Category: Human Rights

(Nairobi) – The Democratic Republic of Congo government should ensure that those who took part in an attempted coup are prosecuted in fair trials, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should also thoroughly and impartially investigate and appropriately prosecute security forces’ alleged extrajudicial killings of coup participants. Details are still emerging about the attempted coup […]

Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) Julieta Valls Noyes will travel to Bogotá, Colombia May 27-30. She will accompany Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma and other delegation members in the 11th round of the U.S.-Colombia High-Level Dialogue to underscore areas of shared interest including migration […]

French judges convicted three Syrian senior officials for their role in the imprisonment, enforced disappearance and torture of two dual Syrian-French citizens, Patrick Dabbagh and his father Mazzen, in 2013, as well as the confiscation of their property. On May 24, 2024, the court concluded that imprisonment, enforced disappearance and torture committed by the officials Ali Mamlouk, Jamil […]

The United States is deeply concerned over the People’s Liberation Army joint military drills in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan.  We are monitoring PRC activities closely and coordinating with allies and partners regarding our shared concerns. We strongly urge Beijing to act with restraint.  Using a normal, routine, and democratic transition as an excuse […]

Fierce battles have intensified between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group, displacing tens of thousands of people in Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships in recent days. An estimated 45,000 Rohingya have reportedly fled to an area on the Naf River near the border with Bangladesh, seeking protection. Over one million Rohingya […]

(Bangkok) – Thai authorities should impartially and transparently investigate the death of a detained anti-monarchy activist, Netiporn “Bung” Sanesangkhom, in Bangkok, Human Rights Watch said today. Prime Minister Srettha Tavisin promised an inquiry into her death in Bangkok, which has raised concerns about possible negligence by prison officials in referring her for life-saving medical treatment. […]

(Beirut) – A Libyan political analyst who had been arbitrarily detained in eastern Libya for nearly seven months died under dubious circumstances on April 19, 2024, Human Rights Watch said today. Libya authorities should immediately and impartially investigate the death of the political analyst, Siraj Dughman, in the Benghazi General Directorate for Internal Security. On […]

(Brussels) – The new EU directive adopted on May 24, 2024, requiring large companies to ensure human rights respect in their value chains signals a new era for corporate accountability, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch issued a question-and-answer document about the provisions, strengths, and weaknesses of the new law. The document describes […]

On May 23, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt hosted a Symposium to Combat Online Antisemitism. The Symposium convened technology executives, NGOs, and government representatives to foster collaborative thinking about effective action against surging online antisemitism. The forum was an enriching and productive exchange of ideas across the three sectors. […]

On May 23, 2024, the US Supreme Court issued a 6-3 decision that allows racial discrimination in the drawing of voting maps, dismissing the voices of Black voters challenging racial gerrymandering and undermining efforts to build a multiracial democracy in the United States. The ruling is inconsistent with international human rights treaties binding on the United States […]