A Russian court in St. Petersburg held Monday that the Russian LGBT Network is an “extremist organization,” followed by a nationwide ban on its activities. Amnesty International condemned the ruling as a misuse of anti-extremism legislation to target sexual minorities. According to the group, the decision came after the Russian Ministry of Justice requested closed [...]
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday that it will resume the federal use of capital punishment, and that it is seeking death sentences against 44 defendants. The DOJ also said that it will use firing squads, electrocution, or nitrogen asphyxiation if the drug used in lethal injection is unavailable. The announcement follows the [...]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday warned that a new bill before Uganda’s parliament could be used to shut down civil society, and compared it to a similar Russian “foreign agents” law. HRW warns that this bill threatens to limit freedom of speech and assembly. Bill 13, the Protection of Sovereignty Bill, was introduced on [...]
Turkish lawmakers approved a bill Thursday restricting access to social media platforms for children under 15, according to state media. The bill, adopted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly, amends the Social Services Law and several other laws. It provides that social network providers may not offer services to children under the age of 15, [...]
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 [...]
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