Jungle Justice: Disregard for rule of law, human rights on the rise

Since China imposed a security law on Hong Kong, more than 100,000 people have left. The UK has offered a special visa to its former colony, and 70% of Hong Kong's population is eligible. But for those who've fled, it's difficult to leave home behind.

Government critics said the proposed media law was aimed at silencing dissent. President Andrzej Duda said it would have dealt a blow to Poland's reputation as a place to do business.

The UK's Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle said no one is above the law and encouraged lawmakers to speak to him after a senior Conservative lawmaker accused the British government of intimidation on Thursday.

In a week when France has been at the forefront of EU news thanks to heated exchanges between President Macron and Members of the European Parliament, we speak to leading French MEP from the president's political group, Fabienne Keller. The former Strasbourg mayor tells FRANCE 24 Emmanuel Macron is "determined" to make progress on key issues including rule of law in the EU, and argues that he should be re-elected as French leader, saying "he needs five more years to finish the job".

Since taking control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban have been trying to project a more moderate image to the rest of the world. They claim to have changed, in a bid to obtain financial aid and international recognition. However, this stance does not seem to match reality on the ground, where Sharia law is progressively edging its way into Afghans' everyday lives. Yet some business owners and women are trying to oppose the new rules. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Jennie Shin.

African nations have a varied approach to Islamic law. A few majority Muslim countries, like Somalia, have embraced it while others, like Senegal, have rejected it. Some have opted for a mix.

From media outlets, punk activists and journalists, to human rights defenders and even ordinary citizens — dozens of people have been ensnared by Russia's law on foreign agents. What exactly does the legislation entail?

In the past year authorities have used the law to close independent media and arrest or jail leaders of the pro-democracy protests. Many have left Hong Kong. Of those who remain, few are willing to speak out. DW's Phoebe Kong met one of them.

On February 16, the European Union's top court rejected a legal challenge by Poland and Hungary to a conditionality mechanism that would link EU funds for member states to respect for the rule of law. The Polish government stands by its controversial judicial reforms, despite criticism from local judges. On the ground in Poland, many development projects that were counting on EU funding have already been halted. One example is in the town of Wieliczka, as our correspondent Gulliver Cragg reports.

The law would have allowed for the Serb-majority Republika Srpska to take over property owned by the central government. Serb leader Milorad Dodik said he does not accept the decision.

As per the Digital Services Act (DSA), tech giants such as Facebook and Google will be expected to moderate illegal content on their platforms. It's the second part of the bloc's project seeking to rein in tech giants.

The European Court of Justice has dismissed "the action brought by Poland" against an EU copyright directive. Warsaw argued the 2019 directive violated freedoms of expression and raised concerns about "upload filters."