Iraq: Stabilising the Contested District of Sinjar
By Mariah Abdelaziz At the Centerstage: In October 2020, Baghdad and Erbil signed an agreement intended to build stability in Iraqโs Sinjar district through a new administration and security structure that would let displaced people return. The deal is only partly fulfilled, however. Turkey is intensifying bombardment of the PKK and its affiliates […]
Kazakhstan: Widespread violation of basic rights spurred unprecedented protests
By Mariah Abdel-Aziz ย At the Center Stage: Widespread unrest has gripped Kazakhstan, where protests against fuel-price hikes in recent days have escalated into anti-government demonstrations that have prompted a violent response from police (and an apparent internet blackout). EU Parliament urges Kazakh authorities to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and immediately release […]
Syria: Returning Refugees Face Grave Abuse
By: Mariah Abdel-Aziz At the Center Stage: Syrian refugees who returned to Syria between 2017 and 2021 from Lebanon and Jordan faced grave human rights abuses and persecution at the hands of the Syrian government and affiliated militias, Human Rights Watch said in a report released. Returnees also struggled to survive and meet […]
The Yazidi Women Survivors Law and Ensuring an Effective Reparations Programme in Iraq
By: Mariah Abdel-Aziz At the Center Stage: In a statement marking seven years since ISIL terrorists brutally and systematically targeted religious minorities in Sinjar, UN Secretary-General Antรณnio Guterres has called on Iraqi authorities to begin implementation of the Yazidi Survivors Law to assist Yazidi and other survivors of ISIL atrocities. […]
