Human Rights

India: Mamata condemns Centre's efforts to 'control' Twitter

Kolkata, June 17 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday slammed the BJP-led union government over its "efforts to control" Twitter and claimed that the Centre, having failed to influence the microblogging platform, is now trying to bulldoze it.

Drawing a parallel, Banerjee said her government, too, was being meted out the same treatment by the Centre.

Millions fear eviction as US housing crisis worsens

NEW YORK (AP) — More than 4 million people say they fear being evicted or foreclosed upon in the coming months, just as two studies released Wednesday found that the nation’s housing availability and affordability crisis is expected to worsen significantly following the pandemic.

The studies come as a federal eviction moratorium is set to expire at the end of the month. The moratorium has kept many tenants owing back rent housed.

New ICC prosecutor vows to build stronger cases that will go to court

16 June 2021; MEMO: British barrister Karim Khan took over as the International Criminal Court's top prosecutor today with a pledge to improve its track record by taking only its strongest cases to trial, Reuters reports.

Khan, who is only the third person to hold the role, faces many challenges at a time of fierce political pressure on the world's permanent war crimes tribunal.

Egypt: former presidential candidate rearrested

16 June 2021; MEMO: A former presidential candidate in Egypt has been rearrested by public prosecutors, local media have confirmed. Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh has been in pre-trial detention since 2018. He was due to be released on 18 February following the expiry of the term by which he could legally be held, but this too was "extended".

Israel must be held to account for targeting journalists, Africa journalists union says

14 June 2021; MEMO: African journalists have called on the African Union and governments to condemn Israel's deliberate targeting of journalists and news media organisations and hold Israel legally accountable for crimes committed against media workers during its recent attacks on the Gaza Strip and elsewhere in occupied Palestine.

Egypt upholds death penalty for 12 Brotherhood members

14 June 2021; MEMO: Egypt's court of appeal on Monday upheld the death penalty for 12 members of the Muslim Brotherhood convicted in the Rabaa sit-in case, according to state-run media, Anadolu Agency reported.

The court upheld the death penalty against Abdel-Rahman el-Bar, Mohamed el-Beltagy, Safwat Hegazy, Osama Yassin, Ahmed Aref, Ihab Wagdy, Muhammad Abd al-Hayy, Mustafa al-Farmawi, Ahmed Farouk, Haitham al-Arabi, Muhammad Zanati, and Abd al-Azim Ibrahim, Middle East News Agency reported.

Delhi riots: HC grants bail to 3 students, says State blurred right to protest & terror act line

New Delhi, June 15 (PTI) In its anxiety to suppress dissent the State has blurred the line between right to protest and terrorist activity and if such a mindset gains traction, it would be a "sad day for democracy", the Delhi High Court said on Tuesday while granting bail to three students from JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) in a north-east Delhi riots case.

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