Human Rights Watch

🙌 After a seven-year legal ordeal, humanitarian workers wept with relief this week when a court on the Greek island of Lesbos acquitted all 24 defendants who had been baselessly charged with felonies for saving lives at sea. The Greek government should always prioritize saving lives. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4pMoOdR

Iran’s security forces have carried out mass killings after protests escalated on January 8. Despite a nationwide internet shutdown, Human Rights Watch has been able to verify videos and gather witness accounts. Read now: https://bit.ly/3YIRtW0

“Saving lives is not a crime.” After a seven-year legal ordeal, a court on the Greek island of Lesbos has acquitted all 24 defendants who had been baselessly charged with felonies for saving lives at sea. Read more: https://bit.ly/4pMoOdR

A historic moment in the Hague — International Court of Justice judges are hearing the merits in Gambia’s case against Myanmar under the Genocide Convention. Learn more about the landmark case pursuing justice:

In Hungary, almost half a million older people receive pensions that leave them living below the poverty line. In a new report, HRW documents how the Hungarian government is failing to ensure older people’s rights to social security and an adequate standard of living. Read more: https://bit.ly/4jBH4VG

Amid Iran's internet blackout, there are concerning reports of large scale killings by security forces. HRW's Executive Director Philippe Bolopion on the emergency situation in Iran:

Armed groups and military forces are using sexual violence as a weapon of war across eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Survivors experience a climate of impunity that protects those responsible and a healthcare system deprived of support. New from HRW and Congolese women’s rights organization SOFEPADI: https://bit.ly/4jvK5H0

The US Senate has advanced a resolution to block future military force against Venezuela without congressional approval. This comes after the US military conducted strikes on Venezuela, and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Learn more ⤵️

An internet shutdown has plunged Iran into a communications blackout as authorities continue to unleash their deadly repression against protesters. UN member states should press Iran to stop the bloodshed and pursue accountability.

Hearings on the merits of the landmark case brought at the International Court of Justice by Gambia against Myanmar for alleged violations of the Genocide Convention begin on January 12. This case provides a critical pathway to hold the Myanmar military to account. Seeing it finally enter the merit phase is a reminder of the ongoing need for justice for the Rohingya and it sends a message that their suffering has not been forgotten. During the hearings, the parties will present their arguments and supporting evidence about whether Myanmar violated the Genocide Convention. It will be the first time in over 10 years that the ICJ will hear the merits of a case related to the Genocide Convention. It is a key precedent for other ongoing cases before the court, representative of the turn we’ve seen to looking to the ICJ when treaty violations amount to serious international crimes.  Read our analysis and reflections on this important development together with partners at Women's Peace Network, Burmese Rohingya Organisation UK, Refugee Women for Peace and Justice, and Global Justice Center. https://lnkd.in/e53MQDBc