International human rights NGO with UK headquarters and millions of supporters
The United States has announced sweeping financial sanctions that will ban most transactions with the International Criminal Court, impose a six-month wind-down period and allow limited exemptions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described the ICC as a "rogue court"; the ICC and several Western allies have condemned the move as an attack on the rule of law.
Refugee-hosting states have tightened controls and pushed a limited repatriation plan while Rohingya camps in Bangladesh are reporting worsening conditions. Malaysia has begun screening Myanmar nationals for a 5,000-person return scheme and has detained and processed groups of Rohingya; rights groups warn returns could put people at risk. Cox's Bazar refugees are protesting and aid cuts are worsening hunger.
Joshua Wong has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces in Hong Kong's High Court and faces additional years behind bars while already serving a four-year, eight-month sentence for a separate national security conviction. Rights groups and supporters say the new charge is designed to extend his detention and chill dissent across the city.
Seven people have been charged with malicious damage for a March 8, 2025 protest at Donald Trump’s Turnberry resort and prosecutors have alleged the offences were "aggravated by reason of having a terrorist connection." The first hearing has been adjourned to October; critics warn terrorist-linked sentencing will greatly lengthen prison terms for protest offences.
Nigeria’s security forces are mounting an intelligence-led rescue operation after mass abductions in Niger state’s Borgu region. Presidents Tinubu has ordered a major response; officials say dozens were killed and hundreds abducted as worshippers were seized during Friday prayers. Update notes ongoing efforts to locate abductees and neutralise threats.
A migrant boat carrying 15 people sank off Zarzis, Tunisia, killing and injuring several. One survivor has been rescued, with bodies recovered over two days as protests erupt in Ben Guerdane. The incident follows years of cracked migration policies and EU-Tunisia cooperation.
Worshippers abducted in Dekera village have sparked a national security operation. President Tinubu has ordered a coordinated rescue and security services are pursuing the attackers as relatives appeal for the return of the hostages.
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Osman Kavala’s continued detention after his 2022 life sentence violates his rights, citing structural flaws in Turkey’s judiciary. The court calls for Kavala’s immediate release and notes a pattern of political influence on justice in Turkey.
The Gao Brothers’ artist Gao Zhen has been sentenced to three years in a Hebei prison for works that authorities deem insulting to revolutionary figures. He has been detained since August 2024 and plans to appeal. Amnesty International and UN groups condemn the ruling as a crackdown on artistic expression.
Montreal's City Council has passed a watered-down motion expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people and civilian victims, while removing calls to sever ties with Israel and denounce apartheid. The amended motion backs international law and calls on federal and provincial governments to lead diplomacy, amid ongoing debates and protests.
Security forces are conducting a coordinated rescue operation after mass abductions in Niger State. Reports indicate hundreds of victims and rising kidnap-for-ransom incidents; authorities vow to pursue those responsible.
Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan remains in prison on corruption charges. His sons Suleiman and Kasim Khan have voiced concerns about his treatment and security in prison during media interviews broadcast during a Pakistan-England Test, while officials weigh potential tensions over the tour.
Imran Khan remains in solitary confinement as health concerns escalate; his UK-based sons say authorities have denied visas and that a court-ordered medical evaluation was bypassed. Khan has been in prison since 2023, with international observers calling for humane treatment while the government maintains health improvements.
A set of recent reports shows farmers adapting to increasingly unpredictable weather through drought-tolerant crops, smarter irrigation, and climate-smart farming. From Wales and Scotland to Africa and East Africa, communities are expanding local cultivation, improving soil health, and building resilience against droughts, floods, and rising temperatures.
The World Food Programme has reduced aid in the West Bank from 400,000 to 200,000 and cut cash support to Gaza by 40%, warning that further cuts will be unavoidable without new funding. Other UN and aid groups report similar funding constraints as Western donors tighten budgets.
Rights groups report a sustained crackdown on civil society in Tunisia, with arrests, financially targeting NGOs, and suspensions widening under President Saied. The move is described as a strategic clampdown on dissent amid protests and deteriorating living conditions.
The UAE has granted a presidential pardon to Abdul Rahman Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who faced a 10-year prison sentence and a 200,000 dirham fine in Abu Dhabi. The pardon follows extensive international scrutiny and his extradition from Lebanon in 2024-2025.
Leeds Crown Court has convicted two men, Baqa Haider and Nathan Rivers, for their roles in an "industrial scale" scheme that processed criminal cash into gold and exported it with fake invoices. Haider has been jailed for six years; Rivers has received a 27‑month suspended sentence and a curfew. Police are still seeking three men sentenced in absence.
Authorities across Syria have detained multiple former generals and officers linked to abuses under Bashar al-Assad. The arrests, spanning Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia, come as the regime seeks accountability for past crimes while maintaining control amid a fractured state.
Israeli hard-liner Itamar Ben-Gvir has urged publicly recognizing Argentina’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, triggering UK pushback and a flurry of diplomatic reactions. Britain rebuffs the claim and reaffirms Falkland islanders’ self-determination, while lawmakers scrutinize sanctions and trade implications tied to the dispute.
Police remarks captured on a Carcassonne body cam show racist and homophobic language linked to National Rally associates. The clip has sparked condemnation from officials and intensified scrutiny ahead of France’s presidential race. Investigations are underway as parties distance themselves.
Amnesty International has found that migrants from Brazil, Colombia, Sri Lanka and South Africa were lured by fake civilian jobs to Russia and then conscripted into the Russian army. The group says coercion, passport seizure and false promises amount to trafficking in many cases. Ukraine and Russia have long recruited foreigners for their wars, with thousands serving on both sides.
Three veteran Hong Kong activists — Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung and Albert Ho — have been sentenced to between five and seven years after convictions for inciting subversion under Beijings 2020 national security law. The sentences follow convictions in August and will include time already served, rights groups and foreign governments have condemned the verdicts.
Several outlets report that Kamran Hekmati has been released from Tehran’s Evin Prison after about half of a two-year sentence. Families say his health is at risk due to bladder cancer, and international actors are urging steps to secure his return to the United States amid ongoing detentions and legal battles.
The Venice Special Jury Prize for NAZA has triggered a political firestorm in Israel. Culture Minister Miki Zohar calls to strip the filmmakers’ citizenship, while Prime Minister Netanyahu and other officials condemn the film as treasonous. The documentary cites 24 anonymous Israeli insiders and alleges AI-assisted targeting and anticipated civilian casualties in Gaza; the filmmakers say the film seeks accountability.
A consortium-led investigation shows the US has struck third-country deportation deals with states and UN agencies to move undocumented migrants out of the US. By early 2026, thousands have been deported to countries like Cameroon, Eswatini, and Ghana, with hundreds of millions allocated to signatories and to UN agencies. Critics warn of coercion and opaque negotiations.
The inspector general has found that the Alligator Alcatraz detention facility violated multiple detention standards, including space, hygiene and recreation. Detainees were held in cramped 18-square-foot cages and faced poor food, water and medical care. The facility, opened last year and closed this summer, is under ongoing legal scrutiny.
Amnesty International has urged Algeria to abandon plans to expand the death penalty after deadly wildfires and President Tebboune's push to amend the Penal Code to include arson and other crimes. While authorities report 12 deaths, rights groups say casualties are higher and accuse the government of politicising the crisis. The government is examining draft amendments; Amnesty calls for a moratorium toward abolition.
Amnesty International has identified crimes against humanity in Iran’s 2022 and 2026 crackdowns on protests, naming 87 officials in a calls for international justice. The report documents killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, and sexual violence, and highlights ongoing impunity. Protests erupted after Mahsa Amini’s death and have continued, with rights groups urging action.
Eritrea has welcomed the lifting of U.S. sanctions, saying the move removes a political impediment to investment and broader cooperation. Officials cite a shift in U.S. policy and ongoing regional security concerns as drivers for renewed engagement, including talks on trade, Egypt relations, and Red Sea security.
Pakistan’s medical regulator has ordered Afghan students in Pakistani medical and dental colleges to return home, barring new admissions for the current year. Courts are hearing petitions from students and rights groups. The move follows deteriorating Pakistan–Afghanistan relations since the Taliban seized Kabul in 2021, with Amnesty International calling the policy discriminatory.
Turkish authorities have carried out coordinated raids across at least five provinces in a campaign called "My Family is Safe," detaining more than 100 people, searching LGBTQ+ and HIV‑advocacy offices, raiding bars and homes, and blocking social media accounts; ministers say the operation protects children and family values.
The Iranian government has mobilised civilians to receive limited military training alongside the IRGC and Basij as part of the Janfada campaign. State media report hundreds of thousands have registered in Tehran, with authorities claiming up to 1 million participants. Demonstrations and displays of weaponry signal broad state messaging of national unity amid economic strain and ongoing conflict.
The United States has continued third‑country deportations, sending dozens of asylum seekers to Equatorial Guinea under opaque deals. Rights groups accuse authorities of retaliation and abuse, while lawyers say the transfers are part of a broader immigration crackdown.
A deadly incident in Minna has intensified as a government probe explores overcrowding and ventilation as possible causes after 37 detainees died in a NSCDC cell. A panel is to determine responsibility and misconduct, while officials suspend NSCDC officers and impose a curfew amid protests.
Irish public opinion has grown increasingly opposed to Ireland’s Nations League games against Israel amid ongoing protests and political pressure. The government and football authorities have faced calls to boycott, with players weighing a collective stance as matches move to neutral venues.
Pakistan has sealed Islamabad with thousands of security personnel, more than 1,000 shipping containers and roadblocks as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) presses for a nationwide march demanding the release of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan. Authorities have detained Khan’s three sisters and dozens of PTI leaders; the party has delayed but kept pressure on the government.
Amnesty International has documented alleged abuses by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels at artisanal mines in North and South Kivu, including torture, killings, and forced labor. The report covers January 2025 to March 2026 and cites 26 interviewees across Rubaya and Lomera mines, with claims of smuggling minerals to Rwanda amid ongoing conflict.
Conservative plans propose cutting universal credit for claimants who have not paid enough into the system, with six months of full benefits followed by a 70% subsistence rate loaded onto a back-to-work card restricting purchases. Proponents argue it will push people into work, while critics warn it deepens poverty and hits families hard. The policy is slated for more detail at the party conference.
Judges in The Hague have convicted Mahamat Said Abdel Kani for running a detention facility in Bangui where Bozizé supporters were tortured during the 2013 conflict. The verdict finds torture and persecution proven; some charges are dismissed as the conflict was deemed over at the time. Sentencing will be set later.
The Guardian-produced NAZA has sparked a fierce backlash in Israel after its Venice premiere and North American rollout. The film features 24 anonymous Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers describing AI-assisted targeting and civilian casualties in Gaza. Israel denies the allegations and promises to defend its soldiers, while the filmmakers face calls to revoke their citizenship.
Protesters outside the Labour conference in Liverpool have been arrested under the Terrorism Act for displaying signs in support of Palestine Action, a group proscribed by the government. Police say rights to protest are respected while planning and enforcement aim to keep the public safe. The 2026 demonstrations have drawn pensioners, professionals and celebrities to demand de-proscription and protest rights.
Protests by high school students have expanded from Paris to cities across France, with blockades and clashes with police. Schools report damage, dozens detained, and calls for more resources as unions push for budget changes ahead of elections.
Amnesty International reports 34 civilian deaths in seven sites across Mali between June 2023 and December 2025, in operations by the Malian army and Wagner and Africa Corps. Victims were not taking part in hostilities; many were pastoralists. Drone strikes and torture are also documented. Mali denies wrongdoing and calls for accountability.
Amnesty International has called for halting flogging after a 2024 livestreamed Qom concert led to 74 lashes per performer and looming punishments for the eight others, including the singer Parastoo Ahmadi. The Guardian and BBC report on the court’s ruling, with rights groups warning this reflects broader suppression of women’s rights in Iran.
Iran has executed two men for the deaths of four security officers during January protests, with authorities citing charges of armed group membership and national-security undermining. Rights groups report higher death tolls and warn of a broader push to intimidate dissidents amid ongoing security measures following February regional tensions.
Amnesty International has published a detailed report alleging that Moroccan authorities use Pegasus spyware and a broad surveillance network to monitor journalists and activists. The findings cite a whistleblower from the DGST, leaked documents, and collaborations with multiple international vendors. Morocco denies the accusations.
Algeria has moved to broaden the allowed uses of the death penalty to include arson that fuels wildfires and child kidnapping linked to torture or mutilation. The bill, already passed by parliament, would keep the moratorium on executions in place until worldlier review, with the senate to ratify before Tebboune signs off. Amnesty International condemns the move as retrograde while rights groups warn of deterred prevention efforts.
Opposition and protest movements have intensified calls for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign amid allegations that the Special Intensive Revision has unfairly purged voters from rolls. Demonstrations have spread from Mumbai to Delhi and other cities as scientists, students and youth groups demand accountability and transparency in the revamp.
A wooden boat carrying passengers and motorcycles has capsized at the Buruku crossing on the River Benue. Authorities say 11 to 15 people have died with more still missing; rescue operations are ongoing as survivors are being identified and assessed for safety.