Search Results for: uk torture

Julian Assange is among the most polarizing public figures of the 21st century thus far. In the nearly two decades since he established WikiLeaks, a website that gained infamy in the aughts for its release of millions of classified documents and related analyses, Assange has galvanized free speech advocates, incensed national security stalwarts, and fostered [...]

Publisher and activist Julian Assange appealed to London’s High Court this week in a last-ditch effort to avoid extradition to the US to face espionage charges. Following the hearing which spanned Tuesday and Wednesday, judges will consider whether Assange can appeal an earlier ruling ordering his extradition from the UK to the US, where he [...]

The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday called for the Myanmar government to investigate the killing of journalist Myat Thu Tan and prosecute the perpetrators. The journalist’s body was reportedly found buried in a bomb shelter in a Rakhine State military camp. His body, bearing signs of torture, was found along with six other political detainees. Since [...]

The UK Central Criminal Court handed down its sentence Friday in the landmark female genital mutilation (FGM) case against defendant Amina Noor for carrying out an FGM procedure on a UK citizen oversees, sentencing Noor to 7 years imprisonment. The victim of the crime, under the alias of Jade for her protection, was three years [...]

UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards, urged the UK government Tuesday to stop the impending extradition of Julian Assange to the US. She urged the government to carefully consider Assange’s appeal and cited significant concerns that his extradition could put him at risk of treatment amounting to torture. The Special Rapporteur called for [...]

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced Thursday further sanctions on Myanmar over ongoing human rights violations. This round of sanctions targeted military-linked entities “involved in the repression of the civilian population and serious human rights violations” in the Southeast Asian country. The British government previously imposed sanctions on 25 individuals and 33 [...]

UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Alice Jill Edwards told The Guardian on Friday the UK Ministry of Justice’s reforms that would release many people subject to indefinite Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) are “welcome but they do not go far enough.” Edwards said many people will not be able to benefit from the reforms as [...]

The government of Ireland lodged a new application with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Friday concerning recently enacted UK legislation that would grant amnesty to individuals accused of committing atrocities during the Northern Ireland Troubles. According to a press release from the ECHR, the Irish government challenged the legislation on the grounds [...]

Hafsa Kanjwal is an Assistant Professor of South Asian history at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where she has taught courses covering the history of the modern world, South Asian history, and Islam in the modern context. Most recently, Kanjwal authored a book titled “Colonizing Kashmir: State-building under Indian Occupation.”  In a conversation with JURIST’s [...]

The Hong Kong trial of prominent pro-democracy activist and media mogul Jimmy Lai has garnered widespread attention globally. Lai, a 76-year-old British citizen and high-profile critic of Beijing, faces national security charges, and his trial is expected to take months. Lai is a prominent figure in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. His detention and subsequent trial exemplify [...]