In a joint interview, JURIST Chief of Staff for Africa Lana Osei and Associate Editorial Director Alanah Vargas speak with veteran Ghanaian journalist Kwaku Sakyi-Danso as he reflects on his 24-year career covering Ghana’s Parliament during the media’s evolution from military to civilian rule. He speaks candidly about the threat untrained bloggers pose to public [...]
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged on Wednesday that Iraqi Kurdish authorities release Kurdish journalist Sherwan Sherwani after a court extended his prison sentence, stating: “Sentencing Sherwani for a third time on dubious charges and imposing the maximum penalty shows the authorities’ determination to silence his critical voice and keep him behind bars.” Sherwani [...]
US immigration officers must now weigh applicants’ support for “anti-American ideologies and activities” when deciding whether to grant certain immigration benefits, under new policy guidance released Tuesday by US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The updated policy, effective immediately, instructs officers to assign “overwhelmingly negative” weight to cases where applicants have “endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise [...]
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Wednesday that despite promises of reform, Sri Lankan security forces continue to harass the families of enforced disappearance victims, using the country’s counterterrorism laws to stifle justice and accountability. In its statement, the humanitarian organization highlighted that President Dissanayake’s administration, nearly a year into power, has done little to change [...]
On Tuesday, Amnesty International condemned Türkiye’s arrest and imprisonment of Enes Hocaoğulları, a LGBTQ+ activist who criticized rights violations committed during mass protests following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Amnesty International called the arrest arbitrary and claimed Hocaoğulları must be “immediately and unconditionally released,” arguing that Hocaoğulları was protected by his right to [...]
A coalition of Rwanda-allied armed groups has committed a range of atrocities against civilians that violate international humanitarian law in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including gang rapes and summary executions, according to Amnesty International. In a Wednesday briefing entitled “DRC: ‘They said we would die’: M23 and Wazalendo abuses in eastern Congo,” [...]
Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen on Tuesday announced the opening of a new immigration detention center in the southwest corner of the state. National Guard Major General Craig Strong called the move a step in supporting “the president’s initiatives for homeland security.” The present McCook Work Camp will be transformed from a minimum-security facility, and its [...]
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Monday blocked a lower court’s decision to uphold a ban on drag shows at West Texas A&M University. The appeals court stated that the plaintiffs had shown sufficient evidence that there would be harm to their First Amendment rights as a result of the ban, [...]
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced Monday on X (formerly Twitter) that the UK has agreed to drop its mandate that Apple provide a “back door” to access encrypted data from American users. The controversial Technical Capability Notice (TCN) was issued to Apple in January under Section 253 of the UK’s 2016 Investigatory [...]
Dr. Victoria McCloud, the UK’s first openly transgender judge, lodged an appeal on Monday with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) against a Supreme Court ruling that defined “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 solely by biological criteria, excluding transgender women with Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs). McCloud had previously sought leave to intervene [...]