Author: Human Rights Watch

As the annual Hong Kong Book Fair opens this week, two of the city’s best-known independent bookstores, Elmbook and Luckwin, won’t be there. On July 2, authorities barred them from exhibiting. Soon after, Elmbook announced it would close on its 30th anniversary in April 2027, when its lease ends. While officials did not say why […]

(Washington, DC) – Peruvian President José María Balcázar should veto a bill that would expand the military justice system, Human Rights Watch said today. The bill would effectively open the door to impunity for police officers and members of the armed forces responsible for human rights violations.  On June 23, 2026, Congress passed a bill that would modify […]

(Bangkok) – The Thai government should not forcibly return detained Chinese dissidents to China, Human Rights Watch said today. At least four Chinese dissidents detained at the Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok face possible deportation to China. The Chinese government has increasingly pressured Thai authorities ahead of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s scheduled visit to China from […]

Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal—an Afghan asylum seeker who had worked alongside the US military in Afghanistan—died on March 14, 2026, from an alleged allergic reaction less than 24 hours after being detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Texas. His death certificate was released, 103 days later, on June 25, 2026. In announcing his death, ICE vilified Paktiawal […]

Human Rights Watch, the Alliance of Immigrant Survivors, Americans for Immigrant Justice, and other partners, submitted a statement of record to Congress on July 10 as the Trump administration continues to use state and local police via the 287(g) agreements that allow these agencies to participate in federal immigration enforcement. The statement emphasizes that survivors of domestic violence […]

The French government announced a new national plan last week aimed at combating racism, antisemitism, and discrimination. Unfortunately, the plan fails to tackle the systemic and institutional nature of racism in France. Adopted on July 6 and extending from 2026 through 2029, the action plan lists 55 measures focused on education and training to strengthen […]

(Bangkok) – The deadly risks facing Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh were evident from landslides in July 2026, that killed at least 17 people and displaced more than 3,000, Human Rights Watch said today.  Bangladesh has been hosting over a million Rohingya refugees for nearly a decade, with expanding families crammed into bamboo and tarp shelters on steep, deforested […]

In June, a working group at Japan’s Internal Affairs Ministry declined to endorse a blanket age-based social media ban for children, saying it was “not desirable.” Although the group’s report is not yet final, its rejection of a blanket ban suggests a willingness to consider alternative approaches to protecting children online. As Human Rights Watch […]

The European Parliament adopted a milestone resolution on July 8 that addresses the armed conflict in Sudan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacks in El Obeid, capital of North Kordofan. Civilians in El Obeid continue to suffer from unlawful attacks. “Drones strikes are daily,” one resident said. “They’re targeting infrastructure like water, fuel and […]

Five years ago, on July 11, 2021, Cuba experienced its largest nationwide demonstrations since the 1959 Revolution, as thousands took to the streets amid severe shortages and calls for greater rights and freedoms. The government responded with a wave of repression, deepening decades of restrictions on dissent. Rights groups Justicia 11J and Prisoners Defenders estimate […]