Author: Human Rights Watch

There’s no question about it–we are in the midst of a destructive global backlash against women’s rights. Against this regressive backdrop, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women held its 91st Session in June and July. In addition to reviewing countries’ compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms […]

(Johannesburg) – Angolan police used excessive force and carried out arbitrary arrests while dispersing peaceful protesters in Luanda, the capital, on July 12, 2025, Human Rights Watch said today. Police unnecessarily fired tear gas and rubber bullets and assaulted protesters, injuring several people. They also detained 17 protesters, some of whom were released only after legal […]

Greece has suspended the ability for people coming by boat via North Africa to seek asylum –violating their rights, potentially putting their lives at risk and flouting its obligations under EU law. The measure approved by Parliament on July 11 for a period of three months, blocks people coming by boat via North Africa from lodging […]

The Italian Constitutional Court’s recent ruling upholding a law that imposes sanctions on sea rescue groups casts a dark shadow over sea rescue, but that cloud has a silver lining: the court essentially said that the imperative to save lives justifies rescue ships disregarding state orders that could endanger migrants’ lives. Validating the power of […]

(New York) – In a landmark case for athletes’ rights, Caster Semenya, the star South African runner, won her case at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), Human Rights Watch said today. The court ruled on July 10, 2025, that theprocess before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and the judicial review afforded […]

Thai authorities are threatening, extorting, and detaining Myanmar nationals who have fled the abusive military junta to seek safety in Thailand. The only way most Myanmar nationals can get legal status is as a migrant worker, who are excluded from a recent Thai government move to provide protection to some refugees. The Thai government should […]

The Trump administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans in the United States will take effect on July 14, leaving over 11,000 Afghans in the US subject to immediate detention and deportation. A TPS designation allows people from certain countries the US government recognizes as temporarily unsafe to remain in the US and work […]

Protesters detained for participating in the peaceful July 2021 protests in Cuba have been subject to serious abuses in prison, including beatings, solitary confinement, and lack of medical care. While some were released, they say they remain under constant surveillance. Hundreds are still in prison. The living conditions they were protesting have not improved. Governments […]

On July 12, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is traveling to Beijing for another “annual leaders’ meeting” with Chinese President Xi Jinping. They will discuss global and regional issues as well as bilateral matters of trade and tourism.  The Australian government’s statement announcing the visit doesn’t mention human rights at all. It only makes a vague […]

As Europe emerges from a devastating heat wave, the European Parliament should reject efforts, including by industry groups in the United States, to weaken the European Union’s flagship corporate accountability law and its measures to tackle climate change. The 2024 EU law, called the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, requires large companies operating in the […]