Muslim states demand action at UN after ‘Islamaphobic’ Quran burning
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Muslim states including Iran and Pakistan on Tuesday said desecration of the Koran amounted to inciting religious hatred and called for accountability, as the UN rights body debated a contentious motion in the wake of a Quran burning in Sweden. The motion, brought by Pakistan in response to last month’s incident, seeks a […]
Some Russian abuses in Ukraine may be crimes against humanity – UN inquiry finds
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Russia has committed wide-ranging war crimes in Ukraine such as wilful killings and torture, a UN-mandated investigative body said on Thursday, in some cases making children watch loved ones being raped and detaining others alongside dead bodies. The alleged crimes, including the deportation of children, were detailed in a report by the Independent […]
Ethiopia seeks to end UN-ordered probe into Tigray war abuses
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters Ethiopia is courting support for a motion to cut short a UN-mandated inquiry into atrocities in the Tigray war, five diplomats said, in a move that could divide African and Western nations. The Ethiopian Government’s two-year conflict with forces in the northern Tigray region ended last November with thousands dead and millions […]
UN Iran expert concerned about death sentences for protesters
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters A UN-appointed independent expert on Iran voiced concern on Tuesday that the repression of protesters was intensifying, with authorities launching a “campaign” of sentencing them to death. The United Nations says more than 300 people have been killed so far and 14,000 arrested in protests that began after the 16th September death in […]
Switzerland has ‘systemic’ racism issues, UN experts say
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Switzerland has a serious systemic problem with racism against people of African descent, according to a report presented to the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, giving a broad range of examples from police brutality to a children’s game. The UN-appointed working group noted positive measures taken by Switzerland but still voiced concerns […]
Essay: Eritrea continues to pull the wool over the eyes of the international community
ELLIS HEASLEY, of UK-based religious freedom advocacy CSW, says the world must continue standing up and speaking out until Eritrea and all of its people are free…
UN investigator says Facebook provided vast amount of Myanmar war crimes information
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters The head of a UN team of investigators on Myanmar said on Monday that Facebook has handed over millions of items that could support allegations of war crimes and genocide. The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar aims to build case files for proceedings in national, regional or international courts. It was established […]
UN rights body seeks reversal of Taliban policies making Afghan women “invisible”
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters The United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution on Friday condemning rights violations against women and girls in Afghanistan, urging the ruling Taliban to end restrictive practices described as making them “invisible” in society. The Taliban seized power for a second time in Afghanistan last August as international forces backing a pro-Western […]
War has killed 1.5 per cent of Syria’s population: UN estimate
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters The UN human rights office said on Tuesday that 306,887 civilians had been killed in Syria during the conflict since March, 2011, or about 1.5 per cent of its pre-war population, in what it said was the highest estimate yet. Syria’s conflict sprang out of peaceful protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule in […]
UN to set up inquiry into possible Russian war crimes in Ukraine
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters The UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution on Thursday to set up an investigation into possible war crimes by Russian troops in the Kyiv area and beyond, a move that Russia said amounted to political score-settling. Members passed by an overwhelming majority (33 for, two against) a resolution to order a Commission […]