Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) is Holding 56,000 Detainees Without Trial, Including 29,000 Children in North East Syria

🚨 Scale of Detention Crisis According to human rights organisation Reprieve, an estimated 56,000 individuals are currently detained without charge or trial in North East Syria, including 29,000 children. This represents the highest concentration of children arbitrarily detained anywhere in the world, raising urgent concerns about international law and humanitarian obligations. ⚖️ Arbitrary Detention and […]

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Hungary: Pastor Supporting People in Poverty Faces Charges

Instead of supporting those who fill the gaps left by Hungary’s crumbling public services and social security system, the government is prosecuting them. On November 3, prosecutors charged Pastor Gábor Iványi, who has long defended the rights of people living in poverty, with “group-committed violence against an official person” in connection with a February 2022 raid […]

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US: Prioritize Rights During Saudi Leader’s Visit

(Washington, DC) – The United States government, including Congress, should address Saudi human rights abuses during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s expected visit to Washington, DC, on November 18, 2025, said 11 organizations, including Human Rights Watch, in a joint statement today. The Trump administration is expected to welcome the crown prince on his first visit to the […]

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Cambodia: Border Conflict Critics Arrested

(Bangkok) – Cambodian authorities have arbitrarily arrested and charged at least 16 people for expressing their views on social media about the Thai-Cambodia border conflict in July and August 2025, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities charged most of those arrested with incitement under articles 494 and 495 of Cambodia’s Criminal Code, which carries […]

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Youth Football Dream Turned Into Nightmare

On November 2, a funeral was held for Cheikh Touré, a promising young Senegalese goalkeeper, after his body was finally returned to his family from Ghana. According to media reports, Touré had traveled to Ghana to meet people he believed to be football scouts. They allegedly kidnapped him, extorted money from his mother, and killed […]

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Saudi Arabia: Migrant Workers in Mecca Arrested for Demanding Unpaid Wages

(Beirut) – At least 600 migrant workers employed by Saudi Arabian Baytur Construction Company have not received their salaries for at least eight months, Human Rights Watch said today. The actual figure of unpaid workers could be significantly higher. The workers at the US$26 billion Mecca-based Masar redevelopment project, funded by the nearly trillion-dollar Saudi Public Investment Fund […]

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US: Millions Face Soaring Health Costs as Subsidies Expire

(November 5, 2025) – The US Congress’ failure to extend public subsidies for private health insurance threatens the right to health and financial security of millions of people, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam America said today. As open enrollment for private health insurance purchased through the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) government-operated marketplaces began on November 1, 2025, […]

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Alleged Cluster Munition Remnant Kills Cambodian Boy

On October 25, 10-year-old Sern Sovann died from an explosion after reportedly bringing home an item from a nearby field in Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province near the border with Thailand. The blast also seriously injured his father.  The Cambodian Mine Action Centre found that the explosion was caused by an unexploded M-85 artillery-delivered submunition fired into Cambodia […]

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Indonesia’s President Declares Late Dictator Soeharto a ‘National Hero’

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto declared 10 people “national heroes” on November 10, which Indonesia celebrates as Heroes Day. Among them was the late President Soeharto, who ruled Indonesia from 1965 to 1998.  More than 80 public figures, including historians, have written a letter protesting the “hero” title for Soeharto, who presided over three decades of military dictatorship […]

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Critic of Mali’s Junta Forcibly Disappeared

On the afternoon of October 25, Cheick Oumar Diallo chatted with companions on a street in Mali’s capital, Bamako. Suddenly, four gendarmes arrived in a pickup truck and motorbikes, arrested him, and drove off. A week later, Diallo—a 43-year-old former trade union member and prominent critic of Mali’s military junta—has not been seen and his […]

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