Mali’s Military Junta Escalates Assault on Free Expression

An appeals court in Mali’s capital, Bamako, has upheld a two-year prison sentence for former Prime Minister Moussa Mara, the latest demonstration of the military junta’s intent to suppress free expression in the country. On February 9, the court confirmed the sentence imposed on Mara in October by the national cybercrime court, with one year […]

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The SAVE Act Threatens Voting Rights

This week, the US House of Representatives will vote on legislation that, if enacted, would create new barriers for millions of eligible voters in the United States. The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, supported by President Donald Trump and many congressional Republicans, claims to address alleged voter fraud. In reality, it echoes the United States’ history […]

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Workers Unpaid for Renovating Saudi Prince’s Tangier Palace

(Beirut) – At least 50 Moroccan companies and hundreds of their workers have not been compensated for at least US$5 million worth of renovation and maintenance work at a palace in Tangier owned by a Saudi prince, Human Rights Watch said today. Moroccan company representatives said that their efforts to get compensation have been futile […]

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Mexico City: Create Care Law Grounded on Disability Rights

(Mexico City) – The Mexico City Congress should seriously consider a proposal submitted by a coalition led by people with disabilities during its new session, Human Rights Watch said today. That proposal urges lawmakers to adopt a rights-based framework grounded in autonomy, participation, and independent living for care and support legislation. The Coalition, Cuidados Sí; Apoyos […]

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Acquittal of Palestine Action Protesters Spotlights UK’s Protest Crackdown

Last week, six people linked to Palestine Action, a direct action protest group, were acquitted of aggravated burglary in connection with an alleged break in at Elbit Systems, a defense firm with close ties to the Israeli military, in August 2024. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on charges of criminal damage. The six individuals […]

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US-Nigeria Security Cooperation Should Prioritize Rights

The United States Africa Command has recently disclosed a small troop deployment to Nigeria to support the country’s security forces. This announcement follows the establishment of a US-Nigeria working group focused on enhancing security and counterterrorism cooperation. Increased collaboration may be a legitimate way to address escalating violence in Nigeria, including Islamist insurgency and banditry, […]

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Next UN Secretary-General Should Champion Rights

United Nations member countries will select a new UN secretary-general this year to succeed António Guterres in January 2027. The change in leadership comes at a time when human rights and democracy, as well as the international organizations created to uphold those principles and provide lifesaving assistance, are under unprecedented attack. So far member countries have formally nominated […]

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Hungary: Blocking Lawsuits Undermines Rule of Law

(London, February 12, 2026) – Hungary’s government dealt a severe blow to the rule of law by issuing a decree that terminates ongoing court cases challenging a tax on municipalities, Human Rights Watch said today. The move sets a dangerous precedent for executive interference with the courts and the separation of powers.  “Shutting down court cases by […]

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US Greenhouse Gas Deregulation Hurts Reproductive Rights

Today, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rescinded its 2009 endangerment finding: a drastic move even in the context of the Trump administration’s larger deregulatory and anti-climate agenda. Impacts on climate action and communities threaten to be extremely broad but also pose particular threats to increasingly beleaguered reproductive rights. Because it is a vital legal tool for regulating climate-warning […]

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Nepal: Publish Reports on Violent Crackdowns on Protests

(London) – Nepal’s interim government led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki should release the Commission of Inquiry report into deadly violence during the “Gen Z” protests of September 2025, as well as all the previous judge-led inquiry reports on human rights violations and abuses which were not published by previous governments, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, […]

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