Author: Human Rights Watch

On March 3, Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced the arrest of four individuals—three of whom remain in detention—as part of an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity by an armed separatist group in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions. The investigation focuses on individuals in Belgium suspected of holding leadership roles in the Ambazonia Defence Forces,the armed […]

(Amsterdam) – Human Rights Watch will conduct research for the next three years into working conditions in the supply chains in Asia for European countries, thanks to the generous support of the players of the Postcode Lottery Netherlands.  Many of the products sold in Europe begin their journey in Asia. Yet too many of the […]

On February 16, 2026, a car chase by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ended in a deadly crash in Georgia, killing beloved teacher, Dr. Linda Davis. ICE officers were pursuing Oscar Vasquez Lopez after he fled an initial stop made with the intention of arresting and deporting him. In security footage, Vasquez Lopez’s truck speeds by with […]

In times of conflict, such as in the escalating hostilities in the Middle East, governments committed to international law need to be prepared to defend it and, in particular, protect humanitarian and human rights norms. However, instead of rising to this challenge some European leaders have chosen to belittle the role of international law. For […]

Three years after Uzbekistan criminalized domestic violence, data shows that for women progress is too slow. Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, the government should recommit to enforcing laws that protect women and ensuring justice for victims of gender-based violence. In a December 2025 report, the International Partnership for Human Rights noted important legal […]

Pacific Island governments on March 4, 2026, launched the world’s first regional guide to address climate-related relocation grounded in human rights principles.  As Pacific leaders gather for a three-day convening in Nadi, Fiji, they have an opportunity to pair this landmark guidance with the financial and technical support needed to implement it. The Pacific Regional […]

The United States Department of Defense’s decision on February 27 to reject the artificial intelligence company Anthropic’s ethical red lines for AI for military use is a clear sign that the Pentagon is unlikely to uphold meaningful safeguards on weapons’ development. Anthropic declined to allow the Pentagon to use the company’s products for fully autonomous weapons […]

The Istanbul mayor and main opposition Republican People’s Party presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu will stand trial on March 9 as the central defendant in a politically motivated mass corruption prosecution of 407 defendants which raises serious fair trial concerns The case is the culmination of a 17-month campaign by the Turkish authorities against the main […]

(Beirut) – Civilians are at grave risk of abuse as the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalates, Human Rights Watch said today. In the early hours of March 2, 2026, Hezbollah fired rockets and drones into northern Israel, after which the Israeli military carried over 70 strikes across Lebanon, including on southern and eastern […]

(Sydney) – Australia’s government should invest in community-based alternatives to immigration detention rather than spending millions of dollars per person each year on its abusive offshore regime, Human Rights Watch said in a recent submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee of the Australian Senate. Since November 2025, the committee has been holding […]