UN human rights expert Victoria Tauli-Corpuz expressed concern Thursday about the situation faced by the indigenous people of Honduras, specifically in connection with their land and natural resource rights, their lack of access to justice, education and health, and the general environment of violence and impunity affecting their communities. In her end-of-mission statement , she [...]

The US Holocaust Memorial Museum voiced support for the Yazidi community in Iraq on Thursday and said that the Islamic State (IS) militants committed genocide against the Yazidi people. The atrocities witnessed by the museum’s Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide “Bearing Witness” team took place between June and August 2014 and are denounced [...]

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed two bills on Wednesday in order to expedite the distribution of medical marijuana to citizens with critical health conditions. Though statewide medical marijuana distribution will begin in January, the governor and lawmakers acknowledged that at-risk patients may require immediate relief “to avoid suffering and loss of life.” Cuomo expressed [...]

The Constitutional Court of Spain on Wednesday suspended Catalonia’s secession resolution following an appeal by the Spanish central government asking the court to review the resolution. Earlier this week the Catalan Parliament passed the resolution to begin secession from Spain, declaring that the decision is not subject to constitutional rulings and hoping to establish a [...]

The Ukrainian Parliament approved legislation Thursday to protect individuals from sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace, removing the last barrier to EU visa-free travel into the country. The bill failed several times before receiving 234 votes, surpassing the requisite 226 votes needed to pass through parliament. The bill will amend the country’s labor code to [...]

JURIST Guest Columnist Tendayi Achiume of UCLA School of Law discusses how the media’s disproportionate focus on the European dimensions of the plight of Syrian refugees… For four years, much of the world has ignored the Syrian refugee crisis. In light of this, recent media attention on the plight of Syrians seeking refuge in Europe [...]

A White House spokesperson on Tuesday expressed President Barack Obama’s support for legislationy that would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity through an amendment to the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The legislation had been under consideration for several weeks, and the White House had not been prepared to endorse it [...]

UN rights experts stated Wednesday that authorities in Iran should cease arresting, prosecuting and harassing journalists and online activists, and should provide a safe space for freedom of expression. UN Special Rapporteur on Iran Ahmen Shaheed made the statements to the press as Iran is preparing for parliamentary elections next year and the Iran intelligence [...]

A group of 23 House Republicans told the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Tuesday that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) “lacks the authority it claims … and improperly bypassed the democratic process” in passing net neutrality regulations. In an amicus curiae brief urging the appeals court to vacate the FCC’s [...]

The US Senate on Tuesday approved the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (NDAA ), which is expected to be signed by President Barack Obama despite further delaying the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Section 1031 of the NDAA prohibits the use of funds for the “transfer or release of individuals [...]