Category: Human Rights

(London) – Nepal’s interim government led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki should release the Commission of Inquiry report into deadly violence during the “Gen Z” protests of September 2025, as well as all the previous judge-led inquiry reports on human rights violations and abuses which were not published by previous governments, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, […]

This week African and other international leaders and actors arrive in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, for the annual African Union (AU) summit.  The 39th meeting of heads of state and governments is taking place amid Ethiopia’s deteriorating human rights situation and the apparent unravelling of the fragile peace in the country’s Tigray region. Tigray’s population […]

Before she was elected prime minister, Giorgia Meloni threatened to impose a naval blockade in the Mediterranean Sea to stop boats carrying migrants and asylum seekers from reaching Italy. Her government has now proposed draft legislation that will allow it to do just that. The bill, approved by the cabinet on February 11, would allow […]

(Tokyo) – Indonesian police unlawfully dispersed, beat, and detained 11 Papuan protesters in Merauke City, South Papua, on January 25, 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should promptly and impartially investigate the incident, appropriately discipline or punish those responsible for abuses, and consult with Indigenous communities to address longstanding grievances. That morning, members of […]

In an exclusive interview with UN News, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Vanessa Frazier, reflected on the alarming rise in grave violations against children and the urgent need to safeguard their future. “The recruitment and use of children is still one of the most widespread and devastating violations we face. In 2024 alone, […]

(Nairobi) – An Islamist armed group has killed 30 civilians, including 4 children, and 5 captured combatants in two attacks in western Niger since January 18, 2026, Human Rights Watch said today. The attacks by the Islamic State in the Sahel (IS Sahel) are unlawful and apparent war crimes. On January 18, IS Sahel fighters rounded […]

While Russia continues to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, leaving more than one million people without electricity and water, the European Union remains firmly at Ukraine’s side to help its people endure another winter under attack. Today, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, is in Ukraine to reaffirm that Europe’s support is constant, […]

The amnesty is aimed at promoting peace, democratic coexistence and national reconciliation as the South American country enters a new era following the seizure of former President Nicolas Maduro by the United States.  It passed unanimously on 5 February by Venezuelan legislators in the first of two readings. The amnesty “offers an opportunity to provide […]

(New York) – A Hong Kong court’s conviction of the father of a prominent US‑based democracy activist on February 11, 2026, reflects the Chinese government’s escalation of its campaign of transnational repression, Human Rights Watch said today. The West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court convicted Kwok Yin-sang, 68, of a national security offense. He is the father […]

High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk deplored the sentence imposed on Mr. Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, following his conviction on charges brought under security-related laws in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China. On 15 December 2025, the High Court found Mr. Lai guilty of conspiracy […]