Human rights

The Supreme Court suspended the sentence of the Cambodian dissident and opposition leader and reduced it from four to three years; it also barred him from running for and holding office. Rong slammed the authorities for trying to exclude him from local elections in 2027 and the general election in 2028.

Stories of children employed at checkpoints or in police work are emerging from various parts of the country. The regime fuels war propaganda by displaying weapons and equipment in schools. Some see this as a sign of the Islamic Republic's "economic collapse", while others view it as an attempt by the regime to pass on its ideology and propaganda to future generations.

In a message written from prison, the lawyer on trial alongside Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho for the 4 June vigils in Victoria Park speaks of the importance of resilience in remembering the 1989 massacre in Beijing, whilst the Hong Kong authorities cover the void left by the crackdown with a sea of market stalls. “4 June is a matter of principle, our most reliable safeguard against the perpetuation of dictatorship and the cult of power.”

His son issued an appeal trying to mobilise the international community. Zhenghis Reskhan is a prominent figure in Xinjiang's literary circles. For now, neither Kazakhstan’s embassy in China nor Chinese authorities have made any official statement about the case.

The activist is currently held at a detention centre over her visa. The UNHCR office in the Thai capital had granted her protection status. Hong Kong authorities accuse her of "subversion" under the territory’s national security law. Her "crime" is membership in the Hong Kong Parliament group of exiles.

The judges have ruled that disclosing the sex of the unborn child is a discriminatory and harmful practice, as well as being unconstitutional. The ruling comes at a time when the scourge of selective abortion, leading to the elimination of female foetuses, remains widespread. In the country, although abortions are formally permitted only to save the mother’s life, 1.58 million are performed annually, putting the health of many mothers at risk as well.

A coalition of civil society groups and organisations is calling on Anura Kumara Dissanayake to release at least 10 detainees unconditionally. Some have been in prison for over 30 years without trial. The controversial anti-terrorism law is under scrutiny.

The emergency has been caused by a lack of adequate facilities and the extensive use of preventive detention pending trial. There are at least 40,000 prisoners on the island in facilities with a total capacity of only 10,500 places. In some prisons, the actual capacity is exceeded by 400%.

For the first time, Islamic law is being used in this Malaysian state to initiate criminal proceedings. The “offence” is punishable by a fine of hundreds of euros and up to two years in prison. Under Islamic law, gender is determined at birth. A similar case involved transgender Nur Sajat, who fled to Australia in 2021.

The bishop of Kalookan and president of the Bishops’ Conference spoke about the fate of thousands of people who died during the Duterte years, whose fates have remained under investigation for years, with no answers for their families, this despite an inquiry by the Philippine Congress. To close this dark chapter, an independent body is needed to ensure that courage overcomes fear and accountability prevails over impunity.

Reports from the Busan summit are only about trade deals. While the trial of Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung (imprisoned for more than 1,500 days for Tiananmen vigils) is further postponed in Hong Kong, another independent newspaper is closing in Macau, and Radio Free Asia has come to a complete halt, stifled by cuts in US government funding. Is there still room for the fight for freedom in the era of transactional negotiations?

Sebastien Lai spoke to AsiaNews about his father’s ordeal. The 78-year-old Catholic businessman, who fought for democracy in Hong Kong, has been in prison since 2020. Given his poor health as a diabetic, “the fear for his life is very real.” Too many diabetics “have died in that situation in Hong Kong prisons.” The former media owner “is in solitary confinement,” denied the right to attend Mass. US President Donald Trump said that he would speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping about his case and get him released. His mother’s meeting with Pope Leo XIV gave her strength.