“The charges against Ms. Pakhshan Azizi do not meet the threshold of ‘most serious crimes’ required by international law for the death penalty,” the Human Rights Council-appointed experts stated. “Her death sentence constitutes a serious violation of international human rights law.” Solitary confinement Ms. Azizi was arrested in Tehran on...
The development comes one week after a court in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank ordered the closure of several Al Jazeera websites. A Palestinian Authority ministerial committee had earlier justified the enforced closure of the media company’s office in the West Bank, accusing it of broadcasting “inciting” material, “misinformation,...
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Go here to read our analysis of the decision and the likely next steps, and here for our ICC explainer. Asked by...
On Monday the United States military sent 11 long-term detainees from the facility to Oman after reaching agreement with the Government there on relocation and resettlement. Only 15 detainees now remain, according to news reports. The prison opened in 2002 and at its peak it held more than 600 prisoners...
In an industry that has outgrown Hollywood in sheer monetary value – reaching $196 billion in 2023 – these digital platforms are becoming recruitment grounds for extremists, prompting an unprecedented collaboration between counter terrorism specialists and gaming companies. To discuss the growing threat, UN News’s Sarah Daly sat down with...
Independent UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts said in a statement that it represents a fundamental attack on women’s rights. The legislation, which applies to children as young as 12, combines severe criminal penalties with mandatory citizen surveillance and systematic enforcement across all sectors of society, the experts added. The Law...
On 2 December, countries from around the world will meet in Riyadh under the auspices of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, (UNCCD) to discuss how to turn the corner from degradation to regeneration. Here are five things you need to know about desertification and why the world needs to...
Their warning comes amid growing international concern about the vulnerability of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities which rely on a stable power grid to maintain critical safety systems. “The latest large-scale Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s electricity system has led to further significant damage to electric substations that are essential to the...
Weeks of violent protests have marked the outcome of the disputed 9 October presidential elections, which saw ruling party Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo emerge the winner amid widespread allegations of fraud. Frelimo has been in power since 1975. Multiple news reports indicate that violent and repressive measures were used by...
The warning comes in an alert issued by the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee (FRC), which underscored that the humanitarian situation in the enclave is extremely grave and rapidly deteriorating. “Immediate action, within days not weeks, is required from all actors who are directly taking part in the...
The UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts criticised the decision by the French football and basketball federations to exclude players wearing the hijab from competitions, including at amateur level, and the French Government’s decision to prevent French athletes wearing the hijab from representing the country at last summer’s Paris Olympic Games. Infringement...
Akua Kuenyehia, chair of the independent expert mechanism on advancing racial justice said, “Manifestations of systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent by law enforcement and in criminal justice systems are still predominant in many parts of the world, and broad impunity persists.” While also dealing with “broad...