The technological development of recent years has highlighted many cyber-based threats. The most recent threats concern spyware software and their market for commercial use that is booming. The increasing use of mercenary spyware that violates privacy rights, silences opposition and the free press, and shields governments from public scrutiny are increasing their digital footprint and should be considered as the …

On the 23rd of November the UK Supreme Court ruled unanimously against the possibility for the Scottish parliament to hold a new independence referendum, that was planned to take place in October 2023, without prior approval from the UK government. The court highlighted that the Scottish parliament does not have the power to legislate on independence because it pertains to …

Unilateral sanctions are a political tool operating through restrictive economic measures aimed to coerce a target to fall in line with sanctioning State’s foreign policy, imposed without the authorisation of an international organisation. While usually sanctions pertain to economic relations between the targeting and the targeted State (primary sanctions), to enforce those in recent years there has been a proliferation …

Within a few months, the European Court for Human Rights found Turkey accountable twice for violating Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights concerning the freedom of expression. In April 2021, in the case of Ahmet Hüsrev Altan v. Turkey, the Court held that there had been an infringement of the applicant’s freedom of expression and freedom of …

Following the current unrest in Iran, a Revolutionary Court in Tehran issued earlier this week the first death sentence to an anti-government protestor. Within the next few days, four more people were sentenced to death, all five with the charge of “enmity against God” due to their participation in the ongoing protest movement. According to judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei …

Soon after the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and the termination of freedom of movement between the two, the UK Government introduced its “New Plan for Immigration”, which not only added further limitations on the rights of refugees, migrants, and asylum seekers but also proposed the amendment of the British Nationality Act 1981 (BNA). Despite the …

Recently Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, welcomed the decision of Kenya to charge 12 of its senior police officers for murder, torture and rape as crimes against humanity in the context of State’s 2017 post-electoral violence as an important improvement towards accountability for gross violations of human rights, stating that this “ground breaking decision is a …

As the world is gearing up for FIFA 2022, the event not only would be the most celebrated sporting event after the Pandemic but also will find its place in history for exposing the horrendous Kafala system. Previously the international community often focused on armed conflict and terror in the Middle East, however, recently, the plight of migrant workers under …

As the Northern Hemisphere is gearing up for a strong winter, many houses in Ukraine will have no means to keep them warm. In fact, many do not even have a roof above their heads, let alone a heating system. As the civilians in Ukraine are fighting for survival, rampant destruction of their homes may be the last of their …

Docked in a berth of the port of Catania, Italy, there are two NGO boats with on board around 250 asylum seekers rescued in international waters: in both cases, the new far-right Italian government has stated that only women, children and people in ill health will be allowed to disembark, in clear violation of international obligations under asylum law and …