Human Rights

Devastating flooding affects 25,000 Sahrawi refugees in Tindouf camps

This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Melissa Fleming – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 23 October 2015, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

OSCE Mission to Montenegro condemns violence in pursuit of political aims, calls for peaceful engagement within democratic institutions

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro condemns the acts of violence that took place last night in Podgorica, which resulted in damage to property, including the Albanian Embassy, and injuries to police officers, journalists and civilians. Violence in the...

EFF To California Supreme Court: Warrantless Searches of California’s Controlled Substance Prescription Database Threaten Patient Privacy

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is urging the California Supreme Court to rule that law enforcement agents need a warrant to search records revealing which Californians were prescribed controlled substances to treat conditions such as anxiety...

It’s time to stop treating transgender people as diseased, says PACE rapporteur

“We must stop treating transgender people as if they are diseased,” said the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s General Rapporteur on the rights of LGBT people Jonas Gunnarsson (Sweden, SOC), on the eve of the International Day of Action for...

Russia/Syria: Possibly Unlawful Russian Air Strikes

At least two air strikes in northern Homs on October 15, 2015, that local residents believed to be Russian, apparently violated the laws of war. The air strikes killed a total of 59 civilians, residents said, including 33 children and a commander of...

EU: Human Toll of Border Closures

The European Union and Western Balkans countries meeting on October 25, 2015, should focus on alleviating the suffering of migrants and asylum seekers stranded at various European borders, Human Rights Watch said on October 23.

Children's right to freedom of religion or belief must be protected, says UN expert

The United Nations expert on religious freedom is calling on all Governments represented at the UN General Assembly “to respect religious practices by children and their families and support families in fulfilling their role in providing an enabling...

OSCE Representative raises concern over attack of Buzzfeed journalist and threats to storm AFP offices in France, welcomes swift police action

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović on 24 October expressed concern about a recent attack against a journalist with Buzzfeed and threats to storm the offices of Agence France Presse (AFP) during a demonstration in Paris.

Greece: Attacks on Boats Risk Migrant Lives

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Asylum seekers and migrants arrive at the Greek island of Lesbos after being...

‘Silence is too often the only safe option left’ – new UN report on sources and whistleblowers

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Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression David...