Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the measures July 24 following a clashthat day that left four Palestinians and two Israeli settlers dead at the village of Tal, near Nablus. Mosques, farmland and vehicles were set afire during the settler attacks that sparked the clash.

Netanyahu ordered the establishment of new settler “outposts” and announced a process to “legalize” several existing outposts. He simultaneously announced new Israeli military operations on the West Bank. Hundreds have since been arrested in sweeps of Palestinian villages.

Guterres reiterated that all settlements, including so-called outposts, “have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law,” calling them a major obstacle to achieving the two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. Israel disputes the international position that its West Bank settlements are illegal, maintaining that most are legal under its own domestic law.

In a separate statement, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) voiced alarm over escalating violence across the West Bank. Since July 23, at least eight Palestinians, including a child, have been killed and many others injured. At least 10 Palestinian families have been displaced.

OCHA also reported that Israeli forces have tightened restrictions on Palestinian movement across many areas of the West Bank, preventing thousands from accessing emergency medical care and other essential services. Since January, OCHA has documented more than 1,330 incidents involving Israeli settlers that resulted in casualties, property damage, or both. According to OCHA, Israeli forces or settlers killed 77 Palestinians this year as of July 25, of whom 18 were children, while three Israelis had been killed by Palestinians in the same period.

The UN, the International Court of Justice, and most of the international community consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank unlawful under international law. In a July 2024 advisory opinion, the ICJ ruled that Israel’s settlements breach the Fourth Geneva Convention and that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful.

Guterres issued a similar warning in February after Israel announced a package of measures expanding Israeli authority in the West Bank, including the resumption of land registration; and in June, six governments announced sanctions targeting individuals enabling settler violence, following a similar move by the European Union. Human Rights Watch on July 24 also decried the settler violence at Tal. The UN and its partners have called for the urgent protection of civilians, strict respect for international humanitarian law, and accountability for perpetrators.

From JURIST, July 28. Used with permission.

Photo: Wikipedia

The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Tidball-Binz urged that the investigation adhere to the UN Minnesota Protocol, which governs the investigation of potentially unlawful deaths. Tidball-Binz further stated: “No person, group or institution that participated directly or indirectly in these crimes should remain beyond the reach of justice.”

The killings took place on May 21 at Rigores, a village in the Bajo Aguán region of Colón department. Heavily armed men, some reportedly dressed in police uniforms, opened fire on oil palm plantation workers praying before starting work. The victims, who included women and children, are said to have belonged to a local collective, the Rigores Peasant Movement, made up of local residents seeking lands of their own to work in the area. The international peasant advocacy network La Vía Campesina and the Catholic Church in Honduras both condemned the massacre and demanded an impartial investigation. Additionally, the national council of the Jesuit Order in Honduras called for a UN-backed commission of inquiry. The Jesuits argued that the scale of the crime exceeded the capacity and will of national authorities, necessitating UN involvement.

Honduran President Nasry Asfura condemned the massacre the day after it took place, pledging that security and prosecutorial agencies would investigate. His government then ordered a military deployment to the area. On June 3, authorities announced the arrest of the attack’s alleged mastermind.

The Bajo Aguán is contested by rival criminal groups fighting over drug-trafficking routes, though observers have questioned whether the killings arose from a gang dispute. Rights groups have documented similar killings in the region since 2009, most with no resulting criminal prosecutions. Tidball-Binz warned in 2023 that institutionalized impunity and a lack of serious investigations has obstructed justice for such unlawful deaths. Monitoring groups have repeatedly raised concerns over Honduras’ overall human rights record, noting attacks on journalists and environmental defenders. Amnesty International has additionally warned that climate change is eroding the livelihoods and rights of vulnerable Honduran communities.

The attacks in the Bajo Aguán are especially said to constitute a violation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants & Other People Working in Rural Areas.

From JURIST, July 19. Used with permission. Internal links added.

Map: Perry-Castañeda Library

The experts stated that Baloch’s conviction and life sentence represented a misuse of counter-terrorism laws that aimed to suppress human rights activism and freedom of association. The experts found that Baloch was subjected to an unfair trial that disregarded the fundamental rights of the accused, such as the right to attend the trial in person and the right to appoint a legal counsel.

The statement stressed that the right to a fair trial is protected by international law, including Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as well as Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights (ICCPR), and urged Pakistan authorities to prevent the abuse of counter-terrorism laws to restrict citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Additionally, the experts noted that states have a duty to protect populations from human rights violations related to investment projects affecting local communities. Private companies also have an obligation to carry out due diligence on the social impacts of projects, as required by the UN Guiding Principles on Business & Human Rights.

Mahrang Baloch is a human rights activist and leader of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), which advocates for the rights of the Baloch community in Pakistan. She was convicted alongside another BYC member for the death of a Frontier Corps member during a July 2024 protest in Gwadar condemning discrimination, enforced disappearances, and unlawful appropriation of local communities’ lands for mining and foreign investment projects.

According to the court, both BYC members had a common intent to murder the Frontier Corps officer, classifying their conduct as terrorism under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Pakistan has previously faced criticism from international organizations for human rights abuses against Baloch community leaders and other activists. In 2025, Amnesty International called on Pakistan to cease its crackdown on Baloch activists following the arrest of several BYC members, including Mahrang Baloch. This January, a Pakistani court sentenced two human rights lawyers to prison for controversial social media posts calling for support for arrested BYC activists, which was condemned by the UN. The UN also expressed concern about the detention conditions of human rights defender Idris Khattak, and the broader compliance of authorities with prisoners’ rights.

From JURIST, July 9. Used with permission.

Photo: The Baloch Circle

Today’s decision is a devastating blow for Esra Işık and for those engaged in the long struggle to stage off eviction and protect rural settlements and farmland from an expansion of mining activities. It is also a deeply disappointing outcome for those fighting to end the criminalization of environmental [and] human rights defenders by Turkish authorities.

The activist was convicted of “resisting a public official to prevent performance of duty” and “insulting a public official.” For the former, she was sentenced to two years and one month in prison and issued a fine of 44,200 Turkish lira (approximately USD$944). For the latter charge, the court deferred the announcement of a verdict.

Işık was detained for 42 days beginning March 30, following participation in demonstrations against an “urgent” land expropriation decision. The decision was set to impact over 600 parcels in the Akbelen Forest area of Muğla province, paving the way for expansion of a coal mine.

Işık was released after the 6th Chamber of the country’s top administrative court, the Council of State, unanimously suspended the expropriation order. The land was to be turned over to YK Enerji company, which operates nearby thermal power plants. However, the court ruled that “urgent expropriation” is for exceptional circumstances, and that energy supply and economic development “do not establish the state of urgency required” under Article 27 of the Expropriation Law.

Despite the criminal proceedings moving forward against Işık, the court’s decision to deny expropriation is a win for the overall Akbelen resistance, which has been ongoing since October 2019. Lawyers for the plaintiffs in the case celebrated the decision:

The injunctions issued…have once again demonstrated just how justified the struggle in Akbelen was… We salute those who resist for life. We hope this marks the beginning of an era in our country where rights are safeguarded and life is protected.

Amnesty International called for an end to the repression of peaceful protestors by Turkish authorities. “Authorities in Türkiye must stop misusing the criminal justice system to crack down on dissent and instead protect the right to protest,” Major said.

Işık will have the opportunity to appeal both convictions.

From JURIST, July 7. Used with permission.

See our last report on the crackdown on civil opposition in Turkey.

Photo: Cumhuriyet

Sael Silva Cisneros, a prominent lawyer and advocate for Afro-Mexican and LGBTQ rights, was killed in a roadside attack outside the town of Cuajinicuilapa, Guerrero state, on June 5, shortly after delivering a seminar titled “Afro-Mexican dissidences in Guerrero: history, justice and rights.” Silva Cisneros had a history of campaigning for Afro-Mexican rights, and dcoumenting the systemic intersectional marginalization of this community within Mexico and abroad.

The town of Cuajinicuilapa is located close to a stretch of the southwestern coast of Mexico known as the Costa Chica, heartland of the Afro-Mexican population. The seminar was the latest in a series Silva Cisneros had conducted this year in towns and villages throughout the region.

Silva Cisneros had also worked as a researcher for the Supreme Court of Mexico, which released a statement following his murder, honoring his work and condemning “any form of violence that attacks the dignity, equality and human rights of individuals.”

The UN experts reiterated Mexico’s commitments under international human rights treaties to protect marginalized groups, especially those facing intersectional and overlapping forms of discrimination, as well as to dismantle the systemic forces that facilitate these abuses. They also urged Mexico to provide “truth, justice, full reparation and guarantees of non-repetition” for said abuses.

Currently, Mexico has one of the highest rates of attacks on human rights defenders, and has been previously criticized by the UN for its failure to protect activists despite the enactment of the Law for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders & Journalists in 2012.

From JURIST, July 2. Used with permission. Internal links added.

See our last report on the Afro-Mexican struggle.

Photo: Facebook

The rights organization emphasized that hostage-taking and the abduction of civilians are prohibited under international law.

The call comes weeks after armed groups from the Kuki and Naga communities reportedlyabducted more than 48 civilians in Manipur’s Kangpokpi and Senapati districts following an ambush by unknown armed men that killed three church leaders. The church leaders had recently participated in efforts to facilitate dialogue between Kuki and Naga groups in neighboring Nagaland. Kuki leaders blamed the slayings on the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), a Naga insurgent organization, sparking the inter-communal violence.

While 12 Naga and 16 Kuki captives have since been released, local organizations report that several civilians remain in captivity. Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM), the apex body representing Kuki tribes in the state, stated that 14 Kuki civilians continue to be held by Naga groups. The possibility of a broader release appeared to diminish when the United Naga Council (UNC), a representative body for Naga tribes in Manipur, withdrew a proposal to release the remaining Kuki captives. The organization said the planned release had been cancelled due to the “prevailing sentiment of the Naga public,” and maintained that six Naga civilians being held by Kuki groups must first be released.

Conrad K. Sangma, president of the National People’s Party (NPP), which forms a part of the ruling coalition in Manipur, has urged both sides to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians being held. Sangma stated that the release of the remaining captives could serve as an important step toward reconciliation and lasting peace in the conflict-affected state.

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have criticized Manipur state authorities and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government for failing to adequately protect civilians and prevent further violence. The group warned that the continued detention of civilians by armed groups underscores broader security concerns in Manipur, where ethnic tensions have fueled recurring violence and displacement since 2023.

The conflict has displaced more than 60,000 residents and resulted in at least 200 deaths since it broke out in May 2023, according to rights groups and government figures. Homes, businesses, villages and places of worship have been damaged or destroyed during successive waves of violence.

The violence has drawn condemnation from both domestic and international rights groups, which have repeatedly urged authorities to restore security and ensure accountability for abuses committed during the conflict. In February 2025, the government of India imposed an emergency state of “president’s rule” in Manipur following months of political instability and security concerns. The measure ended in February 2026, when Yumnam Khemchand Singh of the BJP assumed office as chief minister. However, incidents of violence and insecurity have continued in the state.

From JURIST, June 5. Used with permission.

See our last report on the struggle in Manipur.

Photo: Asia Media Centre

The project includes the uninhabited Adriatic island of Sazan and several hundred hectares of the Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape, a sensitive coastal wetland which is home to flamingos, seals and sea turtle nesting sites.

SPAK, the office of Albania’s special anti-corruption prosecutor, confirmed that it has opened an investigation into controversial changes in the area’s protected status and land ownership in 2024, which opened the door to tourism development.

The project is being spearheaded by Zvërnec South Adriatic Development, a company tied to Qatari investors as well as Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. The couple aims to develop a string of ambitious tourism projects in the region that they have dubbed the “Albanian Riviera.” (Greek Reporter, Politico, AP)

Image: Wikimedia Commons

A delegation from the Vatican—including cardinals and bishops—joined representatives of the Catholic Church in Peru to kneel before local campesinos and ask their forgiveness at a “Mass of Reparation” held May 23 at the parish of San Juan Bautista in Catacaos, Piura region. A Vatican investigation found that the Tallán indigenous communities of the parish for over a decade suffered land expropriation, physical threats and other abuses at the hands of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. The lay society, better known as “Sodalicio,” was among the most active Catholic movements in Latin America from the early 1970s until it was suppressed by order of Pope Francis in April 2025. (Vatican News, Vatican News, OSV News, NCR)

Photo: Vatican News

The issue before the court was whether First Nations can assert Aboriginal title when private parties hold a fee simple interest in land. The top court’s refusal to hear the appeal makes final a lower court’s decision, holding that the Wolastoqey Nation cannot seek declarations of Aboriginal title over privately-owned lands but may seek damages against the government for unjustified infringement of Aboriginal title.

In response to the refusal, the Wolastoqey Nation maintained that it does not remove the government’s duty to First Nations. Chief Patricia Bernard of Madawaska said: “Our ancestors never surrendered our lands and waters. The Peace and Friendship Treaties signed with the British Crown in the 1700s were treaties of peace and alliance—not land surrender or cession. Our title has not been extinguished… The fight for our homeland will continue.”

In 2021, the six Wolastoqey Nation communities commenced an action against the Canadian and New Brunswick governments, and several private companies. They sought to assert Aboriginal title over government and private lands owned by the defendants. In 2024, Justice Kathryn A. Gregory removed the private defendants from the case, saying they had no direct legal relationships with the Wolastoqey. The ruling still allowed the plaintiffs to pursue claims against the government even over the private lands, finding that it has a reposnibility adjudicate or order resolutions in such cases.

In December 2025, however, a three-judge panel at the Court of Appeals of New Brunswick unanimously limited the claim only to government lands. Even when the Wolastoqey Nation can prove Aboriginal title existed before the government assigned the land to private owners, they may only seek compensation from the government in relation to the lands owned by private individuals—not actual restitution of the lands.

In August 2025, the Supreme Court of British Columbia adopted a different approach to the overlapping Aboriginal title and private ownership in Cowichan Tribes v. Canada. Justice Barbara M. Young held that Aboriginal title and fee simple interest can coexist on the same land, urging the government to negotiate with the First Nations communities. She issued a declaration rendering the fee simple interests defective and invalid for 18 months, allowing time for negotiation. The federal and provincial governments are appealing the decision.

At the House of Commons, Conservative lawmaker Jamie Schmale introduced a motion on May 25, calling on the government to take all necessary actions to prioritize private property in the Cowichan Tribes case over all other titles. It was defeated, with all parties except the Conservatives voting against the motion.

From JURIST, May 29. Used with permission.

See our last report on the Indigenous struggle in Canada.

Map of traditional Wabanaki Confederacy lands: Wikimedia Commons

The scandal centers on leaked audio recordings obtained by the outlet Diario Red, which allegedly capture conversations between JOH, current Honduran President Nasry Asfura, and Vice President María Antionieta Mejía discussing a plan to undermine progressive governments in the region through a media disinformation campaign. The recordings appear to indicate that Israel played a direct role in the scheme.

JOH—who had been sentenced to 45 years in US federal prison on drug trafficking charges before being pardoned by Trump in late November, a move widely interpreted as interventionin Honduras’ elections—apparently claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu helped secure his release. The scheme reportedly sought to create a JOH-led media channel to spread fake news against left-wing leaders in the region while opening up Honduran land to foreign investment. Argentina’s far-right President Javier Milei, who has described himself as “the most Zionist president in the world,” was also allegedly involved.

The scandal unfolded just as Herzog embarked on a highly successful diplomatic tour of Central America. After stopping in Panama, Herzog attended last week’s inauguration of Costa Rican President Laura Fernández, whose right-wing government appears poised to deepen ties to Israel. Fernández held the first official meeting of her presidency with Herzog and pledged to move Costa Rica’s embassy to Jerusalem, crossing a long-standing diplomatic red-line given that much of the city remains occupied territory and is not internationally recognized as Israel’s capital. Herzog also met in Costa Rica with Chilean President José Antonio Kast, who vowed to restore diplomatic ties with Israel after his predecessor Gabriel Boric recalled Chile’s ambassador in protest of the war in Gaza. Herzog likewise met in Costa Rica with Asfura, an ardent Zionist of Palestinian descent who has already visited Israel and affirmed his intention to strengthen diplomatic ties with Israel.

The trip underscored a broader regional shift. In the immediate aftermath of Israel’s genocidal response to the October 7 attacks, Latin America’s progressive governments emerged as some of the strongest international critics of the Israeli state. Leaders from Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, Honduras and Chile either withdrew their ambassadors from Israel or suspended diplomatic ties entirely. But many of the region’s new right-wing governments are now reversing those measures, weakening what had been a significant international front of opposition to Israel’s war.

At the same time, Israel’s violence continues to reverberate directly in the region. Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila, one of the leaders of the Global Sumud Flotilla, was detained by Israeli forces after participating in a humanitarian aid mission bound for Gaza. The flotilla set sail from Spain weeks ago, but after 22 boats were stopped near Crete on April 30, Israeli forces transferred 168 activists to Greece while taking Ávila and the Spanish activist Saif Abu Keshek to Israel for further interrogation. Both men were released last week after investigations into alleged ties with terrorist organizations, but they claim they were tortured during their detention—and described the far worse conditions faced by Palestinian prisoners. Israel’s treatment of Ávila reignited calls within Brazil for President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva to move beyond critical rhetoric to a fully sever ties with Israel. As Israel deepens relations with Latin America’s ascendant right wing, accountability for the ongoing destruction in Gaza appears increasingly out of reach.

From NACLA Update, May 15. Lightly edited, internal links added.

Map: Perry-Castañeda Library