Ali Isa al-Tajer’s trial on terrorism charges began on 23 August. The judge did not respond to the allegation that his confessions were extracted under torture.

For the past month, female detainees at Gabiley prison have complained of sexual violence, including rape, and other forms of torture and ill-treatment by the male guards at the prison.

Ethiopian security forces have arrested Aweke Tezera, Blen Mesfin, Eyasped Tesfaye, Abebe Akalu and Tena Yitayew for exercising their freedom of expression to criticise the government.

Human rights defender Nguyễn Ngọc Như Quỳnh, known as blogger Mẹ Nấm (Mother Mushroom) was arrested on 10 October and has been charged with “conducting propaganda” against the state under Article 88 of Viet Nam’s Penal Code.

Tajikistani lawyer Buzurgmekhr Yorov, and his co-defendant, lawyer Nuriddin Makhkamov, were sentenced on 6 October to 23 and 21 years in prison respectively.

Azamn editor-in-chief Ibrahim al-Maamari and deputy editor-in-chief Youssef al-Haj were released on 10 October after the Appeal Court in Muscat reduced their bail. The next hearing in the case has been set for 7 November.

Two Timorese journalists, Raimundos Oki and Lourenco Vicente Martins, are facing trial on criminal defamation charges filed by Timor-Leste’s Prime Minister over a 2015 article they published about irregularities during the tendering process for a government IT project.

24-year-old student leader Shabbir Baloch may have been subjected to enforced disappearance by the security forces during a day-long military operation in Gwarkop in Balochistan, Pakistan.

The High Criminal Court has postponed its verdict in the case of Bahraini human rights defender and prisoner of conscience Nabeel Rajab to 31 October.

Two prisoners of conscience and two other men have been released on bail in Dapaong, Northern Togo.