human rights

Iran Unleashes 'Wave of Repression' after Israel War

Iranian authorities have arrested hundreds of people and executed dozens in a wave of repression following the 12-day war with Israel, activists say, accusing the Islamic republic of using fear to compensate for weaknesses revealed by the conflict. Campaigners have been detained on the street or at home, executions expedited, prisoners ...

Iran Hangs Three More Accused of Spying for Israel

Iran on Wednesday hanged three men convicted of spying for Israel after what activists decried as an unfair trial, bringing to six the number of people executed on such charges since the start of the war between the Islamic republic and Israel. The hangings have also amplified fears for the life of Swedish-Iranian dual national Ahmadreza Djalali ...

Israel’s Strikes in Iran Have Killed at Least 657 People, Says US-Based Rights Group

A US-based NGO said Friday that Israel's strikes against Iran have killed at least 657 people, including civilians and members of the security forces, a toll based on sources and reports in Iran. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said that at least 263 civilians had been killed nationwide since Israel began its strikes on June ...

Iran Hangs Man over 2022 Protest Deaths, Activists Say Conviction Wrongful

Iran on Wednesday hanged a man convicted of killing seven people, including a 10-year-old boy, during nationwide protests in 2022 but human rights groups said he was the victim of a wrongful conviction. Abbas Kurkuri, also known as Mojahed Kurkur, was hanged at dawn in Sheiban prison in the western city of Ahvaz, the Norway-based Iran Human ...

Syria Decrees Full Body Swimwear for Women on Public Beaches

Syria's new Islamist authorities said on Tuesday that women going to public beaches must wear burkinis or other "decent" clothes that cover the body, giving some private venues an exemption. In the largely conservative country, few women wear swimsuits that reveal their bodies. Six months after Islamist-led forces toppled longtime Syrian ruler ...

Human Rights Attacks Accelerated by Trump Second Term: Amnesty

The global system of law and human rights is under threat from a "multiplicity of assaults" which have accelerated since US President Donald Trump's return to power, Amnesty International said Tuesday in its annual report. "Unprecedented forces are hunting down the ideals of human rights for all, seeking to destroy an ...

Algerian writer Boualem Sansal faces 10-year prison sentence

Algerian prosecutors have requested a 10-year prison sentence for French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, accused of undermining the country's territorial integrity, local media reported Thursday. Sansal, a prominent figure in North African modern Francophone literature, is known for his criticism of Algerian authorities as well as Islamists. The ...

Germany Reopens Embassy in Syria: Foreign Ministry

Germany officially reopened its embassy in Syria on Thursday, a foreign ministry source said, with a small diplomatic team working in Damascus. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock ordered the reopening of the mission which had closed in 2012 amid the Syrian civil war, some three months after the fall of president Bashar al-Assad. Consular affairs ...

Over 70 Killed in Syria Clashes Between Govt forces, Assad Loyalists

More than 70 people were killed and dozens more wounded in Syria in fighting between government security forces and militants loyal to deposed ruler Bashar al-Assad, a war monitor said Friday. "More than 70 killed and dozens wounded and captured in bloody clashes and ambushes on the Syrian coast between members of the Ministry of Defense and ...

Iran Arrests Two Young Women for Dancing in Cemetery

Iranian police arrested two young women after publication of a video in which they danced in a Tehran cemetery without adhering to the country's strict dress code, local media reported Friday. "Not long ago, two people, in the cemetery of martyrs in Tehran, disregarding the sacred site, recorded a video clip with inappropriate clothing and ...

UN High Commissioner For Human Rights Concludes Visit to Lebanon

After visiting Syria, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, concluded his visit to Lebanon today, January 16. Türk expressed hope for Lebanon despite all social, humanitarian and economic challenges, particularly in light of the recent ceasefire. During his stay, Türk met with key government officials, ...

Iran Reports Swiss National Accused of Spying Committed Suicide in Prison

Iran's judiciary said a Swiss national accused of spying was found dead in prison in the eastern city of Semnan on Thursday, adding that he had taken his own life. "This morning, a Swiss citizen committed suicide in Semnan prison," the judiciary's Mizan Online website said, adding that he had been "arrested by security agencies for espionage and ...