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
Trump, Kadhimi launch new chapter in US-Iraq relations US offers Iraqi prime minister aid, energy deals and continued cooperation against Islamic State. Iraq
Activists continue to be killed in Basra The killing of an Iraqi activist in Bara took place even as Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was visiting Washington; it was just the latest in a series of violent attacks against protesters and others in the southern city. Iraq
Islamist parties challenge Iraqi domestic violence draft law The potential enactment of a domestic violence bill into law has engendered a major struggle between civil society activists and Shiite Islamist parties that believe the law will split families. Iraq
Residents of this Egyptian village forced to leave their homes Forced evacuation and a security campaign targeted the residents of Sayadeen village in Alexandria governorate in northern Egypt. Egypt
In dramatic move, Iraqi PM visits prisons in response to protester appeals The Iraqi government is under pressure to reveal the fate of persons unaccounted for and those detained in secret prisons. Iraq
State Department remains concerned by Turkey’s proxy fighters in northern Syria Turkey-allied fighters have faced widespread accusations of arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings and other abuses in northern Syria. Syria
Iran hangs protester despite calls to halt execution Campaigns led by Iranian human rights activists failed to halt the execution of the protester arrested during anti-government rallies in late 2017. Iran
Australian envoy says academic jailed in Iran doing 'well' Ambassador Lyndall Sachs visited with Kylie Moore-Gilbert Sunday following her transfer to a notorious desert prison last month. Iran
Torture on the rise in Erdogan’s Turkey Reports of human rights atrocities in Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Turkey are growing, with victims speaking out on forced disappearances and murder. Turkey
Filmed confessions of Brotherhood members stir controversy Rights lawyers are demanding Egypt’s Ministry of Interior to be held liable after releasing videos of suspects involved in an alleged Muslim Brotherhood plan to undermine the state’s security. Egypt
Yazidi activist Nadia Murad to appear on 'The Daily Show' Murad's appearance on the popular US talk and news satire show could showcase her efforts to combat sexual violence and trafficking to a new and big audience. Iraq
‘I still wake up at night’: Syrian men and transgender rape survivors struggle in Lebanon LGBT survivors of sexual violence told Human Rights Watch that accessing services for their physical and psychological trauma is a challenge in Lebanon. Syria
