Author: Human Rights Watch

(Beirut) – A South Sudanese political commentator remains in prison in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) without charge a year after his arrest, Human Rights Watch said today. Emirati authorities have not disclosed the legal basis for the arrest of the commentator, Samuel Peter Oyay, to his family. Oyay fled South Sudan in 2014, fearing […]

(Amman) – The Syrian transitional government is signing billions of dollars in reconstruction deals without a human rights framework that would ensure that rebuilding respects, protects, and fulfills the rights of affected people, Human Rights Watch said today. In March 2026, the transitional government unveiled a national recovery blueprint, and billions of dollars in international pledges for […]

(New York) – The Trump administration’s decision not to invite the leading international election observation body to monitor crucial US midterm polls fuels fears of serious human rights concerns around the upcoming elections, Human Rights Watch said today.  “The US government has long criticized Russia and other governments for dodging external scrutiny of their elections,” said Philippe […]

(New York) – An array of former government officials, human rights groups, bar associations, and legal experts from around the world have filed eight amicus briefs supporting a lawsuit challenging US President Donald Trump’s executive order authorizing sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) officials, staff, and others affiliated with or assisting the court’s work. The American Friends […]

(Nairobi) – An apparent Ethiopian government airstrike on a residential compound in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region on August 20, 2026, should be investigated as a possible war crime, Human Rights Watch said today. The attack wounded 13 civilians, including seven children.  The airstrike hit the Daero neighborhood of Mekelle, Tigray’s regional capital, which had no evident […]

Niger has rejected key recommendations raised by United Nations member countries during its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) earlier this year, including calls to address arbitrary detention, discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and accountability for serious human rights violations.  The UPR is a UN Human Rights Council process in which the human rights records of […]

(Berlin, September 24, 2026) – Russian authorities are doubling down on their efforts to quash freedom of expression, including access to information, by increasingly suppressing tools to circumvent draconian censorship laws, Human Rights Watch said today. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) services face intensifying blocking and takedowns from app stores. “The Russian government’s escalating attacks on censorship […]

(The Hague) – The International Criminal Court (ICC)’s conviction of Mahamat Said Abdel Kani for crimes against humanity in the Central African Republic offers an important measure of long-awaited justice for victims of the abusive Seleka armed group, Human Rights Watch said today.  In 2012, the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted the Central African Republic president, François Bozizé, and […]

Donald Trump’s tumultuous relationship with US journalists and legacy media reached a new crisis over the past week, as the US President banned three prominent outlets from accessing the White House or being part of the traveling press pool that accompanies the president to his engagements. He also promised further bans on other “Fake News […]

(London, September 23, 2026) – Three laws approved in September 2026 by the Bangladeshi parliament have reversed human rights protections and broken the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) commitments to reform, Human Rights Watch said today. The legislation removes safeguards created by the interim government, which ruled Bangladesh between August 2024 and February 2026, reducing protections […]