The UN Human Rights Council’s Syria Commission of Inquiry (COI) announced on Friday that it has completed an in-country mission to Damascus as it prepares to brief the Council in Geneva on March 13. The Commission said it pressed Syria’s transitional authorities on accountability, institutional reform, and protections for civil society amid renewed regional volatility. The post UN Commission completes Syria mission amid regional escalation, urges respect for human rights appeared first on JURIST – News.

A UN expert on Friday warned of the “gradual erosion of rights” of activists and human rights defenders in Sweden, with ongoing restrictions on their ability to exercise their freedoms of expression, assembly, and association.  Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner The post UN expert: Sweden activists face erosion of rights amid growing restrictions on expression and assembly appeared first on JURIST – News.

A United Nations expert warned Friday that air pollution is contributing to widespread human rights violations worldwide, calling on governments to take urgent action to reduce pollution and protect the right to a healthy environment. In a report presented to the UN Human Rights Council, Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy, and The post New UN report examines human rights impact of air pollution appeared first on JURIST – News.

Amnesty International on Thursday called on Ethiopian authorities to investigate allegations of sexual violence and torture committed by fighters of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) in the country’s Oromia region. According to Amnesty International, women and girls in the region have reportedly been subjected to serious abuses such as rape and other forms of sexual The post Rights group calls for investigation into alleged sexual violence by OLA fighters in Ethiopia appeared first on JURIST – News.