News

Almost one million Rohingya Muslims living in refugee camps in Bangladesh face a communications blackout after the government ordered a ban on mobile phone services and sim cards. Officials say the mobile network block is intended to protect national security, citing incidents of violence that have broken out in the camps. “Access to sim cards has been a vital service for the Rohingya for years, and they have utilised them … Read more →

Od Sayavong, a political activist from Laos is feared missing in Thailand and was last seen on August 26, nearly two weeks ago. Savayong had fled to Thailand and was seeking refugee status with the United Nations. He feared for his safety in Laos – a one-party communist state with a dim view of dissent – owing to his role in campaigning for democracy and the expansion of migrant worker … Read more →

In a short speech to parliament on 1 September, Iranian legislator Parvaneh Salahshouri severely condemned the recent moves to punish journalists, artists and activists with long prison sentences. The next day, a group of MPs signed a letter urging Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi to reverse the long prison sentences issued against several people who were arrested during a Labour Day rally in Tehran on 1 May 2019. “There are young … Read more →

Anti-proroguing protests have taken place across the UK seeing tens of thousands of demonstrators take to the streets on 31 August to express their concern over new Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament. New protests are set to take place in more than 30 cities and towns across England and Wales this week. Prorogation – the closing of parliament – in this case for 23 working days, means … Read more →

Privacy and freedom of expression rights face increasing oppression in the United States, as border controls are now holding individuals to account for messages and social media posts that are sent to them or posted by friends and associates. A number of foreign nationals have been rejected at the border because of the posts of friends’, family or acquaintances. It is estimated that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection have … Read more →

The human rights community operating in Afghanistan is increasingly coming under attack from both the authorities and armed groups including the Taliban and Islamic state according to a briefing released by Amnesty International today. The briefing, Defenceless Defenders: Attacks on Afghanistan’s Human Rights Community, highlights how human rights defenders and activists have faced intimidation, harassment, violence, been shot at and even killed in attacks that have gone uninvestigated by the … Read more →