Several years have passed since the end of Burundi’s 12-year civil war, which cost tens of thousands of lives. But after years of peace, Burundi’s political climate is tense and the government is becoming increasingly repressing. Case in point is the arrest of Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, in jail since May, who has become a symbol of the fight for justice in the country.
Islamic State (IS) militants have reportedly executed dozens of captured Syrian soldiers. The soldiers had been attempting to flee after IS took over their airbase.
Blatant and self-advertised brutality of IS is terrible – and also makes them immune to “naming and shaming,” a tool often used by human rights activists. But it’s precisely because of this brutality that their crimes must be documented, if only to lay the groundwork for future indictments.
NATO has released satellite photographs showing Russian troop movement in eastern Ukraine, and said that more than 1,000 Russian soldiers have joined Ukraine’s separatist rebels. Russia continues to deny it has troops to the area. Ukraine officially accused Russia of invading and reinstated the draft, and the UN Security Counsel held an emergency meeting to discuss the escalating crisis.
