The UN General Assembly formally instituted on Thursday an autonomous body tasked with conducting investigations into cases of missing persons within the territory of Syria. The body, which will be called the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria, will further investigate numerous studies showing a widespread and alarming occurrence of individual disappearances since 2011 [...]

A US federal court in New York rejected on Thursday former President Donald Trump’s late claim of absolute presidential immunity to fend off a defamation lawsuit filed by writer E. Jean Carroll. The decision came a month after a New York jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll, resulting in $5 million [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on Thursday three episodes involving the militia in Burkina Faso have resulted in the forced disappearances and purported deaths of 18 men, the execution of at least nine men and the severe beating of children between the ages of 6 and 16. The armed forces allegedly committed these atrocities during [...]

The US Supreme Court ruled Friday in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis that a Colorado-based web designer cannot be compelled to create wedding websites for LGBTQ+ couples, despite the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA) which protects LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in public accommodations. The Court determined that forcing the designer to comply with CADA would violate [...]

Myanmar’s human rights situation has deteriorated to “alarming levels,” according to a report published by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Friday. The report states that, because Myanmar’s junta has prioritized their own needs over those of the people, “rgent and concrete steps are needed to ensure essential needs [...]

A military court in Vietnam sentenced former coast guard commander Nguyen Van Son to 16 years in prison on Thursday. He was found guilty of embezzlement due to siphoning off VNĐ 50 billion ($2.1 million) from military procurement deals. Convicted as the mastermind behind the theft of 50 billion dong during his tenure as coast [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) announced Friday they uncovered new evidence that Ukraine used banned landmines and other illegal artillery against Russian troops. In a news release published on their website, HRW reported that they found artillery rockets that they allege are Ukrainian. The findings originate with images of Uragan rockets found in an agricultural field [...]

Economist and foreign policy expert Jeffrey Sachs, a best selling author and director of Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development, has long argued that Russia’s hostility toward Ukraine was provoked by the U.S. vis-à-vis pushes for NATO expansion, military interventions, and other forms of meddling. In an interview with JURIST Assistant Editor Pitasanna Shanmugathas, Sachs [...]

In the past few years, the Indian Judiciary has maintained a steady trend of supporting queer rights in the country. In 2018, the Supreme Court issued a landmark verdict decriminalizing queer sexual relationships in India. Activists, allies, and parts of civil society celebrated the decision as the beginning of a promising era for the LGBTQ+ [...]

China enacted legislation on Wednesday pertaining to international relations and strengthening its ability to impose “countermeasures” against foreign actors. The new law aims to deter sanctions against the nation and includes provisions outlining retaliatory measures against actions that could undermine China’s independence and national security. In the new law, China asserts its right to take [...]