Violence

Types

Topic

Geographic area

Country

Archives

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

November 2013

2012

October 2012
August 2012

2011

May 2011

2008

January 2008

Apply filters Reset

April 15, 2024

Israel: the country releases 150 Palestinian detainees amid torture allegations

News

Crises Middle East Torture Violence Israel

Many were admitted to hospital upon their release and say they were subjected to various kinds of abuse and torture. “I went into jail with two legs and I returned with one leg,” Sufian Abu Salah said by phone from the hospital.

April 15, 2024

Russia: Tajikistan denounces 'torture' of Tajik suspects in Moscow attack, urges fair trial

News

Asia Justice Torture Violence Russia

Tajikistan’s foreign minister has described the beating and abuse of several Tajik suspects in the mass killing of more than 140 people at a Russian concert hall as “torture” that is at odds with the need for a thorough investigation and a fair trial.

April 10, 2024

Iran: special forces raid political inmates' ward in notorious prison

News

Crises Middle East Violence Iran

Human rights groups in Iran report that on Tuesday, April 10, special forces raided Ward 5 of Ahvaz Central Prison, also known as Shiban Prison.The ward is designated for political prisoners.

April 9, 2024

Russia: the country runs a hidden prison system for Ukrainian in Crimea

News

Crises Asia Torture Violence Russia

Human rights monitors claim that occupation forces engage in torture and prolonged captivity in a sprawling penal network.

April 5, 2024

United States: judge appoints special master to oversee California federal women’s prison after rampant abuse

News

North America Women Violence United States

A judge on Friday appointed a special master to oversee a troubled federal women’s prison in California known for rampant sexual abuse against inmates, marking the first time the Bureau of Prisons has been subject to such oversight.

April 4, 2024

Iran: the country is turning its prisons into 'killing fields'

News

Middle East Drugs Death penalty Violence Iran

Iran has turned its prisons into sites of mass killing with at least 853 people executed in the Islamic Republic in 2023, over half of them on drug-related charges, Amnesty International said on Thursday.

April 4, 2024

Israel: 'we are all complicit in breaking the law'

News

Middle East Health Material conditions Violence Israel

‘Two prisoners had their legs amputated due to handcuff injuries’, says a doctor at an Israeli prison facility, who describes deplorable conditions and violations of medical ethics and the law in a letter to ministers, attorney general.

April 3, 2024

Myanmar: after a year of silence, 7 political prisoners confirmed killed in Insein prison

News

Asia Violence Social ties Myanmar (Burma)

Authorities at Myanmar’s notorious Insein prison shot seven political prisoners dead under murky circumstances on Valentine’s Day last year, sources with ties to the victims’ families and prisoner watchdog groups told RFA Burmese on Wednesday.

March 26, 2024

Syria: nationals missing, dying from torture in jihadist-run prisons

News

Middle East Torture Violence Syria

Ahmed al-Hakim’s 27-year-old brother was tortured to death in prison in Syria’s jihadist-run northwest, sparking rare protests amid accusations from residents and activists of rights violations in the opposition bastion.

March 14, 2024

Haiti: national prison on fire as chaos continues

News

Central America and the Caribbean Facilities Violence Haiti

Haiti’s national penitentiary is on fire after a blaze broke out in the building on Thursday morning, according to Reuters. A video posted to social media reportedly showed black smoke coming out of the facility.

March 14, 2024

Australia: significant failures in youth detention system

News

Minors Oceania Violence Australia

The Child Death Review Board delivered an assessment, saying the detention system set up to address juvenile offenders’ behaviour has instead led to a “cycle of incarceration” for some.

March 4, 2024

Haiti: double jailbreak allows thousands of prisoners to escape

News

Central America and the Caribbean Protest Violence Haiti

Haiti has declared a three-day state of emergency and a night-time curfew after armed gangs stormed the country’s two biggest jails, allowing more than 3 000 prisoners to escape.

February 23, 2024

India: the hidden scandal of rape in prisons

News

Women Asia Torture Violence India

Female prisoners are ‘supplied’ to male inmates of West Bengal jails, sexual abuse is commonplace and hundreds of children are born in prison. But the women are too scared to speak out.

February 22, 2024

United States: women speaking up about sexual abuse behind bars face retaliation

News

North America Women Torture Violence United States

Despite highly publicized arrests and promises of change, sexual abuse and retaliation continue at the prison in Dublin, California.

February 16, 2024

Russia: Putin critic Alexei Navalny dies in Arctic Circle jail

News

Asia Justice Material conditions Violence Russia

Russia’s most significant opposition leader for the past decade, Alexei Navalny, has died in an Arctic Circle jail, the prison service has said. President Vladimir Putin’s most vociferous critic, he was serving 19 years on extremism charges that were widely seen as politically motivated.

February 8, 2024

United Kingdom: women’s prisons more violent than ever

News

Women Europe Mental health Violence United Kingdom

In the year to September 2023 the 12 female jails in England saw 1,630 reported assaults, a 19 per cent increase on the previous year’s total and equating to 488 per 1,000 residents.

January 31, 2024

United States: multiple lawsuits allege unauthorized organ removals from deceased prisoners

News

North America Health Facilities Violence United States

Alabama prison system faces outrage as multiple lawsuits allege unauthorized organ removals from deceased prisoners. The University of Alabama at Birmingham, which does autopsies for the Alabama Dept. of Corrections, is also under scrutiny.

January 19, 2024

Ecuador: security forces launch major prison operation

News

South America Protest Violence Ecuador

Security forces have launched an operation in a major prison complex in the port city of Guayaquil. Soldiers and police officers have entered the facility and say they have restored order following a week of rioting in jails across the country.

January 11, 2024

Russia: Alexei Navalny’s impassioned speech at the Supreme Court

News

Asia Material conditions Violence Russia

The Supreme Court reviewed two lawsuits filed by Alexei Navalny against the Ministry of Justice, seeking to invalidate several sections of the Internal Regulations (IR) in penal colonies.

January 9, 2024

Ecuador: state of emergency declared amid prison chaos

News

South America Justice Violence Ecuador

Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa on Monday declared a state of emergency for 60 days a day after the country’s most-wanted prisoner disappeared from the jail where he was being held.

January 5, 2024

United States: prisoners testify of abuse

News

North America Women Violence United States

Women incarcerated at FCI Dublin described feeling powerless to stop mistreatment and sexual abuse, despite the government’s reports of reform at the prison.

December 31, 2023

United Kingdom: trainee prison officers "encouraged to be more violent"

News

Europe Discipline Violence United Kingdom

Female graduate trainee prison officers have described a toxic and sexist culture where they were encouraged to be more violent as new figures show one in three on the scheme drop out.

December 11, 2023

Israel: jails are ''brutal', say Palestinian women released after prisoner deal

News

Women Middle East Material conditions Violence Israel

Palestinian women released from Israeli jails over the weekend warned of “brutal” conditions in jails since 7 October.

December 1, 2023

Honduras: police bullets found in some bodies of 46 killed in riot

News

Central America and the Caribbean Violence Honduras

Police bullets were found lodged in the bodies of some of the 46 inmates killed in a Honduras women’s prison riot in June, raising questions about potential police collusion with organized crime, a senior security official said.