Tunisia’s Saïed consolidates power with new constitution

Tunisia’s Saïed consolidates power with new constitution

Tunisian voters have approved a new constitution by referendum vote, one that further consolidates power for President Kaïs Saïed despite concerns from the political opposition over the future of the country’s democracy. The Tunisian government said that 94.6% of voters approved the measure, with turnout low in part because of…

Libya, Egypt at center of surveillance tech case in France

Libya, Egypt at center of surveillance tech case in France

Human rights and privacy advocates are closely following a decade-old case that’s led to this month’s indictments of four technology executives in France, on the grounds that the sale of their surveillance technology in Libya and Egypt leaves them complicit in torture and other rights violations. The four executives are…

Amnesty’s West African human rights researcher Gaetan Mootoo dies

The global human rights community was in mourning Sunday after hearing the news that Gaëtan Mootoo, a well-respected French Mauritanian researcher for Amnesty International in West Africa, has died. The 65-year-old Mootoo died at the weekend in Paris, according to Amnesty International Benin. His cause of death was not immediately…

Egypt’s Sisi arrives in Paris under cloud of human rights controversy

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Paris Monday night, beginning a three-day state visit with French President Emmanuel Macron that’s drawn outcry from international human rights organizations over repression in Egypt. Macron and Sisi, who is traveling with key government ministers, are expected to meet at Élysée Palace Tuesday to discuss regional…

Burundi reports: One dead after attack on Nkurunziza media advisor

Willy Nyamitwe, the head of communications for Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza, was wounded in an attack Monday in Bujumbura, local media outlets report. At least one person died in the incident. Nyamitwe remained in the hospital after an armed attack described as an assassination attempt. He suffered injuries to his arms,…

Burundi: Official’s tweets stun public as he spars with NGO on genocide

In Burundi, a spokesman and senior advisor to President Pierre Nkurunziza has launched a series of social media messages condemning a global human rights organization’s unconventional campaign to warn against genocide. Willy Nyamitwe continued his Twitter storm early Wednesday against International Federation for Human Rights and the #Stopthismovie campaign. The…