Weekly News Recap (8 - 14 June 2026)
© Photo by United Nations Photo via Flickr
International Justice Section
Italy: Prosecutors Open Investigation into Israeli Minister Over Alleged Abuse of Flotilla Activists
ICC: States Parties Suspend Prosecutor Pending Disciplinary Proceedings
Tunisia: Court Sentences Journalist Khaoula Boukrim to Four Years’ Imprisonment Under Cybercrime Law
Kenya: Criminal Complaint Filed Against RSF Members Over Alleged Atrocities in Sudan War
India: Court Grants Bail to Kashmiri Rights Activist in Terror-Funding Case
Indonesia: Military Court Convicts Four Officers Over Acid Attack on Human Rights Activist
ICC: Orders New Medical Assessment of Duterte Ahead of November Trial
International Peace & Security Section
UN: Security Council Warns of Deepening Humanitarian and Human Rights Crisis in Afghanistan
Bolivia: Government Signs Law Enabling Emergency Powers Amid Continued Unrest
EU: Council Adopts Second European Peace Facility Measure for Egyptian Armed Forces
PRIO: Report Finds Armed Conflict and Interstate War at Record Highs
UN: Warns Increasing Attacks on Civilian Infrastructure Obstruct Humanitarian Aid Access in Sudan
UN: Warns Israeli Displacement Order Covering Entire City of Tyre in Lebanon Affects 44,000 People
DRC: HRW Reports Forced Recruitment and Detention by Rwanda and M23 Rebels
UK-Australia-Canada: Announce Joint £3 Million Peace Fund for Israel and Palestine
Afghanistan: Rights Groups Report Taliban Used Excessive Force Against Protesters in Herat
International Justice Section
Italy: Prosecutors Open Investigation into Israeli Minister Over Alleged Abuse of Flotilla Activists
On 8 June 2026, Italian prosecutors in Rome opened a criminal investigation into Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over allegations relating to the treatment of Italian nationals detained during the interception of an aid flotilla bound for Gaza. The probe reportedly concerns material including a video published by Ben-Gvir following the detention of activists last month. The case arises from the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters, during which more than 400 activists from over 40 countries were detained by Israeli authorities. Italian nationals were among those held. Activists have alleged that detainees were subjected to abusive, humiliating, and degrading treatment during detention, allegations which have been denied by the Israeli Prison Service. Italian authorities are assessing whether the reported conduct may amount to criminal offences under domestic law, with prosecutors considering evidence gathered from media material and testimonies. The investigation follows similar legal scrutiny in other European jurisdictions, including France, where prosecutors have also opened proceedings in relation to the treatment of detained flotilla participants.
ICC: States Parties Suspend Prosecutor Pending Disciplinary Proceedings
On 8 June 2026, the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to suspend the ICC Prosecutor from duty with immediate effect, pending the outcome of ongoing disciplinary proceedings before the Assembly. The Bureau referred the matter to the Assembly of States Parties, which serves as the ICC’s management oversight and legislative body, and agreed to convene a special session to consider the case. The suspension was adopted in accordance with rule 28 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence and does not constitute a determination on the final outcome of the proceedings. The decision follows an internal assessment based on a report produced by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), supporting evidence, the opinion of an ad hoc panel of judicial experts, and written submissions from the parties involved. The Bureau emphasised that the process remains ongoing and that confidentiality and due process must be respected. The Assembly of States Parties, composed of representatives of States Parties to the Rome Statute, is responsible for oversight of the ICC.
Tunisia: Court Sentences Journalist Khaoula Boukrim to Four Years’ Imprisonment Under Cybercrime Law
On 9 June 2026, a Tunisian court sentenced journalist and media executive Khaoula Boukrim to four years in prison in absentia in two separate cases brought under Decree-Law 54, Tunisia’s controversial cybercrime legislation. Boukrim, the founder of the independent media outlet TUMEDIA, has been living in France after departing Tunisia amid concerns over legal actions against journalists and government critics. Reports indicate that the convictions stem from content she published online and allegations of violating provisions of Decree-Law 54, which criminalises the dissemination of information considered false or harmful via electronic communication networks. Boukrim has denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the prosecutions are directly linked to her journalistic work and criticism of President Kais Saied and those close to his administration. Human rights organisations and advocates for press freedom have condemned the application of Decree-Law 54 against journalists, activists, and political opponents, arguing that it is utilised to curtail freedom of expression and independent media.
Kenya: Criminal Complaint Filed Against RSF Members Over Alleged Atrocities in Sudan War
On 9 June 2026, victims of alleged atrocities linked to the war in Sudan filed a complaint in Kenya seeking the investigation and prosecution of members of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over allegations of torture, sexual violence, and other serious abuses committed during the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The complaint was submitted to Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions through the legal organisation Legal Action Worldwide. The filing represents the first known attempt to pursue criminal accountability against RSF members outside Sudan. The 12 victims are urging Kenyan authorities to investigate and bring charges against 10 alleged perpetrators, some of whom are believed to be residing in Kenya. The complaint invokes Kenya’s International Crimes Act 2008, which provides a domestic legal basis for prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes under principles of universal jurisdiction. The allegations relate to conduct in detention facilities in and around Khartoum between April 2023 and March 2025, including torture, sexual violence, forced labour, and inhumane detention conditions. The RSF has been widely accused by human rights organisations and UN experts of committing atrocities in the context of the conflict in Sudan.
https://www.africanews.com/2026/06/09/first-war-crimes-complaint-against-sudans-rsf-filed-in-kenya/
India: Court Grants Bail to Kashmiri Rights Activist in Terror-Funding Case
On 10 June 2026, the Delhi High Court granted bail to Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez in one of two pending “terror funding” cases, marking a partial legal relief after nearly five years of detention. However, Parvez will remain in custody due to a separate ongoing case from March 2023, also brought under India’s counterterrorism legislation. Parvez was first arrested in November 2021 by India’s National Investigation Agency on allegations including terror financing, recruitment of militants, and mobilisation of protests in Indian-administered Kashmir. Proceedings in both cases have yet to reach the trial stage. His lawyers and international human rights organisations have criticised the prolonged pre-trial detention, arguing that the process itself has become punitive. The Delhi High Court’s decision relates specifically to the 2021 case, though continued detention remains in effect due to the second case. Legal representatives have indicated that further relief may be possible depending on the outcome of ongoing proceedings.
Indonesia: Military Court Convicts Four Officers Over Acid Attack on Human Rights Activist
On 10 June 2026, an Indonesian military court in Jakarta convicted four members of the Armed Forces’ Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) in connection with a premeditated acid attack on human rights activist Andrie Yunus. The defendants were found guilty of serious assault and sentenced to prison terms ranging from one and a half to three years. The court heard that the officers attacked Yunus, a deputy coordinator of the rights group KontraS, on 12 March 2026 while he was travelling on a motorbike in Jakarta. The assault left him blind in one eye and caused severe burns covering a significant portion of his body. Prosecutors argued that the attack was motivated by anger over Yunus’s activism and criticism of the military’s expanding role in civilian governance, although no evidence of formal orders was established. Following public outcry, the head of the intelligence agency reportedly stepped down, though no official reason was provided. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the attack, describing it as a “cowardly act of violence”, while a UN Special Rapporteur characterised it as “horrific”.
ICC: Orders New Medical Assessment of Duterte Ahead of November Trial
On 12 June 2026, Trial Chamber III of the International Criminal Court (ICC) ordered a new medical examination of former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte ahead of his crimes against humanity trial scheduled to begin on 30 November 2026. The Court noted that an Expert Panel had previously been appointed during the pre-trial phase to assess Duterte’s health and fitness to stand trial. The Court instructed the Expert Panel to conduct new examinations of Duterte’s physical and psychiatric/psychological condition and determine whether he remains fit to stand trial and participate in proceedings, including his ability to understand the case and communicate with his legal team. The Court explained that the updated assessment was necessary due to the time elapsed since the previous evaluation, which had found him fit to participate in pre-trial proceedings. The Expert Panel is required to submit its joint report to the ICC Registry no later than 18 August 2026.
https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/CourtRecords/0902ebd180eb1c40.pdf
https://tribune.net.ph/2026/06/13/icc-wants-duterte-health-check-updated
International Peace & Security Section
UN: Security Council Warns of Deepening Humanitarian and Human Rights Crisis in Afghanistan
On 8 June 2026, the UN Security Council held a meeting to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. During the session, senior officials and civil society representatives warned of the major human rights challenges facing Afghanistan under Taliban rule, including severe restrictions on women and girls and deteriorating humanitarian conditions. Among those speaking at the session was Georgette Gagnon, UN Deputy Special Representative leading the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), who described the worsening hardship she witnessed during recent visits to Afghanistan, amid expanding control by the country’s de facto authorities. Gagnon told the Council that harsh restrictions on women and girls are preventing some 3.8 million girls aged 7-18 from attending school, with harmful impacts on the country’s economy. Founder of civil society group Afghanistan Justice Archive, Metra Mehran, also spoke of attacks on women and girls’ rights, describing a system of “institutionalised gender oppression” in the country and urging strong international action. Meanwhile, Edem Wosornu, Crisis Response Division Director for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighted Afghanistan’s deepening humanitarian crisis, which has been compounded by hunger, conflict, climate impacts, and insufficient funding. The crisis, one of the worst in the world, has left 21.9 million people in need of assistance in 2026.
Bolivia: Government Signs Law Enabling Emergency Powers Amid Continued Unrest
On 8 June 2026, clashes between anti-government protesters and police erupted again after President Rodrigo Paz signed legislation that could pave the way for the declaration of a state of emergency and the suspension of constitutional rights. Bolivia’s Congress also passed legislation enabling Paz to deploy the military to clear protesters’ roadblocks. The law allows troops to use force against protesters and grants them a “presumption of legality” in confrontations, meaning their actions are deemed lawful until proven otherwise. These moves follow more than five weeks of anti-government demonstrations across Bolivia, where around 100 roadblocks have caused food, fuel, and medicine shortages. Led by workers’ unions, Indigenous groups, and farmers, protesters have decried Paz’s decision to scrap fuel subsidies. Demonstrators have also come out against Paz’s failure to control rising inflation and resolve Bolivia’s economic crisis since he took office seven months ago. Although Paz has attempted dialogue with protesters, they have continued to demand his resignation. The independent public ombudsman reported 10 deaths, 37 injuries, and 365 arrests resulting from the unrest between 1 May and 2 June.
https://apnews.com/article/bolivia-protests-e2f71fb33b704a679cbebfd3d84311ab
EU: Council Adopts Second European Peace Facility Measure for Egyptian Armed Forces
On 8 June 2026, the Council of the European Union adopted a second assistance measure under the European Peace Facility (EPF) worth €20 million in support of the Egyptian Armed Forces (EAF). The measure is intended to strengthen the EAF’s capacities to enhance Egypt’s national security and stability, with a particular focus on improving maritime security capabilities in the Mediterranean and Red Sea. This decision brings the total EPF support extended to Egypt to €40 million since 2024. The Council described the move as reflecting the importance the EU attaches to its relationship with Egypt amid a highly volatile regional context. The decision builds on the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership signed by the EU and Egypt in 2024, which elevated cooperation across six pillars, including security, and follows the first EU-Egypt Security and Defence Dialogue held in Cairo on 31 March 2026. The European Peace Facility, established in March 2021, finances actions under the EU’s common foreign and security policy aimed at preventing conflicts, preserving peace, and strengthening international security and stability, and allows the EU to support the military and defence capacities of third states and regional and international organisations. The measure underscores deepening EU-Egypt security and defence cooperation against a backdrop of regional instability in the Middle East and North Africa.
PRIO: Report Finds Armed Conflict and Interstate War at Record Highs
On 8 June 2026, the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) published Conflict Trends: A Global Overview, 1946-2025, based on Uppsala Conflict Data Program figures, finding that eight interstate conflicts occurred in 2025, twice as many as the previous year and the highest number recorded since 1946. The report documented 245,000 battle deaths in 2025, the third deadliest year since 1989, driven primarily by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war in Gaza, and escalating violence in Sudan, including the siege of El-Fasher. Over 76,000 people were killed in one-sided violence against civilians, the highest figure since the Rwandan genocide. Separately, the School for a Culture of Peace at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona published its ‘Alert 2026!’ report, on 8 June 2026, identifying 40 active armed conflicts globally, the highest number in a decade. Coinciding with the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security, the report warned of a global backsliding in women’s rights, noting that 70% of the highest-intensity conflicts occur in countries with low gender equality, alongside more than 117 million forcibly displaced people worldwide.
UN: Warns Increasing Attacks on Civilian Infrastructure Obstruct Humanitarian Aid Access in Sudan
On 9 June 2026, the UN warned that increasing attacks on bridges, roads and other civilian infrastructure in Sudan are restricting access to humanitarian aid and endangering civilians, in a country where over 30 million people require humanitarian assistance. The warning follows an overnight strike on the Ardamata bridge in West Darfur state, which critically connects the city El Geneina to areas of neighbouring Chad and through which commercial and humanitarian supplies enter into Darfur. Similarly, two critical bridges in South Kordofan state were destroyed, disrupting civilian travel and aid operations. Humanitarian groups have warned the situation will only worsen as the rainy season progresses, with no other feasible alternative routes available. Drone strikes also continue across several parts of the country. In a Security Council briefing, UN officials stressed the consequences of the Sudan war on Chad, which has received almost one million Sudanese refugees. An already fragile health system in Chad has been placed under huge strain, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said. WHO is working with partners and Chadian authorities to bolster the country’s essential health services and crisis response. At the same time, the spillover of fighting and drone strikes on Chadian military positions risk expanding the conflict regionally. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have waged a war in Sudan since April 2023, as they vie for control of the country. The UN called for all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and to quickly enable the sustained and free flow of humanitarian assistance.
UN: Warns Israeli Displacement Order Covering Entire City of Tyre in Lebanon Affects 44,000 People
On 9 June 2026, the UN warned that the humanitarian situation in southern Lebanon was deteriorating after Israeli forces issued a displacement order covering the entire city of Tyre, including, for the first time, its Christian quarter, along with all neighbourhoods and Palestinian refugee camps. UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said the order would affect nearly 44,000 people, many of whom had already been displaced previously. The order followed an Israeli strike on the densely populated Al Masaken Al Shaabiyah neighbourhood that killed at least nine people and injured 28, and came a week after Israel had ordered more than 34,000 families out of Lebanon’s South and Nabatieh governorates. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported 48 violations of Lebanese airspace and nine airstrikes by Israeli forces that day, as well as sustained machine-gun fire from an IDF helicopter toward Bint Jubayl. Despite the scale of the order, initial reports indicated most residents remained in Tyre owing to limited alternatives, with some relocating to Saida and the Chouf district. The development marks a significant escalation in the scope of Israeli displacement orders in Lebanon since the April 2026 ceasefire with Hezbollah, raising renewed concern over civilian protection.
DRC: HRW Reports Forced Recruitment and Detention by Rwanda and M23 Rebels
On 10 June 2026, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a 78-page report, “Death Was Everywhere”, documenting a campaign of forced recruitment and abusive detention carried out by Rwandan military forces and the M23 armed group against thousands of captured combatants and civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between mid-2024 and December 2025. The report, based on interviews with 102 former detainees alongside verified videos, photographs, and satellite imagery, found that detainees at the Rumangabo and Tshanzu training camps in North Kivu, including children as young as 12, were subjected to murder, torture, corporal punishment, and forced labour, with hundreds believed to have died from harsh conditions, beatings, and executions. HRW said Rwanda’s extensive military presence and operational control over M23 meet the legal threshold for belligerent occupation under international humanitarian law, and that Rwandan officials could bear criminal liability for abuses at the camps. The organisation called on Rwanda’s international partners, including the UN, African Union, EU, and US, to publicly address the abuses, review military cooperation with Rwanda, and impose further targeted sanctions on M23 and Rwandan commanders, and urged the International Criminal Court’s Office of the Prosecutor to investigate the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity as part of its ongoing inquiry into eastern Congo.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/06/10/dr-congo-rwanda-m23-forcibly-recruit-detain-thousands
UK-Australia-Canada: Announce Joint £3 Million Peace Fund for Israel and Palestine
On 11 June 2026, Australia, Canada, and the UK announced a new £3 million (US$4.02 million) joint peace fund for the conflict in Israel-Palestine. Each country will contribute £1 million (US$1.35 million) to the initiative, which seeks to advance a two-state solution to the conflict. The fund’s focus will be grassroots projects involving women, youth groups, and civil society organisations. It will also complement efforts providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians, curbing Israeli settler violence, and supporting the 20-point Gaza peace plan launched by US President Donald Trump. The British Foreign Ministry announced the fund and said that it aims to promote long-term peacebuilding efforts, with Foreign Minister, Yvette Cooper, recognising the two-state solution as “the only viable route to a just and lasting peace.” Two days before the announcement, the UK, Australia, and Canada joined France, New Zealand, and Norway, in issuing new coordinated sanctions against networks financing and enabling settler violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. This comes amid soaring illegal settlements and intensifying violence by Israelis against Palestinians in the West Bank. Once operational, the fund is expected to expand and attract additional donors.
Afghanistan: Rights Groups Report Taliban Used Excessive Force Against Protesters in Herat
On 11 June 2026, UN human rights experts and Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that Taliban security forces in Afghanistan used excessive force against protesters in Herat on 9 June, following the detention of at least 30 women for alleged dress code violations earlier that week. Witnesses said security forces initially fired into the air before shooting toward fleeing crowds and beating demonstrators; the UN confirmed an 11-year-old boy was fatally shot, with more than 20 others injured. Subsequent house searches led to further detentions. The UN experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, said the Taliban, as the de facto authority, remain bound by international human rights treaties to which Afghanistan is a party, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention against Torture, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. They called the use of lethal force against largely peaceful protesters disproportionate and urged an independent investigation, accountability for those responsible, and the immediate release of detainees. HRW said the detained women had since been released. The incident reflects the wider pattern of escalating restrictions on Afghan women and girls and intensifying repression of dissent under Taliban rule, drawing renewed international scrutiny of the de facto authorities’ human rights obligations.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/06/11/afghanistan-taliban-use-excessive-force-against-protesters
UN: Report Finds Global Forced Displacement Falls for First Time in a Decade but Millions Remain in Prolonged Displacement
On 11 June 2026, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that global forced displacement fell for the first time in a decade, but levels of long-term displacement remain “unacceptably high.” UNHCR’s flagship Global Trends Report documents that 5.4 million people fled violence and persecution across borders in 2025, while 14.7 million displaced people returned home. This was the second-highest return figure in 60 years, with a sharp rise in returns to Afghanistan, Sudan, and Syria. The UN warned that many people were pressured to return and sent back to unstable conditions at home. While the number of refugees worldwide decreased by 3% to 41.6 million, the UN agency highlighted that 70% of refugees remain trapped in exile for years and live in poverty. UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, urged a new international approach to help lift millions of people out of prolonged displacement and reliance on humanitarian assistance. Salih outlined a concrete goal: in the next ten years, reducing by more than half the number of refugees in long-term displacement that depend on humanitarian aid. Reaching this goal would involve focusing on low- and middle-income host countries to expand refugee returns, humanitarian visas and relocation pathways, while increasing refugees’ access to services like education, healthcare and labour markets.