Defamation Lawsuits Against Thai Journalists Draw Criticism From Rights Groups
Thai Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suchart Chomklin has filed criminal defamation lawsuits against Isaan Record journalists Hathairat Phaholtap and Kowit Photisan for reporting a bribery scheme involving Thai officials and Finnish berry farms. The suits seek roughly 50 million baht (about $1.5 million) from Phaholtap and 1 million baht (about $300,000) from Photisan, invoking Sections 326 and 328 of Thailand’s criminal code. Human Rights Watch condemned the actions as a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) that threatens press freedom. The case highlights the financial and criminal risks Thai reporters face when exposing corruption.
Serbia Faces Growing Concerns over Shrinking Civic Space and Press Freedom
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, warned that Serbia’s civic space is eroding as pressure on journalists, NGOs and dissent becomes increasingly systematic. Independent monitors document a sharp rise in intimidation, physical attacks, surveillance claims and strategic lawsuits...
US Federal Court Dismisses Appeal From Former Honduras President
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit dismissed former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández’s appeal and vacated his conviction after President Donald Trump granted him a pardon in November 2025. The court ruled the pardon rendered the appeal moot, ordering the...
US Federal Judge Postpones End to Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopians
A federal judge in Massachusetts granted a preliminary injunction that temporarily blocks the Trump administration’s decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Ethiopian nationals in the United States. The ruling holds that the Department of Homeland Security likely acted arbitrarily...
Environmental Groups Challenge EPA Repeal of Greenhouse Gas Study
Environmental groups and several Alaskan tribes have sued the Trump administration, challenging the EPA’s February 12 rule that repealed the 2009 greenhouse‑gas endangerment finding. The 2009 finding underpinned vehicle‑emissions regulations and was grounded in the Supreme Court’s Massachusetts v. EPA...
US Federal Judge Pauses Louisiana Attempt to Restrict Abortion Pill Access
A U.S. District Judge in Louisiana granted a stay on the state’s lawsuit seeking to reinstate stricter dispensing rules for the abortion pill mifepristone, pending the Food and Drug Administration’s ongoing safety review. The court found Louisiana had standing based...
UN Security Council Vetoes Resolution on Strait of Hormuz
The UN Security Council voted to block a Bahrain‑sponsored resolution aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil and grain corridor. Russia and China vetoed the draft, arguing it unfairly singled out Iran while ignoring other actors. The...
US Supreme Court Vacates Bannon Contempt Ruling, Remands for DOJ Dismissal
The U.S. Supreme Court vacated the appellate ruling that upheld Steve Bannon’s contempt of Congress conviction and sent the matter back to the D.C. Circuit to consider the Department of Justice’s pending motion to dismiss. The Court granted Bannon’s certiorari...
Kenya Dispatch: High Court Suspends Automated Traffic Fines System, Testing Due Process Rights
Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority launched an AI‑driven Instant Fines Traffic Management System on March 9, issuing automated penalties of KSh 500–10,000 ($3–$67) via SMS. Within days, civil‑society groups filed a petition alleging the system breaches constitutional rights to fair trial...
Belarus Parliament Criminalizes LGBTQ+ ‘Propaganda,’ Mirroring Russia
Belarus’s lower house approved a bill criminalizing “propaganda” for LGBTQA+ relationships, gender transition, child‑free lifestyles and even pedophilia, imposing fines, community service or up to 15 days in detention. The draft, first introduced in February 2024, now proceeds to President...
Press Group Condemns Online Smear Campaign Against Moldova Journalist Viorica Tătaru
International press watchdog CPJ condemned a coordinated online smear campaign against TV8 reporter Viorica Tătaru. The campaign involved defamatory posts and manipulated narratives on social media, prompting calls from CPJ, the Center for Independent Journalism and seven other Moldovan media...
US Appeals Court Denies Push to Reallocate Homelessness Funds
The U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals denied HUD’s request for a stay, upholding a lower‑court order that blocks the Trump administration’s proposal to divert millions from the $4 billion Continuum of Care (CoC) program into transitional housing with sobriety and...
India Passes Transgender Rights Amendment, Prompting Concerns over Compliance with Supreme Court Precedent
President Droupadi Murmu signed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, which replaces the self‑identification framework established by the Supreme Court’s 2014 NALSA judgment with a mandatory medical‑board certification process. The amendment narrows the legal definition of transgender,...
EU Extends Iran Sanctions, Citing Human Rights Concerns
The European Union announced on March 30 that it will extend its sanctions regime against Iran until April 13, 2027, citing persistent human‑rights violations. The package adds travel bans, asset freezes and a prohibition on exporting equipment that could be...
Rights Group Report Identifies Alternatives to Mental Health Crisis Response in US
Human Rights Watch released a report identifying 150 non‑police mental‑health crisis programs across the United States, with eight detailed case studies such as Oakland’s Mobile Assistance Community Responders and Cambridge’s Holistic Emergency Alternative Response Team. The report finds that removing...
HRW Reports Iran Repeatedly Used Indiscriminate Cluster Munitions on Israel
Human Rights Watch released a report confirming that Iran has repeatedly employed cluster munitions in ballistic missile strikes against Israeli population centers since the February 28 outbreak of the Iran‑Israel conflict. The attacks have killed at least 16 civilians in Israel...
Press Groups Condemn Nigeria Police Beating Journalist Covering Eid Celebrations
Press rights groups, including CPJ, CJID and MRA, condemned the March 21 beating of journalist Muhammad Sani Adamu by Bauchi police during Eid celebrations, demanding a transparent investigation, accountability and coverage of his medical costs. The assault involved at least ten...
South Dakota Bill Requires New Voters to Prove US Citizenship for State Elections
South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden signed Senate Bill 175, requiring new voter registrants to provide proof of U.S. citizenship for state elections. Existing voters remain unaffected, and those who do not submit documentation can still vote in federal contests only....
UN Experts Welcome Anti-Mercenary Law in Colombia
UN experts praised President Gustavo Petro’s ratification of the 1989 International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries, marking Colombia’s first comprehensive anti‑mercenary law. The legislation targets private military and security companies that have profited from the country’s...
Justices Spar over Statutory Text as Asylum Metering Policy Reaches Supreme Court — SCOTUS Dispatch
The Supreme Court heard Noem v. Al Otro Lado, challenging the Trump administration’s asylum‑metering policy that turned away migrants before they crossed the U.S.‑Mexico border. The dispute hinges on the statutory phrase “arrives in” in the Immigration and Nationality Act,...
Rights Group Raises Alarm over EU Expanded Detention and Deportation Rules
Amnesty International condemned the European Parliament’s approval of a revised EU Return Regulation that dramatically expands detention and deportation powers. The new framework broadens the use of immigration detention, accelerates deportations, and imposes heightened surveillance and data‑sharing obligations on member...
UN Experts Call for Transparency in Appointment Process of Attorney General and Ombudsperson in Venezuela
UN human‑rights experts urged Venezuela to appoint its Attorney General and Ombudsperson on merit, warning that opaque selections undermine rule of law. The recent resignations of Tarek William Saab and Alfredo Ruiz triggered interim appointments by a Nomination Evaluation Committee...
US Federal District Judge Upholds North Carolina Voting Law as Constitutional
A federal judge in the Middle District of North Carolina ruled that Senate Bill 824, which requires photo identification for voting and expands poll observer rights, complies with the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and the Voting Rights Act. Judge Loretta...
Kenya Dispatch: Electoral Commission Pushes Back Against Court Bid to Force District Boundary Review Before 2027 Polls
Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) asked the High Court to dismiss a petition seeking a pre‑2027 electoral boundary review. The commission argues a full delimitation needs at least two years and must be completed 12 months before elections,...
Perú Dispatch: Pipeline Failure Triggers Nationwide Gas Shortage, Price Surges, and Protests
In March 2026 a rupture in the Transportadora de Gas del Perú pipeline near Megantoni, Cusco, halted the flow of unprocessed natural gas to the Piura processing plant, cutting supply of both GLP and CNG nationwide. The outage triggered immediate...
Thailand Court Holds Gold Mine Operator Liable in Landmark Environmental Class Action
A Thai court ruled that Akara Resources, operator of the Chatree gold mine, is liable for environmental damage and health harms suffered by more than 300 villagers in Phichit and Phetchabun provinces. The judgment marks Thailand’s first environmental class‑action suit,...
Fired US Immigration Judges Appeal to Federal Court Following Administrative Board Denial
Two immigration judges, Megan Jackler and Brandon Jaroch, were terminated by the Justice Department in February 2025 and appealed their dismissals to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). The MSPB ruled that the judges are "inferior officers" whose appointments and...
International Rights Group Decries Attack on Ecuador Journalist
Ecuadorian journalist José Vinces, founder of Vinces TV, was shot ten times while investigating a fabricated tip about abandoned human remains in Huaquillas cemetery. The attack, confirmed by police as a set‑up, left Vinces hospitalized but he was discharged after...
Russia Court Sentences Poets for Reading Anti-War Poetry
In December 2023 a Moscow court sentenced poet Artyom Kamadarin to seven years and poet Yegor Shtovba to five and a half years for reciting anti‑war verses. The convictions rely on Articles 282(2)(v) and 280.4(3) of Russia’s Criminal Code, which...
Norway Urged to Release Migrant Rights Activist Tommy Olsen, Block Extradition to Greece
Human Rights Watch has called on Norwegian authorities to release Tommy Olsen, a Norwegian migrant‑rights activist, and to block his extradition to Greece under a European Arrest Warrant. Olsen was arrested in Tromsø and faces Greek charges of espionage, human...
US Dispatch: Kentucky Governor Blocks School Choice Bill, Reigniting Debate over Public Funding and Voter Will
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear vetoed House Bill 1, a proposal that would let individuals donate up to $1,700 to scholarship‑granting organizations in exchange for a federal tax credit, effectively channeling federal dollars toward private‑school tuition and homeschooling. Beshear argued the...
US Immigration Judge Terminates Asylum Claim for Five-Year-Old, Orders Removal
A Minnesota immigration judge denied asylum for five‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos and his family, ordering their removal from the United States. The ruling follows the family’s high‑profile ICE detention during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge and a recent federal...
Rights Group Criticizes New China Cybercrime Bill as Threat to Free Expression and Information Access
Human Rights Watch has condemned China’s draft Cybercrime Prevention and Control Law, saying it threatens privacy, free expression, and access to information. While the bill targets illegal activities such as fraud and child pornography, it expands real‑name registration and includes...
Ecuador Failing to Protect Indigenous Groups From Oil Drilling Pollution, HRW Says
Ecuador has ignored a 2025 Inter‑American Court of Human Rights order to stop oil drilling in Block 43 of Yasuní National Park, where the isolated Tagaeri and Taromenane peoples live. The court ruled the extraction violates collective property, health, and cultural...
Drones Strike Civilians in Sudan, Prompting UN Concern
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned a surge in drone attacks across Sudan, reporting over 200 civilian deaths since March 4, including 152 in West Kordofan alone. Strikes attributed to the Sudanese Armed Forces hit markets, a hospital...
EU Court Rules Member States Must Recognize Transgender Identity in Official Documents
The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that all EU member states must update official identity documents to reflect the gender identity of transgender citizens who have transitioned in another member state. The decision stems from a case...
Canada Parliament’s Push to Criminalize Hate Crimes Sparks Human Rights Concerns
Canada’s Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights approved Bill C‑9, the Combatting Hate Act, by a 5‑4 vote, moving it toward a third reading. The bill criminalizes the wilful promotion of hatred, including the display of extremist symbols such...
Russia Escalates Online Censorship with Telegram Restrictions, Rights Group Warns
Human Rights Watch warned that Russia has intensified online censorship by restricting access to Telegram, the country’s most popular messaging app. The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Roskomnadzor, announced gradual restrictions after Telegram failed to comply with Russian legislation,...
Trump-Appointed DOJ Pardon Attorney Faces Ethics Charges over Letters to Georgetown University
Ed Martin, the Trump‑appointed DOJ pardon attorney, has been charged by the District of Columbia Board on Professional Responsibility for allegedly using his official position to coerce Georgetown University Law Center into abandoning its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs....
Taiwan Dispatch: Ministry Issues Forced Labor Guidelines After US Trade Action, Migrant Workers’ Rights at Risk
Taiwan's Ministry of Labor issued forced‑labor prevention guidelines after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Withhold Release Order against Giant Manufacturing. The 11‑indicator framework offers self‑assessment tools for companies but excludes home‑care workers and does not tackle debt bondage or...
UN Expert Calls for Further Measures to Curb Discrimination Against People with Albinism
UN independent expert Muluka‑Anne Miti‑Drummond urged member states to adopt more progressive laws, policies, and implementation measures that protect the employment rights of persons with albinism. She emphasized that visual impairment, melanin deficiency, stigma and discrimination create significant barriers to...
African Union Commission Condemns Attacks in Persian Gulf
The African Union Commission (AUC) chair, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, issued a statement condemning recent attacks on energy and transport infrastructure in the Persian Gulf, labeling them breaches of international law and threats to regional stability. He highlighted the danger to...
British Columbia Moves to Ban Protests Near Schools and Places of Worship
British Columbia’s attorney general introduced two bills that would ban protests within 20 metres of K‑12 schools and places of public worship. The legislation extends the existing Safe Access to Schools Act until June 2028 and creates a parallel Safe Access...
Trial Begins for Istanbul Mayor Amid Political Influence Concerns
Istanbul mayor and opposition figure Ekrem İmamoğlu began a high‑profile trial on Monday, facing charges of corruption, bribery, extortion and money‑laundering. The case involves more than 400 co‑defendants, many of whom are municipal employees and CHP officials. Opposition leaders allege President...
Pakistan Anti-Terrorism Court Sentences 47 PTI Leaders and Supporters in Absentia
Pakistan's Anti‑Terrorism Court sentenced 47 Pakistan Tehreek‑e‑Insaf (PTI) leaders and supporters to ten years in prison, handed down in absentia. The convictions were issued under Section 21‑L of the 1997 Anti‑Terrorism Act, which carries a five‑to‑ten‑year term and a fine...
Iranian Authorities Urged by Rights Groups to Lift Restrictions on Internet Access
Human Rights Watch urged Iran to end its sweeping internet shutdown amid the escalating US‑Iran conflict. Cloudflare Radar reported a 98% drop in traffic on Feb 28, leaving roughly 92 million citizens offline. The regime’s “tiered internet” grants fast access to state...
Amnesty International Decries New Criminal Regulation in Afghanistan as Assault on Rights for Women, Minorities
Amnesty International condemned Afghanistan’s newly adopted Criminal Procedure Regulation, labeling it a regressive law that curtails women’s and minorities’ rights. The regulation decriminalizes domestic violence unless visible injuries are present and imposes three‑month imprisonment on women who visit relatives without...
US Appeals Court Rules Trump May Suspend Refugee Admissions
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that President Donald Trump possesses statutory authority to suspend refugee admissions under 8 U.S.C. § 1182(f), echoing the broad discretion affirmed in Trump v. Hawaii. The court, however, limited the suspension by preserving benefits for refugees...
US Senate Rejects War Powers Resolution on Iran
The U.S. Senate voted 47-53 to reject a War Powers Resolution that would have forced President Trump to obtain congressional approval before further military action against Iran, and the House followed with a 212-219 defeat of a similar measure. The...
Greece Appellate Court Upholds Convictions of Extreme Right-Wing Party Leadership
An Athens appellate court confirmed the 2020 convictions of Golden Dawn’s leadership, reaffirming the party’s status as a criminal organization. The ruling was praised by Defense Minister Nikos Dendias as a historic milestone for Greece’s justice system. The convictions stem...