Author: Human Rights Watch

Amid a bleak political landscape of rising authoritarianism and anti-rights political agendas, the Council of Europe and its member states adopted a new declaration last week in Chișinău, Moldova, reinforcing their commitment to social rights. The Chișinău Declaration recognizes that “democratic stability and security are directly impacted by rising socio-economic inequalities and the cost-of-living crisis” and that “ensuring […]

Iranian forces appear to have deliberately targeted at least two civilian commercial ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz on March 11, 2026, which would amount to war crimes. Between March 1 and 17, the UN confirmed 17 incidents of damage to commercial vessels in the region.  The attacks, as well as the threat […]

Next week, the United Nations Human Rights Council will vote on a resolution to renew the mandates of the Group of Independent Experts on the Situation in Belarus and the special rapporteur on Belarus. As Belarusian authorities continue to commit grave rights violations in the country and persecute Belarusians in exile, these mandates are vital to […]

UN Security Council resolution on the decades-long dispute of the Western Sahara territory does not ensure that a new framework to end the long-standing issue upholds the right to self-determination for the Sahrawi people and is consistent with international law. The resolution endorses only Morocco’s autonomy proposal, which does not include independence as an option, […]

(New York) – A court in China sentenced the prominent human rights lawyer Xie Yang to five years in prison on March 23, 2026, on politically motivated charges of “inciting subversion of state power,” Human Rights Watch said today. The Chinese government should immediately quash the conviction, which followed serious procedural violations and years of persecution, […]

(Beirut, March 23, 2026) – Israeli forces have expanded ground operations in southern Lebanon after indicating an intent to forcibly displace residents, destroy civilian homes and conduct strikes that could target civilians, Human Rights Watch said today. Forcible displacement, wanton destruction and attacks deliberately targeting civilians are war crimes. Countries that continue to provide Israel with arms […]

(Sydney) – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto should immediately issue a presidential decree setting up a fact-finding team independent of the military to fully investigate the acid attack against a prominent human rights activist who has criticized the military, Human Rights Watch said today. While the military police have arrested four soldiers in connection with the […]

(London, March 24, 2026) – The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights will hear pleadings on March 25, 2026, in a case brought by the human rights defender Osman Kavala, the Turkey Human Rights Litigation Support Project (TLSP), Human Rights Watch, and the International Commission of Jurists said today.       […]

The Japan Sports Agency (JSA) recently released its Guidelines for Evaluating and Improving Safety Measures in Physical Activity and Sports (Trial Version). After documented suffering by Japanese athletes and insufficient mechanisms to report abuse, the government’s efforts to end mistreatment in sports are a positive step. However, effective implementation is crucial. The guidelines, published on January 27, […]

(Istanbul, March 23, 2026) – An Istanbul court has imposed arbitrary restrictions on lawyers, journalists, and members of the public seeking to follow the trial of the jailed Istanbul Mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, Human Rights Watch said today. Imamoğlu and 406 municipal officials and others have been on trial since March 9, 2026, facing politically motivated corruption […]