Five years after the Taliban regained power, Afghan human rights defenders have documented over 2,700 public floggings in Afghanistan between February 2022 and April 2026, with women frequently targeted.

Twenty-six current and former employees of the Srebrenica Memorial Center were summoned for questioning by Zvornik police on suspicion of tax evasion, a move that has drawn strong condemnation from officials and human rights defenders. Critics suggest the investigation is politically motivated and aimed at pressuring the Bosniak community in Srebrenica.

The Moldovan government has approved measures to provide greater protection for journalists, human rights defenders, civic activists, whistleblowers, and NGO members against abusive SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) lawsuits.

Human rights defenders in Tunisia have reportedly received harsh sentences, according to Africa24 TV. The development raises concerns about the state of human rights and freedom of expression in the country.

Climate activists, human rights defenders, and Indigenous communities in Colombia face potential challenges from the incoming government's agenda regarding peace, climate, and human rights.

Preliminary data from the United Nations indicates that at least 950 human rights defenders, journalists, and trade unionists were killed or forcibly disappeared worldwide in 2025.

The Court of Appeal in Thailand ordered the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) to pay 210,000 baht in compensation to two human rights defenders and remove online content that damaged their reputations, overturning part of a lower court ruling.

On International Children's Day, human rights defenders and researchers drew attention to the political and military indoctrination of minors in Russia, according to a new report.

A new protection hub has been established to provide support and benefits to human rights defenders.

Several civil society organizations in Moldova have issued a public appeal to the Ministry of Justice, demanding the adoption of a separate law for the protection of human rights defenders.

Human rights defenders in South Kivu, DR Congo, are facing threats, while aid and movement are being hindered in the region's highlands.

Nearly 100 human rights defenders killed every year in Colombia: UN report  The Bogotá Post

Kazakhstan's intelligence agency has reportedly opened a major criminal case targeting Russians living in the country, with dozens of draft-age men questioned, leading human rights defenders to warn of potential mass deportations of anti-war Russians.

While supporting the repeal and re-enactment of the National Human Rights Commission Act, the AGF raised concerns over mandatory compliance certificates, borrowing powers and a proposed 0.3 per cent…

Amnesty International has condemned the killing of Iraqi women's rights activist Yanar Mohammed, calling it a 'calculated assault to stifle human rights defenders' in Iraq.

Civil Society Organizations in Nigeria are calling for the immediate withdrawal of a foreign aid bill, warning that it could restrict civic space and endanger human rights defenders.

The International Federation for Human Rights has issued an appeal to Tunisia, urging the country to cease the imprisonment of journalists and human rights defenders.

Advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit arguing that former President Trump's order regarding the International Criminal Court violates free speech and punishes human rights defenders.

Reports indicate that Tunisia has handed down harsh sentences to several human rights defenders, drawing international concern.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint initiative of FIDH and OMCT, expressed concern over alleged intimidation and judicial harassment of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in Nigeria.

The Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD) convened a high-level Afro-feminist consultation in Dakar to discuss the protection of Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) in West Africa.

Lithuanian Justice Minister Rita Tamašunienė asserted that she is not homophobic, responding to criticism from human rights defenders regarding her ministry's complaints challenging the registration of same-sex partnerships.

Amnesty International Nigeria has trained 30 young human rights defenders in Cross River State to bolster civic engagement and promote human rights awareness at the grassroots level.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele has invoked the Nuremberg trials to defend mass trials against gang leaders accused of 29,000 homicides, drawing criticism from human rights defenders.

A report by the Legal Resources Centre from Moldova (CRJM) concludes that attacks on civil society organizations, the press, and human rights defenders in the country have become 'more sophisticated and diversified'.

An article highlights the urgent need to protect human rights defenders in the Sahel Region of West Africa, where surveillance, harassment, arbitrary detention, and torture are reportedly used as tools of governance.

The Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights (JUKOM) and Belgrade announced that 317 attacks on human rights defenders were recorded in Serbia during the previous year.

Nigeria’s Attorney General opposes the proposed Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill, citing legal overlap, leading to a conflict with civil society organizations who support the legislation.

Dozens of Iranian protesters are on death row, accused of participating in a recent revolt, with human rights defenders raising alarms over allegations of torture and forced confessions.

Jacek Dubois discusses the fundamental difference between politicians and human rights defenders, noting that politicians may defend rule of law in opposition but be tempted to violate it in power, while human rights defenders consistently uphold rights.

The Women's Forum of the European Socialists expressed support for Gorjanc Prelević, stating that a society where human rights defenders, journalists, and critics face pressure cannot uphold European values.

Human rights defenders in Lahore have raised concerns that the proposed Punjab Control of Habitual Offenders and Anti-Social Behaviour Bill, 2026, if implemented, would turn the province into an "open jail."

Human Rights Watch has highlighted the imposition of harsh sentences on human rights defenders in Tunisia.

An editorial from Helsingin Sanomat emphasizes that Pride events make visible the ongoing discrimination faced by sexual and gender minorities in Finland, underscoring the continued necessity of human rights advocacy.

H.E. Catharina Cappelin, Ambassador of Sweden to Senegal, participated in an afrofeminist consultation in Dakar focused on protecting Women Human Rights Defenders in West Africa, organized by the Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD).

Almost 30 Azerbaijani prisoners, including journalists, human rights defenders, labor union activists, and politicians, have signed a statement declaring November 18 as 'Political Prisoners’ Day'.

Human rights defenders are raising concerns over the shrinking civic space in Kenya, citing increasing intimidation and arbitrary arrests by governments in the region.

Civil society organizations in Indonesia are widely criticizing the government's proposal to vet human rights defenders, raising concerns about potential restrictions on their work.

Human rights defenders report that Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov commands a personal army of approximately 33,000 troops.

A new UN report highlights the alarming statistic that nearly 100 human rights defenders are killed each year in Colombia, underscoring persistent challenges to human rights in the country.

A report released by the Lawyers’ Committee indicates that 317 attacks against human rights defenders were recorded in Serbia last year.

A joint study by the Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights (JUKOM) and the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCBP) revealed 317 attacks on human rights defenders in Serbia during the past year.

The United Nations has pledged support for Nigeria's efforts to reinforce its human rights framework, as the House of Representatives considers two key reform bills aimed at protecting human rights defenders and strengthening the National Human Rights Commission.