Author: Human Rights Watch

52 people died in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody during the first 500 days of President Trump’s second term, reflecting a soaring mortality rate.  ICE so severely limits the information it provides to Congress, families, and the public that oversight is nearly impossible. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Congress should act immediately […]

For years, efforts to protect the rights of people with albinism in Malawi have rightly focused on ending horrific attacks, killings, abductions, and grave tampering. These efforts remain essential as attacks continue. But safety alone is not enough. On June 19, the government announced a new National Action Plan on Persons with Albinism (2026–2030), marking […]

(Nairobi) – Regional authorities in Ethiopia’s Tigray region should withdraw a proclamation that purports to grant them sweeping powers to compel military service and punish dissent, Human Rights Watch said today.  Tigray’s main political party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), issued the proclamation in early June 2026 after driving out regional leaders appointed by the federal […]

(Beirut) – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are exposing migrant workers to yet another deadly summer without adequate occupational health and safety protections as temperatures soar to dangerous levels, Human Rights Watch said today.  Migrant workers, particularly outdoor workers, are left to fend for themselves as they balance the pressures of extreme heat and physically […]

(Amman) – Jordanian authorities executed six men by hanging on June 21, 2026, its first mass execution since 2017, Human Rights Watch said today. All six cases, two involving terrorism-related charges and three involving drug trafficking, included acts of violence in which members of the police or security forces were killed. All six men were […]

(Washington, DC) – The United States Congress’ failure to extend public subsidies for private health insurance has caused millions to lose healthcare coverage, increasing financial hardship and deepening inequality, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam America said today. Six months after the subsidies expired on January 1, 2026, early data indicate that millions of households lost health insurance […]

The United Nations Security Council on June 20 warned of the “imminent risk of mass atrocities” in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan region in western Sudan, which for months now has been the epicenter of fierce fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The conflict, which broke out […]

Cambodia’s government is systematically coercing and publicizing confessions from detained political opposition members and activists to undermine their political standing. By compelling the activists to join the ruling party, the authorities seek to discredit them and further cement effective one-party rule. The Cambodian government should drop politically motivated charges, quash unjust convictions, and immediately and […]

(Beirut) – Demonstrations demanding accountability for Assad-era crimes in Syria have coincided with a rise in vigilante attacks and identity-based incitement between June 13 and 17, 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. The protests spread across Aleppo, Idlib, Deir Ezzor, Raqqa, and Damascus governorates. Syrian authorities should ensure that security forces protect people accused of […]