Human Rights Watch Urges Vietnam to Drop Charges Against Anti-Corruption Campaigner On June 6th, 2023, a court in Vietnam is set to hear the case against Dang Dang Phuoc, an anti-corruption campaigner who was arrested and charged under article 117 of the penal code. Human Rights Watch has called for […]
Tiananmen anniversary arrests in Hong Kong: A worsening crackdown on dissent
Hong Kong Arrests Individuals Ahead of Tiananmen Anniversary Background On June 4, 1989, in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, Chinese troops opened fire on peaceful protestors demanding political reforms, economic developments, an end to corruption, and an apology for the 1976 Tiananmen Square incident that resulted in the death of participants in […]
Renewing Commitment to Universal Housing in Kenya: Reflections on the Habitat Assembly
Amnesty International Calls for Renewed Commitment to Universal Housing Amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, conflicts, economic uncertainty, and climate change, the United Nations Habitat Assembly is set to take place in Nairobi, Kenya from June 5-9, 2023. The assembly focuses on issues of sustainable urban development, with housing taking center […]
Egypt’s Arbitrary Travel Ban on Researcher Ahmed Samir Santawy Must Be Revoked
Egypt imposes arbitrary travel ban on researcher Ahmed Samir Santawy The Egyptian authorities have imposed a travel ban on Ahmed Samir Santawy, a former prisoner of conscience and researcher who is currently pursuing a master’s degree at a university in Vienna. Santawy was prevented from leaving Cairo International Airport this […]
The Devastating Consequences of UN’s Food Ration Cuts on Rohingyas in Bangladesh Camps
UN Cuts Food Rations for Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh Camps Overview of the Situation The United Nations World Food Programme has reduced food rations for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh from $12 per month to just $8 a month. This move, which is adding to the already harsh conditions in which […]
Angola’s Government Must Address the Root Causes of Street Traders’ Grievances
Angolan Police Violently Disperse Street Traders’ Protest, Sparking Outcry On June 2, 2023, reports of excessive and unnecessary force used by Angolan police to disband a peaceful protest by women street traders, known locally as “zungueiras,” in the capital, Luanda, sparked international outcry. The vendors were protesting the city’s decision […]
The Urgent Need for a Global Plastics Treaty to Limit Production and End Pollution
Greenpeace: Global Plastics Treaty Must Reduce Plastic Production to Succeed The second Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting of the Global Plastics Treaty (INC2) took place in Paris, France, from May 29 to June 2, 2023. Greenpeace USA’s Global Plastics Campaign Lead, Graham Forbes, said that oil producing countries and the fossil […]
Police Brutality and Social Media Blackout: A Call for Urgent Action in Senegal
Amnesty International Condemns Senegal’s Restrictions on Free Speech and Arrests Following Violent Protests Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Samira Daoud, has condemned Senegal’s restrictions on social media and the disruption of the signal of the private television channel, Walf TV, following violent demonstrations that broke out […]
The Latest Attack on Trans Rights: Russia’s Proposed Ban on Trans Health Care
Russian Proposal to Ban Gender-Affirming Health Services for Transgender People A new proposal by elected officials in Russia seeks to prohibit transgender individuals from accessing gender-affirming health care services, including voluntary surgeries. The draft law would also allow doctors to carry out medically unnecessary operations on intersex children without their […]
Rwanda Continues the Pursuit of Justice: Genocide Mastermind Arrested
Alleged Genocide Mastermind Arrested in Rwanda: Pursuit of Justice Continues On May 24th, 2023, Fulgence Kayishema, a suspect in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, was arrested in South Africa after evading justice for over two decades. He is accused of being involved in the massacre of more than 2,000 men, women, […]