Source: Flickr, July 29, 2016 

While attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea, about 60 migrants have died after the engine of their small dinghy broke down. 

On Wednesday, the dinghy was spotted by a ship belonging to the humanitarian organization, SOS Mediterranee. The humanitarian group was able to rescue 25 survivors who were showing signs of dehydration. 

A UN fact-finding mission (FFM) has concluded that the Iranian regime’s human rights violations during its brutal suppression of protests in 2022 amount to crimes against humanity.

In November 2022, the UN Human Rights Council established an FFM two months after the Woman, Life, Freedom protests that swept the country. The protests were in response to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died while in police custody. 

On 4 March the United States sanctioned eleven Zimbabwean officials including President Emmerson Mnangagwa for their connection to corruption or serious human rights abuses.

After a review of the Zimbabwe sanction programme that had been in effect since 2003, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions – targeting three companies and 11 people, including the Mnangagwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, and retired Brigadier-General Walter Tapfumaneyi.

Five members of the SAS have been arrested by British military police on suspicion of allegedly committing war crimes while on operations in Syria.

The case against the five revolves around the alleged murder of a suspected jihadist in Syria who was killed on operations two years ago. Case files recommending prosecution of murder charges have been sent by service police to the Service Prosecuting Authority, the military equivalent of the CPS.

It is alleged the five used excessive force in the incident, although the soldiers involved are understood to deny this, arguing they believed the dead man posed a legitimate threat, so justifying his killing.

On Friday, President Biden announced plans to carryout a US military airdrop of food and supplies into Gaza.

The announcement comes just a day after Israeli forces opened fire on thousands of Palestinians lining up for desperately needed food assistance. The massacre left more than 750 wounded and killed at least 112 Palestinans. 

Biden has stated that the military airdrop will take place in the coming days. He added that the United States is also currently exploring additional ways of getting aid to Palestinians. 

Human rights experts have condemned a decision by Indonesia’s outgoing president to award the rank of honorary four-star general to his presumed successor, Prabowo Subianto, a controversial figure accused of human rights violations.

Nicaragua has filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Germany for providing Israel financial and military aid, and for suspending funding for the UN Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA).

The case brought on by Nicaragua builds on South Africa's ICJ case against Israel. In it Nicaragua states that Germany is violating the 1948 Genocide convention and the 1949 Geneva convention on the laws of war in the occupied Palestinian territories.

A member of the US Air Force has died after setting himself on fire outside of the Israeli Embassy in Washington in protest against Israel’s war on Gaza.

The 25-year-old US airman, Aaron Bushnell of San Antonio, Texas, died from his injuries on Monday according to the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, DC.

The UN Human Rights Office has stated that warring sides in Sudan have committed abuses that could amount to war crimes, including indiscriminate attacks on civilian sites such as hospitals, markets, and refugee camps. 

The 10-month conflict has killed thousands and displaced approximately 8 million people.

In the report, Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated, "Some of these violations would amount to war crimes." He emphasizes that "The guns must be silenced, and civilians must be protected."

UN experts are calling for a full investigation into credible allegations that Palestinian women and girls have been subjected to sexual assault while in Israeli detention. 

A panel of experts has stated that there is evidence of at least two cases of rape alongside other cases of sexual humiliation and threats of rape.