Ricky Gray is scheduled to be executed in Virginia on 18 January. More than 50 mental health professionals have written to the state governor in support of clemency in view of the prisoner’s childhood of severe sexual and physical abuse and its impact on him.

Hosea Yeimo and Ismael Alua, detained on 19 December for peaceful political demonstrations, have been released by the police. They are still being charged with rebellion (makar) and could face up to life imprisonment.

Liu Feiyue, founder and director of Hubei-based human rights website “Civil Rights and Livelihood Watch” (www.msguancha.com), has been formally arrested for “inciting subversion of state power”.

Hundreds of Rohingya have been detained as part of the ongoing security operation in northern Rakhine State, Myanmar.

On 26 December, the Appeal Court in Muscat reduced the three-year prison sentences of two Azamn journalists, Ibrahim al-Maamari and Youssef al-Haj, to six and 12 months respectively.

Over a thousand refugees and migrants are being exposed to disease and inhuman living conditions by the Serbian authorities who are fail to provide accommodation, food and healthcare to them.

On 9 January the Court of Cassation in Bahrain upheld death sentences against three Bahraini men. It also upheld life sentences against seven others and the revocation of the nationality of eight of them.

Prabagaran Srivijayan, a Malaysian national, was convicted and sentenced to the mandatory death penalty on 22 July 2012 in Singapore. The execution could take place as early as next week.

Hindu fisherman Rasraj Das has been detained in Bangladesh since October 2016. He was arrested for allegedly posting an “offensive” image on Facebook and charged with “hurting religious sentiment”. He could face up to 14 years in prison if convicted. Even though police have recently stated that he was not responsible for posting the image, the charge has not been dropped and he was denied bail on 3 January. His next bail hearing is scheduled for 16 January.

A court in China’s Henan province has convicted and sentenced Xu Youchen to death for killing a policeman when authorities were taking him and his wife away for peaceful petitioning.