The Namibia Supreme Court ruled Monday that three HIV-positive women were forcibly sterilized in public hospitals. This decision affirms the July 2012 intermediate court ruling , which stated that the sterilizations were illegal because circumstances rendered the consent coerced and uninformed. All three sterilizations occurred while the women were in the hospital for emergency caesarian [...]
The UN on Sunday observed the first International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists after the resolution to do so was adopted in December of last year. The date commemorates the assassination of two French journalists, Gislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, in Mali in 2013. The resolution urges members to take active measures [...]
Amnesty International (AI) on Friday called on UN peacekeepers and Congolese authorities to protect the country’s civilians from armed rebels that are considered extremely dangerous. AI claims that the rebels have killed more than 100 people during the month of October. In the most recent attack, it was reported that 18 civilians were killed and [...]
The National People’s Congress of China on Saturday passed a new counter-espionage law in an effort to strengthen national security. State media reported that the new law will allow authorities to seal or seize any items or other properties linked to any acts of espionage. The enforcement of the law will be carried out by [...]
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Friday criticized the recent Singapore Supreme Court ruling to uphold a law criminalizing consensual same-sex relations between adult men. The OHCHR stated that this particular criminal law prosecuting same-sex couples “violates a host of human rights guaranteed by international law, including the right [...]
Amnesty International (AI) called on leadership in Burkina Faso on Friday to control security forces amidst crackdowns against protesters . Protests erupted in Burkina Faso earlier this week in response to attempts by President Blaise Compaore to remove presidential term limits , extending his 27-year reign. Although Burkina Faso abandoned the change in the face [...]
Myanmar’s parliament will consider amending the country’s 2008 constitution following talks between Myanmar President Thein Sein , top army officials and opposition leadership, an official said Friday. The opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) seeks to alter part of the constitution allowing the military to veto any amendments. It is believed that this change will [...]
Saudi Arabian rights activists on Saturday said that authorities had arrested Suad al-Shamari, a prominent women’s rights advocate, for insulting Islam. The arrest, they said, was part of an effort to eliminate dissent . Suad al-Shamari is a founder of the Saudi Liberal Network, a liberal human rights group. Last month, in a reference to [...]
The Constitutional Court of Ecuador on Friday ruled that congress may vote on proposal to allow unlimited re-election terms. The case was brought to the court by the ruling Alianza Pais party, which proposed indefinite re-election for elected officials in June. It is anticipated that lawmakers will vote in favor of the proposal since Alianza [...]
A judge for the 2nd Judicial District of Virginia on Thursday ruled that police can force criminal suspects to unlock their cell phones with a fingerprint scanner to allow officers to open and search them. Officers may not, however, compel suspects to give up their phone pass codes. Judge Steven Frucci ruled that revealing a [...]
