Author: Human Rights Watch

(New York) – At least 8,500 attacks on education took place globally in 2024-2025, a more than 40 percent increase from the previous two-year period, according to Education Under Attack 2026, released today by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA). These attacks harmed over 10,600 students, teachers, and education personnel across 83 countries, […]

(Bishkek, June 15, 2026) – A harmful draft law before the Kyrgyzstan parliament would prohibit legal gender recognition, ban gender-affirming health care, and restrict information about gender diversity and the possibility of transitioning for children, Human Rights Watch said today. The bill, which passed its first reading on June 4, 2026, still requires approval at […]

Police in Sri Lanka have arrested a rapper on terrorism charges over the video of a song he posted online. It is the latest abuse of a draconian counterterrorism law still in use years after successive governments have promised to repeal it. Sangeethsan Ganeskumar, 24, known by his stage name Hiphop Sangee, was detained under the […]

Police in Sri Lanka have arrested a rapper on terrorism charges over the video of a song he posted online. It is the latest abuse of a draconian counterterrorism law still in use years after successive governments have promised to repeal it. Sangeethsan Ganeskumar, 24, known by his stage name Hiphop Sangee, was detained under the […]

(Beirut) – The Qatari authorities since March 2026 have ordered at least four people with roles in key institutions of the minority Baha’i religion to leave the country, Human Rights Watch said today, based on information from informed sources. The four were ordered to leave without due process and with no legal pathway to challenge […]

(Berlin) – Belarusian authorities are carrying out a countrywide intimidation campaign against former and current students of the European Humanities University (EHU), Human Rights Watch said today.  The authorities have searched the homes of dozens of students and their families and harassed, interrogated, and detained them. The actions violate their rights to freedom of thought, […]

Last week, Italy’s senate passed the “Valditara bill,” a reform that could significantly restrict young people’s access to comprehensive sexuality education. The bill requires parents to provide consent before children can receive sexuality education in middle and high schools, and bans it entirely in elementary school. Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, who had championed the bill, […]

(Geneva) – The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) adoption of a new global treaty for decent working conditions in the gig economy is a major step toward protecting the rights of millions of workers worldwide, Human Rights Watch said today. At its 114th session in Geneva, on June 12, 2026, the International Labour Conference adopted the […]

The Swedish government has dropped its proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 for serious crimes, Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said on June 11. Instead, officials will present parliament with a proposal to lower the age from 15 to 14. While that is better than 13, it would still be the wrong […]

Azerbaijani authorities’ renewed detention of exiled journalist Afgan Sadigov raises serious concerns about transnational repression and the apparent manipulation of legal procedures across borders to silence a government critic.  Several masked men in civilian clothing detained Sadigov in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku on June 8, according to Sadigov’s family and lawyer. Later that day, a […]