Category: Human Rights

UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews on Thursday urged all countries to follow the path taken by the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.  Ramp up sanctions  “It is imperative that the international community ramp up the size and scope of sanctions as the junta ramps up its repression of the people of Myanmar”, he said.  Myanmar’s military leaders, known… Read More

On Sunday, Roman Protasevich was flying on a Ryanair jet from Greece to Lithuania, where he has been reportedly living in exile since fleeing Belarus in 2019. In the wake of the large-scale popular protests that erupted last August following the disputed presidential election, he was reportedly charged with inciting public disorder and social hatred by the government of President… Read More

Eight Palestinian refugee families residing in Sheikh Jarrah are facing forced eviction due to a legal challenge by the Nahalat Shimon settler organization, with the risk “imminent” for four of the families, according to the office. OHCHR spokesperson Rupert Colville said that the evictions, if ordered and implemented, would violate Israel’s obligations under international law. “Given the disturbing scenes in… Read More

The operation started in the early hours of Thursday when police officers on the ground and in helicopters overhead opened fire across the Jacarezinho neighbourhood – in a operation allegedly aimed at suspected drug traffickers.  In addition to the deaths, an unknown number of people, including bystanders and those inside their homes, were also wounded. ‘Deadliest operation’ in over a decade OHCHR… Read More

The Human Rights Due Diligence Tool, provides a wide-ranging checklist co-developed by the UN Global Compact, the UN Human Rights Office, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), for all businesses involved in the maritime industry. The agencies are warning about a possible surge in the number of crewmembers stranded at sea due to new COVID-19… Read More

“Governments and others in positions of power” including members of parliament and vigilante groups were at the root of the problem in a dozen countries, the High Commissioner for Human Rights said, in a statement. Close ties Alarmed by attempts to undermine national human rights institutions in Latin America & the Caribbean, @mbachelet calls on the authorities to investigate each… Read More

Special Rapporteur Clément Voule said the laws adopted in Florida and Oklahoma appear to be part of an ongoing effort to curtail demonstrations, such as those which took place following the killing of George Floyd last May.  ‘Snowball effect’  He feared they are part of a wave of legislation to restrict racial justice protests in the US, where more than… Read More

Spokesperson Marta Hurtado said that the OHCHR office in Colombia is working to verify the exact number of casualties, and establish how the incident came about in Cali. “We express our profound shock at the events there and stress our solidarity with those who have lost their lives, as well as the injured and their families”, she said. Mr. Hurtado… Read More

In a message on World Press Freedom Day, marked annually on 3 May, Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the importance of reliable, verified and accessible information. . ???? The pen ?? is mightier ?? than the ?? sword ? ??? 3 May is #WorldPressFreedomDay. Stand up for #PressFreedom! — UNESCO ?️ #Education #Sciences #Culture ??? (@UNESCO) May 2, 2021 “During the… Read More

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, said that he understood the “disappointment of the many Palestinians” who had gone nearly 16 years without being able to cast their vote.   Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced the postponement of the planned parliamentary elections, amidst a dispute over voting rights in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, according to news reports.  #UN Envoy @TWennesland takes note of postponement… Read More