Author: Human Rights Watch

Deep in the forest in Venezuela’s Bolivar state, residents live in fear of horrific violence at the hands of armed groups involved in the illicit gold trade. During a 2020 investigation, a 17-year-old boy told Human Rights Watch how he witnessed members of a Venezuelan armed group amputating both hands of a miner they accused of […]

The European Union unveiled its “New Strategic EU-India Agenda” this week, setting out a range of areas for closer bilateral cooperation. The document hails India as the “world’s largest democracy” and a “like-minded and trusted partner,” but deliberately overlooks India’s deepening human rights crisis. Strengthening EU-India trade, economic, and political ties has long been among […]

(Bishkek) – A Kyrgyz court on September 17, 2025, convicted two former media workers on charges of “public calls for mass unrest”, Human Rights Watch said today. Joomart Duulatov and Aleksandr Aleksandrov, from the independent investigative outlet Kloop, were each sentenced to five years in prison. Two of Kloop’s accountants who were also convicted on the same […]

On September 18, a federal judge in Washington, DC issued a preliminary injunction blocking the removal of unaccompanied Guatemalan children, at least 76 of whom the Trump administration attempted to summarily expel in the middle of the night last month. On the night of August 30 to 31, children across shelters or foster care run by the United […]

In a major victory for migrant and refugee rights, on September 14, Ontario became the last province in Canada to block the Canada Border Services Agency from using provincial jails to incarcerate migrants and asylum seekers on administrative grounds. The border agency said that “as of September 15, there are no people detained in a […]

September 17 marks four years since the Taliban banned secondary education for girls in Afghanistan. It is a devastating anniversary that should make everyone angry – furious even. The ban is cruel, harmful, and unlawful. It tells girls their dreams end when the classroom door slams shut when they reach age 12, simply because of their […]

(Beirut) – Qatari authorities should set aside the baseless conviction of Remy Rowhani, the chair of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is in Qatar, and reject the prosecution’s attempt to increase his sentence, Human Rights Watch said today. Qatari authorities should immediately and unconditionally release him. A Doha court sentenced Rowhani, 71, to five […]

(Beirut) – Lebanon’s parliament should ensure that a draft media law it is considering upholds the right to freedom of expression, 14 Lebanese and international rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, said today.  This includes decriminalizing defamation, blasphemy, insult, and criticism of public officials; prohibiting pretrial detention in speech-related violations; and removing onerous restrictions on […]

Yemen’s warring parties – particularly the Houthis, the Southern Transitional Council, and the Yemeni government – have committed serious human rights violations against journalists in Yemen. Targeting journalists and media institutions has encroached on freedom of expression. Many journalists have fled the country and those who remained have limited their reporting. UN member states should […]

(Beirut) – Moroccan authorities should urgently overturn the 30-month sentence of an activist convicted on blasphemy charges for wearing a t-shirt authorities deemed offensive, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities need to ensure that the right to free expression is respected.  The activist, Ibtissame Lachgar, was arrested on August 10, 2025, and charged by […]