Middle East & North Africa

Death of Migrant Worker Vergie Tamfungan Raised UAE Labor Law Concerns
The United Arab Emirates government has launched an investigation in response to a report by the Guardian on the suspicious death of Filipina migrant worker Vergie Tamfungan’s death.

Sakharov Human Rights Prize Awarded to Jina Mahsa Amini
The European Parliament posthumously presented the Sakharov Human Rights Prize for Freedom of Thought to Jina Mahsa Amini. Her death stirred Iran into a new attempt at protesting the current repressive theocracy that enforced hijab wearing, among other restrictions for women.

International Court Addresses Syrian Torture Case
The International Court of Justice has addressed the 12-year legacy of torture and false imprisonment of the Syrian Assad Administration for the first time on Oct 11, 2023. The case, brought forward by Canada and the Netherlands, accused Assad of violating the UN’s Convention against Torture (CAT), which Syria has opted in to.