Author: Human Rights Watch

As European Union commissioners prepare for their April 29 security college meeting on China’s influence on EU security, they should place human rights concerns at the center of those discussions. The Chinese government’s intensifying repression at home and increasingly coercive conduct abroad pose serious risks not only for people’s rights, but also for Europe’s long-term security […]

Russian occupation authorities are seizing civilian property in occupied areas of Ukraine, despite international law prohibiting occupying powers from such conduct. Authorities have introduced a sham process to declare properties “ownerless” and transfer them to municipal ownership, while also imposing administrative and travel barriers making it nearly impossible for displaced Ukrainians to assert their rights. […]

With apparent support from the UAE, Colombian private military contractors have deployed to Sudan to support the abusive Rapid Support Forces. The deployment adds to evidence of UAE military support for the Rapid Support Forces, which have committed widespread atrocities in Sudan.  Other countries should push for investigations, capable of leading to sanctions, into all those, including UAE […]

(Nairobi) – The 2016 conviction in Senegal of former Chadian dictator Hissène Habré was a pivotal moment in the pursuit of justice for atrocity crimes, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said today. The verdict, which followed a 25-year legal campaign by Habré’s victims, was the first time the domestic courts […]

On May 26, Russia’s State Duma is scheduled to review a draft law that targets exiled critics for allegedly acting “against Russia’s interests overseas.” The draft law, prepared by a special parliamentary commission, “On Investigation of Foreign Interference in Russia’s Internal Affairs,” stipulates that Russian exiles convicted of offences typically the result of politically motivated […]

(Istanbul, May 22, 2026) – A court decision ordering the removal of the party chair and leadership of Türkiye’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), is the latest deeply damaging blow to the rule of law, democracy and human rights in Türkiye, Human Rights Watch said today. On May 21, 2026, the 36th Ankara regional […]

Against the backdrop of Mental Health Awareness Month and the advancement of Congress’ budget reconciliation bill, hundreds of immigrants, community members, and allies gathered in the nation’s capital on May 20 for a peaceful march from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) headquarters to the Capitol. The demonstration was held to protest the budget reconciliation bill’s […]

(Kinshasa) – The Human Rights Watch executive director, Philippe Bolopion, urged senior Congolese officials to respect freedom of expression, end arbitrary arrests and detentions, and ensure accountability for abuses during his visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo from May 17 to 21, 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. The visit took place against a backdrop of […]

There is growing recognition that current economic metrics fail to capture much of what really matters. Gross domestic product (GDP), which measures total economic activity and is a cornerstone of economic decision-making, is blind to issues such as whether children have quality public schools, people have access to health care, or government institutions are accountable […]

(Bangkok) – Two journalists were arrested in the Maldives in the second week of May, 2026, the first journalists jailed on criminal charges since the country adopted a democratic constitution in 2008, Human Rights Watch said today. The Maldives authorities should immediately release the arbitrarily imprisoned journalists, Leevan Ali Naseer, 29, and Mohamed Shahzan, 31, […]