Children forcibly separated from mothers at Syria’s Al Hol, warns top rights expert

Children forcibly separated from mothers at Syria’s Al Hol, warns top rights expert

Fionnuala Ni Aolain, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, is the first independent rights expert to gain access to the infamous facilities Al Hol and Al Raj, as well as other places of detention. After her six-day visit to northeast Syria, Ms. Ni Aolain said…

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Legal protection essential for people displaced by climate change: UN expert

Legal protection essential for people displaced by climate change: UN expert

“The effects of climate change are becoming more severe, and the number of people displaced across international borders is rapidly increasing,” said Ian Fry, independent human rights expert on climate change, who took up the new post last year.  “In 2020 alone, 30.7 million people were displaced from their homes due to weather-related events. Droughts…

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Afghanistan: Taliban ‘may be responsible for gender apartheid’ says rights expert

Afghanistan: Taliban ‘may be responsible for gender apartheid’ says rights expert

Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed similar concerns on the opening day of the Council’s summer session, adding that the de facto authorities had “dismantled the most fundamental principles of human rights, particularly for women and girls”.  In a joint report presented to the Council by the Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan and…

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Bangladesh must suspend plans to return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar: Rights expert

Bangladesh must suspend plans to return Rohingya refugees to Myanmar: Rights expert

Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, insisted that current conditions there were “anything but conducive” for the return of Rohingya refugees. Death trap He stressed that the very generals who had launched “genocidal” attacks against the Rohingya, causing hundreds of thousands to flee the country, were now…

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UN rights expert exposes $1 billion ‘death trade’ in arms for Myanmar military

UN rights expert exposes $1 billion ‘death trade’ in arms for Myanmar military

The report states that some “UN Member States are enabling this trade” through a combination of outright complicity, lax enforcement of existing bans, and easily circumvented sanctions, according to a news release from the UN rights office OHCHR. Access to advanced weaponry  “Despite overwhelming evidence of the Myanmar military’s atrocity crimes against the people of…

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UK: Keep calm and respect diversity, says UN expert

UK: Keep calm and respect diversity, says UN expert

“I am deeply concerned about increased bias-motivated incidents of harassment, threats, and violence against LGBT people, including a rampant surge in hate crimes in the UK,” said Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the human rights expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, who completed an official visit to the country on…

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Rights expert welcomes Vatican’s rejection of ‘Doctrine of Discovery’

Rights expert welcomes Vatican’s rejection of ‘Doctrine of Discovery’

José Francisco Calí Tzay, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, expressed hope that governments will follow the Holy See’s lead, noting that its impact is still being felt today.  ‘Open wound’  “The doctrine of discovery is still an open wound for many Indigenous Peoples around the world,” he said. “It must be…

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Rights expert denounces interference in Beirut explosion probe

Rights expert denounces interference in Beirut explosion probe

Special Rapporteur Margaret Satterthwaite expressed grave concern over interference in the investigation, including threats against Judge Tarek Bitar, who has been leading the process since February 2021.  “Judges should never be threatened or subjected to criminal or disciplinary action simply for doing their job,” she said.  Justice delayed  More than 200 people died as a…

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