ILO: Strengthen Global Rules to Protect Gig Workers

(New York) – Governments negotiating a new global treaty on gig work should strengthen the draft text to ensure fair wages and social security for these workers and protect them from exploitative management, Human Rights Watch said today, submitting a briefing with proposals for the treaty. The International Labour Organization (ILO) is currently developing the first […]

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Thailand: Vietnamese Refugees at Risk from Hanoi

Increased cooperation between Thai and Vietnamese authorities is putting Vietnamese refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand at heightened risk of forcible return to Vietnam. Vietnam and Thailand are cooperating more closely and exchanging information about Vietnamese exiles, particularly since early 2024 when the two countries began negotiating an extradition treaty. Thai police should stop arresting […]

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Australia: Afghanistan’s Taliban May Face New Sanctions

The Australian government’s proposed amendments to its sanctions regulations are an important step toward accountability for Taliban officials and others responsible for serious abuses in Afghanistan, Human Rights Watch said in a recent submission to the Australian government. The amended Autonomous Sanctions Regulations introduce new listing criteria that are specific to Afghanistan and will enable the […]

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Lebanon: Hannibal Gaddafi Free After Long Unlawful Detention

(Beirut) – Lebanese authorities released Hannibal Gaddafi, the son of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi, on November 10, 2025, ending nearly 10 years of arbitrary detention without trial, Human Rights Watch said today. While judicial authorities’ decision to end Gaddafi’s unlawful treatment is a long overdue step in the right direction, they should also formally drop all […]

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Türkiye: ‘Restriction Codes’ Harm Uyghurs Seeking Safety

Turkish authorities are increasingly restricting the legal residency of Uyghurs seeking safety from the Chinese government. Until recently, Uyghurs who escaped repression at home felt safe in Türkiye, but as China-Türkiye relations warm, and the Erdoğan government cracks down on refugees and migrants, many are growing fearful. The Turkish government should stop deporting Uyghurs to […]

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Trial of Ex-Congolese Warlord Important Step for Justice

The trial of Roger Lumbala Tshitenga, a former rebel leader and former minister in the Democratic Republic of Congo, begins on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, before the Paris Criminal Court. Lumbala is charged with crimes against humanity allegedly committed in North Kivu and Ituri provinces between 2002 and 2003, including summary executions, torture and other inhuman […]

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US/El Salvador: Torture of Venezuelan Deportees

The Venezuelan nationals the US government sent to El Salvador in March and April were tortured and subjected to other abuses, including sexual violence. The cases of torture and ill-treatment of Venezuelans in El Salvador were not isolated incidents by rogue guards or riot police, but rather systematic violations. The Trump administration is complicit in […]

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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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