Just a quick update in case you missed it.
 | Released on 05.04.2024 |  |
 | UN rights council votes to maintain Iran scrutiny The U.N. Human Rights Council on Thursday prolonged by a year an independent international fact-finding mission investigating Iran's deadly crackdown on protests that erupted in 2022. The United Nations' top rights body extended the mission, and the mandate of the council's special rapporteur on Iran, Javaid Rehman, with 24 votes in favor, eight against and 15 abstentions in the 47-member chamber. It said the extension for Rehman was necessary to "continue to monitor the ongoing situation of human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights". Read more: voanews.com |
 | Rishi Sunak’s empty human rights threat Is there anyone in Britain who believes that Rishi Sunak will take us out of the European Convention on Human Rights? If there is then that person may also still think they got an absolute bargain when they paid a man in a pub £10,000 in cash to take ownership of Tower Bridge. For the Prime Minister to airily imply that he is ready to take the UK out of the ECHR and the jurisdiction of its supervisory court in Strasbourg amounts to a new low point in his parlous handling of the small boats crisis. Read more: spectator.co.uk |
 | Attempts to interfere in Azerbaijan's internal affairs under pretext of human rights issues are completely unacceptable - President Ilham Aliyev Attempts to interfere in Azerbaijan's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights issues are completely unacceptable, said President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev during a telephone conversation with U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken, the Press Service of the President of Azerbaijan reported. "President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that attempts to interfere in Azerbaijan's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights issues are completely unacceptable. We do not accept the biased statements of some Western countries based on double standards regarding this issue. Read more: en.trend.az |
 | EU: AI Act fails to set gold standard for human rights As EU institutions are expected to conclusively adopt the EU Artificial Intelligence Act in April 2024, ARTICLE 19 joins those voicing criticism about how the Act fails to set a gold standard for human rights protection. Over the last three years of negotiation, together with the coalition of digital rights organisations, we called on lawmakers to demand that AI works for people and that regulation prioritises the protection of fundamental human rights. Read more: article19.org |
 | S. Korea welcomes UNHRC adoption of resolution on N. Korea's human rights South Korea on Thursday welcomed the United Nations Human Rights Council's (UNHRC) adoption of a resolution denouncing North Korea's widespread and systematic human rights violations for the 22nd consecutive year. The resolution, adopted by consensus at the 55th regular session of the UNHRC in Geneva, also called on the North to improve its human rights record and for related countries to respect the principle of nonrefoulement. Read more: en.yna.co.kr |
 | UAE ‘espionage’ discussed on sidelines of UN Human Rights Council Allegations of “espionage activities” conducted by a Swiss company on behalf of the UAE have been discussed at an event on the sidelines of the 55th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Organised by the International Institute for Rights and Development – Geneva, the programme brought together experts, media representatives, academics, international missions, researchers and victims to discuss the ramifications of the scandal known as “Abu Dhabi Secrets”. Read more: middleeastmonitor.com |
 | Human rights activists call for more international pressure on Uganda over anti-gay law UGANDAN gay rights activists asked the international community to apply more pressure on the government of Uganda to repeal an anti-gay law which the country’s Constitutional Court refused to nullify on Wednesday. Activist Frank Mugisha said Tuesday’s ruling was “wrong and deplorable.” “This ruling should result in further restrictions to donor funding for Uganda — no donor should be funding anti-LGBTQ+ hate and human rights violations,” said Mr Mugisha. Read more: morningstaronline.co.uk |