Category: Human Rights

When Jamal, an Ethiopian man in his early thirties, set out along what has become known as the eastern route, he was not chasing work, wealth, or status. He was looking for his sixteen-year-old nephew, who had vanished while attempting to reach Saudi Arabia through one of the world’s most dangerous migration corridors. Each year, […]

KYIV — Maria Telalian, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), concluded a two-day diplomatic mission to Kyiv on Friday, March 27, 2026. The visit served to reinforce the international body’s commitment to stabilizing Ukraine’s democratic infrastructure and documenting ongoing human rights concerns as the conflict enters its fifth year. […]

Human Rights Watch mourns the passing of Burundian journalist Jackson Bahati, who died suddenly at age 55 on March 16, 2026. Bahati was a pillar among journalists in Burundi. A skilled writer and presenter, he was led by an innate curiosity and love for his country. Throughout his career spanning decades, Bahati interviewed many victims and […]

On March 28, 2025, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, killing thousands and devastating communities already affected by armed conflict, displacement, and economic collapse. The quake and its aftershock toppled buildings and collapsed roads and bridges across several of the country’s states and regions. Essential services were brought to the “verge of collapse,” according to […]

The decision by Hungary’s minister of justice to order an investigation into Szabolcs Panyi, a prominent Hungarian journalist, on dubious accusations of espionage, marks a dangerous escalation in the state’s crackdown on independent media.  The government accuses Panyi, who writes for Direkt36 and VSquare, of spying “in cooperation with a foreign state,”suggesting his journalism serves as a “cover […]

(New York) – A Pakistani airstrike on a drug treatment center in Afghanistan on March 16, 2026, was an unlawful attack and a possible war crime, Human Rights Watch said today. International agencies reported that at least 143 people were killed and more than 250 injured, most of them patients. Pakistani authorities should promptly and impartially investigate […]

India’s parliament passed a bill this week that changes how transgender people are legally recognized and removes their right to self-identification. If the bill becomes law, it will be a major reversal of the hard-won rights of transgender people in India. “These politicians are making laws for us when they don’t even have basic concepts of […]

“During the first two months of this year, 60 per cent of all civilian casualties were in frontline regions (and) almost half of those killed were older persons,” said Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif.  In a scheduled update on the war to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Ms. Al-Nashif noted that […]

In a landmark class action lawsuit in Thailand, a court held a multinational corporation accountable for contamination from a gold mine and recognized the right of villagers in affected areas to effective remedies.  On March 24, the Bangkok Civil Court ordered Akara Resources, a subsidiary of Australia-based Kingsgate Consolidated Ltd., to pay up to THB200,000 (US$6,250) […]

This week, the Commission scaled up its humanitarian response in Lebanon, delivering nearly 150 tonnes of live-saving supplies to support people displaced by the deteriorating situation in the country. Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib said: ‘The situation in Lebanon is worsening by the day, affecting millions in already dire need. Through […]