rights

Human Rights Watch says Israel’s expulsions from West Bank refugee camps amount to war crimes Human Rights Watch released a 105-page report alleging that about 32,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from the Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps during Israeli "Operation Iron Wall" in January and February. The rights group says the expulsions, destruction of homes and denial of return meet the thresholds for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The report, titled "All My Dreams Have Been Erased," documents…

Somalia’s Upper House approves national human rights commissioners Somalia’s Upper House has approved the appointment of nine commissioners to the National Independent Human Rights Commission, a key step in formalizing the country’s human rights oversight architecture. The commissioners were sworn in immediately after the vote, completing the parliamentary endorsement process. Twenty-eight senators voted in favor during Wednesday’s session; one abstained. The House of the People approved the creation of the Commission on…

Tunisia’s treatment of migrants and the EU’s quiet deal: a test of values For three years, human rights researchers listened to stories that should have set off alarms across Mediterranean capitals: men and women beaten and detained without charge, people stripped of their documents and pushed toward unsafe borders, and Black migrants singled out for abuse. The accounts, collected from 120 refugees and migrants from nearly 20 countries, form the backbone of a new Amnesty International report that accuses Tunisia of…

Somali Opposition Condemns Arrests of Journalist and Activists Amid Sinai Market Dispute What happened A prominent Somali opposition coalition on Tuesday condemned a string of arrests tied to a long-running land dispute in Mogadishu, saying authorities had unlawfully detained a television journalist and members of a committee advocating for families displaced from the city’s Sinai Market area. The Somali Salvation Forum, a coalition of opposition groups, said in a statement that the arrests amounted to a “clear violation”…

Somalia’s Parliament Approves Long-Awaited Human Rights Commission, Signaling a New Chapter for Accountability Mogadishu — Somalia’s Federal Parliament on Saturday approved the country’s first independent Human Rights Commission, a long-promised institution meant to investigate abuses, advise government, and help align the nation’s laws with international standards after decades of conflict and fragile governance. The vote, taken in a packed session chaired by the Speaker, passed overwhelmingly: 142 lawmakers voted in…

EU–AU human rights talks expose a shared crisis of civic space — and an urgent test of the partnership When civil society leaders stood before officials from the African Union and the European Union in Brussels on 7 October, their message was stark and unvarnished: the basic infrastructure of civic life — independent media, watchdog organisations, protest — is under pressure on both continents. For a gathering meant to stitch together cooperation across two sprawling political orders, the warning was less an appeal than a…

Somalia’s fragile human-rights transition meets a test on press freedom GENEVA — In a packed room at the United Nations Human Rights Council, Somali and British officials yesterday set out an upbeat case that Somalia is inching toward stronger national institutions. But the event’s most urgent testimony came from civil society: a warning that progress on paper is being undermined by a resurgent and more sophisticated campaign to silence journalists. The UK and Somalia jointly hosted the side event during the council’s 60th…

Zimbabwe’s Human Rights Report: A Pattern of Violence, State Complicity and Vulnerable Lives When the Zimbabwe Peace Project released a terse but damning account this week documenting more than 3,000 victims of rights abuses in a single month, it read like a catalogue of a nation trapped between political control and social distress. The group documented at least 121 distinct incidents in August, finding that women and people with disabilities were disproportionately affected. Nearly half of the violations, the report says,…

Confrontation and Compassion: A Tale of Protest and Unity in Johannesburg In a towering city where hope and division often coexist, South Africa's ongoing struggle with immigration has taken on a new chapter. Last week in Johannesburg, the anti-immigration group Operation Dudula marched through the streets, demanding action against undocumented immigrants while clashing with human rights defenders. The protest, marked by heightened emotions and palpable tensions, not only highlights the deep-seated anxieties many South…

Zimbabwe's Human Rights Struggles: A Deepening Crisis As Zimbabwe approaches a pivotal moment in its political landscape, a recent report by the U.S. Department of State has cast a stark light on the country’s ongoing struggles with human rights. The grim findings reveal a pattern of severe violations that has yet to see meaningful accountability from President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration, raising urgent questions about the future of democracy in this Southern African nation. Violations Beyond the Headlines The…