Author: Human Rights Watch

Bulgaria’s delayed decommissioning of coal-fired power plants contributes to dangerous air pollution, risks breaching new air quality standards, and is slowing down the country’s transition away from fossil fuels. Data shows that Maritsa 3, a coal plant near the town of Dimitrovgrad, contributes to the dangerous air pollution around the town, which harms the health […]

(Nairobi) – The death in custody of a prominent Cameroon opposition leader, Anicet Ekane, should be impartially, promptly, and effectively investigated, Human Rights Watch said today. Ekane, 74, the leader of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (Mouvement africain pour la nouvelle indépendance et la démocratie, MANIDEM) party, died on December 1, 2025, at the […]

(New York) – The arrest and return of an asylum seeker who took his children to the Club World Cup soccer tournament final on July 13, 2025, raises serious concerns about the safety of noncitizens attending the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Human Rights Watch said today. In May, Human Rights Watch wrote to the […]

(New York) – Hilda Macheso, a Malawian disability rights advocate, is the 2025/2026 recipient of the Human Rights Watch Marca Bristo Fellowship for Courageous Leadership in Disability Rights, Human Rights Watch announced today on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Macheso is an emerging advocate for the rights of young people with disabilities in […]

(Paris) – French President Emmanuel Macron should privately and publicly stress the importance of human rights in Sino-French relations during his visit to China from December 3 to 5, 2025, Human Rights Watch said today. Macron’s visit is one of several top-level engagements between European and Chinese leaders amid the complex and shifting geopolitical relationships among Europe, […]

Since November 21, social media company X has been rolling out a new feature called “About this account,” which displays information about users that was previously not publicly disclosed. This includes the country where an account was created, is based, the date it joined X, and username changes. The company says the feature is intended […]

(Washington, DC) – Armed groups in Colombia’s southern state of Putumayo, have tightened their control over citizens’ daily lives and committed grave abuses against civilians, particularly in Indigenous communities, Human Rights Watch said today. Since 2023, the government has been in peace talks with several armed groups that control parts of Putumayo, which is on the […]

Chancellor Friedrich Merz is set to visit Israel on 6th of December and meet, among others, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, including the deliberate starvation of the civilian population and attacks on civilians. Merz is […]

Hong Kong will hold elections for its Legislative Council on December 7, without a single pro-democracy candidate. The Chinese government’s attempts to present the legislature, known as the LegCo, as legitimate hardly fool anyone. Many Hongkongers quietly boycotted the previous election in 2021, resulting in record-low turnout.  Five years into its sweeping crackdown, Beijing has […]

(Washington, DC) – The Trump administration’s latest actions on immigration policy appear to be based on punitive hostility toward people of particular nationalities and carry an unmistakable current of racism as well, Human Rights Watch said today. The administration recently suspended immigration processing for nationals from 19 countries on its existing travel ban list and suspended […]