US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Jan. 7 declared that Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide during the country's ongoing civil war. This would mark the second genocide Sudan has seen in less than three decades, following the Darfur genocide of the early 2000s. Blinken's statement outlined atrocities perpetrated by the RSF, including ethnically targeted massacres of men, boys and infants, as well as widespread sexual violence inflicted upon women and girls. "Those same militias have targeted fleeing civilians, murdering innocent people escaping conflict, and prevented remaining civilians from accessing lifesaving supplies," he said.

The Peshawar High Court issued an interim order on Jan. 10 preventing the forced repatriation of around 150 Afghan singers and musicians who fled to Pakistan after the Taliban's return to power in 2021. Justice Wiqar Ahmad, who presided over the case, instructed the government to issue a decision on the musicians' asylum applications within two months. The court said that if the asylum claims are not resolved within 60 days, the interior ministry should grant permission for the petitioners to stay for a period sufficient to reach a final decision. The court also allowed the musicians to apply to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to process their asylum claims.

The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled Jan. 2 that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) did not have legal authority when it reinstated net neutrality rules last May, striking a blow to President Joe Biden's telecommunications policy. Net neutrality is the idea that internet service providers (ISPs) must provide access to all content without favoring or blocking particular websites or services. In May, the FCC voted to classify ISPs as "telecommunications services" as opposed to "information services," thereby subjecting them to net neutrality rules. Several telecommunications companies challenged the decision.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Dec. 27 called on the Chinese government to immediately release Liu Hanbin, a blogger who was arrested one month earlier following his publication of information regarding a protest by farmers against forced land seizures. RSF's Asia-Pacific bureau director Cédric Alviani stated:

Chinese blogger Liu Hanbin was only serving the public interest by shedding light on abuses linked to land seizures, and should never be detained, let alone denied the right to meet with his lawyer. We call on the international community to build up pressure on the Chinese authorities to secure Liu's release alongside the 124 other journalists and press freedom defenders detained in the country.

The organization condemned Liu's detention as part of a broader pattern of repression against journalists and activists in China. The incident marked Liu as the 125th journalist currently detained by the Chinese authorities, raising significant concerns about freedom of expression in the country.

The US Department of Defense (DoD) announced on Jan. 6 the transfer of 11 Yemeni detainees from Guantanamo Bay prison to Oman, marking a significant step in reducing the population of the detention facility. The DoD stated that the Periodic Review Board (PRB) "determined by consensus" that the detention of the Yemeni prisoners under the law of war was no longer necessary, as they did not continue to pose a significant national security threat. The DoD added that any potential risk from the prisoners could be adequately mitigated.

The monitoring group Iran Human Rights reported Jan. 6 that at least 31 women were executed in the country in 2024, which marks the highest annual toll since the group began tracking executions in the Islamic Republic 17 years ago. The report found that between 2010 and 2024, at least 241 women were executed in Iran. Approximately 70% of them were accused of killing their male partners, often in the context of an abusive marriage, including child brides. However, Iran's judiciary does not recognize mitigating circumstances such as spousal abuse or marital rape under sharia law. Furthermore, Iran's practice of qisas (retributive justice) allows the victim's family to demand either execution, forgiveness or diyya (blood money). The doctrine has contributed to the surge in the execution of women.

US President Joe Biden issued two memoranda on Jan. 6 to prohibit new offshore drilling within three ocean and coastal regions, compromising over 625 million acres. One of the memoranda withdraws the entire eastern US Atlantic coast and the eastern Gulf of Mexico as well as the Pacific Coast along California, Oregon and Washington. The other orders the withdrawal of certain portions of the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska. According to the White House press release, the withdrawals in these regions are aimed at protecting "coastal communities, marine ecosystems, and local economies—including fishing, recreation, and tourism—from oil spills and other impacts of offshore drilling."

Ukraine became the 125th state party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Jan. 1. With the ratification of the Rome Statute, Ukraine gains full participation rights within the ICC framework, which includes the power to refer cases to the Court. Moreover, ratification strengthens Ukraine's ability to prosecute international crimes domestically, aligning its legal system with international standards. Ukraine, however, invoked a transitional provision that limits ICC jurisdiction over war crimes committed by its nationals for seven years, raising concerns about potential selective justice and access to accountability for victims.