Human rights

EU expands Russia sanctions over cybercrime, surveillance and rights abuses

VKontakte and several Russian surveillance firms were added to the EU sanctions list over alleged ties to the FSB and the repression of government critics.

 A Russian flag is seen on the laptop screen in front of a computer screen on which cyber code is displayed, in this illustration picture taken March 2, 2018.
Kafr Sousa security complex after it was emptied following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria December 15, 2024.

Damascus yet to keep pledge to respect rights of detainees, UN inquiry team says

Abolfazl Jahedi

‘He never became a firefighter’: Abolfazl Jahedi, killed in Iran’s protest crackdown - interview

everal thousand people gather during a demonstration against 'the regime of the ayatollahs in Iran' on January 25, 2026 in Brussels, Belgium.

Iranians testify to ‘Post’ how regime murdered loved ones in January massacres


Two human rights groups recognize global significance of Israel’s Declaration of Independence 

Recognition comes amid rising attacks on Zionism since October 7 and ahead of Israel’s Independence Day 

Ambassador Oren Rozenblat receives the recognition from Dr. Luis Andrade.

UN Watch demands democracies explain election of human rights abusers to UN positions

In UN Watch's press release, the NGO cited the UN's Economic and Social Council's (ECOSOC) recent nomination of Iran to the UN’s Committee for Program and Coordination.

UN HIGH COMMISSIONER for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet makes a speech at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, in February.

MK Kariv, Zulat Institute, Rabbis for Human Rights ask High Court to strike down death penalty law

A new petition to the High Court challenges Israel's controversial death penalty law, focusing on its impact in the West Bank and seeking urgent action to prevent its immediate implementation.

MK Gilad Kariv pictured in the Knesset, January 26, 2026.

US strikes on Iran may constitute war crimes, international law experts announce

Trump, who has previously offered shifting timelines and objectives for the war, said in a televised speech on Wednesday that the war could escalate if Iran did not give in to Washington's terms.

A view of a residential building damaged by a strike in Tehran, Iran, March 23, 2026.

Iran executes man allegedly tied to attack on military site during mass protests

Amirhossein Hatami was among 11 men said to have been at imminent risk of execution, and who had been "subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in detention."

An image from a Women, Life, Freedom protest in Washington, DC in 2023.

Iran steps up executions as experts warn state killing being used to suppress political dissent

Two of those executed on Monday were killed without advance notice, denying them the chance to meet with their lawyers or say goodbye to their families, according to Amnesty International. 

Protesters display a banner calling for a halt to executions in Iran during a rally in Berlin, Germany, on January 10, 2026, in support of the Iran protests.

Yemeni gov’t killed six protesters, wounded dozens in February demonstrations crackdown - HRW

The leadership’s January decision to dissolve the STC was a choice seen to have been heavily influenced by Saudi Arabia.

The South Yemen flag flies as soldiers from the Southern Transitional Council stand guard outside the compound of the Presidential Palace in Aden, Yemen, December 9, 2025.

UN probe: Syrian minorities face kidnappings, rape, and arbitrary detention

A UN report reveals that Syria's new government has failed to stop human rights abuses, including abductions, sexual violence, and arbitrary detentions, despite efforts for accountability.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa attends the Ministry of Awqaf conference titled "Unity of Islamic Discourse" at the Conference Palace in Damascus, Syria, February 16, 2026.

High Court orders state to remove Sharvit from seized Jordan Valley lands pending further ruling

Interim injunction follows February conditional order in petition by 12 Palestinian farmers from Wadi al-Far’a, who say they have been blocked from reaching their lands since October 2023.

 Jewish settlers at the illegal West Bank settlement outpost of Ramat Migron, on September 8, 2023.

US calls to reassess Afghanistan aid over Taliban policies, growing humanitarian crisis

"In light of the Taliban's intransigence, we must carefully evaluate the utility of international assistance and engagement in Afghanistan," Waltz said.

A displaced Afghan family who fled following exchanges of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces at a border crossing arranges their belongings in a makeshift camp as they take refuge in Lal Pur district in eastern Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, March 4, 2026.