A Colombian appeals judge on Saturday ordered a notary to marry a same-sex couple, following the couples’ appeal after the notary refused to marry them on June 20. In the decision , Judge Campo Elias Cordoba stated that marriage was the only contractual option that would give the plaintiffs their intended outcome. The couple will [...]
The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar , Tomas Ojea Quintana, on Monday praised the latest presidential amnesty that resulted in the release of 73 prisoners of conscience. His announcement, however, came with concerns over ongoing arrests of activists. On Tuesday, Myanmar President Thein Sein granted amnesty to the 73 prisoners [...]
Israel’s coalition government on Sunday approved a draft bill that would require the government to submit any proposed peace deal with Palestinians to voters for approval by referendum. The bill would exist as Basic Law in the country, which preserves basic rights and presides over other laws. Although a similar measure was passed in 2010, [...]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called Sunday for an end to the violence in Egypt. Supporters of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and former president Mohamed Morsi refused to clear the streets on Sunday despite mass killings by Egyptian security forces. Egypt’s ambulance service reported that 72 people were killed during violent outbreaks at [...]
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill on Saturday making Illinois the eighteenth state to allow online voter registration. The bill, which is set to take effect in July of next year, will allow anyone with a valid driver’s license or state identification card to register to vote online. It is an attempt to reduce [...]
Following the country’s parliamentary elections on Sunday, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) alleged in an email that an opposing party’s claims of victory were incorrect due to poll irregularities. The CNRP claimed in its email that names disappeared from the electoral roll and that some voters were unable to vote because someone had previously [...]
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) launched a new campaign on Friday dedicated to raising awareness about discrimination against the LGBT community and promoting respect for equal rights. Known as “Free and Equal,” the campaign focuses on public education as a means of countering intolerance and violence towards the millions [...]
The North Carolina Senate on Thursday approved a bill requiring abortion clinics to meet requirements similar to those for outpatient surgical centers. The new bill also requires that doctors be present during abortions, bans the procedure based on gender and bars coverage by government provided insurance plans. The bill was then sent to Governor Pat [...]
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Thursday urged Egyptian authorities to apply law and order in addition to safety and security in addressing the protests arising after the military’s ouster of president Mohamed Morsi . UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged for “a meaningful national dialogue and an inclusive reconciliation [...]
The North Carolina General Assembly on Thursday approved a bill that will require voters to present government-issued photo identification at the polls. The legislation was approved by the state house by a vote of 73-41 after the senate approved it by a vote of 33-14. The vote was split mainly along party lines, with Republicans [...]
