Author: Human Rights Watch

US-backed Israeli forces and private contractors have put in place a flawed, militarized aid distribution system that has turned aid distributions into regular bloodbaths. The dire humanitarian situation is a direct result of Israel’s use of starvation of civilians as a weapon of war—a war crime—as well as Israel’s continued intentional deprivation of aid and basic services, which amounts […]

This week, a Tanzanian court postponed the politically motivated treason trial of political opposition leader Tundu Lissu for the fifth time. Since treason is a capital offense, Lissu, who was arrested in April, cannot be released on bail and will remain in custody until the trial, now scheduled for August 13, is completed. This postponement comes amidst growing concerns about […]

Videos released by the Houthis on July 27, 2025, showing several crew members from a sunken ship who apparently have been detained for weeks is an outrage on their personal dignity, an apparent war crime. The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, attacked and sunk the Eternity C, a commercial ship, earlier in July. In […]

(Berlin) – Two Turkmen dissident bloggers have been missing since July 24, 2025, when they were reportedly released from a Turkish deportation center, Human Rights Watch said today. Turkish authorities should ensure that the bloggers, Alisher Sakhatov and Abdulla Orusov, are not returned to Turkmenistan, where they would be at grave risk of torture and arbitrary imprisonment. […]

(Sydney, July 30, 2025) – The Australian government should create a dedicated Whistleblower Protection Authority to support and protect public-interest whistleblowers, Human Rights Watch said in a recent submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee of the Australian Senate. Since February 2025, the committee has been considering the proposed Whistleblower Protection Authority Bill 2025. It […]

(Beirut) – Drone strikes on five oil fields in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) by unknown groups between July 14 and 16, 2025, significantly damaged the region’s energy production, Human Rights Watch said today. The drone strikes mark a dangerous escalation in a long-running dispute between Baghdad and Erbil over the control and distribution […]

(Washington, DC) – Venezuelan authorities are carrying out widespread abuses against critics through politically motivated arrests, a year after the presidential election, Human Rights Watch said today. Hours after polls closed on July 28, 2024, the Electoral Council declared that Nicolás Maduro had been re-elected. International observers criticized the process for lacking transparency and integrity, and questioned the announced […]

(Nairobi) – The African Union’s (AU) appointment of Burundi’s president as its special envoy for the Sahel region strengthens the AU’s capacity to address the most pressing human rights challenges facing Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to President Evariste Ndayishimiye.  The appointment of Ndayishimiye on July 17, […]

(Bangkok) – Escalating border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia involving explosive weapons have killed and injured civilians since fighting began on July 24, 2025, Human Rights Watch said today. The two countries have longstanding border disputes, but there has been no serious military engagement since 2011. Cambodia and Thailand have each accused the other of […]

(Kyiv) – A new law adopted by Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, on July 22, 2025, effectively strips Ukraine’s key anti-corruption bodies of independence and is detrimental to the rule of law, Human Rights Watch said today. Parliament should repeal these amendments, engage in meaningful consultation with Ukrainian civil society, and ensure that Ukraine’s crucial […]