Author: Human Rights Watch

(Beirut) – Iranian authorities have added new restrictions and imposed draconian new punishments for people violating the country’s compulsory dress laws, Human Rights Watch said today.  The “Protection of the Family through Promoting the Culture of Hijab and Chastity” law, approved by parliament on September 20, 2023, was approved by the Guardian Council, the legal body that has […]

“We stand at a crossroads,” the delegate of Sierra Leone, speaking on behalf of 75 states from all regions of the world, told the UN General Assembly’s Sixth (or “Legal”) Committee. “The time is now to act, and we must act in concert to end and prevent abhorrent acts fitting the definition of crimes against […]

(Washington) – A new report by international forensic experts commissioned by Human Rights Watch found significant flaws in the hospital care and later investigation into the death in custody of a former top security adviser to the El Salvador government. Security forces arrested Alejandro Muyshondt, then a national security adviser to President Nayib Bukele, on August […]

On October 10, Niger’s junta leader, Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani, signed a decree provisionally removing Nigerien nationality from nine people linked to former President Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted in July 2023 and remains wrongfully detained. The decree is based upon an earlier order establishing a database of people suspected of terrorism.  All nine held senior positions in Bazoum’s government and […]

For decades, Rwandan authorities have subjected detainees, in both official and unofficial detention facilities, to ill-treatment and torture with no accountability. A landmark trial of prison officials for murder, torture, and assault, concluded in April, demonstrated that it is possible to begin to break through the entrenched practice of torture. The government should conduct a […]

This World Mental Health Day we need to confront a troubling reality: the mental health landscape is shifting in harmful ways in parts of Canada and the United States with the prospect of more coercive measures such as involuntary treatment and the elimination of vital support services. In Canada, some provinces such as British Columbia and Alberta […]

In a case that is disappointing but not surprising, the agreement between the government of Azerbaijan and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for hosting the climate conference COP29, is replete with significant shortcomings and ambiguities on the protections for participants’ rights. Human Rights Watch has obtained a copy of this host […]

On October 10, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burundi. The Council expressed concerns about the country’s rights record, which, nearly 10 years after a political and human rights crisis began, remains dire. The report presented by the UN Special Rapporteur to […]

Despite 17 months of brutal conflict in Sudan, the country rarely made it to the top of the European Union’s agenda. But next week offers opportunities for European leaders to up their game. Since April 2023, Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Rapid Response Forces (RSF), and allied militias have shown utter disregard for civilian lives. Since […]

A new report by a group of UN experts shows the dramatic impact of systemic racism in law enforcement in Brazil and lays out recommendations for public security policies that abide by the law, uphold rights, and protect all. The International Independent Expert Mechanism to Advance Racial Justice and Equality in Law Enforcement (EMLER)—created in […]