Author: Human Rights Watch

(Washington, DC) – Reported findings that the United States is responsible for the recent deadly school attack in Iran, and that it was based on outdated targeting data, highlight the need for reform and accountability within the US military to minimize civilian harm during conflict, Human Rights Watch said today. The New York Times reported on March 11, […]

The Thai authorities should immediately release Le Chi Thanh, a prominent Vietnamese anti-corruption activist, and ensure that he is not forcibly returned to Vietnam, Human Rights Watch said today. Le Chi Thanh’s lawyers told Human Rights Watch that the Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok has been pressing Thai authorities to deport him as soon as possible […]

As the United States and Israel carry out thousands of strikes on Iran and Iran carries out attacks across the Middle East, detainees in the region face even greater risks than usual. In Bahrain, an island state that Iranian forces have repeatedly attacked, the authorities should immediately release detainees.   Many of those behind bars […]

A six-year-old child with a hearing disability was prevented from having his hearing aids delivered to him after being taken into custody with his mother and his five-year-old brother during an immigration check-in with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in San Francisco on March 3. The child’s mother appeared for the appointment as required […]

Nearly seven decades since the 1959 uprising in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, the Chinese government still treats March 10 with vigilance. On that date, popular anger against eight years of control by the People’s Republic of China boiled over into protest, triggering the Chinese government’s bloody imposition of direct rule and the flight into […]

(Sydney) – The Australian government should strengthen gender-focused approaches across all crisis responses, Human Rights Watch said today following International Women’s Day. The authorities should acknowledge that gender equality is essential to global peace, security, and justice by supporting women-led organizations and ensuring that women are meaningfully included in decision making. Human Rights Watch in February […]

Last week, a St. Petersburg court in a closed door hearing, designated a leading Russian LGBT rights group, Coming Out, as an “extremist organization.” The ruling delivers another severe blow to a community that has become a key target of the Kremlin’s harmful “traditional values” crusade.  Coming Out is the first LGBT rights organization to be […]

(Beirut) – Iranian authorities should immediately end the ongoing internet shutdown and communications restrictions, which place civilians at risk of further harm, Human Rights Watch said today. The international community should also support internet access for the civilian population. On February 28, 2026, internet traffic dropped significantly, indicating a nationwide blackout following strikes across the country by the United […]

A February 28, 2026 attack on a primary school in southern Iran was an unlawful attack that reportedly killed scores of civilians, including schoolchildren. The laws of war prohibit attacks if the anticipated harm to civilians and civilian objects is disproportionate compared to the expected military gain from the attack. The United States and Israel […]

Weaker regulations from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are putting millions at risk of higher exposure to deadly air pollutants, hundreds of former EPA scientists said in a new report. Published on February 27, “Terrible Toxics” found that under President Donald Trump, the EPA has abandoned safeguards necessary to protect communities’ health. The Environmental Protection […]