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Man dies in Sydney prison unit that watchdog wanted shut down because it ‘cannot provide a safe environment’

13 May 2026 at 15:00

Exclusive: Young inmate took own life in Long Bay prison five months after independent inspector warned of ‘ligature points in cells across all areas’

A 19-year-old man has died in a Sydney prison unit that an independent watchdog previously recommended be closed because it “simply cannot provide a safe environment”.

The man was on remand, awaiting a hearing or sentencing, when he took his own life on Sunday in Long Bay correctional centre’s Metropolitan Special Programs Centre (MSPC).

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© Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

© Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

© Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP

More than 110 Nobel laureates call on Iran to release gravely ill activist Narges Mohammadi

12 May 2026 at 10:37

As human rights advocate is treated in Tehran hospital after transfer from Zanjan prison, prize winners demand her freedom

More than 110 Nobel laureates have called for the immediate and unconditional release of Narges Mohammadi, the imprisoned Iranian human rights activist and Nobel peace prize laureate, after she was transferred to hospital amid concerns over her rapidly deteriorating health.

In a statement released on Tuesday, 112 Nobel laureates urged the Iranian authorities and the international community to act “without delay” to secure Mohammadi’s release and ensure her continued access to medical treatment.

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© Photograph: Eagen Archive/Alamy

© Photograph: Eagen Archive/Alamy

© Photograph: Eagen Archive/Alamy

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • Nobel laureate’s smuggled memoir details beatings and neglect in Iranian prisons Tess McClure
    Writing by Narges Mohammadi, arrested 14 times for activism, offers a disturbing insight into treatmentRead an exclusive excerpt here: ‘Blindfolded, I sat down slowly. Then the interrogation began’In an exclusive extract of writing smuggled from prison in Iran, the Nobel peace prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has described the “torture” of solitary confinement, and her systematic medical neglect by the prison system.The writing from the past decade will be part of a soon to be published memoir, A
     

Nobel laureate’s smuggled memoir details beatings and neglect in Iranian prisons

10 May 2026 at 21:03

Writing by Narges Mohammadi, arrested 14 times for activism, offers a disturbing insight into treatment

In an exclusive extract of writing smuggled from prison in Iran, the Nobel peace prize laureate Narges Mohammadi has described the “torture” of solitary confinement, and her systematic medical neglect by the prison system.

The writing from the past decade will be part of a soon to be published memoir, A Woman Never Stops Fighting, that gives a rare and alarming insight into the treatment of Mohammadi, who is in critical condition. It details beatings, constant interrogations, deprivation of medical care and long stretches in solitary confinement during her numerous imprisonments.

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© Photograph: Nooshin Jafari/ Narges Foundation Archive

© Photograph: Nooshin Jafari/ Narges Foundation Archive

© Photograph: Nooshin Jafari/ Narges Foundation Archive

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • Betty Broderick, convicted in 1989 killings of ex-husband and his new wife, dies aged 78 Marina Dunbar
    Broderick was serving a life sentence in California over killings and last month transferred to a medical centerBetty Broderick, who became infamous for the 1989 killings of her former husband and his new wife in a case that shocked the country and inspired movies and books, has died at the age of 78 while still serving a life sentence.Representatives from the California department of corrections and rehabilitation confirmed to NBC News that Elizabeth A Broderick was moved from the California pr
     

Betty Broderick, convicted in 1989 killings of ex-husband and his new wife, dies aged 78

9 May 2026 at 22:07

Broderick was serving a life sentence in California over killings and last month transferred to a medical center

Betty Broderick, who became infamous for the 1989 killings of her former husband and his new wife in a case that shocked the country and inspired movies and books, has died at the age of 78 while still serving a life sentence.

Representatives from the California department of corrections and rehabilitation confirmed to NBC News that Elizabeth A Broderick was moved from the California prison where she had been transferred to a medical center on 18 April. She died on the following Friday.

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© Photograph: The San Diego Union-Tribune/Getty Images

© Photograph: The San Diego Union-Tribune/Getty Images

© Photograph: The San Diego Union-Tribune/Getty Images

Woman jailed in Somalia for peaceful protest ‘stripped, kicked and beaten’

In an exclusive interview from prison, Sadia Moalim Ali, a 27-year-old rickshaw driver, tells of her treatment after being arrested for demonstrating against the government

A woman being held in prison in Somalia for taking part in peaceful protests has described how she was tortured by her guards.

Sadia Moalim Ali, 27, told the Guardian she was stripped naked by two male guards in a room monitored by CCTV, kicked, beaten with a baton and left for two days in a small cell without food.

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© Photograph: Handout

© Photograph: Handout

© Photograph: Handout

  • ✇The Guardian World news
  • Family of ailing Iranian Nobel laureate say keeping her in jail is a death sentence Deepa Parent
    Narges Mohammadi denied medical leave from prison in spite of sharp decline in health and drastic weight loss, say lawyersThe family of the jailed Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi say they fear for her life after a sharp deterioration in her health, suspected heart attack and drop in body weight of almost 20kg (44lb).The 54-year-old human rights activist, who was awarded the 2023 Nobel peace prize while in prison, had been released for health reasons in 2024. She was re-arrested in Decemb
     

Family of ailing Iranian Nobel laureate say keeping her in jail is a death sentence

29 April 2026 at 17:21

Narges Mohammadi denied medical leave from prison in spite of sharp decline in health and drastic weight loss, say lawyers

The family of the jailed Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi say they fear for her life after a sharp deterioration in her health, suspected heart attack and drop in body weight of almost 20kg (44lb).

The 54-year-old human rights activist, who was awarded the 2023 Nobel peace prize while in prison, had been released for health reasons in 2024. She was re-arrested in December 2025 during the memorial service of a fellow human rights activist and is being held in Zanjan central prison, in north-west Iran.

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© Photograph: Reihane Taravati/Getty Images

© Photograph: Reihane Taravati/Getty Images

© Photograph: Reihane Taravati/Getty Images

Men accused of raping cellmates mistakenly allowed to stay in shared cells by Queensland prison staff

Strict protocols violated by corrections staff who wrongly believed sexual assault cases were ‘closed’, ombudsman finds

Men charged with alleged prison rapes were allowed to stay in shared cells – against strict protocols – by Queensland corrections staff who mistakenly believed their cases were “closed” and that they posed no risk, a report by the state’s ombudsman has found.

The ombudsman’s inspection report of the Brisbane correctional centre raises a number of concerns about the facility, including extensive overcrowding, health facilities that are not fit for purpose and complaints that chicken served to detainees and staff is often undercooked.

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© Photograph: Jono Searle/AAP

© Photograph: Jono Searle/AAP

© Photograph: Jono Searle/AAP

DOJ seeks to bring back firing squads, electric chairs for some death penalty cases

24 April 2026 at 21:11
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Friday it will bring back the use of firing squads and electric chairs for some death penalty cases, as well as "readopting" the use of lethal injections as used during the first Trump administration. Department officials said in a statement that bringing back these manners of execution "are critical...

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