Together with five other international human rights and press freedom organizations, Civil Rights Defenders has addressed President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to raise serious concerns over the arrest of journalists and the escalating harassment of independent media in Kazakhstan, calling for the release of those prosecuted for their work and for urgent reform of the c...

Defending human rights is an act of courage, and in many parts of the world it comes at great personal risk. When a human rights defender faces threats, intimidation, or sudden danger, Civil Rights Defenders’ Emergency Fund steps in to provide rapid, flexible, and life-saving support. In those critical moments, tim...

The week of 20 January 2026, the court heard Christine Batruch, who worked with corporate social responsibility (CSR) at Lundin Oil in various capacities between 1999-2020. Her testimony lasted three days, although four days were initially allocated to the hearing. She answered questions about her background and experience regarding CSR and Sudan before she was hired by L...

Thursday 15 January 2026 marked the appearance of the Lundin Oil trial’s perhaps most highly anticipated witness: former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt. Bildt, who was prime minister from 1991-1994, then Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2006-2014, joined Lundin Oil’s board of directors in 2000 in the wake of several media and NGO reports connecting the company’s operat...

The latest local elections in Serbia have offered a revealing snapshot of the country’s democratic landscape. What should have been a routine exercise in local governance instead exposed systemic pressure, violence and institutional failures, raising serious concerns ahead of any future national vote.

Local elections held across 10 municipalitie...