Syrian court sentences Bashar al-Assad, brother to death for war crimes Ousted President Bashar al-Assad and his younger brother Maher al-Assad were both sentenced to death in absentia for war crimes along with several other defendants. Syria
Iran hangs 2 over alleged Mossad ties as executions mount: What to know Rights groups have warned that Iran may step up executions with the resumption of the war in the region. Iran
'Obliterated entire families': Amnesty calls for investigating Israeli strikes in Lebanon as war crimes Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing war crimes in Lebanon by wiping out entire families and killing children. Lebanon
Iran’s hard-line judicial chief Mohseni Ejei gets second term: What to know The veteran judicial official, who has been sanctioned by the United States and the European Union, has been accused of overseeing widespread human rights violations for decades. His reappointment by Mojtaba Khamenei signals continuity in Iran's hardline judicial policies and crackdown on dissent. Iran
US blacklists Israel's NSO Group for 'malicious' cyberactivities The Biden administration placed to two Israeli cyberfirms, NSO Group and Candiru, on the US Commerce Department’s blacklist. Israel
Ankara faces new calls to release philanthropist Osman Kavala On the fourth year of his imprisonment, Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala issued a statement from prison, expressing hope that others will face a fairer trial. Turkey
Erdogan slams Western envoys who urged philanthropist's release Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned a joint statement issued by the United States and nine other countries that called on Ankara to end its four-year detention of Osman Kavala. Turkey
Refugees returning to Syria face reprisals from government The rights organization documented arrest, arbitrary detention, torture and other forms of abuse among Syrian refugees who returned to their home country from Lebanon and Jordan. Syria
Ankara summons 10 ambassadors over call to free Turkish philanthropist Turkey’s Foreign Ministry summoned the ambassadors of the United States, Germany and France, among others, after they called for the release of Osman Kavala, a Turkish philanthropist jailed over four years without conviction. Turkey
Jailing of terminally ill Gulen disciple stirs hearts across Turkey's ideological divide Ayse Ozdogan, an imprisoned end-stage cancer patient, has been denied release, despite a recommendation by a government-run hospital. Turkey
UN vote shuts down Yemen war crimes investigations Twenty-one member states voted against renewing the UN Human Rights Council's mandate to investigate war crimes in Yemen. Yemen
Syrian opposition chief: US sanctions a deterrent for Turkish proxy fighters During an interview with Al-Monitor, Syrian National Coalition President Salem al-Meslet discussed recent US sanctions on Ahrar al-Sharqiya, the human rights situation in northern Syria and the US military presence in the war-torn country. Syria
Tensions between Erdogan and opposition-run Istanbul municipality turn violent The standoff between the municipality and police sparked violence at the historic ferry dock. Turkey
Qatar to host first Formula 1 Grand Prix in November The Gulf country, which will make its Formula 1 debut in November, also inked a 10-year hosting deal. Qatar
Hamas-Fatah dispute over wearing keffiyeh spills over to Gaza university Hamas-affiliated police forces assaulted students wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh on the Al-Azhar University campus in the Gaza Strip, causing uproar among the Fatah movement. Palestine
Iran admits ‘witness to torture’ died in custody The prisoner had defied pressure from intelligence authorities to withdraw his shocking statements after he blew the whistle on “medieval-style torture” of executed political prisoner Navid Afkari. Iran
