Category: Human Rights

Police in Sri Lanka have arrested a rapper on terrorism charges over the video of a song he posted online. It is the latest abuse of a draconian counterterrorism law still in use years after successive governments have promised to repeal it. Sangeethsan Ganeskumar, 24, known by his stage name Hiphop Sangee, was detained under the […]

(Beirut) – The Qatari authorities since March 2026 have ordered at least four people with roles in key institutions of the minority Baha’i religion to leave the country, Human Rights Watch said today, based on information from informed sources. The four were ordered to leave without due process and with no legal pathway to challenge […]

(Berlin) – Belarusian authorities are carrying out a countrywide intimidation campaign against former and current students of the European Humanities University (EHU), Human Rights Watch said today.  The authorities have searched the homes of dozens of students and their families and harassed, interrogated, and detained them. The actions violate their rights to freedom of thought, […]

Last week, Italy’s senate passed the “Valditara bill,” a reform that could significantly restrict young people’s access to comprehensive sexuality education. The bill requires parents to provide consent before children can receive sexuality education in middle and high schools, and bans it entirely in elementary school. Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara, who had championed the bill, […]

According to gender equality agency, UN Women, the new haven announced on Friday will provide survivors with protection, psychosocial support and assistance rebuilding their lives amid escalating gang violence. Speaking from Port au Prince, the agency’s Marie Goretti Nduwayo said that growing gang violence – which has caused rampant insecurity and mass displacement – used to […]

HRP Announces Recipients of 2026-2027 Henigson Fellowship We are excited to announce that HRP has awarded its 2026-27 Henigson Fellowship to Namashya Karuna Arachchige LLM ‘26 and Tupalishe Mulwafu LLM’26. HRP’s post-graduate fellowships are designed to help launch the careers of students who have demonstrated great promise as human rights-engaged students and advocates while at […]

(Geneva) – The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) adoption of a new global treaty for decent working conditions in the gig economy is a major step toward protecting the rights of millions of workers worldwide, Human Rights Watch said today. At its 114th session in Geneva, on June 12, 2026, the International Labour Conference adopted the […]

The Swedish government has dropped its proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 for serious crimes, Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said on June 11. Instead, officials will present parliament with a proposal to lower the age from 15 to 14. While that is better than 13, it would still be the wrong […]

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) has verified that at least 274 civilians were killed and 1,763 injured last month – a 93 per cent increase compared with May 2025 and a 23 per cent increase over April 2026.  “With more than 2,000 civilian casualties, the month of May saw more civilian casualties than any other month since April […]

Azerbaijani authorities’ renewed detention of exiled journalist Afgan Sadigov raises serious concerns about transnational repression and the apparent manipulation of legal procedures across borders to silence a government critic.  Several masked men in civilian clothing detained Sadigov in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku on June 8, according to Sadigov’s family and lawyer. Later that day, a […]