Aung San Suu Kyi’s Myanmar trials end with seven more years in jail
Reuters Deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was convicted of five counts of corruption on Friday and jailed for seven more years, an informed source said, wrapping up a marathon of trials condemned internationally as a sham. In a closed-door court session in army-ruled Myanmar, Suu Kyi, 77, who was arrested during a coup […]
Colombia faces very large challenge to stop “endemic violence” – Amnesty
Bogota, ColombiaReuters Colombia’s government faces big challenges in stemming endemic violence, advocacy group Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard said, while calling for an end to impunity for sexual violence meted out by security forces during protests in 2021. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the first leftist to lead the country, took control in August. He […]
Future unclear for Syrian refugees as Lebanese repatriations begin
Arsal, Lebanon Reuters Hundreds of Syrian refugees returned home from Lebanon on Wednesday, the first day of repatriations organised by Beirut, their mood more subdued than celebratory amid concerns over a scheme that rights groups say may involve elements of coercion. Lugging suitcases, power generators, fridges and even chickens and mostly skirting around watching media, […]
Syrian refugees cling on in Turkey, Lebanon as fears over coerced returns grow
Beirut, LebanonReuters The first Syrian refugees in Lebanon to return home under a new repatriation scheme will leave on Wednesday, but few in worn-down camps in the central Bekaa Valley said they would sign up. Rights groups fear the programme may not be as voluntary as it purports to be, at a time when concerns […]
Prison blaze: Deadly Iran jail fire erupted as police clashed with inmates, sources say
Reuters correspondents investigate circumstances around a deadly fire in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison…
Khamenei warns Islamic Republic is a “mighty tree” that cannot be uprooted
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesReuters Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday said that no one should dare think they can uproot the Islamic Republic, in his toughest warning to protesters since Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody ignited nationwide unrest now in its fourth week. Demonstrations by people from all walks of life, after […]
Ukraine under pressure in east as NATO chief says Russia must not win
Kyiv, UkraineReuters Ukraine said on Thursday it had been forced to cede some territory in the east of the country in the face of a Russian offensive, and the head of the NATO military alliance said Moscow must not be allowed to win the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy this week described the pressure his […]
Facebook-owner Meta releases first human rights report
Reuters Facebook owner Meta released its first annual human rights report on Thursday, following years of accusations that it turned a blind eye to online abuses that fueled real-world violence in places like India and Myanmar. The report, which covers due diligence performed in 2020 and 2021, includes a summary of a controversial human rights […]
Venezuelan refugee women face increasing violence in Colombia, Peru – Amnesty
Reuters Venezuelan refugee women face rising gender-based violence in Peru and Colombia, as governments are not guaranteeing their “right to a life free of violence,” Amnesty International said in a report on Tuesday. Since Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro took office in 2013, more than six million Venezuelans have fled due to an economic crisis that […]
ICC prosecutor aims to show war criminals can’t escape justice
Kyiv, Ukraine Reuters The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said on Thursday he hoped his war crimes investigation in Ukraine would show there can be no escape from justice during conflicts. Visiting Ukraine as part of the investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity since Russian forces invaded on 24th February, […]