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There's been an international outcry after a Russian court sentenced Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza to 25 years in prison for treason, and other charges including spreading "false" information about the Russian army. Britain's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said "Russia's lack of commitment to protecting fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, is alarming. We continue to urge Russia to adhere to its international obligations including Vladimir Kara-Murza's entitlement to proper healthcare." Elsewhere, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement that the 25-year prison sentence was "another blow to the rule of law and civic space in the Russian Federation." "No one should be deprived of their liberty for exercising their human rights, and I call on the Russian authorities to release him without delay," Turk said.

☆ Uganda’s anti-gay bill is the latest and worst to target LGBTQ Africans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Aditi Bhandari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

Same-sex activity in Africa is punishable by … Map of the 32 African countries where same-sex activity is illegal. Same-sex activity in Africa … Map of the 22 African countries where same-sex activity is legal. In 1993, Guinea-Bissau became the first African country to legalise LGBTQ activity when it adopted a new Penal Code that didn’t include any laws criminalising it. Country Constitutional protection Broad protections Employment Hate crime Incitement Marriage or civil union Adoption Angola No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Botswana No No Yes No No No No Cape Verde No No Yes Yes No No No Gabon No No No No No No No Guinea-Bissau No No No No No No No Lesotho No No No No No No No Mozambique No No Yes No No No No Sao Tome and Principe No No Yes Yes No No No Seychelles No No Yes No No No No South Africa Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes YesNote: Broad protections include laws protecting against discrimination in at least 3 of 4 categories: the provision of goods and services, housing, healthcare and education. Namibia and Mauritius criminalise same-sex activity, but around 35% of respondents said they would dislike having a gay neighbour.

☆ Israeli reforms would undermine judiciary, U.N. rights chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GENEVA, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The United Nations' human rights chief on Tuesday voiced concern that a proposed overhaul of Israel's judicial system would "drastically undermine" the ability of the judiciary to uphold human rights and the rule of law. "Breaking from decades of settled practice, such a law would drastically undermine the ability of the judiciary to vindicate individual rights and to uphold the rule of law as an effective institutional check on executive and legislative power," said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. Israel's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Meirav Eilon Shahar, has said a previous statement from Turk showed prejudice. Austria's Turk, who became High Commissioner in October, earlier this month called on Israel to ensure respect of international rights law after his office documented a record 151 killings of Palestinians by security forces last year. Reporting by Emma Farge; additional reporting by James Mackenzie in Jerusalem Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"One year ago, the world was bracing for the fall of Kyiv," Biden said at the Warsaw Royal Castle Gardens as the crowd waved Polish flags. "Well I've just come from a visit to Kyiv and I can report Kyiv stands strong, Kyiv stands proud, it stands tall and most important, it stands free." "One year into this war, Putin no longer doubts the strength of our coalition, but he still doubts our conviction. U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in Kyiv, Ukraine on February 20, 2023. "Tonight I speak once more again to the people of Russia: The United States and the people of Europe do not seek to control or destroy Russia," Biden said.

☆ Venezuela should release arbitrary detainees, end torture, UN rights chief says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

CARACAS — Venezuela should release arbitrarily detained individuals and end torture, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Saturday at the end of a trip to the country. Turk arrived in Venezuela on Thursday and met with President Nicolás Maduro on Friday, in addition to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, senior government officials, opposition figures and victims of human rights violations. “In my meetings with the president and ministers, I called for all people who have been arbitrarily detained to be released,” Turk said on Saturday in a statement. Turk extended his call to governments around the world to release, pardon or grant amnesty to “all those arbitrarily detained for exercising their fundamental human rights.”During his trip, Turk said he met with people who were arbitrarily detained and tortured. “I was given commitments that torture complaints would be addressed decisively, fully investigated and those responsible brought to justice,” Turk said.

☆ UN rights chief asks Venezuela to release arbitrary detainees, end torture
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Volker Turk looks on next to Human Rights Reporting Officer Helene Devaux, and Jose M. Aranaz during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela January 28, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaCARACAS, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Venezuela should release arbitrarily detained individuals and end torture, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Saturday at the end of a trip to the country. Turk arrived in Venezuela on Thursday and met with President Nicolas Maduro on Friday, in addition to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, senior government officials, opposition figures and victims of human rights violations. Turk extended his call to governments around the world to release, pardon or grant amnesty to "all those arbitrarily detained for exercising their fundamental human rights." During his trip, Turk said he met with people who were arbitrarily detained and tortured.

☆ Iran executions are 'state sanctioned killing' - UN rights chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Warns that more executions are imminentMeeting between Turk, Iranian authorities plannedUN-appointed body to probe Iran's crackdownGENEVA, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The U.N. human rights chief said that the death penalty was being weaponised by Iran's government to strike fear into the population and stamp out dissent, saying the executions amounted to "state sanctioned killing". "The weaponization of criminal procedures to punish people for exercising their basic rights – such as those participating in or organizing demonstrations - amounts to state sanctioned killing," U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said, adding the executions violated international human rights law. The U.N. Human Rights office has received information that two further executions are imminent, the statement said, while up to 100 face charges for capital crimes. The Geneva-based Human Rights Council voted in November to set up a three-member independent fact-finding mission into Iran's crackdown on protests. The start of executions, which have been condemned by a growing number of countries, has coincided with a slowdown in the protests.

☆ UN rights chief: full-fledged crisis underway in Iran
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The U.N. human rights chief on Thursday made a strong appeal to Iranian authorities to stop their "unnecessary and disproportionate" use of force against protesters in Iran in a speech to the Human Rights Council on the ongoing crisis. The meeting is seen as a key test of the West's clout within the council following a thwarted attempt to create greater scrutiny of China's human rights record last month. Newly appointed United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk gives a statement during a news conference at Palais Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland November 2, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse"We are now in a full-fledged human rights crisis," High Commissioner of Human Rights Volker Turk said in his first address to the council since starting last month. Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Maria Sheahan and Miranda MurrayOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dominican Republic steps up Haitian deportations, raising tensions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Dominican Republic is stepping up deportations of Haitians and is creating a police unit focused on foreigners, fueling tensions between the two Caribbean nations whose relations have for decades been marred by migration disputes. "Prime Minister Ariel Henry is very concerned about the mass deportations that are taking place in the Dominican Republic," said Jean-Junior Joseph, a spokesperson for the prime minister's office, in a statement on Wednesday. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Nov. 10 called on the Dominican Republic to halt deportations of Haitians, citing violence and systematic human rights violations in their home country. Abinader in comments broadcast by Dominican media described Turk's comments as "unacceptable and irresponsible," saying that the Dominican Republic did not have resources to help more Haitians and adding that authorities would boost deportations. Jean Bonheur Delva, head of the National Migration Office, told local media on Tuesday the figure was around 50,000 in the last three months.

[1/5] A demonstrator holds placards as he demands the release of Egyptian-British hunger striker Alaa Abd el-Fattah near the British Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon November 7, 2022. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for the immediate release of Abd el-Fattah who he said was "in great danger." Egyptian officials have not responded to Reuters requests for comment on Abd el-Fattah. Abd el-Fattah rose to prominence during Egypt's 2011 popular uprising which led to Egypt's first democratic presidential election. Abd el-Fattah, a software developer from an activist family, was detained in the subsequent crackdown on Islamists, leftists and liberals alike, and has been behind bars for most of the time since then.

☆ Egypt faces criticism over crackdown on activists ahead of COP27 climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Egypt is facing a barrage of criticism over what rights groups say is a crackdown on protests and activists, as it prepares to host the COP27 climate summit starting Sunday. According to rights groups, security forces have been setting up checkpoints on Cairo streets, stopping people and searching their phones to find any content related to the planned protests. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF), an NGO, said Wednesday that 93 people had been arrested in Egypt in recent days. Then there is a separate public venue where climate exhibitions and events take place throughout the two weeks of the summit. But rights groups said the government’s initiatives amounted to little change.

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