US Lifts Sanctions on Wagner-Linked Officials in Mali

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 […]

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Iran: Unlawful Strikes Across Gulf Endanger Civilians

(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 […]

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UN: Global Tax System Undermines Rights, Development

(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 […]

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The Great Unrooting: A Special Season of Rights & Wrongs

(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 […]

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Yemen: Apparent Excessive Force Against Protesters

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 […]

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UN Committee Should Promote, Not Oppose, Civil Society

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, […]

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Corruption-Linked Arrests in South Sudan Raise Questions

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 […]

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Governments Should Support Vanuatu’s UN Climate Resolution

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 […]

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Ecuador: Government Defies Court-Ordered Oil Ban

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 […]

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Reimagining Albinism Rights Advocacy | Human Rights Watch

It is a hot afternoon in a rural district in Malawi. People gather around a tent set up at the Local Trading Center, eager to witness a community outreach program that aims to combat rising violence against people with albinism. The organizers passionately encourage greater understanding of albinism and the protection of the rights of […]

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