Legal and Judicial Affairs

Prominent rights activist Sarah Bireete, detained on December 30 after questioning the accuracy of the voter register ahead of Uganda's January 15 general election, has been granted bail. Bireete, who leads the Centre for Constitutional Governance, faced charges for the alleged unlawful disclosure of voters' information. Magistrate Winnie Nankya Jatiko approved Bireete's release after she met the necessary bail conditions. Her detention sparked widespread condemnation from both local and international human rights…

Former Nigerian Minister Accused of High-Stakes Bribery Former Nigerian Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke is currently on trial in London, facing serious allegations of accepting bribes in the form of luxury goods, high-end properties, and the use of a private jet from individuals vying for lucrative oil and gas contracts. Alison-Madueke is confronting five bribery charges alongside one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, all of which she vehemently denies. During the proceedings at Southwark Crown Court,…

Rwanda Files Legal Action Against the UK Over Abandoned Asylum Deal The ongoing saga of the now-defunct migrant deal between Rwanda and the United Kingdom has escalated, as the Rwandan government has launched a legal case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The action stems from claims that the UK has failed to fulfill financial commitments under the controversial agreement, which was originally designed to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda. Under the terms of the deal signed by the former Conservative…

The Netherlands has sentenced an Eritrean national, Amanuel Walid, to 20 years in prison after finding him guilty of leading a transnational migrant-smuggling network that operated through Libya, Dutch prosecutors said Friday. Walid was convicted on a string of charges that included human smuggling, extortion, violence and money laundering. Prosecutors said members of the network detained migrants in Libya, subjected many to severe abuse in detention camps, and forced relatives in the Netherlands to pay ransoms — a pattern…

Nigerian Military Officers to Stand Trial for Alleged Coup Plot A group of Nigerian military officers is set to face a military court following accusations of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu's government in 2025. Sixteen officers were arrested in October 2025, sparking what has been described as "acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations." Authorities later confirmed that several of these officers would indeed be tried, despite initial denials of a coup attempt. Among those arrested, fourteen…

Prophetic Healing and Deliverance leader Walter Magaya appeared before the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to face four counts of rape, and the matter was remanded to Feb. 16, 2026, for a trial scheduled to run through Feb. 19, 2026. The State alleges that in June 2020 Magaya offered a 24-year-old woman a voluntary position at the PHD call centre and later invited her to what she believed was a Bible study session. According to the prosecution, the woman was lured to a church-owned hotel and raped in July 2020. The…

Nelson Chamisa, the former leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change, has announced his return to frontline politics in Zimbabwe, issuing a sweeping indictment of the country’s governance and calling for a “fresh start” to address what he described as a worsening political, economic and social crisis. In a lengthy statement released Friday, Chamisa accused the current administration of presiding over a legitimacy crisis marked by disputed elections, rigged polls, corruption, state capture and political intolerance. He…

Former President Lazarus Chakwera accused his successor, Peter Mutharika, on Thursday of overseeing a campaign of intimidation and “unlawful arrests, and the abuse of due process” aimed at silencing opposition figures, calling the pattern a “dangerous collapse” of the rule of law. In a formal statement, Chakwera said he has notified President Mutharika of what he described as politically motivated actions against leaders of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP). “This includes individuals whose only crime is exercising their…

DHS Targets Liberian Immigrants with "Worst of the Worst" Label In a significant escalation of immigration enforcement, more than 40 Liberians residing in the United States have been designated as part of a "worst of the worst" list by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This initiative, instigated by President Donald Trump's administration, comes amidst a broader crackdown on illegal immigration and follows the recent suspension of immigrant visa processing for nationals from 74 countries, including Liberia. The…

Concerns Rise as DHS Labels Liberians as "Worst of the Worst" In a controversial move reflecting the intensifying crackdown on illegal immigration by the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has placed over 40 Liberians living in the United States on a "worst of the worst" criminal list. This development comes in the wake of a suspension on immigrant visa processing for nationals from 74 countries, including Liberia. The offenses leading to this designation encompass a range of serious crimes,…