Category: Human Rights

(Berlin) – Georgian authorities have yet to demonstrate that they are conducting effective investigations into a spate of violent attacks on civic and political activists over recent months, Human Rights Watch said today. Impunity for these attacks risks encouraging further political violence and instability in the run-up to the country’s parliamentary elections in October 2024. From […]

(Geneva) – Nepal’s long-awaited transitional justice law, adopted by the lower house of parliament on August 14, 2024, incorporates many positive provisions that could help in advancing justice, accountability, and redress for the widespread human rights violations and abuses committed during the 1996-2006 conflict, but still has elements that could undermine a successful outcome, Amnesty International, […]

On August 16, Cambodian authorities forcibly disappeared 28-year-old Vannith Hay. He was detained after Cambodia’s former Prime Minister and current Senate President Hun Sen threatened his brother Vanna Hay, an activist leading the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Movement in Japan, in a speech earlier this month. None of Vannith Hay’s family members have been able to […]

Air pollution and stress from wildfires is on the rise with specific harms for maternal health, but experiences from Oregon indicate that public health officials are not doing enough to reach pregnant people with vital health hazard information. It’s crucial for state and federal governments to address the environmental harms to pregnancy that intersect with […]

This year’s International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism on Wednesday, takes place under the theme Voices for Peace: Victims of Terrorism as Peace Advocates and Educators. It highlights the powerful voices of victims, acknowledging how their experiences and stories contribute to raising awareness of the enduring impact of terrorism – […]

(Nairobi) – Burkina Faso‘s military authorities are misusing an emergency law to unlawfully conscript magistrates – prosecutors and judges – who have opened legal proceedings against junta supporters, Human Rights Watch said today. These recent conscriptions come amid the Burkinabè junta’s growing repression of dissidents, journalists, human rights defenders, and political opponents. Between August 9 […]

(Sydney) – Australian leaders should discuss human rights issues with Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo during meetings in Canberra on August 20, 2024, Human Rights Watch said today. Australia should seek commitments from Prabowo to uphold religious freedom, protect Indigenous and religious minorities, and revise government policies that discriminate against women and girls, people living […]

(Beirut) – The Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s Hodeidah port on the evening of July 20, 2024, were an apparently unlawful indiscriminate or disproportionate attack on civilians that could have a long-term impact on millions of Yemenis who rely on the port for food and humanitarian aid, Human Rights Watch said today. The Israeli strikes came a day […]

High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, have issued the following statement: “Tomorrow, we mark World Humanitarian Day to celebrate the indispensable and tireless life-saving efforts of aid workers worldwide. When disasters strike, crises erupt and conflicts arise, humanitarians are among the first ones on the spot delivering emergency assistance to those affected. This […]

“It is unthinkable for me to go out. I could get a heatstroke,” Esther Laforge, 35, messaged me earlier this month. Esther, who lives outside of the Spanish city of Seville where temperature is expected to hit 40 degrees Celsius this week, has a physical disability that affects her body temperature regulation. As Spain experiences […]