Portugal’s Parliament rejected on Wednesday a bid proposed by the far-right party Chega to charge the country’s president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa with treason over his support for reparation to former Portuguese colonies for slavery and mistreatment during colonization. The controversy dates back to April 2023 when President Marcelo de Sousa publically declared that Portugal has [...]
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HRW: UN member states should press Cambodia government amid human rights decline
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Sunday urged UN member states to press the Cambodian government to enact significant reforms amid the ongoing deterioration of the human rights situation in the country. According to the organization, Prime Minister Hun Manet’s government continues to impose increasing restrictions on freedom of expression and of the press, labor rights [...]
Russia jails top hypersonics scientist for seven years on treason charges
Renowned Russian scientist Alexander Kuranov received a seven-year sentence in a high-security prison on Thursday for state treason, according to the Head of the United Press Service of the Courts of St. Petersburg. Kuranov, who formerly headed a state research institute in St. Petersburg overseeing the Ayaks hypersonic aircraft program, faced arrest in 2021 at the age [...]
Radio Free Asia to close Hong Kong bureau citing safety concerns
Radio Free Asia’s (RFA) president, Bay Fang, announced Friday that the news organization has already closed its Hong Kong bureau and will “no longer have full-time personnel in Hong Kong” due to safety concerns after the enactment of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. The statement cited actions by Hong Kong authorities, who have referred to [...]
DR Congo reinstates death penalty after 21 years amid escalating violence and militant attacks
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Friday revealed it was lifting a 21-year-moratorium on executions in response to escalating violence and militant attacks, to stop its citizens, as well as active duty military and police, from cooperating with M23 rebels in the country’s eastern regions. The decision to lift the moratorium and reinstate [...]
Hong Kong Legislative Council waives notice requirement for second reading of local security bill
Hong Kong’s Legislative Council waived the 12-day prior notice requirement under the Notice of Motions and Amendments to resume the second reading of the new local national security bill upon Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang’s request in a letter to the Legislative Council’s House Committee on Friday. The Notice of Motions and Amendment authorizes [...]
Hong Kong government sends new national security bill to Legislative Council for debate
The Hong Kong government released the new national security bill on Friday and sent it to the Legislative Council (LegCo) for deliberation. The bill consists of nine parts, including criminalizing several national security offenses not covered in the 2020 National Security Law but listed in Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law. The bill [...]
The UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi raised the issue last month of Hong Kong’s new Article 23 national security proposals, which have been a subject of considerable controversy and debate in recent years. The Article 23 law in Hong Kong’s Basic Law stipulates that the [...]
Russia court rejects appeal by Russian-American woman accused of treason
A Russian court on Thursday rejected an appeal by a Russian-American woman against her detention on a treason charge, according to Reuters and ABC News reporters in the room. The 33-year-old Ksenia Karelina was arrested on January 27 and detained in a jail in Yekaterinburg for treason. According to Reuters, the Russian Federal Security Service [...]
Hong Kong government concludes public consultation for local security law
The Hong Kong government announced Wednesday that it concluded the four-week public consultation period for a new local security law under Article 23 of the Basic Law, which is Hong Kong’s mini-constitution. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee previously stated on January 30 that the proposed legislation aims to safeguard national security while respecting human [...]