News

READ THE BRIEFING At their best, targeted sanctions are a powerful tool to protect people, uphold international law, and affirm the rights and dignity of those harmed by grave abuses. With a small but vital change to the law, the UK Government can ensure that sanctions enforcement… Read More

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has reaffirmed a fundamental principle in the case of S.A. v. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): States have a binding obligation to enforce reparation awards for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV).  The decision was adopted during… Read More

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has ordered Venezuela to pay compensation to the family of S.L., a UK national who died in custody in 2001, and to adopt structural reforms to protect the health and lives of women in detention, especially those with chronic and mental-health conditions. The… Read More

A cross-party group of MPs has challenged the UK Government to close the growing gap between the promise and practice of the UK’s Magnitsky-style sanctions regime, which is intended to target individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses and corruption. The debate highlighted how as human rights violations and grand corruption continue to escalate around the world, gaps in the Government’s sanctions policy risks undermining… Read More

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) and REDRESS welcome an important decision by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), which found that Egypt’s use of forced genital examinations (also known as “virginity tests”) on two women pro-democracy protesters in 2011 constituted degrading, inhumane and torturous… Read More

Read the Annual Review 2025 By Lyra Nightingale, Senior Legal Advisor Every survivor of torture has the right to reparation—a recognition that the harm they have suffered must, as far as possible, be repaired. Reparation can take many forms: compensation, rehabilitation, public apologies, or guarantees… Read More

Read the Annual Review 2025 By Andrew Lane, Legal Assistant In October 2020, thousands of Nigerians protested the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a police unit notorious for torture, extortion, and killings. The government responded with a harsh crackdown, arresting many and detaining them without charge. Read More

Read the Annual Review 2025 By Dianne Magbanua, Communications Officer Being a queer human rights lawyer in Kenya comes with serious risks, yet Masafu Okwara refuses to be silenced. She sees her work as part of a legacy built by those who fought before… Read More