political prisoners
13 Articles

1,000 Days and Counting: A Father, A Professor, and a Government That Won’t Let Go
The son of Azerbaijan economist and anti-corruption activist Gubad Ibadoghlu appeals for the release of his father and uncle, both political prisoners.

Statement by Israeli International Law Scholars Concerning Israel’s New “Death Penalty for Terrorists” Law
Leading Israeli international law scholars' statement on how new Israeli death penalty law for certain terrorism crimes "violates basic rules of international law."

Writers’ Voices Increasingly Missing in Iran Protests As Regime Targets Democracy Advocates
As Iranians protested for freedom, the regime intensified its assault on writers and dissenters, silencing key voices like Narges Mohammadi and Ali Asadollahi.

Is President Maduro a Prisoner of War?
Three theories by which POW status might attach to a person in Maduro’s position, and the consequences of entitlement to that status.

We Told You So: Now What for Northeast Syria?
The chaos unfolding in the camps and prisons in NE Syria was predictable. The new Syrian government must expediently provide security and protection to the detainees.

In Turkey, Peace as Pretext: Erdoğan’s Kurdish Initiative and the Authoritarian Logic Behind Arresting His Main Opponent
The arrest of the Turkish president's main rival, Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu, sharpens the contradictions of the peace effort with the Kurds.

Turkey, PKK Make New Peace Overtures Amid Regional Shifts and Possible Erdogan Power Play
With new peace offerings, Turkey aims to shift complex intra-Kurdish relations that may improve regional security and Erdogan's position.

In a New Era for Syria, States Must Take Responsibility for Their Islamic State-Affiliated Prisoners and Families
It is a matter not only of justice, law, and human dignity, but also an obligation to relieve Syrians of this war legacy as they rebuild their society.

Pay Attention to Belarus
Internal repression -- more than 1,400 political prisoners -- extends outward, too, as dictator Alexander Lukashenka's threatens US and EU security with hybrid ops and nuclear…

US Arrests Former Syrian Prison Chief – But Will the Charges Prove Equal to His Crimes?
Prosecutors can do more to hold al-Sheikh fully to account under the Torture Act and the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act.

Azerbaijan’s Aliyev Extends Arbitrary Detentions Even as He Prepares to Host Global Climate Conference COP29
Gubad Ibadoghlu's case represents a trend of falsely imprisoning human rights defenders that casts a shadow on a premier annual gathering.

Russian Human Rights Activist Vladimir Kara-Murza Marks Two Years Behind Bars
His wife, Evgenia, calls on the global democratic community to stand with her husband and others fighting Putin's repression.