Hong Kong released more details Monday on China’s new national security law, which, among other things, will enable authorities to prevent people under investigation from leaving Hong Kong. Under the legislation, secession and sedition will be punishable by imprisonment up to life. Foreign and Taiwan political organizations and agents will be required to provide information [...]

In a report released on Tuesday, UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard claimed the US drone strike that killed Qasem Soleimani and nine others violated international law. Callamard called the killing of Soleimani by a US drone strike an “arbitrary killing” that violates the UN Charter. Additionally, Callamard addressed the [...]

In a statement to the House of Commons on Monday, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab introduced new sanctions on 49 human rights abusers. The new global human rights regime provides accountability for individuals and organizations, unlike typical sanctions regimes, which target nations. It aims to protect individuals’ rights. Encompassing both “the right to life,” and [...]

A Turkish court on Friday convicted four human rights activists on terrorism charges. Among those convicted was Taner Kilic, a former chair of Amnesty International, an organization that fights for human rights. The prosecution argued that the four activists were actually members or assistants of the Fethullah Gülen terrorist organization. However, concerns have arisen about [...]

The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in Beijing on Tuesday passed a new national security law (English) dramatically restricting freedom and autonomy within the region. The law remained unpublished until only an hour before it went into effect on Wednesday, and several arrests under the new regulations have already been made. Generally, the [...]

Russian President Vladimir Putin won a referendum vote on Thursday, allowing him to stay in office through 2036. Putin’s constitutional amendments garnered close to 78 percent of the votes. Approximately 65 percent of voters turned out. The constitutional amendments in the referendum already cleared the national parliament in Moscow and were ratified by regional legislatures [...]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet stated Tuesday that the Human Rights Council should consider new accountability measures in the Philippines’ “war on drugs.” Bachelet said that the laws created to counter national security threats and illegal drugs severely impacted human rights, resulting in killings, detentions and vilification. Between 2015 and 2019, more [...]

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) held its first virtual hearing on Tuesday, addressing a territorial dispute between Guyana and Venezuela. Guyana is arguing that the boundary between the nations was clarified by the Arbitral Award of 1899, whereas Venezuela called the award an “Anglo-Russian conspiracy.” In taking the case to the ICJ, Guyana seeks [...]

Germany’s Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbaue on Tuesday announced that she had ordered the partial dissolution of the elite Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) commando unit. The unit has faced several recent allegations, including the discovery of missing munitions, growing internal ties to far-right extremists, and allegations they have become independent of the military’s chain of command. Kramp-Karrenbauer told [...]

The new US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA) formally took effect on Wednesday, superseding the 26-year reign of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The trade agreement, which the US Senate approved in January, contains much of the same text as NAFTA. However, the USMCA updates provisions regarding digital commerce, anti-corruption and food safety. Further, the [...]