Equality and Human Rights

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has reported strong evidence of ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan’s Darfur region. On Thursday (10 July), the ICC’s deputy prosecutor, Nazhat Shameem Khan, told the U.N. Security Council that current reports describe famine, attacks on hospitals and aid convoys, the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, and the forced recruitment of children to fight as soldiers. Khan also argued that 'abductions for ransom had become common practice'.

On Tuesday (8 July), Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, was expelled from the country by the internationally unrecognised government of eastern Libya, along with three European ministers. The delegation had hoped to reach an agreement with the government of army leader Khalifa Haftar to stop migrants leaving the country.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly has called for the immediate release of all political prisoners in Georgia in a declaration adopted during the Assembly’s 32nd annual session held in Porto, Portugal on 3 July. The declaration expressed alarm over the developments since the parliamentary elections held on 26 October last year including reports of arbitrary detentions, violence and ill-treatment of protesters, opposition leaders and media representatives, as documented by civil society organizations and the Public Defender of Georgia. The declaration also called for new elections to be held in Georgia.

According to the news channel Al Jazeera and the Palestinian news agency Wafa, at least ten Palestinians who were desperately seeking aid from a controversial and heavily criticised United States–backed organisation have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza over the last 48 hours, according to the besieged enclave’s Government Media Office.

The global march to Gaza is set to begin on 15 June, with thousands of international activists planning to walk from Al-Arish to the Rafah border crossing. The activists come from over 80 different countries and have arrived in Egypt by plane or organised bus. Participants include Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, a former South African lawmaker and grandson of Nelson Mandela, as well as Hala Rharrit, a former US State Department diplomat. The march aims to peacefully advocate for the opening of a humanitarian corridor into Gaza and to draw global attention to the worsening crisis in the Strip, characterised by shortages of food, medicine and fuel.

Italians go to vote on 8 and 9 June in a referendum that is dividing the nation and will help define "Who is Italian". Until the mid-19th century Italy was "a mere geographical expression", divided in small states and parts of it occupied by foreign powers. Eventually, the Italian language brought people together, and the Italian state as we know it emerged by 1871. In todays Italy, the question of who gets to be Italian is a sensitive one. Large numbers of migrants and refugees arrive in the country each year helped across the Mediterranean from North Africa by smuggling gangs. The national referendum on Sunday and Monday proposes halving the time required to apply for Italian citizenship. Cutting the wait from 10 years to five would bring this country in line with most others in Europe. The referendum was initiated by a citizens' initiative and is supported by civil society groups. But for such a referendum to be valid, 50% of all voters in Italy have to turn up. Giorgia Meloni, the country's hard-right prime minister, has announced she will boycott the vote, declaring the citizenship law already "excellent" and "very open". Other parties allied to her are calling on Italians to go to the beach instead of the polling station.