Weekly News Recap (17 - 23 August 2026)
© Photo by EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid via Flickr
International Justice Section
Russia: Court Sentences Anti-War Politician Lev Shlosberg to 11 Years
Germany: Court Convicts Ukrainian Man in Sabotage Plot
Syria: Court Sentences Wassim al-Assad to Death for War Crimes
Central African Republic: Witness Implicates Former President Bozizé in Opponent’s Disappearance
Syria: Former Assad-Era General Extradited from Lebanon to Face Trial
DRC: Prosecutors Seek 15-Year Sentence for Former Justice Minister
India: Supreme Court Orders Probe into Protest Violence
Hong Kong: Court Convicts Tiananmen Vigil Leaders of Subversion
International Peace & Security Section
Yemen: UN Human Rights Chief Warns of Escalating Conflict
US: Reduction in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea Raises Alarm over International Security
DRC: WHO Warns Ebola Outbreak Remains Global Emergency as Cases Surpass 5,000
Central African Republic: More Than 100 Killed in Gold Mine Collapse
South Sudan: UN-Backed Commission Warns of Atrocity Risks
UN: Calls for Ceasefire Amid Escalation in Attacks in Russia and Ukraine
Myanmar: Military Chief Visits Thailand as Junta Pushes for International Legitimacy
HRW: Accuses Africa Corps of Killing Nine Civilians in Mali
Israel-Palestine: International Community Condemns Illegal Settlement Expansion Plans
US: Expands Deportations to Third Countries in Bid to Deter Migration
International Justice Section
Russia: Court Sentences Anti-War Politician Lev Shlosberg to 11 Years
On 17 August 2026, the Pskov City Court sentenced Lev Shlosberg, deputy chairman of Russia’s Yabloko party, to 11 years and one month in a general-regime penal colony. The court convicted Shlosberg of repeatedly “discrediting” the Russian Armed Forces and disseminating allegedly false information about the military. The charges arose from his participation in an online discussion about the war in Ukraine and his sharing of a publication featuring a Daily Mirror front page concerning the conflict. Shlosberg had repeatedly called for an end to the war and criticised Russia’s military actions. His defence had sought his acquittal. The sentence followed a separate decision by Russia’s Supreme Court to uphold the exclusion of Yabloko from the upcoming State Duma elections. Human rights organisations have criticised Shlosberg’s prosecution and described the conviction as an infringement of his right to freedom of expression.
Germany: Court Convicts Ukrainian Man in Sabotage Plot
On 18 August 2026, the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court convicted a Ukrainian national for acting as an agent for the purposes of sabotage in a plot allegedly linked to a Russian state entity. Prosecutors said the operation involved sending parcels equipped with GPS trackers and spare automobile parts from Germany to Ukraine to identify potential targets for future sabotage attacks in Europe. The court found that the 30-year-old had intentionally participated in scouting potential sabotage targets at the request of an acquaintance from Russian-occupied Mariupol. He was sentenced to one year and three months’ imprisonment but was not required to serve additional time, having already served the sentence in pre-trial detention. The court acquitted two other Ukrainian defendants, finding insufficient evidence that they knowingly participated in plans to carry out sabotage attacks.
Syria: Court Sentences Wassim al-Assad to Death for War Crimes
On 18 August 2026, the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to death following his conviction for crimes committed during Syria’s conflict. The court found him guilty of premeditated murder and torture, as well as crimes classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes. The proceedings also covered the formation of armed groups and drug-related offences. The court found that he had formed two armed groups loyal to the former authorities that took part in deadly attacks near Damascus. The court ordered the confiscation of his assets. Wassim al-Assad had been detained by Syrian authorities in 2025 and was subsequently tried before the Damascus court. He was acquitted of drug smuggling and trafficking charges due to insufficient evidence, although the court said the case could be reopened if further evidence comes to light. The death sentence can be appealed before Syria’s Court of Cassation. The case is among the proceedings brought by Syrian authorities against former members and associates of the Assad-era government following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/18/syrian-court-sentences-wassim-al-assad-to
https://www.justiceinfo.net/en/163457-syria-sentences-detained-assad-cousin-to-death.html
Central African Republic: Witness Implicates Former President Bozizé in Opponent’s Disappearance
On 18 August 2026, a witness testified before the Special Criminal Court in the Central African Republic that former President François Bozizé was implicated in the disappearance and presumed death of former minister Charles Massi. The witness, Hortense Balley Kombet, told the court that Massi was arrested by Chadian authorities before being transferred to members of the Central African presidential guard. She said Massi was subsequently tortured and killed. Massi had become an opposition figure after serving as a minister under Bozizé. Bozizé is being tried in absentia before the Special Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity committed between 2009 and 2013. The testimony forms part of the ongoing proceedings concerning the disappearance of Massi, who has been missing and presumed dead since 2010. Three of Bozizé’s former senior military officers are also on trial in the case.
Pakistan: Supreme Court Orders Transfer of Imprisoned Imran Khan to Private Hospital Amid Health Concerns
On 18 August 2026, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered authorities to transfer imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for a medical examination, following concerns about his health and access to medical care. A three-member bench directed that a medical board including specialists and Khan’s personal physician assess his condition. The Court also ordered prison authorities to allow Khan weekly meetings with family members and telephone calls with his sons. Khan had petitioned for access to medical treatment, his personal doctors, and family members while in detention. The government subsequently challenged the order on 19 August, arguing that the direction to transfer Khan to a private hospital was inconsistent with prison rules and could result in unequal treatment of prisoners.
Syria: Former Assad-Era General Extradited from Lebanon to Face Trial
On 19 August 2026, Lebanon extradited former Syrian Major General Adel Issa to Syria, where he is expected to face trial over alleged crimes committed during the Syrian conflict. Issa previously commanded the Syrian army’s 17th Division and later its ground forces in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor. Syrian authorities accused him of intentional killings, torture resulting in death, and acts of aggression aimed at inciting civil war and sectarian strife. Lebanese judicial authorities decided to hand him over to stand trial for alleged crimes committed in Syria. The extradition was carried out under a 1951 agreement between Lebanon and Syria concerning the transfer of suspected criminals. Issa was detained in Lebanon earlier this month after visiting the Syrian Embassy in Beirut, where authorities learned of a Syrian arrest warrant.
DRC: Prosecutors Seek 15-Year Sentence for Former Justice Minister
On 20 August 2026, prosecutors in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) requested 15-year prison sentences for former Justice Minister Constant Mutamba and his co-defendant, Chançard Bolukola, over the alleged fraudulent disbursement of approximately US$20 million from the Uganda Victims’ Reparation Fund. The funds were intended to compensate Congolese victims of Uganda’s military interventions and illicit exploitation of natural resources in the DRC between 1998 and 2003, following the International Court of Justice’s 2022 reparations award to the DRC. Prosecutors allege that Mutamba masterminded the diversion of the funds to companies and individuals who were not entitled to receive them. Bolukola, who managed the reparations awarded to the DRC, is accused of involvement in the scheme. Mutamba is already serving a three-year sentence for a separate conviction for embezzlement of public funds. Mutamba has denied the allegations, while Bolukola’s lawyers have challenged the prosecution’s case as relying on speculation and unsubstantiated evidence. The Court of Cassation is expected to issue its ruling on 2 September.
India: Supreme Court Orders Probe into Protest Violence
On 20 August 2026, India’s Supreme Court established a panel to investigate allegations of violence during youth protests over leaked medical entrance examination papers. The panel, headed by a former Supreme Court judge and comprising two other retired judges and two retired police chiefs, will examine allegations that security personnel used excessive force against demonstrators, including claims of targeted violence, harassment, and molestation of female protesters, while other demonstrators endured grievous injuries. The Court established the panel in response to petitions filed by student protesters and activists alleging that police and paramilitary forces used excessive force and pellet guns. Security forces have denied the allegations, arguing that they only used force after protesters resorted to violence and caused serious injuries to security personnel. The Court directed the panel to submit an interim report as soon as possible but did not set a deadline for its investigation. The protests, which began in New Delhi before spreading to other cities, ended after the education minister resigned and the government agreed to examination reforms and compensation for the families of students who took their own lives in the aftermath of the leaks.
Hong Kong: Court Convicts Tiananmen Vigil Leaders of Subversion
On 21 August 2026, Hong Kong’s High Court convicted former Hong Kong Alliance leaders Lee Cheuk-yan and Chow Hang-tung of inciting subversion of state power under the National Security Law. The court found that their repeated use of the phrase “end one-party dictatorship” in their political activities breached the law and was intended to undermine China’s fundamental political system. The two, who have been detained since 2021, pleaded not guilty and face up to 10 years in prison. Sentencing is expected to begin later this month. The court rejected defence arguments that the defendants had genuinely believed their activities were protected by Hong Kong’s freedoms of speech. The case stems from the Alliance’s long-standing organisation of annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, which were effectively prohibited following the enactment of the National Security Law in 2020. Another former Alliance chairman, Albert Ho, pleaded guilty to the same charge. Foreign diplomats, including representatives from the EU and the US, attended the proceedings.
International Peace & Security Section
Yemen: UN Human Rights Chief Warns of Escalating Conflict
On 17 August 2026, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, alerted to escalating attacks by the Houthi group in Yemen with deadly consequences for civilians. Since 6 August, attacks by the Houthis in government-controlled areas of the country have killed at least 17 civilians. This has included attacks on camps for displaced people, on ports, and on cargo ships. Civilian sites like fuel storage facilities and a residential compound in a field hospital have also been struck. The Houthis, who control roughly a third of Yemen, have also stepped up their attacks on Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping in the context of the US-Iran conflict. Türk stressed that the people of Yemen are already facing a dire humanitarian crisis, with 18 million facing food insecurity, and the longstanding impacts of years-long conflict. He urged all parties to respect international humanitarian and human rights law and to “halt immediately any actions that risk returning Yemen to full-scale conflict.” The week prior, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen warned the UN Security Council that global trade and Yemen’s 2022 delicate truce were at risk due to Houthi strikes on commercial shipping. It is also reported that Yemeni government force strikes on Houthi positions killed and wounded dozens.
US: Reduction in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea Raises Alarm over International Security
On 18 August 2026, it was reported that US President Donald Trump announced a reduction in joint military exercises with South Korea. Speaking about the decision, Trump referenced South Korea’s refusal to back the US in its war with Iran. He also spoke of a good relationship with North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong Un. Security experts and policymakers have highlighted that such a move could endanger the security interests of the US and South Korea, as well as of other Asian nations. The announcement came as a surprise to South Korea, which has been a close ally of the US for decades and for which cooperation with the US is of prime concern due to its nuclear-armed neighbour North Korea. The move has drawn sharp criticism from US officials and former diplomats, who say it emboldens North Korea and China and sends the wrong message to a longstanding ally of the US. However, others also cautioned that Trump’s unpredictable and transactional foreign policy statements have often not been followed by significant changes in practice.
DRC: WHO Warns Ebola Outbreak Remains Global Emergency as Cases Surpass 5,000
On 18 August 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains a “global health emergency,” with more than 5,000 cases and over 2,320 deaths, making it the deadliest Ebola outbreak in the country’s history. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the epidemic is “far from being under control” and that the virus is spreading at an “unprecedented speed,” with health officials still identifying new chains of transmission that need to be found and broken. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, was officially declared on 17 May, but genetic sequencing indicates that transmission had already been ongoing since February. The response is particularly difficult because there is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for this strain, while conflict, misinformation and distrust of health workers are making it harder to reach affected communities. WHO is now trying to involve local communities more directly in the response. Motorbike riders, who are often responsible for transporting patients and bodies, are being recruited as surveillance and response workers, while health teams are expanding monitoring and disinfection efforts. The scale and speed of the outbreak have prompted Tedros to call for greater international support. He warned that the epidemic will only end once every chain of transmission has been identified and broken, underscoring the challenges that remain in containing the outbreak.
Central African Republic: More Than 100 Killed in Gold Mine Collapse
On 19 August 2026, more than 100 people were killed when an artisanal gold mine collapsed in Zamboye, western Central African Republic (CAR), near the Cameroon border. More than 100 bodies had been recovered, while others remained trapped under the rubble, with the death toll expected to rise. The collapse followed heavy rains and was reportedly caused by several underground tunnels giving way. The disaster highlights the dangerous conditions in CAR’s largely unregulated gold-mining sector, where poverty pushes thousands to work with little safety equipment or oversight. Mine collapses are recurrent in the region, with several previous disasters killing dozens this year. The tragedy also raises questions about the wider gold trade. In neighbouring Cameroon, authorities recently tightened controls after finding major discrepancies between declared gold exports and import figures reported by other countries, particularly the United Arab Emirates. More than 200 companies are reportedly operating without permits. Opposition figures have accused governments of allowing people living in poverty to bear the risks while companies and intermediaries profit from the region’s mineral wealth. CAR has temporarily closed the site and opened an investigation, but the recurring disasters point to a broader failure to regulate an increasingly lucrative gold industry.
South Sudan: UN-Backed Commission Warns of Atrocity Risks
On 20 August 2026, the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan raised alarm over resumed armed conflict in parts of the country, warning of a real risk of further atrocities. The Commission, created as an independent body by the UN Human Rights Council, said that South Sudan is at a critical juncture with its upcoming national elections, the first since it became independent 15 years ago. The body warned of a “worsening political, security, humanitarian and human rights situation” with a recent increase in polarisation and conflict-related abuses. Although warring parties in South Sudan agreed to a renewed peace deal in 2018, many of its provisions have yet to be implemented. The Commission identified ongoing and intensifying issues in South Sudan, in accordance with the UN Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes, that put the country at risk of the atrocity crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and ethnic cleansing. Among these are entrenched impunity, weakened institutions, resumption of armed conflict, and shrinking civic space. They also highlighted social and political exclusion, which is inflaming divisions and preventing meaningful democratic participation in the run up to the national elections. The experts called for credible, free and fair elections, stressing that the time to act and prevent further atrocities is now.
UN: Calls for Ceasefire Amid Escalation in Attacks in Russia and Ukraine
On 20 August 2026, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned Russia’s recent attacks on populated areas in Kyiv, Ukraine, and called for a ceasefire. Russia’s ballistic missile strikes on 20 August killed 17 people, injured over 40 more, and significantly damaged civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, schools, and a children’s hospital. The UN called out these attacks as a “clear violation of international humanitarian law” and urged for their immediate end. Meanwhile, Ukraine stepped up its drone attacks on Russian territory, with Russian media reporting civilian deaths and injuries. In response to the increased attacks, the UN and its humanitarian partner groups are working with local workers and emergency services to administer aid, food, and humanitarian cash transfers. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), July 2026 was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since April 2022, when the war began.
Myanmar: Military Chief Visits Thailand as Junta Pushes for International Legitimacy
On 20 August 2026, Myanmar’s military chief General Ye Win Oo met Thailand’s top general in Bangkok in his first international trip since taking the role. The visit is part of a broader diplomatic offensive by Myanmar’s post-coup leadership, which has spent years largely isolated internationally and is now seeking to strengthen its legitimacy and restore relations with neighbouring countries. Myanmar’s military seized power in a 2021 coup, detaining elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and triggering a civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) monitoring group. The junta has sought to present its tightly controlled elections held around the start of 2026 as a return to political normality, but UN experts and democracy watchdogs have dismissed the vote as a sham, noting that Suu Kyi and her party were excluded and dissent has continued to be punished. The Bangkok talks focused on practical cooperation along the two countries’ 2,400 km border, including tackling drug trafficking and cyber-scam networks, as well as counter-terrorism, military training, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief. The meeting follows Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s reception of former junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok earlier this month. Thailand has defended its engagement with Myanmar as a matter of dealing with the reality on its doorstep rather than recognising the junta’s legitimacy. Other neighbouring countries have also moved to restore ties with Myanmar, as the post-coup leadership seeks to break out of years of diplomatic isolation.
HRW: Accuses Africa Corps of Killing Nine Civilians in Mali
On 20 August 2026, Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Russian-controlled paramilitaries from Africa Corps of summarily killing nine civilians, including four children, during an operation in central Mali last month. The rights group said the killings took place in the presence of Malian soldiers, and accused the Russian paramilitaries of beating dozens of other people and looting and burning at least eight homes. The incident took place on 10 July in Bombori, a village in the Mopti region that the al-Qaeda-linked armed group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) has controlled since 2017. According to HRW, more than 100 Africa Corps fighters arrived in the village with several Malian soldiers, broke into homes and rounded up at least 80 men and boys. They were allegedly beaten and interrogated over suspected links to armed groups. Six civilians were shot while trying to escape, while three others were detained and executed, including one who was allegedly beheaded. HRW said witnesses recovered nine bodies, including those of four children aged between 6 and 17. Residents told HRW that JNIM fighters were not in the village when the killings took place. “The Malian junta appears to have given Russian Africa Corps forces a green light to kill civilians,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, HRW’s senior Sahel researcher. She said Mali could not avoid responsibility by leaving abuses to Africa Corps and called for investigations into everyone involved, including Malian military personnel. The allegations come as Mali has increasingly turned to Russia for military support. After military coups in 2020 and 2021, the junta expelled French and UN forces and made Russia its main security partner. Africa Corps, which came under the direct control of the Russian defence ministry after the Wagner Group was restructured, now supports Malian forces in their fight against armed groups.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/08/20/mali-russias-africa-corps-massacres-villagers
Israel-Palestine: International Community Condemns Illegal Settlement Expansion Plans
On 21 August 2026, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, and the UK issued a statement condemning Israel’s plans to construct a new illegal settlement in the West Bank. The E1 settlement project includes construction tenders for over 1,200 housing units, and would split the West Bank into two. The group of countries condemned Israel’s plans, warning they “further undermine Israel’s international standing” and urged it to urgently withdraw them. Other governments and institutions around the world have also denounced the plan, including Egypt, Malaysia, and the UN. The project comes amid increased illegal settlements and escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, which human rights organisations have warned is driving the mass displacement of Palestinians. The UN found that more Palestinians have been forcibly displaced by Israeli settlers in the first four months of 2026 compared to all of 2025, while Human Rights Watch recently released a report warning that Palestinian communities in the West Bank are at risk of erasure.
US: Expands Deportations to Third Countries in Bid to Deter Migration
On 21 August 2026, the Trump administration’s expanding use of deportations to third countries came under renewed scrutiny after Guatemala revealed that nearly 2,300 Mexican nationals had been sent there from the US this year, despite Mexico’s objections. Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo said 2,284 Mexican citizens had been transferred to Guatemala and were being processed as transit passengers before being returned to Mexico within 24 hours. The case highlights a broader policy under which the US is sending migrants and asylum seekers to countries with which they may have no connection. On 20 August, the first 20 deportees under a new US-Liberia agreement arrived in Monrovia, with up to 1,200 people expected to be transferred there over the next year. The Trump administration has presented such arrangements as a way to remove people who cannot or will not be returned directly to their countries of origin, while also using the threat of removal to another country as a deterrent to irregular migration. Critics have described the practice as punitive and questioned whether countries accepting deportees are effectively being used as a “dumping ground” for people the US wants to remove. Some countries involved have received US financial assistance, trade benefits or other forms of support, prompting criticism that vulnerable migrants could become part of broader political and economic arrangements. Liberia, for example, has denied that its agreement with Washington involves any financial quid pro quo, while the US has provided the country with US$5 million this year for “migration management activities.” The deportations also come amid wider concerns over the treatment of migrants in US custody, including deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention and allegations of inadequate medical care and poor detention conditions.