Human rights

EU expands Russia sanctions over cybercrime, surveillance and rights abuses

VKontakte and several Russian surveillance firms were added to the EU sanctions list over alleged ties to the FSB and the repression of government critics.

 A Russian flag is seen on the laptop screen in front of a computer screen on which cyber code is displayed, in this illustration picture taken March 2, 2018.
Kafr Sousa security complex after it was emptied following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria December 15, 2024.

Damascus yet to keep pledge to respect rights of detainees, UN inquiry team says

Abolfazl Jahedi

‘He never became a firefighter’: Abolfazl Jahedi, killed in Iran’s protest crackdown - interview

everal thousand people gather during a demonstration against 'the regime of the ayatollahs in Iran' on January 25, 2026 in Brussels, Belgium.

Iranians testify to ‘Post’ how regime murdered loved ones in January massacres


Iran’s rial hits historic low: Over 1.5 million rials to a dollar

Essentials such as food, medicine, and clothing have become increasingly unaffordable, while the minimum monthly wage has fallen to roughly $100.

People walk past a sign at a currency exchange as the value of the Iranian Rial drops, in Tehran, Iran, February 9, 2025

'Jews are hated because of Abraham's God': Bishop Schirrmacher against antisemitism - interview

For Schirrmacher, the connection to Israel was not merely theological.

Exclusive Interview with Bishop Thomas Paul Schirrmacher at  the Conference of European Rabbis.

Leaks from Iranian officials to Western media indicate growing levels of dissent in regime - report

The leaked information threatens the regime’s narrative of violent foreign-backed terrorist organizations killing civilians and protesters and causing unrest.

People attend the funeral of the security forces who were killed in the protests that erupted over the collapse of the currency's value in Tehran, Iran, January 14, 2026.

Venezuela frees at least 104 political prisoners as interim government continues releases

They were released from prisons across the country, and more releases were likely taking place, said Alfredo Romero, the director of Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal.

A person holds a Venezuelan flag as Venezuelans living in Costa Rica demonstrate for a democratic transition, after the US launched strikes on Venezuela, capturing its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, in San Jose, Costa Rica January 4, 2026

Iran security forces shoved wounded protesters into body bags, executed live patients in hospitals

In a shocking revelation, the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center has reported the case of a young, wounded protester who survived by pretending to be dead inside a body bag.

 People gather during protest on January 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Internet restoration in Iran begins as rights groups warn of deepening crisis

NetBlocks, a privately held global internet monitor, also claimed that there were signs of "an attempt to generate false traffic and manufacture narratives of a wider restoration."

An Iranian living in Japan, with taped mouth and carrying a sign, marches in support of nationwide protests in Iran, in Tokyo, Japan, January 18, 2026.

Jordan officials use products from Israeli company to violate activists privacy, rights - report

The Citizen Lab states that the use of Cellebrite's tool "likely violates international human rights law."

An engineer shows devices and explains the technology developed by the Israeli firm Cellebrite's technology on November 9, 2016

Iranian man pretends to be dead for three days, fearing a regime execution - report

According to the account shared by the IHRDC, the family of the man spent three days looking for their son, who had gone missing, searching hospitals and the Behesht Zahra cemetery.

Cars burn in a street during a protest over the collapse of the currency's value, in Tehran, Iran, January 8, 2026.

Iran's internet to return to normal by Friday, official announces

Afshin declared that "by order of the president, nationwide internet access will be restored from today to tomorrow and at the latest by the end of the week," which in Iran is on Friday.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei looks on, in a televised message following the Israeli strikes in Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025.

CBS airs El Salvador mega prison report weeks after pulling segment

The report on the prison holding US deportees was delayed from December 21, with CBS saying more reporting was needed.

A Salvadoran soldier stands guard, as the CECOT logo is seen, during a media tour at the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) prison, in Tecoluca, El Salvador April 4, 2025.