Right to dissent
Jordan cybercrime law Jordanian cybercrime law ratified by king, threatens freedom of speech

The bill introduces a new set of prohibitions and restrictions on speech and posts made on social media and elsewhere on the internet that the government deems to be a danger to national unity

Prison term for insulting monarchy Morocco Moroccan man sentenced to five years in prison for criticizing normalization of ties with Israel

Despite widespread protests, the Moroccan government normalized its relations with Israel in December 2020 under the so-called Abraham Accords sponsored by the US  

Tunisia protests against arrests Protesters in Tunisia denounce spate of arrest of opposition leaders, others 

The government led by President Kais Saied arrested 20 opposition figures and critics in February—including former ministers—on charges of terrorism and threatening state security

How the Indian state neglects the health of political prisoners

84 year old human rights activist, priest and political prisoner Stan Swamy died in hospital on July 5 in India. Many have called his death an ‘institutional murder’ and a ‘custodial killing.’

Bombay Court grants bail to intellectual Varavara Rao on medical grounds

After spending nearly 31 months in jail, the 82-year-old intellectual has been granted six months bail on medical grounds while the bench asked him to remain within the jurisdiction of the special National Investigation Agency court

Pablo Hasel Spain Protests take place in Spain against persecution of rapper Pablo Hasel 

The Spanish national court served a notice to Hasel last week asking him to surrender within ten days to face imprisonment. Hasel was convicted on charges of “glorifying terrorism, insulting the crown and state institutions”, and faces a two-year prison term

Egypt political prisoners release Egyptian court orders release of over 600 political prisoners and detainees

A criminal court in Cairo ordered the release of detainees being held in remand under 19 different cases. As per claims by family members and lawyers, over 300 detainees were released on Tuesday, with more expected to be released in the coming days

Elgar Parishad Case: Tracking India’s crackdown on dissent

Two years have passed since the arrest of activists in India as part of the Bhima Koregaon case. The case is emblematic in the growing wave of repression against human rights and leftist activists in India

Shaima-Sami arrested Egypt Journalist Shaima Sami arrested in Egypt

Sami’s whereabouts and the reason for her arrest are still unknown. She is the second female journalist to be arrested by the Egyptian police within a week after editor-in-chief of Mada Masr Lina Attalah

India’s Supreme Court rejects pre-arrest bail plea of activist Gautam Navlakha, scholar Anand Teltumbde

They are accused of instigating violence and having links with a banned Maoist party. Both Gautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde have been vocal critics of the ruling far-right Bharatiya Janata Party and its Hindu supremacist ideological framework

Assange update Assange’s 12-minute hearing presents a grim picture of judicial indifference

Assange’s legal team denounced a series of irregularities in his preliminary hearing held on January 13 and expressed concern over his health