(2025-01-22). Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages welcomed: Justice is the only way for a lasting peace. fidh.org The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, which it has been urging for the past 15 months. The ceasefire is a first step. On its own it cannot provide justice for the victims. It cannot produce a lasting peace. The ceasefire is a temporary strategic solution. What needs to come now is a real political and human rights based solution for the end of the Gaza blockade, the end of Israel's settler-colonial (…) | – |
(2025-01-22). Uganda: Arbitrary detention, judicial harassment and torture of human rights lawyer Eron Kiiza. fidh.org
(2025-01-22). Death of Miners in South Africa a Government Failure. hrw.org Click to expand Image | Police maintain a cordon around shaft 11 during rescue operations for trapped miners at the abandoned Buffelsfontein gold mine in Stilfontein, South Africa, January 14, 2025. | © 2025 Leon Sadiki/Bloomberg via Getty Images…
(2025-01-22). Rights activist charged for pro-Palestine campaign in Jersey. presstv.ir A pro-Palestine campaigner and human rights activist has been arrested and charged in the self-governing British island country of Jersey for defending Palestinians.
(2025-01-22). Ten killed in Israel's Jenin raid as Gaza ceasefire holds. newarab.com 
Israeli forces launched a major assault on the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin, bombing and storming the area in a At least The UN Human Rights Office has also reported s…
(2025-01-22). UN experts urge Thailand not to deport 48 Uyghurs to China. newarab.com 
United Nations human rights experts have urged Thailand not to send 48 Human rights groups and some Thai lawmakers have raised concerns in the past week that the transfer to China of the Uyghurs, who have been held in immigration detention for more than a decade, was imminent. The government has said it has…
(2025-01-22). Singapore: End harassment and intimidation of Transformative Justice Collective. fidh.org 11 organisations, including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, condemn in the strongest terms the latest restrictions imposed by the Singapore government on activists from the Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), a civil society group actively opposing the death penalty and advocating for human rights in the country. Read the statement (…) | – |
(2025-01-22). Urgent call to confirm the suspension of Azerbaijan's PACE credentials at winter session 2025. fidh.org In a joint letter, human rights organisations, including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, call the members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to uphold the suspension of Azerbaijan's credentials for 2025, as escalating repression of civil society in the country violates the principles of the Council of Europe (…) | – |
(2025-01-22). Singapore: End harassment and intimidation of Transformative Justice Collective. fidh.org Eleven organisations, including OMCT and FIDH within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, condemn in the strongest terms the latest restrictions imposed by the Singapore government on activists from the Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), a civil society group actively opposing the death penalty and advocating for human rights in the country.
We, the undersigned 11 organisations, condemn in the strongest terms the latest restrictions imposed (…) | – |
(2025-01-22). Azerbaijan: Urgent call to confirm the suspension of Azerbaijan's PACE credentials at Winter session 2025. fidh.org In a joint letter, human rights organisations, including FIDH and OMCT within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, call the members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to uphold the suspension of Azerbaijan's credentials for 2025, as escalating repression of civil society in the country violates the principles of the Council of Europe (CoE).
| Jan 21 Joint Azerbaijan Let… by Obs defenders | – |
(2025-01-22). Headlines for January 22, 2025. democracynow.org Trump Takes Steps to Weaponize Justice Department, Reassigning Key Prosecutors, 22 States Sue to Block Trump's Attempt to End Birthright Citizenship, Trump Administration to Allow ICE Raids at Churches, Hospitals and Schools, Israeli Forces Raid Jenin, Killing 10 Palestinians, Newly Freed Palestinians Describe Torture and Ill-Treatment in Israeli Jails, Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Child in Southern Gaza Despite Ceasefire, Four Injured in Tel Aviv Stabbing Attack, Israeli General Who Led Campaign That Devastated Gaza to Resign over October 7 Failures, Trump's U.N. Ambassador Pick Elise Stefanik Say…
(2025-01-22). Israeli captives return with smiles and goody bags, Palestinian abductees with scars. presstv.ir Following the ceasefire deal, Israeli captives were released with goody bags, while Palestinian detainees came home with their hair turned white from the ordeal.
(2025-01-22). Contrasting Reality: Treatment of Israeli and Palestinian Prisoners. counterpunch.org 
The release of three Israeli women held captive in Gaza on Sunday attracted significant global media attention. However, there was comparatively limited coverage of the freed Palestinian women, who had been kidnapped and detained by Israel without charge. This disparity reflects the normalization of the dehumanization of Palestinians, perpetuating a narrative that enables Israel to
(2025-01-22). Thailand: Right to health for prisoners and detainees. fidh.org
(2025-01-22). Egypt renews detention of economist Abdel Khaleq Farouk. newarab.com 
(2025-01-22). Yet another severe ME/CFS patient is being threatened with detention in a psychiatric ward. thecanary.co It's 2025, but the abuse of people living myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) continues unabated. Already, less than a month into the New Year, a person living with severe ME — this time in Denmark — has reached out to the Canary with her appalling and urgent situation. Specifically, this is that her medical team is trying […] | By
(2025-01-22). Australian governments exploit murky antisemitic incidents to attack democratic rights. wsws.org At least some of the incidents appear designed to discredit Palestinian supporters and Muslims, while promoting actual antisemitism.
(2025-01-22). Scotch Plains / Fanwood School Admin on Notice: Respect Free Speech Rights of Staff! fightbackbetter.com 
Editor's Note: FightBackBetter wholeheartedly condemns the harassment and job threats to this teacher who did nothing but say the truth…
(2025-01-22). Virginia Dems Advance Reproductive, Voting and Marriage Rights Amendments. truthout.org Democratic lawmakers in Virginia have advanced three constitutional amendments to restore voting rights, protect reproductive freedoms and enshrine marriage equality in the state's highest governing document. The measures passed within Virginia's House of Delegates last week, mainly along partisan lines, with all Democrats in the chamber voting in support of them and most of the Republican… |
(2025-01-22). Trump Needs Public Cooperation to Enact a Fascist Vision. Here's How We Refuse. truthout.org It's easy to feel discouraged in these times. The early days of the second Trump administration have been grim and destabilizing. In a flurry of day one executive orders, Trump's edicts included momentous attacks on trans rights, an unconstitutional effort to end birthright citizenship, and policy changes that will imperil the natural world. One of Trump's executive orders signaled the United… |
(2025-01-22). Immigrant Activist Ravi Ragbir Speaks After Biden's Last-Minute Pardon Saved Him from Deportation. democracynow.org 
The Trump administration has begun its crackdown on immigrant communities in the United States, with the Department of Homeland Security announcing Tuesday it will allow federal agents to conduct raids at schools, houses of worship and hospitals, ending a yearslong policy that banned Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from arresting people at these sensitive locations. This comes a day after President Trump signed a series of executive orders that included declaring a "national emergency" at the southern border, launching mass raids and deportations, restricting federal funds from sanctuary ci…
(2025-01-22). CPUSA leader Cambron sheds light on the fight for immigrant justice. cpusa.org 
This slightly edited article was originally Introduction: As a second Trump presidency takes shape, the treatment of immigrants, particularly from Latin America and the Caribbean, remains a central and contentious issue. Republican border policies have long framed immigrants as threats, using them as scapegoats for broader societal problems. | Yet much of the migration from Latin America is driven by the fallout from U.S. foreign interventions — anti-de…
(2025-01-21). Biden's Legacy: The World Is More Unsafe For Journalists. popularresistance.org President Joe Biden's administration proclaimed numerous times that "journalism is not a crime" and that the United States government supports "free and independent media around the world." Biden said the "free press is crumbling" in his farewell address. But the reality is that Biden and his administration helped make the state of the free press more fragile. | Over 200 journalists in Gaza were killed by Israeli military forces armed by the Biden administration. Other client states, like India and Saudi Arabia, trampled on the human rights of reporters without fearing much criticism.
(2025-01-21). Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages welcomed: Justice is the only way for a lasting peace. fidh.org The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, which it has been urging for the past 15 months. The ceasefire is a first step. On its own it cannot provide justice for the victims. It cannot produce a lasting peace. The ceasefire is a temporary strategic solution. What needs to come now is a real political and human rights based solution for the end of the Gaza blockade, the end of Israel's settler-colonial (…) | – |
(2025-01-21). Uganda: Arbitrary detention, judicial harassment and torture of human rights lawyer Eron Kiiza. fidh.org
(2025-01-21). Israeli propagandist tries and fails to discredit Gaza video showing executed Palestinians dumped. skwawkbox.org 
Fake '2020' copyright added to human rights org's footage showing skulls with bullet wounds discovered as families returned to northern Gaza An Israeli propagandist has tried and failed to discredit video footage and images that appear to show the remains of executed Palestinians, discovered by family members on their return to their home areas. Muhammad …
(2025-01-21). Morocco's opposition pushes for ex-human rights minister release. newarab.com 
Morocco's Over the weekend, the Jus…
(2025-01-21). Outraged By Gaza Ceasefire, Israeli Settlers Burn Palestinian Homes, Cars. popularresistance.org Israeli Jewish settlers rampaged through several Palestinian towns in the West Bank on 19 January in a show of anger at a ceasefire deal that saw the end of fighting between the Israeli army and Hamas in Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners and Israeli captives. | Settlers across the West Bank organized themselves in an effort to disrupt the release of Palestinians held captive in Israeli prisons and detention centers, where torture and rape are common. | Accompanied by soldiers, the settlers attacked Palestinian cars and closed several main roads in Turmus Ayy, Atara, Ein Siniya, Ein Ayoub, Qalqilya, an…
(2025-01-21). Marwan Barghouti — the world's most important hostage — must be freed. asiapacificreport.nz 
COMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle A litmus test of Israel's commitment to abandon genocide and start down the road towards lasting peace is whether they choose to release the most important of all the hostages, Marwan Barghouti. During the past 22 years in Israeli prisons he has been beaten, tortured, sexually molested and had limbs broken.
(2025-01-21). Jean-Marie Le Pen is dead, but his Nazi legacy thrives in France. newarab.com 
Being implicated in acts of torture and the murder of an Arab Muslim nationalist were not mentioned when Jean-Marie Le Pen was Except that forgetting about the evil carried out by Le Pen, the far-right politician,…
(2025-01-21). Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo hallan otra nieta y ya son 139 encontrados. cubadebate.cu Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo anunciaron este martes el hallazgo de la nieta 139. La asociación ofrecerá más información en una conferencia de prensa en el Espacio Memoria y Derechos Humanos. Abuelas ha denunciado que el gobierno de Javier Milei hace todo lo posible por obstaculizar la búsqueda de los bebés robados en la última dictadura.
(2025-01-21). Thailand: Right to health for prisoners and detainees. fidh.org
(2025-01-21). Detained Italian journalist in Iran expected a longer stay. newarab.com 
An Italian journalist In her first televised interview since her release on 8 January, Cecilia Sala discussed the three-nation negotiation th…
(2025-01-21). Joe Biden Grants Clemency To Leonard Peltier. popularresistance.org With literally minutes left in his presidency, Joe Biden on Monday granted clemency to Leonard Peltier, the ailing Native American rights activist whom the U.S. government put in prison nearly 50 years ago after a trial riddled with misconduct and lies. | In a statement as President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration was underway, Biden announced he is "commuting the life sentence imposed on Leonard Peltier so that he serves the remainder of his sentence in home confinement." | Shortly afterward, Peltier said he's ready to get back to his family. | "It's finally over — I'm going home." he said in a statement…
(2025-01-21). Ecuador's Coastal Ecosystems Have Rights, Constitutional Court Rules. popularresistance.org The Constitutional Court of Ecuador has determined that coastal marine ecosystems have rights of nature, including the right to "integral respect for its existence and for the maintenance and regeneration of its life cycles, structure, functions and evolutionary processes," per Chapter 7, Articles 71 to 74 in the country's constitution. | This is not the first time that Ecuador has established legal rights for nature. In fact, Ecuador was the first country in the world to establish that nature held legal rights, Earth.org reported. In 2008, Ecuador added rights for Pacha Mama, an ancient goddess similar to the Mo…
(2025-01-21). Bans at Sri Lanka university: A far-reaching attack on students' democratic rights. wsws.org The prohibition of an IYSSE lecture at Peradeniya University was followed by a blanket ban on all student meetings on or off campus, which sets a dangerous precedent for all universities.
(2025-01-21). Chase Strangio: Trump's Anti-Trans Executive Orders Threaten LGBTQ+ People While Claiming to Defend Women. democracynow.org 
On his first day back in the White House, Donald Trump moved to roll back protections for transgender people. In his inaugural address, Trump declared the U.S. government's policy is "there are only two genders: male and female." Chase Strangio, co-director of the American Civil Liberties Union's LGBTQ & HIV Project, describes Trump's executive orders aimed at pushing "a slew of policies that just seek to both eradicate trans people from civic and public life and also push trans people out of federal government." "Trans people are bracing themselves for a lot of neg…
(2025-01-21). MD Governor Formally Certifies Abortion Rights in State Constitution. truthout.org Democratic Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed a proclamation on January 17, formally certifying the state's constitutional amendment that enshrines abortion as a fundamental right after voters overwhelmingly supported an abortion rights ballot initiative last November. "Maryland made a clear choice," Lieutenant Gov. Aruna Miller said in a statement. "I'm proud of our state for valuing self… |
(2025-01-21). Headlines for January 21, 2025. democracynow.org Tech Billionaires Share Stage as Donald Trump Takes Oath of Office as 47th U.S. President, Trump Declares Emergency at Southern Border, Promising "Millions and Millions" of Deportations, Trump Pardons 1,500 Capitol Rioters Including Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, Biden Grants Clemency to Indigenous Political Prisoner Leonard Peltier, Trump Withdraws U.S. from Paris Climate Agreement , Trump Withdraws from WHO, Rolls Back LGBTQ Rights and Puts Cuba Back on Terrorism List, Senate Votes 99-0 to Confirm Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, Senate Armed Services Committee Advances Pete Hegseth's Nominati…
(2025-01-21). Israeli forces arrest & kill Palestinians as Trump lifts sanctions on far-right settlers. thecanary.co 
Pro-Israel lobbyists say Donald Trump was "the greatest president ever for Israel" in his first term as US leader. And as he starts his second term, he's wasted no time in bolstering the settler-colonial project. Because amid a shaky ceasefire giving Palestinians in Gaza a brief pause from genocide, he has lifted sanctions on "far-right […] | By
thecanary.co (2025-01-21). Israeli forces arrest & kill Palestinians as Trump lifts sanctions on far-right settlers
And as he starts his second term, he's wasted no time in bolstering the settler-colonial project. Because amid a shaky ceasefire giving Palestinians in Gaza a brief pause from genocide, he has lifted sanctions on "far-right Israeli settler groups and individuals" responsible for attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
(2025-01-21). Trump lifts sanctions on violent settlers as Israelis attack West Bank towns. presstv.ir Trump cancels an executive order that slapped sanctions on extremist Israeli settlers involved in violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.
(2025-01-21). Trump lifts US sanctions on Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. aljazeera.com Israeli officials welcome new president's decision to remove sanctions imposed by the Biden administration.
(2025-01-21). Trump overturns Biden's executive order that enabled him to sanction Israeli settlers in West Bank. haaretz.com Amid flurry of post-inauguration activity, Trump also cancelled U.S. sanctions against the International Criminal Court and sent a sharp message to to pro-Palestinian protesters across America…
(2025-01-21). Trump 'not confident' that Gaza cease-fire will hold, says 'It's not our war'. haaretz.com GAZA HOSTAGE DEAL: IDF releases new footage of three female hostages reuniting with their families ‚ñ ISRAEL: Trump overturns Biden's executive order that enabled him to sanction Israeli settlers in West Bank ‚ñ GAZA: IDF says northern Gazans could return to northern Strip in about a week if Hamas upholds deal…
(2025-01-21). Iran Ready to Restart Talks on Removal of Sanctions: Deputy FM. tn.ai TEHRAN (Tasnim) — Expressing Iran's readiness for the resumption of negotiations on the removal of sanctions, an Iranian deputy foreign minister said Tehran and the European parties have agreed to proceed with the talks.
(2025-01-21). Sanction-Proof? Russia's Arctic Ambitions and the China Factor. infobrics.org Russia's Arctic ambitions are not just surviving — they're evolving, largely thanks to a deepening partnership with China. This resilience underscores the strategic importance Russia places on its Arctic resources and the increasing limitations of sanctions in a globally interconnected economy…
As the ceasefire in Gaza has entered its second day and appears to be holding, we begin our coverage in Ramallah. "We're hoping that it will continue, the Israelis will continue to release prisoners. And, of course, we have no guarantees they will not be rearrested again," says Tala Nasir, a lawyer with the Palestinian prisoner and human rights organization Addameer. She also notes that many of those released are coming home in poor health. "They were starving inside the prisons," Nasir notes.
Six months ago today, on 19 July 2024, the UN International Court of Justice in the Hague (ICJ) issued one of the most significant judicial decisions ever rendered in international law. What Palestinian human rights NGO Althou…
Egyptian human rights activist Hossam Bahgat was released on bail Sunday after being charged with "joining and financing a terrorist group" and publishing "fake news and data", a rights group said. | The charges were part of a new case against Bahgat, who was released on bail of 20,000 Egyptian pounds (about $400), the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, which he founded, said in a statement. | On Wednesday, EIPR said prosecutors had summoned Bahgat, who is also the group's executive director, but "the summons did not specify the details of the case or the charges involved" at the time. | Mahmoud Shalaby…
Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners on Monday after Hamas handed over three Israeli captives, completing the first exchange under a The three captives released Sunday, all women, were reunited with their families and taken to hospital in central Israel where a doctor said they were in stable condition. | Hours later in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Pales…
Billions of taxpayer dollars invested in for-profit facilities from Africa to Asia were supposed to improve access to healthcare. But stories of abuses have piled up ANALYSIS | GAVIN FINCH, KENDALL TAGGART & DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI | The 1-year-old was with her pregnant mother at a maternity clinic when the convulsing started. A midwife tried giving her oxygen, …
Governor Hochul: "I assure you that New York will always be that beacon of hope, the place where the women's rights movement started, the place where the NAACP was founded, …
Today is the federal holiday that honors civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was born January 15, 1929, and was assassinated April 4, 1968, at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis at just 39 years old. We play an excerpt from King's last speech, "I Have Been to the Mountaintop," in which he spoke of the ongoing struggle for equal rights that he said would continue even without him. "I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land," King said. He was killed one day later.
Ahead of President elect-Donald Trump's second inauguration, thousands of people rallied in Washington, D.C., on Saturday at the People's March to oppose his policies on immigration, abortion, LGBTQ rights, the climate crisis and more. We air voices of resistance from the protest. "All of us deserve to feel like human beings, and all of us deserve to have our rights respected," said Hope Giselle, executive director of the National Trans Visibility March. "Without a democracy, without a true democracy, we all fall to the wayside of corruption and a government that does not see us as h…
This includes being part of a trend of fraying international norms, double standards by liberal democracies on human rights, and a conflict underscoring the importance of institutions…
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A group of youth activists have called upon the judiciary to break its silence on human rights violations, particularly when Ugandans are prosecuted in military courts. The activists claim that the judiciary's inaction and silence have enabled prolonged injustices, persecution, and subjugation of civilians, activists, and political dissidents in …
Thousands of people gathered and over 70 were arrested at a pro-Palestine rally in central London Saturday, on the eve of the start of a The majority were detained on The ceasefire, which comes into effect Sunday morning, involves the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held…
A US non-profit has written to the