Israeli limits on Gaza aid may be ‘war crime’, UN warns

Restricting aid could be seen as using starvation as a ‘weapon of war’, the UN’s human rights chief says.

Human rights experts decry new evidence of torture of Ukrainian POWs by Russia

U.N.-backed human rights experts say they have gathered new evidence of “horrific” torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war by their Russian jailers, saying such practices could amount to war crimes

Hong Kong adopts sweeping security laws, bowing to Beijing

Hong Kong on Tuesday passed national security laws at the behest of Beijing, thwarting decades of public resistance in a move that critics say will strike a lasting blow to the partial autonomy the city had been promised by China.

Cartel violence in Mexico is real — that’s exactly why we need asylum

Alabama Sen. Katie Britt spawned headlines this month for telling a flagrantly misleading anecdote about sex trafficking during the GOP response to President Biden’s State of the Union address.

Pakistan’s WhatsApp death sentence case spotlights blasphemy law

Social media policing has been criticised after a man was sentenced to death for sending blasphemous images on the messaging app.

Mahsa Amini’s death in Iran custody was ‘unlawful,’ says UN mission

A fact-finding mission mandated by the United Nations said on Monday the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Iran’s morality police was unlawful and caused by violence and that Iranian women still suffer systematic discrimination.

South Africa’s Human Rights Day remains uncelebrated by the poor

Freedom continues its coverage of Abahlali baseMjondolo, a South African movement of shack dwellers who organise land occupations and communes. As South Africa celebrates Human Rights Day on March 21st, the movement responds to the failures of the ANC (African National Congress).

Cricket Australia cancels men’s T20 against Afghanistan due to concern over women’s rights

A second Australian men’s cricket series against Afghanistan in as many years has been postponed due to the country’s poor record on human rights for women and girls.

EU leaders ink €7.4B economic aid, migration deal with Egypt

Major package comes as EU officials tout new focus on curbing migration ahead of European Parliament election.

Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ+ bill: Parliament speaker halts approval of cabinet nominees

The speaker of Ghana’s parliament has blocked the approval of new ministers amid a row over the president’s delay in signing an anti-LGBTQ+ bill passed last month.

Speaking Freely: Maryam Al-Khawaja

Maryam Al-Khawaja is a Bahraini Woman Human Rights Defender who works as a consultant and trainer on Human Rights. She has been influential in shaping official responses to human rights atrocities in Bahrain and the Gulf region by leading campaigns and engaging with prominent policymakers around the world.