(ANALYSIS) This past Jan. 27 marked the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. The day designated for this remembrance day is no coincidence. On Jan. 27, 1945, Soviet troops liberated the biggest Nazi concentration and death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, in then-occupied Poland.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On Jan. 26, the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, ordered provisional measures in the case of the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).
Read More(ANALYSIS) The #WithoutJustCause campaign, highlighting the fates of a broad range of political prisoners including faith leaders, civic activists, businesspeople and former government officials, aims to shine the light on their stories, raise awareness and increase pressure to secure their release.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Recent months (and years) have seen a crackdown by the Nicaraguan government against religious leaders and institutions. Among others, President Daniel Ortega “ordered the arrest of, forced into exile, and verbally attacked priests and bishops, labeled them ‘criminals’ and ‘coup-plotters,’ and accused them of inciting violence.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) On Dec. 9, the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the Genocide Convention) marked its 75th anniversary. The Genocide Convention can be praised for being the first international treaty to define genocide, providing a historic commitment to prevent genocide and punish the perpetrators.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In November 2023, British media reported on the use of sexual violence in the recent wave of violence in Manipur, India. This follows a conflict that erupted in May 2023, described by the U.N. as a “community conflict between the predominantly Hindu Meitei and the predominantly Christian Kuki ethnic communities.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) In October 2023, the Clooney Foundation for Justice, a nongovernmental organization founded by Amal and George Clooney, filed three cases with the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office, requesting an investigation into crimes committed in Ukraine.
Read More(OPINION) The most urgent action needed is the return of the hostages and the provision of assistance to all those affected. It is also crucial to protect civilians from further harm. Furthermore, justice and accountability are key. This raises the question in relation to the involvement of the International Criminal Court.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Last month, United Nations experts published a statement of concern about the situation in the northeast state of Manipur in India. As they indicated, they are concerned about the alleged acts of sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, home destruction, forced displacement, torture and ill treatment perpetrated in Manipur.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On Aug. 15, 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and took control of the country. Subsequent months have seen severe restrictions on the rights of women and girls, religious minorities and much more.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Starting this month, the British government has formally recognized the Islamic State group atrocities against the Yazidis as genocide. The announcement comes nine years after the atrocities and follows a determination of the atrocities as genocide by a German court.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On July 11, the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise — the human rights watchdog reviewing complaints about possible human rights abuses by Canadian companies working outside Canada in the garment, mining, and oil and gas sectors — announced the launch of two separate investigations into allegations of Uyghur forced labor in the supply chains and operations of two Canadian companies.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A new report suggests that the Tatmadaw continues to target religious and ethnic communities. This comes years after the Tatmadaw specifically targeted the Rohingya for annihilation.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On April 14, United Nations experts warned that the repressive enforcement of Iranian hijab laws, as announced by the state authorities, would result in additional restrictive and punitive measures on women and girls who fail to comply with the country’s compulsory veiling laws.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Marking the two years of the Tatmadaw in power, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom reported that, to date, the military coup has led to the death of around 3,000 civilians as well as the destruction of villages and houses of worship in various parts of the country.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Taha A.-J. “purchased” and enslaved a five-year-old Yazidi girl named Reda and her mother. Taha’s wife was implicated as well. Taha and his wife held Reda and her mother as captives at their residence in Fallujah and forced them to practice Islam, work as slaves and deprived them of sufficient food.
Read More(OPINION) Violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief, including in their most egregious manifestations, whether crimes against humanity, war crimes or even genocide, are not issues left behind in 2022, or in the past. The early days of 2023 already show that such violations will continue.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On Nov. 24, 2022, the U.N. Human Rights Council held a special session to address the deteriorating human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Read More(OPINION) In January 2022, Hong Kong authorities arrested 53 pro-democracy politicians and activists, on suspicion of “subversion,” namely, of undermining the power or authority of the central government. In August 2022, media reported that the prosecution had named five of the defendants as “major organizers,” facing up to life in prison, and 47 facing being prosecuted for “conspiracy to commit subversion.”
Read More(OPINION) Ten months of Putin’s war in Ukraine have seen a litany of atrocities including summary executions, unlawful confinement, torture, ill-treatment, rape and other sexual violence, forced displacement of people, removal of children and illegal adoptions, among others. Over recent months, yet another aspect of the atrocities came into the spotlight, the issue of the so-called filtration camps.
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