Author: Human Rights Watch

On October 10, the Tangiers Court of Cassation overturned the 2019 conviction of a man for raping his wife, which had been hailed as Morocco’s first ruling to explicitly criminalize marital rape. By referring the case back to the Tangiers Appeals Court, which had sentenced the man to two years imprisonment and ordered him to pay a […]

Frontex, the EU border agency, does not normally inform nongovernmental rescue ships in the Mediterranean when it spots boats in distress or regularly issue emergency alerts. This has contributed to avoidable delays and tragic shipwrecks as well as to people being forcibly returned to countries where they face abuse. A new campaign asks Frontex to […]

Last week, Australia’s new government in Northern Territory passed legislation lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10 years. This allows the territory to incarcerate 10-year-olds, a serious regression of children’s rights. The chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child responded that this action contravenes Australia’s obligations under the child […]

(Beirut) – The United Kingdom High Court issued an order on October 11, 2024, granting permission to a Saudi human rights defender who lives in the UK to bring a case that accuses the government of Saudi Arabia of using spyware against him, Human Rights Watch said today. Yahya Assiri, a prominent Saudi human rights […]

(Nairobi) – The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights should focus on the most critical issues facing Burkina Faso during its country review on October 23, 2024, Human Rights Watch said today. The Burkinabè government should urgently address the need to protect civilians affected by armed conflict; safeguard civic space for activists, journalists, and the […]

On September 30, Lithuania asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor to investigate serious crimes committed by the Belarusian authorities against its citizens. Following years of brutal crackdowns on civil society, journalists, and opposition politicians, Lithuania’s initiative should encourage stronger efforts to advance accountability and justice for all Belarusians. In 2020, mass peaceful protests erupted across […]

(Bangkok) – The Thai government should immediately reject Vietnam’s request to extradite an Indigenous Montagnard human rights activist and permit him to resettle abroad, Human Rights Watch said today. Y Quynh Bdap, 32, an activist from the Ede ethnic group of Vietnam’s Central Highlands, fled the country in 2018 after authorities placed him under intense […]

(New York) – With arrest warrants out for the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the interim Bangladesh government should amend the International Crimes (Tribunal) Act to ensure a fair and impartial judicial process, Human Rights Watch said in a letter on October 21, 2024, to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. On October 17, the […]

(Beirut) – Oman has a new social protection law that paves the way for a universal social security system, Human Rights Watch said today. If effectively and fairly implemented, this law could realize socioeconomic rights of Omani nationals and residents, including migrant workers, who are facing events that substantially affect their income. The new system includes a […]

Girls in Africa face significant challenges ensuring that they enjoy the highest attainable standard of their sexual and reproductive health. They experience barriers to accessing relevant sexual health education as well as adequate maternal healthcare during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Following the conclusion of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the […]