A Kuwait court acquitted US-Kuwaiti journalist, Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, of all charges, which is expected to end a 52-day detention that has drawn international concern about press freedom and expanding restrictions on speech related to national security. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) welcomed the decision, with CEO Jodie Ginsberg expressing relief at the outcome following [...]
US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro on Friday announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is closing its criminal investigation into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, referring the matter to the Federal Reserve’s Inspector General. The DOJ criminal probe focused on whether or not Powell made false statements to Congress about cost [...]
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario voted on Thursday to exempt records held by ministers from freedom of information (FOI) requests. The amendment is said to have violated the right of Ontario citizens to transparency and privacy. Bill 97, also known as the Plan to Protect Ontario Act (Budget Measures), contains several statutes and amendments to [...]
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged the US and Iran to return to peace negotiations amid rising tensions in the ongoing war, calling for a new “culture of peace” to replace the default recourse to violence whenever conflicts arise. The remarks come on the heels of a very public back-and-forth between the Pope and US [...]
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday that it will audit the DOJ’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA). According to the announcement, the OIG audit will examine DOJ’s “processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records in its possession as required by the Act,” [...]
UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, warned Thursday that despite government efforts, structural challenges continue to undermine the safety of human rights defenders in Mexico, citing organized crime, state authorities, and business interests as driving forces behind ongoing attacks. In a statement issued by the Office of the UN [...]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday lambasted the arrest of at least four in Bangladesh for posting social media content that allegedly criticized the new government, calling it an alarming continuation of the previous regime’s repressive practices. “Tarique Rahman’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government should live up to its promises on freedom of expression, end [...]
Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (SMIL), Hanna Tetteh, on Wednesday briefed the Security Council on how Libya’s political leaders have delayed implementation of the political roadmap intended to lead the country toward establishing national unity and democratic elections. Tetteh said Libyan authorities have fallen short of goals set in SMIL’s 2025 roadmap [...]
In a unanimous decision Thursday, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed all charges against Philippines ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, sending him to a formal trial. The chamber based its decision on document submissions and evidence presented during confirmation hearings that occurred in February, concluding that there are “substantial grounds” to believe that [...]
Rights organizations released a joint statement Wednesday condemning the UK’s conviction of pro-Palestine organizers Ben Jamal and Chris Nineham. Organizations spoke of “grave concerns” over the broader impacts of these convictions, writing: Many of the human rights we cherish–civil liberties, workers’ protections, votes for women, environmental safeguards–were won through protest. Recasting those same forms of [...]
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