Human rights

EU expands Russia sanctions over cybercrime, surveillance and rights abuses

VKontakte and several Russian surveillance firms were added to the EU sanctions list over alleged ties to the FSB and the repression of government critics.

 A Russian flag is seen on the laptop screen in front of a computer screen on which cyber code is displayed, in this illustration picture taken March 2, 2018.
Kafr Sousa security complex after it was emptied following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria December 15, 2024.

Damascus yet to keep pledge to respect rights of detainees, UN inquiry team says

Abolfazl Jahedi

‘He never became a firefighter’: Abolfazl Jahedi, killed in Iran’s protest crackdown - interview

everal thousand people gather during a demonstration against 'the regime of the ayatollahs in Iran' on January 25, 2026 in Brussels, Belgium.

Iranians testify to ‘Post’ how regime murdered loved ones in January massacres


Iran executes more than 100 people in June alone, human rights group claims

Iran’s execution toll has reached at least 370 this year, with more than 100 killings reported in June alone, according to a Iranian human rights watchdog.

Fans holds the banner reading 'Stop Execution in Iran' before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between Belgium and IR Iran at Los Angeles Stadium on June 21, 2026.

Turkey's detention of anti-NATO protesters raises questions ahead of summit - explainer

The arrests came just before the July 7-8 NATO summit, which is bringing leaders from all 32 member states to Ankara, including President Donald Trump.

A NATO flag flies at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on September 12, 2025.

When the couch turns away from October 7 - opinion

The Freud Museum London is hosting an event on how to talk about Gaza and Israel. It is worth asking who was invited to talk, and who was not.

 The aftermath of Hamas's Nova music festival massacre in Re'im, southern Israel, on October 7, 2023. Picture taken November 2, 2023

Jailed British couple in Iran continue hunger strike, US-based rights org. HRANA says

Craig and Lindsay Foreman, jailed in Iran on espionage charges, have been denied adequate medical care and contact with their families, HRANA reported.

FILE PHOTO: Craig and Lindsay Foreman, a British couple who have been sentenced by Iran to 10 years in prison on charges of espionage, according to their family, pose for a selfie in an unknown location in this undated handout photograph taken in 2024 and obtained by Reuters on February 19, 2026.

City of al-Obeid in Sudan facing human rights catastrophe, UN high commissioner warns council

"The signs from al-Obeid are clear and unmistakable: Another human rights catastrophe is unfolding in Sudan, this time in the capital of the strategic state of North Kordofan," Volker Turk said.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk (C) speaks during a press conference as part of his working visit to South Korea at the Seoul Global Center in Seoul on May 13, 2026.

Why I went to Geneva: The human rights system at a crossroads - opinion

When victims cannot testify, we must carry their stories.

 Demonstrators hold signs against what they describe as international silence over sexual violence perpetrated against Israeli women during the attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, at a protest in Jerusalem, November 27, 2023.

Iranian political prisoner accused of conspiring with Israel brutally beaten in prison

He was left with broken ribs, broken hands, and facial injuries after he was attacked in Qazvin Central Prison in Iran, human rights groups said on Wednesday, sharing images of the injuries.

Mohammad Reza Morad Bahrouzi was beaten in an Israeli prison over alleged communication with oppostiion groups or groups affiliated with Israel.

'Crazy' war violated int'l law, did not help Iranians, Council of Europe's Iran rapporteur says

Europe must target Iranian officials more effectively and support democratic opposition groups in exile, Council of Europe rapporteur Max Lucks said.

A mural depicts late figures aligned with the Iranian government, such as late President Ebrahim Raisi, slain IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani, slain Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and others, all carrying the flag-draped casket of Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei. June 29, 2026.

Iranian activist, two-year-old daughter, sent to Evin Prison, human rights group says

Khanbeigi was ordered to return to the prison, known for mass human rights violations, after being given leave from her sentence to give birth to Lalehzari.

POLITICAL ACTIVIST Rezvaneh Ahmad Khanbeigi and her two-year-old daughter.

Iran to pursue human rights cases against the US, will seize assets, judiciary chief announces

At the American Human Rights Week event, Ejei claimed that courts had already issued rulings against American officials “who have committed crimes against our people.”

IRAN'S JUDICIARY Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei (C) attends a gathering at the Imam Khomeini Mosque (Mosalla) to commemorate those killed in former wars and also those killed during the latest US-Israel led war, in Tehran on May 24, 2026.