Death in custody of a UNHCR staff member
31 October, 2026 By the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Saturday said the death in Houthi custody of Mohammad el Shami, a Yemeni colleague, was utterly devastating. The High Commissioner urged the Houthi de facto authorities to ensure a prompt investigation. Mohammad el Shami, a staff member of the UN Human Rights Office in Yemen, had been arbitrarily held in Houthi custody since 6 June 2024. According to i
Thousands rally to demand India’s election chief resign
By Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters November 1, 2026 Hundreds of police, some carrying batons and shields, are deployed around the rally site. credit: Toronto Star (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki) Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in India’s capital, New Delhi, to demand the resignation of the election chief over changes to voter lists that opposition parties say favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party. Indian National Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi led Sund
Al Jazeera
Oct 31
Nicaragua Country Report - October 2026
By Juliana Girotto Nicaraguans living in Costa Rica protest against the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega in 2021. (Photo: Ezequiel Becerra/AFP via Getty Images) In recent years, Nicaragua’s government has moved to openly oppress political life and failed to protect vulnerable groups against violence. In 2025, Nicaragua withdrew from the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council and its subsidiary mechanisms, restricting international access and heightening conc
Genocide Watch
Oct 31
Morocco: Victims’ Rights Should Not Be Subject to Political Divisions
By Sara Zouiten October 30, 2026 CNDH’s statement follows controversy over remarks by MP and former police official Mahmoud Archane about allegations of human rights abuses during Morocco’s Years of Lead. Morocco's National Human Rights Council (CNDH) Rabat – Morocco’s National Human Rights Council (CNDH) has defended the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission amid renewed public debate over its work, saying its achievements should be recognized while acknowledging tha
Morocco World News
Oct 31
The AI Threat We’re Not Talking About
By Sam Hunter and Seamus Hughes September 28, 2026 AI employees are raising concerns about an extinction-level event. But there’s a more immediate threat. Large language models. Artificial general intelligence. Sentience. The singularity. All terms that a few years ago were barely in the lexicon. Now that they’re becoming commonplace in discussions about artificial intelligence (AI), it's important to introduce one more. Abliterated AI. The word combines “ablate,” meaning
Lawfare
Oct 30
Country report: Syria
September, 2026 By: Burit Boonpirom © Timothy A Clary, AFP Syria has long struggled with instability driven by extremism and sectarian violence. From 1970 to 2024, Syria was ruled by a regime dominated by a religious minority group known as the Alawites, an offshoot of Shia Islam. This minority-led regime, run by the dictatorship of Hafez al-Assad and later his son Bashar al-Assad, was characterized by mass killings and repression of the population, laying the groundwork for
Genocide Watch
Oct 30
Egypt shuts down one of the last independent news outlets
By The Associated Press October 27, 2026 Credit: Roger Anis/AP An Egyptian court ordered the closure of one of Egypt’s last independent news outlets Tuesday after convicting its editor-in-chief of operating a website without a license, a major blow to the country’s shrinking press freedom. The publication, Mada Masr, said its editor-in-chief and founder, Lina Attalah, was released after paying a fine equivalent to about $53,400. She had been detained for seven hours after the
Associated Press
Oct 30
Court Verdicts for Wartime Sexual Violence Show Disparities
By Selma Melez-Pezo October 27, 2026 Credit: BIRN An analysis of Bosnian court verdicts in cases of wartime sexual violence shows deep inconsistencies in sentencing, a tendency to give more weight to mitigating circumstances, and a failure to recognise the long-term impact on survivors. The woman was 26 years old when she was raped in wartime Sarajevo in 1992. She lived in the Grbavica neighbourhood, which was controlled by Serb forces. Heading to the market one day, she and
Child Recruitment and Militarization in MENA and West Africa (Part 1)
By Elisabeth Lucetta A boy poses with a Kalashnikov assault rifle during a gathering of newly-recruited Houthi fighters in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa on 16 July 16, 2017 (AFP/Getty Images) Summary: Armed conflicts across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and West African regions have exposed millions of CAAFAG to violence, displacement, and prolonged social instability. In many conflict-affected communities, CAAFAG becomes involved with armed groups through coercion, e
Genocide Watch
Oct 30
UN political mission ends in Somalia with no agreed replacement to handle election dispute
By OMAR FARUK Updated 10:56 PM PDT, October 28, 2026 Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Sept. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The United Nations’ political mission in Somalia ends Saturday, closing more than three decades of successive U.N. missions that helped rebuild a country shattered by civil war and leaving no agreed replacement t
AP News
Oct 30
Somaliland Country Report
Republic of Somaliland Country Report October 2026 By Nate Blanchard Somaliland, a country with an estimated population of 6.2 million, initially broke away from Somalia after the overthrow of the military dictator Siad Barre in 1991 plunged the country into chaos. Somaliland, which borders Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Somalia is often entangled in regional conflicts and most recently has been at the center of continued disputes between Israel and Turkey. Despite this, since its s
hornofafrica4
Oct 30
Iran Country Report 2026
By Holly Swiglo Genocide Watch Since the 1979 revolution, Iran’s leaders have imposed strict Shia Islamic law across the country. Despite recent shifts in leadership and the new president’s reputation as a reformist, Iran’s political system remains rooted in the principles of the Islamic Republic. In early 2026, Iran experienced the highest levels of repression since 1979, and authorities granted impunity for crimes against humanity. Iranian missiles are displayed next to a b
Genocide Watch
Oct 30
