Fallen Black South African Soldiers From World War I Finally Remembered - Crystal Orderson (Inter Press Service, 2025)
Despite being the sons of Africa, the hundreds of soldiers who served in non-combat roles between 1914 and 1918 have been unrecognized for decades.
Africa

ICC arrest warrant against Osama Elmasry Njeem for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes - International Criminal Court (International Criminal Court (ICC), 2025)
On 18 January 2025, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court ("ICC" or "the Court"), by majority, issued a warrant of arrest for Mr Osama Elmasry Njeem, also known as Osama Almasri Njeem, in the Situation in Libya. Mr Osama Elmasry Njeem, who is alleged to have been in charge of prison facilities in Tripoli, where thousands of persons were detained for prolonged periods, is suspected of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture, rape and sexual violence, allegedly committed in Libya from February 2015 onwards.
Libya

Archives of the Surveilled - Rosen, Charlotte (Public Books, 2025)
The FBI’s recording of Arthur Huff Fauset's life undermined its own goals by essentially archiving his speeches, which would have otherwise been lost to history and even the author’s own memory. In these words written at the end of his life, there is a poignancy to his sarcasm: He may leave a legacy after all, but only through the institutions that silenced him in the first place Archives open up the possibility to read around the official political and literary history that government repression has constructed.
United States of America

The Vigil Files: Government Surveillance in the Civil Rights Movement - Alejandro Hernández (Denver Public Library Special Collections and Archives, 2025)
In part one of Ernesto B. Vigil Freedom of Information Act papers (WH2496), we looked at some of the early actions the FBI took to surveil the civil rights movement. In part two, we will look at how such actions would escalate and even some cross-border actions taken by J. Edgar Hoover.
United States of America

Italian church probe reveals scores of abuse cases in a single diocese - Armellini, Alvise (Reuters, 2025)
Dozens of sex abuse cases committed by members of the clergy over six decades emerged on Monday from an independent report into a northern Italian diocese that dug deeper into the past than others produced by the Italian Catholic Church.
Italy

New legislation will open WWII collaboration archive: minister - Quell, Molly (DutchNews.nl, 2025)
Education and culture minister Eppo Bruins is preparing new legislation which will open controversial digital archives on possible collaborators during World War II to the general public, he told current affairs programme Buitenhof at the weekend. The archives should have been fully online from January 1, but that plan was halted because of privacy concerns. Instead, only the list of names of suspects was made available – even though many were never investigated. The records from the Centraal Archief Bijzondere...
The Netherlands

Meta Looks for the X Factor - Chakravorti, Bhaskar (Foreign Policy, 2025)
What Mark Zuckerberg’s change of heart on misinformation means for the world.
Worldwide

Ethel Rosenberg’s family pushes Biden to exonerate her decades after her execution - John Yang; Harry Zahn (PBS NewsHour, 2025)
In 1953, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were executed after being convicted as Soviet spies in a sensational Cold War espionage case. Now, a recently declassified document is seen as the strongest evidence yet of Ethel’s innocence.
United States of America

Women's rights under threat in Uganda as conservative groups push disinformation campaign - Prudence Nyamishana (Global Voices, 2025)
The rise of the anti-rights conservative groups in Uganda and around the world has led to gendered disinformation that is threatening democracy and freedoms in the East African nation.
Uganda

Call for ‘censorship culture’ to end as Unity Mitford’s German diary is revealed - Tapper, James; Thorpe, Vanessa (The Observer, 2025)
Extracts from Mitford’s papers published but many more archives concerning British fascists remain concealed
Germany
Keywords: Adolf Hitler; Censorship; The Mitford sisters

Conservatives spent £134m on never-used IT systems for failed Rwanda scheme - Dearden, Lizzie (The Observer, 2025)
Home Office official says data protection laws caused the cost of its forced removal programme to increase
Rwanda
Keywords: Conservatives; Home Office; Human rights; Immigration and asylum; Politics; Refugees; Rwanda; UK news

Conservatives spent £134m on never-used IT systems for failed Rwanda scheme - Dearden, Lizzie (The Observer, 2025)
Home Office official says data protection laws caused the cost of its forced removal programme to increase
United Kingdom
Keywords: Conservatives; Home Office; Human rights; Immigration and asylum; Politics; Refugees; Rwanda; UK news

At what cost are we bridging Africa’s digital divide? - Muhammed Bello Buhari (Global Voices, 2025)
Beneath the promises of enhanced connectivity in Africa lies a complex narrative—a 21st-century iteration of colonial dynamics cloaked in the rhetoric of "connecting the unconnected"
Africa

Yoon supporters storm Seoul court after his detainment period is extended - the Guardian (The Guardian, 2025)
Protesters smash windows after officials cite concerns the impeached president could destroy evidence if released
South Korea
Keywords: Asia Pacific; South Korea; World news; Yoon Suk Yeol

EU asks X for internal documents about algorithms as it steps up investigation - O'Carroll, Lisa (The Guardian, 2025)
Musk’s company has been accused of manipulating systems to give far-right posts and politicians greater visibility
Europe
Keywords: Digital media; Elon Musk; Europe; European Union; Internet; Social media; Technology; World news; X

Sudani oversees handover of Baath crime archives in London - Rudaw (Rudaw, 2025)
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Thursday oversaw the handover of archival documents on Baathist era crimes to an Iraqi documentation center during his visit to London, his office said. The archive, previously held by an Iraqi human rights organization, was transferred to the Iraqi Center for Documenting Extremist Crimes, which is affiliated with the al-Abbas Holy Shrine located in Karbala, according to a statement from Sudani’s office.
Sudan

Deb Haaland on Biden's efforts to preserve public land and recognize Indigenous history - Amna Nawaz (PBS News, 2025)
One of the legacies President Biden leaves behind when he exits the White House is his record on conserving and protecting the country’s public lands and water. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland played a key role in implementing Biden's policies over four years. Amna Nawaz spoke with Haaland about her achievements.
United States of America

Balgh platform marks two years as a tool of repression - ARTICLE 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2025)
Iraqi authorities continue to use the Balgh platform to monitor online speech and curtail freedom of expression.
Iraq

Women’s Rights Advocates Light Up National Archives to Push for ERA Publication - Equality Now (Equality Now, 2025)
Last night, the U.S. National Archives Building was illuminated with a bold and urgent message from women’s rights organizations across the country, calling on President Biden to take immediate action to enshrine the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) into the U.S. Constitution. This powerful projection highlighted the critical need to address sex discrimination and ensure equality under the law.
United States of America

91-Year-Old Photographer Loses Over 80,000 Images in LA Wildfires - Growcoot, Matt (PetaPixel, 2025)
He worked at JPL for nearly 50 years.
United States of America

Poland, Ukraine move on exhumations deal of WWII-era massacre victims - Brzozowski, Alexandra (Euractiv, 2025)
The historical dispute has repeatedly been raised by Poland as a key obstacle to Kyiv's progress toward EU accession.
Europe

Judge orders operation of dictatorship memory sites be guaranteed - Herald, Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires Herald, 2025)
Federal judge Ariel Lijo has ordered Human Rights Secretary Alberto Baños to guarantee that dictatorship memory sites have the required staff and resources to operate properly.
Argentina

3M knew firefighting foams containing PFAS were toxic, documents show - Salvidge, Rachel; Hosea, Leana (The Guardian, 2025)
Newly uncovered documents reveal chemicals giant was aware ‘environmentally neutral’ products did not biodegrade
Worldwide
Keywords: Australia news; Business; Environment; Firefighters; PFAS; Pollution; UK news; Water

MI5 files suggest queen was not briefed on spy in royal household for nine years - Davies, Caroline (The Guardian, 2025)
Documents indicate monarch was informed Anthony Blunt was Soviet agent in 1973, though he confessed in 1964
United Kingdom
Keywords: Espionage; MI5; Monarchy; Queen Elizabeth II; Russia; UK news

‘Abuse, corruption, dark dealings’: Pope Benedict handed scandal documents to Francis - Giuffrida, Angela; Pepinster, Catherine (The Guardian, 2025)
Pope Francis says in his autobiography he received a ‘large white box’ relating to ‘difficult and painful situations’
Europe
Keywords: Catholicism; Christianity; Pope Francis; Religion; The papacy

The artificial intelligence dilemma for peacebuilders and human rights defenders - Heather Ashby (OpenGlobalRights, 2025)
Rights defenders must actively shape the discussion to mitigate the adverse human and environmental impacts of AI, particularly on the Global South.
Worldwide

Secret UK files detailing confessions of Cambridge Five spies released - Holden, Michael (Reuters, 2025)
Top secret MI5 files detailing first-hand accounts of confessions of three of Britain's most notorious double agents including Kim Philby and Anthony Blunt who spied for the Soviet Union were released for the first time on Tuesday.
United Kingdom

Afghans evacuated by US in chaos of withdrawal are languishing in foreign camps, documents reveal - Speri, Alice (The Guardian, 2025)
Records show evacuees with pending applications to enter US ‘forced to remain in limbo’ in at least 36 countries, some in ‘untenable conditions’
United States of America
Keywords: Afghanistan; Donald Trump; Germany; Italy; Kuwait; Middle East and north Africa; Oman; Qatar; South and central Asia; Trump administration; US immigration; US news; US-Mexico border; World news

Afghans evacuated by US in chaos of withdrawal are languishing in foreign camps, documents reveal - Speri, Alice (The Guardian, 2025)
Records show evacuees with pending applications to enter US ‘forced to remain in limbo’ in at least 36 countries, some in ‘untenable conditions’
Afghanistan
Keywords: Afghanistan; Donald Trump; Germany; Italy; Kuwait; Middle East and north Africa; Oman; Qatar; South and central Asia; Trump administration; US immigration; US news; US-Mexico border; World news

Videos reveal new incidents of deadly brutality by Bangladesh police - Stacey, Kiran; Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (The Guardian, 2025)
‘Grotesque’ footage shows previously undocumented incidents on day PM Sheikh Hasina fled country
Bangladesh
Keywords: Bangladesh; Sheikh Hasina; South and central Asia; World news

Note of concern from the International Council on Archives - Almeras, Clemence (ICA, 2025)
Note of concern from the International Council on Archives about its concern with regard to the measures adopted by the Argentinian government affecting the Human Rights Secretariat and its institutions
Argentina

Court ruling on Belgium’s conduct in colonial Africa hailed as turning point - Rankin, Jennifer (The Guardian, 2025)
Verdict of crimes against humanity for kidnap of mixed-race children could pave way for wider justice, activists say
Belgium
Keywords: Africa; Belgium; Burundi; Colonialism; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Europe; Race; Rwanda; World news

US supreme court curbed public scrutiny as it boosted security before Roe ruling - Wilson, Jason (The Guardian, 2025)
Memo obtained by the Guardian mandates that court would maintain ‘exclusive’ control of all security-related records
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; Roe v Wade; US news; US politics; US supreme court

Italy donates digital archive of Somali laws to aid legal and cultural recovery - Hiiran Online (Hiiran Online, 2025)
Italy has donated a digital archive of Somali laws and official bulletins from 1950 to 1989, offering essential resources to bolster the country's legal system and cultural recovery. The digital archive was handed over by Italian Ambassador Pier Mario Daccò Coppi to Somali Minister of Justice Hassan Moalim Mohamud during a ceremony in Mogadishu, marking the anniversary of the 1948 massacre of Italians in the city.
Somalia

Fears grow over censorship of secret Queen Elizabeth and Philip papers - Palmer, Richard (The Observer, 2025)
Critics flag ‘worrying trend’ of keeping royal files under lock and key as thousands set for release to public
United Kingdom
Keywords: Freedom of information; National Archives; Prince Philip; Queen Elizabeth II

Israel must be added to UN’s sexual violence blacklist - Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor (Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, 2025)
Palestinian sexual violence reports blocked from investigation by Israeli authorities.
Israel

Israel must be added to UN’s sexual violence blacklist - Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor (Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, 2025)
Palestinian sexual violence reports blocked from investigation by Israeli authorities.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

Zuckerberg approved Meta’s use of ‘pirated’ books to train AI models, authors claim - Milmo, Dan (The Guardian, 2025)
Sarah Silverman and others file court case claiming CEO approved use of dataset despite warnings
United States of America
Keywords: Artificial intelligence (AI); Business; Mark Zuckerberg; Meta; Technology; Technology sector; UK news; US news

Ex-McKinsey partner pleads guilty to destroying records on opioids - the Guardian (The Guardian, 2025)
Martin Elling pleads guilty to destroying records on advice provided to Purdue Pharma on how to ‘turbocharge’ sales.
United States of America
Keywords: Opioids; Opioids crisis; US crime; US news

AI, Human Collaboration Are Transforming University Archives - Abby Sourwine (GovTech, 2025)
Colleges and universities are important record keepers for history and research. With the help of artificial intelligence, archivists can transcribe, search for and interact with records in new ways.
United States of America

Uphold media freedom and protect journalists in the West Bank - ARTICLE 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2025)
The Palestinian Authority must comply with international human rights law and protect these freedoms while ensuring the safety of journalists.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the UN)

Moving Ahead to a Crimes against Humanity Treaty - Dicker, Richard (Human Rights Watch, 2025)
It has taken two years of consideration, discussion and debate, but the agreement necessary to draft an international treaty to prevent and punish Crimes Against Humanity has finally been reached.
Worldwide

Uncovering Iraq’s mass graves: the painstaking search for missing loved ones - Mamo, Alessio (The Guardian, 2025)
The country has as many as one million missing people after decades of conflict. Forensic teams face huge challenges to document human remains as families wait in hope of closure.
Iraq
Keywords: Global development; Iran; Iraq; Islamic State; Middle East and north Africa; Saddam Hussein; War crimes; World news

National Archives knew that victims were in files of potential Nazi collaborators in WW2 - NL Times (Netherlands Times, 2025)
The National Archives already knew last year that the names of innocents or even victims appear in a sensitive archive with files about Dutch people who were accused of collaborating with the German forces during the Second World War. Yet the institution only published a warning after the media reported on this, NU.nl reported.
The Netherlands

Archive of civil rights icon Myrlie Evers-Williams to go on display - Sally H. Jacobs (The Washington Post, 2025)
The collection is among the largest received by Pomona College in recent years. Its donor is Myrlie Evers-Williams, the widow of NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers, who was assassinated by a white supremacist outside their Mississippi home in 1963. His death inflamed the then-nascent civil rights movement.
United States of America

Venezuela’s Opposition Leader Is Forcibly Detained and Then Released - Turkewitz, Julie (The New York Times, 2025)
During her detention, an aide said, Maria Corina Machado “was forced to record several videos.” She has garnered enormous support for her opposition to Nicolás Maduro.
Venezuela
Keywords: Caracas (Venezuela); Demonstrations; Protests and Riots; Machado; Maria Corina; Maduro; Nicolas; Political Prisoners; Politics and Government; Venezuela; Vente Venezuela (Political Party)

U.K. Special Forces Allowed to ‘Get Away With Murder’ in Afghanistan, Inquiry Told - Landler, Mark (The New York Times, 2025)
Evidence released by an official inquiry into alleged war crimes painted a disturbing picture of an elite fighting force with a culture of impunity.
Afghanistan
Keywords: Afghanistan; British Broadcasting Corp; Classified Information and State Secrets; Defense and Military Forces; Great Britain; International Relations; Jenrick; Robert; Ministry of Defense (Great Britain); WikiLeaks

U.K. Special Forces Allowed to ‘Get Away With Murder’ in Afghanistan, Inquiry Told - Landler, Mark (The New York Times, 2025)
Evidence released by an official inquiry into alleged war crimes painted a disturbing picture of an elite fighting force with a culture of impunity.
United Kingdom
Keywords: Afghanistan; British Broadcasting Corp; Classified Information and State Secrets; Defense and Military Forces; Great Britain; International Relations; Jenrick; Robert; Ministry of Defense (Great Britain); WikiLeaks

RSF calls on Syria’s new authorities to adopt seven priority measures in line with their promises to safeguard press freedom - Reporters without Borders (Reporters without Borders, 2025)
On the first day of 2025, the Information Minister of Syria's new de facto government promised to improve press freedom in the country. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes this commitment while reminding the authorities of their responsibility for the journalists who were killed, abducted, or who disappeared since the start of the revolution in 2011. RSF calls on this transitional government to immediately implement seven recommendations, starting with the release of the 20 journalists still held by rebel groups.
Syria

Call for the archives of the new Syria to be safeguarded and made accessible - Ginouvès, Véronique (Archives de la recherche & Phonothèque, 2025)
On the morning of the regime’s fall, Syria experienced a historic moment. Citizens flooded the prisons, govertemental institutions and the former presidential palace – now renamed the People’s Palace. The general atmosphere was marked by euphoria and collective celebration, driven by the hope of finding information about their missing loved ones. However, this popular surge quickly led to disorganization, which partly prevented the recovery and organization of the former regime’s administrative documents for their preservation.
Syria

National archive warns of mistakes in list of WWII collaborators - Pascoe, Robin (DutchNews.nl, 2025)
The Dutch national archive has warned that some of the names included in a new listing of people suspected or convicted of collaborating with the Nazis during World War II may have been added in error. The list of some 425,000 names has been public since last week, and demand for more information has been so high that no more appointments are currently being made for people who want to view the actual files. However, according to the Telegraaf, some...
The Netherlands

Tech law in 2025: a look ahead at AI, privacy and social media regulation under the new Trump administration - Lu, Sylvia (The Conversation, 2025)
The Trump administration has different interests and priorities than those of the Biden administration for regulating technology. For some issues like AI regulation, big changes are on tap.
United States of America

Dutch online archive identifies suspected WW2 Nazi collaborators - Campenhout, Charlotte Van (Reuters, 2025)
A Dutch project called 'War in Court' digitally released a list of names of nearly half a million suspected wartime Nazi collaborators on Thursday after the expiry of a law that had restricted public access to the archive.
Europe

ICC welcomes Ukraine as a new State Party - International Criminal Court (International Criminal Court (ICC), 2025)
Today, 1 January 2025, the Rome Statute, founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC), enters into force for Ukraine. Ukraine formally becomes the 125th State Party to the ICC, and the 20th State from the Eastern Europe region.
Ukraine

Netherlands to open archive on people accused of wartime Nazi collaboration - Boztas, Senay (The Guardian, 2024)
Some descendants are apprehensive but a historian says making 30m pages of records public is ‘important step’.
Netherlands
Keywords: Europe; Holocaust; Netherlands; Second world war; World news

The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia Court Report 2024 - ECCCC (ECCCC, 2024)
The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) made strides in the second year of residual functions, significantly advancing judicial reclassification, outreach programs and legacy initiatives. A major milestone in 2024 was the reclassification of thousands of confidential documents from Case 002, making nearly 24,000 records accessible to the public.
Cambodia

WHO continues to urge China to share data five years after COVID-19 - UN News (UN News, 2024)
“We continue to call on China to share data and access so we can understand the origins of COVID-19,” WHO said. “This is a moral and scientific imperative. Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics. “
Worldwide

How ‘Trophy’ Videos Link Paramilitary Commanders to War Crimes in Sudan - Varghese, Sanjana; Reneau, Natalie; Koettl, Christoph; Byrd, Aaron; Walsh, Declan (The New York Times, 2024)
Visual evidence collected and analyzed over months by The New York Times identifies the commanders leading an opaque paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, as fighters under their watch commit atrocities across Sudan.
Sudan
Keywords: Darfur (Sudan); International Criminal Court; Nuba Mountains (Sudan); Rapid Support Forces (Sudan); South Kordofan (Sudan); Sudan; Sudanese Armed Forces; your-feed-visual-investigations

Disgruntled police in Northern Ireland responsible for IRA leaks after Good Friday agreement - Booth, Robert (The Guardian, 2024)
Newly released Irish archives include leaks from UK government and RUC’s attempts to undermine Sinn Féin
United Kingdom
Keywords: Good Friday agreement; IRA; Ireland; Mo Mowlam; Northern Ireland; Politics; UK news

Massive layoffs endanger dictatorship memorial sites, workers say - Iglesia, Facundo (Buenos Aires Herald, 2024)
Paula Eugenia Donadio, a representative of state-workers union ATE, told the Herald that the layoffs endanger the functioning of dictatorship memorial sites run by the secretariat. The memorials are repurposed former clandestine detention centers that operated during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship. According to human rights organizations, these centers were instrumental in the forcible disappearance of over 30,000 people.
Argentina

Why speech could be a target for the anti-abortion movement in 2025 - Sherman, Carter (The Guardian, 2024)
The anti-abortion movement is looking at ways to control information about how and where to obtain abortions
United States of America
Keywords: Abortion; Health; Roe v Wade; Society; US news; Women; World news

Mourning Turkey’s Last Progressive Radio Station - Genc, Kaya (Foreign Policy, 2024)
Acik Radyo featured diverse voices, angering the Erdogan regime.
Türkiye

Syria’s Paper Trail of Atrocity Must Be Preserved - Shaif, Rawan (Foreign Policy, 2024)
Amid the chaos of Assad’s fall, vital documents may be lost.
Syrian Arab Republic

From Nuremberg to now: How a war crimes trial in Sweden is changing legal history - Maxim, Julius (Politico, 2024)
Prosecutors are using “universal jurisdiction” to hold companies to account for their operations overseas.
Sweden

Preserve Evidence of Mass Atrocities - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
The transitional Syrian authorities should urgently take steps to secure and preserve evidence of atrocities committed under the government of former President Bashar al-Assad, including key government and intelligence documents as well as the sites of atrocities and mass graves.
Syrian Arab Republic

A radical way to teach contested history - Pidd, Helen (The Guardian, 2024)
Helen Pidd visits Lancaster Royal grammar school to see the work of Parallel Histories, an education charity which helps young people make sense of contested history
United Kingdom
Keywords: Education; History; Schools

Journalists who were unlawfully spied on have ‘no doubt’ UK reporters are still targeted - Siddique, Haroon (The Guardian, 2024)
Belfast-based Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey won landmark victory that PSNI’s surveillance was unlawful
United Kingdom
Keywords: Espionage; London; MI5; Media; Metropolitan police; Northern Ireland; Police; UK news; UK security and counter-terrorism; World news

UNAIDS - partnerships for country led and country owned data system: A transformative approach - UNAIDS (UNAIDS, 2024)
​There is an urgent need to address inequities in global health practices, including how data are collected and used. In the case of HIV data, UNAIDS has consistently strived to strengthen partnerships with countries to support them in their data journeys, from collecting to using HIV data.
Worldwide

A Billion Lives Off the Record: The Urgent Need for Legal Identity - Baher Kamal (Inter Press Service, 2024)
Over one billion people worldwide lack legal identity, leaving them unable to access basic rights and services like healthcare, education, and voting
Worldwide

Kenyan money lending apps invade borrowers’ privacy to recover debts - Cecilia Maundu (Global Voices, 2024)
A report by the Centre for Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (CIPIT) at Strathmore University revealed that most lending apps collect far more data than necessary.
Kenya

Brazil Bans X from Using Children to Power Its AI - Han, Hye Jung (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
This week, Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority banned the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, from using the personal data of its child users in Brazil to train its artificial intelligence (AI).
Brazil
Keywords: Technology

End Prosecutions Targeting Kurdish Language Activities in Türkiye - Hugh Williamson (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
Rıfat Roni has spent more than a decade as an official court interpreter facilitating communication for Kurdish speakers in legal proceedings. This week, he found himself in the dock facing charges.
Türkiye

Archiving as resistance to genocide denial in Gaza - Kousta, Eleftheria (Waging Nonviolence, 2024)
Law for Palestine members discuss their database of genocidal statements by leading Israeli figures and how it can help defend human rights.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the United Nations)

Women in public positions in North Macedonia are easy targets of hate speech - Metamorphosis Foundation (Global Voices, 2024)
Despite visible progress in the fight for women’s rights, increased representation in politics and greater attention to issues affecting women, the tendency to express contempt and insult them persists.
North Macedonia

Rights investigators call for protection of evidence, including mass grave sites - Vibhu Mishra (UN News, 2024)
In a landmark mission to Syria, the UN probe into the most serious rights violations committed in the country since 2011 has called on caretaker authorities to take immediate measures to protect mass grave sites and preserve critical evidence.
Syrian Arab Republic

Special Rapporteur on Torture documents Syrian violations for ICJ case - OHCHR (OHCHR, 2024)
There is a danger that important evidence of torture and other crimes is being lost in Syria, as families of missing people desperately seek news of their loved ones, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Jill Edwards warned today.
Syrian Arab Republic

Can Syria's devastated cultural heritage be rebuilt? - Stuart Braun (dw.com, 2024)
As Syria's brutal almost 14-year civil war comes to an end, heritage experts are working to protect the remains of the country's battered cultural riches — and to reconstruct them.
Syrian Arab Republic

Security Council Debates Use of Artificial Intelligence in Conflicts, Hears Calls for UN Framework to Avoid Fragmented Governance - United Nations (UN Meetings Coverage and Press Releases, 2024)
Rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) is outpacing human ability to govern it, even threatening human control over weapons systems, the United Nations chief warned during a Security Council briefing today, urging Member States to swiftly establish “international guard-rails” to ensure a safe, secure and inclusive AI future for all. “Artificial intelligence is not just reshaping our world — it is revolutionizing it,” underscored Secretary-General António Guterres. AI tools are identifying food insecurity and predicting displacements caused by extreme events and climate change, detecting and clearing landmines, and soon will be able to spot patterns of unrest before violence erupts.
Worldwide

Humanity’s fate can’t be left to algorithms, UN chief tells Security Council - Vibhu Mishra (UN News, 2024)
The UN Secretary-General on Thursday urged the Security Council to act decisively to establish international guardrails for artificial intelligence (AI), warning that delays could heighten risks to global peace and security.
Worldwide

In Azerbaijan, authorities are again targeting journalists, in a new wave of arrests - Arzu Geybullayeva (Global Voices, 2024)
The authorities in Baku insist none of the criticisms are true, instead accusing those critical of the regime of double standards, bias and meddling in the country's internal matters.
Azerbaijan

A pro-China rapper blows whistle on Beijing's influencer network in Taiwan - Oiwan Lam (Global Voices, 2024)
Chen Po-yuan, an insider of a pro-China influencer network in Taiwan, publicly revealed the operation of mainland Chinese state agencies within the self-ruled region.
China

Bulgaria trying to force out Syrian asylum seekers after fall of Assad - Tondo, Lorenzo; Kassam, Ashifa (The Guardian, 2024)
NGO finds Syrians subjected to interrogations and reportedly pressed into signing return documents
Syrian Arab Republic
Keywords: Bulgaria; Europe; European Union; Refugees; Syria; World news

Bulgaria trying to force out Syrian asylum seekers after fall of Assad - Tondo, Lorenzo; Kassam, Ashifa (The Guardian, 2024)
NGO finds Syrians subjected to interrogations and reportedly pressed into signing return documents
Bulgaria
Keywords: Bulgaria; Europe; European Union; Refugees; Syria; World news

Getting serious about AI rules: Lack of enforcement capacity puts EU at risk - Voss, Axel (Euractiv, 2024)
In half a year, common EU rules start to apply to the most advanced AI models, crucial to supporting downstream industry and protecting citizens against systemic risks. The AI Office in the European Commission, however, is massively understaffed for the task, counting so far only around 85 staffers – out of which only around 30 team members are specifically tasked with the implementation of the AI Act.
Europe

AI-based-technologies for trustworthy solutions against disinformation - AI4TRUST - Euractiv's Advocacy Lab (Euractiv, 2024)
The AI4TRUST project aims to combat misinformation and disinformation in the EU by creating a trust-based environment that integrates the automated monitoring of social and news media with advanced AI-based technologies to enhance the work of human fact-checkers.
Europe

Spain introduces bill to combat online fake news - France-Presse, Agence (The Guardian, 2024)
Minister calls bill demanding digital platforms publicly correct false information ‘good news for democracy’
Spain
Keywords: Digital media; Europe; Internet; Media; Pedro Sánchez; Social media; Spain; World news

Commission opens TikTok investigation over Romanian presidential elections disinformation - Hartmann, Théophane (Euractiv, 2024)
The Commission could eventually fine TikTok up to 6% of its global worldwide turnover for failure to comply.
Romania

Liberian Warlord-Politician’s Death and the Search for Justice - Michelle Reyes Milk (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
Liberia’s Prince Y. Johnson, who rose to prominence first as a warlord and then politician, was implicated in serious abuses during the country’s two civil wars between 1989 and 2003.
Liberia

General Assembly Adopts 47 Third Committee Resolutions, including Texts on Nazi Glorification, Children's Rights, Palestine Statehood - United Nations (UN Meetings Coverage and Press Releases, 2024)
The General Assembly adopted 47 draft resolutions and one decision recommended by its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, covering a wide range of issues, from countering violence against children and combating the glorification of Nazism to protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and ensuring the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. The draft on combating the glorification of Nazism contained in report A/79/456 elicited debate, triggering a recorded vote before its adoption. By the text, the Assembly expressed concern about the glorification of the Nazi movement, neo-Nazism and former members of the Waffen SS organization, including by erecting monuments and memorials and holding public demonstrations in the name of the glorification of the Nazi past.
Worldwide

Authorities using spyware and Cellebrite forensic extraction tools to hack journalists and activists - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2024)
Serbian authorities are using spyware and Cellebrite forensic extraction tools to hack journalists and activists in a surveillance campaign.
Serbia

Serbia used Israeli firm’s tech to enable spy campaign, Amnesty says - Euractiv.com with Reuters (Euractiv, 2024)
According to Amnesty, Serbia received phone-cracking devices as part of a broader package of assistance designed to help Serbia meet the requirements for EU accession.
Serbia

Serbia used Israeli firm’s tech to enable spy campaign, Amnesty says - Euractiv.com with Reuters (Euractiv, 2024)
According to Amnesty, Serbia received phone-cracking devices as part of a broader package of assistance designed to help Serbia meet the requirements for EU accession.
Israel

The Fragile Balance: Leon Langdon on Free Speech and Combating Religious Hatred - Jacobsen, Scott Douglas (International Policy Digest, 2024)
Leon Langdon discusses Humanists International's advocacy at the UNHRC, focusing on protecting freedom of expression, combating blasphemy laws, and addressing challenges to religious tolerance and minority rights
Worldwide

Online safety or censorship? Malaysia’s parliament passes two contentious media bills - Mong Palatino (Global Voices, 2024)
“These measures risk transforming Malaysia’s digital spaces into stricter and highly regulated environments, stifling open discourse and innovation while entrenching state control over the internet.”
Malaysia

Digital governance in the era of hybrid warfare, with Estonia’s digital minister - Santana, Giada (Euractiv, 2024)
In this episode, host Giada Santana is joined by Estonia's Justice and Digital Affairs Minister Liisa Pakosta to discuss Estonia's digital transformation and the challenges of securing a fully digital state in an era of escalating cyber warfare.
Estonia

States should ask "Where is Sombath?" at upcoming review of human rights record - International Federation for Human Rights (International Federation for Human Rights, 2024)
On the 12-year anniversary of the unresolved enforced disappearance of Lao civil society leader Sombath Somphone, we, the undersigned civil society organizations and individuals worldwide, urge United Nations (UN) member states to express their concern over this continuing crime and to call for the prompt resolution of Sombath’s case at the upcoming review of the human rights record of Laos.
Laos

Heritage, Indigenous Doing, and Wellbeing: Voices of Country - Sheehan, Norm; Jones, David S; Creighton, Joss; Harrington, Sheldon (Routlledge, 2024)
Heritage, Indigenous Doing and Wellbeing presents an Aboriginal Australian relational understanding of the world that offers a counter-narrative to the Western notion of heritage and new insights into the potential for sustaining the complex systems that support all life. From an Indigenous Australian perspective, the Western concept of heritage is intentionally exclusionary and supports social, political, economic, and environmental injustice.
Australia
Keywords: 2023-12 December

Restore, destroy or leave to rot? Battle lines drawn over west Africa’s architectural heritage - Egbejule, Eromo (The Guardian, 2024)
Uncompleted or abandoned buildings are a regular feature of the landscape. Now calls for restorations are increasing
Africa
Keywords: Africa; Architecture; Art and design; Culture; Togo; World news

35,000 registered missing in 13 years of conflict as ICRC helps families seek answers - International Committee of the Red Cross (International Committee of the Red Cross, 2024)
In the past 13 years, the ICRC has registered 35,000 cases of people who have gone missing in Syria. This number reflects the requests of the families who approached the ICRC - we know that in reality the numbers are far greater.
Syrian Arab Republic

SOS-defenders platform: Expose arbitrary detention of human rights defenders worldwide - International Federation for Human Rights (International Federation for Human Rights, 2024)
A collective of local, regional and international human rights organisations unveils SOS-Defenders, an action platform that exposes the alarming scale of arbitrary detention of human rights defenders worldwide.
Worldwide

Assad’s Fall in Syria Renews Push for Justice on Crimes Committed by His Regime - Bigg, Matthew Mpoke (The New York Times, 2024)
It seems unlikely that deposed President Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia, will be forced to stand trial. That is not deterring activists who have worked for years to document his government’s crimes.
Syrian Arab Republic
Keywords: Assad; Bashar al-; General Assembly (UN); Human Rights and Human Rights Violations; International Court of Justice (UN); International Criminal Court; Syria; Syrian Network for Human Rights; Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

The 'Smuggler' of Syrian Torture Archives Reveals His True Identity - Camille Tawil (Asharq Al-Awsat, 2024)
For many years, the world only knew them by the aliases Caesar and Sami. Since 2014, these two names have been associated with documenting torture in Syrian prisons. The photos they smuggled out of Syria shook the world and prompted the United States to impose strict sanctions on the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad, under what became known as the “Caesar Act.” These horrific photos documenting torture inflicted on detainees in Syrian prisons were used in courts in Western countries to convict Syrian officers on charges of torture and human rights violations.
Syrian Arab Republic

CFP: Compelling Tensions in Library and Information Science, Library Trends special issue - Cheryl Oestreicher (Publishing in the Archives Profession, 2024)
The field of library and information science (LIS) has compelling tensions similar to those explored by Thomas Kuhn in the fields of science. Many of these tensions have been a part of the discipline and profession for a long time, and others have emerged in the digital age with the explosion of information and the ways to access, manipulate, and share that information.
Worldwide

Bringing Perpetrators of Gross Human Rights Violations to Task - Groundviews (Groundviews, 2024)
The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP), an independent NGO working since 2013 to protect and promote justice and accountability in Sri Lanka, has submitted more than 60 sanctions and visa ban requests against public and security officials to date as well as a series of universal jurisdiction cases. These have been sent to the governments of the US, UK, Australia, Canada and the EU as well as the UN. The submissions cover gross violations of human rights and significant corruption in respect of the army, navy, air force, police and intelligence officials, Tamil paramilitaries as well as civil servants including judges and former ministers, a press release from the organization said.
Sri Lanka

New Laws Threaten Free Expression, Privacy - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
El Salvador’s recently approved cybersecurity and data protection laws contain sweeping provisions that threaten media freedom and privacy rights, Human Rights Watch said today.
El Salvador

The Measure of Time: Using Age Determination to Secure Identity and Civil Documentation - IOM (ReliefWeb, 2024)
Four workstations in a corner office at the Nazal health centre in Fallujah are ready to receive their first applicants. A red ribbon and mint green signs are the only markings for this newly established age determination committee, supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Iraq, and the Government of France. This committee will open doors to a new life for thousands of Iraqis in Fallujah, 65 km away from the capital, and offer critical services that were previously out of reach for families displaced by the conflict with Daesh.
Iraq

CIA Official Charged With Leaking Israeli Military Plans - Sharp, Alexandra (Foreign Policy, 2024)
Documents posted on Telegram detailed Israeli weapons, munition, and troop movements ahead of its counterattack against Iran.
United States of America

CIA Official Charged With Leaking Israeli Military Plans - Sharp, Alexandra (Foreign Policy, 2024)
Documents posted on Telegram detailed Israeli weapons, munition, and troop movements ahead of its counterattack against Iran.
Israel

Slovak ombudsman and opposition to challenge information bill in Constitutional Court - Silenská, Natália (Euractiv, 2024)
The bill could lead to arbitrary decisions and inconsistent treatment of requests for information.
Slovakia

The Bibi Files review – tapes and testimony expose paranoia and petulance of Netanyahu family - Bradshaw, Peter (The Guardian, 2024)
Alexis Bloom’s documentary, which shows the Israeli prime minister and his family under police interrogation over corruption charges, reveals their sense of entitlement
Israel
Keywords: Benjamin Netanyahu; Culture; Documentary films; Fatah; Film; Gaza; Hamas; Israel; Middle East and north Africa; Palestinian territories; World news

Ukraine’s death-defying art rescuers - Higgins, Charlotte; Alexandrou, Nicola; Bury, Ellie (The Guardian, 2024)
When Putin invaded, a historian in Kyiv saw that Ukraine’s cultural heritage was in danger. So he set out to save as much of it as he could.
Ukraine
Keywords: Museums; Russia; Sculpture; Ukraine

US should declassify what it knows about deadly Colombian Supreme Court attack - Lauren Harper (Freedom of the Press, 2024)
Declassification diplomacy is one of US government’s most distinctive foreign policy tools, and it should be deployed as often as possible
United States of America

US should declassify what it knows about deadly Colombian Supreme Court attack - Lauren Harper (Freedom of the Press, 2024)
Declassification diplomacy is one of US government’s most distinctive foreign policy tools, and it should be deployed as often as possible
Columbia

Privacy, Trust and Social Media - Paliszkiewicz, Joanna; Kuanchin, Chen; Gołuchowski, Jerzy (Routledge, 2024)
The book examines the main issues and challenges associated with privacy and trust on social media in a manner relevant to both practitioners and scholars.
Worldwide
Keywords: 2023-12 December; Privacy

Key US agency that fights foreign influence in jeopardy after funding snub - Gedeon, Joseph (The Guardian, 2024)
Global Engagement Center targeted by Republicans skeptical of alleged censoring of conservative viewpoints
United States of America
Keywords: Republicans; US Congress; US foreign policy; US news; US politics

Repeal Harmful Internet Laws - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
The Vietnamese government should repeal a draconian new decree tightening control of internet use and the 2018 Law on Cybersecurity.
Vietnam

Syria’s prison records vital for war crimes evidence - Mahmut Geldi (Anadolu Agency, 2024)
Fadl Abdulghani, head of the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), emphasized the importance of preserving prison and detention center archives in Syria to uncover the fate of detainees and identify those responsible for torture and other war crimes.
Syria

Nicaragua tortured at least 229 political prisoners, rights group says - Reuters (Reuters, 2024)
At least 229 people detained in Nicaragua for political reasons have suffered various forms of torture and other "crimes against humanity" at the hands of the government over the past seven years, a human rights NGO said.
Nicaragua

Trump first-term inquiry into leakers led to invasive searches, report finds - Tait, Robert (The Guardian, 2024)
Justice department says lawyers overreached in aiming to discover who was leaking classified information in 2017
United States of America
Keywords: Donald Trump; House of Representatives; Law (US); US news; US politics

UN war crimes tribunals continue to address legacy cases, support national efforts - Vibhu Mishra (UN News, 2024)
The mechanism to complete the work of UN war crimes tribunals continues to make progress in delivering justice for the most serious crimes in Rwanda and the States of the former Yugoslavia, top officials told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Worldwide

Records Seized by Israel Show Hamas Presence in U.N. Schools - Becker, Jo; Rasgon, Adam (The New York Times, 2024)
While Israel asserts that the United Nations has tried to minimize the problem, the global organization says Israeli officials are waging an unfair campaign to discredit it.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the United Nations)
Keywords: Gaza Strip; Hamas; Israel; Lazzarini; Philippe (1964- ); Palestinians; Teachers and School Employees; United Nations Relief and Works Agency

Records Seized by Israel Show Hamas Presence in U.N. Schools - Becker, Jo; Rasgon, Adam (The New York Times, 2024)
While Israel asserts that the United Nations has tried to minimize the problem, the global organization says Israeli officials are waging an unfair campaign to discredit it.
Israel
Keywords: Gaza Strip; Hamas; Israel; Lazzarini; Philippe (1964- ); Palestinians; Teachers and School Employees; United Nations Relief and Works Agency

Police unlawfully storing images of innocent people for facial recognition - Ungoed-Thomas, Jon (The Observer, 2024)
Privacy fears raised as report warns photographs of arrested people who are then released are being retained.
United Kingdom
Keywords: Facial recognition; Police; Privacy; UK news

National Archives digitize cold cases of Black American murders - Russell Contreras (Axios, 2024)
An Axios review of a new National Archives portal found just three digitized unsolved cases of lynchings, racial violence and murders of Black Americans, spawning several decades. The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection portal is the federal agency's latest attempt to index civil rights violations and provide a subject guide, part of an aim spelled out by law to bring justice to the victims in those cases.
United States of America

AI in War and Propaganda: Anna Mysyshyn on Disinformation, Democracy, and Digital Governance - Jacobsen, Scott Douglas (International Policy Digest, 2024)
Anna Mysyshyn explores the transformative role of AI in modern warfare and propaganda, highlighting its threats to democracy and strategies for resilience.
Worldwide

Colombia Asks U.S. to Declassify Records on 1985 Palace of Justice Case - Michael Evans (National Security Archive, 2024)
Washington, D.C., December 6, 2024 - Yesterday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that he has asked the United States to expedite the declassification of archival records on the 1985 Palace of Justice case. The request is an important step forward for human rights advocates seeking to clarify the motivations and actions of the M-19 insurgents who stormed the building on November 6, 1985, and the Colombian government’s responsibility for those who died in the fire that tore through the seat of Colombia’s judicial branch and for the disappearances that occurred in the aftermath.
Columbia

Colombia Asks U.S. to Declassify Records on 1985 Palace of Justice Case - Michael Evans (National Security Archive, 2024)
Washington, D.C., December 6, 2024 - Yesterday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that he has asked the United States to expedite the declassification of archival records on the 1985 Palace of Justice case. The request is an important step forward for human rights advocates seeking to clarify the motivations and actions of the M-19 insurgents who stormed the building on November 6, 1985, and the Colombian government’s responsibility for those who died in the fire that tore through the seat of Colombia’s judicial branch and for the disappearances that occurred in the aftermath.
United States of America

Hungary spied on EU officials, Belgian media reports - Wallace, Nicholas (Euractiv, 2024)
A joint report alleges that Hungarian intelligence searched EU officials' hotel rooms, and stole data from laptops.
Europe

A massive database of evidence, compiled by a historian, documents Israel's war crimes in Gaza - Hasson, Nir (Haaretz, 2024)
The report Dr. Mordechai has compiled online – "Bearing Witness to the Israel-Gaza War" – constitutes the most methodical and detailed documentation in Hebrew (there is also an English translation) of the war crimes that Israel is perpetrating in Gaza. It is a shocking indictment comprised of thousands of entries relating to the war, to the actions of the government, the media, the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli society in general. The English translation of the seventh, and to date latest version of the text, is 124 pages long and contains over 1,400 footnotes referencing thousands of sources, including eyewitness reports, video footage, investigatory materials, articles and photographs.
Palestine (Permanent Observer to the United Nations)
Keywords: Gaza; IDF; Israel war crimes; Israel-Gaza War; Palestinians

Ensure digital transformation supports access to information for people with disabilities - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2024)
On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, ARTICLE 19 underscores the right of people with disabilities to access information.
Tunisia

Documenting cases of violence against women and girls and recording the health sector response: How to strengthen health administrative data on intimate partner violence and sexual violence in the Region of the Americas. Information kit - Pan American Health Organization (Pan American Health Organization, 2024)
Violence against women and girls is a major public health challenges in the Region of the Americas. While preventing violence requires a multisectoral response, the health system has a critical role to play, including providing appropriate care and support to survivors of violence. One of the strengths of the health system response is its access to valuable data to monitor the response to violence, to sensitize others, and to advocate for change. Good health administrative data facilitate the adoption, adaptation, and improvement of the response to violence against women and girls. Generating comparable statistics on cases of violence and the quality of health care offered allows health professionals and those responsible for health management and policymaking to monitor key indicators and make decisions based on scientific evidence. This toolkit aims to support health workers, managers and policymakers in the collection and use of health administrative data on intimate partner and non-partner sexual violence. It includes information sheets that introduce and explain the importance of collecting health administrative data for cases of intimate partner violence and sexual violence and proposes a form for collecting these data and instructions for their correct use. It also stresses the importance of offering a health system response of good quality and based on human rights principles. The kit aligns with existing Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization recommendations and tools and provides practical guidance to health sector staff in the implementation of this guidance and the strengthening of health administrative data on violence against women and girls.
Americas

Nigeria: Amnesty International petitions ICC judges to end Prosecutor’s delaying of justice for atrocity crimes - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2024)
Amnesty International today submitted a legal filing to the Pre-Trial Judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on behalf of several victims’ networks, to request an end to the ICC Prosecutor’s indefinite and unfathomable delay to the start of the court’s investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Nigeria.
Nigeria

CFP: Critical Pedagogy Symposium: Decentering the West - Cheryl Oestreicher (Publishing in the Archives Profession, 2024)
This year’s Symposium is inspired by the pedagogies and practices of those thinking about colonialism, imperialism, transnationalism, epistemic injustice, and other frameworks for Decentering the West.
Worldwide

A North Korean Voice That Kim Jong-un Would Like to Silence - Sang-Hun, Choe (The New York Times, 2024)
Kim Seongmin, who fled to South Korea in the 1990s, broadcasts to his homeland twice a day, delivering the kind of information Pyongyang is trying hard to suppress.
North Korea
Keywords: Censorship; Content Type: Personal Profile; Defectors (Political); Free North Korea Radio; International Relations; Kim Jong-un; Kim Seongmin; North Korea; Politics and Government; Propaganda; Radio; South Korea

Hawaii Archives shed light on Pearl Harbor Memorial efforts - Kayli Pascal-Martinez (Island News, 2024)
As the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor is right around the corner, December 7, 1941, some documents at the Hawaii State Archives help to shed light on that part of Hawaii’s history and the state’s efforts to honor the war dead.
United States of America

Liberian ex-warlord Prince Johnson dies aged 72 - AFP (JusticeInfo.net, 2024)
Former Liberian warlord Prince Johnson, a key player in the country's back-to-back civil wars from 1989 to 2003, died Thursday aged 72, officials from his party and the Senate told AFP. Johnson, who was seen sipping beer in a video as fighters loyal to him tortured then president Samuel Doe to death in 1990, was […]
Liberia

The beginning of Norway’s reconciliation process - Andersen, Astrid Nonbo (JusticeInfo.net, 2024)
On November 12, the Norwegian Parliament apologized to the Sami, Kven, Norwegian Finns and Forrest Finns for its “Norwegianization politics” in the past. It also acted on the report and recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Three scholars explain what came out of this long-awaited reckoning.
Norway

Macron acknowledges 1944 ‘massacre’ of West African troops by French army - Associated Press (France24, 2024)
French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged that the 1944 killing of West African soldiers in a Senegalese fishing village by French forces was a massacre for the first time. The soldiers had fought alongside the French during World War II, but were killed by their French counterparts in what historians believe was a dispute over unpaid wages.
Senegal

Macron acknowledges 1944 ‘massacre’ of West African troops by French army - Associated Press (France24, 2024)
French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged that the 1944 killing of West African soldiers in a Senegalese fishing village by French forces was a massacre for the first time. The soldiers had fought alongside the French during World War II, but were killed by their French counterparts in what historians believe was a dispute over unpaid wages.
France

Australia passes world-first law banning under-16s from social media despite safety concerns - Sullivan, Helen (The Guardian, 2024)
Bill passes amid warning that process has been rushed and that a ban could push teenagers towards the dark web or into isolation
Australia
Keywords: Australia news; Social media; World news; Young people

Former ICC chief prosecutor says she faced threats and ‘thug-style tactics’ - Davies, Harry (The Guardian, 2024)
Fatou Bensouda says she and her family were subjected to ‘direct threats’ while working on the most sensitive cases
Keywords: Fatou Bensouda; International criminal court; Israel; Law; Middle East and north Africa; The Mossad; World news

Myanmar: ICC Prosecutor Requests Arrest Warrant - Human Rights Watch (2024)
The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant for Myanmar military commander-in-chief, Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, for alleged crimes against humanity is a major step towards justice for the country’s Rohingya population
Myanmar

Exhibition | Recent US Exhibitions Explore the Complexity of Puerto Rican Identity - Gonzalez, Damaly (ArtNews, 2024)
In a portrait from 1928, a Puerto Rican woman holds a devotional painting of the Virgin Mary and child. The work by Miguel Pou y Becerra is titled La promesa. The author mentions a feeling of the broken promise of salvation through Catholicism, forced upon Puerto Rico during Spain’s colonization of the island. At the Rollins Museum of Art in Orlando, Florida (on view through January 5)
United States of America

Exhibition | Recent US Exhibitions Explore the Complexity of Puerto Rican Identity - Gonzalez, Damaly (ArtNews, 2024)
Rollins Museum of Art in Orlando, Florida (on view through January 5)
United States of America

UK Supreme Court hears landmark legal challenge over how a ‘woman’ is defined in law - The Gleaner (2024)
LONDON (AP) — The United Kingdom Supreme Court on Tuesday began hearing a legal challenge focusing on the definition of “woman” in a long-running dispute between a women's right campaign group and the Scottish government. Five...
United Kingdom
Keywords: Scotland

The Colombia Banana Massacre of 1928: The Shocking Story - Dwyer, Cassandra (The Collector, 2024)
A simple workers’ strike led to the death of thousands as American fruit growers attempted to keep prices low with a looming Depression on the horizon.
Colombia

One woman killed every 10 minutes: The harrowing global reality of femicide - UN News (2024)
Worldwide

Revealed: Saudi Arabia accused of modifying official Cop29 negotiating text - Carrington, Damian (The Guardian, 2024)
Exclusive: News of changes to usually non-editable document ‘risks placing climate summit in jeopardy'
Saudi Arabia
Keywords: Azerbaijan; Climate aid; Climate crisis; Climate finance; Cop29; Environment; Middle East and north Africa; Saudi Arabia; World news

Preserving cultural heritage in times of war - Abram, Lisa (UVic News, 2024)
Responsible for creating the Conflict Aftermath Digital Archive Project (CADAP), Nathaniel Brunt is working with librarians and historians to ethically preserve and make accessible at-risk, conflict-related visual material.
Iraq

FARC leadership accused of war crimes over child soldiers - Liévano, Andrés Bermúdez (JusticeInfo.net, 2024)
In Colombia, six former FARC leaders have been charged with participating in the recruitment of child soldiers. Following the announcement by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), they indicated that they accepted the charges against them.
Colombia

Accelerating humanitarian response: Inside MapAction’s Automated Data Pipeline - Evangelos Diakatos (Map Action, 2024)
In times of crisis, timely and accurate geospatial data is crucial for effective humanitarian response. This GIS Day 2024, we discuss a new project: an automated data pipeline to streamline the collection and preparation of essential geospatial datasets for emergencies. By replicating the data scramble process our GIS teams typically perform during emergencies, the MapAction Automated Data Pipeline aims to expedite the delivery of critical information to those who need it most.
Worldwide

Chief archivist apology to survivors of abuse in care - New Zealand Archives (New Zealand Archives, 2024)
The Chief Archivist Anahera Morehu sincerely apologises on behalf of Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga Archives New Zealand (previously the National Archives) for failing to effectively monitor Government recordkeeping
New Zealand

CFP: Item Not Found: Accounting for Loss in Libraries, Archives and Other Heritage and Memory Organizations - Cheryl Oestreicher (Publishing in the Archives Profession, 2024)
Call for Book Chapter Proposals for Item Not Found: Accounting for Loss in Libraries, Archives and Other Heritage and Memory Organizations
Worldwide

A Thousand Days of War in Ukraine | Human Rights Watch - Gorbunova, Yulia; Kvitka, Kseniya (2024)
November 19 marks 1,000 days since Russia’'s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This grim milestone highlights the immense suffering the war has brought to Ukrainian civilians in particular as a result of the war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by Russian forces.
Ukraine

Why Is Canada Protecting the Names of Suspected Nazis? - Noakes, Taylor (The Walrus, 2024)
The concept of a secret registry of names kept by the federal government feels at odds with our perception of Canada. But there is at least one such list—reportedly about 900 names long—that is one of the government’s most closely guarded secrets. It is a record of alleged or suspected war criminals and collaborators who were believed to have found refuge in Canada after the Second World War.
Canada

Mamadou Diouf: 'Imperial history can no longer be articulated exclusively by France' - Le Monde (2024)
The president of the commemoration committee for the Thiaroye massacre in Senegal believes that African countries must regain control of their historical narrative, and is calling on France to return all its archives.
Senegal
Keywords: France

Ottawa to compensate Inuit in Nunavik for mass sled dog slaughter | CBC News - Stefanovich, Olivia (CBC News, 2024)
The federal government says it will offer financial compensation to Inuit in Nunavik for the devastation caused by the mass slaughter of their sled dogs decades ago. More than 1,000 of the dogs that Inuit relied on for their livelihoods were shot to death by Mounties, employees of the Hudson's Bay Company and other authorities during the mid-1950s and late 1960s across Nunavik, the Inuit region of northern Quebec.
Canada

Mother-and-baby homes: Nursing homes used for 'secrecy', panel finds - Page, Chris (BBC News, 2024)
United Kingdom

Raising the roof: Building resilience through conserving historic homes in the Philippines | UN News - Pamintuan, Jorica (2024)
Philippines

Malcolm X's family sues US law enforcement agencies for $170 million over allowing assassination - RNZ News (RNZ, 2024)
The family of militant civil rights leader Malcolm X has filed a NZ$170 million lawsuit that accuses law enforcement agencies of allowing his murder to be carried out almost 60 years ago.
United States of America

Sierra Leone: Authorities must repeal colonial vagrancy laws following historic ECOWAS ruling - Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2024)
The Sierra Leonean authorities must repeal vagrancy laws without delay, following a landmark ruling by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court that the colonial-era legislation discriminates against poor people and other marginalized groups, Amnesty International said. The ruling, made on 7 November, found that Sierra Leone’s vagrancy laws – which criminalize anyone […]
Sierra Leone

The Detached Papers: New records on the transatlantic slave trade on Discovery - The National Archives blog - Hellawell, Phillipa (Records and Research, 2024)
The National Archives has released over 8,000 new catalogue descriptions of documents related to the transatlantic slave trade.
United Kingdom

Norway apologises to Sami, Forest Finns and Kvens for forced assimilation policy | Norway | The Guardian - Bryant, Miranda (The Guardian, 2024)
The Norwegian parliament has apologised unreservedly to minority groups and Indigenous people for more than a century of historical injustices committed against them as part of its “Norwegianisation” policy.
Norway

Abuse in Care: Government prepares to formally apologise - RNZ News (RNZ News, 2024)
New Zealand's Prime Minister has apologized to the hundreds of thousands of people abused while in state care, and acknowledged the “unimaginable suffering” inflicted in children's homes and psychiatric hospitals.
New Zealand

The Dark History of Australia’s Blackbirding - Relli, Sarah (The Collector, 2024)
For more than 40 years, sugar barons practiced “blackbirding,” removing thousands of South Sea Islanders from their homes to work on sugar cane plantations.
Australia

When White Supremacists Staged the Only Successful Coup in U.S. History - Armstrong, Vanessa (Smithsonian, 2024)
On November 10, 1898, white supremacists in Wilmington, North Carolina, massacred upwards of 60 Black people and overthrew the city’s democratically elected government, instigating the only successful coup d’état in United States history. No one was brought to justice for the horrific violence, and over the next century, the event was largely ignored, whitewashed as a “race riot” if it was mentioned at all.
United States of Ameriuvca

How the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Continues to Impact Modern Life | Smithsonian Voices | Smithsonian Books Smithsonian Magazine - Sharpe, Christina (Smithsonian Books, 2024)
A new Smithsonian book reckons with the enduring legacies of slavery and capitalism
Worldwide

Justice Info publishes the report supposedly behind the genocide plot in Rwanda - Cruvellier, Thierry (JusticeInfo.net, 2024)
For the 1st time, Justice Info publishes the full report of the Commission which was presented by the Prosecutor of the Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) as the birth certificate of the genocidal project.
Rwanda

Macron 'acknowledges' France responsible for 1957 assassination of Algerian nationalist Larbi Ben M'hidi - Kessous, Mustapha (2024)
The young political-military leader of the National Liberation Front was hanged on the night of March 3, 1957, during the Battle of Algiers, by French soldiers who disguised the death of this 'national hero' as a suicide.
Algeria
Keywords: France

National Archives Aids in Tulsa Riot Mass Burial Identification - Lebonick, Cara Moore (National Archives, 2024)
By Cara Moore Lebonick | National Archives News ST. LOUIS, November 4, 2024 — On the 100-year anniversary of race riots erupting in the predominantly Black-populated and affluent Greenwood District in the city of Tulsa, OK, the city launched an investigation into unmarked graves in likely mass burial sites resulting from the riots. The laboratory assisting Tulsa, Intermountain Forensics, turned to the National Archives for records to help identify individuals from those graves.
United States of America

Group looks to determine scope of forced sterilization - Molesh, Omar (The Toronto Star, 2024)
Survivors Circle for Reproductive Justice hopes to of chronicle the history of First Nation, Inuit and Metis women and girls being forcefully sterilized and getting a better idea of how many people it affected.
Canada

Project reveals UK sites where black Americans fought to end slavery - Osuh, Chris (The Guardian, 2024)
Missing Pieces Project maps buildings in 189 locations where African American abolitionists spoke against slavery
United States of America
Keywords: Activism; Culture; England; Heritage; Race; Slavery; UK news; US news; World news

Project reveals UK sites where black Americans fought to end slavery - Osuh, Chris (The Guardian, 2024)
Missing Pieces Project maps buildings in 189 locations where African American abolitionists spoke against slavery
United Kingdom
Keywords: Activism; Culture; England; Heritage; Race; Slavery; UK news; US news; World news

For one survivor, the 1920 Election Day massacre in Florida was ‘the night the devil got loose’ - Podair, Gerald (The Conversation, 2024)
Mose Norman, a Black registered voter, was ready to cast his ballot for presidential candidate Warren G. Harding. But when he arrived at his polling place on Election Day, Nov. 2, 1920, in the orange grove town of Ocoee, Florida, near Orlando, Norman was turned away by white election officials because of supposed unpaid poll taxes. His name and the names of hundreds of other registered Black voters had been removed from the rolls by white poll workers.
United States of America

White House press office altered transcript of Biden ‘garbage remark’ call - Press, Associated (The Guardian, 2024)
Transcript released by the White House added an apostrophe to ‘supporters’ to change meaning after conferring with Biden, email shows
United States of America
Keywords: Biden administration; Donald Trump; Joe Biden; US elections 2024; US news; US politics

(Counter-)Archive: Memorial Practices of the Soviet Underground - Smola, Klavdia; Kukulin, Ilya; Bachmaier, Annelie (Springer Nature Switzerland, 2024)
Focuses on the archive as a form of art employed by various groups of the late Soviet underground, aiming to approach old archival materials related to the Soviet cultural underground on a meta-level of analysis to explore unofficial cultures, the history of state socialism, and topics of suppressed cultural memory
Russian Federation
Keywords: Archive; Memory; Slavic studies; Soviet history; art history; communism; counter-archives; cultural memory; self-archiving; suppressed memory; underground culture; unofficial culture

Reading the Archival Revolution - Vatulescu, Cristina (Stanford University Press, 2024)
The opening of classified documents from the Soviet era has been dubbed the "archival revolution" due to its unprecedented scale, drama, and impact. With a storyteller's sensibility, Cristina Vatulescu identifies and takes on the main challenges of reading in these archives.
Worldwide

Armenia: Surveillance Bill Threatens Right - Human Rights Watch (Human Rights Watch, 2024)
The Armenian government’s bill for the mandatory installation of video surveillance systems with 24-hour police access throughout the capital, Yerevan, is unjustified and interferes with privacy and other rights.
Armenia

It’s Going to Take a Constant Fight to Preserve the Historical Record - Robinson, Nathan J. (Current Affairs, 2024)
The National Archives museum is backsliding into a sanitized mythological retelling of American history. Don’t assume the truth will prevail.
United States of America

Renowned photographer donates refusenik archives to South Texas Jewish Archives - The Jewish Herald-Voice (The Jewish Herald-Voice, 2024)
On Monday, Oct. 21, the Joan and Stanford Alexander South Texas Jewish Archives hosted a special lecture featuring renowned photographer and activist Janice Rubin. Entitled “Refuseniks Revealed: Stories of Struggle and Hope from the Soviet Union,” the talk shed light on Rubin’s daring 1986 mission to document the lives of Soviet Jews denied permission to emigrate – a group known as “refuseniks.”
United States of America

Renowned photographer donates refusenik archives to South Texas Jewish Archives - The Jewish Herald-Voice (The Jewish Herald-Voice, 2024)
On Monday, Oct. 21, the Joan and Stanford Alexander South Texas Jewish Archives hosted a special lecture featuring renowned photographer and activist Janice Rubin. Entitled “Refuseniks Revealed: Stories of Struggle and Hope from the Soviet Union,” the talk shed light on Rubin’s daring 1986 mission to document the lives of Soviet Jews denied permission to emigrate – a group known as “refuseniks.”
Russian Federation

Thailand: Silencing dissent and the fight for free expression - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2024)
Silencing Dissent: Defamation Laws and the Fight for Free Expression in Thailand, underscores an urgent call for reform to protect freedom of expression and align the country’s legislation with international human rights standards.
Thailand

Türkiye: Workshops on freedom of expression standards and Council of Europe mechanisms - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2024)
Two-day workshops on freedom of expression standards and Council of Europe applications on 12-13 November in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Türkiye

South Carolina’s Penn Center included in Unesco network to preserve enslaved people’s history - Hellmann, Melissa (The Guardian, 2024)
Center was one of the first US schools for formerly enslaved people, and now preserves Gullah Geechee culture
United States of America
Keywords: Black US culture; Culture; Race; Slavery; South Carolina; US news; Unesco; United Nations

EU: ARTICLE 19 contributes to Access Info’s report on access to documents - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2024)
ARTICLE 19 contributed to a report aimed at EU institutions on improving the implementation of the public's right to access EU documents.
Europe

Biden apologizes for government's role in running Native American boarding schools - Pietrorazio, Gabriel (NPR, 2024)
Calling it "a blot on American history," president Biden formally apologized for the federal government's role in running boarding schools where thousands of Native American children endured abuse, neglect and eradication of their tribal identities.
United States of America

Concerns raised over access to UK Biobank data after ‘race scientists’ claims - Pegg, David; Devlin, Hannah; Burgis, Tom (The Guardian, 2024)
Expert says any suggestion of Human Diversity Foundation accessing sensitive data could affect public trust in science.
United Kingdom
Keywords: Data protection; Genetics; Medical research; Science; UK news

1960s civil rights protesters who staged historic sit-in finally have arrest records cleared - Press, JEFFREY COLLINS-Associated (Winston-Salem Journal, 2024)
A judge in South Carolina has erased the records of seven Black men arrested in 1960 for sitting at an all-white lunch counter.
United States of America

Gun Companies Gave Customers’ Sensitive Personal Information to Political Operatives - Johnson, Corey G. (ProPublica, 2024)
At least 10 gun industry businesses, including Glock, Smith & Wesson, Remington and Mossberg, secretly handed over names, addresses and other data to lobbyists, who used the details to rally firearm owners to elect pro-gun politicians.
United States of America

King Charles heckled in Australia: the crown’s role in Indigenous rights in the Commonwealth - Murphy, Philip (The Conversation, 2024)
There is no avoiding the UK’s issues of colonial legacy.
Australia

Navy apologies for destroying Alaska Native village in 1882 - CBS News (CBS News, 2024)
The U.S. Navy issued an apology for destroying an Alaska Native village nearly 150 years ago. The 1882 attack in Angoon killed six children and caused such dire food shortages that villagers starved themselves so children could eat.
United States of America

European Parliament Revolutionizes Archive Access with Claude AI - Anthropic (Anthropic, 2024)
Discover how the European Parliament uses Anthropic's Claude AI to power Archibot, dramatically improving access to 2.1 million documents. Learn how this AI solution cuts search time by 80% and boosts user satisfaction, while maintaining ethical standards and security.
Europe

Unerased - Cooper, Ann (Nieman Reports, 2024)
In response to the threat of erasure, the Russian Independent Media Archive (RIMA) has digitised 131 Russian media outlets. The collection, comprising print and online sites, is open access and searchable, with content dating back to the 1990s.
Russian Federation

Protect and release our archived personal histories - Finn, Clodagh (Irish Examiner, 2024)
Under new legislation fast-tracked by the Minister for Children, the destruction, alteration or removal of records pertaining to survivors of institutional abuse will be a criminal offence.
Ireland

The history of Caribbean slavery is being lost. Britain must act now to preserve it - Trevelyan, Laura; Phillip, Nicole (The Guardian, 2024)
Climate-related disasters are destroying precious records.
Americas
Keywords: Americas; Barbados; Caribbean; David Lammy; Genealogy; Grenada; Hurricanes; King Charles III; Monarchy; Race; Reparations and reparative justice; Slavery; UK news; World news

The history of Caribbean slavery is being lost. Britain must act now to preserve it - Trevelyan, Laura; Phillip, Nicole (The Guardian, 2024)
Climate-related disasters are destroying precious records.
United Kingdom
Keywords: Americas; Barbados; Caribbean; David Lammy; Genealogy; Grenada; Hurricanes; King Charles III; Monarchy; Race; Reparations and reparative justice; Slavery; UK news; World news

UN Cybercrime Convention: A blueprint for human rights violations - Article 19 (ARTICLE 19, 2024)
ARTICLE 19 is seriously concerned about the UN Draft Convention on cybercrime, pending adoption by the UN General Assembly later in 2024.
Worldwide