The Nepali government's bill to amend its current transitional justice laws will not fully provide justice to victims or meet Nepal's obligations under international law, says human rights groups. Several Human rights organisations have called for the amendment of the proposed bill by the Nepali government. Successive Nepali governments have stalled the transitional justice process since 2015 , when Nepal’s Supreme Court ruled that the current law fails to meet Nepal’s domestic and international legal obligations on several grounds, including that it empowers the two transitional justice...
Pope Francis apologised and asked for forgiveness from survivors of Canada's church-run schools, with commentators noting it did not go far enough to address historic abuses. During his tour of Canada, touted as his "pilgrimage of penance" the widely anticipated apology was received during a visit to the community of Maskwacis, Alberta. “ I am sorry. I ask for forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the church and of religious communities cooperated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the...
Kyaw Min Yu (L) Phyo Zeya Thaw (R) Myanmar's military junta execution of four democracy activists,has drawn widespread condemnation, marking the country's first execution in decades. The four activists were sentenceto death in secretive trials held in Januaray and April, the men were accused of helping a civilian resistance movement that has fought the military since last years coup and bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. Among those executed were democracy campaigner Kyaw Min Yu, better known as Jimmy, and former lawmaker and hip-hop artist Phyo Zeya Thaw, an ally of ousted leader Aung...
The international court of justice has rejected Myanmar’s attempts to obstruct a case raised by Gambia, alleging the country of “[...] mass murder, rape, and destruction of communities in Rakhine state.”
Nine tourists were killed following a shelling attack on a water park near the Kurdish City of Zakho with the Iraqi government holding Turkey responsible. The Iraqi government has accused Turkish forces of an attack on its citizens in a resort near the Kurdish city of Zakho (Southern Kurdistan). Turkey denied it had launched strikes against civilians and instead claimed that the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), was responsible. Iraq’s prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, received some of the bodies at Baghdad airport as anger mounted in the Iraqi capital and in Karbala, the Shia shrine city in...
Soldiers in the Myanmar military have admitted to carrying out atrocities involving rape, torture and massacres of civilians, in interviews given to the BBC. The testimony of 6 soldiers including a corporal, who have recently defected and are under the protection of the People's Defence Force (PDF), gives an insight into the military crackdown on those fighting to restore democracy. Last year the military seized power from the democratically elected government led by Aung San Su Kyi in a coup, and is set on crushing the armed civilian uprising. The soldiers admitted to burning houses,...
The former prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe was shot dead whilst giving a speech in the city of Nara earlier this morning. A 41-year-old man was arrested by Japan’s security services at the scene of the murder, where Abe was delivering a speech. Video footage at the time shows gunshots being fired and the suspect apprehended with what appears to be a home-made gun. According to local reports, several possible explosive devices have since been recovered from the suspect’s home, who is said to be a former member of Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force. See more live coverage from the BBC here...
The European Union (EU) has resumed funding of two prominent Palestinian organisations after a year-long suspension, following unfounded "terror" allegations made by Israel. The European Commission sent letters several days ago to Al-Haq and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), informing them that their 13-month-long suspensions were lifted unconditionally and with immediate effect. According to information provided to Al Jazeera, the emails were sent soon after Al-Haq had launched legal proceedings against the Commission. Al-Haq said in a statement last Thursday that more than 13...
There are growing calls for an investigation into the deaths of at least 37 people who died at the fortified border of Melilla, Spain’s enclave in North Africa . About 2,000 people stormed the heavily fortified border between the Moroccan region of Nador and the Spanish enclave last week. The Moroccan authorities say 23 people died and 140 police were injured during the attempt, while several NGOs say the number of dead is at least 37. There are growing concerns that Moroccan authorities have already dug graves for the dead and apparently plan to bury them without investigating the cause of...
Finland, Sweden and Turkey have signed a joint memorandum at the NATO summit in Madrid, which addresses Turkey's concern about the nordic nation's support for Kurdish organisations and thus paves the way for the country's formal invitation to the military alliance. Turkey had previously stated that they would veto any invitation to both countries to join NATO, if they did not address "security concerns" and proscribe and clamp down on Kurdish organisations within their respective country. Finland and Sweden agreed to the demands put forward by Turkey, which include that, Sweden and Finland...