Detained Uganda environmental activist freed but ‘in bad shape’

An environmental activist in Uganda who is opposed to a huge oil project led by French giant TotalEnergies has been freed after five days in detention, his employer said Monday. Stephen Kwikiriza was found on Sunday evening dumped on a roadside in Kyenjojo, about five hours' drive west of the capital Kampala, said Samuel Okulony, director of the Environment Governance Institute. The activist had said he was […]

June 10, 2024 10

World

We polled EU citizens on what they want asylum policy to look like – their answers may surprise you

Asylum seekers arriving on the Greek island Lesvos in 2015. Nicolas Economou/Shutterstock By Natalia Letki, University of Warsaw; Dawid Walentek, Ghent University; Peter Thisted Dinesen, University of Copenhagen, and Ulf Liebe, University of Warwick The issues of migration and asylum are contentious in Europe, and have caused deep rifts among EU member states for years. These topics are fully on the agenda for the 2024 EU elections. […]

June 6, 2024 22

Africa

Ghana’s anti-LGBTIQ+ bill is being challenged in the supreme court. Why the decision to broadcast it live matters

By Godfried Asante, San Diego State University Ghana’s Supreme Court is live televising its proceedings on the country’s controversial anti-LGBTQI+ bill. This was on the request of Ghana’s attorney general, who cited public interest and transparency. The bill was passed by the country’s parliament in February 2024 amid global furore and local outcry. The bill criminalises not only LGBTQI+ relationships, but also those who support […]

May 30, 2024 13

Africa

Gunmen kill 40 in Plateau, Nigeria

Over 40 people have been killed by gunmen in two communities in Nigeria's northern state of Plateau. The gunmen also injured several others and set many houses on fire.

May 22, 2024 26

Africa

UK-Rwanda migrant deal challenges international protection law

By Cristiano d'Orsi, University of Johannesburg In late April 2024 the British parliament passed a law – the Safety of Rwanda Act – enabling it to transport migrants arriving in the UK to Rwanda. When the legislation was approved by parliament, there were 52,000 asylum seekers who could potentially be sent to Rwanda. The law has been condemned by a range of UN actors, human rights […]

May 22, 2024 14

World

Julian Assange’s appeal to avoid extradition will go ahead. It could be legally groundbreaking

By Holly Cullen, The University of Western Australia Wikileaks founder Julian Assange’s challenge to the order for his extradition to the United States to face charges of computer misuse and espionage will continue, after the High Court in London rejected US government assurances that his rights to freedom of expression would be protected. On March 26, the High Court conditionally granted Assange the right […]

May 21, 2024 17

South Africa

South African communities vs Shell: high court victories show that cultural beliefs and practices count in climate cases

Oyster gatherers on a Wild Coast beach at low tide. The sea is integral to these communities’ lives and culture. PaulGregg By Louise Du Toit, University of Southampton; Brewsters Caiphas Soyapi, North-West University, and Louis Kotzé, North-West University When the Shell petroleum company announced in 2021 that it wanted to explore for fossil fuels off South Africa’s pristine Wild Coast, Indigenous communities in the area immediately fought […]

May 20, 2024 42

World

Chinese journalist jailed for reporting on Wuhan COVID-19 outbreak to be released

The current whereabouts of a Chinese citizen journalist, Zhang Zhan, who was imprisoned for four years due to her reporting on the early days of the pandemic in Wuhan, remain unknown, causing concern among activists. Zhang Zhan was sentenced to four years in prison on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” a vague charge frequently used in political cases. She completed her sentence at Shanghai’s Women Prison. The Associated […]

May 14, 2024 46

Africa

Female genital mutilation is on the rise in Africa: disturbing new trends are driving up the numbers

By Tamsin Bradley, University of Portsmouth Thirteen-year-old Salamatu Jalloh had her whole future to look forward to. But in January 2023, her lifeless body was found wrapped in a pink and blue shroud on an earthen floor in a village in north-west Sierra Leone. Salamatu and two other girls bled to death after participating in a secret Bondo society initiation into womanhood. The ceremony, which […]

May 13, 2024 30

human rights