Category: Human Rights

The call accompanies the launch of a key report by OHCHR, highlighting also the need for the Government to acknowledge the involvement of State security forces and to issue a public apology. From the 1970s to 2009, Sri Lanka witnessed widespread enforced disappearances, predominantly carried out by the national army and associated paramilitary groups.   […]

Today, via a temporary pier in the Mediterranean Sea, shipments of urgently needed humanitarian assistance have begun arriving in Gaza through the humanitarian maritime corridor. With more than two million people throughout Gaza in dire need of food, shelter, medicine, and other assistance, it is vital that the international donor community maximize all available means […]

(Ankara, May 17, 2024) – A Turkish court’s conviction on May 16, 2024, of 24 Kurdish politicians on bogus charges of crimes against the state follows a manifestly political and unjust trial, Human Rights Watch and the Turkey Human Rights Litigation Support Project said today. The court sentenced the 24 to prison terms ranging from 9 […]

(New York) – FIFA should immediately release and commit to implementing the robust Human Rights Framework for the 2026 Men’s Soccer World Cup, which it developed through extensive consultations with civil society stakeholders and public officials from across North America. The framework, which FIFA shared with host cities in March 2024, will govern labor and human rights […]

(Tokyo) – Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida should publicly call on Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to respect human rights, Human Right Watch said today. The crown prince’s visit to Tokyo from May 20-23, 2024, is his first visit to Japan as Saudi Arabia’s prime minister. As the Japanese government increases its engagement with […]

Today marks 29 years since the People’s Republic of China (PRC) abducted the 11th Panchen Lama, one of the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism, as a six-year-old child.  Gedhun Choekyi Nyima remains missing and has not appeared in public since that day.  The PRC government is denying members of the Tibetan community access to […]

(Beirut) – Tunisian authorities have arrested at least nine people amid escalating government actions in recent weeks to muzzle free speech, prosecute dissent, and crack down on migrants and asylum seekers, Human Rights Watch said today. Tunisian authorities should respect and protect space for independent civil society to operate fully and freely. Between May 3 and […]

Each year on May 17, we commemorate the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia.  On this day, we reflect upon the violence and discrimination lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) persons worldwide suffer and re-commit ourselves to opposing these acts.  This year, like every year, we state unequivocally: LGBTQI+ persons deserve […]

(Athens, May 17, 2024) – The imminent trial of nine survivors of the June 2023 Pylos shipwreck off Greece raises fair trial concerns, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said today. The survivors are charged with smuggling, aggravated by the deaths of passengers, causing a shipwreck, irregular entry, and forming and membership of a criminal organization, […]

A new aid shipment from Cyprus to Gaza via the Maritime Corridor and the newly constructed US pier is taking place today, carrying EU supplies.  Through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, Romania is sending more than 88,000 cans of food to Palestinians in need. The Commission covers the transport costs of this delivery. An EU […]