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Evin Prison, located on the outskirts of Tehran, the capital of Iran, is a name that strikes fear and curiosity into the hearts and minds of many. Infamous for its harsh conditions and human rights violations, Evin Prison is a symbol of the broader issues surrounding justice, freedom, and governance in Iran.  In this blog post, we will delve into the history, conditions, and the international outcry surrounding Evin Prison. The Evin Prison Complex sprawled out on the side of the Alborz mountains.  THE HISTORY OF EVIN PRISON Evin Prison has a long and complex history dating back to its establishment in 1972 under the Shah of Iran's regime, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Initially built to house political prisoners, the prison quickly became a symbol of state repression and torture. However, after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Evin Prison's role and the composition of its inmates underwent significant changes. It is located at the base of the Alborz mountains, in the former home of Zi...

In conflict situations, violence is used against civilians in order to inflict trauma, humiliate, fracture the social and moral fabric of innocent victims, their families and communities. Conflict-related sexual violence (also referred to as CRSV) is a horrific method used by armed actors, terrorist groups, and other malicious parties as a tactic of war, terrorism, or extremist violence.  WHAT IS CRSV? When we talk about CRSV, it can include things like rape, sexual assault, forced abortions, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced marriages, forced pregnancy, and unwanted sterilization. It can mean any kind of sexual violence that is related to a conflict that can be inflicted on men, women, young boys or girls. We can define CRSV by the profile of the perpetrators and the victims.  The perpetrators are often tied to armed groups that can be State, or non-State affiliated. This means that they could be armies, police, and any other authorities that belongs to the country'...

The war in Ukraine is fast approaching the fourth month mark. The length, bloodiness and increasing cost to normal citizens and various Western allies are starting to take a toll. Solidarity with Ukraine has not faltered from the many countries that are constantly pumping them with weapons, humanitarian aid, and various other help. However, the looming global recession and an impending global hunger crisis are starting some to question: "When and how will this war end?" Many Ukrainian men had to wave goodbye to their families and join the fight (Picture: Telegram, Zelensky Official) Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy is quoted as saying that this ''war will be won on the battlefield, but ended by negotiations''. The problem with this thinking is that: Russia has a bigger army capability that makes it hard for Ukraine to overpower them: Zelenskyy's advisory team recently said that Ukraine has received only 10% of the requested army equipm...

Victims of the war in Ukraine suffer trauma from the various horrid experiences they have inflicted on them by the Russian invaders. Death and pain is everywhere that Russia has touched with their indiscriminate bombing and atrocious war crimes. Unfortunately, for these people, even fleeing war-torn zones, such as Mariupol, is a slow and agonizing experience. One main reason is that Ukrainians are forcibly being taken by Russian troops to "filtration camps" where they are made to endure hours of torture, beatings, and interrogations. Often, the living conditions are inadequate, and the quarters are cramped and overfilled with people. Those that need medical attention are neglected. Families are split, never to see each other again.  Russia's Bezimenne filtration camp, housing refugees from Mauripol (Picture: Maxar Technologies) WHAT IS A FILTRATION CAMP AND WHAT IS THEIR PURPOSE? Filtration camps are locations where the Russian troops take Ukrainian people to be able to ...

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, over 6.6 million refugees have left their homes behind. Most of them have settled in close countries such as Poland, Romania, and Moldova. Others have moved a bit further away to England, Germany, Finland amongst many other nations. On top of this, 7.7 million people have been displaced within the country. The war has left a huge toll on the Ukrainian elderly, children and women who make up the bulk of those that have fled since 24 February 2022.  Unfortunately, a side effect of the influx of people, has been a steady threat of human trafficking. These heinous criminals take advantage of the fact that these Ukrainian refugees depend on the kindness of people. First they offer them help and then ruin their lives.  Ukrainian refugees left Ukraine in droves on packed trains (Image: istockphoto.com) VOLUNTEERS IN DROVES In the first days of the war, there was a flood of volunteers. They were all inspired to help in some way to the Ukraine eff...

The Russians have committed war crimes since the beginning of the invasion in Ukraine. Murders, mass executions, torture, looting and sexual assault of women and children are just some of the heinous activities that the invaders have inflicted upon the Ukrainian civilians.  In this post, we look at how war crimes can be defined according to the international law of armed conflict and look at some evidence of these in Ukraine. WHAT IS A WAR CRIME? A '' code of conduct' ' for defining behaviour in a war zone can be traced back for centuries. However, the current laws of armed conflict and international humanitarian law were created around the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. Over the years, it has evolved to the Hague Conventions adopted in 1899 and 1907. These focus on the methods of warfare that can be used and what warring parties are allowed and prohibited to do. A few other treaties have been developed since then. A woman and child evacua...

Chechens, and their flashy leader Ramzan Kadyrov, are currently in Ukraine fighting for the Russian side. They have a fierce reputation as ruthless fighters. However, experts say that the Chechens are not actively participating in combat, they are there just for numbers and an enhanced PR campaign.  WHO IS RAMZAN KADYROV? Chechnya has a very long and complicated history with Russia. After fighting in two wars against the mother land, now it is supporting them in the war with Ukraine for the second time in eight years.  Ramzan Kadyrov is the leader of the Chechen Republic. He came to power in 2007, soon after turning 30 years old. That was the minimum age to be able to rule Chechnya. His father, Akhmad Kadyrov, switched sides in the Second Chechen War, to ally with Russia. He became president in 2003, and one year later he was assassinated with a car bomb while attending the Soviet Day Victory Parade in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya. Ramzan Kadyrov and his family (source: Ram...