleted from the [...]

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Saturday that it would take “necessary measures” to protect its enterprises’ interests, after the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) announced Thursday that it had begun proceedings to delist three Chinese telecom firms. The NYSE’s announcement comes in response to US President Donald Trump’s recent executive order prohibiting any transaction [...]

The president of Algeria signed on Friday a presidential decree formally promulgating the recent amendment to the constitution. The new Constitution was adopted in November through a referendum and was awaiting presidential assent, which has been granted by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s Friday signature. The major amendments include provisions which allow renewal of presidential term only once [...]

The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Thursday pardoned 26 men who had been convicted of plotting the 2001 assassination of then-President Laurent Kabila. Former President Kabila was assassinated by one of his bodyguards who took his own life shortly after. Prosecutors in the case stated that Kabila’s closest advisor, Colonel Eddy [...]

The Yantian District People’s Court in the Chinese city of Shenzhen sentenced Wednesday 10 Hong Kong activists to imprisonment ranging from seven months to three years for illegal border crossing. The Shenzhen coast guard authorities intercepted the boat taken by the group from a port in Hong Kong on August 23, in waters under Guangdong province’s [...]

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) condemned Thursday Iranian officials’ fourth execution of a child offender in 2020, stating that the execution of child offenders is “categorically prohibited under international law.” Mohammad Hassan Rezaiee was executed early Thursday morning for an offence allegedly committed by him at the age of 16. [...]

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said Friday that Ethiopian security forces killed at least 76 people and wounded 190 people during violent unrest in June and July following the assassination of musician Hachalu Hundessa. The violence began amid protests triggered by the killing of the musician in the Galan Condominium area of Addis Ababa. Hundessa [...]