US and EU to discuss lifting ban imposed on the country following reform and the release of political prisoners

The release of 651 prisoners looks set to include many political detainees, say diplomats, a condition set by the EU and US for lifting sanctions

On 14th December, the decision of Egyptian student and pro-democracy activist Mikael Nabil’s retrial was announced; his sentence was reduced from three years to two. The result of this retrial, leaving little room for further appeal, shows a serious miscarriage of justice, particularly when considering that despite being a civilian, Mikael was sentenced by military

Sanctions against Burma's former military regime will not be lifted until it has released all political prisoners and demonstrated it can hold free and fair elections, Foreign Secretary William Hague warned today.

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi urged the head of the United Nations to intervene and stop the hunger strike, state papers have revealed. Comparing the deaths to ancient sacrifices and accusing Britain of lacking humanity, the Libyan dictator warned of a painful fallout if the IRA prisoners were not granted political status. Gaddafi said the hunger strikes were a "very painful human tragedy, a tragedy tha...

Thousands more prisoners will be made to carry out full time work after Ken Clarke pledged to end "enforced idleness" behind bars.

Compensation payouts for prisoners held longer in jail because of delays in parole hearings has more than doubled in the last year.

Britain has launched a formal bid to curb the powers of the European Court of Human Rights, which wants British prisoners to have the vote.

Female prisoners around the world are being subjected to body cavity searches, beatings and force-feeding, are held in padded cells, shackled during childbirth, and made to work in chain gangs. Some of the worst conditions are in developing countries, but there are also serious abuses and overcrowding in Europe and North America. These are the major findings of a survey by The Independent on Sunda...

Days before a crunch EU-Ukraine summit on 19 December, Kyiv is under increased pressure as Brussels urges its leaders to release political prisoners and Russia moves to take control of its gas pipeline network, diplomats told EurActiv. More »