Human rights Archives

The Human Rights Case Against Nicolás Maduro

2Jun

By Ernesto RodriguezNo Comments

Human rights, Immigration, Migration, Political Systems, Domestic Politics, Types of News: Analysis

The Human Rights Case Against Nicolás Maduro

A Venezuelan Expat Makes A Case for Justice That Can Bring About Real Democratic Change Editor’s Note: Venezuelan expat Ernesto Rodriguez reflects on the U.S. military’s Jan. 3, 2026 capture of Nicolás Maduro, recounts the authoritarian leader’s grip on power from 2013-2026, makes a case against the years of torture and political corruption, and calls for justice. Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are facing U.S. federal charges in New York for narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons offenses. Let's picture the scene. I'm sleeping back home in Madrid, and I get woken up by a call from Caracas, where the time is around 3 o'clock in the morning. As anyone knows, calls at those hours are usually some form of bad—or at the very least urgent—news. This wasn't an except...

U.S. Ships Noncitizen Inmates to Third Countries

20Jul

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Domestic Politics: United States, Foreign Aid, International Development, Human rights, Immigration, Migration, International Law, Legal Battles, Types of News: Analysis

U.S. Ships Noncitizen Inmates to Third Countries

Eswatini Joins El Salvador and South Sudan for Importing Detainees U.S. ships noncitizens abroad, including convicted criminals July 20, 2025—In undisclosed deals with third countries, the U.S. government is shipping noncitizens abroad to be locked up in detention centers. The latest shipment to the Kingdom of Eswatini included five people who had been previously convicted in U.S. courts of murder, child rape, robbery, and homicide, according to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS released photos of the detainees, along with their convictions, but not their names. DHS says the home countries of Vietnam, Laos, Jamaica, Cuba, and Yemen “refused to take them back.” Notably, neither country disclosed details of the deal or revealed information about the financial agreement. The s...

18Jun

By Ali AltawilNo Comments

Human rights, Middle East, Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing, WAR: Dispatches & Dialogue

A Poem from Gaza: “Inside a Hospital”

Al Aqsa Hospital: 'In The Hush Before the Storm, The Fear of Everything' Ali Altawil, M.D. is a general practitioner and writer bearing witness to and shedding light on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, capturing lived realities with a poetic voice. He works at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the heart of Gaza, where he and his family endure the same struggles as the people he serves. Through his profession and his words, he resists oppression and holds on to the hope of a better tomorrow. If you’d like to support his work, visit his GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-save-my-life-and-pursue-my-education. Inside a hospital in Gaza,What does the scene look like?Tear-filled eyes.Pale faces.Breaths held…in trembling chests.A silence, thick.But not the peaceful kind,no…...

25May

By Ali AltawilNo Comments

Human rights, Type of Post: Essays & Travel Writing, WAR: Dispatches & Dialogue

Poem: “Fragrance of Memory”

'Tell Your Children About Us,' Doctor In Gaza Writes Photo by Ali Altawil Copyright @alialtawil By Ali Altawil, M.D. Tell your children about us,That we cherish lifefar more than our enemy cherishes our demise,That we dance with joywhen a certain song graces our ears,That we delight in raising cats,That our souls glowin the presence of jasmine flowers,AndThat we walk barefoot in the rain,So the memory of the land may cleanse us,Returning us to the place where we belong,Scented with its sacred soil. Ali Altawil, M.D. is a general practitioner and writer bearing witness to and shedding light on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, capturing lived realities with a poetic voice. He works at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the heart of Gaza, where he and his family endure the same strug...

UK, US Diplomats Denounce Taliban’s Crimes Against Humanity

2Aug

By Patti MohrNo Comments

Diplomacy, Human rights, International Law, Legal Battles, Types of News: Brief

UK, US Diplomats Denounce Taliban’s Crimes Against Humanity

August 2, 2021--Following reporting by a human rights organization about retaliatory killing by the Taliban in Afghanistan, diplomats for the United States and the United Kingdom took to Twitter to call for accountability. The latest report comes after an attack against a UN compound in Herat, Afghanistan. It also follows news from the United Nations about a sharp rise in civilian killings in Afghanistan since May. As violence rises, many international diplomats are questioning whether the Taliban could ever be trusted to govern and take part in peace talks. A UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan warns that 2021 is on track to witness the "highest ever number of documented civilian casualties in a single year since UNAMA records began." Retaliatory Killings The Afghanistan Inde...