January 12-18, 2026: Week in Review

January 19, 2026

Explore Our Latest Publications

U.S. Military Escalation Against Venezuela: Legal and Human Rights Implications Leading Up to Maduro’s Capture by Kate Minichiello

Social Media Could Be Iran’s Lifeline by Ioana Podarita

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HRRC News Briefs

The cost of control: Uganda cracks down on digital and physical rights ahead of elections by Erina Bazán López

Labubu factories linked to exploitation of underage workers by Peter Clarkin, MA

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Other Breaking Human Rights News

January 12, 2026

Venezuela Frees 24 More Political Prisoners, Rights Group Says (The New York Times)

Iran protests death toll crosses 500, US warns of military intervention (The New Indian Express)

Myanmar made Rohingya lives a nightmare, Gambia tells genocide case (Reuters)

Haiti faces humanitarian, healthcare strain as gang violence disrupts NGO operations (France24)

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January 13, 2026

Food returns to Gaza. Is it getting to the people who need it? (NPR)

Operation against Nigerian kidnapping gang kills '200 bandits' (BBC News)

In Sudan & Iran, digital shutdown 'masks atrocities against civilians protesting for basic freedoms' (France24)

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January 14, 2026

Scientists call another near-record hot year a 'warning shot' from a shifting climate (NPR)

France bans 10 British 'far-right activists' over anti-migrant activity (BBC News)

Migrants using more distant, riskier departure points to Canaries after Mauritania crackdown, Red Cross finds (Reuters)

U.S. freezing immigrant visa processing for 75 countries, including Iran and Russia (CBC Radio-Canada)

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January 15, 2026

Iran's protests appear increasingly smothered after a deadly crackdown (NPR)

Canada privacy watchdog expands probe into X, cites Grok deepfake (Reuters)

Palestine Action-linked protesters end their weeks-long UK hunger strike (CNN)

European troops arrive in Greenland for training after fraught US talks (France24)

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January 16, 2026

Uganda’s opposition leader ‘taken by army’ as Museveni nears re-election (The Guardian)

Residents of Tunisian town of Gabes demand end to pollution (France24)

Gaza's universities strive to welcome students back amid ruins (Le Monde)

In Spain, Venezuelan migrants balance hope and fear about their country’s future (AP News)

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January 17, 2026

Thousands of Greenlanders march against Trump’s takeover threat (The Guardian)

Rights group says 139 political prisoners released in Venezuela since January (Reuters)

14 arrested, several injured after clashes outside Iranian embassy in London (The New Arab)

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January 18, 2026

U.S.-based activist agency reports at least 3,766 deaths from Iran protests (PBS News)

Counterprotesters chase off far-right activists at pro-ICE rally in Minneapolis (The Guardian)

Taiwan detains journalist for allegedly bribing military officers to provide information to China (AP News)

‘Sprint toward autocracy’: Trump’s first year in office has been a norm-busting, boundary-pushing power play (The Independent UK)

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