Author: Human Rights Watch

At the 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which closed on July 8, UN experts and civil society expressed deep concern about Tunisia’s intensifying human rights crises. But the continued silence from UN member states all but signalled a free pass for Tunisian authorities to continue escalating their crackdown on civic space. Five […]

(Beirut) – Egyptian authorities are denying medical care to a death row prisoner with an apparent brain tumor, following a forced disappearance and an unfair trial, Human Rights Watch said today.  The Egyptian authorities detained the prisoner, Ahmed al-Waleed al-Shal, in 2014 shortly after he graduated from medical school at age 24. He was convicted […]

(Stockholm) – Sweden is deporting young women to countries where they could face severe gender-based rights violations, Human Rights Watch said today. Media reported that in 2025, at least 92 young adults were set to be deported alone, many of them women who grew up in Sweden and have immediate family there. Sweden has been […]

(Berlin, July 8, 2026) – The German government should abandon its plans to gut Germany’s Freedom of Information Act, Human Rights Watch said today. The proposed amendments will threaten core human rights essential to transparency and public participation in a democracy based on the rule of law. On July 2, 2026, the coalition committee of […]

On July 2, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, on her first visit to India since taking office, met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under their shared “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” vision, an effort to counter China, they agreed to deepen cooperation on security, energy, and investment, unveiling about 120 business agreements worth 2 trillion yen (US$12 […]

The European Union hosted a delegation of Taliban officials in Brussels on June 22 for the first time since the group returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. The European Commission described the meeting as “technical” and focused on returns, while a Taliban spokesperson described it as a “historic visit” and a step toward […]

(London) – Harassment and attacks against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) university students in Indonesia escalated during the June 2026 Pride Month celebrations, Human Rights Watch said today. At least 10 public universities have recently adopted discriminatory regulations and are curbing student media coverage and social media discussions around gender and sexual diversity, undermining freedom […]

United Nations member countries took an important step last week to protect the world body from financial ruin. The UN has faced a liquidity crisis for years, mostly due to the United States withholding billions of dollars in obligatory contributions and China paying very late. This has forced the UN to cut back on peacekeeping operations and lifesaving […]

(Berlin, July 7, 2026) – German authorities have deported a Tajik opposition activist to Tajikistan, intensifying concerns that Germany is not upholding its human rights obligations when making deportation decisions, Human Rights Watch said today. On June 20, 2026, Germany deported Asadullo Boboev and his adult son, Muhammad, to Dushanbe, despite concerns he would be detained and could […]

(Beirut) – Tunisian courts sentenced eight human rights defenders to prison terms and fines in recent days for charges connected to their human rights work, including two prominent women who were handed harsh sentences, Human Rights Watch said today.  On June 26, 2026, a Tunis Court of First Instance sentenced Sihem Bensedrine, the former president of the […]