Twelve UN agencies published a joint statement on Tuesday urging states to end violence and discrimination toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) individuals. Abuses toward the LGBTI population are human rights abuses impacting society as a whole, the UN agencies said. The agencies are encouraging nations around the world to help prevent violence [...]
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Tuesday asked parties involved in the Taliban attack in Kunduz, Afghanistan, to do everything in their power to protect civilians form harm . He expressed concern over the deteriorating human rights situation and urged “all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under [...]
The EU has not done enough to address media abuses in Hungary, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a report Tuesday. The international free press advocacy group stated in its report “Balancing Act” that, despite the EU’s efforts to be a global leader in press freedom, it continues to face challenges from some [...]
The UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights said Monday that the global drug problem has become a significant human rights issue around the world. In a panel discussion at the UN Human Rights Council, Flavia Pasieri said, “It is clear that the world’s drug problem impacts the enjoyment of a wide range of human [...]
United Arab Emirates (UAE) Labor Minister Saqr Ghobash on Tuesday announced new labor reforms to provide increased oversight on the thousands of employment agreements conducted with temporary migrant workers. Ghobash told reporters that the new reforms will be rolled out in three government decrees that will take effect on January 1. The goal of the [...]
JURIST Guest Columnist David Christensen from Christensen Law discusses the impact of spousal benefits on the LGBT community… When the US Supreme Court ruled that states could not ban gay marriage earlier this year, it did more than just given them access to marriage certificates. The legal designation of “spouse” opens LGBT couples up to [...]
Nigerian authorities on Saturday turned over to the International Criminal Court an Islamic extremist wanted for his role in the 2012 destruction of religious and historically significant monuments in Timbuktu, Mali. Ahmad Al Mahdi Al Faqi, also known as Abu Tourab, was surrendered to the ICC’s detention center in the Netherlands, fulfilling an arrest warrant [...]
A court in Stuttgart, Germany, on Monday sentenced two Rwandan rebel leaders to multi-year jail sentences for their roles in a series of massacres in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2008 and 2009. Leading the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) , Ignace Murwanashyaka and his deputy Straton Musoni were accused [...]
Lebanese journalist Karma Khayat was fined €10,000 Monday following her refusal to take down Internet videos made in 2012. The videos risked exposing the identities of witnesses in the case of the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri. Khayat had been ordered by the court to remove the video, but ignored the order. [...]
The Bolivian Legislative Assembly on Saturday approved a bill to amend the constitution to extend presidential terms. The amendment will allow current President Evo Morales to run for a fourth consecutive term in office. The bill, which was approved by constitutional committee lawmakers on Tuesday, was passed Saturday after a 20-hour session with the required [...]
