Category: Human Rights

Thousands gathered in Ankara on Sunday to protest a looming court decision that could reshape Türkiye’s main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP). The court is set to rule Monday on whether to annul the party’s 2023 congress and remove its current leader, Özgür Özel, amid allegations of procedural irregularities. Özel, addressing demonstrators, accused […]

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on governments worldwide to reinforce the international ban on cluster munitions, following the release of the Cluster Munition Coalition’s (CMC) 2025 annual report. The organization urged states still using or producing these weapons to join the Convention on Cluster Munitions without delay. Mark Hiznay, HRW’s associate director for crisis, […]

[ad_1] Based on two years of independent investigations and analysis, the report reveals how oil and non-oil revenues are siphoned off through opaque schemes and politically connected contracts. Meanwhile, millions of South Sudanese are denied basic services. “Our report tells the story of the plundering of a nation: corruption is not incidental, it is the […]

[ad_1] (Beirut) – Qatari authorities should set aside the baseless conviction of Remy Rowhani, the chair of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is in Qatar, and reject the prosecution’s attempt to increase his sentence, Human Rights Watch said today. Qatari authorities should immediately and unconditionally release him. A Doha court sentenced Rowhani, 71, to […]

[ad_1] (Beirut) – Lebanon’s parliament should ensure that a draft media law it is considering upholds the right to freedom of expression, 14 Lebanese and international rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, said today.  This includes decriminalizing defamation, blasphemy, insult, and criticism of public officials; prohibiting pretrial detention in speech-related violations; and removing onerous restrictions […]

[ad_1] The European Commission is allocating an extra €40 million in humanitarian funding to help Ukrainians endure a fourth winter of Russia’s war of aggression. This new support will strengthen the country’s preparedness for winter and protect civilians against extreme cold. EU humanitarian aid partners will deliver shelter materials, repair damaged homes and centres for […]

[ad_1] Yemen’s warring parties – particularly the Houthis, the Southern Transitional Council, and the Yemeni government – have committed serious human rights violations against journalists in Yemen. Targeting journalists and media institutions has encroached on freedom of expression. Many journalists have fled the country and those who remained have limited their reporting. UN member states […]

[ad_1] (Beirut) – Moroccan authorities should urgently overturn the 30-month sentence of an activist convicted on blasphemy charges for wearing a t-shirt authorities deemed offensive, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities need to ensure that the right to free expression is respected.  The activist, Ibtissame Lachgar, was arrested on August 10, 2025, and charged […]

[ad_1] (Johannesburg) – Zambian authorities should address recent reports that polluted water and soil from an acid spill in Zambia’s copper mining region pose a serious health risk, Human Rights Watch said today. On February 18, 2025, a dam in Chambishi, Copperbelt province, holding mining waste from Chinese mining company, Sino-Metals Leach Zambia, burst its walls and […]

Belarus has freed eight additional journalists as part of a broader release of 52 political prisoners, coinciding with the United States easing sanctions on the state-owned airline Belavia. The move follows earlier releases and reflects ongoing diplomatic engagement between Washington and Minsk. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) welcomed the development, noting that the freed […]