This is the question I have been saying to everyone who has called today about Democracy for Sale's scoop last night

democracyforsale.substack.com/p/exclusive-...

As the UK government officially proscribes the anti-arms industry direct-action group, Palestine Action, as a terrorist organization, worth remembering how ridiculous and politicized and emptied of meaning the whole ‘you’re a terrorist’ western government game has become.

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja

My friend & colleague Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was detained, tortured & subjected to a sham trial in #Bahrain He has been unjustly imprisoned for 14 years & remains an inspiration #FreeAbdulhadi #FreeKhawaja www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/profile/a...

18th Meeting - 58th Session of Human Rights Council 58th regular session of the Human Rights Council (24 February - 04 April 2025)

🇺🇳 My interactive dialogue with States will resume this morning at 9:30 CET at the Human Rights Council #HRC58

📺 You can follow it here: webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1x...

We're teaming up with our friends in Yes Marchmont & Morningside and Women for Independence, to promote this exciting event: Where next for Scotland? with National columnists @assasr.bsky.social and #TommySheppard

Wednesday 2nd April @ 7.30, Eric Liddel Centre, Holy Corner, EH10 4DP

See you there!

Country Visit Report: Brazil In April 2024, I carried out an official country visit to Brazil at the invitation of the Government. What follows is my official visit report, presented on 5 March 2025 at the UN Human Rights Council...

In April 2024, I carried out an official country visit to #Brazil 🇧🇷. Today at 16:30 CET, I will present my findings & recommendations before the Human Rights Council.

📑 The full report is now available: bit.ly/BrazilVisitReport

📺 Watch online via @unwebtv.bsky.social

#HRC58

Ongoing systematic human rights violations in Bahrain - IFEX Authorities continue to discriminate against women, arbitrarily detain children, shut down civic space, and pressure human rights defenders.

#Bahrain 🇧🇭 Despite the release of some political prisoners in 2024, a troubling decline in freedom of assembly and expression persists. Bahrain Center for Human Rights explores some of the key civic space issues in its latest report.

80% of German voters reject the far right, bad day for Elon, hopefully a good day for Europe

Brilliant gig from EMEL at #CelticConnections in Glasgow, powerful, beautiful, political, feminist, phenomenal www.celticconnections.com/event/1/emel...

The flag of Egypt flying in the wind against a light blue sky background.

My mandate led or joined 22 communications to #Egypt since its last review, which addressed the lack of fair trial with the use of counter-terrorism charges to arbitrarily detain human rights defenders & keep them in long-term detention; (1/6)
⬇️ #UPR48

#Sudan: Violent attacks lead to suspension of our activities at key Khartoum hospital. Without the security to operate safely, it has become untenable to continue. #TalkAboutSudan

Pattern of Israeli attacks on Gaza hospitals raises grave concerns - report GENEVA – A report published today by the UN Human Rights Office found that Israel’s pattern of deadly attacks on and near hospitals in Gaza, and associated combat, pushed the healthcare system to the ...

A new report published by UN's OHCHR graphically details the destruction of the healthcare system in #Gaza,& the extent of killing of patients, staff, & other civilians in these attacks in blatant disregard for international humanitarian and human rights law: www.ohchr.org/en/press-rel...

[Thread🧵]

Birmingham Six member and MOJO founder Paddy Hill dies aged 80 A member of the ‘Birmingham Six’ group of men wrongfully convicted of carrying out two IRA pub bombings, who went on to set up an organisation…

Very sad to hear Paddy Hill died today, one of the Birmingham Six & a great campaigner for the innocent.
My piece for Irish America magazine last month on the 50th anniversary of the Birmingham
bombs www.irishamerica.com/2024/11/50-y...
& more about Paddy here
www.heraldscotland.com/news/2482338...

EU Officials Will Claim Ignorance of Israel’s War Crimes. This Leaked Document Shows What They Knew. The internal EU document may strip European foreign ministers of “plausible deniability” in Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

theintercept.com/2024/12/23/e...

And Freedom, Peace & Justice for #Sudan

Home is the most dangerous place for women, says global femicide report Of the 85,000 women killed by men in 2023, 60% died at the hands of a partner or family member, new UN figures show

UN Women's report on femicide showed that, globally, the most dangerous place for a woman to be was in her home, where the majority of women die at the hands of men. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Disrupting the Narrative - 2024 Push The Boat Out Festival https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FBQPQm0CcUxijNX2e6yhgENPi5Clebci/view?usp=sharing Performance Friday Disrupting the Narrative https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FBQPQm0CcUxijNX2e6yhgENPi5Clebci/view?us...

Brilliant event tonight with Hannah Lavery, Jeda Pearl, Shasta Ali, Niall Moorjani, and Alycia Pirmohamed pushtheboatout.org/events/disru... Powerful, beautiful, passionate, political and gloriously disruptive

Sport may be a blunt tool of social change, but it’s time to take a stand against Israel | Jonathan Liew As the bombardment continues in Gaza, bodies such as Fifa and the IOC have evaded taking a stand. But fans’ solidarity with Palestinians is growing and should not be ignored

Its long past time www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/n...

The House Just Blessed Trump’s Authoritarian Playbook by Passing Nonprofit-Killer Bill Attacking civili society is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes — and the House, including some Democrats, just gave Trump the power to do it.

BREAKING: Attacking civil society is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes — and the House, including 15 Democrats, just gave Trump the power to do it.

The Case for Change: Why human rights defenders need a UK law on mandatory due diligence — Peace Brigades International UK Human rights defenders are paying the price for UK profits A new Peace Brigades International (PBI) UK investigation shows links between UK companies, environmental devastation and attacks o...

peacebrigades.org.uk/news/thecase... on the need to protect human rights defenders through mandatory corporate due diligence

In #Gaza #Sudan #Ukraine & beyond, #minutesmatter for people forced to flee. Humanitarian assistance can mean the difference between life & death. While @msf.bsky.social responds to urgent needs, we can't stop wars. Time for key players to find the political will & moral courage to step up.

Great to see the brilliant Joan Armatrading on #Later I saw her live in the early 80s & thought she was great, but I was too young & complacently male to understand how truly revolutionary she was (and still is)

Excellent event at Edinburgh University tonight with Billy Kay & Katrine Polwart, powerful Scots poetry and beautiful music

Book about Robert Kennedy and typewriter

Robert Kennedy Jr

In my 20s I wrote this biography of Robert Kennedy. Try as I might I can’t see any trace of political lineage to his son. Sometimes the apple just falls far from the tree

Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja

My friend & colleague Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja was detained, tortured & subjected to a sham trial in #Bahrain He is in the fourteenth year of a life sentence & remains an inspiration #FreeAlkhawaja www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/profile/a...

Time to fly on this Blue Sky thing. I am all for being muskless but worried not many human rights defenders from the global South will be early adopters, let’s see