No Other Way to Live: Why Ai Weiwei Left China
Xi Jinping’s tenure has been marked by harsh crackdowns on human rights activism.
![202201asia_china_aiweiwei](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2022/01/202201asia_china_aiweiwei.jpg?h=f82b8fb7&itok=bOdj3tLA)
Q&A: First Syria State Torture Trial in Germany
Questions and Answers about the trial in Koblenz, Germany
![A view of a courtroom from the back](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2021/12/202112ij_germany_syria_koblenz_courtroomPerspectiveB.jpg?h=4521fff0&itok=p3Nrsfkq)
Germany: Syria Torture Trial Verdict Near
Watershed Moment for Syrian Torture Survivors
![A view of a courtroom from the back](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2021/12/202112ij_germany_syria_koblenz_courtroomPerspectiveB.jpg?h=4521fff0&itok=p3Nrsfkq)
Racism’s Prominent Role in January 6 US Capitol Attack
National Leaders Should Confront the Truth About the Nation’s Divisions
![A protester stands with a Confederate flag after storming the Capitol during a Joint Session of Congress in which members were to certify the 2020 Presidential election on January 6, 2021.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2022/01/202201us_capitol_protest.jpg?h=447200c7&itok=DY0Aqign)
Paraguay’s Draconian Abortion Law Punishes Rape Survivors
Strict abortion prohibitions do not stop women and girls from having abortions; they just force them to have unsafe abortions, putting their lives and health at risk.
![A 13-year-old girl victim of rape in a separate case holds her one-month old baby at a shelter in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, on May 14, 2015.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2022/01/202201americas_paraguay_girl.jpg?h=f2fcf546&itok=Vsu_OjCj)
Seeking Justice for Syria
How an Alleged Syrian Intelligence Officer was Put on Trial in Germany
![Photos of Syrians who have been detained or disappeared set up by Families for Freedom, as part of a protest in front of the court in Koblenz, July 2, 2020.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2021/02/202102mena_syria_disappeared.jpg?h=d1cb525d&itok=aBn45RMN)
Human Rights Abuses Will Taint the Olympics and the World Cup. It’s Time to End ‘Sportswashing’ Now.
![National Stadium Beijing Olympics 2008](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2022/01/202201asia_china_beijingolympics08.jpg?h=fa5b4778&itok=87Okhb6q)
Nationwide Protests, Violence Rock Kazakhstan
Authorities Should Exercise Restraint Towards Protesters
![Demonstrators stand in front of a police line during a protest in Almaty, Kazakhstan, January 5, 2022.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2022/01/202201eca_kazakhstan_protest.jpg?h=e5aec6c8&itok=ojm_nWy-)
Ethiopia: Returned Tigrayans Detained, Abused
Saudi Arabia Should Stop Deporting Tigrayan Migrants to Ethiopia
![Ethiopian migrants returned from Saudi Arabia arrive at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on July 7, 2021. © 2021 Minasse Wondimu Hailu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2021/12/202112RMR_Tigray_Saudi_returns_main.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=yC3hWGoV)
Lebanon’s Abusive Kafala (Sponsorship) System
Tens of thousands of workers trapped in highly abusive conditions
![Protestors holding banners calling for the abolishment of Lebanon's controversial kafala sponsorship system.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2020/07/AP_19126177970960.jpg?h=888017ea&itok=MgFeJFUN)
In Closing Memorial, Russia Heralds a New, Grimmer Era of Repression
Try as it may, Russia can’t wipe out historical memory or force people to stop working to protect their rights.
![Directional sign "'Memorial' museum, archive, library," Moscow.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2021/12/202110ECA_Russia_Memorial.jpg?h=f48644b5&itok=Gfg7Dq5J)
Vietnam: Independent Political Candidate Faces Charges
Le Trong Hung Could Get Up to 12 Years in Prison for Election Campaign
![202112asia_vietnam_letronghung](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2021/12/202112asia_vietnam_letronghung.jpg?h=4521fff0&itok=DpnJ1zRx)
DR Congo: Protesters Shot Dead, Wounded in Goma
Prompt, Impartial Investigation of Police Actions Needed
![National Road No. 2 barricaded with stones to block traffic during a demonstration in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on December 20, 2021.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2021/12/202112africa_drc_Goma.jpg?h=6a44c27b&itok=Cu--YAq7)
Russia: Year of Doubling Down on Internet Censorship
Blocking, Oppressive Laws, Pressure on Tech Companies
![A young man wearing a face mask checks his mobile phone at the State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg, May 26, 2020.](/sites/default/files/styles/square/public/media_2021/12/202112eca_russia_statemuseum.jpg?h=57fa62ef&itok=1qIUy1hf)