Category: Human Rights

(Geneva) – A Swiss court’s conviction of the former Gambian Interior Minister Ousman Sonko for crimes against humanity is monumental for Gambian victims of atrocity crimes during the rule of Yahya Jammeh, Human Rights Watch said today. The verdict is a major achievement for Switzerland’s efforts to hold accountable those responsible for grave crimes committed abroad. On […]

On 15 May 2024, the European Commission, assisted by the World Bank, published 3 new reports on how to invest in disaster resilience, the cost of adaptation strategies and the financial impact of wildfires and droughts. The European Commission financed the work carried out by the World Bank to prepare the studies. The first report […]

The Department of State today took steps to impose visa restrictions on over 250 members of the Nicaraguan government, including police and paramilitary personnel, penitentiary officials, prosecutors, judges, and public higher education officials, as well as select non-government actors for their roles in supporting the Ortega-Murillo regime in its attacks on human rights and fundamental […]

(Johannesburg) – An armed group linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) in northern Mozambique used boys as young as 13 to raid and loot the town of Macomia, in Cabo Delgado province, on May 10, 2024, Human Rights Watch said today. It is unclear if the children also engaged in fighting against government armed forces. […]

The European Commission has allocated nearly €130 million this year in humanitarian aid for Latin American and the Caribbean, to address the needs of the most vulnerable people affected by the main ongoing emergencies.  This includes over €1 million just approved to respond to the devastating floods in Brazil, which in past weeks have affected […]

May 15, 2024 The new Judith “Judy” Heumann Memorial Award for Leadership and Service in accessibility, disability rights, and inclusion recognizes U.S. Department of State employees whose efforts in the fields of accessibility and disability rights helps to build and retain an inclusive work environment where employees with disabilities have equal opportunity and access.  The […]

The year also saw nearly 47 million new internal displacements, highlighting the urgent need for protection and prevention efforts, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), which supplied data for the report. “As the planet grapples with conflicts and disasters, the staggering numbers of 47 million new internal displacements tells a harrowing tale,” […]

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has created a “super body” to promote human rights protection in the Philippines. On paper, the Special Committee on Human Rights Coordination looks impressive, and its stated purpose is admirable. But as constructed, the body will have little authority to address the serious rights abuses facing the country. At best, the special committee is a […]

(Nairobi) – The political transition in Chad ended with violence as at least 9, and possibly more, civilians were reported killed by celebratory gunfire from soldiers and civilians, Human Rights Watch said today. On May 9, 2024, the National Election Management Agency (Agence nationale de gestion des élections, ANGE) announced that the interim president, Gen. Mahamat Idriss Déby, had […]

(Jerusalem, May 14, 2024) – Israeli forces have carried out at least eight strikes on aid workers’ convoys and premises in Gaza since October 2023, even though aid groups had provided their coordinates to the Israeli authorities to ensure their protection, Human Rights Watch said today. Israeli authorities did not issue advance warnings to any of the […]