Hundreds of political prisoners in Myanmar were granted amnesty this week, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) said Friday, but thousands more remain incarcerated.
One in three prisoners around the world is being held without having stood trial or been found guilty by any court, according to a new study published on Friday by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
More than 700,000 women are in prison around the world, and that number is growing much faster than men, the Human Rights Council has heard.
The decision by many Governments to release prisoners to slow the transmission of new coronavirus, was welcomed on Friday by the UN’s top rights official, Michelle Bachelet.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed on Sunday, yesterday’s exchange of prisoners and detainees between Russia and Ukraine.
The “influx of violent extremists” increases the overall challenges facing prison administrations around the world, according to a representative from the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Threats posed by radicalization have been on the rise and countries are increasing their counter-terrorism efforts.
The recent mass execution in Saudi Arabia continues to spur reactions in the region and at the UN in New York.
On Saturday the Kingdom announced that it had executed 47 prisoners, including a prominent Shia cleric, on terrorism-related charges.
The incident sparked violent protests in Iran and has led to a break in diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Dianne Penn reports.
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New rules to help improve the treatment of prisoners around the world, were formally presented at United Nations headquarters on Wednesday.
The updated standards – also known as the “Nelson Mandela Rules” - outline standard minimum treatment practices for those who are incarcerated.
The Secretary General’s representative said they should be seen as a “work in progress”.
