Eritrea Abuses Force Players To Flee

Seven players from the Eritrea national football team have gone missing after a historic win against the Eswatini national football team. The team won 4-1 on aggregate to reach the qualifiers for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 19 years. However, only three of the 10 locally based players returned home. [...]

Tajikistan Under Fire For Religious Restrictions

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom says Tajikistan should again be named a country of particular concern for serious violations of religious freedom. The report focuses strongly on Tajikistan and explains that the government keeps tight control over religious life. The report says authorities often target independent Muslims who do not follow the state’s [...]

North Korea’s Forced Labor System Abroad

A new report says North Korea runs a state-backed labor programme that sends thousands of workers abroad and earns about US$500 million each year. Many workers are sent to Russia and China to work in construction, factories, and other jobs. According to the rights group Global Rights Compliance, workers face very harsh conditions. They often [...]

Death Penalty Crisis In Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, the use of the death penalty has increased sharply in recent years, causing strong concern among human rights groups. In 2025, authorities carried out more than 300 executions, including people accused of nonviolent crimes such as drug offences and peaceful protests. Some of those executed were foreign workers, and at least two [...]

Expulsion Of Foreign Christians In Türkiye Raises Concern

The issue of foreign Christians being expelled from Türkiye has drawn attention from international organizations and human rights groups. Since 2020, more than 200 foreign Christian workers have been removed from the country, affecting around 350 people in total. Many of those expelled were church leaders who had lived in Türkiye for many years and [...]

Niger Rejects EU Call To Free Bazoum Amid Rights Concerns

More than two years after the military coup in Niger, former president Mohamed Bazoum and his wife are still being held without a clear legal reason. On March 11, the European Parliament passed a resolution asking for their immediate release and also raised concern about others detained after the coup. Niger’s government strongly reacted by [...]

Strict Media Control In Brunei

In Brunei, freedom of the press is heavily restricted by law and the exercise of emergency powers. The constitution does not guarantee freedom of speech, and criticizing the royal family or the national philosophy, known as the Malay Islamic Monarchy, is illegal. The Sharia Penal Code punishes apostasy, insulting Islam, or claiming to be God, [...]

Press Freedom Declines In Türkiye

Press freedom in Türkiye deteriorated in 2025, with journalists facing harassment, censorship, physical attacks, and economic pressure. A report by eight international press freedom groups said the country is “extremely hostile to independent journalism.” Critical reporting is often treated as a crime or security threat, creating fear among media workers. The crackdown increased after protests [...]

Tajikistan Limits Free Speech And Press Freedom

In Tajikistan in 2025, freedom of expression was very limited. The government continued to punish journalists and critics who spoke out against leaders or reported independently. Some journalists were jailed for many years after secret trials, and others were accused of crimes with no clear public evidence. A planned conference for women journalists was cancelled [...]

Eritrean Priest Held Two Decades Without Charge

Gebremedhin Gebregergis, an Eritrean Orthodox priest, has been imprisoned for more than twenty years in Eritrea without any charge or trial. He was arrested on 19 November 2004 together with two other Christians. Since then, they have been held at the Central Criminal Investigation Centre in Wengel Mermera, a prison known for harsh conditions. Reports [...]

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