human rights groups

A survivor of the massacre of political prisoners in Iran addressed the United Nations, denouncing the Iranian regime directly and accusing it of trying to silence him. UN Watch, the group behind the address, has amplified the moment, drawing wide attention. Viewers are sharing it as a rare instance of a victim confronting Iranian officials in an international forum, with debate focused on human rights abuses in Iran and the UN's treatment of Iranian dissidents.

The human rights group Monitor has accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilians in its military campaign in Gaza, according to a report carried by Shafaq News. The allegation adds to ongoing international scrutiny of civilian casualties in the territory and is likely to fuel debate over compliance with international humanitarian law.

Channel 4 News reports on people deported by the Trump administration to Liberia, a country many had no connection to. One deportee says they did not even know Liberia existed before being sent there. The deportations to African nations, rather than migrants' countries of origin, have drawn criticism from rights groups and raised questions about the legality and humanity of the policy.

Human Rights Watch reports that children are suffering acute distress as immigration arrests increase sharply. The organisation says enforcement operations are separating families and leaving minors in anguish, warning of lasting psychological harm. The report comes amid rising deportation drives and has prompted concern from rights groups and calls for authorities to reconsider tactics that target households with children.

Amnesty International is calling for the abolition of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after documenting what it describes as widespread human rights violations. The human rights organization's demand puts it directly at odds with the US immigration enforcement system and is likely to fuel ongoing political debate over detention and deportation practices in the United States.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's investment summit included investors from the United Arab Emirates, drawing criticism because the UAE has been accused of supplying weapons, logistics, training and foreign personnel to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group implicated in widespread atrocities. Human rights groups have repeatedly documented the RSF's abuses, prompting questions about why Canada is courting Emirati capital while the war in Sudan continues.

Trade unions and human rights organisations across the European Union are calling on national governments to cut ties with Palantir, the US data analytics firm, arguing it is 'not just another tech company'. The campaign targets public contracts involving the company's surveillance and data-processing services, citing concerns over privacy, civil liberties and the outsourcing of sensitive government work to a foreign military-linked contractor.

Civil society groups warn that the Houthi movement is forcing children to fight on Yemen's battlefields, a long-standing concern documented by human rights monitors during the country's decade-long war. Yemeni civil society organisations are renewing calls for accountability and international attention to child recruitment as fighting continues across the country.

Amnesty International says Türkiye is intensifying its crackdown on LGBTI organisations and activists, framing the repression as part of a broader deterioration of human rights in the country. Rights groups warn that bans on Pride events, detentions and pressure on civil society signal a widening assault on fundamental freedoms under the current government.

The head of the Human Rights Campaign has compared US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to lynch mobs, invoking the legacy of the civil rights movement in the criticism. The remarks add to ongoing controversy over ICE enforcement tactics, with civil rights groups voicing alarm while supporters of the agency's operations push back sharply.

Colombia has withdrawn from the Equal Rights Coalition, an intergovernmental group dedicated to protecting LGBTI rights worldwide. Human rights groups and activists warn the move could signal weakening government commitment to protecting sexual and gender minorities, and are voicing concern about the future of LGBTI protections in the country and its standing among rights-focused allies.

Human rights groups are raising alarm over the deteriorating health of a Kurdish political prisoner held in Evin Prison in Tehran. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network reports growing concern about his condition and is calling for urgent medical attention and accountability from Iranian authorities.

The Taliban's governance of Afghanistan continues to draw attention over the combination of harsh repression and worsening economic hardship. Restrictions on women's rights and basic freedoms are compounding widespread poverty, leaving much of the population dependent on humanitarian aid. Advocacy groups are highlighting the plight of ordinary Afghans and urging the international community to keep the crisis in focus.

Yemen's Human Rights Commission has condemned Saudi-led airstrikes, denouncing them as aggression and calling attention to civilian harm in the conflict. The statement adds to ongoing international debate over the Saudi-led coalition's air campaign in Yemen, with rights groups repeatedly urging accountability and protection of civilians as the war continues.

Human rights defenders report that fellow inmates in the Russian penal colony holding Iryna Danylovych, a detained Crimean citizen journalist, have begun mistreating her, with the activists saying she 'can't bear it any longer'. Danylovych was sentenced after her 2022 arrest in occupied Crimea, and her supporters have repeatedly raised concerns about her health and treatment in custody.

A human rights organization has publicly condemned the arrest of a former Chief Justice, denouncing the detention as an attack on judicial independence and the rule of law. The group is calling for the former judge's release and for due process to be respected. No further details about the charges or circumstances of the arrest are available.

A Lao activist has reportedly disappeared in Thailand, adding to a series of enforced disappearances affecting Lao dissidents living across the border. Human rights groups have long expressed concern for the safety of exiled Lao activists in Thailand, where several have vanished in recent years. Calls are growing for Thai authorities to investigate and account for the activist's whereabouts.

Advocacy groups are warning that Nauru's withdrawal from the International Criminal Court risks weakening human rights protections for its citizens. They argue that leaving the court removes a key safeguard against serious international crimes and sets a troubling precedent in the Pacific region, where accountability mechanisms are already limited.

Kurdish detainee Foad Qaderi has been transferred to Dizelabad Prison in Kermanshah, Iran, after reportedly spending time in a security detention facility where he was allegedly tortured. The Hana Human Rights Organization reported the transfer, raising concerns about his treatment and medical condition. Rights groups have repeatedly accused Iranian security bodies of abusing detainees, particularly Kurdish activists, and the case is drawing attention from human rights monitors.

At the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, under Agenda Item 4, the NGO CAP Freedom of Conscience denounced what it calls the misuse of anti-trafficking legislation against spiritual and religious communities. The group argues such laws are being turned into tools for persecuting minority faiths rather than protecting genuine victims of trafficking.