On 1st July 2025, during the 59th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Angola was adopted. The statement delivered by the ISHR, in partnership with Kutakesa, highlighted the recent adoption of legislation jeopardising the freedom of assembly and association and imposing risks on the work of human rights defenders in Angola.
US sanctions against UN Special Procedures and International Criminal Court judges and officials violate human rights, betray victims and undermine justice and the rule of law.
New UN brief paves the way for States and UN bodies to develop norms and recommendations to better respond to transnational repression and protect victims.
At HRC59, woman human rights defender Laura Restrepo delivered a compelling statement, drawing attention to critical issues that undermine prospects for lasting peace in Colombia, such as the need for improved coordination between authorities and the importance of clarifying the connections between corporate interests and human rights violations.
Human rights defenders in exile face growing acts of transnational repression on a global scale. ISHR interviewed Basma Mostafa, a Berlin-based Egyptian journalist and woman human rights defender, who recounted threats and attacks she faced in exile for documenting enforced disappearances in Egypt and the MENA region.
Due Process Law Foundation and ISHR urge El Salvador to establish an expert commission to review mass detentions under the state of emergency, warning of continued rights violations and shrinking civic space under new repressive laws.
'As Syrians, we have an opportunity for a democratic transition.'
Ten years after the infamous ‘709 Crackdown’, Chinese authorities continue to target human rights lawyers and their relatives with detention, disbarment and harassment. Civil society worldwide joins hands to mark the crackdown’s tenth anniversary and renew calls for accountability.
The highest human rights court in Latin America delivered its landmark 300-page Advisory Opinion on the Climate Emergency and Human Rights, reaffirming the right to defend the environment and the obligation to protect those who defend it.
At the 59th Human Rights Council session, civil society organisations share reflections on key outcomes and highlight gaps in addressing crucial issues and situations. Full written version below.
