The UN’s top human rights official on Thursday demanded Burkina Faso end its clampdown on civic freedoms, including an announced ban on political parties. In his comments, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk emphasized that the government’s decision to prohibit political parties marks a serious setback for the freedoms of expression, association and political participation in [...]

Amnesty International stated on Wednesday that a Tunisian appeals court upheld and in fact lengthened prison sentences for Ennahda party leaders in the “Conspiracy against State Security 2” case. Amnesty International emphasized that this verdict, which was handed down on Monday, demonstrates the continued use of the judiciary to crack down on the country’s political [...]

A UN expert expressed concern Thursday over what she called the failure of the UK government to enforce a critical ruling on sex-based protections. Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls Reem Alsalem commented on the government’s delayed adoption of the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Ltd v. Scottish Ministers. The decision aimed [...]

UN human rights experts on Wednesday decried Russia’s conviction of nine International Criminal Court (ICC) officials, calling the ruling a “flagrant violation of international law.” Following a trial held in absentia, the Moscow City Court on December 12, 2025, sentenced Prosecutor Karim Khan and eight ICC judges under the Russian Criminal Code for “unlawfully prosecuting [...]

UN Secretary General António Guterres addressed the fifth general assembly of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) on Wednesday, regarding the future of global artificial intelligence (AI) use. Guterres discussed ways to encourage innovation and advancement while maintaining thoughtful oversight and regulation of AI and other digital technologies. “At a time of geopolitical fragmentation, digital cooperation is [...]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Tuesday criticized the UK Labour Party government’s human rights record over the past year, pointing to issues such as its immigration policies, protest crackdowns, and an inadequate response to the cost of living crisis. In the World Report 2026, an annual report which assesses the status of human rights globally, [...]

The US Supreme Court on Wednesday denied an injunction request from California Republicans who had asked the court to block the implementation of a new congressional district map before the 2026 midterm elections. A ballot initiative, Proposition 50, mandates redistricting of California to potentially flip five Republican-held seats to Democrats. Republicans challenged the new map [...]

The appeal of the fraud conviction of a Catholic cardinal resumed in the Vatican on Tuesday after a pause in proceedings following the resignation of the case’s chief prosecutor for alleged partiality. In the continuation of the appeal, the defense argued that the original investigation into the case was flawed. In 2019, Pope Francis issued [...]

Ryan Wesley Routh was sentenced to life in prison plus 84 months for his attempted assassination of US President Donald Trump and related offenses, according to a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release on Wednesday. Routh attempted to kill Trump at one of his golf courses in West Palm Beach, Florida, in September of 2024. [...]

Amnesty International on Tuesday condemned an Algerian court for a decision in the second instance that upheld the imprisonment of trade unionist and president of the National Union of Civil Servants in the Field of Culture and Arts (SNFC), Ali Mammeri. The decision also reduced the sentence from 15 years to 10 years. Mammeri was [...]