human rights groups

Amnesty International has published a new report presenting damning evidence of war crimes committed in Mali by state armed forces and personnel from the Russian Wagner Group. The findings add to longstanding concerns about human rights abuses during Mali's conflict, and the involvement of the Wagner Group is again drawing international scrutiny.

Amnesty International USA is pressing US senators to demand answers from the Israeli government over human rights abuses in the occupied West Bank, including the killing of American citizens. The appeal calls on lawmakers to seek accountability from Israel regarding cases in which US nationals have died and to address what the group describes as ongoing abuses against Palestinians under occupation.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's investment summit included investors from the United Arab Emirates, drawing criticism because the UAE is accused of supplying weapons, logistics, training and foreign personnel to Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group implicated by numerous human rights organisations in widespread atrocities in Sudan's civil war. Critics question why Canada is courting Emirati capital while such allegations remain unresolved.

The Council of Europe is hosting a roundtable in Strasbourg focused on Russia's State Duma elections, which the organisation has described as fake. The discussion forms part of the Council's continued scrutiny of Russia's political system and electoral integrity, amid broader tensions between Moscow and European institutions over democracy and human rights standards.

The Vietnamese government is facing accusations that it has abducted human rights activists. Details about the alleged disappearances, the activists involved, and the evidence behind the claims are not yet clear. Human rights groups and international observers are expected to press for answers, and attention is likely to focus on how Hanoi responds to the allegations.

Human Rights Watch reports a sharp rise in US immigration arrests that is leaving children in anguish, with families separated or fearing separation during enforcement operations. The group highlights the psychological toll on children affected by detentions and deportations, drawing attention to the human cost of intensified immigration enforcement across the United States.

Human rights reports document a dangerous escalation of sexual violence against women in Sudan, pointing to widespread abuse amid the country's ongoing conflict. Rights groups say women are increasingly targeted, with impunity prevailing as fighting continues. Advocates are urging the international community to act and hold perpetrators accountable.

The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor accuses Israel of turning Gaza into the largest ghetto in modern history, saying it is killing residents one after another as what the group describes as a three-year genocide continues. The sharply worded characterization frames the enclave's blockade and military campaign as confinement and systematic destruction of its population. The claim comes amid ongoing international debate over the scale of civilian casualties and humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

Iran has executed two men convicted on drug-related charges in the city of Karaj, according to human rights sources reporting from the region. The hangings add to a documented pattern of executions in Iran, where drug offences remain punishable by death. Rights groups have repeatedly criticised the country's use of capital punishment in narcotics cases, arguing the trials fall short of international fair-trial standards.

Malaysia has started repatriating asylum seekers to Myanmar, a move rights groups have long warned could put returnees at risk. The operation involves people held in Malaysian immigration detention, many of whom fled Myanmar following the February 2021 military coup. Critics say the deportations violate international protections against refoulement, while Malaysian authorities have defended the action as a lawful immigration matter.

Malaysia has started sending Myanmar refugees back home, including children, even as rights groups warn that returning them may not be safe given the ongoing conflict in Myanmar. The move has drawn criticism from humanitarian organisations who argue the deportations put vulnerable people, including unaccompanied minors, at serious risk.

Malaysia has sent Rohingya refugees back to Myanmar even after warnings that they face serious danger there. Human rights groups and observers have criticised the move, arguing that returning Rohingya to Myanmar, where they have faced persecution and ongoing conflict, violates international protections for refugees and puts lives at risk.