These restrictive laws have forced many women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, travel abroad to have legal abortions or seek private unsafe procedures, based on information from the UN human rights office (OHCHR). The report from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) published on Monday, found that most abortions
Read MoreThe UN Committee on the Elimination of Racism (CERD) voiced concern over persistent hate crimes, hate speech and xenophobic incidents on various platforms, including by politicians and public figures. It was particularly concerned about recurring racist acts and violence by extremist far-right and white supremacist individuals and groups targeting ethnic and ethno-religious minorities, migrants, refugees
Read MoreOn Friday, Mr. Gershkovich was handed a 16-year prison sentence on spying charges in a Russian court. The reporter was arrested in Russia in 2023 and has been held there since, despite calls for his release. That same day, Ms. Kurmasheva received a six-and-a-half-year prison sentence for “spreading fake news about the Russian army.” She has been arbitrarily detained
Read MoreThe experts said they have received allegations that migrants are being deceived about “working and living conditions and the nature of their agreements with employers in the agricultural or care sectors.” “This is unlawful and highlights the need for urgent reform of the current system governing labour migration, to ensure effective protection of the rights
Read MoreThe Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence requires media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other nonprofits to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad. It was adopted on Tuesday. The adoption has sparked protests in the capital, Tbilisi, and has been
Read MoreThe 32-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter was arrested last March in Yekatarinburg on espionage charges and is being held at the infamous Lefortovo prison in Moscow. Mariana Katzarova, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, and Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression,
Read MoreThe experts had previously written to the authorities after receiving information about three cases regarding allegations of sexual abuse of several children by their fathers and violations against the mothers who sought to protect them. In addition, the experts found that, according to the allegations, the children were victims of sexual abuse or at high
Read MoreMembers of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva that they have documented attacks with explosive weapons on residential buildings, civilian infrastructure and medical institutions, as well as torture and sexual and gender-based violence. Rape allegations Commission Chair Erik Møse provided harrowing details on the findings to the
Read MoreSpeaking in Kyiv, Commission Chair Erik Møse pointed to continuing patterns of violations by Russian armed forces, including wilful killings, unlawful confinement, torture, rape, and illegal deportations, many of which qualify as war crimes. According to the Commission, the Ukrainian legal system faced “immense challenges” to provide accountability and justice to the victims and ensure
Read MoreThe law was adopted shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Special Rapporteurs said they had already raised serious concerns over the law with the Russian Government and through public statements. “The decision to deny constitutional protection of the right to freedom of expression constitutes a new low in Russia’s clampdown on the freedom of expression
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