For the first time in the country's history, Syrians are preparing to publicly mark Human Rights Day next week — a small but meaningful step that UN human rights officials say signals a "new chapter" in their engagement with the authorities, and a cautiously optimistic moment for millions seeking change.
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has condemned an Israeli raid on the Union of Agricultural Work Committees in the occupied West Bank, warning that pressure on Palestinian civil society has reached alarming levels.