Author: Human Rights Watch

(Nairobi) – A coalition of Congolese army-backed militias known as the “Wazalendo” have recently committed widespread abuses against civilians in South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch said today.  The Congolese government has supported the Wazalendo (“patriots” in Swahili) to fight against the abusive M23, although the extent of the army’s command […]

(New York, May 21, 2025) – Global momentum to prohibit and regulate “killer robots” seems to be building, as evidenced by numerous countries’ participation in the first United Nations General Assembly meeting on autonomous weapons systems, Human Rights Watch said today.  Officials from 96 countries, along with representatives from UN agencies, the International Committee of […]

(New York) – The United Nations General Assembly should establish a new body to examine the connections between the North Korean government’s repressive system and its military programs and nuclear weapons development, Human Rights Watch said today. On May 20, the General Assembly will hold a special high-level plenary session on North Korea. In the December 2024 resolution […]

(New York) – Chadian authorities arrested Succès Masra, the former prime minister and leader of Chad’s main opposition party, at his residence in N’Djamena early on May 16, 2025, Human Rights Watch said today. Masra’s arrest raises concerns of escalating harassment and threats against the opposition party Les Transformateurs (The Transformers) as well as other political […]

As hostilities escalate across South Sudan, the United Nations Security Council should renew its arms embargo on the country. The council should also act to prevent additional weapons from reaching the warring parties and foreign forces from adding to the violations. In recent months, government forces have attacked populated areas, often using helicopter gunfire and […]

South Sudan’s authorities have not brought to justice those responsible for attacks on civilians three years ago by government forces and allied militias in Leer and other opposition-controlled areas in southern Unity state. The lack of meaningful justice for the most serious crimes in Leer and other counties in southern Unity drives new cycles of […]

In Mali on Thursday, two political opposition leaders went missing, sparking fears they may have been forcibly disappeared. Abba Alhassane, 68, is the secretary general of the opposition party Convergence for the Development of Mali (Convergence pour le développement du Mali, or CODEM). His colleagues said that on May 8, 2025, masked gunmen claiming to […]

(Bangkok) – The Vietnamese authorities should immediately release the prominent human rights activist Trinh Ba Phuong and drop all charges against him, Human Rights Watch said today. In April 2025, the authorities in Quang Nam province charged Trinh Ba Phuong under article 117 of the penal code with anti-state propaganda. He was already serving a 10-year prison […]

In an important step towards protecting online speech, Indonesia’s Constitutional Court on April 29 issued two rulings that provide important clarifications to the country’s Electronic Information and Transaction Law, used to regulate the internet. For decades, government officials and powerful private actors, including companies and religious groups, have brought criminal defamation lawsuits under the internet law to […]

Major-power cutbacks and delayed payments amidst conflict and insecurity are testing the very principles and frameworks upon which the international human rights infrastructure was built nearly 80 years ago. Human rights need defending now more than ever, which is why the United Nations leadership needs to ensure that its efforts to cut costs don’t jeopardize […]