Author: Human Rights Watch

Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to visit Israel on 6th of December and meet, among others, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, including the deliberate starvation of the civilian population and attacks on civilians. Merz is […]

Hong Kong will hold elections for its Legislative Council on December 7, without a single pro-democracy candidate. The Chinese government’s attempts to present the legislature, known as the LegCo, as legitimate hardly fool anyone. Many Hongkongers quietly boycotted the previous election in 2021, resulting in record-low turnout.  Five years into its sweeping crackdown, Beijing has […]

(Washington, DC) – The Trump administration’s latest actions on immigration policy appear to be based on punitive hostility toward people of particular nationalities and carry an unmistakable current of racism as well, Human Rights Watch said today. The administration recently suspended immigration processing for nationals from 19 countries on its existing travel ban list and suspended […]

The accord signed today by Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwanda President Paul Kagame at the White House in Washington, DC, is being heralded as a breakthrough for regional cooperation over confrontation. If implemented with transparency and meaningful participation, it could help stabilize eastern Congo and create the foundations for a durable peace. But […]

(Berlin, December 4, 2025) – Georgian authorities have adopted a series of laws that unjustifiably interfere with the right to peaceful assembly and are being used to suppress dissent, Human Rights Watch said today. Combined with abusive policing and steep fines, these measures violate Georgians’ right to peaceful protest, making dissent increasingly risky and leaving […]

(Washington, DC) – FIFA, the international soccer governing body, needs to match its lofty rhetoric on rights with concrete action, a coalition of human rights organizations, trade unions, and fans groups said today. FIFA is holding its World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, on December 5, 2025, and awarding its first “FIFA Peace […]

Human Rights Watch and the College of Notaries of Mexico City released the 70-page Roadmap for Change, a practical guide that shows how to implement the legal capacity reform in a rights-respecting way through clear explanations, good practices, and real-life-based examples. The guide offers notaries concrete tools—including communication strategies, templates for designating supports, and illustrative […]

Two dozen humanitarian workers face trial on the Greek island of Lesbos this week on baseless felony charges that carry 20 years in prison. Prosecutors have hounded the humanitarians for seven years for saving lives at sea, while the European Parliament has called this “the largest case of criminalization of solidarity in Europe.”  In 2015, up to […]

Since October 31, Trinh Ba Tu, a Vietnamese political prisoner, has been held alone in a dark cell, denied visitors and even any kind of light. Guards open the door briefly twice a day to deliver meals, the only human contact he is permitted. Why such severe punishment? A few days earlier, Trinh Ba Tu […]

Nongovernmental groups have sounded the alarm as the European Parliament’s new “Scrutiny Working Group” on funding for nongovernmental groups held its first meeting on November 26. The inquiry is painted as an effort to boost transparency of the use of EU grants by civil society. But its superfluous mandate, narrow focus on nonprofit organizations, and biased composition […]