UN Rights Body Set to Hold Urgent Session on Sudan

Following an appeal by 49 rights groups, a cross-regional group of states requested an urgent United Nations Human Rights Council session on atrocities in North Darfur’s capital, El Fasher, in Sudan. The session, planned for November 14, follows reports and images of mass atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is battling the Sudanese Armed […]

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US Supreme Court Allows Discriminatory Passport Rule

The United States Supreme Court last week allowed the implementation of a discriminatory Trump administration policy requiring new passports to reflect an individual’s sex assigned at birth. The policy follows President Trump’s executive order instructing federal agencies to recognize only two sexes, male and female, and declaring these fixed at birth. The US State Department […]

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Islamist Fighters in Mali Execute Social Media Influencer

Many of her videos showed laughter, music, and the color of daily life in Tonka, her hometown on the edge of Mali’s desert near Timbuktu. On TikTok, 20-year-old Mariam Cissé, besides sharing moments of joy, often voiced support for the Malian armed forces in a region ravaged by armed conflict since 2012. Last week, those […]

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Hungary: Pastor Supporting People in Poverty Faces Charges

Instead of supporting those who fill the gaps left by Hungary’s crumbling public services and social security system, the government is prosecuting them. On November 3, prosecutors charged Pastor Gábor Iványi, who has long defended the rights of people living in poverty, with “group-committed violence against an official person” in connection with a February 2022 raid […]

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US: Prioritize Rights During Saudi Leader’s Visit

(Washington, DC) – The United States government, including Congress, should address Saudi human rights abuses during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s expected visit to Washington, DC, on November 18, 2025, said 11 organizations, including Human Rights Watch, in a joint statement today. The Trump administration is expected to welcome the crown prince on his first visit to the […]

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Cambodia: Border Conflict Critics Arrested

(Bangkok) – Cambodian authorities have arbitrarily arrested and charged at least 16 people for expressing their views on social media about the Thai-Cambodia border conflict in July and August 2025, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities charged most of those arrested with incitement under articles 494 and 495 of Cambodia’s Criminal Code, which carries […]

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Youth Football Dream Turned Into Nightmare

On November 2, a funeral was held for Cheikh Touré, a promising young Senegalese goalkeeper, after his body was finally returned to his family from Ghana. According to media reports, Touré had traveled to Ghana to meet people he believed to be football scouts. They allegedly kidnapped him, extorted money from his mother, and killed […]

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Saudi Arabia: Migrant Workers in Mecca Arrested for Demanding Unpaid Wages

(Beirut) – At least 600 migrant workers employed by Saudi Arabian Baytur Construction Company have not received their salaries for at least eight months, Human Rights Watch said today. The actual figure of unpaid workers could be significantly higher. The workers at the US$26 billion Mecca-based Masar redevelopment project, funded by the nearly trillion-dollar Saudi Public Investment Fund […]

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US: Millions Face Soaring Health Costs as Subsidies Expire

(November 5, 2025) – The US Congress’ failure to extend public subsidies for private health insurance threatens the right to health and financial security of millions of people, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam America said today. As open enrollment for private health insurance purchased through the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) government-operated marketplaces began on November 1, 2025, […]

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Indonesia’s President Declares Late Dictator Soeharto a ‘National Hero’

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto declared 10 people “national heroes” on November 10, which Indonesia celebrates as Heroes Day. Among them was the late President Soeharto, who ruled Indonesia from 1965 to 1998.  More than 80 public figures, including historians, have written a letter protesting the “hero” title for Soeharto, who presided over three decades of military dictatorship […]

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