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
Decline in leadership undermining global fight againt corruption
10/2/2026: The 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index published by Transparency International reveals a worrying picture of long-term decline in leadership to tackle corruption. Even established democracies, like the US, UK and New Zealand, are experiencing a drop in performance. At the same time, many states are increasing restrictions on civic space.
Source: Transparency International
Jimmy Lai jail sentence in Hong Kong is an attack on freedom of expression
9/2/2026: Hong Kong’s High Court has sentenced pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison for conspiracy. Lai, a 78 year-old British citizen, has been recognized as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.
Source: Amnesty International
Will human rights survive the Donald Trump era?
1/2/2026: The Executive Director of Human Rights Watch warns of the end of an era in which governments accepted that state power should be constrained by law, institutions, and a shared baseline of human dignity. For human rights to survive we must build a durable alliance that defends core norms and makes repression costly.
Source: Human Rights Watch
Myanmar crisis deepens as military ballot entrenches repression
31/1/2026: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned the recent elections in Myanmar, saying they have further polarised society and intensified violence instead of providing a credible political pathway. Parties opposed to military rule were banned, and many of their leaders detained.
Source: UN News
Sweeping expansion of the Global Gag Rule will deny essential care
27/1/2026: The US government's new Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance policy expands the Global Gag Rule to its most extreme version, demonstrating the systematic subordination of scientific evidence and patient needs to ideological objectives.
Source: Medecins Sans Frontieres
What is the truth of Iran’s death toll?
27/1/2026: Local data collection is revealing the vast scale of violence inflicted on Iranians during the state’s crackdown. These estimates exceed 30,000, far surpassing official figures. Testimony from medics, morgue and graveyard staff provides evidence of the huge state effort to conceal systematic killing of protesters
Source: The Guardian
The world needs stronger UN, not Trump-led ‘Board of Peace’
21/1/2026: In an apparent attempt to sideline the UN Security Council, President Trump has proposed a so-called board of peace. The board’s proposed charter doesn’t mention human rights and it makes clear that Trump would have supreme authority.
Source: Human Rights Watch
A year into President Trump’s return, authoritarianism is eroding human rights
20/1/2026: Amnesty International has documented how the Trump administration’s escalation of authoritarian practices, including closing civic space and undermining the rule of law, is eroding human rights. Press intimidation makes violations harder to expose; and attacks on courts, lawyers, and oversight bodies make accountability harder to enforce.
Source: Amnesty International
Alarming increase in use of death penalty last year
19/1/2026: Despite a downward trend in the use of the death penalty globally, 2025 saw an alarming increase in the number of executions in a small number of retentionist countries. 170 countries have abolished or introduced a moratorium on the death penalty either in law or in practice.
Source: UN News