The Breach/Valdez Award highlights the importance of journalism in democratic societies. It underscores the obligation of states to protect journalists, prevent killings such as those of Miroslava Breach (March 23, 2017) and Javier Valdez (May 15, 2017), and ensure access to justice for those who face reprisals for their work.

Australia remains responsible for the arbitrary detention of refugees and asylum seekers in offshore processing facilities in Nauru, a UN committee has ruled.

The UN Human Rights Committee has asked Australia to provide compensation to the victims and to ensure similar violations do not recur.

Refugee advocates hold signs as they protest against the detention of asylum seekers being held at Australian-run offshore detention centers located on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island, and the South-Pacific island of Nauru,

Australia violated the rights of asylum seekers arbitrarily detained on the island of Nauru, a UN watchdog ruled Thursday, in a warning to other countries intent on outsourcing asylum processing.The UN Human Rights Committee published decisions in two cases involving 25 refugees and asylum seekers who endured years of arbitrary detention in the island nation.

A United Nations Human Rights Committee has ruled that Australia violated the rights of asylum seekers it had arbitrarily detained in Nauru. It’s called on Australia to provide adequate compensation to victims.