Updates Archives
Unjust one-year prison sentence for activist Ahmed Douma emblematic of Egypt’s ongoing arbitrary detention crisis
Amnesty International: Responding to the news that Egyptian activist and writer Ahmed Douma has been convicted and sentenced to one year in prison following an unfair trial, Amnesty International’s Regional Researcher, Mahmoud Shalaby said: “The renewed unjust
Calls for release of Sierra Leonean singer jailed in ‘crackdown on free speech’
Lawyers, politicians and activists have called for the release of one of Sierra Leone’s best-known celebrities, who they said was unjustly imprisoned as part of
First global map of organisations supporting criminalised and incarcerated women
Women Beyond Walls is creating the first open-source global map of civil society groups supporting women who have been arrested, are on trial, are incarcerated, or have
Decriminalise Sex Work!
Sonke Gender Justice: It’s International Sex Workers’ Day, and we still call for an end to discrimination, stigma, violence, and the criminalisation of sex work.
Will Civil Society Be the Last Bastion of Freedom to Fall in Tunisia?
Avocats Sans Frontières (ASF): For several years now, President Kais Saied’s regime has steadily undermined the rule of law: dismissing judges, imprisoning political opponents, intimidating
Gulf states: More than 1,000 arrested in sweeping war-related crackdown on expression
Amnesty International: Authorities across Gulf states have arrested more than 1,000 people in a sweeping, war-related crackdown on expression, including for sharing online content or
Joint Statement by Women’s Rights Organizations in Somalia on the Arbitrary Detention of Ms. Sadia Moalim Ali
We, the undersigned women’s rights organisations, human rights defenders, civil society organisations, and advocates for justice and democratic freedoms in Somalia, express our deep concern
“Criminalization of Cultural Activities Continues in Belarus”: Monitoring of Cultural Rights Violations for January–March Published
Belarusian PEN has published a new analytical report summarizing the state of Belarusian culture in the first quarter of 2026. In Belarus, the politically motivated
When the law becomes a weapon
When the Law Becomes a Weapon Hope Behind Bars Africa: Across Nigeria’s civic space, a pattern is emerging that deserves closer attention. Increasingly, legal and
The Cost We No Longer Pay shows how families and communities across the country have significantly benefited from fines and fee reform since 2018
The Fines and Fees Justice Center (FFJC): NEW YORK – Today, Fines and Fees Justice Center (FFJC) released The Cost We No Longer Pay, a report
Court ordered reform: Why are vagrancy laws still unchanged?
Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC): When the High Court on 22 July 2022 delivered its landmark ruling on police “sweeping exercises,” it did more than
Indonesia: Military silences dissent with disinformation campaigns branding activists and journalists ‘foreign agents’
Amnesty International: Coordinated disinformation campaigns portraying government critics as “foreign agents” are silencing dissent and fueling intimidation and violence under Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Amnesty
Decades of Stigmatization Fueled Growing Threat of Pregnancy Criminalization
In the aftermath of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, there has been increased movement toward criminalization of abortion.
ECOWAS court orders prison decongestion measures following findings of human rights violations in Nigeria’s correctional facilities
The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS on 15 May 2026 delivered its judgment in Case No ECW/CCJ/APP/05/25 brought by a non governmental organisation alleging violations
Kuwait: Authorities must release journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin immediately, cease criminalising journalism
Geneva – The continued detention of Kuwaiti-American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin since 2 March, while visiting family in Kuwait, constitutes a serious violation of freedom of expression
SAFTU rejects the draft pie amendment bill: A dangerous attack on the poor and a rollback of constitutional rights
The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) condemns the Draft Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land Amendment Bill, 2026 as
Louisiana Advances Bill That Could Force Homeless Into Unpaid Labor
National Homelessness Law Center The Louisiana House Judiciary Committee voted 12-4 on April 9 to advance a controversial bill that could force homeless individuals into unpaid labor. House Bill
It’s official: No woman in England or Wales can be prosecuted for an abortion any more
After years of campaigning, England and Wales have officially decriminalised abortion for women in a “landmark moment” as part of proposed changes to the Crime and Policing Bill.
Women are being retraumatised inside Villawood and nothing is changing
There is something deeply unsettling about the way harm can become normalised when it is bureaucratised. When it is written into policy, absorbed into infrastructure,
A statement to our community about why RightsCon 2026 will not take place in Zambia
To our community, We are devastated to be writing to you instead of gathering together as planned and we know we’re not alone. The frustration
National Homelessness Law Center stands in solidarity with the Southern Poverty Law Center
National Homelessness Law Center: Last night, the U.S. Department of Justice launched the next wave of an unprecedented attack on the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Serbia: Arbitrarily detained lawyer Cedomir Stojkovic must be released
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ): The ICJ condemns the continued deprivation of liberty of Serbian lawyer Cedomir Stojkovic and the criminal proceedings against him on
Russia: Imprisoned young anti-war activists must be immediately and unconditionally released
Amnesty International: Responding to the draconian sentences issued against young activists prosecuted for their actual or perceived affiliation with the Russian youth democratic movement Vesna (Spring), Marie
Russia: “Extremist” label and ban of Nobel Prize winner Memorial criminalizes human rights work
Amnesty International: Reacting to the news that the Russian authorities have arbitrarily designated prominent human rights group Memorial as “extremist” and banned its activities in
Section 55: Colonial-era law under review for ‘criminalising poverty’
Punjab Assembly’s legal reforms committee moves to scrap Section 55(1)(b) of the CrPC, calling it a law that “criminalises poverty,” while debate grows over other
Stop militarized immigration operations in the USA
Amnesty International: Across the United States, immigration agents are carrying out widespread human rights violations with impunity, including extrajudicial executions, mass detentions and deportations. Fear grips communities as
Türkiye: Absurd charges against board of LGBTI+ organization must be dropped
Amnesty International: The prosecution of Amnesty International Türkiye’s former Chair Kerem Dikmen and ten other members of the executive and supervisory boards of Genç LGBTI+ (Young LGBTI+) Association, is part of an orchestrated strategy of harassment of LGBTI+ organizations and their supporters, Amnesty International said ahead of a hearing which
Let The Poor Breathe!
In recent weeks, reports of arrests and imprisonment of poor and homeless people in Lagos State, alongside the brutal assault of homeless children in Cross
Côte d’Ivoire: Pregnant women among those detained without cause since October 2025 crackdown
Five months on from opposition protests banned by the authorities that saw hundreds of people arrested, including pregnant women, some are still being held even
CSW70 Interactive Expert Panel – Priority Theme Floor Intervention – SIHA Network
Chair, Excellencies, colleagues, My name is Faizat Badmus-Busari, Regional Programme Manager at the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa – SIHA Network.
National Homelessness Law Center stands in solidarity with the Southern Poverty Law Center
National Homelessness Law Center: Last night, the U.S. Department of Justice launched the next wave of an unprecedented attack on the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Serbia: Arbitrarily detained lawyer Cedomir Stojkovic must be released
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ): The ICJ condemns the continued deprivation of liberty of Serbian lawyer Cedomir Stojkovic and the criminal proceedings against him on
Russia: Imprisoned young anti-war activists must be immediately and unconditionally released
Amnesty International: Responding to the draconian sentences issued against young activists prosecuted for their actual or perceived affiliation with the Russian youth democratic movement Vesna (Spring), Marie
Russia: “Extremist” label and ban of Nobel Prize winner Memorial criminalizes human rights work
Amnesty International: Reacting to the news that the Russian authorities have arbitrarily designated prominent human rights group Memorial as “extremist” and banned its activities in
Section 55: Colonial-era law under review for ‘criminalising poverty’
Punjab Assembly’s legal reforms committee moves to scrap Section 55(1)(b) of the CrPC, calling it a law that “criminalises poverty,” while debate grows over other
Stop militarized immigration operations in the USA
Amnesty International: Across the United States, immigration agents are carrying out widespread human rights violations with impunity, including extrajudicial executions, mass detentions and deportations. Fear grips communities as
Türkiye: Absurd charges against board of LGBTI+ organization must be dropped
Amnesty International: The prosecution of Amnesty International Türkiye’s former Chair Kerem Dikmen and ten other members of the executive and supervisory boards of Genç LGBTI+ (Young LGBTI+) Association, is part of an orchestrated strategy of harassment of LGBTI+ organizations and their supporters, Amnesty International said ahead of a hearing which
Let The Poor Breathe!
In recent weeks, reports of arrests and imprisonment of poor and homeless people in Lagos State, alongside the brutal assault of homeless children in Cross
Côte d’Ivoire: Pregnant women among those detained without cause since October 2025 crackdown
Five months on from opposition protests banned by the authorities that saw hundreds of people arrested, including pregnant women, some are still being held even
CSW70 Interactive Expert Panel – Priority Theme Floor Intervention – SIHA Network
Chair, Excellencies, colleagues, My name is Faizat Badmus-Busari, Regional Programme Manager at the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa – SIHA Network.
Court Watch: Orange County Residents Serve Time for Unlawful Camping
SANTA ANA, Calif. — In Department 49 of the Central Justice Center, Commissioner Joseph Dane sentenced several individuals to serve time for unlawful camping. Across
UN High-Level side event on decriminalising poverty and status
Women Beyond Walls: On 18 March, we co-hosted an official UN side event with Penal Reform International, Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, and
‘Groundbreaking’ UN agreement on justice for women to include those in prison for first time
The “groundbreaking” inclusion of female incarceration in a global agreement on justice for women and girls adopted at the UN this week has been hailed
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Criminalization of Women’s Political Expression in Kashmir
At the core of any democracy lies a delicate balance: the responsibility of the state to ensure security and the equally important duty to protect
Justice must work for all women and girls, and for every generation – At CSW70, young leaders and women’s rights advocates tackle the justice gap across the life course
From adolescent girls confronting online violence to older women navigating barriers to inheritance and property rights, women across generations continue to face obstacles in accessing
Malta: Seven years of injustice. Drop the charges against the El Hiblu 3
Amnesty International: Saturday 28 March marks seven years since Amara Krumak, Abdalla Bari and Kone Tiemoko Abdul Kader – known as the El Hiblu 3
Russia: Four-year prison sentence for nightclub owner exposes deepening crackdown on LGBTI rights
Amnesty International: Reacting to the sentencing of nightclub owner Tatiana Zorina to four years in a penal colony for purportedly organizing the “extremist activity” of
From the Philippines to the U.S.: Lessons on Fines and Fees Reform from the Second National Decongestion Summit
The Fines and Fees Justice Center (FFJC): In January, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) sponsored the Philippines’ Second National Decongestion Summit in Manila
New Afghan Criminal Regulations Threaten Women and Minority Rights
The Taliban has endorsed a new Criminal Procedure Regulation of the Courts, which Amnesty International warns will deepen discrimination and violence against women and minority
ICJ Kenya condemns detention and expulsion of Pan Africanist and Zimbabwean human rights defender Brian Kagoro; urges state to cease harrassment of human rights defenders & to uphold constitutional obligations on civic space
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya): The Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya) expresses its grave concern and strongly condemns the
‘Graveyard of Human Rights’: UN High Commissioner Warns of Deteriorating Conditions for Women in Afghanistan
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has warned of the deteriorating human rights situation in Afghanistan, emphasizing that women and girls have effectively
Call for input: global map of organisations working with and for criminalised women
Women Beyond Walls: A new global mapping exercise to identify organisations working with and for women affected by the criminal legal system. The aim is
Colonial Policing in a Drug Crisis: How Bill 6 and Bill 223 Endanger Lives
Amnesty International: Bill 6 prohibits “the public consumption of illegal substances” in public spaces, with the government’s stated goal being the “clearing of encampments by enhancing penalties.” In practice,
Criminalizing Childhood: When the Justice System Fails America’s Youth
Does your community care about children? This deceptively simple question carries profound moral, social, and civic weight. Across the United States, children are too often
A Human Rights-Based Approach to Decriminalizing Conduct Associated with Poverty and Status
Institute of Commonwealth Studies and International Commission of Jurists: On 3 March 2026, the Commonwealth Secretariat (ComSec), the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (ICwS) – together
70th plenary meeting – Commission on the Status of Women, Seventieth session (CSW70)
Penal Reform International and Women Beyond Walls: The seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) will take place at United Nations Headquarters in
Brazil: Marielle Franco and Mãe Bernadette murder trials will test state’s resolve to deliver justice for human rights defenders
Amnesty International: Brazil faces a decisive test of its willingness to confront impunity for attacks against human rights defenders in the coming weeks, said Amnesty
Pakistan: Arbitrary arrest and sentencing of human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha
The undersigned organisations strongly condemn the arbitrary arrest and subsequent conviction of Pakistani human rights lawyers Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha and call
Nepal: Publish Reports on Violent Crackdowns on Protests
(London, February 13, 2026): Nepal’s interim government led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki should release the Commission of Inquiry report into deadly violence during “Gen
Women in Prison Network statement calls on CSW and UN member states to include imprisoned women in global gender equality agenda
Statement submitted by Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice and Penal Reform International, non-governmental organisations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council
Mexico: Cefereso 16, the “cemetery of the living”
Prison Insider: The Federal Center for Social Rehabilitation (Centro Federal de Readaptación Social , CEFERESO) No. 16, in the state of Morelos, is Mexico’s only federal
Advocates Thrash Attempt to Criminalize Homelessness in East Lansing
Proposed Ordinance Mirrors a Growing National Trend of Punishing Unhoused People Rather Than Investing in Housing Solutions Invisible People: Advocates are speaking out against a
Call for Inputs: Systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent in the enforcement of drug laws and policies
In its upcoming report, the Expert Mechanism will examine systemic racism against Africans and people of African descent in the enforcement of drug laws and policies,
Call for Inputs : OHCHR report on human rights implication of drug policy
In its resolution 60/26, adopted on 8 October 2025, the Human Rights Council requested OHCHR to prepare a report, in consultation with Member States, the
Women inmate count rising fast; prisons aren’t ready for them
Rose a 32-year-old sex worker who was arrested in a police raid was a bundle of nerves when advocate Sunita Salsingikar first met her in
Call for inputs joint study on challenges of litigating women’s and girls’ rights before African Union human rights organs
The ACHPR, through Resolution ACHPR/Res.594 (LXXX) 2024, mandated the development of a Joint Analytical Study to examine the challenges that hinder effective litigation of women’s and
UN experts urge urgent action to protect women in prisons and curb over-criminalisation ahead of CSW70
Women Beyond Walls: UN human rights experts* today urged Member States to take action to strengthen protections for women and girls in criminal justice systems,
Türkiye: Conviction of Kurdish lawyers is an affront to justice and undermines the independence of the legal profession
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) deplores the conviction of ten lawyers, including Ramazan Demir, a member of the defence team of Selahattin Demirtaş, who remains
Iran: immediately stop mass killings of protestors and other atrocities and end impunity
The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) strongly condemns the Iranian authorities’ egregious use of widespread, excessive and lethal force to suppress ongoing anti-government demonstrations, in
What Is Criminalization of Homelessness?
Invisible People: The term “Criminalization of Homelessness” refers to a range of laws and ordinances that punish people simply for being homeless. According to Housing Not Handcuffs,
Study reveals how Malawi’s Courts punish the Poor for being Poor
The Centre for Human Rights Education Advice and Assistance (CHREAA): Across Malawi, the poor are routinely jailed for failing to pay fines they cannot afford,
Commonwealth Law Ministers urged to disseminate Practitioners’ Guide on a Human Rights-based Approach to Criminal Law
Institute of Commonwealth Studies: Today in Fiji, Commonwealth Law Ministers noted in their 2026 Outcome Statement satisfaction with the production of the Practitioners’ Guide on
State-Backed Repression: How Kenya’s Anti-Terror Laws Are Targeting Activists
VOCAL Africa calls for an immediate review and amendment of all counter-terror provisions that can be misapplied against citizens exercising their constitutional freedoms.A democratic nation
Court Orders Riverside County to End Unconstitutional Wealth-Based Detention for Individuals Arrested for Lower-Level Charges
Orange County, CA – An Orange County Superior Court judge has enjoined Riverside County, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Chad Bianco, stopping them from jailing people
Russia: Authorities seeking to use “extremism” laws as pretext to ban leading LGBTI organizations
Amnesty International: Reacting to the Russian Ministry of Justice’s move to seek to ban as “extremist” the leading LGBTI organizations in Russia – Russian LGBT
Georgia: Ruling party proposes laws to criminalize foreign funding for civic activity
Amnesty International: Ahead of the parliamentary vote on legislative amendments announced by the Georgian Dream ruling party, which aim to further silence dissent and tighten
Gabon: (Sur)viving in prison
From a judicial crisis to a prison crisis Prison Insider: A third of Gabon’s population lives below the poverty line, according to the UN. The
Egypt: Authorities must end crackdown on individuals discussing religious beliefs online
Amnesty International: The Egyptian authorities have intensified their crackdown on religious expression online in recent months, said Amnesty International today, calling on the authorities to
Exploring human rights, digital minefields and intersectionality in cyber politics
Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC): In an era when digital infrastructures have a strong hold on everything from civic participation to surveillance, human rights interventions
Centering lived experience: bridging drug policy and prison reform through peer‑led care
Penal Reform International (PRI): Meaningful participation of people with lived experience in the EU and UN spaces is not a “nice extra” – it is
The Campaign to Decriminalise Poverty and Status is a coalition of organisations from across the world that advocate for the repeal of laws that target people based on poverty, status or for their activism.
@DecrimPS
#DecrimPoverty | #DecrimStatus | #DecrimActivism