rights

Unrest across Iran has killed more than 500 people, a rights group said Sunday, as Tehran warned it would target U.S. military bases and Israel if President Donald Trump follows through on threats to intervene on behalf of protesters. U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel and recorded more than 10,600 arrests in two weeks of demonstrations that began Dec. 28 over soaring prices before swelling into the largest challenge to Iran’s…

Iran unrest death toll tops 500 as Tehran warns U.S. bases would be targets if Trump intervenes More than 500 people have been killed in two weeks of nationwide protests in Iran, a U.S.-based rights group said, as a senior Iranian official warned that any American intervention would put U.S. military bases and Israel in the crosshairs. HRANA, which compiles reports from activists inside and outside Iran, said it has verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 arrests since…

Iranian security forces have killed at least 45 protesters, including eight minors, during a sweeping crackdown on demonstrations over economic hardship, the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR) said, as a nationwide internet blackout was reported by monitoring group NetBlocks amid new subsidy reforms. IHR said the latest day of unrest was the deadliest of the 12-day movement, with 13 protesters confirmed killed. The organization’s director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, said in a statement that hundreds more have been…

Deadly clashes flared across Iran as cost-of-living protests entered a second week, with rights groups and local media reporting fresh confrontations, multiple deaths and hundreds of arrests amid a heavy security deployment in major cities. At least 12 people, including members of the security forces, have been killed since the unrest began with a shopkeepers’ strike in Tehran on Dec. 28, according to an official toll compiled from state and semi-official reports. Demonstrations have been reported in 23 of Iran’s 31…

Monday December 15, 2025 Federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, including Homeland Security Investigations officers, stand outside a restaurant during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. CREDIT: Councilmember Jason Chavez As ICE raids intensify in Minnesota, Somali families in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside, along Lake Street and in Rochester are quietly drawing up “know your rights” plans—teaching children not to open doors to strangers, memorizing key phone numbers and gathering…

Thursday December 11, 2025 MOGADISHU (AX) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has signed into law the establishment of the Independent National Human Rights Commission, capping a legislative process completed by both houses of the Federal Parliament and the Council of Ministers. The presidential assent came Tuesday and coincided with the country’s observance of International Human Rights Day. Mohamud said the commission’s creation reflects Somalia’s commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of its citizens. He…

NUSOJ caps 16 Days of Activism with human rights colloquium, deepening gender justice push in Somalia’s media The National Union of Somali Journalists has closed an intensive 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence with a human rights colloquium in Mogadishu, framing a clear agenda: empower women journalists, reshape newsroom culture, and elevate ethical coverage of gender-based violence across Somalia. Backed by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, the union’s November 25–December 10 effort combined…

Somalia establishes Independent National Human Rights Commission as president signs law MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday signed into law the establishment of Somalia’s Independent National Human Rights Commission, finalizing a measure approved by both houses of the Federal Parliament and hailed by officials as a milestone for rights protection and institutional reform. The presidency framed the move as a clear signal of Somalia’s intent to safeguard the rights and dignity of its citizens.…

UN human rights chief Volker Turk says his office is in “survival mode” after major donor funding cuts forced deep reductions in staff and operations just as rights violations are mounting in conflict zones. “Our resources have been slashed, along with funding for human rights organisations - including at the grassroots level - around the world. “We are in survival mode,” Mr Turk told reporters. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is about €77 million short of what it needed this year,…

The Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission warned this week that technology‑facilitated gender‑based violence (TFGBV) is moving from the margins into the mainstream, forcing many women and girls to silence themselves online and offline. The statement, released to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, said that journalists, activists, politicians and young women in Zimbabwe are among the most affected and urged stronger enforcement of existing laws. "Women and girls are increasingly…