Human Rights Centre Blog
Spotlight regularly features a significant individual or team from the Human Rights community to answer questions put by students from the University of Essex. This month, we focus on an independent advocacy organisation, CAGE. CAGE campaigns against injustice and oppression, and fights on behalf of the victims of human rights violations around the world. The […]
Today the sun rises on another day at Guantánamo Bay Detention Centre for 39 detainees still held without charge or trial, forgotten by a world that has moved on. Saifullah Paracha has woken to more than 6,300 sunrises in his Cuban cell, knowing only that when the sun sets again, he will have missed yet […]
by Pauline Canham In Focus 5 years on from the crisis of 2015, migrants continue to die The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) estimates that 554 migrants have died this year in attempts to cross the Mediterranean to Europe. During the migration crisis in 2015, 3030 people are believed to have drowned between January and […]
Part 1 of 2 Each month, the HRC Blog features a significant figure from the Human Rights community to go under the Spotlight, answering questions put by students from the University of Essex. This month, we feature Clive Stafford Smith OBE. This is part 1 of 2. About Clive Clive Stafford Smith is the founder of ‘Reprieve’ […]
by Chaitanya M. Hegde While the world is busy fighting COVID-19, India, a democratic and secular state consisting of different religions, is busy silencing the media and dissent.  The use of anti-terror laws to discriminate against Muslims has long been a problem in India, and more recently these laws have begun to be used against […]
By Pauline Canham Each month, the HRC Blog will feature a significant figure, or team from the Human Rights community to go under the Spotlight, answering questions put by students from Essex University. This month, we feature Sami Al Haj. About Sami Sami Al Haj is the Director of the Centre for Public Liberties & […]
by Pauline Canham, Lauren Ng, Bethany Webb-Strong,  Julia Kedziorek, Alana Meier, Amita Dhiman, As the world goes into lockdown to tackle COVID-19, some sectors of society are particularly at risk, not only to contracting the virus but to the very measures being put in place to protect us all. This week we look at how […]
by Teppei Ono, Secretary-General, Center for Prisoners’ Rights Japan With the world wondering if the Olympics will go ahead in Tokyo this summer, due to the impact of Coronavirus, Japan has found itself in the spotlight for a very different reason in recent months. The country’s criminal justice system hit the headlines towards the end […]
By Mariam Uberi According to a number of civil society and human rights commentators, Georgia requires an effective independent body to deal with the investigation of torture perpetrated by law enforcement officials. Between 2013 and 2015, the Public Defender’s office made 58 referrals to the General Prosecutor’s office to investigate alleged ill treatment of prisoners […]
By Dr Rick Lines The death penalty for drug offences is one of the most significant and politically charged issues within the current global drug policy debate. This week at the meeting of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Harm Reduction International will release its annual report on the death penalty, monitoring global trends and […]
Human Rights Centre Blog