Naser Aldeen Mukhtar Mohamed, the former chairperson of the Darfur Students’ Association at the Holy Quran University, was arrested on 22 August in Khartoum by National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) agents.
Clashes between paramilitary groups, the National Liberation Army and state security forces continue to violate the rights of the Wounaan and Embera Indigenous peoples in Chocó, western Colombia, generating an imminent humanitarian and security crisis.
On 27 August a Revolutionary Court in Tehran sentenced spiritual teacher Mohammad Ali Taheri to death for “spreading corruption on earth” for establishing the spiritual group Erfan-e Halgheh. He has been held in solitary confinement for over six years.
Bahraini woman human rights defender Ebtisam al-Saegh was removed from solitary confinement following a two-day hunger strike in protest at her conditions of detention. She is a prisoner of conscience.
According to statements by the Maldives President, the death penalty would be implemented 'by the end of September'. If carried out, these would be the first executions in the country in over 60 years.
Mehman Aliyev, the director of independent news agency Turan, has been arbitrarily detained since 24 August on what appears to be trumped up charges of tax evasion and other offenses in retaliation for his work as a critical journalist.
Iranian Kurdish woman Zeynab Jalalian, serving a life sentence, is severely ill and requires specialized medical care outside prison. However, the authorities have persistently refused to transfer her to a hospital, apparently to punish her and extract forced “confessions”.
Political activist, Oktovianus Warnares was convicted of “rebellion” (makar) in 2013 after peacefully commemorating the 50th anniversary of the handover of Papua to the Indonesian government.
Saudi Arabian human rights defender Abdulaziz al-Shubaily was informed on 31 July that his eight-year prison sentence has been upheld by the Court of Appeal in Riyadh. He is now at risk of being imprisoned at any time to start serving his sentence.
Leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND), Hakainde Hichilema and five others accused with him have been released.