Media Coverage

A Houthi court sentenced 32 men, 9 of them to death, on January 23, 2024, in an unfair mass trial based on dubious charges of “sodomy,” Human Rights Watch said on March 27. The Houthis should end their use of the death penalty and other forms of cruel and degrading punishment and provide fair trials...

There are “reasonable grounds” to believe Israel is committing genocide in the besieged Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip, according to a report issued by a United Nations-appointed expert. In the report, issued late on March 25, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories...

A prominent journalist in Belarus was designated a political prisoner on March 26 by the country’s leading human rights group following his conviction on charges widely seen as part of an ongoing crackdown on dissent. Ihar Karnei, who used to write for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other news...

Thailand's parliament passed a same-sex marriage bill on March 27, paving the way for the kingdom to become the first Southeast Asian nation to recognise LGBTQ marriage equality. Across Asia only Taiwan and Nepal recognise same-sex marriage, with India's highest court deferring the decision to...

As El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele embarks on his second term in office, an international rights group has warned that his war on gangs has created a spiralling human rights crisis. As of February 2024, Bukele’s draconian two-year campaign, which has seen the authorities detain about 78,000...

Bereaved relatives emerged weeping from a hospital mortuary in Kenya on March 26 after recovering the remains of loved ones whose doomsday cult leader induced them to starve themselves, according to the authorities. The bodies of more than 400 followers of the Good News International Church have...

The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution on March 25 demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas and the release of all hostages after the United States abstained from the vote. The remaining 14 council members voted for the resolution, which was...

Italy on March 24 marked the 80th anniversary of one of the most horrific World War II massacres in German-occupied Italy with solemn commemorations and a performance of a symphony honoring the dead. There, on March 24, 1944, 335 people were shot to death as a reprisal for an attack by partisans...

Hong Kong’s new national security law came into force on March 23, putting into immediate effect tough penalties of up to life imprisonment for crimes including treason and insurrection. The law—commonly referred to as Article 23—targets five categories of national security crimes, and was swiftly...

Indian police detained dozens of opposition protesters on March 26 to stop them from marching to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence to demand the release of their leader and top elected official of New Delhi arrested last week in a bribery case. Nearly 300 supporters of Arvind Kejriwal...