Weekly News Recap (27 July - 2 August 2026)
© Photo by Neil Moralee via Flickr
International Justice Section
Azerbaijan: Court Sentences Nine Journalists and Media Workers to Up to 15 Years in Prison
Guinea: Court Acquits Police Colonel Over Brutal 2009 Stadium Massacre
UK: Supreme Court Rejects Sovereign Immunity Defence in Bahrain Spyware Lawsuit
Kenya: Supreme Court Hears Final Arguments in Landmark Post-Election Sexual Violence Case
India: Supreme Court Orders Release of Minors and Issues Interim Protections for Youth Protesters
Israel: High Court Rejects Petition Challenging Demolition Orders in Al-Mufaqara
US: Trump Administration Brings Deportation Proceedings to Alien Terrorist Removal Court
International Peace & Security Section
UN: Experts Call on Iran to Overturn and Halt Death Sentences of Protesters
UN: Warns of Increased Threats to World Heritage Sites Due to Crisis and Conflict
US: Officials Walk Out During UN Security Council Meeting Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions
Sudan: Army Claims Control of Strategic Highway Linking Khartoum and El Obeid
UK: Agrees to Restart Military Training in Kenya After Brief Suspension
Peru: Keiko Fujimori Takes Office Amid Political Shift to the Right
Israel: Launches New Incursion into Syria as UN Condemns Violations of Syrian Sovereignty
UN: Climate Chief Warns Global Climate Disasters are Reaching “Nightmare Proportions”
China: Expands Maritime Patrols Around Taiwan Amid Blockade Concerns
International Justice Section
South Korea: Court Imposes 18-Month Suspended Sentence on Former President Yoon Suk Yeol for Campaign Disinformation
On 27 July 2026, the Seoul Central District Court handed ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol an 18-month suspended prison sentence after convicting him of violating the Public Official Elections Act through false campaign statements during the 2022 presidential race. The court held that Yoon knowingly made false statements to the electorate regarding his ties to a tax official accused of bribery and a fortune teller linked to the Unification Church. Applying a May 2025 Supreme Court precedent on candidate speech context, the court ruled that deliberate misinformation by candidates severely distorts voter decision-making. Under South Korean election law, if the judgment is upheld on appeal by the Supreme Court, Yoon’s People Power Party will be legally mandated to return approximately US$27 million in state-reimbursed campaign funds. Yoon, currently serving a life sentence over his 2024 martial law declaration, has indicated plans to appeal.
Bangladesh: International Crimes Tribunal Files Charges Against 41 People Over Alleged Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity
On 27 July 2026, prosecutors in Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) submitted charges against 41 people, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, over alleged crimes against humanity and genocide linked to the 2013 Hefazat-e-Islam Shapla Chattar crackdown in Dhaka. The accused include former ministers, senior security officials, and journalists. Investigators identified 58 deaths in Dhaka, Narayanganj, and Chattogram during the crackdown. Prosecutors submitted charges before the ICT, which scheduled the next hearing for 16 August. The case is part of Bangladesh’s wider efforts to prosecute alleged international crimes linked to abuses during Hasina’s rule.
https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/peeypbt60h
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/07/28/bangladesh-fair-trial-concerns-at-tribunal
Azerbaijan: Court Sentences Nine Journalists and Media Workers to Up to 15 Years in Prison
On 27 July 2026, an Azerbaijani court sentenced nine journalists, media workers, and civil society activists to between 12 and 15 years in prison in the so-called Toplum TV case, in what Human Rights Watch (HRW) described as the harshest verdict in the government’s ongoing crackdown on independent media. The Baku Grave Crimes Court sentenced Third Republic civic platform members Akif Gurbanov and Ruslan Izzatli to 15 years, while Toplum TV co-founder Alasgar Mammadli and researcher Ali Zeynalov received 14-year sentences. Four others were sentenced to 13 years and two journalists to 12 years. The authorities initially accused the defendants of currency smuggling before adding other financial charges, which they all denied. The defendants and their supporters said the prosecutions were politically motivated. HRW called for the convictions to be overturned and the imprisoned journalists and activists released.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/07/29/azerbaijan-jails-prominent-tv-journalists-media-workers
Guinea: Court Acquits Police Colonel Over Brutal 2009 Stadium Massacre
On 27 July 2026, a tribunal in Conakry acquitted military police Colonel Bienvenu Lamah of all charges, including complicity in murder, abduction, torture, and unlawful detention, and ordered his immediate release after nearly four years in custody. The prosecution had requested a 10-year prison sentence for Lamah’s alleged involvement in the 28 September 2009 assault on a peaceful opposition rally, where security forces killed at least 156 protesters and sexually assaulted over 109 women. Representing survivors and victims’ families, lawyers expressed deep concern over the verdict and announced an immediate appeal. The acquittal follows the landmark 2024 conviction of former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara for crimes against humanity over the massacre, for which he received a 20-year prison sentence before being pardoned in 2025 by current junta leader Mamady Doumbouya.
https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/162431-guinean-court-acquits-police-colonel-of-2009-massacre.html
UK: Supreme Court Rejects Sovereign Immunity Defence in Bahrain Spyware Lawsuit
On 27 July 2026, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom dismissed an appeal by the Kingdom of Bahrain, ruling that foreign sovereign states cannot claim state immunity against civil suits involving remote state-sponsored cyber-surveillance executed on host territory. The judgment in Kingdom of Bahrain v. Shehabi and Another centred on two UK-based dissidents whose laptops were targeted with FinSpy spyware, allegedly causing severe psychiatric injury. Examining Section 5 of the State Immunity Act 1978 and customary international law, the bench established that the “territorial tort exception” applies to remote cyber operations initiated abroad if the resulting injury occurs within the domestic jurisdiction. By denying Bahrain’s immunity claim, the ruling could set an important judicial precedent against transnational repression, allowing domestic courts to hold foreign governments accountable for covert surveillance targeting dissidents in exile.
https://supremecourt.uk/uploads/uksc_2024_0152_judgment_a1ae6cd3a5.pdf
Kenya: Supreme Court Hears Final Arguments in Landmark Post-Election Sexual Violence Case
On 29 July 2026, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court of Kenya, presided over by Chief Justice Martha Koome, heard final oral arguments in a landmark constitutional petition regarding state responsibility for election-related sexual violence. Filed by eight survivors alongside four civil society organisations, including Physicians for Human Rights, the case (Coalition on Violence Against Women & 11 Others v. State Law Office) seeks to establish the government’s legal duty to provide reparations and effective remedies, including compensation, for sexual violence committed by non-state actors during the 2007–2008 post-election unrest. The petitioners contend that the state’s failure to prevent widespread atrocities and provide effective remedies constitutes a violation of constitutional rights and international human rights obligations. The Supreme Court reserved its judgment, which could set an important precedent on state due diligence and reparations for systemic gender-based violence.
India: Supreme Court Orders Release of Minors and Issues Interim Protections for Youth Protesters
On 28 July 2026, India’s Supreme Court ordered authorities to release individuals under the age of 18 arrested during youth-led protests over leaked national medical entrance examination papers. The Court also directed authorities to preserve all surveillance footage from the demonstrations, including CCTV, drone and body-camera recordings, while media reports said it barred protesters’ personal and digital data from being made public and ordered that no coercive action be taken against them. The interim measures followed petitions alleging excessive use of force by police and paramilitary forces, including the use of pellet guns and baton charges. Chief Justice Surya Kant stressed the need for an independent and fair investigation into allegations of police brutality, stating that accountability must follow where excesses or atrocities against protesters occurred. The case raises significant questions concerning the protection of minors, freedom of assembly, police accountability, privacy and the use of surveillance technologies during public demonstrations.
Ukraine: Prosecutor Asked to Consider Criminal Proceedings Against Lukashenko Over Alleged War Crimes
On 28 July 2026, the Office of the President of Ukraine forwarded a request from the Belarus Democratic Forum to Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, asking authorities to consider opening criminal proceedings against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko over alleged war crimes, genocide, and other violations connected to Russia’s war against Ukraine. The request alleges that Lukashenko has been complicit in Russia’s aggression by allowing Belarusian territory to be used as a launchpad for the invasion and accuses Belarus of facilitating the transfer of at least 2,442 Ukrainian children to Belarus, a programme documented by the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab. The referral does not itself initiate criminal proceedings but asks prosecutors to take appropriate action if there are sufficient legal grounds. Any potential prosecution could carry significant implications for accountability for international crimes committed in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine and could further increase legal and political pressure on Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Israel: High Court Rejects Petition Challenging Demolition Orders in Al-Mufaqara
On 29 July 2026, the High Court of Justice of Israel rejected a petition challenging demolition orders against three Palestinian homes in the village of Al-Mufaqara, located in Masafer Yatta (Firing Zone 918) in the occupied West Bank. Represented by the Society of Saint Yves, the petitioners argued that their community has existed for generations prior to the area’s designation as a military firing zone and that the demolition orders form part of a broader planning regime that places Palestinian residents at risk of displacement. According to the Society of Saint Yves, the judges expressed differing views on key legal issues, including the significance of ongoing planning procedures and the status of long-established residents, but the Court ultimately dismissed the petition. Following the ruling, the petitioners requested a two-week extension to pursue an extraordinary petition for reconsideration, warning that the judgment could have wider implications for other Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta.
US: Trump Administration Brings Deportation Proceedings to Alien Terrorist Removal Court
On 30 July 2026, the Trump administration brought proceedings before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court for the first time since the specialised court was created in 1996, seeking the deportation of Nazira Haji Zada, a lawful permanent resident who has not been criminally charged. The Justice Department alleges that Haji Zada supported her sons’ involvement in a planned 2024 election-day shooting plot and intended to leave the US for Afghanistan before the alleged attack. Her sons were arrested before any violence occurred, with one serving a 15-year prison sentence and the other awaiting sentencing. Government lawyers argued that classified intelligence supported the case against Haji Zada, while her defence challenged the proceedings as unconstitutional and an attempt to bypass ordinary due process protections. The court declined to dismiss the case immediately, noting that the proceedings are civil immigration proceedings rather than a criminal trial.
International Peace & Security Section
Israel-Palestine: Intensifying Israeli Raids and Settler Violence Across the West Bank and East Jerusalem
On 27 July 2026, escalating attacks by Israeli soldiers and settlers were reported in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Troops raided some 20 towns and villages, as well as a UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) facility, detaining dozens of Palestinians and destroying homes. The Jerusalem Governorate said that Israeli soldiers deployed tear gas and stun grenades and detained teaching and administrative staff at the UNRWA centre in the Qalandia refugee camp, north of occupied East Jerusalem, where 45 staff and roughly 80 students were attending summer training. It is reported that Israeli troops entered the centre without notifying the UN agency, and several more UNRWA facilities are at risk of being targeted. This comes weeks after a warning from the Governorate that Israeli authorities intended to demolish the centre, which is the only one providing training to refugees in the area. Meanwhile, Israeli forces also stepped up their offensive in the occupied West Bank, raiding neighbourhoods and homes, arresting people, and demolishing properties in areas including Nablus, Jenin, Ramallah, and Tulkarem. In parallel, Israeli settlers have increased their harassment, intimidation, and attacks against Palestinian communities, which have continued with impunity. Several key officials condemned the growing violence, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, as well as governments like Spain and across the Middle East and North Africa.
UN: Experts Call on Iran to Overturn and Halt Death Sentences of Protesters
On 27 July 2026, several UN human rights experts urged Iran to immediately halt executions and overturn the death sentences imposed on 12 men for participating in the country’s January 2026 protests. The men, all in their late teens and early twenties, were sentenced to death in a single closed hearing, under circumstances lacking transparency and that violate the right to a fair trial. According to the experts, they faced abuses such as arbitrary deprivation of liberty, ill-treatment, and in some cases, enforced disappearance. Two of the men were executed on 19 July, raising concerns around the future of the other 10. It is feared that the men were forced to confess and lacked legal counsel, especially after 18-year-old Shervin Bagherian Jebel confessed on state television before his trial. The UN experts warned that the Iranian state is making it impossible for people to peacefully protest without fears of reprisals and persecution, in an attempt to quash dissent. In 2026 alone, at least 24 people have been executed in relation to the January protests. Yet many Iranians continue to speak out and demand change peacefully, seeking to express their fundamental rights and freedoms. The experts urged Iranian authorities to put in place a moratorium on executions, in line with international human rights law, and to ensure people’s right to a fair trial, to freedom of expression, and to peaceful assembly.
UN: Warns of Increased Threats to World Heritage Sites Due to Crisis and Conflict
On 27 July 2026, the UN warned that World Heritage sites, including ancient cities, castles, and wildlife, are increasingly coming under threat due to global conflict, insecurity, and the climate crisis. The warning came as the UN cultural agency (UNESCO) added six sites to its List of World Heritage in Danger. Of these, three new cultural and natural heritage sites were added through an emergency procedure: Mount Amel Castles in southern Lebanon; the ancient archaeological site of Sebastia in the Occupied West Bank; and Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape in South Sudan, which is home to the world’s largest land mammal migration. UNESCO also added three sites that had previously been on the danger list: the Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora in Ukraine; the ancient city of Tyre in Lebanon; and the Historic Inner City of Paramaribo in Suriname. These six sites have faced damage and threats due to armed conflict or occupation, construction and infrastructure development, or as a result of wildlife trafficking and poaching. Heightened humanitarian, environmental, and developmental crises only threaten further destruction. UNESCO stressed such loss is irreparable, not just to the sites themselves, but also the people, cultures, ecosystems, and histories they symbolise.
US: Officials Walk Out During UN Security Council Meeting Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions
On 27 July 2026, US officials walked out of a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine following France’s criticism of the Trump administration over its human rights record. The US had opposed the reappointment of Volker Türk as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights the previous week, which was supported by the vast majority of UN members, including France. Following the US “no” vote on Türk’s reappointment at the General Assembly, France’s UN Mission in Geneva took to social media to say that the US is no longer a “beacon of human rights” and instead stands isolated “alongside North Korea, Nicaragua, Mali & Russia.” At the Security Council meeting, US diplomats walked out while French officials were speaking and deputy US ambassador Dan Negrea accused France of “moral outrage.” The episode highlights the growing tensions between the US and France, as well as with Europe more broadly. European leaders have had concerns over Trump’s commitment to NATO, US security guarantees in Europe, and the president’s rhetoric on wanting to control Greenland. Meanwhile, Trump has criticised Europe for not providing assistance in the US-Iran war.
https://apnews.com/article/un-us-france-human-rights-walkout-bbca1f1381a40aa2870889fd8fa99442
Sudan: Army Claims Control of Strategic Highway Linking Khartoum and El Obeid
On 27 July 2026, the Sudanese army announced that it had regained full control of the Al Sadarat highway, a strategic route linking Khartoum to El Obeid after two days of fighting with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). According to the army, its forces recaptured several towns along the route, including Um Qurfa and Jarigakh, inflicting heavy losses on RSF fighters and forcing them to retreat. The offensive marks the army’s first major push against the RSF in months and restores a direct connection between the capital and the Kordofan region for the first time in months. The highway has been a key military and logistical corridor since the war erupted in April 2023. Regaining control of the route is expected to allow the army to move troops, weapons, fuel and other supplies more quickly to El Obeid, reducing its reliance on longer alternative routes through White Nile State. It is also expected to hamper the RSF’s campaign to capture El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, whose fall would significantly strengthen the paramilitary group’s control over western Sudan. Beyond its military significance, the reopening of the road could also improve humanitarian access to communities cut off by the fighting and help revive the movement of livestock and agricultural goods from the Kordofan region. Around 500,000 people remain trapped in El Obeid, where the United Nations has warned of a growing humanitarian catastrophe as residents continue to face repeated RSF drone attacks. The conflict, now in its fourth year, has killed an estimated 40,000 people and displaced more than 14 million, while UN agencies continue to warn of widespread sexual violence and rapidly deteriorating conditions for civilians across Sudan.
UK: Agrees to Restart Military Training in Kenya After Brief Suspension
On 28 July 2026, it was announced that the UK would restart military training in Kenya after a brief suspension enacted on 23 July, which had delayed the signing of a new defence cooperation agreement between the two countries. The suspension also came amid allegations of human rights violations involving British troops during previous training. Neither government commented on these claims, but it is reported that Kenyan officials had concerns over the safety and protection of local communities. In 2012, witnesses reported seeing British soldiers with a 21-year-old woman who was later found dead in a septic tank near UK military grounds. Additionally, in 2021 British troops accidentally sparked a fire that destroyed over 12,000 acres of land in the Lolldaiga Conservancy. These episodes raised human rights concerns and mounted pressure on the UK over its military presence in Kenya. Approximately 200 UK military staff are permanently based in Kenya, where they train over 1,000 Kenyan troops that are then deployed to Somalia to combat terrorist group al-Shabab. The UK government has financed the partnership with over $9.6 million annually.
https://apnews.com/article/kenya-uk-military-agreement-3b5eecf6e06b758b6021c51a4c2ced9b
Peru: Keiko Fujimori Takes Office Amid Political Shift to the Right
On 28 July 2026, Keiko Fujimori was sworn in as Peru’s new president, becoming the latest conservative leader to take power in Latin America as the region continues its shift towards right-wing and conservative politics. After narrowly defeating left-wing candidate Roberto Sánchez in June’s presidential run-off, Fujimori pledged a hardline agenda centred on security, strengthening ties with the US and reducing public spending. She has also expressed interest in joining President Donald Trump’s proposed “Shield of the Americas” initiative to combat transnational crime. Her inauguration was attended by several prominent leaders, including Argentina’s Javier Milei, Chile’s José Antonio Kast and Bolivia’s Rodrigo Paz. Fujimori takes office as Peru’s tenth president since 2016, following a decade of political turmoil in which no president completed a full term. The daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, who was imprisoned for corruption and crimes against humanity committed during his authoritarian rule in the 1990s, she has campaigned on policies critics warn could further erode democratic safeguards, including an expanded role for the armed forces in domestic security and tougher judicial measures. The inauguration exposed the deep political divisions that continue to shape Peru. Left-wing lawmakers walked out of Fujimori’s inaugural speech, while protests took place in Lima denouncing her return to power and invoking the legacy of abuses committed under her father’s government. Although her victory was narrow, it reinforces the broader rise of conservative governments across Latin America, fuelled by public frustration over crime, economic stagnation and political instability.
Israel: Launches New Incursion into Syria as UN Condemns Violations of Syrian Sovereignty
On 28 July 2026, Israeli troops carried out a new military incursion into Syria’s Daraa countryside, advancing with tanks and military vehicles into the outskirts of Wadi Al-Raqad and opening fire, according to Syrian state media. No casualties were reported. The operation followed another incursion on 27 July, during which Israeli forces reportedly raided villages in Quneitra and Daraa provinces, detained a civilian, established a checkpoint near Al-Ardah and dropped leaflets warning residents not to obstruct Israeli military movements. The incursions coincided with UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ visit to Damascus, where he condemned Israel’s repeated violations of Syrian sovereignty and the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, stating that Syria’s territorial integrity “must be fully respected” and that such violations “must stop.” He also announced that the UN would submit a report on the issue to the Security Council and reiterated his call for the immediate lifting of remaining sanctions on Syria to support the country’s reconstruction. The latest operations come amid Israel’s steadily expanding military presence in southern Syria since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in December 2024. Israel has since taken control of the UN-monitored buffer zone along the occupied Golan Heights and carried out repeated incursions, raids and strikes deeper inside Syrian territory, arguing it is establishing a long-term “security zone.” Syrian authorities have condemned the continued military presence as a threat to regional stability and called for Israel’s withdrawal. Although President Ahmed al-Sharaa has said Damascus is pursuing a possible security agreement with Israel while avoiding further confrontation, the repeated incursions have raised growing concerns over the erosion of Syrian sovereignty and the risk of further destabilisation as the country attempts to recover from more than a decade of war.
UN: Climate Chief Warns Global Climate Disasters are Reaching “Nightmare Proportions”
On 28 July 2026, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell warned that climate-driven disasters are reaching “nightmare proportions,” saying the world’s continued dependence on fossil fuels is pushing the climate crisis to “national emergency levels.” Describing the situation as a “climate alarm blaring from every direction,” Stiell said increasingly severe heatwaves, wildfires, floods and storms are becoming the lived reality for billions of people as global temperatures continue to rise. The warning comes as extreme weather intensifies across several regions. Since the start of 2026, Europe has recorded more than 1,250 wildfires, burning over 250,000 hectares of land, with record-breaking fires forcing mass evacuations in countries including France and Spain after prolonged heatwaves dried out vegetation. In North Africa, temperatures are approaching 49°C, placing growing pressure on healthcare systems, electricity networks and livelihoods, while Chile has experienced deadly storms and Japan is enduring its longest-ever streak of temperatures above 40°C. Stiell stressed that scientific evidence clearly shows that the burning of coal, oil and gas is driving global heating, making extreme weather events more frequent, more intense and more destructive. He called for a faster transition away from fossil fuels, a rapid expansion of renewable energy and stronger efforts to protect forests, while urging greater support for vulnerable countries already facing the worst impacts of climate change.
China: Expands Maritime Patrols Around Taiwan Amid Blockade Concerns
On 29 July 2026, analysts warned that China is expanding its maritime presence around Taiwan through a series of new coastguard patrols and “special maritime law enforcement operations” east of the island. While Beijing has long operated in the Taiwan Strait, experts say this marks the first sustained expansion into Taiwan’s eastern waters, raising concerns that China could be rehearsing a future blockade or containment strategy aimed at cutting Taiwan off from trade and external assistance. According to Taiwanese authorities, Chinese coastguard vessels have been patrolling the area and requesting information from commercial ships about their origins and destinations. Taiwan also reported a sharp rise in Chinese maritime activity, with 55 sightings of Chinese coastguard and research vessels in June, up from 30 in May, including activity near the Taiwan-controlled Dongsha (Pratas) Islands. Analysts say the operations are part of China’s broader “grey zone” strategy, using sustained coercive measures below the threshold of open conflict to increase pressure on Taiwan while avoiding direct military confrontation. They warn that these law enforcement patrols could gradually evolve into inspections, rerouting of commercial vessels or even a maritime blockade. Such a scenario would leave Taiwan particularly vulnerable, as the island relies heavily on maritime trade and imports nearly all of its energy supplies. Several experts also argue that China’s coastguard should not be viewed as a purely civilian force, as it operates under the Central Military Commission, allowing Beijing to increase pressure on Taiwan while avoiding the political escalation associated with deploying its navy. The expanded patrols have drawn concern from the UK, France, Germany and the US, with analysts warning that they could gradually shift the status quo around Taiwan and normalise a stronger Chinese presence in waters surrounding the island.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/29/china-puts-squeeze-on-taiwan-with-new-maritime-patrols