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Venezuela cancels passports of dozens of activists and journalists, FT reports

Reuters Venezuela has canceled the passports of dozens of journalists and activists since President Nicolas Maduro claimed a re-election victory, part of what rights groups say is an intensifying campaign of repression against the authoritarian president’s opponents, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.  At least 40 people, mostly journalists and human rights activists have had […]

Russian activists abroad pin hopes on Yulia Navalnaya

Tbilisi, Georgia Reuters Like many other young Russians, Anastasia Panchenko’s political awakening came courtesy of Alexei Navalny. Left reeling by his sudden death, she is looking now to his widow Yulia to take on the mantle of Russian opposition leader. Since Navalny died in an Arctic penal colony last Friday, Panchenko has been coming most […]

Nicaragua arrests 40 opposition figures in new round-up of critics

Reuters Forty political opponents of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega have been arrested and charged with crimes including conspiracy and treason in a new round-up of government critics, relatives of five of the detainees said on Thursday. The opposition figures were detained on Wednesday night, taken to the capital Managua to be charged, then transferred back […]

Religious liberty concerns raised as Texas Governor seeks to investigate groups helping migrants

United States RNS Texas Governor Greg Abbott has asked the state attorney to investigate non-governmental organisations that he claims have assisted with “illegal border crossings” along the US-Mexico border near El Paso, raising religious liberty concerns among faith-based groups and religious organisers helping migrants with medical needs and shelter. Abbott, in his 14th December letter to […]

From Pacific to Red Sea: climate court action gathers wave of support

Egypt COP27 climate activists

Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt Reuters A campaign by the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu for the world’s top court to take a stance on protecting people from climate change gained momentum on Friday, winning the support of almost half the nearly 200 countries at a global summit. In total 86 countries, including core nations that […]

Curbs on rights weaken Egypt’s climate talks, campaigners say

Egypt COP27 activists

Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt Reuters In a fenced-off area guarded by police on the fringe of the global climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, around 30 Egyptian youths stood in a neat line holding up placards and chanting “Save our Planet”. The small, muted protest took place in an area designated for demonstrations by summit host Egypt, […]

Egypt COP27 climate summit activists concerned voices will be curtailed

Egypt Sharm el Sheikh COP27

Cairo, Egypt Reuters The decision to hold next month’s COP27 climate summit in a highly secured tourist resort in Egypt, along with restrictions on access, is curbing civil society’s participation in the event, some prominent activists say.  The 6th to 18th November summit in Sharm el-Sheikh is the first annual UN climate conference to be […]

Protests grip Iran as rights group says 19 children killed

Iran Tehran protests after Mahsa Aminis death

Dubai, United Arab Emirates Reuters Protests ignited by the death of a young woman in police custody continued across Iran on Sunday in defiance of a crackdown by the authorities, as a human rights group said at least 185 people, including children, had been killed in demonstrations. Anti-government protests that began on 17th September at […]