Author: Human Rights Watch

(New York) – The Chinese government’s proposed law to combat cybercrime extends far beyond addressing legitimate legal concerns and contains sweeping provisions that pose a significant threat to human rights, Human Rights Watch said today.  China’s Ministry of Public Security on January 31, 2026, published a 68-article Draft Law on Cybercrime Prevention and Control. If enacted, […]

The United States government recently lifted sanctions on three senior Malian officials linked to Russia’s abusive Wagner Group who could be implicated in serious human rights violations. The decision signals disturbing disregard for atrocities in Mali’s armed conflict with Islamist armed groups.   The three officials, Defense Minister Sadio Camara, and Chief of Staff Alou Boï […]

(Beirut) – Civilians in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are at grave risk from ongoing Iranian strikes in response to US and Israeli military attacks on Iran, Human Rights Watch said today. Many of the Iranian attacks have struck civilian residential buildings, hotels, civilian airports, and embassies, and have unlawfully targeted civilian objects such as financial centers. Since […]

(New York) – UN member countries should work to align the emerging United Nations tax convention with international human rights law to achieve its objective of advancing sustainable development, seven human rights groups said today in a submission to the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee. The submission proposes edits to the draft text to incorporate these standards and […]

(New York) – A new five-episode narrative podcast will explore what it means to lose home and what it takes to start again, Human Rights Watch said today. Anchored in the story of Maung, a Rohingya refugee now living in New York, the series traces his journey of flight, survival, and rebuilding and explores displacement at a […]

Yemeni government-aligned forces appear to have used excessive force in February against protesters supporting the Southern Transitional Council in Aden.  Government forces in three locations fired at protesters supporting the group and made arrests and held people for days without due process in Aden and Hadramout.  The Yemeni government should provide accountability and justice for […]

The United Nations will hold elections in April for the 19 members of the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, which controls UN accreditation for nongovernmental groups. The election to the UN’s gatekeeper for civil society comes at a difficult time for human rights and civil society groups around the world, with governments defunding these groups, […]

In a wave of arrests that began on February 24, South Sudanese authorities have detained at least six current and former officials linked to the country’s oil and financial sectors. While authorities have yet to publicly clarify if charges have been brought, Minister for Information Ateny Wek Ateny told media that the arrests were not […]

The world’s highest court has spoken: tackling climate change is not a choice: it’s a legal obligation. Now it’s up to the United Nations General Assembly to speak up and urge its 193 member countries to take action. Millions of people around the world have already lost their homes, livelihoods, and lives, due to climate […]

Ecuador is failing to comply with key provisions of an Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling to protect the Tagaeri and Taromenane Indigenous peoples from nearby oil facilities in Yasuní National Park. The court ruled that oil extraction generated environmental pollution and increased the risks of forced contact with the Indigenous groups, potentially exposing them […]