Laos deports human rights lawyer who was fleeing state pressure back to China | The Independent

A human rights lawyer who was arrested in neighbouring Laos has been deported back to China, his attorney said, despite pleas from rights groups and United Nations experts for his release.

Zimbabwe opposition appeals to Ramaphosa as human rights lawyers detained | Daily Maverick

Hours after the Zimbabwe presidential inauguration of Emmerson Mnangagwa for a second term after questionable elections, two human rights lawyers were arrested in part of what the opposition has called a crackdown.

Killing of Filipino lawyer enabled by impunity | GMA News Online

The International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) has slammed the killing of a lawyer in the Filipino province of Abra, saying the act was enabled by impunity.

Twitter ‘unfit’ for banking over alleged complicity in Saudi rights abuses | The Guardian

The company formerly known as Twitter is “unfit” to hold banking licenses because of its alleged “intentional complicity” with human rights violations in Saudi Arabia and treatment of users’ personal data, according to an open letter sent to federal and state banking regulators that was signed by a law firm representing a Saudi victim’s family.

Iran’s ‘gender apartheid’ bill could jail women for 10 years for not wearing hijab | The Guardian

Women in Iran face up to 10 years in prison if they continue to defy the country’s mandatory hijab law, under harsher laws awaiting approval by authorities. Even businesses that serve women without a hijab face being shut down.

US rights groups call for halting support for Israel attacks on Palestinians | Middle East Monitor

A number of American human rights and humanitarian groups submitted a petition to the US Senate urging officials to support a resolution aimed at halting Israeli violations of human rights in the Palestinian territories.

Tunisia migrant deal will respect human rights, says EU Commission | EURACTIV.com

Respect for human rights will be at the heart of the EU’s controversial new ‘cash for migrant’ control deal with Tunisia, the European Commission insisted on Tuesday.

Turkey drops bid to close leading women’s rights group | France24

A Turkish court has rejected prosecutor attempts to shut down a leading anti-femicide campaign group on charges of violating administrative laws and “morality”.

US to send more military aid to Egypt despite rights concerns | Al-Monitor

The Biden administration will withhold $85 million from Egypt’s annual military assistance over human rights concerns, a smaller sum than Washington held back from Cairo’s aid package in each of the two previous years.

$1bn in aid has been used to support failed ‘war on drugs’ over past decade, says report | The Guardian

Almost $1bn (£800m) of aid has been spent on a global “war on drugs” over the past decade that has fuelled human rights abuses, according to a new report.

UN investigates reports of 13 mass graves in Sudan’s Darfur region | CNN

The United Nations’ human rights body (UNJHRO) has received reports of at least 13 mass graves in the Sudanese city of El Geneina, a special envoy to the war-torn country told the UN Security Council.