The Upper House of the Indian Parliament (Rajya Sabha) approved the Citizenship Amendment Bill on Wednesday with 125 votes in favour and 105 against.

This contentious bill, which had already cleared the lower house on Monday, will grant citizenship to persecuted immigrants of six non-Muslim communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The bill amends the Citizenship Act, 1955, and will allow non-Muslims from the three countries, who entered India before December 31, 2014, to apply for Indian citizenship.

Two alleged leaders of a mostly Christian militia operating in the Central African Republic will face trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity against the nation’s Muslim community.

The individuals who will face trial are senior officials of an anti-Balaka militia, Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona and Alfred Yekatom. These individuals are accused of crimes against civilians including “murder, rape, forcible displacement, pillaging, cruel treatment, torture and persecution”.The individuals named have not entered into pleas as of yet.

In an earlier court judgement made in September, the presiding judges maintained a; 

<p>The United States has agreed to impose sanctions on senior commanders of the Myanmar military who are accused of overseeing mass human rights abuses against the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State.</p> <p>This decision to impose sanctions follows Aung San Suu Kyi appearance at the International Criminal Court tribunal where she contested charges of genocide against the Rohingya people.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Following an agreement between European foreign ministers, the EU has agreed to freeze assets and issue travel bans to those who have violated human rights as part of a new sanctions model.</p> <p>This measure was pushed by the Netherlands which has consistently campaigned for a European-wide 'Magnitsky Act’. Speaking on the matter, British hedge fund manager, Bill Browder, stated;&nbsp;</p> <blockquote><p> "It took us 10 years to get here, but it's a decisive victory in the global Magnitsky justice campaign”. </p></blockquote>

Myanmar’s civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has travelled to the Hague to defend her regime over the charges of alleged genocide against its Rohingya Muslim population.

<p>A Swiss proposal has been unanimously approved by the ICC’s 122 member states which will broaden the definition of war crimes to include the deliberate starvation of civilians.&nbsp;</p> <p>The proposal maintains that;</p> <blockquote><p> “Intentionally using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare by depriving them of objects indispensable to their survival, including wilfully impeding relief supplies”. </p></blockquote> <p>Speaking on the introduction of this measure, the Swiss Foreign Ministry stated;</p> <blockquote><p>

Campaigners have criticised a much anticipated boxing match set to take place in Saudi Arabia’s newly built Diriyah stadium on Saturday, accusing it of “sportswashing” the country’s human rights record.

On Saturday, Anthony Joshua will take on Andy Ruiz Jr, in what the BBC Sports Editor Dan Roan termed “one of the most controversial sporting contests in recent times”.

Campaigners such as Amnesty International have voiced their concern that holding such a prestigious sporting event in Saudi Arabia is a political move to conceal the many human rights abuse allegations in the country.

<p>Human Rights Watch has accused Russia of conducting airstrikes in Syria in August of this year which constituted a war crime and has called for accountability for any and all war crimes.</p> <p>The attack occurred on 16 August as a Russian aircraft dropped a bomb by a shelter for displaced civilians run by a Syrian aid organisation. The attack occurred in Hass and killed approximately 20 people, predominately women and children, as well as injuring around 52 people.</p> <p>HRW further stated raised concerns over the Russian and pro-Syrian government coalition. In their statement they maintain;&nbsp;</p> <blockquote><p>

 At least 208 people have been killed in Iran, as security forces have cracked down on protests that have swept across the country.

Iranian state television admitted that deaths had occurred during the unrest, but claimed those killed were "armed thugs and rioters” or security personnel. Video footage of the protests, however, show uniformed members of Iran’s security forces, firing at unarmed protestors.

The New York Times dubbed the events Iran’s “deadliest political unrest since the Islamic revolution 40 years ago”.

A court case against a former British, known as Soldier F, who has been accused of murder and attempted murder during Bloody Sunday has been delayed until New Year, as courts request to hear from 25 witnesses.  

Soldier F is charged with the murder of 22-year old James Wray and 27-year old William McKinney on Bloody Sunday, 30 January 1972.

The soldier is also accused of the attempted murder of Joseph Friel, Joseph Mahon, Michael Quinn, Patrick O’Donnell and another unnamed individual.