Upcoming elections in Cameroon mark a ‘key opportunity’ to commit to human rights: UN human rights chief

“Cameroon today faces multiple complex human rights challenges, but also opportunities, particularly given its extremely youthful population, with more than 40 per cent of Cameroonians under the age of 15, as well as a vibrant civil society,” observed Mr. Türk during a press conference in Yaoundé.  According to Mr. Türk, the electoral process in Cameroon […]

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Vandalism, Attacks Follow Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Exit

Bangladesh’s interim government, led by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, should urgently act to protect human rights. Soon after Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and left the country, tens of thousands of Bangladeshis celebrated the end of her repressive rule. In some places, however, celebrations turned violent, with hundreds killed or injured as demonstrators sought […]

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UN rights chief ‘deeply troubled’ by dissolution of Thailand’s Move Forward Party

The court also banned the Move Forward Party’s (MFP) senior figures, including leader Pita Limjaroenrat, from politics for 10 years. MFP had won the most seats in the May 2023 general elections in Thailand, securing 151 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives. Fundamental freedoms impacted “This decision seriously impacts fundamental freedoms of expression and […]

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We Can’t Ignore the Racism and Islamophobia Fueling Riots in the UK

The UK has been rocked by far-right riots this week. Racist mobs have targeted mosques and asylum seeker accommodation, Muslims and people of color have been attacked, and police have been injured. In Rotherham, South Yorkshire, asylum seekers were trapped in their accommodation as rioters smashed windows and set the building on fire. The riots […]

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Gulf States: Inadequate Heat Protection Putting Workers in Peril

(Beirut) – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are failing to protect outdoor migrant workers experiencing dangerous, heat-related health risks as global warming-fueled heatwaves envelope the region, Human Rights Watch said today.  Migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) interviewed by Human Rights Watch described symptoms of heat-related illness, including fainting […]

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Chad: Abuse, Deaths at Koro Toro Prison

Chad’s military is responsible for the deaths in custody of several detainees en route to and at Koro Toro prison following the October 2022 protests over the extension of the transition government. Chadian military officials oversee a prison in which abuse runs rampant and are responsible for the deaths of protesters detained in the wake […]

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Bangladesh: Prime Minister Hasina Resigns amid Mass Protests

(London) – Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on August 5, 2024, and fled the country after weeks of student protests, Human Rights Watch said today. An estimated 300 people have been killed, thousands injured, and more than 10,000 arrested. The army chief general, Waker-Uz-Zaman, said, “I promise you all, we will bring justice” while announcing the prime […]

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Yemen: Houthis Obstructing Aid, Exacerbating Cholera

Houthis are obstructing aid work and access to information, exacerbating a deadly cholera outbreak spreading across the country. The cholera outbreak will continue to take lives so long as Yemeni authorities obstruct aid and authorities and the international community fail to adequately invest in prevention and mitigation measures. Yemeni authorities should remove obstacles to aid […]

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UN Special Adviser urges States to hold perpetrators of genocide accountable

“Only when all perpetrators have been held into account will we be able to uphold the expectations that all victims rightly possess: that their voices are heard and their suffering acknowledged, and that there is justice for the crimes committed against their loved ones,” Special Adviser Alice Wairimu Nderitu stated. The 1994 Rwandan genocide which […]

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Russia: Repressive Laws Used to Crush Civic Freedoms

The Russian government’s dismantling of civic freedoms since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 is a dramatic escalation of its sustained assault on fundamental rights spanning more than a decade. Hundreds of people have been jailed or imprisoned under new, repressive laws. Discussion about a vast range of issues cannot take place openly, […]

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