Russian human rights organization Team 29 (Komada 29) whose members include journalists and lawyers announced Sunday it is liquidating. The move comes amidst fears about the country’s foreign agents law. Russian authorities have recently taken a number of actions targeting Team 29. On July 16, the organization’s website was blocked by authorities after the Prosecutor-General’s [...]

Journalists, lawyers, business executives, and human rights activists across the world appear to have been targeted by government actors using the Pegasus software sold by Israeli security company NSO Group according to an investigation revealed Sunday. Amnesty International and Forbidden Stories, a Paris-based journalistic non-profit, have obtained access to a list of 50 000 phone [...]

Belarus authorities raided the homes and offices of independent news outlets, journalists, and human rights activists for a third consecutive day on Friday, widening the nation’s crackdown on President Alexander Lukashenko‘s political opponents. According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists and the Viasna Human Rights Center, authorities had searched the apartments and offices of at [...]

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Illinois sued the Chicago Police Department (CPD) Thursday to turn over records related to the department’s social media monitoring task force that was formed last summer. After an initial public records request, the CPD turned over all requested records except for the social media records. Chicago Mayor Lori [...]

The top Bosnian court released Friday Osman Mehmedagić, the country’s chief of intelligence, following his detention stemming from charges of money laundering and abusing his position. Mehmedagić, who is currently the head of the Bosnian Intelligence-Security Agency (OSA), was arrested Wednesday following an investigation for forging official documents, abuse of office, and money laundering. Although [...]

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the state radio Friday that the European Commission’s infringement proceeding concerning the passage of Bill T/16365 was “legalized hooliganism.” The bill, while designed to protect children against pedophilia, also outlaws discussions of the LGBTQ+ community in schools. The United Nations previously denounced the legislation, saying, “The bill would negate the existence [...]

French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti was indicted Friday in a conflict of interest investigation after a six-hour hearing. He has been charged with using his office to serve personal interests. The Anticor Association and three judicial unions filed complaints with the Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR) alleging that Dupond-Moretti unlawfully used his position [...]

Essence, Existence and the Moaning of the Bar: In Memory of Judge James Crawford The passing of one of the undisputable greats of international law, Judge (Professor) James Richard Crawford (1948 – 2021) who embodied a towering intellectual rigour with great good humour, generosity and warmth is a momentous loss to the world of international [...]

Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, a pro-Kurdish politician, human rights activist, and member of the People’s Democratic Party, regained membership in the Turkish parliament Friday. Gergerlioğlu retained his parliamentary membership until his two-and-a-half year prison sentence became final in March. However, earlier this month, the Constitutional Court of Turkey ruled that Gergerlioğlu’s imprisonment on terrorism charges was [...]

Human rights organizations lodged a criminal complaint Friday against 25 El Salvadoran soldiers and a former officer for their alleged involvement in the murder of four Dutch journalists during the 12 year civil war. The complaint, which was filed in the municipality of Dulce Nombre de Maria, comes against a backdrop of protracted international activism [...]