OVERVIEW
Week 43
During the fourth week of October 2025, Russian strikes in Ukraine killed dozens and crippled energy infrastructure, while Ukrainian attacks caused civilian deaths in Russia ; NATO and Russia held nuclear drills, and a Belarusian activist described her escape from the country.
Israeli attacks in Gaza killed dozens of people despite a ceasefire, worsened the humanitarian crisis with now 78% of buildings destroyed in the strip. US officials spoke against the Israeli annexation plans of the West Bank. Lebanon saw Israeli strikes in multiple areas, and Syrian forces clashed with French jihadists. France issued new arrest warrants for al-Assad and other former Syrian officials.
Yemen’s Houthis briefly detained UN staff, Sudan’s RSF struck Khartoum’s airport repeatedly, and Sudanese volunteers continued aid work amid repression.
Gabon’s ex-first family avoided trial, 152,000 rapes have been reported in Tigray, and the DRC’s humanitarian crisis deepened.
Bangladesh arrested militaries for widespread human rights abuses and Myanmar’s junta raided an international cyberfraud hub.
UN human rights funding faced serious cuts, a British soldier was acquitted for Bloody Sunday massacre, and France prosecuted a military whistleblower.
EASTERN EUROPE
Russian strikes cause civilian casualties in Ukraine
On 21 October 2025, Russian drone strikes targeted Novgorod-Siverskïi in Ukraine’s northern Chernihiv region, killing four people and injuring ten others, including a ten-year-old child, according to the state emergency services, which reported the incident on Telegram. The next day, 22 October 2025, Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure caused widespread power outages across multiple regions, including Kyiv, and killed at least six people. Among the dead were a young mother and her two children, and 17 others were injured. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed two fatalities in the capital, where AFP journalists reported hearing about ten explosions and seeing smoke rising. In northern Ukraine, the city of Chernihiv and surrounding communities were left without electricity and, in some areas, water following Russian strikes, according to regional governor Viatcheslav Tchaus on Telegram. Hospitals, social facilities, and municipal offices were operating on backup power. Tchaus noted that repair work in some sectors was impossible due to the ongoing threat of new attacks. Andriï Podorvan, an advisor to Tchaus, stated on Ukrainian television that Russia has deliberately targeted energy infrastructure in Chernihiv, with particularly intensive strikes over the past two months. The situation follows the destruction of over half of Ukraine’s gas production capacity in early October, described by Naftogaz as likely the largest-ever attack on the country’s gas infrastructure.
On the night of 22–23 October 2025, Russian drone strikes across Ukraine killed a rescuer and injured five others while they responded to a fire caused by a bombardment in a village in Kharkiv region, northeast Ukraine, according to Ukrainian emergency services on Telegram. In Kyiv, eight people were injured and a synagogue was damaged, as reported by Foreign Minister Andriï Sybiga, who also noted that 67 religious leaders have been killed and 640 places of worship damaged since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. The strikes affected three districts of Kyiv, damaged residential buildings, and disrupted railway traffic in Sumy region, where two railway workers were injured.
Journalists killed in drone strikes
On October 23, 2025, two Ukrainian journalists from Freedom TV, Aliona Gramova and Evguen Karmazine, were killed by a Russian drone in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, while in a car at a gas station, with a third journalist, Alexandre Kolichev, injured and hospitalized. Gramova, 43, had reported from high-risk areas in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk since 2021, while 33-year-old Karmazine had been a cameraman since 2022. Kramatorsk, about 20 km from the front line, is one of the last cities in Donetsk still under Ukrainian control. The widespread use of inexpensive drones has made reporting increasingly dangerous, illustrated by the deaths of French photographer Antoni Lallican on October 3 in eastern Ukraine and a Russian RIA Novosti journalist in occupied Zaporizhzhia. Since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022, the number of journalists killed varies: Reporters Without Borders counted 14 killed by Russian forces as of October, while UNESCO recorded at least 23 deaths on both sides, including AFP video journalist Arman Soldin in 2023.
Explosion in a train kills 4 people
On October 24, 2025, an explosion occurred on the platform of a railway station in northern Ukraine during a passenger document check. A 23-year-old man detonated an explosive device, killing himself and three women, and injuring 12 others. According to the Ukrainian police, border guards were inspecting train passengers when the man triggered the device, reported by Ukrainian media as a grenade.
NATO and Russia both conduct nuclear exercises
NATO launched its annual nuclear exercise “Steadfast Noon” from Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands. The two-week exercise involved around 2,000 personnel and 70 aircraft from 14 countries, simulating the handling of nuclear weapons without live warheads. For the first time, NATO allowed a small group of journalists, including AFP, to observe the drills, highlighting transparency in an alliance traditionally secretive about its nuclear procedures. The exercise followed recent Russian drone incursions into NATO airspace. Russian President Vladimir Putin remotely oversaw exercises of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces. The drills included an Iars intercontinental ballistic missile launch from the Plesetsk cosmodrome to Kamchatka, a Sineva missile fired from a submarine in the Barents Sea with an 11,500 km range, and cruise missile launches from Tu-95MS bombers.
Belarus activist escaped her country after being repressed
Antanina Kanavalava, a 37-year-old Belarusian opposition activist, spent four and a half years in prison for opposing President Alexander Lukashenko. During her imprisonment, her children fled to Poland with their grandmother. In December 2024, she was officially pardoned but remained confined in Belarus until she escaped across a frozen river and forest into Lithuania under pursuit by Belarusian armed forces.
Civilian casualties in Russia after Ukrainian attacks
In the Belgorod region of Russia, a drone attack killed two civilians and injured another in the village of Yasnye Zori, where explosives were dropped on an agricultural business, according to Governor Viatcheslav Gladkov on Telegram. The incident occurred in the context of ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, with Russia launching drones and missiles into Ukraine nearly daily since the start of its offensive three and a half years ago, and Ukraine regularly striking Russian territory, including energy infrastructure. On the night of October 24, 2025, five people, including a child, were injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on a residential building in Krasnogorsk, a suburb of Moscow. The drone hit an apartment on the 14th floor, causing significant damage to walls, windows, and furniture. All injured were hospitalized.
PALESTINE
Israeli strikes kill at least 45 people despite ceasefire
On Sunday, October 19, 2025, Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 45 people, according to Gaza’s Civil Defense, which operates under the authority of the Hamas movement. Among the victims were civilians and a journalist. The strikes, confirmed by four hospitals in Gaza, were described as the most severe since the ceasefire began on October 10. The Israeli military stated that the attacks were carried out in response to alleged Hamas assaults, and later that evening announced the cessation of airstrikes and the resumption of the ceasefire, while also reviewing reports of civilian casualties. Following the strikes, Israel suspended the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza “until further notice,” according to an Israeli official. Speaking aboard the presidential aircraft, U.S. President Donald Trump affirmed that the ceasefire remained in effect, emphasizing that Hamas leadership was not directly responsible for the truce violations, instead attributing them to “some rebels within the movement.” In Bureij, central Gaza, resident Abdallah Abou Hassanein, aged 29, described the situation as resembling a return to war, stating that bombardments had intensified and struck homes, tents, and a school, causing renewed bloodshed.
Palestinian newborns and mothers in danger due to lack of humanitarian aid
On October 22, 2025, Andrew Saberton, a representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), warned that malnutrition among pregnant women and newborns in Gaza would have “generational effects,” leading to lifelong health complications for babies currently being born in the enclave. Speaking at a press conference at UN headquarters in New York after a five-day mission to Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza—where he spent five hours—Saberton described the extent of the devastation in Gaza as resembling “a dystopian movie set.” According to Saberton, one in four Gazans suffers from hunger, including 11,500 pregnant women. As a result, 70% of newborns are now premature and underweight, compared to 20% before October 2023. Neonatal units are operating at 170% capacity, forcing hospitals to place multiple infants in a single incubator. He added that one in three pregnancies is now classified as high risk, and maternal mortality remains “high.” Additionally, 700,000 women and girls face severe difficulties managing their menstrual hygiene due to shortages of clean water, privacy, and sanitary products. Gaza records approximately 130 births per day. The WHO’s dead Tedros Ghebreyesus meanwhile described Gaza’s humanitarian situation as “catastrophic,” with persistent hunger despite ongoing aid.
Israel pauses humanitarian deliveries
On October 19, 2025, an Israeli security official, speaking anonymously to the AFP, announced that Israel had suspended humanitarian aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip, citing a “flagrant violation of the ceasefire” by Hamas. The official stated that the suspension would last “until further notice.” The following day, October 20, the same source confirmed the reopening of the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza.
Civilians shot by Israeli army
On October 20, 2025, Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for the Gaza Civil Defense, reported that four Palestinians were killed and one seriously wounded by Israeli fire in two incidents east of Gaza City, near the Al-Shaaf area of Al-Tuffah district. According to Bassal, the victims were returning to check their homes when they were shot. Two were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital and two to Al-Shifa Hospital. The Israeli army stated it had fired at “terrorists who crossed the yellow line,” referring to a withdrawal boundary established under the ceasefire. The military later announced it had begun materializing the yellow line to “provide tactical clarity on the ground,” installing 3.5-meter-high yellow poles roughly every 200 meters.
International press still not allowed inside Gaza
On October 23, 2025, an Israeli Supreme Court judge granted a 30-day extension to review a petition by the Foreign Press Association (FPA) seeking independent media access to Gaza, citing the situation on the ground as still “delicate and difficult to assess.” No new hearing date was set. The FPA, represented by lawyer Gilead Sher, argued that access should have been reconsidered during previous ceasefires in November 2023 and early 2025. FPA President Tania Kraemer and board member Nicolas Rouget urged Israel to allow international journalists to work alongside their Palestinian colleagues, the only reporters covering Gaza since the war began in October 2023. Reporters Without Borders (RSF), represented by Antoine Bernard, joined the petition, noting that over 210 Palestinian journalists have been killed. A video recording of the hearing was released, marking the first Supreme Court session on this case since the FPA’s filing two years earlier.
Discriminations against Palestinians from West Bank, US officials criticize annexation plans
Since October 2023, the Israeli government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has revoked the work permits of 120,000 Palestinians from the West Bank.
On October 23, 2025, during visits by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both officials rejected any Israeli annexation of the West Bank after Israel’s parliament advanced two bills to extend sovereignty over the territory. President Donald Trump, in an interview with Time on October 15, warned that Israel would lose U.S. support if it proceeded, emphasizing his commitment to Arab partners in the Gaza ceasefire talks. Vance called the parliamentary initiative a “stupid political move”. Rubio, meeting Netanyahu in Jerusalem, warned such plans could undermine the Gaza truce but expressed confidence in its continuation.
Equipment with potential military application sent from France to Israel
On October 23, 2025, French company Sermat was scheduled to ship military equipment, including alternators for aircrafts, from Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport to Israeli defense company Elbit Systems at Haifa and Kermiel, according to associations BDS and Aser, who warned that this could violate the UN Arms Trade Treaty by supplying arms potentially used in crimes against civilians in Gaza. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu denied that any French weapons had been sent to Israel, despite investigative reporting by Disclose suggesting otherwise. Protests were planned at Roissy-CDG on October 25, highlighting concerns over France’s role in the conflict involving the Israeli army under Benjamin Netanyahu.
78% of Gaza destroyed
In Gaza, after two years of conflict, 78% of buildings—about 193,000 structures—have been damaged or destroyed, leaving the territory under more than 61 million tonnes of debris, according to UN data. The fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, effective October 10 under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, allows for the beginning of reconstruction. Satellite imagery from September 22–23 showed that 83% of buildings in Gaza-City were damaged or destroyed. The debris includes at least 4.9 million tonnes potentially contaminated with asbestos and 2.9 million tonnes from former industrial sites that may contain toxic chemicals, according to UNEP. Most destruction occurred in the first five months of the war, with an acceleration between April and July 2025, particularly in the south between Rafah and Khan Younès.
LEBANON
Israeli airstrikes on Eastern Lebanon despite ceasefire
On Thursday, 23 October 2025, the Israeli army carried out a series of airstrikes on mountainous areas in eastern Lebanon, near the Syrian border, targeting what it described as Hezbollah positions, including a precision missile production site and a training camp. Despite a ceasefire that ended the November 2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli forces have continued strikes. Israel also maintains control of five positions on Lebanese territory, in violation of the ceasefire’s withdrawal terms. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the new attacks and reiterated his call for Israel’s full withdrawal, stating that Lebanon remains committed to completing Hezbollah’s disarmament in the south, up to the Litani River, by the end of the year.
War crimes against journalists
Agence France-Presse (AFP) demanded a “full and transparent investigation” by Israel into the 13 October 2023 strike in southern Lebanon that killed Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah and injured six journalists, including AFP reporters Dylan Collins and Christina Assi, who lost her right leg. An independent investigation found that two 120 mm tank shells fired from the Israeli village of Jordeikh caused the attack, findings confirmed by Reuters, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Reporters Without Borders. Despite this, Israeli authorities have not provided any explanation. The AFP condemned the lack of accountability and reiterated that the journalists were clearly identifiable as press and that no military presence was visible nearby. UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions Morris Tidball-Binz described the attack as a “premeditated, targeted, two-phase assault by Israeli forces,” qualifying it as a war crime and a grave violation of international humanitarian law. The AFP asserted that ongoing impunity in this case endangers press freedom and the safety of journalists.
Civilian casualties from Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon
On 23 October 2025, Israeli airstrikes also killed four people in eastern and southern Lebanon, according to Lebanese authorities. Two deaths were reported in the Bekaa Valley towns of Janta and Chmestar, while two others, including an elderly woman, were killed near Nabatiyeh in the south. The Israeli army stated it had targeted Hezbollah positions. An AFP journalist observed white smoke rising from the mountain near the Syrian border. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack warned on X that Lebanon’s army must retain sole control of weapons, cautioning that Israeli unilateral action could have serious consequences.
SYRIA
Clashes between Syrian army and French jihadists
Syrian government forces clashed on Wednesday, 22 October 2025, with a group of French jihadists led by Oumar Diaby, also known as Omar Omsen, in a camp near Harim, close to the Turkish border. Authorities accuse Diaby, 50, of kidnapping a young girl and refusing to surrender, claiming he used civilians as human shields. The jihadists, estimated at around fifty and part of the group Firqat al Ghouraba (“the group of foreigners”), are mostly French and unaffiliated with the Islamic State. Fighting, which began after midnight, subsided by early afternoon, according to an AFP correspondent, as foreign jihadists mediated to reach a peaceful resolution, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH). The confrontation marks the first since the Islamist coalition led by Ahmad al-Chareh took power in December 2024 and sought to distance itself from its jihadist past. Diaby, a Franco-Senegalese preacher wanted by French authorities, is suspected of having recruited numerous French nationals for jihad in Syria.
Syrian authorities and a group of French jihadists led by Oumar Diaby, have reached a ceasefire agreement in the northwest of the country 23 October 2025. The deal, in place since Wednesday, ends clashes around a camp in the Idleb province near the Turkish border, where Diaby and several dozen followers were surrounded by government forces. It provides for the withdrawal of heavy weapons and allows Syrian authorities to enter the camp, while the alleged kidnapping of a young girl by Diaby will be handled by the Justice Ministry.
Al Assad and former Syrian officials wanted by France
A third international arrest warrant was issued in Paris against former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad on 29 July 2025 for complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes linked to the 2013 chemical attacks in Adra, Douma, and the Ghouta region, which killed over one thousand people with sarin gas, according to U.S. intelligence. The decision came after Assad’s ousting on 8 December 2024, which lifted his immunity. Other senior Syrian officials, including Maher al-Assad, Talal Makhlouf, Ghassan Abbas, and Bassam al-Hassan, are also targeted by French justice. Two prior warrants were issued earlier in 2025 for Assad’s role in the 2017 bombardment of Deraa and the 2012 shelling of a media center in Homs that killed journalists Marie Colvin and Rémi Ochlik and injured Edith Bouvier, Paul Conroy, and Wael al-Omar. In total, 17 former Syrian officials are under French arrest warrants in four separate cases, including the enforced disappearance of Franco-Syrians Mazzen and Patrick Dabbagh. Lawyer Clémence Bectarte of the FIDH emphasized that these actions reflect Assad’s systematic repression of civilians and journalists. Although Assad resides in Russia, he could face trial in absentia in France.
YEMEN
Houthis kidnap UN staff
In Sanaa, Yemen, on Saturday, 18th of October, Houthi rebels conducted a raid on a United Nations residential complex, detaining 20 UN staff members, including 15 international employees and five Yemenis, according to UN spokesperson Jean Alam. Among the international detainees was the British UNICEF representative to Yemen, Peter Hawkins, a fact confirmed by Houthi security sources. Yemeni staff members were released after questioning. The Houthis, led by Abdelmalek al-Houthi, justified the detentions by alleging the dismantling of an espionage cell linked to humanitarian organizations. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric condemned the accusations as endangering UN and humanitarian personnel. On Wednesday, 22nd of October, international staff left Sanaa, with some relocating to Amman, Jordan, while other remained in Yemen and were free to move.
SUDAN
Multiple attacks from RSF against Khartoum International Airport
In Khartoum, Sudan, on Tuesday, 21st of October, 2025, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) armed group conducted a drone strike in the vicinity of Khartoum International Airport between 4:00 and 6:00 a.m. local time, one day before authorities planned to reopen the airport for domestic flights after more than two years of closure. Witnesses reported hearing drones over central and southern Khartoum and several explosions near the airport. Another strike hit northern Omdurman, an area hosting major military facilities. On Wednesday, 22nd of October, 2025, RSF armed group conducted a second consecutive drone attack on Khartoum International Airport at dawn. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, visiting the airport, affirmed the army’s determination to defeat the RSF rebellion. RSF leader General Mohamed Daglo did not reference these attacks directly but reiterated that his forces targeted military positions and warned that any aircraft supporting the army, including from neighboring countries, would be considered as targets. On Thursday, 23rd of October, 2025, drones again struck Khartoum and its airport, marking the third consecutive day of attacks. Witnesses in southern Omdurman reported hearing drones and anti-aircraft fire near a military brigade and medical unit, and observed drones approaching the airport.
Sudanese volunteers keep providing help despite repression
In Port Sudan, a network of volunteer groups, known as Emergency Response Cells (ERC), continues to provide humanitarian aid amid the ongoing conflict Composed of thousands of mostly young volunteers, including doctors, engineers, students, and accountants, the ERC operates across the country, distributing food, reconstructing homes, managing hospitals, repairing water and electricity networks, running canteens, caring for the injured, supporting survivors of sexual violence, and rebuilding schools. Volunteers such as Dia Al Deen Al Malek in Khartoum and Al Sadiq Issa in Dilling coordinate specialized units covering logistics, external relations, training, women’s protection, and security. ERC teams have documented abuses by both the army and armed groups. Volunteers face significant risks, including arrests, assaults, and threats to life. Nader Mahmoud, a 25-year-old volunteer in Blue Nile State, was arrested in early October, and the brother of resident Emgahed Moussa was detained while transporting supplies. Despite these dangers, the volunteers persist, reaching over four million people in the first ten months of the conflict. Their work has received international recognition. Wafa Hassan, spokesperson for the regional ERC unit in al-Jazirah, highlighted the creation of safe spaces for women and children and the provision of essential medicines, first aid, and psychosocial support to victims of violence.
GABON
Bongo family won’t go in Gabon and allege they have been tortured in 2023
Former Gabonese First Lady Sylvia Bongo and her son Noureddin Bongo will not return to Libreville for their trial scheduled on 10 November, according to their lawyer Pierre-Olivier Sur, who denounced the proceedings as a “show trial.” Both, currently on provisional release in London, are charged with embezzlement of public funds after being arrested on the night of the August 2023 coup that ousted President Ali Bongo. Their lawyers describe the trial as politically motivated and contrary to basic legal standards. Sylvia, aged 62, and Noureddin, 33, were detained for 20 months before being allowed to leave the country. In May 2024, Ali, Sylvia, and Noureddin Bongo, all French nationals, filed a complaint in France alleging they were tortured in detention by soldiers close to President Oligui Nguema.
ETHIOPIA
At least 152,000 rapes during the war in Tigray
In Tigray, Ethiopia, during the war from November 2020 to November 2022, numerous acts of sexual violence and torture were reported. On November 25, 2020, Lemlem was detained at her home by Eritrean Defense Forces soldiers and held for seventeen days in the city slaughterhouse, used as a military base, where she endured sexual abuse by dozens of soldiers, beatings to her neck, back, and head, and was hung upside down by her feet on a metal hook. According to the Tigray genocide commission’s report published on October 16 and authored under the presidency of Yemane Zeray Mesfin, over 480,000 women aged 15 and older were interviewed; 60% reported gender-based violence, including 167,000 sexual assaults and 152,000 rapes, 70% of which were collective attacks involving two to fifty perpetrators. Almaz described being assaulted sequentially by approximately thirty Ethiopian National Defense Force soldiers at the Makale regional administration office. Many victims reported forced insertion of objects (razor blades, rusty nails, cuticle clippers, sand, pepper, stones, plastic) to prevent reproduction; 16,000 women reported such acts. The report states that 529 women and girls died due to rapes or subsequent suicide. Researchers Birhan Gebrekristos Mezgbo and nurse Mulu Mesfin documented systematic use of these abuses in their 2023 book Mekanit. Physicians for Human Rights and the Organisation for Justice and Accountability in the Horn of Africa reported on July 31, 2023, similar systematic sexual and reproductive violence based on testimonies from 500 healthcare workers.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
Humanitarian urgency in eastern DRC
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, more than 21 million people currently require humanitarian assistance, according to Oxfam France. The eastern region, bordering Rwanda, has experienced intensified conflict since January 2025, when the M23 armed group, supported by Kigali, captured the cities of Goma and Bukavu. These conflicts have displaced over 1.6 million people since the start of the year, bringing the total number of internally displaced persons to 5.2 million. Food insecurity affects 28 million people, health services are overwhelmed, and infrastructure has been destroyed. Sexual violence is reported at a rate of one woman raped every four minutes. Humanitarian aid has decreased, with funding cut by two-thirds over the past year. Louis-Nicolas Jandeaux, Oxfam France official, called for stronger international support at the October 30 conference on the Great Lakes region organized by France, aimed at mobilizing global action and supporting mediation efforts led by the United States and Qatar. Oxfam notes that last year 70% of aid came from the United States, while France contributed only 0.5% of the required funds, amounting to $8 million versus an estimated $127.5 million proportional to its global economic weight.
BANGLADESH
Militaries suspected of serious human rights violations arrested
On Wednesday, 22 October 2025, a court in Dhaka ordered the detention of fifteen Bangladeshi army officers accused of participating in a series of enforced disappearances and abductions during the rule of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (2009–2024). The suspects, including five generals, served in military intelligence or the Rapid Action Battalion and are alleged to have abducted political opponents held in secret detention centers. Brought to court under heavy police escort, they were remanded in custody pending further hearings. A Bangladeshi inquiry commission recently documented over 250 such disappearances attributed to orders from Hasina’s government. Army officials acknowledged that the arrests had “affected” troop morale but pledged full cooperation with the judiciary. Prosecutor Islam Tajul confirmed the officers’ compliance with legal procedures. Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India in mid-2024, is being tried in absentia for the deadly repression of protests that left at least 1,400 people dead, according to the UN. The prosecution has requested the death penalty against Hasina.
MYANMAR
Junta raided cyberfraud site, exploited workers escaped
On October 20, 2025, the Burmese junta raided the KK Park complex near the Thailand-Myanmar border, one of the country’s largest cyberfraud hubs, seizing 30 Starlink satellite receivers and accessories, according to the state media The Global New Light of Myanmar. AFP investigations had revealed that these devices, owned by Elon Musk’s Starlink, were being used to bypass Thai internet restrictions and facilitate large-scale online scams, including romantic and commercial frauds, operated by networks largely controlled by Chinese criminal groups in collusion with Burmese armed groups. About 7,000 exploited workers from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East were reportedly freed, many showing injuries allegedly inflicted by their captors. Starlink is not authorized in Myanmar, and the network had previously been too small to appear among local internet providers. Experts note that the junta often tolerated these operations in exchange for armed groups control over border regions.
INTERNATIONAL
Switzerland – Existential threat against organizations promoting human rights
In Geneva, Switzerland, on Tuesday, 21st of October, 2025, the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR) warned that UN human rights work faces an “existential threat” due to severe budget cuts and unpaid contributions, particularly from the United States, with delayed or politically motivated funding from China and Russia. Cuts could significantly impact the UN’s OHCHR and investigations into serious abuses, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar, potentially eliminating a third of staff in key investigative bodies. ISHR accused Russia and China of politicizing UN budget negotiations to weaken oversight and reduce funding for human rights monitoring missions worldwide.
Ireland – No justice for Bloody Sunday
A Belfast court acquitted Thursday, 23 October 2025, a former British soldier, known only as “Soldier F,” who was on trial for two murders and five attempted murders during the 1972 “Bloody Sunday” in Derry, Northern Ireland, when British paratroopers shot at a peaceful Catholic civil rights march, killing 13 and wounding at least 15. The judge cited insufficient and unreliable evidence, despite the prosecution highlighting the soldiers’ “intention to kill.” Soldier F had remained hidden behind a blue curtain throughout the trial for security reasons. The verdict disappointed families and Sinn Féin leaders, who criticized the persistent denial of justice, although prior official apologies, including by then-Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010, had acknowledged the killings as unjustifiable.
France – Whistleblower prosecuted
A French military engineer has been referred to Court for allegedly leaking classified information to Disclose, which reported on French arms sales to Egypt and the “Sirli” intelligence operation allegedly used to target and kill opponents. The case stems from a 2022 investigation following complaints from the Ministry of the Armed Forces. While the prosecutor initially sought a trial only for professional secrecy violations, the judge in October 2025 ordered the engineer’s referral, citing his access to classified materials and a personal relationship with journalist Ariane Lavrilleux, co-author of the articles. Lavrilleux was not charged and hailed the decision as recognition of the public interest. Defense lawyers argue the case is speculative and biased, while press freedom groups warn that weak protections for journalistic sources risk silencing reporting on sensitive issues.
