Author: Human Rights Watch

(Nairobi) – Mali’s armed forces and the allied Russia-controlled Africa Corps have committed new atrocities against civilians in central Mali during renewed fighting, Human Rights Watch said today.  On September 16, 2026, an apparent military drone strike in Guélédié village, Mopti region, killed eight civilians and injured at least six others. Between May and August, […]

Burkina Faso’s unelected parliament has unanimously adopted a new penal code that restores the death penalty for high treason, terrorism, acts of espionage, parricide and importation of expired or prohibited products. The country had abolished the death penalty for ordinary crimes in 2018 while its last known judicial execution took place in 1988. Reinstating capital punishment sends a chilling […]

The Vietnamese government is systematically suppressing the rights of workers to organize independent unions despite trade agreements that require it to support labor rights. Officials have repeatedly made false, misleading, and deceptive claims about supporting independent unions while making clear that they would target anyone who tried to exercise labor rights. The government routinely used […]

(Washington, DC) – The United States government should order federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers not to operate in the vicinity of polling places, early voting locations, or drop boxes during the midterm electoral period, Human Rights Watch said today. The presence of these federal agents could deter people from voting.  “ICE officers’ abuses have […]

(Washington, DC) – Guatemalan authorities should carry out a thorough, prompt, and credible investigation into the killing of Juan Francisco Solórzano Foppa, a prominent anti-corruption lawyer, former prosecutor, and former head of Guatemala’s tax agency, Human Rights Watch said today. On October 17, 2026, armed assailants shot and killed Solórzano Foppa at the Campo Marte sports complex […]

(Beirut) – Saudi authorities announced on October 17, 2026, that they had executed Hassan Zaki al-Faraj, who was convicted of crimes allegedly committed when he was a 14-year-old boy, Human Rights Watch said today.  The Supreme Court has also apparently upheld the death sentence of another man, Yousef al-Manasif, who was convicted of crimes allegedly […]

(Brussels) – Leaders of the European Union, Belgium, and Denmark should urge Vietnam to make concrete progress in improving its human rights record during Vietnamese President To Lam’s visit to Copenhagen and Brussels the week of October 19-24, 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch wrote to the prime ministers of Denmark and […]

Malian armed forces and their allies have since July 2026 responded to mounting attacks by Islamist and separatist armed groups with abusive counterinsurgency operations in central and northern Mali. The Malian military, armed groups, and insurgent forces are committing grave laws-of-war violations while international organizations and governments largely stand by. The AU Peace and Security […]

Indonesian police in September began investigating Feby Indirani, the author of the short story collection Memburu Muhammad (Hunting for Muhammad), for alleged blasphemy after an Islamist group allegedly intervened with the organizers of a literary festival at which Indirani was to appear. Bogor Literary Week organized an event featuring Indirani that was scheduled for September 20 […]

Formula One’s decision this week to bring a Grand Prix to Rwanda in the early 2030s could be an important moment for Africa. The continent deserves more prominence on the global sporting calendar. But the 10-year agreement between Formula One and Rwanda also brings significant human rights risks. The Rwandan government’s repression means journalists and others […]