Category: Human Rights

(Nairobi) – Burkina Faso authorities should urgently investigate and publicly report on the whereabouts of a journalist and two prominent critics of the country’s military junta, Human Rights Watch said today. The abductions since June 18 of Serge Oulon, director of an investigative newspaper, Adama Bayala, and Kalifara Séré, both working as television commentators, raise concerns […]

(Johannesburg) – Zimbabwe’s army commander has openly stated that the country’s security forces intend to play a partisan political role, threatening future elections and those participating in them, Human Rights Watch said today. On June 29, 2024, the Zimbabwe National Army commander, Lt. General Anselem Sanyatwe, was quoted as saying that people would be marched to […]

On Tuesday, the United States government added aluminum to its list of priority sectors for the enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. The law aims to block any good made in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region tainted by state-imposed forced labor from entering the US market. The US decision aligns with the findings […]

(Beirut) – The convictions of at least 44 defendants in the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) mass trial of at least 84 human rights defenders and political dissidents were based on a fundamentally unfair trial, a coalition of human rights groups said today. On July 10, 2024, the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeals Court meted out sentences ranging […]

Following a request for assistance from Albania through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, Greece has sent 4 planes to help fight wildfires in the Dropull municipality. Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “Wildfires know no borders. The EU has mobilised firefighting airplanes from Greece to support the local first responders in Albania in their […]

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk reported increasing restrictions on civic spaces, urging stakeholders to reverse course. “My Office (OHCHR) continues to receive reports of detentions as election day approaches, including of supporters and members of the opposition,” he said, addressing the Geneva-based Human Rights Council.   “This does not augur well, and […]

“All Paralympians have stories of incredible resilience but the stories of these athletes and their journeys as refugees surviving war and persecution to compete at the Paralympic Games is off-the-charts awe inspiring,” said Andrew Parsons, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President.   Representing more than 120 million forcibly displaced people and 1.2 billion with disabilities worldwide, […]

The United Nation’s preeminent human rights body, the Human Rights Council, today forged a new path for millions of children who have so far been blocked from education by its costs. The council approved a proposal advanced by Luxembourg, the Dominican Republic, and Sierra Leone, and cosponsored by 29 other states, to establish a working […]

Today, the European Union and Türkiye signed an updated agreement on the participation of Türkiye in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, together with the Turkish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mehmet Kemal Bozay, signed the agreement in Ankara. Türkiye is an active participant in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism […]

Mr. Türk said these “relentless” attacks were deepening the humanitarian crisis in the country, tearing apart infrastructure, and creating a host of socioeconomic challenges.   Between March and May, 436 civilians were killed and 1,760 injured, High Commissioner Türk said. “These high civilian casualties are largely the result of the ground offensive and aerial attacks, […]