Iran resorts to death penalty amid expedited and grossly unfair trials
20/2/2026: Amnesty International is calling on all UN member states to coordinate urgent diplomatic action, demanding that Iranian authorities quash death sentences for alleged offences linked to the January 2026 protests. Eight individuals have been sentenced to death and over 50 others are at risk of the death penalty, including two 17-year-olds.
Source: Amnesty International
Trump’s Board of Peace convenes for first time
18/2/2026: President Trump’s Board of Peace has held its first meeting. The new entity was established by a UN Council resolution to implement the plan to end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas. Phase 2 of the peace plan includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, disarming Hamas, and installing a transitional Palestinian administration. It is yet to be seen how useful the board will be in carrying out its Security Council-sanctioned responsibilities in Gaza.
Source: PassBlue
Senegal arrests 12 men using punitive anti-LGBT laws
18/2/2026: Men arrested in Senegal under homophobic laws could face up to five years in prison. Hostility toward LGBT people has intensified in Senegal where the Penal Code criminalizes consensual same‑sex conduct as “acts against nature.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Iran-US nuclear talks may fail due to both nations’ red lines
17/2/2026: Despite the increased military brinkmanship, continuing talks could help the US and Iran step back from the edge, build trust and perhaps develop better political relations. Unfortunately, as time passes with no deal, both sides harden their negotiating starting points, making a deal less likely.
Source: The Conversation
Russian authorities continue to hound Navalny’s supporters
16/2/2026: Amnesty International has praised the courage of those inside Russia who ensured that critical evidence was preserved to prove that Aleksei Navalny was killed by poison. In the past year, a number of Navalny’s lawyers and media professionals have been handed long prison sentences solely for peacefully exercising their human rights.
Source: Amnesty International
Cholera prevention campaigns resume after years of vaccine scarcity
16/2/2026: Cholera vaccination campaigns are restarting after a three-year-long pause, thanks to efforts by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, doubling supplies from about 35 million doses in 2022 to more than 70 million by 2025. However, Gavi has been hit by declines in global health funding which may impact capacity for cholera prevention.
Source: Devex
UK High Court draws ‘line in the sand’ against misuse of terrorism powers
13/2/2026: Amnesty International UK has welcomed the High Court judgement declaring the Government’s proscription of Palestine Action under terrorism legislation unlawful – a vital affirmation of the right to protest at a time when it has been under sustained and deliberate attack. The government intends to appeal.
Source: Amnesty International
UN financial crisis threatens to halt human rights work
13/2/2026: A senior UN official has warned that the human rights system is at breaking point due to the collapse in UN funding. The monitoring work of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was reduced by over 50 percent in 2025, at a time when attacks on human rights and multilateralism intensify, and atrocities are committed with an expectation of impunity,
Source: Human Rights Watch
UN report warns of war crimes in Sudan’s El Fasher
13/2/2026: A report released by the UN human rights office investigates the RSF assault on the besieged city of El Fasher in North Darfur last October. The report concludes that the atrocities committed amount to war crimes and possible crimes against humanity. Sudan's national army and the Rapid Support Forces militia have been fighting for control of the country for almost three years.
Source: UN News
Food security is the basis of global stability
12/2/2026: The annual Munich Security Conference has highlighted the imbalance between investment in defence and global food security. We need our leaders to recognize that stability and food security are inseparable.
Source: Devex