Author: Human Rights Watch

Niger’s junta leader, Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani, signed on June 11 a decree provisionally stripping Nigerien nationality from Mariama Djibrine, a leading opposition figure living in exile. The measure is based on a 2024 order that created a national database of people suspected of terrorism. Authorities accuse Djibrine of disseminating “information likely to disturb public order, inciting revolt, and […]

(New York) – At least 8,500 attacks on education took place globally in 2024-2025, a more than 40 percent increase from the previous two-year period, according to Education Under Attack 2026, released today by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA). These attacks harmed over 10,600 students, teachers, and education personnel across 83 countries, […]

(Berlin) – Belarusian authorities are carrying out a countrywide intimidation campaign against former and current students of the European Humanities University (EHU), Human Rights Watch said today.  The authorities have searched the homes of dozens of students and their families and harassed, interrogated, and detained them. The actions violate their rights to freedom of thought, […]

(Beirut) – The Qatari authorities since March 2026 have ordered at least four people with roles in key institutions of the minority Baha’i religion to leave the country, Human Rights Watch said today, based on information from informed sources. The four were ordered to leave without due process and with no legal pathway to challenge […]

(Geneva) – The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) adoption of a new global treaty for decent working conditions in the gig economy is a major step toward protecting the rights of millions of workers worldwide, Human Rights Watch said today. At its 114th session in Geneva, on June 12, 2026, the International Labour Conference adopted the […]

Last week, Italy’s senate passed the “Valditara bill,” a reform that could significantly restrict young people’s access to comprehensive sexuality education. The bill requires parents to provide consent before children can receive sexuality education in middle and high schools, and bans it entirely in elementary school. Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, who had championed the bill, […]

Azerbaijani authorities’ renewed detention of exiled journalist Afgan Sadigov raises serious concerns about transnational repression and the apparent manipulation of legal procedures across borders to silence a government critic.  Several masked men in civilian clothing detained Sadigov in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku on June 8, according to Sadigov’s family and lawyer. Later that day, a […]

Play Video Read a text description of this video Soundbite: I cannot live without fear because discrimination is very widespread here in Malawi against us, people with albinism.  Soundbite: We walk around in fear, especially when we are in public places because, according to the beliefs people have, if they take our bones, they will […]

The US government wants big investments in critical minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while asserting that US companies will contribute to the region’s “peace, prosperity, and dignity.” But any meaningful contribution to economic development will need the US and Congolese governments to address persistent patterns of corruption and human rights abuses in the […]

The Congolese government and international partners should prioritize community engagement and limit the role of security forces in responding to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The government and its partners need to overcome years of conflict, abuse, and neglect that have strained healthcare systems and eroded trust and that risk complicating […]