Category: Human Rights

2024-25 Tiruchelvam Fellow: Thyagi Ruwanpathirana The Human Rights Program and the Program on Law and Society in the Muslim World at Harvard Law School are thrilled to welcome the inaugural Neelan Tiruchelvam Fellow, Thyagi Ruwanpathirana. Thyagi comes to Harvard Law School from Amnesty International, where she served as a South Asia Regional Researcher since 2018. […]

Authorities in Kazakhstan are misusing extremism and terrorism legislation to target peaceful government critics and others, in violation of international human rights law. People convicted on overbroad extremism and terrorism charges – even those who have not participated in, instigated, or financed violence – are automatically subject to wide-ranging financial restrictions that interfere with their […]

The update highlights information from the first half of 2024 and reveals that 4.5 million people are displaced and 18.2 million overall require humanitarian aid. The refugee agency based its update on 47,000 families who have already “endured years of conflict.” Critical challenges Of the families surveyed, 84 per cent were documented as displaced, mainly from […]

(Jerusalem) – Israeli forces have arbitrarily detained Palestinian healthcare workers in Gaza since hostilities began in October 2023, deported them to detention facilities in Israel, and allegedly tortured and ill-treated them, Human Rights Watch said today. The detention of healthcare workers in the context of the Israeli military’s repeated attacks on hospitals in Gaza has contributed to […]

(New York) – Israeli military attacks on healthcare infrastructure and water supplies and ongoing aid obstruction are contributing to a potentially catastrophic polio outbreak in Gaza, Human Rights Watch said today. Polio, which is entirely preventable but spreads fast, particularly among children under 5, can cause disabilities, including paralysis, and death among unvaccinated children. On August […]

(New York, August 26, 2024) – Governments should heed United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ call to open negotiations on a new international treaty on lethal autonomous weapons systems Human Rights Watch said today. These “killer robots” select and attack targets based on sensor processing rather than human inputs, a dangerous development for humanity. In a report released on August […]

Around one million Rohingya are sheltering in Bangladesh and over 130,000 more have sought safe haven across the region without immediate prospects for return, said António Guterres in a statement issued by his Spokesperson on Friday – just ahead of Sunday’s grim anniversary.  “The dire security and humanitarian situation with ongoing access challenges has exacerbated […]

On August 14, following the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s (Africa CDC) declaration of mpox as a public health emergency of continental security, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized it as a public health emergency of international concern. Mpox, a highly contagious disease transmitted primarily through close contact with infected individuals, has seen […]

The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racism (CERD) voiced concern over persistent hate crimes, hate speech and xenophobic incidents on various platforms, including by politicians and public figures. It was particularly concerned about recurring racist acts and violence by extremist far-right and white supremacist individuals and groups targeting ethnic and ethno-religious minorities, migrants, refugees […]

Release of HRP’s 2023-2024 Annual Report We are pleased to present HRP’s 2023-2024 Annual Report. The report showcases the global reach and impact of the Human Rights Program in the year of its 40th anniversary, featuring work on African perspectives on climate change law, a new UN draft declaration on the rights of people of […]