Category: Human Rights

More than 60 per cent of these killings occurred in countries experiencing conflict – the highest percentage in over a decade. “Reliable information is vital in conflict situations to help affected populations and to enlighten the world,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “It is unacceptable that journalists pay with their lives for this work. I call on […]

Thank you, Dafna, and good afternoon, everyone! I am so honored to join Secretary Blinken, Assistant Secretary Rand, our partners at the McCain Institute and Humanity United, and all of you in celebrating the truly remarkable recipients of the 2024 Secretary of State’s Human Rights Defender Award! Our honorees hail from diverse countries – from […]

(Beirut) – Saudi Arabia is hosting a major United Nations conference on internet governance while dozens of people remain imprisoned for peaceful online speech, Human Rights Watch said today. Many are charged under the country’s abusive counterterrorism law, and the authorities conduct invasive surveillance of civil society members at home and abroad.  The 19th annual […]

Hundreds more were reportedly injured in clashes following the disputed elections and around 2,000 arrested, including teenagers, young adults, opposition members, human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers, as well as bystanders. Since then, the Government has announced the conditional release of over 100 of those detained. Addressing the UN Human Rights Council, High Commissioner Volker […]

SPEAKER:  Distinguished guests, please welcome the Secretary of State, accompanied by Under Secretary of State Uzra Zeya, the Assistant Secretary of State Dafna Rand, and the 2024 Human Rights Defenders Award recipients.  (Applause.) ASSISTANT SECRETARY RAND:  Good afternoon, and may I be the first to wish you a happy International Human Rights Day. SECRETARY BLINKEN:  All […]

(Beirut) – Several recent cases confirm the continuation of Iran’s longstanding policy of denying political prisoners medical care as a tool to silence dissent, Human Rights Watch said today. This worsens the health conditions of detainees who should not have been imprisoned in the first place, causes unnecessary suffering, and leads to preventable deaths. Human Rights Watch […]

The European Commission is launching a new Humanitarian Air Bridge operation for those most in need in Syria, to deliver emergency healthcare and other essential supplies, as well as increasing its humanitarian funding. EU funded aid flights will bring a total of 50 tonnes of health supplies from EU stockpiles in Dubai, to be transported […]

Independent UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts said in a statement that it represents a fundamental attack on women’s rights. The legislation, which applies to children as young as 12, combines severe criminal penalties with mandatory citizen surveillance and systematic enforcement across all sectors of society, the experts added. The Law on Protecting the Family through […]

HomeUnder Secretary Zeya Travels to Germany hide Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Uzra Zeya will travel to Berlin, Germany to lead the U.S. delegation to the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) 2024 Conference from December 16-18, 2024, organized by ERC Co-Chairs Germany and Mexico.  The Under Secretary will be joined […]

The Take It Back (TIB) Movement, a pro-democracy group committed to the protection of human rights, has strongly condemned the recent arrest of Olamide Abiodun Thomas, a nurse and activist, by the Nigeria Police Force. The group is calling for her immediate and unconditional release, stating that her detention represents a gross violation of both […]