Author: Human Rights Watch

(Berlin, June 5, 2026) – On June 4, 2026, Russian officials included a leading rights group, OVD-Info, along with 35 other Russian organizations, in its list of “extremists,” Human Rights Watch said today. A designation as “extremist” entails being barred from engaging in any activities for the group, under threat of a lengthy prison sentence. […]

A new report from Global Rights Compliance details the toll of state-imposed forced labor on North Korean workers, serving as a reminder that the products of this labor often enter global supply chains, including those flowing through the European Union. More than 100,000 North Koreans are estimated to work overseas across 40 countries, with large numbers in Russia […]

(Jakarta) – Indonesian authorities should immediately rescind new policies to counter street crime that would result in the unlawful use of force by security personnel, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should strictly limit the military’s role in law enforcement and adopt and enforce long promised reforms to the National Police Law to end police […]

Human Rights Watch is deeply saddened by the death on June 3, 2026, of Carola Frediani at the age of 51 following a long illness. Carola was an information and security technologist at Human Rights Watch and a longtime journalist. She was regarded as an authoritative voice on the relationship between technology, security, and digital […]

Citing medical neglect, lack of sanitation, spoiled food, denial of bond, and coercion to sign legal documents that result in deportation, over 300 women and men detained at Delaney Hall, a New Jersey immigration detention facility run by the private, for-profit company GEO Group have reportedly been on a labor and hunger strike since May […]

The United States delivered US$2.3 million worth of military equipment to Niger’s armed forces, including uniforms, protective gear, and medical supplies on May 26. The US said the assistance will strengthen cooperation against terrorism and disrupt criminal networks while helping Niger secure its borders. Washington has been pursuing closer security ties with Sahel governments, including Niger, which in 2024 […]

(Madrid) – Argentina’s efforts to extradite and question a former Venezuelan official residing in Spain accused of crimes against humanity could offer a pathway toward accountability, Human Rights Watch said today, following Spanish authorities’ reported decision to continue proceedings on the extradition request. Argentina seeks the extradition of Ephraín Enrique Verdú Torrelles, a former officer of […]

(Manila) – A proposed Philippine law to combat “false information” and so-called troll farms has vague and overly broad language that government officials could readily abuse, Human Rights Watch said today. Philippine lawmakers considering the Digital Media Anti-False Information Act, which passed a second reading in the House of Representatives on May 26, 2026, should […]

(Beirut) – Bahraini authorities have excluded migrant workers from an emergency wage support program during the Iran conflict, Human Rights Watch said today. Migrant workers, three-quarters of the private work force, are excluded even though they have contributed to the emergency fund for years. Many are now in dire situations due to job losses and unpaid or […]

(Beirut) – People with disabilities in Egypt face systemic barriers to their right to work amid poor implementation of a 2018 disability rights law, Human Rights Watch said today. They face discriminatory hiring practices, inaccessible workplaces, barriers to obtaining a national disability card, ineffective job quotas, and underpaid sham roles that deny them work and […]