Author: Human Rights Watch

A federal court has allowed Jackson, the Blackest major city in the US, to pursue claims that the state of Mississippi is trying to strip away control of its airport for racially discriminatory reasons. Last week, US District Court Judge Carlton Reeves denied the state’s latest attempt to dismiss Jackson’s lawsuit, clearing the way for a case […]

Libya’s fragmented justice sector is marred by serious due process violations and laws that violate international norms. The judiciary is unwilling and unable to meaningfully investigate serious crimes. Violations of the magnitude and persistence documented in Libya reflect the chronic shortcomings of Libya’s judicial institutions. Tackling structural institutional dysfunction, including within the judiciary, is a […]

Earlier this month, Sharifa Madrakhimova’s passport was tampered with and destroyed, preventing her from traveling abroad to accept an award honoring her work defending human rights in Uzbekistan. Shortly afterward, Abdurakhmon Tashanov, another prominent rights defender, was ordered to pay several thousand dollars in a civil defamation case for an innocuous Facebook post. While the […]

(Beirut) – The de facto Houthi authorities in Yemen should immediately and unconditionally release dozens of staff from the United Nations and Yemeni and international civil society organizations who were arbitrarily detained over the course of the past year, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today. The Houthis’ arbitrary arrests of humanitarian workers have a […]

In June 2024, the EU adopted a groundbreaking law requiring large companies to respect human rights and the environment throughout their global value chains. It also introduced new plans to limit CO2 emissions. The law, known as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), signaled a major shift for companies from voluntary standards to being held […]

Last week, the United States Congress passed a sweeping rollback of crucial pollution control standards. The resolution cancels a Biden-era rule guaranteeing continued emissions controls on facilities emitting substantial amounts of seven “super-toxics,” including lead compounds, arsenic, mercury, and benzene. If signed into law by President Donald Trump, this move will likely cause substantial harm […]

(Beirut) – Qatari authorities have discriminated against members of the Baha’i faith, including with unlawful detentions, based solely on their religious identity, Human Rights Watch said today. Qatari authorities arrested and detained Remy Rowhani on April 28, 2025. Rowhani is the chair of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Qatar, an elected body that […]

(Nairobi) – A coalition of Congolese army-backed militias known as the “Wazalendo” have recently committed widespread abuses against civilians in South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch said today.  The Congolese government has supported the Wazalendo (“patriots” in Swahili) to fight against the abusive M23, although the extent of the army’s command […]

(New York, May 21, 2025) – Global momentum to prohibit and regulate “killer robots” seems to be building, as evidenced by numerous countries’ participation in the first United Nations General Assembly meeting on autonomous weapons systems, Human Rights Watch said today.  Officials from 96 countries, along with representatives from UN agencies, the International Committee of […]

(New York) – The United Nations General Assembly should establish a new body to examine the connections between the North Korean government’s repressive system and its military programs and nuclear weapons development, Human Rights Watch said today. On May 20, the General Assembly will hold a special high-level plenary session on North Korea. In the December 2024 resolution […]