Amnesty International Monday condemned the death sentences of 54 individuals linked by Algerian prosecutors to the lynching of activist Djamel Ben Smail amid wildfires in the Kabylie region in August 2021. Amnesty alleged that numerous fair trial violations occurred during the mass proceedings in November 2022. Amnesty also raised alarm about claims of torture and [...]

At least 17 people were killed Monday during anti-government protests in Peru, according to the Peruvian Ombudsman’s Office. The protests began in early December 2022 following the removal and arrest of former president Pedro Castillo, who is currently serving 18 months of pre-trial detention on rebellion charges after he attempted to dissolve Congress illegally. The [...]

The European Union, France, Germany and the UK Monday independently summoned Iran’s envoys to their respective countries over Tehran’s severe crackdowns on and executions of anti-government protesters. The EU reiterated to Iran ambassador Hossein Dehghani its “strong appalment” over the January 7 executions of Mohammad Mehdi Karami and Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini. The two men were [...]

The UN Security Council Monday unanimously adopted Resolution 2672, which authorized the renewal of the cross-border mechanism in Syria a day before it was set to expire. Resolution 2672  renewed the UN’s previous authorization of the Bab al-Hawa crossing point on Syria’s border with Türkiye. The UN Security Council first authorized the border crossing point [...]

Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday introduced a bill in the Duma, the lower house of Russia’s Parliament, to withdraw from the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption. Russia ratified the convention on January 27, 1999. The convention aims to coordinate criminalization of a large number of corrupt practices and is implemented by Group of States against [...]

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson Sunday affirmed that Sweden is confident Türkiye will ratify Sweden’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) application. At the same time, Kristersson expressed concern since Sweden is unable to accept certain demands made by Türkiye. This comes as NATO’s Secretary General Jens Stolenberg said that “it is important that Sweden and [...]

Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Secretary General Jan Egeland Sunday warned of the “devastating consequences” of Afghanistan’s continued ban on women non-governmental organization (NGO) workers. The ban stems from a December 25, 2022 Minister of Economy (MoE) directive. Following a meeting with Afghanistan’s acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Khalil Rahman Haqqani, Egeland said the continued [...]

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić Sunday alleged NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) peacekeepers rejected Serbia’s request to replace Serbian security forces in Kosovo. The request came amidst rising tensions between Serbia and Kosovo along Kosovo’s northern border. In an interview by New Weekend Morning, Vučić stated that KFOR told him there was “no need for the return [...]

International leaders Sunday expressed their condemnation after supporters of former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro stormed the Brazilian Congress, Supreme Court and Presidential office. President Luiz Inácio Luna de Silva commented: Whoever did this will be found and punished. Democracy guarantees the right to free expression, but it also requires people to respect institutions. There is [...]

The Palestine Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Sunday announced that Israeli authorities withdrew the VIP travel permit for the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Dr. Riyad Al-Malki. VIP travel permits allow selected senior Palestinian officials to travel about the occupied West Bank freely in contrast to ordinary Palestinians.  Authorities revoked the benefit during [...]