Two years after voters ended Fiji’s long, strongman era, rallies still require police protection, and reform bills die in an ‘unamendable’ constitution. Democracy returned, but dissent travels in a narrow, patrolled lane.
In 2025, Huione Group attracted international attention as its subsidiaries enabled money laundering for transnational organised crime to flourish. As illicit businesses can be a persistent threat to human rights, this article will underline how Huione Group’s subsidiaries operated and the key challenges arising from these entities.
Once focused solely on prosecuting atrocities from Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) now finds itself at the centre of a legal and political transformation. Triggered by mass protests and government repression in mid-2024, sweeping amendments to its founding law have dramatically expanded the tribunal’s mandate. As it begins prosecuting recent acts of political violence, the ICT-BD raises critical questions about justice, legitimacy, and the future of the rule of law in Bangladesh.
Concerns over deforestation, mining, and environmental degradation have caused significant harm to the Indigenous Peoples in Malaysia who depend on these lands for their survival. As the mining and logging industries expand, these communities continue to face human rights violations.
In Fiji, the use of excessive force continues to pose a serious threat to human rights. Despite widespread alarm and condemnation, such brutality remains pervasive, deeply entrenched in structural and legal weaknesses, as well as a prevailing culture of impunity and violence. Although several measures have been implemented to tackle this issue, a more comprehensive and sustained approach is essential to achieve lasting change.
LGBTQIA+ rights in Singapore remain a pressing issue. While recent legal reforms mark progress, widespread prejudice against the community persists.
On April 1st, 2025, Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) held a side event at the 58th Human Rights Council session in Geneva, moderated by Charlotte Zehrer. The event highlighted a GHRD report on enforced disappearances in Pakistan, particularly affecting ethnic and religious minorities, and called for urgent reforms and accountability. Panelists included Isabelle Wachsmuth from WHO, who discussed the traumatic impacts of enforced disappearances; Jamal Baloch, who described the systematic oppression of Baloch people, labeling it as genocide; Ammarah Balouch, who focused on the forced conversion of Sindhi girls; and Anwar Mehmood Rehman, who addressed the persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslims. All panelists united in demanding an end to enforced disappearances and called on the UN and international community to act decisively against these human rights violations.
At the 58th Human Rights Council Session in Geneva, the Tumuku Development and Cultural Union and the International Forum for Secular Bangladesh hosted a side event focusing on human rights violations and the rise of Islamic extremism in Bangladesh. Moderated by Kevin Lawrence, the event highlighted ongoing arbitrary arrests, violence against minorities, and severe restrictions on freedom of speech. Experts Fazal-ur Rehman Afridi and Dr. Rayhan Rashid raised concerns about religious persecution, extrajudicial killings, and significant suppression of dissent against marginalized groups such as Hindus and Christians. They discussed the militarization of state institutions and the unchecked rise of extremist groups undermining pluralism. The panel also addressed the repression of local media and the harassment of journalists, with reports of a climate of fear and intimidation. Investigative journalist Sahar Zand shared troubling accounts of violence against religious minorities. Former British MP Paul Bistrow acknowledged progress in specific areas in Bangladesh but warned of the potential loss of these gains amidst worsening human rights conditions. The panelists called for stronger international action to protect democratic principles and hold violators accountable, stressing the need for continued attention to the human rights situation in Bangladesh.
On March 13, 2025, GHRD organized a protest in front of the United Nations in Geneva to highlight ongoing human rights violations in Bangladesh, particularly against religious and ethnic minorities. Participants, including Bangladeshi civil society actors, called for an end to systemic repression and urged accountability for perpetrators. The protest drew attention to escalating violence under the interim government, emphasizing the need for judicial reforms and international intervention, including a referral to the International Criminal Court. GHRD later submitted a memorandum to the UN, requesting the release of Chinmoy Prabhu Das from detention and the establishment of a permanent UN office in Bangladesh.
Introduction Recently, an investigation by the Guardian newspaper revealed that European Union (EU) funds have been utilised to assist security
