Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a report released Wednesday raised concerns over the forcible recruitment of children into a youth group associated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). HRW interviewed multiple families whose children were taken by the Revolutionary Youth Movement of Syria, or Tevgera Ciwanên Şoreşger. The report revealed that in the vast majority [...]

Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court ruled Tuesday that multiple provisions of the country’s Federal Criminal Police Office Act (BKA Act) are unconstitutional because they infringe upon citizens’ privacy rights. The Society for Civil Rights e.V. (Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte e.V. or “GFF”), a German donor-funded organization, challenged the act in court, asserting that the anti-terrorist surveillance and [...]

Several human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists, have jointly called on Egypt’s parliament to reject a proposed draft of the criminal procedure code on Wednesday. They argue that if passed, the draft bill would further entrench systemic abuses in Egypt’s legal system. The Egyptian government introduced [...]

Kenya lawmakers launched a motion in parliament on Tuesday to impeach Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, accusing him of gross violation of the constitution, stirring ethnic hatred, and undermining the government. The motion, introduced by Enoch Wambua, who represents Kitui West, cites 11 grounds for impeachment under Articles 150(1)(b) and (2) and 145 of the Kenyan constitution. [...]

The opening days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine triggered a fierce and inspiring response by ordinary Ukrainians. They joined together in a mass uprising to defend their homeland. Under international humanitarian law (IHL), such an act of resistance is known as a “levée en masse” (levée). A levée is a unique category that temporarily [...]

The Bangkok Criminal Court ordered the extradition of a convicted political activist to Vietnam on Monday. Human rights groups, criticizing the move as “transnational repression”, warned that he likely faces threats to his life in Vietnam, which would render the extradition illegal under the principle of non-refoulement.  Y Quynh Bdap is currently imprisoned in Thailand [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday issued a critical report detailing alleged rights violations within Georgia’s prison system. Following an investigation, the DOJ found that conditions in the state’s prisons violate the Eighth Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects against cruel and unusual punishment. This report draws attention to Georgia’s failure to [...]

A coalition of human rights organizations on Wednesday called on United Nations member states to refrain from voting for Saudi Arabia in the upcoming Human Rights Council election, scheduled for October 9. The joint appeal was led by groups such as Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the International Service for Human Rights. They have cited [...]

Mech Dara, an award-winning Cambodian journalist was arrested and charged for incitement on Tuesday, leading to widespread concern among international rights groups and media organizations. Dara was taken into custody on Monday by military police at a toll booth near Sihanoukville. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court charged Dara with “incitement to disturb social security” under [...]

A judge for the US District Court for the District of Maryland blocked the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) on Tuesday from prohibiting a planned October 7 vigil commemorating those killed in the Israel-Gaza War. A student organization, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), filed a lawsuit against UMCP after their request for the [...]