10 stories for 2026-02-28 · Political repression, arbitrary detention & extrajudicial violence
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has accused Israel of showing 'utter disregard' for human rights in Palestinian territories and seeking to impose permanent demographic change in the West Bank and Gaza.
A podcast examines Israel's administrative control over occupied Palestinian territory and the Palestinian Authority's limited capacity to respond to or prevent annexation efforts.
Amnesty International reported that Israel has escalated settlement and annexation procedures in the West Bank since the end of last year, including approval of new settlements and expansion of existing ones, amid increased settler violence.
Syrian government forces and Druze factions conducted a prisoner exchange in Sweida province.
A families' association in Syria has rejected a television series depicting the suffering of detainees under former President Bashar al-Assad's rule. The association states it will not support any dramatic portrayal of the detainee issue unless it leads to disclosure of the fate of missing victims.
Syria's Justice Ministry has dismissed concepts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, arguing that the Syrian government bears no international legal responsibility. The ministry characterizes reclassification of such crimes as murder or assault as intentional legal distortion aimed at removing them from international accountability mechanisms.
Amnesty International has called on Algerian authorities to ensure that the upcoming retrial of 94 people accused in connection with August 2021 events in Kabylie adheres to international fair trial standards. The organization emphasized that the retrial must exclude the death penalty and any torture-tainted statements.
Lebanon's Constitutional Council has ruled to invalidate a law on judicial independence, sending it back to parliament. The decision has been described as a significant political and legal shock.
An appeals court in Tunisia issued sentences ranging from 3 to 24 years in prison in a case involving alleged smuggling of fighters to Syria. The former prime minister Ali Al-Aridh was among those sentenced.
Residents of Sanaa are increasingly reporting violations by Houthi authorities amid a worsening economic crisis. Complaints include food strikes and protests related to alleged confiscation of property rights and private land.