All articles tagged with #human rights
The European Court of Human Rights warned that Turkish courts face a systemic problem in Osman Kavala’s detention and urged his immediate release, highlighting ongoing concerns about due process amid a lengthy case.
Gao Zhen, famed for provocative sculptures of Mao Zedong, was sentenced to three years in prison for defaming China’s 'heroes and martyrs' under a defamation law enacted in 2018, based on works made more than a decade earlier; detained since 2024 after returning to China, his studio was raided, his family faced travel bans, and rights groups warn the case suppresses independent art and dissent.
Chinese artist Gao Zhen has been sentenced to three years in prison for creating satirical Mao statues, highlighting a broader crackdown on political expression in China and a 2018 law limiting criticism of national heroes; the Associated Press reports rights groups are alarmed by the erosion of artistic freedom.
Russian security forces are detaining and pressuring civilians to sign military contracts amid a reported spike in mobilisation, with NGOs noting a peak since August and recruiters targeting financially vulnerable people and prisoners. As fear grows, more Russians seek to leave the country, fearing being trapped if a new draft occurs, while official denials continue despite evidence of recruitment campaigns and ongoing casualties in Ukraine.
Prince Harry has resigned from the board of the African wildlife charity African Parks amid a scandal over abuses by its rangers; he served as president for six years and joined the board in 2023, and while stepping down he remains a supporter as he plans to move back to the UK.
Prince Harry has stepped down as a trustee of African Parks after the charity acknowledged human rights abuses by rangers in the Republic of the Congo, following an independent review prompted by allegations from the Baka community; while he remains a supporter of the organization and the conservation mission, the move ends his decade-long involvement on its board as the couple plan a UK relocation.
Prince Harry has stepped down from the board of African Parks after six years as president, while remaining supportive of its mission; the charity faced scrutiny over human rights abuses by rangers in Congo-Brazzaville and pledged governance and safeguarding improvements as he relocates back to the UK with Meghan and their children.
Lebanese state media reports Israeli forces used white phosphorus shells along with air strikes and heavy artillery across southern Lebanon overnight, damaging homes in Mansouri, Bayt al-Sayyad, and Majdal Zoun, with drones and additional strikes noted in nearby areas. The report follows prior warnings from rights groups about phosphorus munitions and reminders that using such incendiaries in densely populated civilian areas is prohibited under international law due to the risk of severe burns and respiratory harm.
Five years after the Taliban seized control, Afghan women describe eroded freedoms—restricted education, limited work, travel restrictions, and public punishments—driving many to focus on daily survival, while some remain hopeful and seek small acts of empowerment.
A Guatemalan immigrant held at Newark's Delaney Hall ICE facility experienced seizure-like activity on July 19 and was hospitalized; he was released from custody on July 22, though the DHS did not specify when he died. Rights groups have long raised concerns about medical care and conditions in ICE detention, and more than 50 detainees have died in ICE custody since President Trump took office.
Lebanon’s parliament voted to abolish the death penalty, replacing it with life imprisonment with hard labour; the measure now goes to the cabinet and then the president for signing, with government support though Hezbollah opposed. Lebanon has not executed anyone since 2004, but more than 78 people remain on death row. The reform follows decades of civil-society campaigning and comes amid broader regional debates on capital punishment, though enforcement details remain to be set.
Lebanon's parliament voted to abolish the death penalty, replacing it with long-term prison terms, in a historic step toward human rights and legal reform.
Kurdish film-maker Gabar Choli, who sought asylum in the U.S. and was deported to Canada in January 2026, says ICE guards force-fed him via a nasogastric tube for about eight months while he was on a hunger strike at Port Isabel, Texas, causing serious injuries and profound trauma; doctors and rights groups call the practice torture. A Guardian investigation found that since early 2025 ICE obtained court orders to force-feed at least 18 hunger strikers, a figure likely higher, often without the detainee’s input. The story underscores concerns about medical ethics, detainee rights, and the use of involuntary treatment in immigration detention.
A Kurdish filmmaker and activist, Gabar Choli, says ICE force-fed him for eight months during a hunger strike at a U.S. detention center after his asylum case was denied, describing the procedure as torture that caused lasting physical and mental harm. The force-feeding occurred under court orders with restraints, and Choli was deported to Canada in January. The Guardian’s investigation highlights a broader pattern of involuntary medical treatment for hunger strikers, with ICE defending the practice as legally authorized to prevent imminent harm.
Public executions resurfaced in Iran as authorities widen a crackdown after months of war and mass protests; at least 56 people have been executed on national-security charges since March, including 27 linked to January protests, with three young men hanged in Isfahan amid a crane-equipped public square and heavy security, while families allege torture and forced confessions and rights groups warn more are at risk.