Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday released a report on the Russian government’s increasing control over internet infrastructure and digital communication across the country. The report, titled “Disrupted, Throttled, and Blocked: State Censorship, Control, and Increasing Isolation of Internet Users in Russia,” details the widespread and systemic censorship being carried out online. It outlines how [...]
Iran executed at least 612 people in the first half of 2025—more than double the number put to death during the same period last year—prompting the UN’s top human rights official to demand an immediate halt to what he called a “disturbing escalation” in state killings. In his statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights [...]
A Russian court sentenced journalist Olga Komleva to 12 years in prison on Tuesday for her work with the Anti-Corruption Foundation and the dissemination of false information about the Russian military’s actions. Judge Rafis Nabiyev of the Kirovsky District Court of Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan, sentenced Komleva under Article 282.1, part 2 of the Criminal [...]
Several United Nations agencies on Monday condemned the use of starvation as a weapon of war, as malnutrition rates in Gaza spike. During the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Secretary-General António Guterres stressed: “Hunger fuels instability and undermines peace. We must never accept hunger as a weapon of war.” His [...]
The Arakan Army, an armed group operating in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State, has implemented repressive policies targeting the Rohingya minority, in violation of international law, Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated on Monday. In its statement, the humanitarian organization described life for the Rohingya under the rule of the Arakan Army as “harsh and restrictive.” “The [...]
The US Departments of Education (DOE) and Health and Human Services (HHS) launched parallel civil rights investigations into Duke University on Monday, citing potential violations of key federal anti-discrimination statutes. The investigations center on allegations that Duke has used race-based criteria in student journal selection, medical admissions, hiring, and programming. The agencies suggest that these [...]
A Massachusetts federal court granted a preliminary injunction on Monday in favor of Planned Parenthood, temporarily blocking the US President Donald Trump’s administration from following through on defunding efforts in the recently passed reconciliation bill. To support the finding of her order, Judge Indira Talwani held that the plaintiffs, Planned Parenthood, are likely to succeed [...]
A judge found former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe guilty of bribery and witness tampering on Monday. This marks the first time that a Colombian ex-president has been convicted in a criminal trial. The landmark ruling follows a long legal battle that dates back more than a decade. In 2012, Uribe levied allegations against Senator Iván [...]
Drone strikes that have damaged oil fields in the Kurdistan region of Iraq potentially threaten public services that impact human rights including healthcare and education, according to a Tuesday release from Human Rights Watch. They also risk escalating an ongoing dispute between the regional and national government over oil revenues, the organization said. The attacks [...]
Amnesty International called on Pakistan’s authorities on Tuesday to end the systemic discrimination and human rights violations against sanitation workers in the country, following the release of a new report. The organization emphasized how these abuses violate Pakistan’s obligations under international law and urged authorities to amend existing laws to align with international norms. The [...]
